Men in the Kitchen

I spent most of Sunday in bed watching Black Mirror, my new favorite show and catching up on lost sleep from nights in the hostel. On Sunday night, Almaz hosted Chef Matheus and Sous Chef Pablo in her kitchen. They whipped up a delicious, fresh Italian meal of artichokes, rice and a summer salad. Then we finished the night off with singing and dancing per usual.

Needless to say, I was a bit tired when I got home on Monday so I was overjoyed when Matheus opted to stay in and show me how to properly cook pasta and we watched NCIS till the wee hours.

Last night, I put the pasta skills to work and Almaz came over for a girls night of wine and gossip.

I love my friends.

Makeshift Salad Spinning

Two Birthdays, An Engagement, and A Going Away - Typical Tuesdays in Brussels

Tuesday night went from me lazing in bed and skyping my mom (aka Sophie) to a full-fledged party in a matter of minutes. We had a Matheus' brother, Almaz, Matthias (going-away :( ), Pelayo (birthday), Pablo (birthday), Silvia and Andrea (engagement!) over for wine and pasta and dancing and singing and general merry-making. Needless to say, yesterday was a bit slow for me. Some photos:

In other news, my coworker and I are attending a training on transitional advocacy next week at the Hague. Then we are headed to Amsterdam for a protest and poffertjes. Hopefully, Elisa can come hang out with us too!

Leiley posted photos of her trip to LA from a few weeks ago. I'm missing her and V and mimosas now! Some highlights:

Whaaaaat???

Dude. I usually don't get overwhelmed. This time, I may have bitten off a bit more than I can chew...

JK.

But I am seriously busy. Between LAFLA consulting, legislative duties, editing an international jurisprudence book, getting into my law review E-board position, failed dates, nights out, shopping, tanning, pool days, and reuniting with old friends and training Sophie to give me a kiss on demand, I wasn't sure I could handle much more.

Then finals happened. I have my first one WEdnesday and I am about to take a practice exam.

And then, oh whoops, my new job starts tomorrow. I am working at Hadsell Stormer, a human rights firm in Pasadena. I am so crazily excited that I think the adrenaline has kept me going. WOOOOOALSHDLKAJSLNGODISGOSLDKN! Yeah, I'm crazy. Deal.

Things I am grateful for:

- hiking with Sophie (even though we are about to turn those early afternoon hikes into early morning ones.)
- listening to jason's new songs
- Ann Taylor's major sale and Aline for coming with me to sift through the sales racks so I look decent tomorrow.
- For my mom's chicken curry and her finally finished kitchen.
- the fact that I have another two hours before i have to force myself to sleep, which means time for laundry, cleaning my room and that practice exam I am avoiding.
- All the love and support I get on a daily basis. Love x infinity.

Also listen to this bomb cover of Daft Punk's Get Lucky by Daughter.

Making Me Happy

1. Catching up on my crime TV shows
2. This new video by The Neighborhood.

3. Having a lot of work to do (although trying to find the motivation is a bit difficult)
4. Seeing Wake Owl tomorrow 

5. My mom making pound cake in the kitchen right now.
6. Puppy cuddles - duh
7. Wine tasting in Malibu this weekend.
8.  Legit blog posts:

• Home Inspiration.
• I'm only wearing black from now on.
• Chocolate tart with shortbread crust.

9. Also Sumptown and Sprinkles are coming to DTLA. OMG I can't.
10. Pinningggg:

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Feeling a Bit Odd

This weekend was weird for me. On one hand, I got to spend so much time with amazing people. I hit up Brite Spot and Scoops with Max and V. (The maple brownie was legitttt). I went hiking and ate brunch with Alene at The Trails in Griffith - must go back! (Three words: lavender shortbread cookies). I drank wine with Aline, Greg and Evan at my fave spot, The Hermosillo. And I spent Beyonce Bowl with my lovely housemates and besties, Jacy and Ellie, inhaling kale chips and cuddling puppies. I also got some good hugs from my mom, great mail, and some leads on the foreboding future.

That aside, I was in a weird weird weird schizo bipolar cray cray mood. I think its passing, but sometimes I get what I call the "sky is falling syndrome," where everything is shattering and I can't deal and I stay in bed and force cuddle Sophie and watch reruns of Criminal Minds and SVU and call my mom and ask for cake. Yeah, I know - its weird. It's also torture for the lovely people around me. I miss out on a lot of Friday - birthdays and shows and dinner. But it was nice to gather my thoughts and indulge in a little ridiculousness.

All I know is I am so grateful for those who put up with me, even when I'm less bubbly and obnoxious than usual.

Things I'm looking forward to:

- My Dinner for 12 Strangers that I'm hosting with Anthony
- Hiking with Megan
- Getting on the yoga train
- The various meetings I have this week (more on that later)
- Going to Trader Joes (Its the little things)

This Week's Food and Drink

So my mom made this organic chicken and salmon food for Sophie, complete with carrots and peas and rosemary. I have a container of Nutella. So that prompted me to make pumpkin Nutella cake, inspired by this recipe with a few changes, last night. Namely, I made into a cake since I didn't have a muffin tin. I added ground ginger, cinnamon, and vanilla to the batter. I also baked for around 50 mins. It was wonderful hot out of the oven, especially with a pinot noir. Jenaba, Ellie and I stayed up and watched Cabin in the Woods. Interesting. Weird. Not very scary, despite the fact that I screamed multiple times,

I also almost overdosed the pup with vitamins. Let's not talk about it.

