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Toscana

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On Monday, Mom met me after work for dinner at Toscana, a great Italian restaurant in Brentwood. I had been to Toscana just the week before, but I enjoyed my meal so much that I couldn’t wait to go back!

You’re greeted with fresh veggies as soon as you take your seat at the table…

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… And some bread, drizzled with olive oil.

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Mom and I were both in the mood for fish, so we agreed to get two different dishes and split them.

I ordered the Salmone Con Rucola, or grilled salmon with arugula and tomatoes. I loved the presentation and loved the taste even more! Mom definitely didn’t get much of this from me.

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Mom chose the Trancie Di Branzino, or grilled pacific sea bass fillet. It was delicious as well!

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You can’t go to an Italian restaurant without getting some type of pasta. It’s the #1 rule, right?! So Mom and I split the Gnocchi A Piacere, or potato dumplings in pomodoro sauce. It was the best gnocchi I’ve had in a long, long time.

Mom didn’t get much of this either. Whoops.

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When it was time for dessert, I walked up to the kitchen counter to see their choices. They didn’t disappoint. Pies, cheesecake… everything looked so amazing.

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Every table gets served these sweet puff pastry thingies (for lack of a better word). Yum!

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I also had to get the tiramisu. Which was probably the best decision I made all night. It was so amazing!

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Alright, one more picture. Just because it was so pretty…

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Mom’s company + a tasty meal = the perfect Monday night (or as perfect as a Monday can get!).

~S


Filed under: Dining

California Sandwich

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For dinner last night I wanted something quick, easy, and healthy. I whipped up an open-faced ‘California’ sandwich, which was exactly that.

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You’ll need:

For the Chive Spread:

1/4 Cup Greek Yogurt

1 Tablespoon Finely Chopped Fresh Chives

Salt and Pepper

For the Avocado Salad:

1 Avocado, Peeled, Pitted and Diced

1 Tomato, Chopped

1 Cucumber, Diced

A Squeeze of Lime Juice

2 Tablespoons Chopped Fresh Basil

2 Slices Whole Grain Bread

2 Slices Pepper Jack Cheese

To make the chive spread: in a small bowl, mix the Greek yogurt and chives. Season with salt and pepper. Set aside.

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To make the avocado salad: Peel and dice the avocado, cucumber, and tomato. In a medium bowl, gently toss together the veggies, lime juice and basil. Season with salt and pepper and set aside.

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photo-521To assemble: spread the chive-yogurt mixture on both slices of bread and top with avocado salad and cheese.

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You can’t get any easier and healthier than that!

~S


Filed under: Recipes

Rudy’s BBQ

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After the worst BBQ festival ever (I’m looking at you, Memphis) I couldn’t wait to go down to Texas to have real BBQ. And see my family. But mostly… BBQ.

Rudy’s is one of the best places to go for BBQ. It originated in the Texas Hill Country, and they now have locations across the southwest. Which is amazing, because that means I can find a Rudy’s if I’m in Austin, Texas or in the middle of nowhere, Texas (ahem, Corpus Christi).

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My family loves BBQ too (it’s in our blood) so we all ordered something different to share. Which sounded good in theory, but it turns out not everyone is willing to share Rudy’s (you know who you are!)

After an extensive taste test, I am finally able to report that my three favorite things on the menu are:

#1 The brisket sandwich.

I love brisket, and I love bread. So basically this is a match made in heaven.

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#2 The pulled pork sandwich.

It’s just so messy and delicious!

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#3 The sausage.

No matter what you order, throw in a sausage on the side. You’ll be so glad you did!

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Rudy’s is known for its sauce, so whatever you get, smother it!

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Don’t worry if you get carried away with the sauce, because Rudy’s has you covered:

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Not only will you love the food, but you’ll also love the fun, Texas atmosphere.

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And since Rudy’s website allows you to have its food shipped across the United States, you don’t need to wait for your next vacation to enjoy it!

Online shopping at its finest!

~A


Filed under: Dining, Travel

He Can Fly!

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He can fly! He can fly! (Yes, just like the Peter Pan song!)

Recently my family celebrated a major milestone in my brother’s life: his wings! Josh spent this past year in flight school with the Navy, and after lots of blood, sweat and no tears (this is the military we’re talking about) he finally became a pilot.

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We all flew down to Texas for the ceremony: my parents, grandmas, cousins, and tons of Josh’s friends. The day started out with a brunch honoring the new pilots. We dressed up, but Josh went “casual.”

