laguna lovin'

Greetings, readers! I spent this past weekend with my mama in Laguna Beach.. needless to say, it was relaxing and beautiful. It was the perfect weekend for strolling by the beach and photography.. probably the last weekend before autumn really hits southern California (but does that really happen? not really!). The ocean is intensely expansive and enormously breathtaking. Spending time with my mom was so amazing as well. Really, Laguna will always be home.

Enjoy photos from my visit from home below!

Bisous.

PS: My deepest apologies for the late posts! I promise to post more often!

[isn't she beautiful?? model, i tell you!]

[mama y hija]

the city that never sleeps!

I had the huge privilege to visit one of my most favorite cities in the world last week.. NYC! Although primarily a business trip, I still did take the time to wander around the cobblestone streets of Soho, trek my way up to Murray Hill from Cooper Square, and hit up some nightlife in Greenwich Village and Noho. Yeah, la Brit was definitely not in LA anymore.

I documented some of my adventures all through my Instagram lens. Yes, I brought my Sony, but never had the chance to wander around with it.. such a bummer! But, no worries, I will be back soon enough for some more NY adventures!

I had an amazing time in New York and it was very bittersweet to be saying goodbye. Yes, I live in LA, but a part of my heart will reside in NYC. Until next time!

xoxo, Brit

[[With the lovely Rachel @ Off The Wagon in Greenwich! Missed her tons.. xoxo]]

[[AOL HQ.. so many bright colors!]]

[[My first NYC pizza at Prince Street Pizza in NoLita. So yum.]]

[[NapQuest at AOL HQ! Slumber time..]]

[[Rachel, the taxi QUEEN]]

[[Obligatory NYC shopping in Soho]]

[[Night out with the lovely Ginny @ Murray Hill!]]

[[Behind the set of HuffPost Live at AOL HQ! Totally awesome experience..]]

[[Washington Square Park.. awesome.]]

[[View of the city from my room at the Standard East Village. Breathtaking!]]

[[Good bye, NYC]]

i miss my goof.

"Under Pressure" by Queen was our theme song this summer. Mike and I would play this over, and over, and over again during car rides until we would get our fair share of Queen.. which really was not possible with us. Going to the beach, driving to Sunday mass, taking me on a date.. it really was incessant for a while. But I was okay with that.. really.

This song played on my Spotify earlier today and it made me miss my goof so much. So much. And it is especially hard knowing he is in Montreal and I have been in NYC for this past week.. we are so close to each other, yet so far! Hey, same time zone, right? I guess that works for now. Until then, I'll keep listening to Queen and reliving the good times we had this summer.

boys with guitars.

Soooooo have I ever mentioned that I LOVE boys with guitars? Well, now you all know, just in case  this bit of information comes up again. And, guess what? Mike plays the guitar.. electric guitar. Yea, I'm one happy girl.

He decided to whip out his electric guitar while visiting his mom in Montreal this weekend. Few of the songs he played came from Greenday, August Burns Red, Sublime.. Yea. I thoroughly enjoyed his guitar playing :)

[[Itty bitty update: Mike is currently at school in Quebec and we are in a long distance relationship for our third year now. He comes for summer/winter breaks and reading weeks to visit me in California. However, April 2013 will mark his official move to sunny California.. yippee!!]]

five ingredient frenzy.

I had an "itch" to cook a random dish tonight using only five ingredients in my kitchen. Yes, only five. I heard from a friend not too long ago that using only five natural ingredients or less in a meal keeps it healthy and fresh. That may be true or not, but I'd like to think that it is. 

So, I used these five ingredients in my meal tonight:

1. one egg
2. one tomato
3. one stalk of green onion
4. one cup of rice
5. one slice of ham

I batched them together and VOILA! I had a yummy meal.

A glass of pinot grigio while cooking is always lovely.

The end result! I dub it "Rainbow Chaufa" named after the peruvian dish "Arroz Chaufa." However, this dish has plenty more colors than the peruvian style.

My cooking buddy, Chloe! She is begging or looking cute, or both.

Always flopping around down there!

The delicious salad that accompanied my delicious meal!

Happy chowing, readers!

the 11th day of the month.

Yesterday was the 11th day of the month. The 11th day of September.

I remember that day 11 years ago like time never passed. My mom was driving my sister and I to my first day of 6th grade and we were listening to the morning news on the radio. All of the sudden we heard breaking news and my mom's phone began ringing off the hook. "Breaking news!! The towers are falling!! Oh my God!!" I had no idea what that could mean, especially as an 11 year old. I only knew that we were being attacked, and that was not a good thing.

