By now everyone who reads my blog should know I am a HUGE fan of HBO and Showtime original programming. More so the former, but every now and then Showtime really hits it out of the park with a show as good as anything on HBO. Homeland is one of these shows, and is quickly becoming my favorite TV show this fall! Full of espionage, mystery and intense moments, Homeland has me hanging on at the end of my seat with each and every episode. And the acting by Claire Danes and Damian Lewis is so convincing, and so good... even when they have scenes filled with silence they manage to be completely compelling. And is it just me or is Damian Lewis like SUPER SEXY? I usually can't get past crooked teeth, but for Damian I am willing to try! hehe!I am definitely a huge new fan of this show and can't wait to see where this premiere season will take us! Any thoughts? Any of my readers watching this amazingness?
Another week, another Tuesday, another top 5! And this week it's not all about food! But it is a little bit about food...because it's me you're talking to! So here we go!1. THE ROYAL WEDDING. Yes, I got such a bout of Royal Wedding Fever that I had to capitalize it. Obviously I love me some weddings. So a major wedding event like the Royal Wedding gets me all giddy and crazy excited. I LOVED every second of watching it, and maybe I might have cried tears of joy at one point. That cannot be confirmed or denied. ;) Point is, I swooned the whole way through. Kate's dress was amazing! LOVED the drop veil. LOVED the trees lining the church aisle. Loved her arriving in a vintage car. LOVED all the fascinators the guests wore. Love, love, love! The whole thing got me wondering...will any of my clients incorporate Royal Wedding inspiration in their big day?2. Tasty Meat Truck. Last night was date night at the food truck lot with my hubs. We ate many things including sushi, dumplings and nutella wontons. But one thing AJ reallllllly wanted was something entitled "the iron box" from the Tasty Meat truck. It's basically a box of fries topped with feta, tahini, and meat. I don't eat meat...but I do eat fries. So when AJ offered me a fry I was all, Okay, I'll just have one. Well...ONE fry turned into HALF THE BOX. Who knew fries could be even more deeeelicious with the addition of feta and tahini? Now it's all I can think about. Give me the IRON BOX, hold the meat please! ;)3. Mexicali Taco & Co. Saturday I photographed a fabulous wedding...and I worked up quite an appetite. AJ had the perfect suggestion...a taco table nearby in downtown LA. A Taco Table, friends, is not a truck but a mobile grill. It pops up at night... and this one is LEGIT. It really is largely for carnivores but the fine folks at Mexicali made me a garlicky quesadilla (entitled EL VAMPIRO). They have a lot of fresh salsas to top it with and some crazy tangy limed onions. Yummmers! It was GOOD! The best part though was sitting eating it in the parking lot, at nearly 11:00pm, with other in-the- know folks, with the entire backdrop of Downtown LA's skyscrapers behind us. It was unreal and beautiful and tasty. And its moments like that where I feel I live in the best city in the world.4. Words With Friends. Scrabble is probably one of my FAVE board games. And I play it like a beast! So when I got my friendly iPad 2, I was all heck yeah about the WWF app! I love to play but hateeee losing. I win pretty often but every once in awhile I face an opponent with (gasp!) superior scrabble skills than mine! I really thought I had the best skills too! Argh! Anyways, even when faced with a fiercer opponent than moi, I have so much fun playing this game! It rocks!!5. The Office. I used to love The Office like whoa. But a couple years ago I felt it began to lose it's funny and sparkle...BUT this season the writers have really been nailing it! I have been loving this year and laughing my pants off! I especially love Will Ferrell's recent appearances on the show. I am sad Steve Carrell (aka Michael Scott) is leaving but I have enjoyed the extra funny that's been happening lately! Here is a clip that makes me LOL!
I am beginning to think that Tuesday Top 5 should be renamed Tuesday Foodsday or something because seriously I ALWAYS seem to talk about food. Sorry folks the most exciting thing in my life is what I eat. Which either makes me a food critic extraordinaire or really totally lame. I am gonna go with the foodie extraordinaire option. Anyway, here is my Top 5 for the past week! I spent most of the week with my mom visiting my grammy & grampy in Pam Desert so almost everything is based from there!1. Sloan's in Indio. If I could eat breakfast at one place, every day, for the rest of my life...I would choose SLOAN'S in Indio, CA! I have been going to this place (formerly known as Elmer's) each and every visit to Palm Desert since I was a wee one. I've heard they make many tasty things at Sloan's. But to be honest I have only ever eaten two things. I split these two things with my mom (or friend or husband) on EVERY VISIT. We start by splitting the Chile Relleno Omelet... yes a beautiful roasted poblano, stuffed with cheese, wrapped in eggy omelety goodness, and topped with spiiiicy salsa. Yum and yum. Then for something sweet I must get THE GERMAN PANCAKE. If you have never had a German Pancake, I feel very sorry for you. Seriously. They are heaven. They are light and puffy...kinda like a yorkshire pudding but big and sweet. Sloan's makes the best one ever...I don't know how but they just make it perfect. Plus they have coconut syrup on the table you can top it with. Done and done. :) I was in the desert last week for 4 days and I ate at Sloan's every morning. Much to my mother & grandmother's chagrin. But seriously, it's a crime to be within a 30 mile radius of Sloan's and not go there!
2. Kobe in Rancho Mirage. So now you know I am obsessive about eating at Sloan's every morning that I am in Palm Desert. Well friends, I am equally obsessive over my dinner. And for dinner in the desert it has to be KOBE. Always Kobe. Kobe is a teppan restaurant... like a Benihana...ONLY A MILLION TIMES MORE YUMMY. Why is it more yummy? I don't know exactly...the menu is nearly identical. But the quality of ingredients and chefs are top notch. Their chefs have been with them forever too! Oh and it's not a huge multi-national corporate chain. If you know me... I hate huge corporate chain restaurants. Gross. No Kobe has a local home grown feel... though they do have two Hawaii locations, still its only a chain of 3...not huge. Anywho, Kobe is BOMB and I always have the same thing. Teppan Shrimp. But no I never volunteer to catch a shrimp in my mouth. I'm not a seal. ;)
3. Hadley's. Hadley's is so good even Huell Howser has featured it on California's Gold. Hadley's is a fruit/nut stand, specialty foods, cafe type place in Cabazon. They sell lots of specialty dried fruits, nuts and candies...But what I love is their DATE BANANA SHAKE. I like to think it's healthy since its chock full of dates and bananas, but yeah it is also full of ice cream. It's deliciously thick and not too sweet! It is the perfect pick me up on the long drive to the desert! I just looooove stopping there!!4. My Grandpa! My Grandpa is an awesome fellow. He is a whopping 90 years old, and even though recently he has been having some health issues, he looks incredible for his age. Most people think he's 70. No lie. I wish his genes were mine but unfortunately he technically is my step-grandpa (my mom's step-dad). But he' married my Grammy lonnnnnnnng before I was born so to me he has always been my real grandpa. My grandpa is super handy and great with tools ad wood type projects. When I was little he even built me my own dollhouse that was a replica of my own house and it was awesome. This week he helped me with a craft project for a shoot I was working on and it just reminded me how great he is at being there for me with little projects and such. I am lucky to have him and hope he can make it to at least 100!5. My Grammy! I have been fairly open about what a true miracle my grandma is! As I mentioned she had brain surgery due to a ruptured brain aneurysm about 6 weeks ago. At the time is was frightening and no one was sure she'd make it, or make it out with a full recovery. And though she still isn't 100%, I saw this week how well my grammy is doing and how lucky we all are. My grandma is up and about, going to breakfast and shopping, and cooking for my grandpa. She is getting back to her normal life little by little and it is truly amazing. I love her sooooooooo much, but to be honest I have spent so many years taking her for granted. My grandma is relatively young-- 77. And she lives in the desert. So for years I'd just be too busy to visit often. I had to shoot here in LA...and I figured there would be plenty of time later to visit. But 6 weeks ago I realized nothing is a guarantee. Anything can happen and you have to make time to see those you love...even though you are super busy. I promised myself if my grammy made it I would visit her more. I am so glad she did make it, so glad I spent 4 days with her this week, and I can't wait to go to visit her again. She is the sweetest, prettiest, cutest lady. And I love her to pieces.
