Monthly Archives: January 2014

Life

video recap: january 2014

January 31, 2014

Music: “Happy” by Pharrell

This new year is off to an incredible start. I know the video will make you think that January was all Teddy, but that’s only because Eaman and I have been working so hard that playing with him has been a major stress reliever. But don’t get it twisted; the stress stems from totally awesome work, like covering the Grammys for Cosmopolitan, taping a segment for The Queen Latifah Show (airing next Tuesday!) and crossing other major career goals off the list. (The first two didn’t make the video; I was too frazzled to catch them on camera.) To top it off, Eaman’s business is going incredibly well. Hooray!

I know it sounds corny, but when I was heading back from L.A. earlier this week, I almost started crying (tears of joy) about all the good fortune that’s come my way so quickly in 2014. Last year sucked in a lot of ways, but I felt a positive energy coming from 2014. And if everything else goes to hell this year, at least I’ll know that January was crazy in the best possible way.

Here’s a look at January — a trip up to L.A. to see one of my best friends, San Diego visitors and plenty of cute dogs. Enjoy!

Food

california barley bowl

January 29, 2014

California Barley Bowl // My SoCal'd Life, a lifestyle blog

I hate most salads. The ones with leafy greens, chopped tomatoes, lentils, etc.? I just hate them. They’re not satisfying, they’re not filling and they honestly make me unhappy about life. I’m not saying I need pounds of carbs in my meal, but there’s something about salads that makes me feel like I’m eating rabbit food.

But I did do a double take when I saw 101 Cookbooks‘ recipe for a California barley bowl, which seemed to be a salad for salad-haters. Beyond greens, nuts and avocado — typical salad staples — there were grains! Catchy name aside, this is a salad experiment worth trying. It’s delicious thanks in large part to the different textures — chewy barley, creamy avocado and crunchy nuts — and made for a perfect lunch. Unlike my usual sandwich or taco routine, I felt full but light, which is crucial to being productive the rest of the work day.

Some notes:

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Style + Beauty

grammys 2014

January 27, 2014

grammys-blog

You may have seen some exciting news on my Twitter and Instagram feeds this past weekend: I got to attend the Grammys for Cosmopolitan! It was an incredible weekend that included a backstage tour, major glam makeover session with Cover Girl, Herbal Essences and Olay, and of course the big show. Imagine going to the best concert of your life where Madonna, Beyonce, Pharrell and so many more are the main acts. Oh, and 34 happy couples get married by Queen Latifah. It was incredible. I’m still on a high from it all.

I’ll keep it short because I’m exhausted from being so fabulous working around the clock this weekend, but you can read my scoop on behind-the-scenes Grammy fun right here and my recap of what it felt like to play celebrity for the day.

Creative Profiles

my rituals: editor, writer + beauty blogger shyema azam

January 24, 2014

shyema-azam-profile

I’m so excited to welcome magazine editor, beauty blogger and my dear friend Shyema Azam to my rituals today! I met Shyema during my early years in New York, and we became fast friends probably because she’s one of the kindest, most hardworking and selfless people I know. Shyema was at the forefront of the blogging explosion; I was actually with her the night her blog, Beauty and the Feast, was designed and live! She was also a huge inspiration for my own blogging career — I started my very first blog (which is embarrassing/humbling to look at now) with her encouragement — and thanks to her I finally let my guard down about that weird thing called Twitter.

With her always changing schedule and multiple beauty events throughout the week, no week is ever the same for this gal. Today she talks about four routines that keep her sane, energized and well-kempt.

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Life

7 tips for freelancing, working at home + being your own boss

January 22, 2014

7 tips for freelancers (from freelancers!) // my SoCal'd life, a lifestyle blog

Last year was the first year of my freelance career. It was shaky, unsure and I rarely saw the light at the end of the tunnel. But what was perhaps even harder was figuring out how to successfully work from home. Can I wear yoga pants? Is it awful to sleep in? Is it weird to take the morning off and work at night?

Over the course of a year I’ve figured out a few things about what works for me (dressing up — maybe not in sequin leggings) and what doesn’t (heavy lunches), but I still have my fair share to learn. So I turned to three fabulous freelancer friends who are imparting their words of wisdom on what it’s like to be an at-home worker bee. Read on for their thoughts on sleeping in, separating work from home and watching Bravo.

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Design + Interiors

6 super cool pinterest finds (+ giveaway winner!)

January 20, 2014

6 Cool Finds on Pinterest // my SoCal'd life, a guide to all things delicious, adventurous and stylish in Southern California

Just a few (super cool) things that have caught my eye on Pinterest lately… (Follow me on Pinterest for more goodies!)

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Creative Profiles

my rituals: beauty expert and blogger olia majd

January 17, 2014

Olia-Majd

**If you haven’t yet entered my  giveaway featuring 2 DOZEN Cravory cookies and a clever print from Odd Daughter Paper Co., go now! Today is the last day to enter. Get all the details here.**

Today’s Rituals features Olia Majd, a half French-half Persian beauty blogger and esthetician with some of the best beauty tips and tricks in the blogosphere. On her style blog, Love, Olia, the San Diego gal offers style inspiration, YouTube tutorials and peeks of the chic place she recently purchased. (Note to self: Must find this red patterned rug.) Her pictures are bright, her style is colorful and her taste is most certainly feminine. It’s no wonder more than 12,000 people tune into her Instagram feed every day!

Check out what Olia has to say about the three rituals that keep her happy:

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around san diego - San Diego eats + drinks

san diego restaurant week // preview at JRDN

January 15, 2014

san-diego-restaurant-week

San Diego Restaurant Week kicks off this Sunday, and to scope out the scene for my very first RW, I checked out what the menu looked like at participating restaurant JRDN, Pacific Beach’s seaside restaurant at the Tower23 Hotel. The restaurant is all about fresh, local California cuisine. Even their menu lists which local farms their meat came from, which was great news for me because I love knowing where my food comes from. (Shouldn’t we all?)

We started with a potato gnocchi topped with super creamy burrata, made our way through a chicken confit and side of fregola (a larger, more chewy Israeli couscous), and ended with my favorite of the night, the coconut pain perdu, which was essentially ladyfinger-size pieces of coconut dough surrounding lime sherbert, goat cheese and chocolate- and coconut-coated macadamia nuts. I could’ve had a three-course meal of just that and been happy. Also, I would love some notes from the chef on how to cook chicken that turns out that juicy.

And while we’re on the subject of beachfront dining, it’s a bit embarrassing to admit that in the year we’ve lived here, this was the first by-the-beach meal we’ve had. But what a good one to start with! In terms of restaurants/bars, JRDN is one of the best places in San Diego to watch a sunset. (I love Sunset Cliffs for a nature-themed spot to watch.) Beyond their formal dining area, they have a stylish garden lounge where you can sit at the bar or at tables and enjoy the sun, sand and many characters of Pacific Beach. If you live in San Diego, you know what I’m talking about.

To find out which 180+ restaurants are participating, check out San Diego Restaurant Week. And scroll ahead for some hunger-inducing food pictures, gorgeous sunset views and a peek at JRDN’s beach-cool interiors.

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