Seeing as the days are getting longer and warmer, I couldn’t help but make a list of all the activities I want to do this summer.  Although the list is definitely not complete, here are a few things to get me started:

• Take the new metro expo line from Culver City to downtown.  Practical public transit in LA??  Who would’ve thought?
• Visit the Herb Ritt’s exhibit at the Getty Museum.
• Get a cabana at the Viceroy hotel in Santa Monica and lay out by the pool all day.
• Take a photography class (I’m actually taking one in June!)
• Tour the LA river by bike, using this Sunset magazine map.
• Experience Fried Chicken Friday at Broome Street General Store in Silver Lake.
• Find the perfect beach spot between Malibu and Venice.

Hopefully there will be more to come as we get closer to summahhh.  What’s on your to-do list for this summer?

Image by me via Instagram

I’m a huge lover of the sun, even though my pale skin would tell you otherwise.  Seeing as it’s almost summer (woohoo!), I’m looking forward to wearing more braids, covering my eyes with fun sunglasses, and wearing lots and lots of SPF.  Who’s with me?

1//image via (original source lost in the pits of tumblr)

2//madewell drifter shades

3//josie maran daily sun protection

On Saturday, we walked over to Milo & Olive for breakfast.  Yes, I said ‘walked’…I’m just as shocked as you but it’s only 1 mile from our apartment.  They’re mainly known for their amazing pizzas but we wanted to test out the breakfast menu.  I knew it wouldn’t disappoint but oh my goodness, it was easily one of my favorite breakfasts ever.

We started with the house made muesli and a chai latte.  The muesli was mixed with yogurt and topped with apples and almonds.  It was sweet, light, and so healthy.  But then we took it up a notch and got the cheesy eggs on cheesy toast.  Oh.  My.  Goodness.  I can’t even go there, it was so good.  How do they scramble eggs like that?  And then topped with a layer of parmesan cheese?

I almost cried.

For breakfast dessert, we got a giant jelly-filled donut.  We would’ve easily ordered a second donut but they ran out.

Kyle almost cried.

All in all, it was bomb.com.  Go there.

PS – I’m finally going to make a page of my favorite places to eat in LA.  It’s happening, I promise.

Friday, is that you??  I’m REALLY happy you’re here.  One time, a professor told me never to use the word “really.”  He said it was a useless word and gave us assignments where we’d have to describe something without using “really.”  It’s really f’ing hard, let me tell you.  Oh college, I miss you.

Anyway, here are a few things that tickled my fancy this week:

• I want to live inside this food blog.  It’s my new favorite.
• I love these kitchen styling tips.
• This is one DIY that I’d definitely want to try!
• This outfit, head to toe.  This one too.
• I think I’m going to be fast friends with this sunscreen over the summer.

Happy weekend!!  Tonight, Mr. Taylor and I are going to this concert and will be gettin’ our dance/jam on.  Then this weekend, we have ZERO plans.  Woohoo, looking forward to it! x

image via

More snip snaps from my weekend in San Luis Obispo/Paso Robles.  I kinda LOVE this area, by the way.  So green and rustic and clean.  It’s nice to get away from the busyness and craziness of LA every once in awhile.

Plus, I got to spend the weekend with my really good friends from high school.  We may live all over the United States now, but put us together in a room for 5 minutes and everything goes right back to the way it was 7 years ago.  Endless laughing, inside jokes, long discussions, and amazingly good times.  Heart them, heart weddings, and heart the central coast.

I had such an amazing time in San Luis Obispo/Paso Robles with my friends this weekend.  We laughed, instagrammed, danced, and celebrated our friend’s beautiful wedding.  More on that tomorrow, though.

For now, an awesome photo of my hair, which I had thought was tightly secured in a milkmaid braid, but was greatly mistaken after a few gusts of wind decided to uproot it with ease.  You win some, you lose some, ya know?

*shop sosie dress, urban outfitters blazer, h&m belt, cole haan shoes

Photo credit: Ann-Marie Loves Paper

This photo is from last weekend’s fun day with 2 of my best friends (oh heck, I’m most likely instagramming).  One of my favorite days ever.  Besides that awesomely fun day, here are a few other things I’m loving this week:

• Can’t wait to try one of these rhubarb baking recipes
• Ann-Marie’s photoshop tutorial
• Sunday Supper’s roast chicken recipe – will be making it asap.
• THESE FLORAL SHORTS.  What’s the age limit for floral shorts?  Can I still wear them, please??
• Denim on denim.  I need more of that in my life.

Happy weekending!!  I’m roadtripping up to San Luis Obispo for a friend’s wedding this weekend.  So excited to spend time with my friends and explore the area a bit. xo

photo credit: jayadores

As I mentioned in this farro salad recipe, I love me some whole grains.  I especially love them after I’ve eaten a substantial amount of donuts.  Makes me feel better about myself if I balance out crap meals with healthy ones.

I usually cook a pot of whole grains (in this case, quinoa) on the weekends and use it throughout the week in different dishes.  To make quinoa, you combine 1 cup uncooked quinoa with 2 cups water in a medium saucepan and bring to a boil.  Once boiled, turn the heat down and let it simmer, covered, for 15 minutes.

Once it’s ready, I rummage through the fridge and grab any and all veggies I have, make a simple lemon vinaigrette (same one in the farro salad), and mix it all together.  Of course, I always top it off with some feta cheese.

Lemon Vinaigrette
1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
1 clove garlic, minced
3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
Salt and pepper to taste

And here are the veggies I used:
-2 carrots
-1/2 onion
-1 sweet potato
-handful of peas
-handful of grape tomatoes

I sauteed the carrot, onion, and sweet potato in a little olive oil and salt & pepper, just to soften them up a bit.  Then I added in frozen peas at the last minute to thaw.  I mixed these veggies with quinoa (you can use as much or as little as you’d like) and added halved grape tomatoes.  Then I added in my simple lemon vinaigrette with a handful of feta cheese and boom that was my dinner the other night.

1// Best friend Jaymee flew home this weekend to go wedding dress shopping (she’s getting married in Nov!).  Our first stop was Monique Lhuillier.  It was everything we imagined and MORE, let me tell you.

2// Jaymee, Heather, and I after our second stop at Temperley London.

3// A long hike through Temescal Canyon with my love, Mr. Taylor.  Perfect way to celebrate Earth Day.

4// An afternoon break at Le Pain Quotidien for a giant-sized chocolate chip cookie.