Eaman and I have started a new Sunday tradition: Each week we pick a different breakfast breakfast or coffee spot and practice Farsi. (If you’re late to the party, Eaman is Persian and fluent in Farsi.) Back in New York I had a Farsi tutor and was pretty dang proficient, but then we went traveling and and Spanish, Vietnamese, Thai, Burmese, Malay and Hindi vocabulary pushed all the Farsi knowledge out of my brain.
I’m getting back on track, and for yesterday’s class, we went to Cardamom Cafe & Bakery, a simple spot in North Park. Our French toast was solid but way too huge, and the huevos were certainly nothing to write home about. So why bother talking about this place at all?
Two words: almond croissant, probably the best you will ever have and the cafe’s most popular pastry. It goes well with the house coffee, which is usually so tasteless in restaurants that I almost always go for a latte. But I was pleasantly surprised to find that Cardamom’s coffee is actually really wonderful. Beyond the baked goods, the outdoor patio is super pleasant and always filled with dogs. Yesterday we met Teddy’s brother from another mother (not really), an Anatolian shepherd. Fun fact of the day: Anatolian shepherds have six toes!
While window shopping in South Park’s Graffiti Beach I spotted some uber-cool sunglasses and discovered they’re made by a San Diego-based line called SOLO Eyewear. Started by Jenny Amaraneni and Dana Holliday, SOLO sunglasses are made with recycled bamboo and each pair purchased funds eye care for people in need. Sweet combo, no?
Today these talented entrepreneurs are talking about beach runs, mentoring students and chinchillas. (Their rituals make me seriously excited to live in SoCal!)
Yesterday I went swimming in Balboa Park’s outdoor pool. Two days ago, I went for a walk in shorts and a tank top. I still sleep in shorts and a tee. It’s safe to say that it’s nowhere near fall out here in San Diego, and I don’t totally hate it — the weather is, of course, why we moved here — but I’d be lying if I said a part of me wasn’t missing the ceremonious switchover from flip-flops to boots, the swapping of sunglasses for scarves.
And yesterday in Trader Joe’s, it was as though I were walking through a parade of fall’s most glorious bounty: pumpkin! Canned pumpkin, pumpkin latte mix, even decorative pumpkins on branches in the flower section, and then I saw the jar of TJ’s pumpkin butter and all my memories of baking in my crappy Manhattan kitchen came flooding back. (Fact: I had zero counter space in my last NYC abode.)
So even though temps are in the 70-80s (don’t hate me), I’m looking forward to ushering in my own fall within the confines of our apartment. Here are four pumpkin recipes I’m excited to try:
We had a fun weekend planned for no apparent reason. Lunch at a delicious Lebanese spot, shopping at the mall with some gift certificates, a movie at an actual theater (we never do that anymore — so expensive!)*, trip to the dog park followed by acai bowls, BBQ with friends, an IHOP breakfast and a relaxing day with a groggy Teddy who just got neutered yesterday.
It was a good exercise in letting go and remembering that’s it’s OK to chill. This hasn’t been an easy lesson to learn since becoming a freelancer. When you work for yourself, you often feel like there’s always something else that can be done. And when you work from home, it’s often hard to officially end the work day. In this day and age of teenage entrepreneurs and wildly successful start-ups, does anyone else ask themselves, “Am I doing enough?” I’m not saying we should praise laziness, but I don’t think I’m alone when I say that I sometimes feel guilty for getting some R&R.
But Teddy’s surgery ended up being the catalyst I needed to tell myself, It’s OK to relax! Post-neutering, the poor guy was in a total pain medication haze and could barely walk or keep himself upright. He’s forbidden from much exercise or activity for the next couple weeks, and for his first day, I wanted to make things as soothing as possible. I just sat on the floor — in harem pants no less! — petting him while watching the Emmys. And then we ordered Papa John’s. And then I fell asleep reading magazines on the couch. And for the first time in a long time, I didn’t feel guilty about any of it.
*We watched Blue Jasmine. I can’t give a proper review because I fell asleep intermittently, but from what I saw, I didn’t like it. Cate Blanchett’s character was so unlikeable. What’s with the good reviews? Someone please explain.
In this series I often feature people I’ve never met but admire from afar. Today I’m so happy to introduce you to a fellow blogger friend I’ve had the pleasure of actually meeting. (Imagine that!) Rashi and I connected through our mutual friends and as soon as I discovered her blog, Bucket of Squash, in late October, I quickly emailed her to tell her I was in love with her design style. Thankfully, she didn’t think I was a creepy girl fan, and after years of hearing about each other, we finally met up in NYC for coffee to talk blogs, design and everything in between.
A couple Sundays ago, I explored Bird Rock, a small (and wealthy) coastal community within La Jolla. There’s not much beyond one street of action and some majorly beautiful homes, but I love how intimate the whole place feels compared to the rest of sprawling San Diego.
Anchoring the town is Bird Rock Coffee Roasters, an amazing micro-roaster with a line out the door on weekends. Besides Caffe Calabria in North Park, it’s the only other coffee spot in San Diego where I don’t have to add sugar to my latte; that, to me, is a sign of a really excellent brew. The cafe itself is really lovely, too, with an open-air design and totally relaxed vibe.
And just down the block is Seaside Smoothie & Juice Bar, where my girlfriends and I got acai bowls for brunch. To be honest, it wasn’t as good as the acai bowls I used to make when I worked at Lanikai Juice in Honolulu, but for a hot Sunday morning, I can’t complain, especially since Seaside is connected to Bird Rock Surf Shop, where the owner’s golden retriever freely walks between surf shop and juice bar. He even has his own spot under a table with a bed and kibble.
This past weekend was extra special because Eaman turned 30! As a surprise, I flew his sister in from New York for a few days of San Diego fun. To fete his big day, we brunched at Fig Tree Cafe in Hillcrest, burned it off with a long hike through Torrey Pines and went out with friends to Soda & Swine, a meatball-themed restaurant in North Park, and Polite Provisions, the Prohibition Era-style bar next door. As far as sweets, I know the key to this guy’s heart and made a four-layer Funfetti monstrosity with homemade vanilla buttercream frosting. And because he’s 30 but forever a kid at heart, I put together a little goody bag of treats including Doritos, Cheetos, Goldfish crackers, Gushers and Pringles. Yes, we felt ill all weekend from all that.
For the rest of the weekend, we hit up Windansea Beach, played Bananagrams during sunset at Sunset cliffs, sipped coffee from Caffe Calabria (the best), grilled on our balcony and continued our Saturday tradition: playtime at the Grape Street Dog Park followed by coffee and croissants and Cafe Madeleine.
‘Twas a good — and indulgent — weekend. Hope you had a good one!
One thing I took from our year-long backpacking trip is that a person’s energy can be one of the best ways to connect (or stay away from someone). And all I could feel when I learned about branding/design agency Hey, Sweet Pea from random Internet browsing is oodles of positivity. From their fun bios to their active and engaging Facebook page, this husband-and-wife team are all about motivation and goal-setting. Even though I haven’t worked with them, browsing on their site and social media channels for even a few minutes made me want to go-go-go.
Let’s get to know this cute, talented couple on today’s rituals.
