warmth

it has been so cold lately! like a lot colder than usual. also, it hasn't been easy dealing with the cold (i don't know how those of you who deal with this kind of cold every year do it!? i'm a born & raised california girl!) i needed to buy a new coat this year & was going a few days without one - not a good idea (maybe that is why i have this cold i can't get rid of).

i came back from visiting miguel yesterday & while i was there, he turned on the heater for the first time (trying to conserve as much as possible!) & it didn't work! so, the landlady gave us a portable heater until the heater could be fixed. & boy did that tiny little heater work well! it warmed the place up in no time & we were so grateful for the warmth. we stayed indoors most of the time, but we ended up going out for some nice hot ramen at our favorite spot. it was definitely worth getting bundled up for.

i love this time of year because getting cozy & cuddly is just second nature.

to help stay warm, i made some apple cider today. the recipe is really easy & has great flavor! i also made some low-carb cookies for my dad who is on a special diet for his diabetes. he also just had foot surgery, so i've been trying to do a few extra things for him since he's been bummed he can't get around on his own.

i'll leave you with a few notes/links:

• i would love to get this glass cabinet to store my vintage camera collection.
• i've been needing a business card holder to store my cards in & i think this one would be perfect.
• if you have to buy a christmas gift for one who loves to cook in your life, this would be the gift to give.
• i love peonies, but they are always too expensive & only in season for a few months (miguel is always calling florists for peonies for me ;)). these flowers are a cheaper alternative!
• migue is always talking about how he will make furniture for our home, so i think this would be a good place to start. 

that's all for now! i'll be drinking my apple cider & watching the day the earth stood still with my dad. stay warm!

getting better

 well, i am caught up with blogging so far. thanks for keeping up! today has been probably the coldest day of the season so far. i've been fighting some kind of head cold for the past two weeks. it's tough to get rid of because everytime i feel like i'm better & able to do things, it comes back. my head hurts, my sinuses are all full, my ears hurt, & my eyes are sore. at least i can still breath ok. i've been trying to get my rest & have been wearing my comfy clothes & watching lots of netflix.

 i haven't seen miguel in two weeks because of the holidays & family visiting. i miss the breakfast bagels & train rides with flowers in tow. but mostly i just miss him... good news is, if plans go well, i get to see him tonight! so wish me luck : )

thanksgiving

my thanksgiving was quite good. i had three thanksgiving meals total: one at home with my parents & uncle who lives with us, one at my aunt & uncles house with many of my cousins & their kids, & one with my cousin wendy's family. it was quite a busy few days!

i made my very first pumpkin pie. everyone liked it but me, haha. my uncle & aunt fixed us a fabulous feast. the turkey was huge! i was glad i was able to spend some quality time with my "nephews" : )

it was really nice to see wendy! she & her boyfriend got a cute little place & she's having fun decorating it.

i got to go to my favorite local restaurant while visiting wendy. the dishes are so delicious & go with the amazing decor. very blogger worthy, but the lighting wasn't the greatest for photos :( anyways, the tomato soup is one of the best i've had.

the next pair of photos are a little embarrassing being bathroom selfies, but i wanted to show you two things. i wore my hair in two braids one day. when i was younger, i would wear my hair in braids almost every day. also, i just bought an amazing herringbone coat from my black friday shopping, only $35.

before leaving to go home, wendy took me to her local coffee shop hangout.

i was so excited to get my first latte art! the latte was amazing. i'm definitely going back there next time i visit!

overall, i was so thankful to spend thanksgiving with basically all of my family on both sides of my family. i'm blessed to live close enough to both.

west coast craft

 i had a father-daughter day with my dad one sunday. we took a day trip into the city to go to the west coast craft fair. i wore my new tunic from anthropologie i got discounted for my birthday : )

 we had lunch at a vegetarian "to go" place.

 i loved way too many things there. but i ended up getting the first issue of a new up & coming independent periodical called weekend almanac & a $5 squirrel mini day pack from alite. what a deal! it was a successful day trip indead : )

surprise birthday day trip!

 part of miguel's birthday gift to me was a surprise day trip! i had no idea where we were going. all i was told was to wear comfortable clothes & shoes to walk in.

first we stopped at the cute italian deli that always reminds him of me & bought sandwiches & drinks & chips for a little picnic (one of my favorite things to do!).

 then he took me to a beautiful arboretum. it was perfect because i love the trees in fall. he knows me well. it was very windy & the sun was in our eyes so it was difficult to get a decent photo. haha, so this is what you get:

such a perfect surprise birthday day trip : ) thanks miguel!