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The gang. Or should I say, Josh’s crew:

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Not wanting to let Josh have all the fun, Corrie and I tried our hands at flying our own Navy planes. Turns out, it’s not that hard!

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After breakfast we got to explore a real Navy plane.

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Then, while we waited for the ceremony to start, we got to play in the flight simulator. So I basically learned how to fly a Navy plane while in heels. What, like it’s hard?!

That afternoon the Navy had the official ceremony. Each pilot was joined onstage by his family, and had his wings pinned onto his uniform by a person of his choice.

I was touched and honored that Josh asked me to pin on his wings. It was such a special moment, especially since my brother means the world to me.

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Although, I do have to say that this Hallmark moment wasn’t exactly smooth flying. It was so hard to get that pin on! It took forever, and of course it didn’t help that my dad was standing next to me loudly whispering “don’t worry, no one is watching!”

Finally I got the wings on, and Josh responded by giving the audience a thumbs-up. Thanks family!

Afterwards there were hugs all around, and we went out and celebrated Josh’s big day.

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Josh and I have a running pilot’s joke:

Q: How can you tell if there’s a Navy pilot at the party?

A: Because he’ll tell you!

So in honor of that, I got our family these t-shirts:

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I couldn’t be more prouder of you Josh! I love you!

~A


Filed under: Lifestyle, Travel

Black Diamond Oyster Bar – Texas

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As you know from my post on Josh’s wing ceremony, I was recently in Corpus Christi, Texas. For the 99.99% of you not familiar with Texas geography, Corpus Christi is located along the Gulf of Mexico, and is in the middle of nowhere. The second part is unfortunate, but the first part means that there are a ton of restaurants in Corpus with fresh, amazing food pulled right out of the Gulf.

On my first night in Texas, Josh, his friends, and I decided that we needed to take advantage of Corpus’ location and eat seafood. We headed off to Black Diamond Oyster Bar, which is a trendy restaurant deep in the heart of Corpus Christi.

When we arrived, Jon, Josh and Ernesto took the most adorable (oh… sorry guys… super manly) photo that looked like it belonged in a preppy catalog.

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So Jared, Scotty and I decided to take our own adorable photo. It didn’t really turn out quite the same though…

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Because Texas = queso, we decided to start with the Shrimp & Crab Queso. It had amazing melted cheese and big chunks of seafood. We quickly ran out of chips, and not wanting to waste a drop started dipping everything we could find into it!

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Josh loves Seared Ahi Tuna, and orders that wherever he goes, so we decided to try that as well. Black Diamond Oyster Bar coated it with their house Cajun seasonings and then seared it perfectly. I had never had seared ahi tuna before and really liked it. Maybe I’ll start ordering that everywhere I go too! Twinsies!

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I had also never had ceviche (it was a night of firsts apparently) so we tried the Shrimp & Mahi-Mahi Ceviche. Ceviche is fresh fish that is marinated in citrus juice in order to “cook” the fish. It was… different. I didn’t like the strong lime taste, and decided that ceviche probably wasn’t for me.

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Everyone else liked the ceviche though. Everyone, that is, except our friend Gus in the tank next to us…

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This next part was the highlight of the meal (besides the great company of course!). Since it was an oyster bar, and we were along the Gulf, we had to try oysters! The restaurant has an extensive oyster menu (no surprise there) with everything from raw oysters to Tex-Mex oysters with cheese, pico de gallo, and hot sauce. We decided to stick with raw oysters, and ordered Oysters on the 1/2 Shell to share.

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At the end of the meal we were completely stuffed, so luckily Scotty “took one for the team” and finished off our wine!

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Next time you’re in Corpus Christi stop by the Black Diamond Oyster Bar. Just stay away from the ceviche. For Gus.

~A


Filed under: Dining, Travel

Birthday Dinner at Rustic Canyon

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Last night my family and I celebrated my birthday at Rustic Canyon, an adorable wine bar in Santa Monica. I had driven past this restaurant a gazillion times and it was always crowded. So when my Mom asked where I wanted to celebrate, this restaurant immediately came to mind.

We took our seats, ordered some wine, and I put on my birthday crown. Thanks Mom!

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Rustic Canyon has a great variety of small appetizer-sized plates, perfect for sharing.

