The plan was to go to Snooze, one of the most popular brunch spots in San Diego that happens to be in our neighborhood. The week before Teddy arrived, we decided to take advantage of our fleeting freedom and work-at-home status (definitely can’t step away for too long now given the pup’s hourly bathroom needs) and walked into Snooze only to find out the wait was 40 minutes on a Wednesday at 10 a.m. Sorry, but I gave up waiting for restaurants towards the end of my New York tenure.
Screw it, we said, and walked around the corner to the small, cute and less crowded Fig Tree Cafe. The menu has all the sweets and savories you’d want at reasonable prices. Eaman and I shared the veggie scramble ($9.25 for eggs with goat cheese, sun-dried tomatoes, spinach, toast and the most perfect roasted potatoes) as well as French toast with whipped cream and strawberries ($10.45). Make sure to try the orange zest-flavored syrup, too. It’s got zing.
Every blog has a certain purpose in my life. Some make me want to redecorate, others send me straight to the kitchen and there are those that make me question why I don’t own a leather skirt. When I need a jolt of bright and happy energy, I read Ashley Fine’s blog, One Fine Day. The blogger and personal stylist has created a charming life for herself in Hawaii, where her and her military husband (nicknamed “Flyboy” on the blog) are currently stationed. Ashley’s blog serves up tons of visual inspiration, from fashion and interior design to prints and book recommendations. This island girl’s sweet, funny and cheery — if you’re not following her on Instagram, what are you waiting for? — so let’s find out what keeps Ashley calm, cool and collected.
This family just got a little bigger…and cuter…and fluffier. Yes, that’s right friends: After nearly 23 years of yearning for a golden retriever friend, I’m wildly, outrageously, butt-crazily ecstatic to share with you that we finally have a dog!
Meet Teddy, an 8-week-old golden with a serene personality (so far), adorably round head (a very important trait we wanted — no joke) and snuggle-worthy shaggy coat. He hails from Meadowbrook Farms in Perris, CA from a wonderful breeder family who takes good care of their goldens, corgis and horses on their quaint and quiet farm.* Major updates since Day One: He’s kind of, sort of starting to get the bathroom-outside thing, bitter apple spray does in fact keep him from biting furniture and he loves sleeping on our cold tile floor.
I have a lot to say about what it means for me to have a dog — I’ll regale you with the tale next week — but for now I’m taking time to enjoy these first few days of newness, craziness, sleep-deprived playtime and…bathroom clean-up.
*I know there are a lot of people out there who’ll be unhappy with our choice to go with a breeder versus a shelter. Just know that yes, we weighed that option and yes, we do understand the value of adopting, but this was what was right for us at this time. We were extremely picky about breeders; it was important to us that the family be just as in love and just as nurturing to the pups as we are going to be. We scoped them out like private investigators and asked a thousand questions — and then some. That said, I’ve made a promise to myself to adopt the next dog I own. You better believe there will be another down the line!
What a difference 2.5 months make. Since moving in January 11, our apartment feels like a real home thanks to flea market finds, a little paint work and some wall art. (In my opinion, a place becomes home only when you decorate the walls.) Today I’ll take you on a little tour of some of my favorite elements. Get ready for color, wanderlust and stories behind pretty much everything.
In this month’s installment, we tour a weekend festival in Balboa Park, paint furniture, chill out at our current favorite beach (Windansea), practice yoga headstands on the sand, get fancy at a Fashion San Diego party at the W Hotel, hike the Climbers Loop Trail in Mission Trails Regional Park, visit L.A. for a West Elm event, set up our haft-seen for Persian New Year, get very excited to shop for a necessity — leggings to replace some ripped ones — since I’m on a bit of a self-imposed shopping hiatus and dancing the night away at the Persian celebration known as Chaharshanbe Suri.
And just to let you know, I don’t think it’s that weird to chop onions with swimming goggles on. (I’m really sensitive to the vapors!) But I guess it might be weird to do so while you’re in your PJs and you have a towel wrapped around your wet hair. See, it ain’t all glamorous.
Given his Persian roots, naturally one of the first questions Eaman asked upon arriving in San Diego was, “Where can we get a decent kabob around here?” It’s a tough one to answer because despite a fairly large Iranian population, San Diego can’t lay claim to as many great Persian food options as you’d think. Iranians give most of the restaurants lukewarm reviews, and the food is regarded as average at best. (One that gets a lot of recognition is Bandar. We haven’t been yet, but if we asked where to find the most expensive kabob, Bandar would surely be the answer.)
That said, if you don’t have a Persian mother who serves up some of the best asheh reshteh and fesenjoon you’ve ever tasted, I’m sure you’ll be as happy as I was at Balboa International Market. Last week for Persian New Year, we checked out the part-Middle Eastern/Indian grocery store, part-fast-food joint, where we ordered the lamb koobideh (a ground lamb kabob) and boneless chicken kabob plates, both of which came with a roasted tomato, mound of rice, lavash bread and side salad. (The salad is a nod to Western customers because it’s definitely not traditional.) The quality of meat was great — tender, juicy and well-marinated — and I definitely went to town on the sumac, a spice gingerly sprinkled on the rice. In my case, it was shoveled on top. I really can’t get enough.
Despite what my lace top might imply, it’s certainly not a fancy place, but for the price, taste and quality, Balboa Market is your best bet for Persian food, even according to an native son like Eaman. (Oh, and they make fresh noon barbari, a traditional oven-baked flatbread, too!)
One of my favorite things about living in San Diego is being surrounded by stunning real estate porn and Spanish-style architecture. (I’ve coveted a dreamy Spanish-style roof since I was a wee girl.) Yes, we live in a residential area named Hillcrest, but it’s the exact opposite of cookie-cutter suburb. Each house is so different and full of character that every time I pass one, I notice a new and interesting detail. Some have blooming gardens. Others have eye-catching patterns. Some embrace bright colors and others feel like the stuff of fairy tales.
Since I work from home (in a far less glamorous small-scale apartment building), I take my fair share of walks around the ‘hood to get some air. One day I decided to take my camera with me, and here’s what I saw…
I met Rhiannon Marquis last month at a networking event and it wasn’t long before I realized this was my kind of girl. Of all the things she pointed out upon reading this blog, she told me that Cravory cookies, Clueless and farmer’s/flea markets were three (or I guess four) of her favorite things in life. Are we well-matched or what?
She’s spent time in both Hawaii and Orange County, but this born-and-bred San Diegan calls SD home. She studied film at Cal State Long Beach but went on to work in the wireless industry for 10 years before landing her dream gig: marketing and sales for Fashion Week San Diego and APA Consulting. “The best part is that every day we’re helping someone else achieve their dreams, whether it’s helping an emerging designer launch their career or a small business owner achieve success,” she says.
Today, Rhiannon tells us about wanting to direct music videos and jamming to Hawaiian music in her car. Let’s see what that’s all about…
