Noted on a Friday

We're mostly taking it easy this weekend. I'm feeling very pregnant, and keep wondering if I'm going in to labor (regular Braxton-Hicks and some light cramping at night) so we'll be keeping it very low-key. We are having dinner with Flavio's dad tomorrow night (who we haven't seen in forever), and I'm getting a pedicure on Sunday, as I can no longer reach my toes. Should be delightful. Hope you have a good one! xo

{branch manager}

{Newborn Care class -- very proud of my swaddled baby}

{Practicing at home. Flavio is the better swaddler.} 

{Flavio making fun of me for double-fisting samples at Trader Joe's}

Noted on a Friday

{winter in San Diego}

Somehow, this has been the busiest week and I'm not even working. There was a huge amount of running around, a long visit with an out-of-town friend and her sweet baby yesterday, trips to Ikea, two doctor's appointments.. I thought I'd be bored not working but turns out, I'm loving it so far and the days just fly by. People keep telling me to stay active in these last few weeks of pregnancy and live it up without the responsibility of a baby, so I'm maintaining a concerted effort to make plans with girlfriends, go on dates with Flav (we're off to see American Sniper tonight), take lots of walks, and overall, fight my natural tendency to stay in and nest. Should be a good weekend. Enjoy! xo

{giant owl spotted at the dog park}

{I'm really in to pears right now, and seeing them on my windowsill makes me happy}

{my favorite barista at our neighborhood coffee shop makes me her Preggo Special - extra milky coffee in a teeny shot cup}

{these two are in love and they love watching Friends reruns together}

Noted on a Friday

This past week was an effort to bid this long, hot summer farewell. We barbecued, enjoyed cold drinks at our local bar (ginger beer for me), hung at the dog park, went on long walks in the warm evenings, and generally spent our after-work time outside. San Diego even had its own mini-hurricane this week (at least that's what I'm calling it) and I'm just waiting for the autumnal weather to come rolling in... The first day of fall is this Tuesday. Fingers crossed!

Some little things making me happy lately...

Though it was nearly 100 degrees this week, these leaves are telling me my season is right around the corner.

Can't stop staring at this photo of Baby C. at 12 weeks. Life is such a miracle.

Guiri and her boyfriend Bowie had their first sleepover at our place. Love bugs.

The tastiest deep-fried catfish at Phuong Trang with Jan and Gary.

Monday Night Football at Sycamore Den.

Minding our own business at the dog park when rain and 70 mph winds flashed through. Wild.

Noted on a Friday

{Guiri volunteering to taste our anniversary cake}

So a quick update. I have been sick as a dog off and on for the last couple weeks -- we even had to cancel our anniversary camping trip to Lake Arrowhead :( -- but I am finally feeling better, thank god. Flavio's been coming home from work early, bringing me saltines and gingerale, walking Guiri, rubbing my back, and reading me stories in bed. What would I have done without such a sweet nurse to take care of me? Surely I would've died. Thank you, Flavio; I love you.

For obvious reasons, I haven't taken many pics, and am too lazy to upload the few I do have. Some things to note on this Friday, though..

Boyhood. Have you seen it? I can't stop thinking about it. It's truly unlike any other film. Loved.

Humans of New York has become my all-time favorite blog. A photographer shoots people on the street and captions the beautiful photos with quotes from the subjects. Some are sweet, some strange, some are just heartbreakingly beautiful. I love the bigger message behind this blog: we're all in this crazy human struggle together.

Weirdly, the only thing my sick stomach has wanted lately is beef. More specifically, hamburgers from Five Guys in Hillcrest. I've had one per week for the last two weeks and I officially declare: I like them more than In N Out. Yep, that good. Apparently, Obama is also a fan.

My brother is moving back to Cali, just 2 short hours from us. Yay!

While holed up on the couch, I've been watching a lot of Kitchen Nightmares. Gordon Ramsey is sort of sexy, no?

What are you up to this weekend? I am hoping to bake this ricotta cake and we're meeting some friends for dinner tomorrow night. Feels good to be back in the land of the living. Enjoy. xo

Noted on a Friday

Welp, this shirt pretty much sums it up. I have been slammed at work and we've had some fun after-work commitments, and I haven't been feeling that well, so I am looking forward to indulging in some much-needed downtime in the next couple days. We are co-hosting a garage sale tomorrow morning at our place, and then I'm looking forward to reading, watching movies, and a nap, or three. Happy summer solstice! xo

A few things that made my week...

This guy. Love him.

A "Welcome Summer!" bonfire with friends, s'mores, and music at Fiesta Island.

Chilling with my lady and some 'Say Yes to the Dress'

World Cup shopping, Flavio representing. Vamos Mexico!

Around Here

Hello there! It was a relaxing, fun week in this fair city. It really feels like summer around these parts, and it's delightful. My brother and nephew came for a visit last weekend, so we hit up some good eats, and Flavio took the first part of last week off to hang with me. Staycation bliss. This past weekend treated us well - dinner with Jan and Gary, a little shopping, and lots of time outside in this gorgeous weather. I am back to work today, but figured I'd pop in with some lunchtime procrastination.

Lately I've been:

Researching a possible anniversary camping trip for July. Beach or mountains?

Waiting for a good movie to come out, and excited to see this one in September.

Reading Operating Instructions and cracking up. Thank god I'm not the only one who catastrophizes everything.

Taking less pictures. Sometimes I just want to be in the moment.

Feeling nervous about the next 7 weeks. Summer school is always good, but so.much.work.

Feeling excited that might parents might be moving closer to us. At least temporarily.

Listening to bits of Passenger's new album. A lot. Buying it tomorrow.