For her starter, my sister ordered the Cool ‘Crenshaw’ Melon Soup, comprised of lemon cucumber, peppers and coconut milk.  It was refreshing and absolutely delicious. After my second taste I was told to stay away.

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Just look at these colors!

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My parents shared the Clam & Mussel Pozole, which was clams and mussels mixed with rancho gordo hominy, scallion, and tortilla. It was fantastic.

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For my appetizer I ordered the California Prawns, Scampi style with calabrian chili butter and grilled lemon. Yum!

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For the table we ordered the Coleman Green Beans & Stonefruit, which was a mixture of green beans, goat cheese, grilled peach jam, and macadamia. This was gone very, very quickly.

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For the main course, my parents shared the Olive Oil-Poached Halibut, with corn, rancho gordo beans, potato, dried tomato, and sea beans. The halibut tasted like butter. What a beautiful dish.

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Now, for the best part of the meal. Rustic Canyon has a secret burger that’s not on the menu. Only a certain amount are available each night, and it’s to die for.

How do I put this more clearly? You. Must. Order. The. Secret. Burger. DO IT!

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Gooey. Cheesy. Melt-in-your-mouth good. One of the top 5 burgers I’ve ever had, seriously!

After we finished our meal, Mom whipped out the coolest candle I have ever seen. You light the center, a huge flame rises up, and then it opens…

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Happy birthday to me!

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It’s rare that I go to a restaurant and the meal is perfect from start to finish, but last night was one of those meals. All of us enjoyed each and every dish. The food presentation was beautiful, and the colors and textures used in each dish were a real feast for the eyes. And that burger…

Here’s to another great year!

~S


Filed under: Dining

Malibu Wines Safari

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A few weeks ago my sister sent me a message asking if I’d like to celebrate my birthday by “doing something involving animals and wine.” How can you say no to that?!

Turns out her plan was to go on a safari at Malibu Wines, a beautiful tasting room and vineyard in Malibu.

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What’s that you say? Confused why I said “safari?” Oh no, it wasn’t a typo. No mistake there. I introduce to you: the Malibu Wines Safari!

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Check out our sweet safari ride. My sister and I got lucky and had the whole tour to ourselves!

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The safari gives you a beautiful tour of Saddlerock Ranch, home to 80 acres of vineyards and the Malibu Family Wines winery. Eight varietals grow on the ranch, from sauvignon blanc to grenache.

But enough about the wine… let’s see some animals!

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The highlight of the safari was definitely feeding the zebras. Zebras in Malibu, who knew?!

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I could have stayed and fed the zebras all day, but wine was calling our name.

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Not too shabby of a wine tasting spot, right?

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After wine tasting it was time to get back on our truck and continue the tour. The grounds are just breathtaking.

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We also got to meet and feed this silly guy.

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Such a handsome fella!

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These rascals were hungry too…

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After feeding the cattle, we made our way back.

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What a memorable way to spend a Sunday! Huge thanks to my sister for planning it, and for taking some of these amazing photographs.

~S


Filed under: Lifestyle

Wanderlust Yoga Festival

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Yoga is one of my favorite workouts. It’s part strength, part flexibility, and part laying on the floor. It reminds me a lot of dance, and I love that I can have a great workout and also leave feeling centered.

I was so excited when I found out that the Wanderlust Festival was coming to LA. Wanderlust Festivals take place across the world (the next one is in Whistler) and feature four days of outdoor yoga with live music in beautiful outdoor settings.

In order to get people excited for these festivals, they also host Yoga in the City events. These events offer free classes at interesting, more urban, locations. My friend Jennie and I went to the most recent event on the Santa Monica Pier.

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It was such a neat experience doing yoga on the pier while overlooking the ocean below. I loved how many people came out to experience it!

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The class itself was whimsical and fun, and the focus was more on enjoying the experience than perfecting your urdhva dhanurasana pose.

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I enjoyed the fact that the class catered to all levels. Beginners were able to acquaint themselves with yoga, and the more advanced students were able to show off their moves!

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Afterwards Jennie and I left feeling very zen.

For more information on the next Yoga in the City, click here.

For more information on Wanderlust Festivals, click here.

Namaste.

~A


Filed under: Lifestyle

Cheeseburgers (for Dummies)

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Ever since I was little, my dad has bragged about his “super-secret” cheeseburger recipe. I never took it that seriously until I got older and realized that his cheeseburgers did in fact taste better than everyone else’s.