In other news:

- Trip home tomorrow to pick up my retainer. I'm 12. Whatevs.
- Maybe a trip to Mammoth this weekend.
- Working on the following issues: transgender sex trafficking victims, cell phone privacy issues, and juvenile functional LWOP issues.
- Trip to SF after a symposium on juvenile justice on Oct. 12 for Carrie's bday plus pitstops in Oakland, Santa Cruz, and Monterey.
- YOGAAAAA

And on to the good stuff - Things to Eat and Drink this week. Who's coming with me?

My favorite new bar, The Hermosillo, is hosting a New Belgium beer tasting tomorrow night. From the FB page:

It's a night of puckering and lip-smacking at The Hermosillo, with a slew of New Belgium's 'Lips of Faith' beers taking over the tap wall. There will be New Belgium glassware to take home once you've tested your palate with the following beers:-Tart Lychee-Brett Beer-Peach Porch Lounger-Super IPA-Biere de Mars-Trip 13 Blondeand more from New Belgium! Obvs I'm going.  Also the Pie Hole just released their Banana Cream Toffee Pie. This is one of my favorite dessert places in the world. I'm hoping I can get Veronica to come with me post-yoga.

My friend Gillian checked Beer Belly out last week and my friend Anthony has been raving about it for the last few months. So I need to go. Things I want: duck fat fries, deep fried mint oreos with nutella ice cream and the pork belly chips. Yep. Definitely happy I'm starting yoga and working out again.

Also Sassafras Saloon opened up recently. Although it's a bit far from my normal stomping grounds, its by the same guys who did Thirsty Crow. They moved a house piece by piece from Savannah and reconstructed it in Hollywood. Win. You can build your own cocktail complete with homemade ginger beer, (original, apple-cin, or strawberry mint) or you can choose from their selection. I want the Grilled Peach Punch with rum, brandy, grilled peaches, spices and milk.

Also I raced my puppy around the backyard for like an hour last night. She's like FloJo.

Getting My Life Together

And part of that is finding someone to go see First Aid Kit with me in October at the Fonda Theatre. People get it together and come with me. Jesus.

 


In other news, headed back to the Fig House to set up for Sophie :-).

She now has a puppy cold but hopefully will be recovered for her vaccines on Saturday. My little baby bear is just too sweet to have to battle these viruses. I'm thinking the shelter never vaccinated her like they said they did. Blah.

Highland Park Artwalk this weekend and I HAVE to go to a yoga class on Friday morning. Otherwise, I'll go mad.

I should probably do some work in there (4 jobs and counting), as well as finish a law review assignment for tomorrow and another for Sunday. Oh yeah and class. NBD. I'm making another pot of coffee after I play some "chase the pink porcupine" with Sophs.

Updates + Primitivo Wine Bar

 Dins with Priyah in Venice

  

So this week has been crayyyyyyyy. I started work on Tuesday at the LA City Attorney in the family violence unit, which covers child abuse, domestic violence, elder abuse, etc., both misdemeanor and felony cases. I've been working a ton, i.e. motions, order, briefs, manuals, points and authorities, and I got to go to court on Thursday and it's just plain amazing. The office is dynamic and high pressure and there are about 15 attorneys, I get to work with every day. Currently, I'm working on a points and authorities on when and how to serve minor witnesses when their parent/guardian is the defendant in a child abuse case. It may sound a little grim, but as an avid follower of Law and Order: SVU, this is dream come true.

This week, I also got to have lunch with my favorite journalist, Anthony, at the LA Farmer's Market - yummy BBQ chicken and I've fallen in love with the iced americanos at Groundwork. One day, I worked 11.5 hours with a 30 minute break for coffee, so those are going to be my saving grace.

Other fun things this week:

- The Gold Room with Evan and company for PBRs. So hipster-y and dive-y. Love it.
- Brunch at 26 Beach with Veronica last Saturday - S'more French toast with Nutella. I had two bites - it was so sweet, but soooooo good. And seeing V always puts me in a good mood. Plus she is moving to DTLA, so hopefully I'll get to see her more often!
- Yoga with Steph at Lululemon, lattes at Caffe Luxxe, and a beach day with Katie - it was far too wonderful of day; those girls spoil me with their amazingness.

- Memorial Day BBQ with Steph at Venice Beach - we had these phenomenal cookies and waded in the water

- Smoothies at Silver Lake Juice and Tea. I got the Hurricane Chuck with espresso, cacao nibs, almond milk, and a whole bunch of yummy vegan things.
- Apt hunting. I'm looking for a room or studio in Silver Lake or Echo Park. I saw three places this week - a house of artists by the reservoir (walking distance to La Mill); an apartment in Echo Park with two boys, walking distance to Thirsty Crow, but a little, um, decrepit; then a house a block from Stories, butttt too many people I think. All the places were super cute, but there isn't any rush. I want to find somewhere that I can see myself living for at least the next year with legit people, so wish me luck!