Hoping I can come up with some actual blog posts that might be useful or informative to others. I'm in a blogging slump. It's just so sunny out, I don't want to be on my computer. We shall see.

Waiting to go home at 4PM to play with my little lady. See her sweet new summer 'do below.

Happy week. xo

Before and after.

We've been into playing cards and board games in the evenings. Feels like summer camp.

I interviewed my mother in law about her dad, professional soccer player Rodolfo Torres. Facinating. Blurry photo, but isn't Flavio his clone?

We celebrated National Doughnut Day last week with an early early morning date.

Noted on a Friday

Well, I did it. The Spring semester is over. Woot! I had really great students this time around, and the end is always bittersweet, but I am looking forward to a little time off before the summer session starts. It wasn't a terribly busy work week, so I'm not sure where all my time went... Actually, that's a lie. I've been busy working my way through three seasons of Call the Midwife (so sad it's over!);  we drank and jacuzzi'd and brunched with friends for Memorial Day weekend; Guiri and I have spent hours in the sunshine; and we've been hitting up some new restaurants (Circa, meh; Brooklyn Girl, delightful; Queenstown Public House, love!). Other than that, looking forward to ringing in June (OMG) with a visit from my brother and nephew tonight and having the next 10 days off. I hope you have a great weekend. xo

A few random fun moments from this week...

Sunday morning football at the park.

Park followed by a new ritual: heavenly croissants and good, caffeinated coffee at Cafe Madeleine.

Channeling our Mexico trip with this sweet papaya.

Guiri waits for dad every evening.

The best dinner: a cheese platter made from whatever you have in the house.

Noted on a Friday

This was a let's-just-get-through-it kinda week. The end of the semester is always my busiest time (grading and meetings and more grading) and Flavio has been slammed, so I couldn't be happier about the three-day weekend ahead. My plans are having no plans at all and I can't wait to disconnect, relax, and see what fun pops up in the next few days. Happy (looong) weekend. xo

A few little things that made my week...

Celebrating my half-birthday last Sunday with half a leftover, defrosted cake - delicious.

Cake accompanied by this classic. "I got worms."

An after-work walk past our neighborhood's heavenly wall o'jasmine. Smells like summer.

I'm excited about the burgeoning blackberries in a neighbor's yard.

Dog-friendly dining at Carnitas' Snack Shack. Guiri recommends the pork belly.

Windblown

The Santa Ana winds have blown in and there's an electricity in the air. I am at my desk with a stack of work to do, but wish I was home listening to the wind blow outside, feeding Guiri ice cubes. While I am over this triple-digit heat and the surrounding brush fires, the Santa Anas are sort of beautiful in their own way.. they make your hair stand on end, and dry up everything in their path. Anyway, it wouldn't be Southern California without them. Declaration: Flav is off tomorrow and I decided I am taking Thursday afternoon off!!! Dog beach or bust.

Update at 2:00 PM - I have been holed up in an office all day and just learned So Cal is on fire. Shit. The above post feels insensitive. Stay safe, San Diego.

 {citrus infused water}

Noted on a Friday

I'm so happy it's Friday! For some reason it felt like Thursday every day this week, which made Monday through Wednesday particularly grueling. What are you up to this weekend? We're going on a date tonight, I'm meeting up with some girlfriends for a drink, and we'll be treating my mother-in-law to Mother's Day brunch, but other than that, just chilling out. I'm realizing the perfect weekend for me means having a few concrete plans nailed down, alongside time reserved for doing absolutely nothing (i.e., camping out in front of the TV, baking, etc.). Ahh, balance. I have a good feeling about this weekend and hope you have a great one. xo

Some fun from this past week...

A trip to Donut Bar to try their famed strawberry split. Verdict: my strawberry shortcake is better. ;)

Celebrating my mom's birthday and early Mother's Day with her favorite coconut and key lime cake.

A Padres game with my padres - great seats and even better company.

Coming home to this smiling face always makes me happy.

Lucky to live in this gorgeous city.

Noted on a Friday

Happy May! This week was just... weird. My brother was hit nearly head-on by a drunk driver and miraculously, he is fine (thank god!). This 90-degree heat was making me feel ill and I projectile vomited all over my car while driving on the freeway (awful!). Lastly, my non-smart (dumb?) phone finally bit the dust. After years of resistance, an iPhone is in my future. In better news, my parents are coming to visit today (yay!) and a Padres game, new restaurants, and cooler temperatures are on all the itinerary. Have a great weekend. xo

Some fun moments from the last couple weeks...

Summerlike afternoons with this beauty.

Mimosas at Easter brunch.

Mystery date: Thai cooking class at Hipcooks. So much fun!

Baking funfetti cupcakes on a Sunday afternoon.

Mid-week sushi date when it was too hot to turn on the oven.

Drinks on draught at Toronado.

Noted on a Friday

After spending the week scrambling to get everything squared away before Spring Break, it's finally here. Papers are graded, lessons are planned, and we are Mexico-bound Monday. (!!!) I celebrated with a revitalizing yoga sesh this afternoon and there is bubbly waiting to be popped tonight.  Just some laundering, packing, cleaning, and three sleeps left before we're livin' la vida loca. I can't wait to snorkel, margarita, and explore with my favorite person. I hope everyone has a great week, and I look forward to sharing some photographs when we get back. xo

This week wasn't all work. Here's some of the play...

A Monday Happy Hour at Sycamore Den.

Tuesday night done right. Perfect for a near 90 degree day.

Spontaneous fun: Wednesday dinner and drinks at my favorite Mexican spot, Cantina Mayahuel. Best margs in SD, period.

Coming home to this sock-stealing sweetheart.