Now that I am a grilling expert (thank you Ceccioni’s cooking class) I really wanted to learn how to make my dad’s recipe. As it turns out, even though it is “super-secret” it’s not that difficult to make. This was my first time actually grilling something (hence the “for dummies”) and they still turned out great!

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We made these burgers during my last trip to Chicago for our 4th of July BBQ. To make them for your next picnic or BBQ, you’ll need:

1 Pound Ground Beef

1/4 Cup Bread Crumbs

1 Egg

1 Tablespoon Worcestershire Sauce

1 Teaspoon Garlic Powder

1 Teaspoon Lawry’s Seasoning Salt

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Begin by putting the ground beef into a large bowl.

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Then add your remaining “super-secret” ingredients to the ground beef. This is what makes the meat taste amazing, and gives your burger a really great flavor.

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Now mix them all together…

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…using your hands. Yes, this part is kinda gross!

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When it’s all mixed, shape into hamburger patties.

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Set your grill to medium heat, and cook the first side for about 10 minutes.

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While the meat is cooking, cut up any veggies that you want on your burger.

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Then flip the burgers over and grill them for about 10 minutes on the other side.

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You can add any veggies that you want grilled too.

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Don’t forget to add the best part: the cheese!

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One the burgers are cooked, take them off the grill.

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Decorate them as desired, and then serve!

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Who’s a dummy now??

~A


Filed under: Recipes

Trapeze

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For a while now, I have been dying to try trapeze. It looks scary yet exhilarating, challenging but freeing. On my birthday, Ashley and I finally signed up to take a class with the Trapeze School New York, located on the Santa Monica Pier.

I got butterflies in my stomach the minute I glanced up. Why did I have the urge to hurl myself off a platform 23 feet in the air?! Great idea, Sara.

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Before getting started, we got strapped in and were given instructions on how to do the routine. It sounded simple when the instructor explained it, but I knew that there was no way it could be easy when you’re flying back and forth.
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My heart was pounding out of my chest as I climbed up the ladder. Even scarier was jumping off the platform! But you get the biggest adrenaline rush ever.

The routine worked like this: you jump off the platform, holding the bar with both hands and wait for the direction of the instructor.

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Then you swing your knees over the bar. It was SO tough for me to do!

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Then you take your hands off the bar and hold on with your legs!

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It was terrifying and extremely difficult! But so much fun.

Ashley was a natural.

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After practicing the routine a few times, they had us do backflips on our landing.

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She got a star for that performance!

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We practiced that routine over and over. At the end of the class we got to do a “catch” with one of the instructors. He swung on a bar at the other side, waiting to catch us!

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Ashley’s turn!

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What an amazing night, flying through the air and watching the sun set over Santa Monica. Trapezing was an experience I’ll always remember and can’t wait to try again.

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One thing checked off the bucket list!

~S


Filed under: Lifestyle

Maine Part 1

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Every two years, my dad’s side of the family goes on an epic family reunion. I say epic because it’s always fun and a little crazy having all 25 cousins, 5 uncles, 5 aunts, 1 great-aunt, and 1 grandma all together again! This year we headed off to Bar Harbor, Maine for family time… and lobster!

In fact, the second we arrived we set down our bags and headed down the street to a local lobster pound. And in case you’re like my family and were wondering, the restaurant didn’t spell “pond” wrong! A lobster pound is a local term describing an eatery with a big tank of fresh lobsters.

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Imagine my surprise when I found out that you had to reach in and choose your own!

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My mom and I both had a lot of fun choosing our perfect “dinner!”

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We picked good ones :)

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After a fabulous meal, we finally got to explore where we were staying. I was in the main house with most of my cousins, and we had the most amazing view of the harbor.

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My parents and several of my aunts and uncles stayed at the Clark Point Inn, which was right down the street.

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It was an adorably quaint inn, and I would definitely recommend staying there.

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Especially after I saw what they serve for breakfast!

Pistou eggs on crostini with pine nuts, fresh parmesan and basil pesto:

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Raspberry lemon pudding souffle:

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Cinnamon sugar donut muffin:

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Belgian waffles with chilled oranges, toasted pecans, fresh whipped cream and bourbon-infused Maine maple syrup:

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Kiwi and strawberries creme anglais and toasted coconut:

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And bruleed vanilla grapefruit to name a few!

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Not bad at all!

Once all of my family arrived, we decided to start the trip off with something “Maine-y.” What could be more Maine than a whale watch?!