I'm back in action with another installment of Tuesday Top 5! Here we go!
1. Turbie Twist. I got a Turbie Twist in my holiday stocking last December and can I just say this thing rocks my world. In fact I have one on my head as we speak! What is a Turbie Twist you may ask? It's a highly absorbent terry cloth towel perfectly shaped to create a turban on your head. Get out of the shower with wet hair, put turbie on, twist and done! Voila! Wet hair is out of your way! There is nothing more I hate than when I'm in dry clothes and wet hair in sitting on my back. Yuckkkk. Oh and I have never been a fan of the blow dryer. Ever. So Turbie Twist is my new BFF. LOVE.2. Game of Thrones. Yay for new HBO shows! Especially the scandalous britishy ones! Gotta love! Game of Thrones premiered last night and I'm already hooked. I can't wait to see where this season goes!3. Homemade Gnocchi. My hubby has turned into quite the chef!!! A week ago he attempted to make gnocchi using Anne Burrell's recipe. It was a HUGE FAIL. The gnocchi turned into mush when they got boiled. It was sad. But then our favorite Fabio Viviani posted his gnocchi recipe on his blog and AJ decided to try again. And success!! Deeeelicious deeelicious homemade gnocchi. AJ is hoping that this will make me want to leave him for Fabio a little less. To which I say, AJ you better figure out how to talk in a cute Italian accent too! I kid, I kid.4. Pink toes! My toe's are painted hot pink right now and I love it! There is truly nothing better that perfectly pedicured tootsies! I always say I am gonna treat myself to pedicures more often but so often time just slips away! Now that sandal weather is here I intend to get my tootsies treated much more often. AJ even told me I should. Gotta love the husband's approval!5. Lady Gaga's "Judas". We all know that I am thoroughly obsessed with GAGA. So when her new single "Judas" hit airwaves on Friday I was all heck to the yeah!!! I download that single asap and have been playing it on a loop ever since. Bless my husband's heart for not complaining about it, though I am sure it is highly annoying. We don't quite see eye to eye on musical tastes... but I'm kinda glad about that as I proudly have the musical taste of a gay man! Anywho, yes "Judas" does sorta have the exact same formula as "Bad Romance"...but hey at least it doesn't sound exactly like one of Madonna's songs! Score for GAGA! Listen to "Judas" below!
Hello world!! It has been quite awhile since I blogged a TT5 post! My apologies! But I am back and ready to give the run down on all that is awesome on this Tuesday in March!1. MY GRANDMA! The numero uno, most happiest, blessed news ever is that my grandma is improving. She is now in the regular part of the hospital not the ICU. Hopefully soon she will be transferred to a rehab center so she can get strong and return to her former healthy, cute, active lifestyle. My grandma's story so far has been nothing short of a miracle. Most people who suffer huge ruptured brain aneurysms usually do not live to tell about it, so for her to be able to talk and walk a little and improve everyday is a-maz-ing. Sometimes life blesses you in the most unbelievable and happy ways, and for this I am most thankful!2. SUSHI BURRITO. As per usual the rest of my tops today are foodie related. My newest food obsession is getting SUSHI BURRITOS from the Jogasaki Truck. Yes you read that right. Sushi. Burrito. It's UNREAL! It's basically a huge sushi roll on crack. Delicious, delicious, crack. It's about the size of my fore arm. It comes wrapped in rice paper (not tortilla-- unless you want a tortilla) and the version I get is stuffed with sushi rice, spicy tuna, "crab" meat, avocado, shrimp tempura and cucumber. Nom nom nom. Oh and then you can put their hot sauce on it which is so tasty. It's like eel sauce with hot hot peppers in it. Sweet, spiiiiicy, thick, rich. It adds just the perfect finishing touch to the burrito. YES! Now I'm hungry. So I'm gonna do my "no rain" dance so I can get me some tomorrow night when they are in my 'hood!3. GIRL SCOUT COOKIES. Do I really need to elaborate on this? I don't think so. It's Girl Scout Cookie season. And me? I am a Thin Mint & Samoa lover through and through. I had to buy a few boxes. You know, just because it made that sweet little girl scout's day. I'm just a Good Samaritan like that! ;)4. TOP CHEF ALL STARS. Holla! I love Top Chef so Top Chef All Stars is of course a must-watch for me each Wednesday! And now we are in the finale stages! CRAZY! I had been TEAM FABIO forever so when he got booted I cried a river. And then started rooting for Mike Isabella. Why Isabella you ask? 1) Yes he is rude but he is also quite comical and entertaining. 2) And more importantly, I've dined at his DC restaurant and can say from first hand experience his food ROCKS. 3) And finally, Blais frickin' annoys me. He needs to get over himself! So that's my breakdown of why am currently TEAM ISABELLA. I hope Fabio wins fan favorite though! And yes I totally voted for him!5. BIG LOVE FINALE. I'm not sure if this is truly a "top 5" as I really loved this show sooooo much and am kinda (admittedly lamely) heartbroken to see it go. And it ended in such a sad way. I mean I guess kinda happy. But mostly pretty sad. But I did like the finale and I did enjoy watching it. This show is amazing and from someone who's life revolves around weddings and the institution of marriage, I find it highly intriguing! And the acting was always so brilliant! I actually thought the acting in the finale was sooooo finely done. SAG Awards for everyone please! ;)
(Credits Left to Right: Girl Scout Cookie Official Site, Top Chef All Stars Official Site, Jogasaki Official Site, Big Love Fan Page)
...So that's this week in Top 5-ness! I'm gonna try to get back on schedule with this again and post more regularly. So stay tuned for all the goodness next Tuesday!
