Trader Joe’s Tuesday

If you’re new, this a series I started last week where I’m going to post a new Trader Joe’s product every Tuesday. If you like TJ’s a product, and want to guest post, PLEASE, by all means, email me!

So, I’ve been Gluten Free for about 2.5 years now, and TJ’s actually has a number of gluten free products I buy on the regular, mainly because they carry Rudi’s bread. I get all my hamburger buns, hot dog buns, regular sliced bread, and bagels from TJ’s. They don’t keep it frozen, but if you’re gluten free, you know is rare in most grocery stores. To me, this rocks.

Another gluten free product I get from TJ’s is their gluten free granola. It’s not a traditional granola, like it doesn’t have oats in it, but it’s close enough and super tasty.

It’s more like a cereal with nuts and dried fruit… and I know calling something out as gluten free can turn a lot of people away from a product because they don’t think it will taste as good as the ‘real thing’ with gluten, but that is just not the case with this.

My new favorite thing to make with this granola is to mix it with fat free cottage cheese, also from TJ’s, obvi, and fresh cut strawberries… I also add a dash of cinnamon and ginger, because I’ll take any excuse I can to add cinnamon and ginger to ANYTHING.

Five for Friday

Previous Fridays

1 - Good-bye kisses in the morning, before work.

2 - You took me to see Chevelle at the Hard Rock Las Vegas because you knew how much I love them, even though you'd never really heard any of their songs.


3 – You always hold my hand when we’re walking around.

4 – You tell me you want to hang out under my desk at work instead of going to your office.

5 – You want me to start my Etsy shop so we can retire ;-)

Trader Joe's Tuesdays

Okay, yeah I know, I've been gone for almost a year. I needed a break, apparently a long break, but a break. I've been looking for a reason to get back into blogging and yesterday two on my lovely Weddingbee friends, suggested someone do a blog post with Trader Joe's recommendations. Since, Hubs and I do most our grocery shopping at TJ's (and the other TJ shopping buddy only has a Tmblr account) I volunteered in hopes of kicking my butt back into blogging.

Anyway, the point of this is to say that I'm back and I have a new post series I'm going to call "Trader Joe's Tuesdays", where I'll post about a item at Trader Joe's we like, or another TJ's shopper will guest post.

I figured for the first post I'd go with an obvious choice - Two Buck Chuck aka Charles Shaw Wine. You guys, this wine has been $2 since I was in high school! Seriously, the first time I remember someone talking about Two Buck Chuck was out our family friend Super Bowl XXIX party in 1995! And, I'm sure it was around before then. What can you buy now that you could buy for the same price in 1995?

Now, I'm not going to sit here and tell you this is the best wine you've ever had... but, I will say it's probably the best wine you've ever had for $2. AND, the Syrah is pretty good.

Also, you can get a case for $24. One time Hubs and I bought a case of Sauvignon Blanc and the handle on the box broke when we pulled it out of the car. We lost 4 bottles of wine, it was sad, but we still had 8 bottles of wine for $24! That's still $3 a bottle people!

The moral of this story is: If you're a Trader Joe's newbie, know this: Buy some Two Buck Chuck, it's great weekday wine.

Have you ever tried Two Buck Chuck? Do you think it's worth the $2?

Are you interested in guest posting on this series? If so, please contact me with your item.

Pictures (1) (2)

Five for Friday

It's back :)
Previous Fridays


1 - You tried to surprise me with flowers from Trader Joe's, but I found you in TJ's and ruined the surprise.

2 - You gave me kisses for my stomach when it was upset on Wednesday.
3 - You're planning a Birthday/Graduation party for me and get upset when I try to help.
4 - You talked me into working out with you last night and I was so glad we went.
5 - You bought us chicken breasts to cook so we have extra protein in the fridge to throw in salads and stir fry.

Tumblr 366

While I haven’t been blogging here since January I have been posting somewhere else, Tumblr. My goal is to post a photo everyday of 2012… and hopefully continue to 2013 etc.


I don’t have a fancy camera (as I’m sure you’ve noticed) and all the pictures are taken with my phone, because I can upload them to the site with my handy dandy Tumblr App. It’s just fun to look back on all the pictures and remember what I was going then.

With this, I also joined a project called #Click366, started by Kira at Her New Leaf. This site compiles the photo a day Tumblrs of a bunch of us on one site.


I’m new to Tumblr this year and I’m already SO VERY addicted and I’ve found a few great ones to follow. My current favorite is Mean Girls of Panem, it combines stills from The Hunger Games movie with quotes from Mean Girls… basically 2 of my favorite things.

Do you have a Tumblr? or a favorite one you follow? Please share it in the comments.

