Living With My Parents Is Cool

Just stumbled upon this little gem of a blog and I had to share it with the rest of you. (Who you all are is still up for debate, but that's beside the point.)

Living With My Parents Is Cool says it all in this blog post.

Will someone please hire me already so I can stop thinking these jokes are hilarious and relatable?

Thanks,
Lindsay

Things Olive Right Now

1. Princess Kate Middleton's wedding dress.

First, I must preface this with the fact that I am not one to follow William and Kate's every move. Yes, I was interested in the dress this morning but that's about it. Well, the dress is indeed amazing. Classy, of course, but with enough lace to make Wills' heart race.

Do you think that little girl loves all that noise down below?

2. Spinach, Chicken, Avocado, Sliced Almond, Onion, Green Apple Salad

Pair this with either the Champagne Pear Vinaigrette from Trader Joe's or any other fruity, light vinaigrette and prepare to have your taste buds wowed. Although lots of chopping is involved, it is a simple salad to put together. Plus, it's chock full of everything healthy. What's not to love?

3. Mom

Trying to plan something special (and inexpensive) for Mother's Day is no easy task. (Don't worry, Mom, do you really think I'd spoil your surprise on here?)  :) Today, I'm thinking of her and everything she does for me. For all that you do for me, thank you. Get ready for a Sunday Fun-day like no other next weekend!

Mom and me in Santa Barbara

4. The Maxi Dress

Seen here, on the always camera-ready Emily of Cupcakes & Cashmere, is a lavender frock by Urban Outfitters that is begging to be hanging in my closet by next week. The opacity of the dress, paired with tan wedges makes it the perfect one piece ensemble for Spring. Throw on some gold, flirty earrings and you're set for anything from a brunch date to a shopping trip with the girls.

5. STAGECOACH!

I had to save the best for last. Tomorrow morning, Emily and I are packing our (overnight) bags filled with nothing but boots (ok, maybe a pair of sandals too), sundresses, and sunscreen and heading out West  East. for two days of the hot sun, friends, and country music galore. The lineup this year? Rascal Flatts, Darius Rucker, Kenny Chesney, and Carrie Underwood just to name a few. Oh, and Josh Turner too (swoon).

Communication Breakdown

To talk or not to talk, that is the question when in the midst of an argument with your loved one. If you ask 99% of men, they will say "don't talk." Most of the time, when fighting with that complex other gender, continuing to talk and talk about an issue will only make them less receptive. However, most women will frustratedly say "...but I want to work it out!". I stumbled across this article on Oprah's site and it gives some good insight as to why that phenomenon is, and how to make everyone happy in the end. (The article, How to Improve Your Marriage Without Talking About It, by Barbara Graham, is focused on marriage, but it works with any relationship!)

Truth be told, it is in fact the male species who has a little bit of a leg up in this situation. From the time we are infants, boys and girls react quite differently to stressful situations. Boys immediately have the "flight or fight" response, while girls want to "mend and befriend" and make everything all better. It makes sense then why now, we want to talk it out and the guys just want to go to the other room.

According to Barbara Graham, discussion of one's relationship foibles could be the fastest way to tear down communication walls. So what are we supposed to do? Mime? Play charades?

"Everyone—men, women, myself included—needs to learn that before we can communicate with words, we need to connect nonverbally. We can do that in simple ways, through touch, sex, doing things together. The deepest moments of intimacy occur when you're not talking," states the article.

Stosny, a researcher on male aggression, puts it this way: "We need to stop trying to assess the bonding verbally and instead let the words come out of the bonding." Pat Love, his colleague says,

"When couples feel connected, men want to talk more and women need to talk less, so they meet somewhere in the middle."

As far as those really trying times, the pair suggests using a hand-signal or some other non-verbal gesture when you want to stop talking and put the issue on the table. That will show your partner you don't want to fight anymore. "This doesn't mean they should try to ignore their feelings, but instead find a way to convey that the other person matters more than whatever they're resentful or anxious about—and then talk."