This is kinda a hard day to write a Tuesday To 5 because this afternoon I am going with my mom to put one of my childhood cats, Whiskey, to sleep. :( He is 16 years old and suffering from kidney failure. It's so very hard to say goodbye to my long time friend. I was only 9 when I picked him out and took him home, so he's been a part of the majority of my life...If you know me, you probably know I am huge lover of animals and my pets are family...they are people to me. So today is very sad and it's hard to be cheery for this post.But never the less, I know this is life. It's bittersweet. There are very hard, trying and sad moments. But at the same time there are amazing, beautiful moments. If we don't take the time to appreciate the good, then we really aren't living life to the fullest. In fact, I write TT5 to remember & celebrate what I enjoyed about my week. I write to appreciate the fun and awesome parts of life. So on the saddest days it is important to write about the good...here goes:1. Industry Friends. I feel so lucky to have built so many wonderful friendships with my peers and colleagues in the wedding industry. When I first dove into the wonderful world of wedding photography in 2009 I knew not a soul except for my own wedding vendors. I had no one I could chat with and ask questions with. Of course, I did end up developing a few friendships in 2009 with other photographers, but my network was still small. In 2010 I really pushed myself to get to know more people, and luckily thanks to social gatherings, workshops and of course facebook/twitter it wasn't too hard. I feel so fortunate to know so many wonderful, smart, kind, creative people. It helps so much to get advice and to share stories about running a creative business! I am so thankful to my friends for teaching me so much and for helping me be a great businesswoman! I had some awesome revelations with friends this weekend, and I'm so thankful!2. Nutella Banana Crepes. I love nutella. I love bananas. I love crepes. And yes, I LOVE nutella, banana crepes! They are a trifecta of tastiness!! I had a very delicious nutella, banana crepe at L'Epicerie in Culver City last week. This week, I may just have to go back for more!3. Valentine's Day. Yesterday was a good day! I actually met a fabulous potential client in the morning! Then AJ took me to See's Candy so I could pick exactly what I wanted for my annual custom box of chocolates! I LOVE the caramels and chews at See's. I think my box is like 40% Vanilla Nut Caramels actually. For dinner, AJ and I went to one of our favorite sushi bars, U-Zen. It was very tasty! My favorite was the japanese scallop sushi. Two giant scallops with just a hint of lemon & salt. That's all they need. They are like pillows of heaven on my tongue! YUM!!! Being the romantics we are, we both pooped out around 10:00pm. But I had emails to finish so I did work kinda late. On Valentine's. While AJ snoozed away. It may not be glamorous always, but it's our comfy life. And I love it. Any day with my husband is a day well spent. Throw in sushi and candy and it's even better! ;)4. Booking season. You may or may not be aware that the wedding industry is in the height of booking season! Engaged couples are planning their 2011 weddings and finding vendors fast and furious! It's a very busy time as a photographer, but I absolutely love it. I LOVE meeting new couples. I LOVE the excitement of knowing a couple is the perfect fit for me and I'm the perfect fit photographer for them. And I LOVE getting emails from couples saying "let's do this!" It's very exciting and makes me oh so giddy! 2011 is shaping up wonderfully and I can't wait to shoot so many fabulous weddings this year!5. Sunny Days in February. I know that day is one of those gloomy SoCal winter days...but for the past couple weeks it has been just gorgeous, warm, sunshiney weather in Los Angeles! This past weekend was particularly beautiful! I loved going out with tank tops and feeling the warm sun beat on my skin! It's weekends like this past one where I feel sooooo incredibly fortunate to live in LA. The rest of the country is cold and longing for spring (I remember the feeling when I lived in Boston). But here in LA it felt like summer. Beautiful!
{Photo Credits Left to Right: FunMunch.com, Sees.com, Japanese Restaurant Info- UZen, Awaiting Buddha}
Another Tuesday, another top 5! It's been quite a fun week and I can't wait to share some highlights with you! So let's get right to it then, shall we?1. DineLA at Craft. This past week was the last week of DineLA. My mom & I went to Craft to try their DineLA menu, and let me tell you not only was it DELISH but it was also quite a steal! We got a ton of food. Everything was served family style and everything was insanely tasty! I love the communal aspect of how everything was served. But more than anything I loved the food. The highlight was definitely the scallops which were seared to perfection. I also adored the desserts-- both panna cotta and cinnamon donuts. It was absolutely divine! Next time we have DineLA week I suggest y'all get to Craft!!2. WPPI Plans. Last year I went to WPPI for the first time and it was so much fun!!! And of course I learned a ton! So of course I knew I needed to go this year! I have actually been very lucky this past week because I won a pass to WPPI for free and I won a coupon to the Grey Likes/ Victor Sizemore shoot and mentor session! AWESOME! So I already know I will be getting my learnin' and my shoot on! I'm also rooming with some awesome photographers! The plans are shaping up swimmingly! I can't wait! It's just a few weeks away!3. John O'Groat's. Did I ever mention I LOVE breakfast? Well I do. I LOVE it. Breakfast/brunch is probably my favorite meal of the day...well besides dinner. LOL. John O'Groat's definitely does one of the best breakfasts in LA. I absolutely adore this place! They have an artichoke eggs benedict that is seriously scrumptious! They also have this omelet called Bacara and it's filled with goat cheese and shitake mushrooms. HEAVEN! They also have deeeeelicious, fluffy, pancakes! But probably the best thing at O'Groat's is the BISCUITS! OMG. These biscuits are tall, and dense and just perrrrrrrrfect. Put some homemade raspberry jam on top and I am in biscuit buttery paradise. Yeah, now I'm super hungry. Dang.....anyone wanna go with me?4. Banana Bread with Nutella on top. My husband loves to bake. And I LOVE that. Because that means he's always baking me up something tasty. How I am not completely round is a miracle! So this week the hubby baked me banana bread...and then I put nutella on top! YUM! Bananas & nutella go together like diamonds & platinum. It's just a classic pairing! So banana bread and nutella? Well that's just sinful and tasty! Yummy!!5. Super Bowl Sunday @ Gardens of Taxco. I have a confession. I hate football. Honestly I'm not really a team sports person at all. My mom is the exact same way. So it has become a tradition that during the super bowl we leave our men folk at home and go out and be girlie together! This year our beloved Gardens of Taxco was having a special deal on their 5 course dinner in honor of the Super Bowl. So that's where mommy & I went. Just us two! It was really fun...and of course really really tasty! I had my garleeeeeeeeeeeeec shrrrrreeeeeeemp. YUM! Can it be super bowl next weekend too? I need to go back to the Gardens asap.
{All photos from the official websites of Craft, WPPI, Nutella. Gardens of Taxco photo is via notfortourists.com}
Well folks, I'm back!!! I must apologize for my very long absence, but believe me, I would have much rather been blogging than stuck with the flu. Yep, I got hit with influenza. Hard. Like 102.6 fever hard. And it sucked. All I did was sleep, cough, sneeze, and barf. I couldn't even eat for most of the week, which in my world is TRAGIC! But a lot of bed rest and liquids later and I feel a lot better. And I can't wait to get back to blogging. So it's Tuesday and let's celebrate with a healthful Top 5!!! It's also February!! Can you believe it?? I sure can't!!1. Lee's Philly. Last night AJ & I hit up West LA Din Din A Go Go which is basically a bunch of food trucks parked in a lot around dinner time! We mainly went because AJ wanted to try the Grill Em All truck, but since I don't eat red meat, that gave me the option to try a bunch of little items at several trucks. And try I did! One of the highlights was the spicy shrimp taco I got at Lee's Philly truck. MMMM. I LOVED it. It had the perfect amount of crunch thanks to some rockin' kimchee! It also had a delicious avocado lime salsa! And the shrimps were very plump and juicy. For $3 a taco, I'd say it was quite a steal! I'd love to have another one. Right now.2. Fishlips Sushi. I also tried a spicy tuna hand roll from the Fishlips Sushi truck. I was pretty skeptical at first. I mean, I am a self-proclaimed sushi snob. Could sushi from a truck really be good? Cause super market sushi sure ain't. Well, friends, let me tell you. FISHLIPS MAKES TASTY SUSHI! The truck basically looks like a sushi bar. And you just walk up and order almost as if you were eating at a sushi bar. Everything looked good and fresh. And I will definitely hit them up again to sample more of their offerings. But I can say that the spicy tuna rolla was delicious! It was everything you could want from a spicy tuna roll. The fish was well seasoned and had a great texture. It tasted super fresh. The rice was warm. The cucumbers were crunchy and the nori was snappy and chewy. Nom nom nom. Apparently they will be in my neighborhood for lunch tomorrow. It will take all my will power not to go have some more!3. Nobu for Dine LA. YAY it's DineLA time again! Woot!! When I was sick, I had but one simple goal. Get better so I can still go to Nobu. Well the reservations came and I certainly wasn't 100%. But I wasn't feverish, and I held down the previous day's Matzo Ball soup...so I figured I was good enough to go to Nobu! Wow!!! It was so worth it (even though there were a few points during the meal I thought the room was spinning). The DineLA menu was a 5 course tasting menu so we really got to try a lot of various dishes....AND...we also ordered two extra items off the menu to share! Hey, you only live once! The highlight for me was the dry miso whitefish sashimi! Mmmm. It was very refreshing because of the yuzu sauce it came with. The other thing I loved was the yellowtail tartar with caviar that we ordered as an extra! Divine! Though I wasn't totally myself, the outing was tasty! And I'm glad I pushed myself to go!!4. Matzo Ball Soup. There is no greater comfort when I am sick than a good ole bowl of Matzo Ball Soup. I thank my Aly (that would be what I call my stepdad Al) for bringing me a quart of the goodness when I was too sick to move. I definitely think I healed much faster because of this goodness. :)5. New Brides!! January has been exciting month because I've gotten to meet several new brides!! I love how the 2011 roster is shaping up, and meeting new clients is always so exciting!! I am just giddy over the new couples I've met this month that have decided to book with me! And it looks like February also holds a lot of potential to meet more couples!! So exciting!!