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I didn’t bring a coat on the trip, so my dad lent me his massive bright orange coat (after teasing me for my terrible packing first!).

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It’s a pretty great look, huh?

I was glad I had it though, because it was freezing over the water. Lesson learned: even if you go to Maine in July, bring a coat!

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While on the trip we saw humpback whales, finback whales, minke whales, an ocean sun fish, and harbor and grey seals!

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Yes, I know, I should work for National Geographic…

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…ish.

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The boat narrator (who let the microphone go to his head and wouldn’t stop talking) also passed around part of a whale’s mouth for us to touch. Here’s Michaela modeling it:

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She’s so Maine!

Our family vacations are fun/funny because every day we have planned group activities. This is why my cousin Colin jokingly refers to it as summer camp with alcohol! One of my favorite activities involved playing a game of softball. I didn’t love it because of the game, but because of the costuming!

Jealous of our t-shirts?

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Of course, the game wouldn’t be complete without a jumping picture!

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The yellow (ahem losing) team:

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AND THE BLUE WINNING TEAM:

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Because my cousin Sarah was getting married at the end of the week, another activity involved breaking into teams and designing wedding dresses. They were beautifully modeled by my dad and uncles:

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If you’re thinking the one on the left looks particularly beautiful, that’s because my team designed it!

We also played endless games of spoons.

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Had a fiesta with a pinata.

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And went to a local Maine bar that was half bar and half… wait for it…

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LAUNDROMAT!!!

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Oh Maine…

But one of my favorite activities of all was the night we went outside and lit sparklers.

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And released beautiful paper lanterns into the sky.

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Such a beautiful night.

Stay tuned for Maine part 2!

~A


Filed under: Travel

Maine Part 2

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As you know from Maine Part 1, I recently went on a family reunion to Bar Harbor, Maine. Or as the locals call it, “Baa Haa Baa!”

Our house was right next to Arcadia National Park, so we spent a good portion of the trip exploring its beauty.

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One of the days we piled into a horse-drawn carriage and rode through the park.

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Our guide told us stories about the park’s history.

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While I took photos of the beautiful scenery.

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At one point we were allowed to get out and explore.

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And I decided to take another completely necessary picture.

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The next day we went down to Thunder Hole, which apparently is a rock that sounds like thunder when the waves crash into it. It’s all lies though, we did not hear thunder!

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But it was still a pretty area to explore!

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My uncle Michael and cousin Julia were the most adventurous (and humorous) of the explorers.

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While we were there my cousin Shannon arrived with her son, and the two youngest cousins finally got to meet each other!

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We took a group picture, and funnily enough this is less than half of my cousins on that side of the family!

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On another day we rented bikes and rode through the park. Uphill, both ways, or at least that’s how it felt! It was not quite the leisurely ride we had in mind!

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It was still gorgeous though!

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Our vacation week finished with a family celebration: my cousin Sarah’s wedding to Bill!

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The reception was right on the water, and had the most gorgeous views.

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My mom and I had to laugh: we always somehow end up wearing matching dresses to family events! We even did this at my brother’s wing ceremony!

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As the sun set, the views got even more stunning. Which meant, of course, more pictures!

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I have the best family! I miss them all already.

~A


Filed under: Travel

New England’s Best Lobster Roll

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My friend Marilyn is from Boston, and when we were living in Africa we would always fantasize about what we’d eat first when we returned home. My choice seemed to change every day depending on my mood, but hers was always, always lobster rolls.

She would talk about The Beach Plum, a walk-up restaurant along the water in New Hampshire, and how they had the best lobster rolls in New England.

Since I’m not from Boston, I had never had a lobster roll before and couldn’t weigh in on the “best lobster roll ever” debate. So I made it my mission during my family reunion in Maine to try as many lobster rolls as possible. I know, it’s a tough life.

I couldn’t wait until we got to Maine to try one, so I had my first lobster roll on the way there. We stopped at Lena’s Seafood in Massachusetts, which Marilyn’s mom recommended. The lobster roll was good, and made me very excited to try more!

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I had my second lobster roll after I arrived in Maine. We had an hour wait before our whale watch began, and we couldn’t think of a better way to pass the time than to eat lobster!

I ordered the roll at Waterfront Restaurant, and LOVED it! Definitely top two.

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A few days later, during another lunch in Bar Harbor, I ordered a lobster roll from Geddy’s. I loved the big chunks of lobster, but didn’t like the salad as much.