New Bedroom

Soooo, we’re moving, but no we did not buy a house. So many factors went into this decision it’s hard to explain them all, but it just seemed like God was telling us not to buy now. It was just too stressful and difficult. The moment we decided to rent a newer, larger, and nicer apartment, that is closer to work, we both felt happier and so very relieved.

Also, I’ve been trying to decide whether to continue with this blog or switch everything over to my design portfolio website and blog about interior design over there. For now, I’m going to blog in both places… well just the interior design stuff over there, and I may eventually make the transition.

Back to the bedroom… we’re moving to an new apartment, with a LOT more space and a guest room. The guest room means we’ll be able to use our room as just a bedroom and not a bedroom/office/treadmill storage/catch-all. We’re pretty excited.

This weekend we ended up at the mall (a lot) and part of that was spent at Z Gallerie. J (Hubs) and I have a bit of a difference of opinion on how we want our bedroom to look. I love bright colors and pattern and he didn’t want colors. (I’m going to re-do the guestroom while he’s out of town, shhhhhh).

Z Gallerie Mimosa Reversible Bedding – Aquamarine & Geo Bedding - Sunset Orange

J was dead set on getting this zebra print bedding for about 3/4s of the store and then he wanted this shiny bedding for about 10 mins. Did I marry Austin Powers?

Z Gallerie Zebra Bedding - Grey & Sophia Bedding – Charcoal

You guys that is the color of that bedding, it hasn’t been converted to grey scale or anything! I PROMISE! This trip to the mall reminded me how we ended up with the super boring Target bedding we’ve had for the past 3 years. (Not that there is anything wrong with Target bedding). I was not going to get stuck with this bedding in our new apartment, I knew J was thinking the same thing, so today at work I looked around and came up with this lovely combo of bedding. (I think I need Photoshop, you guys).
Z Gallerie Geo Bedding – Grey & Zambia Throw – Aubergine, West Elm Tall Grid Tufted Headboard – Heather Grey, Organic Cotton Pintuck Shams – Light Amethyst, & Organic Seersucker Sham – True Grey

Check it out – compromise. I got my pattern and color, he got is grey and animal dealy. I kid you not when I tell you HE is my hardest design client. Well him and my mom.

A special thanks to by Twitter friends for helping me pick out the headboard.

Five for Friday

Previous Fridays

1 - You're snuggle-able.

2 - You were my midnight kiss to ring in the New Year.

3 - You were going to stop and get me a Hadley's date shake even though you can't have one.

4 - You drive me home from work when I'm tired.

5 - You bought us new light bulbs for all our burnt out lights.

Five for Friday

Previous Fridays

1 - You went to the store last night to get sugar when I realized we were all out and I couldn't make the Pecan Pie.

2 - You've cleaned up our dinner dishes every night this week.

3 - You bought regular Bisquick so you didn't use up all my gluten free Bisquick.

4 - You're warm when the bed it cold.

5 - You tell me my hair smells like cheese bread ;-P

WEverb11 - Travel

prompt contributed by ME :)

You’d think if I contributed a prompt about travel I would have done it to brag about some awesome trip we went on this year. No. We take a couple of little trips, but nothing I’d consider “travel”.

We started off 2011 in Palm Springs, ringing in the New Year with our friends Tif & Jer and Felicia & Joe. A few short weeks later my sister & I drove out to Las Vegas for my SIL’s bachelorette party. Jen (my sister) and I stayed in the Bellagio for the first time, danced the night away at the Marquee in the Cosmopolitan, hung out in a lounge at the Comso and watched 2 guys attempt to play pool, took pole dancing lessons, dance another night away at Palms while DJ Jazzy Jeff spun, drank and ate tasty food… all while I was I getting over a NASTY cold.


In February, Hubs and I went to Petaluma, CA, to attended the wedding for the aforementioned bachelorette, his sister Linda to her new husband, Mark.

In May, I went back on the road with my sister, Jen, to Solvang, Los Olivos, Berkeley, and San Francisco. We visited our favorite winery, Brander,went olive oil tasting, met up with some Bees, and road the trolley.



A month later in June, Hubs and I headed back out to Las Vegas to stay at the newly renovated Tropicana Hotel. We spent a lot of time on the pool and ventured away from the Tropicana twice, once for a trip to the MGM Buffet and the other for drinks in The Chandelier at the Cosmopolitan. After spending two nights in Las Vegas we drove to St George, UT for a quick visit with Hubs’ mom & stepdad.

Hubs and I went back to Palm Desert in August to celebrate our anniversary and my walking for Graduation. Hubs booked us a room at the Saved By The Bell Marriott, aka JW Marriott Desert Springs Resort and Spa. Since our good friends Tif & Jer live in Palm Springs, we go out there a lot. This time we tried to make it more touristy by staying in a hotel and visiting the dinos on our way home.