Wow, I can't believe this is my first Tuesday Top 5 of 2011! Sorry for the brief holiday hiatus with these! But now I'm back in the swing of things and ready to share! So without further ado let's talk Tuesday Top 5 Two Thousand Eleven!!!1. Hirozen Sushi. This is hands down one of my top 5 places to get sushi in LA and I had lunch there yesterday so it's fresh on my mind! I love love love this place! What makes Hirozen so special? Fresh sushi. Unique and exotic fish. Good ambiance and service. And their lunch special. You see, on weekdays they have the BEST lunch special ever called "Chef's Special Assorted Sushi." You basically get a platter with tuna roll and 7 pieces of Chef's choice ngiri. But the thing is you are getting really unique and tasty fish-- not your average tuna, salmon, whitefish, octopus platter. I've gotten to try so many exotic things on the lunch platter from abalone to white salmon to Tasmanian sea trout. I absolutely loveeeee getting the chance to eat at Hirozen and highly suggest you do too!2. Three Day Weekends. I work from home soooooo a lot of people don't get why I'd even care about 3 day weekends. But I do. Because 3 day weekends mean I get extra time with my hubby and/or an extra day to get weekend lunch with my mom! It can get kinda lonely working from home and during busy wedding season I'm not usually around on weekends which is when of course my family is. So yeah, 3 day weekends are awesome! An extra day to just be with the ones I love. I'm thankful I got to spend yesterday with them and can't wait for the next 3 day weekend to roll around!3. Breaking Bad. OMG! So AJ and I just started watching this show from season 1. Currently we are mid season 2 and dangggggg this show be gangsta homies! Seriously, I love Weeds and this show is kinda like that...but different. I always think its fun watching a show or movie where an innocent person goes bad! Maybe that's because I'm a goody-goody and I need to live vicariously through someone! Whatever the case this show is awesome and I'm hooked! I guess season 4 starts soon and hopefully AJ and I can catch up to it by then! Sweet!4. American Pickers. Double OMG! Who watches this show? If you don't you should! The title does sound a bit odd and its on History Channel so for a long while I had written it off as most likely lame. Then I gave it a chance and realized I didn't even know what the show was about. Basically the show chronicles these two guys who run an antique store in Iowa as they travel America looking through people's "junk" and finding some amazing antiques! I'm blown away by the stuff they find, it's pretty amazing!! I'm also blown away by their patience and willingness to dig through dark, dusty, bug and rat infested crevices just to find some "rusty gold." I don't think I could ever be a picker but I'm sure fascinated by what they do and what they find! If you have any interest in vintage stuff and antiques you gotta check this show out! It's awesome!5. Big Love Season Finale Premiere. Ahhhhhhh! Big Love on HBO is, like, my favorite hbo show! And this season is the last! SADDDDDD! But like any good HBO fan, I have been waiting for months hotly returning the Premiere of the final season! It happened Sunday and the show did not disappoint! It's so good though which only makes it that more painful that this is the last season! Still, I can't wait to see what's in store and how the story of the Henrickson's unfolds!! :)
Another Tuesday, another Top 5! Let's get to it!1. Birthday love. Yesterday was my birthday. Yep it was. And I was BLOWN AWAY by how many people facebooked, called and texted to wish me a happy day! I was especially blown away that so many of brides sent me good wishes, many of them saying they were so glad to call me a friend! THAT MADE MY DAY! I love what I do. I love my clients. And I LOVE when they become friends! I am so thankful to be living this life and so excited for what the next year brings!2. American Pickers. New TV show obsession guys! American Pickers! Its about these guys who scour through estates, essentially digging for "treasure." They buy amazing pieces and then resell at their store. It's kinda an amazing show. Just to see the stuff some people have. And also to see the eye the Pickers have for finding awesome pieces amongst, for lack of a better word, crap! I really see this show as a wedding stylist's dream! All the vintage and shabby chic finds! Perfection! You should check it out!3. Pumpkin Pie. Do I really need to say more?? Pumpkin pie is da bomb!! It is without a doubt my favorite pie! So lucky me that my hubby made me one from scratch instead of a birthday cake! HOLLA!4. Holiday Music. 'Tis the season. When Christmas songs are stuck in my head at all hours. I literally break into song in public without realizing it. Maybe you've heard me humming to myself in the check out line at Target Jingle Bell, Jingle Bell, Jingle Bell Rock. As embarrassing as the uncontrollable urge to sing Christmas tunes is. I can't help but love it!5. Maru The Cat. I know that with this last one I'm totally outing myself as a crazy cat lady...but I LOVEEEEEE Maru The Cat. I am obsessed with watching his youtube videos! I mean this cat? HE IS HILARIOUS! I just wanna cuddle him. All day long!So for now I will leave you with a video of Maru. It gets really good at the 1:11 mark. And seriously, if you don't find this funny then I don't know if we can be friends. ;)
So sorry the TT5 has been absent! Blame it on flu season! But now it is back again and I'm excited to share this week Top 5's with you!! So here goes:1. Thanksgiving. I haven't blogged since Thanksgiving...but my Thanksgiving was awesome! I cooked and ate so much yummy food and spent the evening with my family! Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday. Perhaps because food plays a central role. But mostly because the focus isn't on presents, it's just about sitting down at eating a good meal with those you love. And appreciating the good in life. And this year? It has had a LOTS to be thankful for. Especially, wonderful friends & family, my husband, our two amazing kitties and my FABULOUS clients!! :)2. Throat Coat Tea. If you got a soar throat, I HIGHLY recommend this tea. Not only is it yummy (it has a licorice taste) but it is SOOO soothing and really does help make your throat feel better. This is my secret weapon during cold and flu season, and has been for years! LOVE it!3. Pitbulls and Parolees. When I was sick, I watched a whole lot of TV. Especially at times I don't normally watch TV...so I got exposed to some new shows. I found myself watching a whole lot of History Channel, Animal Planet and Nat Geo. One show I discovered that really touched my heart is Animal Planet's Pitbulls & Parolees. It's all about the Villalobos Rescue center, where they rescue and rehabilitate pitbulls, and also employ parolees to help care for the dogs. This is a show about second chances and redemption, which I found really touching and inspiring. I also got so moved by the different stories of the rescued pitbulls. These dogs have been through SO many hard times, from being forced to be fighting dogs, to being abused, abandoned, and left for dead, to surviving storms like Hurricane Katrina. The center has 200 doggies that need loving homes and it BREAKS my heart. What Tia and her team do for misunderstood dogs, and people, is amazing and really inspiring. So now I'm kinda in love with this show!4. Boardwalk Empire. Boardwalk Empire had been my newest favorite HBO show! I'm in love! The costumes, the sets, the actors, the writing! It's all fantastic! And it definitely makes me so curious about the 1920s! What an intriguing era in history! Last night was the season finale of Boardwalk Empire and I'm already sooooo anxious for season 2!! No clue where the story is gonna go, but I cannot wait to see more!!5. The Glee Wedding. I know I'm a bit behind here, but I haven't done a TT5 since this episode aired...so HOW MUCH DID WE LOVE THE GLEE WEDDING??!! Well, I definitely did. I gotta admit...I cried! It was a really cute episode and I found myself secretly wishing it was real and I was hired to be the wedding photographer. Yeah you can say it, I AM A NERD! But whatever, I am a sucker for misfit teens singing show-tunes. Maybe the Glee trend will catch on, and next year I will shoot a wedding where the bridal party not only dances down the aisle, but also sings! In perfect harmony. Asking too much??