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After my family reunion was over, the moment I had been waiting for arrived. I met up with Marilyn in New Hampshire to finally try the lobster rolls at The Beach Plum!

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We eagerly went up to the window and ordered. Due to our bet on which of our teams would win the Stanley Cup finals (go Blackhawks!) Marilyn treated, and we quickly sat down and began digging into our rolls.

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Marilyn ordered the “Super Jumbo” size, and I was amazed at how much lobster there was! It was massive!

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While we were eating, I looked over and noticed Marilyn’s expert eating style. She’s definitely a pro at these lobster rolls!

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I, on the other hand, still have a lot to learn.

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I can finally say that The Beach Plum did live up to the hype! It made it into my top two, and I’m so glad Marilyn introduced me to lobster rolls!

With the meal over, we sat along the water, enjoying the view and catching up on life.

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It was a successful lobster roll experiment indeed.

~A


Filed under: Dining, Travel

Boston Burger Company

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After my trip to Maine, and a wonderful lobster roll in New Hampshire, I went to Boston to spend time with Marilyn and her boyfriend, Adj. I was happy to see them, and was even more happy to see them when they suggested Boston Burger Company for dinner.

Boston Burger Company is an award-winning Boston restaurant that has the most amazing, unique burgers. It’s been featured on Phantom Gourmet, Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives, and the Rachel Ray Show. And now, LA Wanderlust :)

Boston Burger Company even has a mac and cheese burger- Marilyn and Adj know me so well!

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The menu is crazy! If there wasn’t a mac and cheese burger, it would have been so difficult trying to pick one! But since there was, I was pretty much sold and didn’t even need to read the rest of the menu!

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Turns out, nobody needs to read the menu. The walls are decorated with drawings of some of the restaurant’s most popular burgers. Or, if you want to see pictures (warning: don’t look when you’re hungry!) you can find their top burgers online here.

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Adj ordered the Ranch Burger, which had creamy ranch dressing, bacon and American cheese.

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Marilyn chose the Alpine Burger, which featured mushrooms sauteed in garlic parmesan butter with Swiss cheese. Garlic parmesan butter? Yes please!

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And now for the greatest cheeseburger ever made: the Mac Attack! Mine arrived topped with homemade four-cheese macaroni & cheese and bacon.

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It was incredible! And made me really sad that I don’t live in Boston. Marilyn will occasionally send me pictures of her eating it, and it’s so hard not to hate her!

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Because our eyes were bigger than our stomachs, we also ordered Garlic Parm fries to share. They. Were. Amazing.

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It was the perfect combination of great food and great friends. Think my great friend will ship the mac and cheese burger to LA?

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As we were leaving, I told Marilyn and Adj that I wanted to take a photo of “that Celtics guy” holding a burger. Turns out, that’s Larry Bird. I don’t think they’re going to let me live that down!

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If you go to Boston, YOU MUST GO TO BOSTON BURGER COMPANY! In fact, it’s worth going to Boston for the Boston Burger Company alone, in my opinion.

So, Marilyn, let’s revisit the “ship the burgers to LA” conversation…

~A


Filed under: Dining, Travel

Two Bunch Palms

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Recently my family and I went to the desert for a quick weekend getaway. It was a while since we last took a vacation together and I couldn’t wait. My parents and sister headed down to the desert a day early, and as soon as I got off work I went to join them.

The sun was setting as I headed out of LA. Can you spot the heart in the sky?

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We stayed at Two Bunch Palms Resort, an adults-only resort and spa in Desert Hot Springs. The grounds were so beautiful and peaceful.

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Mom bought fish food so we went to feed the fish. But more than just the fish were interested.

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These guys wanted in on the action too.

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Chaos soon ensued.

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Ducks stepping on turtles, turtles stepping on fish… it was a mad dash out of the water.

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The turtles were NOT afraid to get close. In fact, they got way too close!

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After the feeding frenzy was over we grabbed dinner at the resort. We finished just in time to watch the gorgeous sunset.

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Since it was rainy and cloudy for the majority of the weekend (I thought the desert was supposed to be sunny?!), we spent most of the time relaxing in the room and roaming the resort grounds. When the rain let up I made sure to stop by the mineral springs.

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Another relaxing day, another amazing sunset.

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The next morning I woke up early and headed back to LA.

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It was a perfect weekend, just the rest and relaxation I needed!