At the end of August is we went back up North for Hubs’ grandmother’s 90th birthday and we’ve I’ve been home ever since. Hubs, on the other hand, was all over the US on business trips until mid November. I know it looks like we’ve done a lot of traveling, and we’re lucky in that we can go on a lot of little mini vacations, but our plan for 2012 is to take a big vacation somewhere we’ve not been before. I’m hoping for something tropical.

WEverb11 – Befriend & Favor

prompts contributed by Jen with livingabrigherlife.

It’s taken me a couple days to address the prompt because I couldn’t think of any new friends I made… or remember if any new friends I have made we made in 2011 or 2010. I’ve become better friends with a handful of people and that has been great! Those friends impacted me 2011 by making me feel special, smart and loved :)


July – A lot happened this July. I finished the hardest semester of school ever, walked for graduation, went to my good friend, Tiffany’s, bachelorette party and was a bridesmaid in her wedding and turned 31.
I’m not usually one to chose my birth month as my favorite month, but July was a good month filled with celebrations, accomplishments and friends.

WEverb11 - Haiku

prompt contributed by Tara at TwoWishes

I haven’t written a haiku in years. I would say since high school or even junior high, but about 5 yrs ago when I was my church’s youth group leader we did a scavenger hunt (of sorts) and the “youth” had to write a haiku at one of the stops. They were about a fountain and they were pretty awesome.

12/5 Edit
I’m sitting here laughing at myself because it’s been brought to my attention that my haiku is reverse. Would you believe me if I told you I did it on purpose? Me either.

Don’t worry Kira, I don’t think you’re a jerk AT ALL! Thank you for telling me, I would have gone around the rest of my life writing haikus incorrectly. Honestly, I probably won’t write another haiku for several years and would probably Google it again (or whatever we’ll be doing in several years to look stuff up).

So here’s my second attempt…

  
Haikus are hard y’all!

WEverb11 - Learn

prompt contributed by Julie Jordan Scott with fivepassions.

To let go. The obvious reason, letting go of that house we thought we be moving into this weekend, but the less obvious reason is more personal… too personal for this blog, but I’m learning to let go of control over things. I like having control. I’m learning to let go.

WEverb11 - Listen

This prompt was contributed by Bella of Bella on the Beach

I’ve posted about this song briefly before, it’s the first song I thought of when I read this prompt and when I went to find the video on YouTube.com to add it here, I played it for myself and couldn’t stop from smiling and singing along. I love it!

When “My Body” come on the radio in the car, I turn it up loud and sing at the top of my lungs… I may even dance around a bit and play the drums, that has probably happened. I’ve heard the song is about drug addiction, and I can totally see that, heck that probably is what it’s about now that I pay more attention to the body of the song and not just the chorus. Anyway, to me this song is about pushing myself outside my comfort zone and fears.

I really don't know how I could listen to more music in 2012 since I surround myself with music all day long. I listen in the car, in the office and often at home. I would like to attend at least one concert in 2012, I think I'll make that my music goal.

Five for Friday

Previous Fridays

1 - You claim to not be a morning person but you're always extra cheery and funny in the morning.

2 - We bought a 5 lb bag of Italian sausage.


3 - When I Tweeted about the sausage you asked me all night (and this morning) if anyone had commented on it.

4 - You danced with me to "I Wear My Sunglasses At Night" in your car last night.



5 - You're taking me to Iva Lee's for a celebratory dinner, tonight.

WEverb11 - One Word.

Yes, I’m starting something else before even remotely finishing the Interior Design Bingo I started. Why? We had to back out of our house and a couple of the posts I had lined up (in my head) were “that house” related. I’m sorry, I just couldn’t do it yet. However, I have now officially completed interior design school, so that won’t also occupy my blogging energy, AND I’m almost over not getting “that house”… meaning, I will be finishing up the bingo in December… either here or on my portfolio website. I did pay more than I like to for a blog to have my own url and fancy Squarespace account, so I should use it, right?

Moving on, WEverb11. Remember Reverb10? Yeah, it’s like that, only different. You can read about it here and sign-up here.

Last year my word was proud, not a bad word for a year and it’s wouldn’t be a bad word for 2011, either. I finished my senior thesis project, the hardest quarter or my college career (so far?), I walked for graduation, and then finished all my interior design classes. If it wasn’t for those 2 pesky general ed courses left to take, I could say I've officially graduated college. Seriously, there were times in my life I never thought I’d say that. I could be cheeky and make my word two words – “suck it” ;-) Suck it to all the people that talked cwrap about me when I dropped out of college the first time, suck it to my ex-boyfriend who didn’t think I’d say in interior design school, basically suck it to anyone who didn’t think I could do this… hack, suck it to the lady would made it virtually impossible for us to purchase they house we thought was our dream first house, forcing us to back out of our contract and continue our search. But, if any of you really know me, I’m not really a “suck it” encapsulating my entire year kinda girl. I try to find the positive spin on most all the I come across.