photos left to right: 1) good stuff and hot tv 2) about knowledge 3) homorazzi
Sorry this TT5 is coming out late in the day. It's been a busy busy week y'all! Which is funny, because I really thought I was in the slow season. But I'm not! And that right there? Is AWESOME! So here is a evening installment of TT5! Enjoy!1. The Photography Community. Lately the photography community has just blown me away. A year ago I was just starting to really get involved. But secretly I was afraid. Afraid of being judged. Afraid of being laughed at. Who did I think I was trying to be a photographer? I was just a little, scrawny blonde girl. But this year I have met so many amazing people. Made some fantastic friends. And have been invited to so many events and been asked to shoot with people I would have never ever dreamed of meeting, let alone shoot with. It's surreal. And yet it's real. I definitely feel a part of something. And respected. And that I'm no longer seen as a newbie or wannabe, but a respected SoCal photographer. And that right there? Means everything! I love this community and love doing what I do!2. Pumpkin Cupcakes. I love pumpkin everything. Pumpkin pie. Pumpkin bread. Pumpkin froyo. Pumpkin spice lattes. And so it is no wonder I love Pumpkin cupcakes!!! This week I had one from Magnolia Bakery on 3rd Street and it was deeeeeeeeeelicious. It had maple frosting and walnuts in the batter. Yum and yum! I <3 this time of year!3. Cinnamon Rolls made from SCRATCH. My husband is sexy. He knows his way around...a Kitchen Aid stand mixer! Awwww yeeeeah! Yep my husband likes to keep the spice of marriage alive by baking me all sorts of delectable goodies FROM SCRATCH! Did I score, or did I score? This week he baked me cinnamon rolls. He made the dough and frosting himself. The dough took 24 hours. And I had to be the most patient girl in the world. But it was worth waiting. They were DIVINE! And my hubs? Well he scored extra points for that one!4. Going Outside My Comfort Zone. Apparently Jennifer Aniston once said "Everything you could possibly want is just outside your comfort zone. Everything.you.could.possibly.want!" When I read that years ago I was like "Dang. Guess I won't be getting what I want then..." YEAH. Cause going outside my comfort zone? I HATE IT! But lately something changed. In the past month I have done so many things that terrified me. I've done things that had my instinct saying "no, you can't do that" or "are you nuts? that's too hard and scary for you." I squashed the little voice in my head, put my big girl pants on, and as Nike would say JUST DID IT. And it's been good. The results have been phenomenal, and I couldn't be happier to be stepping outside my comfort zone. So maybe I will get everything I could possibly want!!5. Facebook. Okay so that sounds totalllllly lame and nerdy! Really, Ashleigh?! FACEBOOK?! In your TOP 5?! Okay well hear me out, yo! Facebook has opened SO many opportunities for me and my business. Especially recently. I've connected with so many awesome people, that otherwise I may not have been able to. I've made a lot of my wedding industry friends by realizing all our commonalities on Facebook. I've met clients over facebook. Yes, I've met clients because of Facebook. If that isn't amazing, well then I do not know what is! FAB! Definitely fab enough to be in the top 5!
Left to right: Facebook logo from official site, Nike logo from official site, Alton Brown's Overnight cinnamon rolls from Beantown Baker, Magnolia Bakery Pumpkin Spice cupcake from flickr user Liz Clutterbuck.
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So lately I have just hopped on the food truck band wagon, and I'm not getting off any time soon! I am kinda OBSESSED with food trucks. I might think about eating at one once every 2.5 seconds. Yes, it's almost an addiction! A delicious, delicious addiction!So I thought, why not write about some of my fav food trucks I have tried thus far for this week's Tuesday Top 5! Warning: this post may make you hungry!1. Grilled Cheese Truck. I don't even know if it needs explanation. It's called the GRILLED CHEESE truck. That should be enough right there. But I will go on! These guys are so awesome (and crazy) that they put MAC-N-CHEESE between bread and grilled it! Oh heeeeeeels yeah! If that is wrong my friends, then I do not want to be right! Their brie grilled cheese is also quite decadent and delish! I love the combo of the creamy brie with sweet pears, and honey and the crunch of the cranberry-walnut bread. YUM! Please do not miss their tomato soup while you are there!! The soup has the perfect amount of acid to cut through the richness of your grilled cheese! It is truly the perfect compliment to any one of their savory sammiches! But don't forget to get dessert here too! Yes DESSERT! Three words- banana, nutella, marshmallow! Heaven! Give me a warm, gooey banana, marshmallow, nutella pressed sandwich, and I just may kiss you! But don't tell AJ!2. Border Grill Truck. The Border Grill truck is a pretty high end taco truck! I mean, how many taco trucks can you get LEGIT ceviche from? I absolutely love the ceviche, which they serve in a cone, from the Border Grill Truck! It's citrusy, sour, and the flavors are so very bright! The fish has the perfect firm texture. And the portion is actually quite large and satisfying!! I also really loved the rajas-potato taco I got at Border Grill! The flavors in this taco are so much more complex than I expected! There's the silky, creaminess of the potatos... the smokey peppery taste of the chiles (aka rajas)... and the sweet-tangy-crunch of pickled red onions to top it all off! Can you say YUM-O?! AJ had the pork taco and fish taco and said they were quite delish as well!!3. Kogi BBQ. Kogi is really the truck that started them all...and I know why. Because Kogi makes DELICIOUS food! Seriously chef Roy Choi should get an award for combining Mexican and Korean flavors in such a genius way! For me Kogi lives up to the hype! There's not much on the menu I can eat since I'm not a meat eater, but the tofu tacos are SO satisfying I don't even care. I could have 8. In one sitting. Yes, they are that good! AJ loves the pork there, in burrito OR taco form! They really do have something for everyone!4. Komodo Truck. Komodo serves up delicious, delicious tacos!! They are all very unique flavors! And I love that you can get 4 tacos for only $10! The spicy shrimp taco is my favorite. But, dang, it is spiiiiiicy!!!! They also have a really tasty fish taco that is pretty unique! It's fried fish, with mayo and grapes!! So it's very mild, creamy, and sweet!! AJ's favorite taco at Komodo is the skirt steak with the corn salsa! He says it rocks his tummy xcore!5. Ragin' Cajun. I saw this truck on The Great Food Truck Race on Food Network. So when I saw it in person? I kinda acted like it was a celeb sighting. If you had looked at me you would've thought I had just laid eyes on Brad Pitt or something. So you can tell, I am a HUGE food nerd! Of course I had to try their grub! The only thing for a non-meat-eater like me was the Shrimp Po' Boy but I ain't complaining because I loveeeee shrimp! The shrimp Ragin' Cajun puts on their Po Boy are fairly large and have really good flavor. They lightly bread and fry them which gives them the perfect crunch! I also LOVE pouring their special garlic sauce on my sandwich! That made everything taste extra heavenly!So there you have it... My Top 5 LA Food Trucks that I have tried...THUS FAR!! Give me a week or two and I'm sure there will be a part 2!!! ;)
Top row, left to right: Border Grill Truck's ceviche from R.E., Shrimp Po'boy from Ragin' Cajun website, Spicy Shrimp Taco from Komodo Truck website.Bottom row, left to right: Nutella, banana, marshmellow desert melt from Grilled Cheese Truck website, tofu taco from Kogi BBQ website, Next Food Truck Race truck logo from Food Network website.