~S


Filed under: Travel

“The Butler” Movie Premiere

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On Monday night, my friend Ben (hereinafter known as my most amazing and gracious and awesome friend Ben!) invited me to the premiere of the movie The Butler. The Butler is a powerful film about a black man who transitioned from working in the cotton fields as a child to serving as a White House butler for eight different presidents. His presence and his character help change the hearts of the presidents during the difficult civil rights movement. You can watch the trailer here.

The movie is directed by Lee Daniels, and has an incredible all-star cast: Forest Whitaker, Mariah Carey, Alex Pettyfer, Vanessa Redgrave, Oprah Winfrey, Terrence Howard, Cuba Gooding Jr., Lenny Kravitz, Robin Williams, John Cusack, Jesse Williams, James Marsden, Minka Kelly, Liev Schreiber, Alan Rickman, and Jane Fonda to name a few.

Ben and I arrived before the celebrities (or the “talent” as they call them in the biz!) to take pictures on the red carpet.

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As you can see, the talent has to walk a long line of press on their way to the theater, stopping every few feet for more pictures.

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We decided to strike our own celebrity pose, so that the press would know what to expect!

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After having some fun on the red carpet, I moved behind the press to watch the arrivals. It was exciting seeing them take the pictures that I knew would be on People.com the next day!

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Alex Pettyfer arrived first, and he looked good!

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Elijah Kelley was another early arrival.

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As was Clarence Williams III.

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James Marsden had a big arrival – the press went crazy yelling his name!

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And the same thing happened with Cuba Gooding, Jr.

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It was crazy, every time someone stepped foot on the carpet the press began loudly yelling their name. They would also yell instructions, like “turn around and show us the back of the dress!” or “let’s see an over-the-shoulder shot!” It was mayhem! Walking the carpet is certainly no relaxing event!

Minka Kelly walked right past me before taking her spot on the red carpet.

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Jane Fonda was another press favorite.

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Finally, after much anticipation, the star of the film arrived: Forest Whitaker!

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It was exciting seeing them, and so many others, arrive. However, there was one woman I was dying to see: Oprah! I wasn’t alone. Even the most seasoned veterans couldn’t help but get giddy when she made her entrance.

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I mean, come on, she’s Oprah!

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Oprah was so sweet, and made sure to stop at every person for a picture or an interview.

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After an exciting red carpet, it was time to enter the theater for the movie.

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The Butler is definitely a movie that’s worth seeing. It left me in tears, and touched us all.

When it was finished, the cast was introduced and praised.

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And then it was time for the after party! It was held across the street at WP24, a Wolfgang Puck restaurant and lounge on the 24th floor of The Ritz-Carlton. I loved the venue, especially the views of downtown LA.

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It was hard to focus on the views though, when two of my favorite actors were in the room!

James Marsden:

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and Jesse Williams:

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But by far the highlight of my night was meeting Oprah! We talked, took a picture, and then she hugged me! Us Chicago girls have to stick together :)

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YOU get a hug! And YOU get a hug! And YOU get a hug!

Best. Night. Ever.

~A


Filed under: Lifestyle

Fiesta, Santa Barbara

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Two weekends ago I took a quick trip to Santa Barbara to celebrate Fiesta with a few of my college friends. Fiesta, also known as Old Spanish Days Fiesta, is an important Santa Barbara tradition that has continued for over 75 years. Fiesta originated in 1924 to celebrate Santa Barbara’s history and its Mexican and Spanish heritage through dancing, parades and confetti! (more on that later).

But first, I couldn’t go up there without first visiting my alma mater, UCSB. We walked around campus and it was SO good to be back!

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After strolling through campus (and spending way too much money at the UCSB bookstore!), we headed into Isla Vista and walked along the beach.

With these views, how did I ever leave?!

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Absolute perfection.

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photo-594After reminiscing all we could, we headed to our hotel in Goleta to get ready to celebrate Fiesta.

At dinner we bought a ton of confetti-filled eggs. Not sure why or when the confetti tradition started, but who am I to complain?!

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I loved the spiderman eggs!

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It wouldn’t be a true trip back to UCSB without stopping by Freebirds at the end of the night. Nachos, oh how I’ve missed you!

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It was too quick of a trip, but I’ve never felt so lucky to have gone to that school.

Happy Fiesta!

