• Blue and white

    linen tunic white jeans

    Is it weird that I packed jeans and a tunic with sleeves for a vacation in Hawaii? I know most people would probably just throw a bunch of shorts, tank tops, sundresses and flip flops in a bag, but I love wearing white jeans in the summer. And, as you can probably tell by the […]

  • Chocolate coconut cake

    Since Melissa was visiting California for her birthday, I HAD to figure out the perfect birthday cake to make for her. Right? I considered the to-die-for coconut rainbow sprinkles cake that I made for my own birthday last year, but thought I should try something a little different. And since I know Melissa loves chocolate […]

  • Very merry unbirthday tea party

    My good friend Melissa came to visit last month, and after the awesome experience we had last year at afternoon tea, we wanted to try a new place.   We went to Shakespeare’s Corner Shoppe, which was lovely and very good (I especially loved the Welsh rarebit and the meringues with raspberry), but our service […]

  • July 4th, island style

    Aloha, y’all! I’ve been on vacation for about two weeks now — first at home, hanging with my friend who came to visit, and then in Maui — and while I didn’t really mean to take a two-week blogging break, it just kind of happened. Sorry about that! The good news is that I’ve been […]

  • Triple berry cinnamon swirl bread

    Lesson learned: Always trust Joy the Baker. When Joy posted a baking bootcamp challenge a few weeks ago, I was super excited to attempt the baking part, but also concerned that I wouldn’t like the result. You know I am a big weirdo with all sorts of strange food issues, and one of those issues is […]

  • Camp Pendleton Mud Run

    I was super bummed when my eye doctor told me I shouldn’t do the Camp Pendleton Mud Run with Toby and my dad, as planned, but I was still able to go and take photos. It turns out it was probably a good idea for me not to do it, because it was quite a […]

  • Orange-glazed chicken stir fry

    Because of my pickiness, my weirdness and my shellfish allergy, I didn’t really eat Chinese food growing up. But my mom LOVES Chinese food, and once I learned how to order something that won’t kill me, I realized I actually do like things like General Tso’s chicken and fried rice. You know, the healthy stuff. […]

  • An open letter to jeans manufacturers

    Dear jeans manufacturers: Y’all, I love jeans. I have dozens of pairs – from deepest indigo to perfectly distressed cornflower, straight leg to boyfriend cut – and I wear them constantly. I hate how my hands, legs and even shoes turn blue after wearing the darkest pairs, and I could do without this trend of […]

  • Karlie Kloss + Warby Parker

    I’ve always been kind of terrible about remembering to bring and wear sunglasses, but since moving to sunny California, I’ve been making a conscious effort to wear them more often — especially when driving and at the beach. I have several pairs already, of course, but I’m always on the lookout for a new pair. […]

  • Strawberry coconut milk ice cream

    Though mint chocolate chip ice cream and coconut gelato tend to be my favorite frozen treats, sometimes only strawberry ice cream (or a strawberry milkshakes) will do. This is particularly true of homemade ice cream, which is definitely better (and easier) in certain flavors — like peach and strawberry. But as obsessed as I am with all […]