Hello interwebs! forgot to say earlier that I hope everyone had a great Halloween weekend! I can't believe it's already November. Crazy!! So yes, it's Tuesday and here's this week's Top 5 for y'all!1. Halloween. What can I say? I LOVE Halloween! Always have and always will! I love dressing up in costume and seeing the clever costumes others come up with! I love all the spooky decorations. I love a good strobe light and fog machine! I love the jack-o-lanterns! And I LOVE trick-or-treating. I do. Nothing more fun than walking around the neighborhood and seeing all the decorated houses and the people in costume and of course all the candy! Yep, Halloween, you are so very good! I will love you forever! And ps-- I was a bat this year in case anyone is wondering!2. My Nephew. My nephew is the funniest and quirkiest seven year old on this planet!!!! I guarantee you!!!! There are many reasons for this, but let me just share one. For Halloween he was Colonel Sanders. Yes, of KFC fame. LOLZ FOREVER. He trick or treated with a cane. He walked with a cane and hunched himself over like an old man. He told everyone he saw he was 90 years old. The entire neighborhood was cracking up! Yeah, that's my nephew. And I couldn't be prouder! This kid is going places! Watch out Will Ferrell!!3. Free Haunted Houses. So I love Halloween. I also LOVE haunted houses. I even more love homemade, FREE, haunted houses. I knew 2 different friends who were putting on haunted houses at their homes this year! Both were in the South Bay so it made for a perfect way to spend my Saturday night! Both haunted houses were SO elaborate for something just made at home! I totally would've paid to go in them, but heck I won't say no to anything FREE!! It was really fun to see how creative people can get and it was even more fun to scream and get all scurrred!! LOVE IT!4. Sherlock Holmes on PBS. Hey guys, did you know PBS is showing a new show on Sherlock Holmes? It's a modern take to the story! It's SUPER GOOD and entertaining!!! Tonight we are gonna watch the second installment! I'm so pumped!!5. Carcassone. Sooooo AJ and I got a new board game! AND I AM IN LOVE WITH IT! It was recommended to us by the owner of a game shop in Santa Barbara. He recommended it to us because it's like my beloved game Ticket To Ride, only much less expensive and actually better for 2 players. I had sooooo much fun playing this game with AJ! I want to share it with the world! Everyone should play! It's just the funnest!! It's like really easy yet really hard at the same time. Not hard, but you know, it's all how you plan and strategize! Love it! I recommend y'all put it on your holiday wish lists!!Since posts are always better with a photo...Here is a picture of me as a "bat" with my nephew as Colonel Sanders taken by AJ with our point-n-shoot!! Yes, I look like a 12 year old! :)
Oh and one last note, don't forget to get out and rock the vote today! No matter what side you are on, it's so important we citizens get to the polls and exercise our rights! Do some research on the propositions as we in California have some important measures on the ballot!Lastly, it is my daddy's birthday today! Happy birthday Dad!! I love you sooooooooooooooooooooooooo much!
Well, kids, it's another Tuesday. So it's time for another Tuesday Top 5!!1. Los Angeles Haunted Hayride. Did I ever mention that I love all things HALLOWEEN? Because I do. Halloween has always been my favorite holiday. I love dressing up. I love candy. And I really like all the scary, ghoulish stuff. I dunno why exactly. It's just fun! One thing I particularly love is haunted houses and mazes. I used to LOVE going to Knott's Scary Farm every October, but a few years ago I realized that I had been so many times that it kinda stopped being scary. So ever since I have been on the hunt for new, fun, haunted attractions. This year my friends and I hit up the LA Haunted Hayride which is at the old LA Zoo at Griffith Park. Oh man, it was AWESOME!!! It was a different experience (I've never been on a hayride before) and yet had all the scary trimmings I enjoy! It wasn't the scariest thing I ever been to, but it had a few good moments. And it was really fun! I recommend it to any fellow Halloween lovers out there!! ;)2. Crepe'n Around. I had my 3rd food truck encounter this week...with Crepe'n Around!! I love crepes so this was practically a no-brainer. I ordered a nutella crepe, and, well, it was as heavenly as a nutella crepe could possibly be. Which is to say, it was AMAZING.3. Life As We Know It. I went to see this movie with my mom this weekend. I actually wanted to see Paranormal Activity 2, but my mom vetoed that. I gotta say, I was skeptical of this movie. But I kinda enjoyed it! Sure, it was predictable. Sure, I hate when Katherine Heigl (one of the most gorgeous ladies on Earth) plays gals that can never seem to get a date. Sure, it was a total chick flick. But hey, I liked it. It was funny, yet at times a bit sad, and cute and sweet. It was a feel good movie. And sometimes that's all you need!4. Family Dinners. I have always loved big family dinners. When everyone gets together and catches up. Its so hard these days that everyone in my family can find one date to get together. So when these moments happen I cherish them. My family had dinner on Sunday, and though I feel awfully sorry that we probably drove the waitstaff at the restaurant INSANE, it was so much fun. At one point I was laughing with my uncle so hard that I literally slid off my seat! Classic. I love being with everyone so much, and it's memories like those which I will always treasure!5. Rocky Horror Glee Show. TONIGHT! Tonight is the Rocky Horror Glee episode, and to say I am pumped would be putting it mildly. I can't wait to see what they do with Rocky Horror, and I can't wait to relive my glory days. Yes, when I was 15 I spent every Saturday night at the Nuart, dressed in vinyl, partaking in Rocky Horror goodness. Was I dork? Most definitely. But I was awesome too. The whole thing was awesome. And I miss those days sometimes. So tonight, I shall relive it all, and celebrate like a wild and untamed thing!!
Left to right: Los Angeles Haunted Hayride logo and Hollywood sign from official site, Crepe'n Around truck image originally uploaded by LeandroF, Rocky Horror Glee image from official Glee site, Life as We Know It image from Warner Bros website.