I learned of the event during school that day. It touched all of our hearts, even from the other side of the country. We said prayers for the police officers, firefighters, those who lost their lives, and their loved ones. Looking back, I remember that day perfectly. And I will not forget it.

I found the perfect quote explaining who we are as a country and how far we have come since conception. Proudly stated by British Prime Minister Tony Blair: 

"America has its faults as a society, as we have ours. 

But I think of the Union of America born out of the defeat of slavery.

I think of its Constitution, with its inalienable rights granted to every citizen still a model for the world.

I think of a black man, born into poverty, who became chief of their armed forced and is now secretary of state Colin Powell and I wonder frankly whether such a thing could have happened here.

I think of the Statue of Liberty and how many refugees, migrants, and the impoverished passed its light and felt that if not for them, for their children, a new world could indeed be theirs.

I think of a country where people who do well, don't have questions asked about their accent, their class, their beginnings but have admiration for what they have done and the success they've achieved.

I think of those New Yorkers I met, still in shock, but resolute; the fire fighters and police, mourning their comrades but still head held high."

This is us; we are America. We are strong, we stick together, and we don't give up on each other and on any task. Let us not forget who we are as a country. And let us not forget how far we have come since 1776.

lazy [[foodie]] weekends

'Twas a lovely weekend, indeed! My best friend Alysha came and visited me this past weekend and I saw my family for an impromptu dinner on Friday. It is always a treat to see my family in LA and I was so excited to see Alysha after 2-weeks of separation! In both cases, my weekend was filled with food, nourriture, and more comida.. all of which bursting out of my ears by Sunday night.

My family and I ate at C&O Cucina in Venice on Friday night. Oh my goodness, it was delicious. I ordered the Insalata Gorgonzola with chicken since I was feeling a bit full from lunch, but the Carbonara and fettuccine alfredo were to die for as well. And, most importantly, their world famous "Killer Garlic Rolls" are bomb.com. We enjoyed chowing down on those puppies while sipping on homemade sangria. Note, they serve a lot of food, so make sure you have a big appetite before deciding to get your chow on!

Alysha and I had a LA retreat this weekend. I'm a little bummed I didn't take many photos this weekend (especially with my resurrected Sony).. however, I did snap a couple of Instagram photos of some yummy food (and wrote up some recipes of said food!). Take a look!

Our meal on Saturday night, which I am dubbing the name "pork chopped pasta." Recipe below!

1. Cook inch-long pork slices on the pan until golden brown.
2. Toss square-sized tomatoes on the frying pan until warm, soft, and golden-seared on the skin.
3. Boil the pasta until taste and feel is reached. I personally like my pasta al-dente, but it really can be prepared "al-gusto." I also like to add a spoon of olive oil and a spick of salt while the pasta is cooking.
4. Mix all ingredients together and add grated mozzarella cheese, black pepper, and sea salt to the mix.

This pasta tastes amazing with a chilled glass of pinot grigio and a couple of good episodes of Friends. Bon appetit! 

We (Alysha and Michael, one of Alysha's best friends whom I finally met!) had Sunday brunch at Blue Jam Cafe. Let me just say, they serve SO much food, and their eggs are to die for. I ordered the Burgundy Omelette with whole wheat toast and their organic soy cappuccino. The other two ordered mimosas, of which I opted out of due to the previous night of much wine and many movies. Tasty food with awesome people makes for one delightful Sunday morning.

After brunch, Alysha and I took a Sunday stroll around Melrose, specifically stretching from Fairfax to Martel. She bought cute lip-red strappy flats (similar to the ones in the link, but leather.. they can be found in the Urban Outfitters store on Melrose in the sales section) from Urban Outfitters and I bought vintage brown leather booties from American Vintage. It was lovely, but very hot and humid outside, so we decided to blast the AC home and call it a day.

Oh, how I love lazy, lovely weekends with friends and family!

"if you're going... to san... fran... ciscoooo"

so, this past may, i went to san francisco with my family for my graduation present. about 30 degrees cooler than los angeles, we bundled up, strapped on our boots, and explored the city. first stop was gloria ferrer winery in sonoma where were sipped on sparkling wine for a couple of hours. the next two days were spent in the city... we even witnessed the 75th anniversary fireworks of the golden gate bridge! man, i love this city...

"if you're going... to san... fran... ciscoooo"... yea, we sang that quite a few times. charming city... i hope you enjoy the photos as much as we enjoyed the trip!