I've Been Scandalized

So, I just watched the first two seasons of Scandal in about 5 days... Now, I have to wait until October to get my fix again. Episodic tv in real time?  Oh man!

Are there any TV shows that you binge watch? Thank heavens for Hulu+ and Netflix! What should I watch next?

Little Pleasures: Lazy Weekend

Although summer has just kicked into full gear (hello heatwave), what I'm longing for these days is a weekend where I can just stay home, veg-out, and do absolutely nothing... 

I've been daydreaming about these comfy pajamas that I scored from the Beachmint sample sale. You can find similar ones here. Although these are of the long-sleeved / pants variety (not so great for summer), it's easy enough to split the ensemble into just the top. Or, I can just blast the air conditioning  and pretend that I'm Claudette Colbert in It Happened One Night. Speaking of which, I should watch that movie again... it would be perfect for a lazy weekend! Netflix, here I come! Where's my bowl of popcorn?

Trees and Flowers

When I was young, my family would often take walks around our neighborhood... usually after breakfast on the weekend. In my adolescent years, I always thought it was strange that my parents were so intrigued by the ways that people chose to landscape their front yards. Let me tell you, they can wax poetic about some trees.

As you might have guessed, I am now fascinated by all of the trees and flowers that I see when I take Baby Bee out for walks. "Wowa!" (read, flower) she exclaims, just as soon as I push the stroller past the Egyptian lilies outside our building. Something tells me that she will grow to love trees and flowers as much as I do.

Here are some shots of my favorites around our neighborhood:

They Don't Make 'Em Like That Anymore

We've been spending a lot of time in the San Gabriel Valley lately, and while we were on our way to dinner a couple of weeks ago, I spotted this gas station that looked as if it were straight out of a Norman Rockwell painting. 

I asked Hubby to pull over so that I could take pictures of it. Upon closer inspection, I saw a small sticker in the office window which identified the site as part of the historic Route 66. 

Later on, we saw a charming true-to-period (40s/50s?), still operating coffee shop in San Marino. Our society rarely preserves structures from the past (however recent). It was such a nice surprise to find these gems among today's modern buildings.

Ice Cream Dreams

The sign is enough to make you hungry, right? Welcome to Fosselman's, the premiere ice cream parlor of the SGV. Located in Alhambra, Fosselman's makes all of their ice cream on-site, using only the freshest and highest-quality ingredients.

Take one look at the next photo (That is two scoops? Yeah right!), and tell me you don't want ice cream... STAT! It's been so hot lately, and you deserve a treat. Happy Friday!

Salut to You!

The world of online shopping is virtually boundless. Many companies offer exclusively curated collections tailored to your specific tastes, and some even conjure up limited-quantity "micro collections" at an affordable price point so that you can throw on an ensemble without a second thought. 

While I have shopped the former for a number of years, I have recently ventured to try the latter. Enter, Popbasic. I first learned of this company through some of the blogs that I read, and after looking at their last two collections, I took the plunge with Salut.

They got me with the name. I am a Francophile (France, not James Franco, although he is super cool), and an iconic striped tee with long sleeves makes me feel like the chic chick I've always wanted to be.

To complete the look, they've added a pretty leather clutch in a neutral hue, and a simple gold chain necklace. 

Other than jeans and flats (a classic look), you could style this outfit with a pencil skirt, cigarette pants, denim cut-offs... anything! Your options are boundless.

Abeille Cuisine: Homemade Pizza

What do olive oil, whole wheat dough, fresh herbs, thin slices of prosciutto, and a mountain of grated manchego have in common? Well, they're the makings of a delicious and fast meal.

My love for Trader Joe's is well documented... It offers a wide range of organic produce, meats, cheeses, and other pre-packaged sundries for truly affordable prices. Here's an interesting side-note: they even have a cookbook of recipes featuring TJ's-brand ingredients!

Back to the topic at hand. Baby Bee and I went grocery shopping yesterday, and I wanted to make something simple and tasty for dinner. Years ago, I tried their pizza dough, and I thought that now would be a good time to pick some up again. While they offer plain, herbed, and even garlic dough, I went for whole wheat.

All you have to do is let the dough rise for 20 minutes, and you're in business! Bake at 450 degrees for about 10 minutes, and enjoy the fruits of your labor. 

YUM!