~S


Filed under: Travel

Kenny Chesney’s No Shoes Nation Concert

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I like country music, but my cousins Brittany and Trisha love country music. So when they found out that Kenny Chesney was performing at Angel Stadium in Anaheim, they decided that this would be a perfect time to visit me in LA.

They asked me if I wanted to go to a “country concert” and I agreed, not knowing much else about it. It wasn’t until my cousins arrived that I found out that this was Kenny Chesney’s No Shoes Nation concert, and that Eric Church, Eli Young Band, and Kacey Musgraves were also performing. It quickly went from a “country concert” to “the greatest country concert ever!”

We arrived while Kacey Musgraves was opening the show, and sat down in the club section, in our actual seats. This, however, turned out to be just our first stop on our tour of Angel Stadium…

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Brittany really wanted to be part of the action, so after Kacey was done performing we decided to move to better seats. For stop 2 of our tour of Angel Stadium, we found good ones closer to the stage.

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However, stop 2 was quickly replaced with stop 3, when we decided to just go for it and sit next to the field.

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It was perfect timing, because that’s when Eli Young Band started performing! I was SO excited to see them! I had gone to several of their shows at Midnight Rodeo in Austin, and I couldn’t wait to see them perform at such a massive venue. I’m so proud!

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Apparently, although being right next to the field is cool, being on the field is even better. So for stop 4 of our tour of Angel Stadium, Brittany took advantage of the usher’s momentary distraction to get the three of us onto the field.

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It was the perfect place to watch Eli Young Band perform the rest of their songs!

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All Brittany and Trisha had been talking about since we arrived was Eric Church, and how much they loved him in concert. When he took the stage after Eli Young Band, I saw exactly what they meant!

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He. Was. Awesome. Now I’m completely hooked on him too!

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At one point, Eric even grabbed beers from two audience members and drank them! Kinda crazy (and kinda gross) but the crowd went wild!

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He kept performing as the sun went down, and after he was finished we were exhausted from dancing and singing!

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When it was time for Kenny Chesney to perform, we decided to finish our tour of Angel Stadium by sitting behind home plate. We had planned on relaxing a little bit, but it wasn’t long before we were up and dancing again!

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There are still a few more No Shoes Nation tour dates, and you can buy your tickets here.

Now I really want to see Eli Young Band and Eric Church in concert again!

~A


Filed under: Lifestyle

Orange County Fair

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I love county fairs. Food, rides, music, shopping, food, prizes, food… it’s good, clean fun. So when I realized that the Orange County Fair was ending soon, Ashley and I went down to Costa Mesa to partake in the fun.

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The food at the OC fair was delicious and fried-tastic: chili fries, corn dogs, chicken wings, fried zucchini… anything you want, they had! I couldn’t help but drool over these turkey legs.
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But we were most excited for dessert. And how could you not be with these stands?! Glorious!

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Our funnel cake did not disappoint.

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After stuffing ourselves silly, it was time to play some games.

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Ashley won! Meet Howard.

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With our stomachs full and wallets empty, we headed back to LA. Howard got his own sweet ride.

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Sunday funday, indeed.

~S


Filed under: Lifestyle

Wet Republic – Las Vegas

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Even though it’s only 4 hours away from LA, up until last week I had never been to Las Vegas. Crazy, right?! So when my cousin planned a trip there with all the girls on my mom’s side of the family, I was SO excited to finally go.

Unfortunately, what happens in Vegas stays in Vegas. The end.

Kidding! I wouldn’t miss blogging about it!

My cousins Brittany, Trisha, Jamie and I drove out from LA. While we were waiting for my aunts, mom and grandma to arrive, Jamie and I decided to meet up with some of her friends at Wet Republic. For those of you not familiar with Las Vegas, Wet Republic is a pool/club at the MGM Grand. The website describes it as a “daytime mecca” and I completely agree. Except it’s less of a relaxing mecca, and more of a party/alcohol mecca!

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Only in Vegas would there be a DJ at the pool!

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It was a blast, especially since we were VIP all the way. We had an awesome day bed in front of the cabana area, and right next to the pool! It was absolutely perfect.

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We spent the day hanging out and making new friends (people are SO friendly in Vegas! ha).

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I definitely recommend Wet Republic. We left with so many fun memories that will definitely need to stay in Vegas! I couldn’t have had a better start to the trip!

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For more information on admission to Wet Republic, click here.

For more information on going VIP (is there any other way?), click here.

It’s going to be one amazing weekend!

~A


Filed under: Lifestyle, Travel
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