The word I’ve chosen to encapsulate the 2011, for me, is change.

Don’t worry, it’s not because I’m changing into someone who’s not positive! It’s because this year has bought on a lot of changes and those changes are going to lead to other changes in 2012. #1 Hubs got a new job with a nice pay bump, which opened up our house budget and THAT opened us up to live in a city we hadn’t even considered before and now can’t even imagine not living there. and #2 Guys, I don’t know if you heard, but I’ve got a BA in interior design now. Yep. I love my job, but now I can start exploring new jobs or doing residential design work on the side.

Are you participating in WEverb11? What is your word?

Five for Friday

Previous Fridays

1 - You won't go get food trucks for lunch without me.

2 - You went to Fred's with me last night to get tasty Mexican food.

3 - You like when I the subjects of our daily email treads are words spelled in creative ways. (Example: FryDay)

4 - You got two songs suck in my head this morning.

5 - You have very little knowledge of Pop Culture and you get really excited when you know something.

Interior Design Bingo – Door, An Item Repurposed, Up Lighting, and Scale

I came across this door today, linked through Twitter to House of Turquoise. This door is gorgeous and unlike anything I’ve seen before. If I could change my front door (and this would match our house) I’d be calling a contractor right now.

I love clever items, I think I’d told you this before. This is a light fixture found at The Dry Bar in Fashion Island, although I’m pretty sure they have at least one of these in all their salons. I think it would be super cute in a teenage girl’s bathroom or above a vanity.



The infamous up lighting. This square on the Bingo board has been the most difficult to address. Heck, I tried to find pictures online to define it and had little luck. You can imagine how excited I was to see these lights flanking the elevator at my Dr’s office today. Hideous 90’s mauve tile be damned, I was posting these lights!

These lights at the JW Marriott Desert Springs Resort & Spa (aka the hotel Jessie, from Saved by the Bell’s, Dad was married) are one of my favorite examples of scale. This space is HUGE and those lights are equally huge. This may sound silly but when I first walked into this space and saw those lights I froze. See, I love ceiling and lighting design and I loved this solution. There was no drop down ceiling or hanging ceiling clouds, they kept the open and grand feel of the space. I just love it.

Have you checked out the posts by the other participants?

Five for Friday

Previous Fridays

1 - You're kicking butt on your business trip this week, even though you had to go alone.

2 - You managed to find a Chinese buffet in Georgia. It's funny you ate Chinese food the same night I made myself Mexican food.

3 - You're already planning on where we'll eat when I pick you up from the airport on Sunday.

4 - You make me laugh, even from the other side of the country.

5 - You look hot in a sweater ;-)

Interior Design Bingo – Outdoor Seating, Art & a Bathroom

I’m so behind on my own challenge, it’s pretty embarrassing. My excuse is I’ve been under the weather most the week and really didn’t have the energy to write blogs posts… along with the 10 page paper I had due on Wednesday. The good news? A) I’m feeling better, I was able to eat solid food yesterday, TMI? B) The class with the paper met for the LAST TIME on Wednesday! I just have to finish my internship hours and I can check that class off the list! YAY! Okay, on to the Bingo…

Outdoor Seating


On our way up to LA on Saturday, to celebrate the beautiful Kinzie Says' birthday, Hubs and I stopped in Long Beach where there is a block or 2 of retro and antique stores. We found SO MANY things we need want need for the new house. (P.S. I should probably stop talking about this house because I kinda jinxed it posting about it last week). We were talking around the last antique shop when I spotted this outdoor cafe set. It’s way girlier than most things I’m drawn to, but there are daisies all over it (as you can see) and I am a bit obsessed with daisies. Since we have absolutely no where to put it right now, I just took a picture and freaked the guy in the background out.

Art

At the same antique stop I spotted this birdie print at the cash register while they were ringing up Hubs’ finds. (We found some awesome barware!) I convinced myself I needed it and planned the whole guest room around it, I checked the price and realized it was $600. I don’t really have $600 to spend on bird are right now when we’re trying to buy a house. The saddest part is I can’t read the artist’s signature. Do you have any idea who did this?

Bathroom

I chose this bathroom because it’s so different than anything I would think to design, but it’s so clever… and I LOVE clever design. Using the basket to hold towels? I LOVE IT! I love finding things like this, they totally inspire me to think outside the box or outside my comfort level.

Have you checked out the posts by the other participants?

Five for Friday

Previous Fridays

1 – You were so extremely excited when we got trick-or-treaters. Even if there were only 3 of them and they came at the same time, you were so happy.

2 – Our jack-o-lanterns.


3 – You give the best hugs.

4 – You tell me when the scary scenes of American Horror Story are over so I can lower my pillow. That thing in the basement freaks me out!

5 – You’re on board with painting our cabinets aqua.