SOOOO, last night Priyah, Evan, and I hit up the Abbot Kinney First Friday. It was jam-packed but so fun. We ended up taking a break from humanity and having wine and tapas at Primitive Wine Bistro, which I had seen on Thrillist. We tried a South African syrah (Porcupine), which was spicy and fruity. And we also shared a hummus plate and cured meat platter. It was so relaxing and fun. The wine selection was phenomenal and the food was carefully chosen and prepared. The service was ridiculously good. And Priyah and Evan are two of my favorite people so it was a wonderful way to end my hectic week. I think I could get used to this whole working thing :-)

{Music Monday} Skrillex - Cinema

Yes. Rain. I finally get to wear my trenchcoat today :-)

In the library, doing work I probably should have done over the weekend, which was beautifully relaxing and included brunch yesterday with Seda and Meri (yum crepes) and then dinner with Katherine and Paul and the fam (Steak and guinness pie and red wine. Win)

Tonight, probs a pub trivia night, coffee with Devon and maybe a Lady Danville show if I can keep my energy up.

xoxo

Addicted:

Life Lately

Wow, I think this is first time since I started my blog that I've gone without reading. Memo writing and school have been keeping me busy, but hopefully this week, I'll get back on track.

Last week, I also started my volunteering at a domestic violence clinic, had a doctor's appt, started actually integrating the gym into my sched, met Tawsh and Grant for dinner at Planet Raw (not nearly as good as Real Food Daily,) got to kick it with Brett on Third Street and see Stephanie afterwards for some girltalk.

Also last Sunday, Paige and I saw A Dangerous Method with Keira Knightly, Michael Fassbender, and Viggo Mortenson. It tells the story of the sex-obsessed patient that drove the theories and friendship of Carl Jung and Sigmund Freud apart. I was blown away. Keira Knightly has never impressed me with her lack of range of facial expressions. But her performance was phenomenal and the story was interesting. I highly recommend it.

Friday night, I met my old roomies, Seda, Aline, and Alene at Kaffe Rouge for some hookah and hummus ("Is that hummus?") My ribs hurt from laughing so hard. I love them so much.

Yesterday, hit up the Spanish Kitchen for margaritas and sweet corn tamales for G's birthday! And then a couple of bars in WeHo with law school peeps. I have to say that we are so much fun generally, but a riot when we're not laden with books and case briefs. :-)

Today, laundry, puppies(!), and yoga. And of course, reading.

Looking forward to seeing Rahia and Kels this week. xoox
Anywho, some things that have been keeping me happy.

1. Lauren Moffat's Spring Line




2. New recipes:

Salted Nutella Tarts
Rose Water Glitter Cakes
Apricot Coconut Energy Bars
New hot chocolate recipes via Honey Kennedy - must try lavender as well as orange blossom and cardamom

3. The new Sessun line



4. Coachella Outfits

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5. Its that time again - tattoos?

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{Music} First Aid Kit - Emmylou

Spent yesterday drinking echinacea tea and watching episodes of Law and Order: SVU in an effort to recover. But then got extreme cabin fever and went to Barnes and Nobles to peruse new fiction options and then saw the newest Sherlock Holmes movie with my bro, which I liked a lot. It's not the best movie ever made, but entertaining with a perfect balance of action and "history."

Today is chill. Hoping to muster up the energy to hit the gym. Also caught up on some correspondence and the orthodontist (so fun.)

Tomorrow is going to be a fun day, including a trail walk with Kels, brunch with Paige, yoga with Gillian, and hopefully a hike with Steph. Yay productivity.

Also getting prepared for my trip to SF on Tuesday and thinking about how to revamp my study habits for law school.
My goals:
1. Less reading notes; more practice problems
2. Start outlining even earlier/memorizing (esp. the latter)
3. No going out during the week
4. No surfing the internet during class

All that is totally manageable. I am feeling okay about my grades thus far, but anything less than perfect obviously leaves room for improvement, especially when I feel like I haven't reached my potential.

Moving on from that boring stuff - new music video from First Aid Kit. Love it - Enjoy!

First Days of Vacation

Last night was the first night that I slept more than five hours since vacation started and I'm raring to go. Laundry, cleaning, coffee dates, shopping, blogging, working, reading, etc - so much to do without studying!

The first group of photos are from Friday night with my law school girls, G, Vivs and Christable, before we went to Eden. The became increasingly more dramatic (note to self: patron is not my friend) but overall, I think we had a good time :-)

the second group was our Italian dinner at Tawsh's. I got to hang out with my loves, Rob, Jas, Grant, Tawsh, Dalit (the funniest person on earth), Ben, Shosh, and Grant for an amazing evening of laughs and memories and cuddling. It made me so happy! Shosh is moving at this moment to Israel and it was such a great experience to talk about the transition and excitement and it certainly is making me feel like I got bit by a travel bug again :-)

Off to coffee with Megan (to talk about her recent engagement!) and drinks with Nat for a much-needed catch up sesh.

<3