Before I start this Tuesday's TOP 5, I'd like to tell you a "bottom" 5...or 1...cause it's just one thing getting me down today and that is.....THAT THERE IS NOT A NEW GLEE ON TONIGHT!! Ugh. Glee, don't you know you MAKE my Tuesdays?! Even worse, I am so excited for next week's Rocky Horror episode that I can't hardly stand it! Glee, you are in the dog house this week! Deal with it!Anyways, in happier news, here is my TT5!1. Soup. I think soup has been in the top 5 before, but I will give it another holla, because really? SOUP IS AWESOME! Nothing like getting cozy with a bowl of delicious soup to warm up a cold and rainy day. And it seems we have been having a LOT of cold and rainy days here in LA lately. But I am okay with that, as long as it means more soup!2. Home made salsa. A few weeks ago, AJ borrowed Rick Bayless' cookbook from the library and ever since he has been cooking up a Mexican storm in the kitchen. And I LOVE it because I LOVE mexican food. I LOVE it. And I don't mean gringo Mexican food. I mean the real deal. In the past few weeks AJ has made chilaquiles, rajas con queso, mushroom and goat cheese tortilla soup, and enchiladas. But my most favorite thing he has made has been TOMATILLO SERRANO SALSA! It's so good. I think I ate a pound of chips and salsa yesterday and guess what? I'm going back for more today! Right after I publish this in fact! Holla!3. The "irresistible" face. I've always been good at making an "irresistible" face. You know, a face the men in your life just can't say no to! I definitely had one for my dad whilst growing up. With AJ, he definitely really likes me, and pretty much never says no to me, so I never really needed to have one with him. ;) But yesterday, I was begging him to make me more salsa because we had run out of batch numero uno (hahah I told you I liked that salsa) and he was kinda not giving in. That's when I discovered a brand new "irresistible" face! One just for AJ. And it worked. He was superman and my face was kryptonite. As you see in paragraph #2, I gots my salsa! Heeeeels Yeah!4. Oysters. Do I really need to explain why? Oysters. They are so delicious. I had a few this past week and I wish I could eat them EVERY week. I am obsessed with how they are briney yet sweet. And how the pop in your mouth. And how they melt in your mouth too. Yep, oysters, you are damn sexy. No wonder everyone wants to eat you!5. The Bazaar by Jose Andres. OMG. OMG. OMG. Last Friday my momma and I went to Bazaar as part of Dine LA. We had been there before so we knew. We knew that Bazaar is amazing. I mean really, it is the hottest restaurant in LA right now. Definitely one of the "in" spots. It's so amazing. The ambiance is incredible. The decor is by Philippe Starck and it is to die for. So chic and surreal and unexpected. And the food? Well that is to die for as well. We tried some old favorites as well as some new dishes. We LOVED the "Japanese Taco" which was eel and shiso all wrapped in thin cucumber. We LOVED our oysters. We LOVED our tuna ceviche roll. And we LOVED our garlic shrimp. Then there was dessert. That was also amazetastic! We shared a molten chocolate cake with cardamom, and also a flan that was better than any other flan I have ever had. It was heaven. Dear God, before I die please grant me a last meal at Bazaar first. Seriously, it's THAT good! You must check it out!! :)
Left to Right: Photo of Carne Asada tacos (with the homemade salsa!) taken by AJ, The Bazaar By Jose Andres signage from thebazaar.com, Rick Bayless' "Mexico One Plate at a Time" from rickbayless.com, and still from upcoming Rocky Horror Glee episode from fox.com.
Another Tuesday, another top 5! Let's get to it!1. Pumpkin Carving. Last Wednesday, I went to a pumpkin carving party with my friends and it was SO fun! I love Halloween and everything that goes with it, so of course I love carving Jack-o-lanterns! It was so much fun to sit with a group of friends while we all worked on our pumpkins and just chatted away! I was pretty pleased with how my pumpkin turned out! He was scary! I love a scary pumpkin! And one more cool thing is that AJ's parents grew this pumpkin at their house!! How neat, eh?!2. Dine La Week. If you read this blog, you have probably realized I LOVE food. I really do. I love all types of food, but I gotta say I am a big fan of the gourmet/fine dining scene. So naturally, when Dine LA Restaurant Week comes around I am all over it. For those who don't know, during Dine LA week some of LA's best and fanciest establishments offer specially priced, 3 course, prix-fixe menus. It's a great way to try new places and save some pennies while doing so! I have already hit up Meet French Bistro and the famous Mr. Chow Beverly Hills. Both were AWESOME!! Friday I am ending Dine LA with a bang at one of my favorite restaurants of all time, The Bazaar By Jose Andres! Woot woot!! :)3. Old friends. I am a lucky girl. My job has made it so that I am constantly meeting amazing people and therefore I am good at making so many great new friends. I am so thankful for that aspect of my job and I wouldn't change it. But between the work involved in running my own business, and being married, and keeping up with new friends, it can be hard to make time for my old friends. You know, the friends that knew me when I was a high school drama nerd and just liked playing with cameras for fun! Last week, I saw my close friend from high school, Liz, and it was wonderful. I loved catching up and I realized how important it is to make time for old friendships! I will definitely take the time to slow things down and do this much more often!4. Good neighbors. AJ and I have lived in the same place for four years, and I finally feel like we really know our neighbors. And I really like that! It feels so nice to be a part of a community and be able to hang out with the people who live just next door! Definitely a good thing to have a few friendly neighbors to count on! :)5. IndieCade. Last weekend Downtown Culver City, which is where we live, hosted an Independent Gaming festival. It was set up kinda like an Art Walk...except it was a Game Walk! Cool eh? It was pretty fun walking around and just seeing people play all kinds of games! I really like the idea of it! Most of the games were of the video and computer variety, which isn't my most favorite. I am a board game kinda girl. But AJ really loved it! And it was definitely a unique experience!And since posts are always better with photos...Here's a look at my pumpkin that I carved...WARNING: He is SCARY!!! hehe ;)
Boo!! Only 19 days till Halloween my friends!!!
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Yay! I am back on track with a new installment of Tuesday Top 5! And I'm not too too late in the day either! Woop Woop! Okay here are this week's top 5 picks!1. Gardens of Taxco. Have any of you been here? I went for the second time last week and I just love it! It's such a fun and festive little Mexican restaurant and a true LA establishment. This really isn't your typical Mexican place. They serve Mexico City cuisine and have a 5 course prix-fixe menu. Except their menu? It's not printed out! It's this one little waiter, with like the cutest accent ever, and he has worked there FOREVER, and he just recites the menu to you. You don't understand, this is like half the fun of going. Him reciting the menu. The same way each time. Using the same funny, colorful sayings to describe the dishes. "Chicken A La Crema is borrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrn in theee sauce!" And my "garleeeeeeeeek shreeeeeemps are not hot but spiiiiiiiicy." And AJ's chicken mole is "the best moleee in town!" Hehe! I love it! I also love it because the food is mighty deeeeelicious! And they give you so much to munch on! Gotta say any place that gives me pickled veggies and fresh chips y salsa is gonna get some major props in my book. Throw in a funny waiter and succulent garlic shrimp and I am IN LOVE!2. Komodo Truck. I don't know what on Earth took two foodies like AJ and I so long, but we are finally on the food truck bandwagon! And we ain't falling off anytime soon. Following our Kogi excursion, we tried the Komodo Truck. I really dug this truck. The two of us were able to get 4 tacos for $10 and share which made the perfect lunch! I had the spicy shrimp tacos and they were super good! But very spicy! And I think I can take a lot of heat! But these definitely had me sweatin'! AJ got a steak taco with corn salsa which he LOVED and a fish taco which we both agreed was pretty interesting. It had grapes on it so it played up on that whole savory/sweet thing. It was pretty good, but not as good as my shrimp! hehe! I would definitely go back to Komodo! It was the perfect little lunch for the two of us! And for a great price!3. Ticket to Ride. I LOVE this board game. I love board games in general, but when I played it for the first time I really fell in love. It's kinda complicated when you first start but its one of those games that you get the hang of fast and has a lot of strategy to it which makes it pretty fun! It is kind of an obscure game but I finally saw it at a game store yesterday! However I was bummed to find it retails for $50. IS IT MADE OF GOLD?! Hahaha! I kid. I'm not really a cheap person, but I gotta say $50 for a board game is a bit of a shocker. I think it will be the perfect thing to ask Santa for this year! After all, 'tis almost the season!!!4. Rainy Days. I am sure you heard everyone and their mama talking last week about HOW HOT LA was. No really, it was hot. I have lived in Los Angeles my whole life and never experienced such a thing. It was NUTS. But then yesterday, the weather did a complete 180 and got chilly and rainy. You know, what you might expect in October! It was a pretty welcomed relief and I am really digging getting all warm and cozy and drinking pumpkin spice lattes. Perfection!5. Dexter. OMG! Dexter is back and this season has me biting my nails, kids! I keep wondering if Dexter is gonna get found out...That Quinn just seems up to no good, you know? I really love this show, but after last season's game changing finale, I have NO CLUE how things will pan out. But I am enjoying having it back on air and going along for the ride. Michael C. Hall is one of my fav actors ever and he is not disappointing! Love it! What are your thoughts on this season?? Let me know in the comments below!