So the next time it seems as though neither of you is getting your point across, take some cues from the pros and just shut your pie hole.

xo,

L

America!

Last week, I had the good fortune to reap the benefits of Jet Blue's buddy pass system. Ross' cousin- the Kew Gardens host extraordinaire, Jillian- was able to get us the cheap seats. Only these ones weren't nosebleed.

We arrived in NYC hassle free after a red eye, and made our way through the fog filled pre-dawn streets of Queens desperately trying to locate the "Kew Arms", or as Jill affectionately calls it, the "3D Funhole." (Don't ask.)

Central Park view from the Natural History Museum

After catching up on some much needed shut-eye, Ross and I embraced the day. We walked. And walked. All around the downtown streets of Union Square, towards Central Park, and everywhere in between. Unfortunately for us, we had dressed in pea coats and jeans, when the temperatures outside called for shorts and breezy tanks.We met up with Sydney for an afternoon brew in the East Village, sauntered down the tree lined streets in her neighborhood, and ooh'd and ahh'd over the many brownstones and walkups. We enjoyed the tasty, Italian fare at Posto, where we shared a delectable thin crust, wood-fired pizza, and some hummus (random, I know). It was a fitting "welcome to New York" dinner. 

The beau and I

The following days were spent at the Natural History Museum (hello, taxidermy!), entering a raffle to see "The Book of Mormon" on Broadway (we didn't get tickets), and getting rowdy at a few Meatpacking District bars (675 Bar was a favorite- as was our amazingly friendly bartender there) . Ross, Syd, and I went to the place that "Coyote Ugly" was based on, and we didn't even know it! Kiss and Fly made us feel like celebs in training when the owner saw past our leggings, rain boots, jean jackets, and empty wallets and let us enjoy bottle service on him. 

Heart attack in a mason jar: chocolate dipped bacon at the underground 675 bar

Loving the artwork in the Meatpacking District

After our jaunt in the city that never sleeps, we hitched a ride on standby to Washington, D.C. where we met up with the entire Anthony clan. Ross' brother Collin is a Tomb Guard at Arlington National Cemetary so we decided it was time to watch him walk. We got the inside scoop on how being a tomb guard works, and got to see their secret rooms under the tomb. They let us into the press box, where we did our best not to make him laugh. (He can't even sneeze!) That was a pretty incredible experience. The trip ensued with the requisite tour of DC monuments, Obama's house, etc. One of the highlights for me was wandering the streets of Old Town, Alexandria. Brick buildings from the 1700's, views of the Potomac, and lots of cobblestone was enough to make me want to stay in VA a bit longer. 

Collin Anthony, 591st Tomb Guard

Old Town Alexandria, via Destination360

I won't even go into our lovely standby experience on the way home. Let's just say I'm thrilled all five of us got back to San Diego...eventually. 

Next up on NYC wish list? Trying a street vendor hot dog, actually seeing a Broadway show, and spending a day exploring Central Park. What are your favorite East Coast must-do's?

Happy Thursday!

xo,

L

Gimme some [blog] lovin...

Just joined Bloglovin...Pretty wonderful site for garnering all of one's favorite blogs in one place.
Follow me & I'll love you forever. And ever.

xo,
L

Things Olive Right Now

1. Revlon Nail Color, Kiss Me Coral

The quintessential pick-me-up shade. I'm wearing it on my nails and toes right now to remind me that even during these gloomy days, summer is still only a couple months away.

2. Kettlebell Classes, Ambition Athletics

Thanks to Max and Brian at the Encinitas fitness studio, my butt (and arms, core, shoulders, etc) has been whipped into shape. Max, the owner of the very personal and private gym, makes everyone feel like a pro-athlete- even if you can't do a pull up to save your life. Brian, our instructor, may as well be a personal trainer for the celeb crowd- always pushing everyone to do their best and keeping constant pump up tunes on the stereo.

