rollin' through sushi school!

On Friday evening Hanna, Elizabeth and I went to a sushi making class! I've always wanted to do this before and the fact that it was sushi {my favorite food!} was even more amazing. It was three fun-filled hours of cutting, rolling, eating and talking! Definitely an experience I'll always remember!

adding sushi vinegar to the rice



Hanna and Lizzie working on their cucumber rolls! {rice on the inside}

California roll with the rice on the outside! {not as tricky as it looks!}


Cheering with our spicy tuna, cucumber and avocado hand rolls!

Shrimp, Salmon, Octopus and Yellowtail Nigiri

The teacher, although not Japanese, has had extensive training in the U.S. and Japan since she was in high school. She taught us so many things I'd never heard before. She's extremely picky when it comes to sushi and I couldn't believe she hadn't gone out and payed for sushi in 10 years! She said that once you have it a certain way you can't have it any other way. I somewhat disagree with this because there are some amazing and innovative sushi chefs in LA but from a traditional standpoint I guess I can understand. Traditional sushi is really basic so as long as you've made good rice and have fresh fish you're pretty much set! I definitely feel a lot more confident in my sushi skills and I'm hoping to put it to the test soon!

look book: walking into fall

Happy Monday everyone!! Was it just me or was this kind of a weird weekend? In LA it seemed like the changing of seasons. We had this crazy heat wave last week but then both Saturday and Sunday we had hazy, cold mornings that led into sunny, but breezy afternoons. The lighting definitely screamed fall and it made me feel like I wasn't ready. It reminded me of going back to school but wanting to hold onto summer as long as I could! It led to a strange mood of missing college, friends, the Bay Area and wanting a change of my own. Coincidentally I had lunch with a friend from college and it was crazy that we hadn't seen each other since last September! She's had some amazing changes over the past couple months (she transferred with her job from D.C. to San Diego, scored an awesome raise, got an interview for TFA and a scholarship for a grad program!). I am so so happy for her and it was awesome to see her in person to share in the good news! It did make me wish, though, that I had more of a direction with what I want to do. She's so lucky that she knows what she wants and is going after it! I still feel like I have so many different interests and I don't know which one to pursue. I know I'll figure everything out..hopefully sooner rather than later though!

romper Marshalls, jacket H&M, necklace Elephantine, head wrap random tie, shoes Jeffrey Campbell, purse Coach, ring Erica Anenberg via Gilt/Hautelook

Can I just tell you all how excited I am to be wearing this beautiful necklace from Rachel's Elephantine jewelry line!? I've been a fan of her work since last year and it's such an honor to share with you this stunning piece. Rachel's handmade designs are beautiful, dainty and so unique! I love this necklace, the Akira, because of the four little diamond shapes hanging so perfectly from the chain. It's one of those pieces I can wear again and again {and I will, just you wait!}. Go check out her etsy and cartel shop...you will be blown away with loveliness!

Have a great day! And don't have a case of the Mondays!

recipe: banana cream pie

I made this amazing pie last week! I've been trying to find this banana cream pie recipe that I made when I was in high school and I thought I found it! While it wasn't the same, it was maybe even better! If you're a fan of bananas, vanilla pudding and graham cracker crust you must try this! The thing I love about the crust is that it has a slightly chewy texture because of the little bit of mashed bananas added in. I also added a layer of whipped cream on top! You can find the recipe here!

Make it, eat it, and then tell me about it!

I hope you all have a wonderfully sweet weekend!

I'm so excited because Elizabeth got into town today and we're going to do a Sushi Cooking Class with Hanna tonight. I think it's going to be a lot of fun and I'll definitely let you know how it goes!

xox

look book: calling in the troops

I am so excited about this green military jacket I got the other week! I got it at H&M and I know it's going to be a staple in my fall wardrobe. I love the length and how it's still fitted. It also has a cute belt for when it gets cold. I have so many ideas for how I want to wear it. yay for inspiration!

skirt álainn • bella, tank Urban, jacket H&M, shoes Jeffrey Campbell with socks!

On Saturday night Matthew and I had a triple date with his brother and his best friend. It was fun to go out to dinner in a group and talk! We went to this really cute restaurant in San Diego's North Park called Urban Solace. They had such a great menu and Matthew and I shared a Grilled Four Cheese Sandwich with fresh basil and tomato and a creamy tomato-fennel soup and The “Original” Watermelon/Tomato/Cucumber Salad with pine nuts, feta, currants and a pomegranate vinaigrette. Seriously delicious! And it was so fun to sit outside.

walking around seaport village

Before Matthew and I headed back up to LA we stopped by Seaport Village, this really cute area in San Diego. The sun was shining, people were flying kites, shopping, eating yummy treats, and talking to parrots! I wish we could have spent more time there, and maybe had a picnic, but we had to start the drive back. {For not being too far away traffic can be horrible!} Still, it was fun to walk around and see what this place is all about.

shirt H&M, shorts Forever 21, yellow woven flats Urban Outfitters, purse Coach

I'm looking forward to our next trip back! Now that the weather is heating up, and there are predictions for a very warm September and October, we can finally get our surf lessons on! It was on my list of New Year's Resolutions, remember?
xox

baby jacob

On Saturday Matthew and I went down to San Diego to see his new nephew! His sister Melissa gave birth to the most precious little boy on August 10th. His name is Jacob Christian.

Babies are so sweet and darling. I haven't held a newborn in sooo long. I'm thinking years, as in I was under 10. I wasn't worried because if I did it then I knew I could do it now. Nevertheless, as soon as Melissa handed him to me I'll admit I got a little nervous. Of course everything was fine, there were just a few nerves when I realized how tiny and delicate he was! I'm definitely looking forward to being a mom one day although that's far far away.

look book: modern silk

I found this silk shirt at the local Goodwill and I had to get it! It's a really pretty ivory color with a perfect one pocket design. I love how it fits so tightly at the wrists but I can also roll it up if I want. When I found the shirt it had these HUGE shoulder pads but luckily they were easy to take out! Silk is such a ladylike material and I thought I'd rough it up a bit with some cut off shorts and heavy necklaces.

shirt Goodwill, shorts old 7FAM jeans I cut up, shoes Fergalicious (ha), necklaces Forever 21

On Thursday night I was babysitting the most adorable 2 year old boy named Jesse! If you follow me on twitter you know how I compared him to a young Joseph Gordon-Levitt. Jesse is seriously the cutest and has such a fun, playful attitude. Matthew texted me while I was gone and said he was making me a surprise! Of course I start thinking of my favorite desserts. My first guess was s'mores since I LOVE them oh so much..and I was somewhat right! He made me s'more brownies! They were perfectly warm and had a yummy graham cracker crust with perfectly toasted marshmallows on top. Sigh such a sweet boyfriend for surprising me with delicious things!

I hope you all had a relaxing weekend!
xox