Images used from Starbucks website, Dexter official SHO site, Ticket to Ride site, Gardens of Taxco site, and Komodo Truck site.
I know I have been bad...again...with Tuesday Top 5. I'm thinking of changing it to to Friday and make it Friday Top 5 but that just doesn't sound as good now does it? When I first created TT5, I wasn't doing photography full time so my workflow was a bit different. Now Tuesdays seem to have me knee deep in edits. But so many of you have told me you love TT5 soooo I don't know what to do? Move it or try my bestest to keep it? Thoughts?Welp, while I am here I might at least give you the rundown of this weeks 5...and we can ponder if next week it should happen on Friday.1. Kogi Truck. I don't know what took me so long, but I FINALLY tried the Kogi Truck. And it was BOMB. AJ read on twitter that the truck was parked about a 10 minute walk from our place. So he said, "you wanna go try it?" And I was all "HEEELS YES!" It was a really hot, sweaty walk and then a long, sweaty wait in line. But it was so worth it. I got the tofu tacos and AJ got the pork burrito. We were very satisfied and I can still kinda taste it in the back of my mouth. Nummy num. I will definitely go back for more soon!2. Glee. I don't know why exactly it took me so long to jump on the bandwagon. I mean, I was a major theater-geek in high school. I LOVE musical theater and choir and all that kinda stuff. But it wasn't until a week ago that I buckled down and rented and watched all of season 1. Its official now I am a GLEEK! I LOVE this show! I cannot WAIT for tonight's Britney episode! It is gonna be tiiiight.3. Sloopy Jell-O. Okay I am admittedly weird. I like Jello. But I LOVE Jello when it's all..."sloopy." You know, before it sets all the way. It's kinda jello but its kinda soup. I'm talking like halfway through the setting up process. That is when Jell-O tastes the BEST to me. And I had some nice, cold, fresh, sloopy Jell-O last night as I was trying to beat the heat. And it was SO GOOD. Just thought I'd share.4. My Mom's Swimming Pool. Thank the good sweet lawd for my mom living 5 minutes away by car and for her having a swimming pool. It was over 106 degrees on the westside of LA yesterday, which is TOTALLY unheard of. Our 2nd floor apartment has no a/c and I was dying! DYING! Then I remembered a remedy: go to my moms and swim. It was definitely a good way to cool off for a few hours. For that I am thankful!5. My Husband. A week ago I missed Tuesday Top 5 because I was sick. Really sick. With the tummy flu. It started late Monday night. After complaining of a tummy ache I suddenly barfed up my entire dinner. It was NASTY. Even nastier it happened so fast I didn't make it to the bathroom. And who swooped in and saved the day yet again? AJ. Tuesday and Wednesday I was in bed with a fever. AJ bought me Gatorade and made me Jello and even made me Matzo Ball soup! He took such good care of me. And that is love. Taking care of your wife when she isn't pretty or cute or sexy. Taking care of your wife when she is downright germy and gross. Love is being there for the good, the bad, and the ugly. SO many times my hubby has shown me that he can handle the ugly times just as well as he can handle the good. He is amazing. And I am so lucky he is my husband!
Glee Images from official Glee website, Tofu taco image from KogiBBQ.com, and Jell-o from official site.
It's that time again! Another round of Tuesday Top 5 for your reading pleasure!1. Jasmine Star on Creative Live. So I don't know if y'all know, but if you are a photog you probably do...Jasmine Star did an amazing FREE online streaming workshop for 5 days. It was put on by the amazing Chase Jarvis and Creative Live team. Creative Live puts on all kinds of free online workshops for the art community, but seriously? The Jasmine Star event may have been the biggest thing they have ever done! Jasmine not only walked through how she runs her business, lots of Q&A, but she also shot an ENTIRE wedding LIVE so we could see exactly how she shoots a big day. And then the next day she showed us her entire edit. It was SERIOUSLY AMAZING. And I learned so much. It was a great thing for me because I saw that I do many things similarly which was an affirmation that I do things right and know what's up. But it also showed me some things I never knew about and also areas which I know I can improve. And really, that was the whole point of watching. To learn, and challenge myself and GROW. Thank you so very much Jasmine for being a complete open book! You have helped the community (and me as an individual) SO much more than you know! And thank you so much to Creative Live for putting on this extraordinary event! WOWZAS! Y'all rock! ...and clients? Y'all should know this experience has pushed me to grow and dream so much farther! Ashleigh Taylor Photography is ONLY going up from here! :)2. Kimchi. I have been working A LOT lately and I really needed a little date night. AJ asked me where I wanted to go and we ran through our list of usual places. Then he said..."I know, you want Tofu-Ya, right?" And internet, I was shocked! Cause that boy just read my frickin' mind! "How did you know?" I asked. His response? "I saw kimchi floating above your head." LOLZ forever. Yes, sometimes I crave kimchi and tofu soon and apparently it floats above my head like I am a cartoon character. We waited nearly 35 minutes to get a seat at Tofu-ya that night but it was SO worth it! :) That kimchi totally hit the spot! Mmm mm mmm mmm good!3. The Switch. On Sunday I went to see The Switch with my mom, and OMG, I LOVED it! Ok so is it a cheesy romantic comedy and therefore somewhat predictable? Yes. But you know what I really don't care. It was really cute. And super funny. And ummm the little boy in that movie is ADORABLE! I want a little boy JUST LIKE THAT! Cause that kid? He was stinkin' cute and sweet! I came home telling AJ about it and went through a "awww I want a baby phase." Then AJ reminded how much work children are and how you have to change their diapers and I was all...oh yeah I'm still so not ready for that! LOL. No, one day I do wanna be a momma. Hopefully to an awesome cute little kid. But right now? Soooo not ready. Maybe in about 4 or 5 years. Unless another romantic comedy messes deeply with my mind before then! hehe ;)4. InfoMania. Do any of you watch this show? AJ and I LOVE it! It's on Current TV and it's a clip show...kinda like how Best Week Ever used to be...only this is a bit edgier and smarter. I LOVE the social commentary segments like Brian Safi's "That's Gay" but I also just like the pure hilarity of Brett Erlich's "Viral Video Film School." Oh and don't forget Sergio Cilli's "White Hot Top Five" and "Music Intervention"! I love it! It's a super funny show and I totally suggest trying it out if you like funny stuff and TV. hehe ;)5. Aarti Party. So I am like a HUGE Food Network nerd and I could not have been happier when Aarti won Next Food Network Star. Fun facts: Aarti and I both used to write food reviews for LAist.com at more or less the same time. We also live around the same area and like some of the same Indian food joints. So what I am trying to say is, clearly, we are BFFs and I was rooting for her! Now home girl has her own show, and I LOVE it. I have been saying forever that I wish there was an Indian cooking show on Food Network because dang I love me some Indian food! And now it has happened! Oh happy day! Oh happy day!
From left to right: Aarti from FoodNetwork.com, The Switch movie poster from the official website, Infomania cast from the official website, and tasty kimchi from the kimchi wikipedia page.