3. Jessica Simpson, Kowloon Espadrille

I have been living in these wedges since I bought them last week. They are comfy (great for daytime), but also dressy enough to wear out with a sundress. If you're going to buy one new pair of shoes for spring/summer- these are it.

4. East Coast family trips

Planning a spur of the moment trip to Washington, DC next week with the beau's family. Ross' brother, Collin, does the changing of the guard at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, and we are so excited to go see him in action. Another city getting a pit-stop on the way out there? NYC!

5. Fun weekends

Between Meg's b-day party last weekend in Manhattan Beach, and Emily's wine tasting suaree last Sunday, I have been digging all of the fun events taking place! On the table this weekend? Family time and a little bowling tonight, and a curry date with Ross on Sunday. 

Bernardo Winery, Rancho Bernardo

Have a fun weekend everyone!

xo,
L

The Loft

Exposed brick walls, edgy accents, and Snickerdoodle coffee were just three of the things I adored about trying out this new salon today. Plus, I got a sweet new haircut (just a trim) from Erin, and ran into a friend from high school (hey Morgan!). Not bad for a Tuesday morning Loft visit!

The best part was the [included!] "sensory experience"- basically a fancy way of saying "neck and shoulder massage with heavenly smelling aromatherapy oils"....ahhh.

Seriously though folks, if you're contemplating a new 'do or new salon please do yourself a favor and head to The Loft on Grand (between Broadway and Kalmia). There are $10 off coupons online for new clients too. It's also been said that they serve beer on tap and wine (probably for those later afternoon appointments) so grab a brew, a mag, and prepare to be pampered for forty minutes.

xo,
L

Bernardo Winery

For Emily's quarter century birthday celebration, thirteen of us met at the historic Bernardo Winery for a day filled with good company, delicious food, and of course, wine tasting. 

The afternoon started with a tour from Nancy, who educated us on the 122 year old Bernardo's organic wine growing practices (they specialize in the red varietals) and showed us around the lush ranch-style winery. She gave us [generous] tastes of their house Chardonnay (very creamy, not too oakey) and Reisling (delectably sweet), as well as the fruity and full-bodied Merlot and crowd pleasing Syrah. She polished us off by popping a cork of some celebratory champagne to toast to. Overall a wonderful tasting experience.

We then headed to the bustling outdoor restaurant on site, Cafe Merlot, where we noshed on tasty California classics and listened to the live band. Some popular choices? The "Bella" chicken, caramelized onion, and horseradish aoili sandwich on crispy sourdough and the Cafe Merlot house salad- complete with sun-dried tomatoes, chicken and goat cheese. Oh, not to mention the apple strudel a la mode (with a candle on top!) that our lovely server brought out while we sang "Happy Birthday" to Em. We couldn't decide which we liked more- our delicious meals or the wine! So of course, we had to go taste a few more types just to be sure.

The day turned out to be quite the hit and many of us commented how we couldn't believe we had never been to the winery. The perfect venue for a small gathering, girl's day out, or afternoon date- Bernardo Winery is definitely one of North Couty's hidden gems.

xo,

L

*more pics to come!

Hooray For Fools & Birthday Girls!

It's only 9AM and I've already seen a number of April Fool's jokes (Facebook is convenient like that). I'm quite a gullible person so my first thought is always to believe it, but then the little skeptic in me comes out of hiding and I realize I've been conned.

One girl who got to play an early April Fool's joke on her mama 25 years ago (when she thought she would be having her the day prior) is one of my best friends, Meghan.

Oldie but a goodie...Meg and I with Kevin from The Office

Happy birthday to you, Meg! Can't wait to celebrate in style tonight at Union Cattle in Hermosa!

xo,
L

P.S. Ross & I are moving to Vegas to become escorts...Real Estate and job hunting just don't cut it.




april fools!