Birthday Breakfast 2009

Happy birthday to me, Happy birthday to me!

The morning of the housewarming party, Sergio got up early and took my breakfast order for my birthday. He came back with supplies for the party, a cute succulent plant in a pretty blue planter...and french toast for me!! He got pancakes with blueberry sauce.

yummers.




party crasher

I specifically asked for the meal from Armon's because I know they also serve Thai Iced Tea and I had a craving for it.

Warming up the home

Our housewarming was on 7/25. It was also my birthday. It wasn't publicized so only a few people knew/remembered. Thanks Cathey for the balloon! I think that was the only indication to many at the party that it was also my birthday. That and the cake+candles.


Thanks Jenny for the cake, and Angie for picking it up!!

Yep. the big 3-2. Not sure I feel much different. Except that the pressure to get pregnant is heavier than ever. ugh. I'm just not feelin' it. At least not right now. My friend Helene is definitely.

Nobody puts Baby in the corner!

I'm going to her baby shower tomorrow morning.



Sergio received a special gift from Rodney: Ketchup sandwiches. Ask him about it sometime.

Linda made this delicious chocolate cake. It was so yummy!!

I made lots of sangria and most was imbibed. Friends and family--you guys drink a lot. Seriously. I made four batches. I used about 17 bottles of wine. And the last of my brandy. It was tasty. Rosy cheeks all around. Love it.





I was clearly celebrating too much to get many pictures. Very regretful of that. It was a fun party and our hearts and home were so warmed by the well-wishes everyone brought. If anyone reading this has any party pics they can share, please send my way! Would really appreciate it.

Thank you for being a part of this wonderful moment in our lives.

zzz....zzz

Tired.

So little time! Finally got my desk set up last weekend so I guess I don't have any excuse. Lots to share. Mostly good and great. I promise, this weekend....I will be uploading pics and tapping away like a madwoman!

Micio: FOUND!

So, wacky cat lady told us that she saw Micio again. About four houses down, issuing forth lamenting meows at about 830AM. The next morning, Sunday, Sergio got up at 530AM to wait for Micio at said location.

At around 730, he woke me with a cell call. He heard her meow and collar bell jingle. She had responded to his voice but went quiet. Maybe she would respond to me. Rubbing sleep from my eyes, I rushed out there with a bag of treats. Turned out he had a newer bag with him already. For about an hour, I sat with Sergio on the stoop of the house in front of which the wacky cat lady said she saw Micio. I meowed, I called, we watched the neighborhood wake up. Pretty birdsong twittered and grew with the morning light-but no Micio.

We left a smattering of treats in front of the garage door that was open just a crack. Sergio thought she was in the garage. Went home, I crashed on the couch. Sergio checked on the treats about 20 mins later and they were gone! So he put out some more and waited down by our house to watch. He saw Micio! She had tentatively crept out to the treats. He called her and ran to her and she took off.

He came back for me. Our neightbor, Jen, said her brother lived in the house tha Micio had gone behind. She would call him to see if we could go on the property.

I went down to Sergio and called out to Micio. She responded! Then I saw her! Dirty and skinny and definitely our Micio. I walked toward her and she ran off behind the house. By this time, I didn't care that I was trespassing--I scurried up the walk and into the house's backyard. I kept meowing to her and she kept responding. She was in the basement. The closer I got, the further in she crawled, out of reach. So I stopped. I had an open can of wet food and sat down on the ground. I mixed up the food to release some of its delicious vapors...and she crept out licking her lips. I tried to grab her, missed, and she scurried back in the basement crawl space.

Sergio left to get some gloves so he could grab her without fear of claws. While he was gone, I left the food in front of the hole where she was hiding and sat down to the side. I kept meowing at her and she kept responding. She crept out and ignored the food. She came to me and just wanted to be pet. I grabbed her and she didn't struggle at all. She was hungry and tired but ok.

BIG SIGH.

We gave her a bath and she still didn't struggle. Just complained with hoarse little mews.

Micio is still missing. :(

It's been 4 days and 5 nights and feels like forever. We miss her. But there has been a tentative sighting. The wacky cat lady from down the street says she saw her the other night. But we're not sure. The lady is nice but a bit...wacky, like I said. Hopefully it was indeed Micio and she is just a little lost.

Happy Birthday Hitesh Patel!

We were invited to Farfalla in Los Feliz to celebrate Hitesh's birthday last night. It was such a lovely meal and evening -- no small part due to the company we kept!

ok...so the credits are longer than the video...sorry!

Micio, Where are you?

Time missing: Approx. 17 hours.
Currently sporting a black collar with reflective sliver stripe, bell and black name tag. Probably prowling Highland Park / Eagle Rock, hopefully not trying to find her way back to Cypress Park. She is skittish around anything new but is extremely friendly.

We heard a cat yowling commotion by the side of the house last night just before we really noticed her missing. We have now deduced that it was one of the neighborhood strays and most likely Micio getting into it as the area is more their property than hers right now. She's a lover not a fighter so that worries us.

PCC Flea Market - score!

We arose early to hit up the PCC Flea Market this morning and look what we got! Chairs for the nook!



No, they are not the Knoll Saarinen Tulips! Nope, not Burke renditions either as one other flea market goer declared. They are well made knockoffs but lovely just the same. I love how they spin and the base is sturdy metal. Seriously well constructed.

The chairs need the seat pads. They are a bit short for the table but I love how it looks together anyway. I think the pads will help.

The 4th, 2009

A Long Beach Aquarium store

We concentrated on house stuff all weekend, including picking up more great furniture pieces!

First we drove out to Long Beach to purchase a table for our breakfast nook. On the way, we saw oil pumps along Cherry Ave. I remember seeing the ones dotted at the base of Dodger Stadium as a kid. They no longer seem to be active. It just seems odd to have one at McDonald's

We met up with the aforementioned table seller's son at their beautiful little Craftsman bungalow. The doorbell was a series of deep chimes that came from these long tube bells. Neat-o. We saw, we hearted, we bought!




Pictured here later that night, my fam sitting at said table, looking at Jenny's wedding photos online.




After leaving the LBC, we drove to Eagle Rock and lunched at Mediterranean Triangle. Can't beat a delicious luleh lunch special for $4.99! The rice was especially nice!


Post lunch, we dropped the table off at home and jetted off to our next furniture appt in Downtown -- for the perfect coffeetable. I was not immediately loving it as much as Sergio but it has definitely grown on me. Pictures forthcoming when I get the room pulled together. We met up with this guy who was selling it for this girl who had just moved down from SF. I have to comment that we have met the nicest people during the last few weeks!

That evening, we spent a low-key evening with pizza and the neighborhood fireworks.

NOTE: Micio escaped again last night but we didn't notice immediately. When we began wondering where she was, she was long gone, and she hasn't shown up yet. With the new terrain and scary fireworks booming all night, she must have been so scared. We are very worried. :(

More Noé

Check out how cute this little guy is -- the baby I mean. :) Noé has been growing steadily this past month.






According to Mart's blog, Noe doesn't like his swing. He was tricked into falling asleep but was not happy when he woke and realized neither mom or dad were pushing the swing.




I like how the laptop is in the crib and baby is on mom & dad's bed.









Noé is tiny here but is big on cool factor.

Furniture Finds

After Myfa left last Saturday, we were making the final move trip for the day when Sergio and I spied someone selling furniture on the street while on the way to the new house. I saw some great potential breakfast nook chairs. So, Sergio and Chi unloaded my mom's RAV-4 and headed back out to the sale. They came back with these:

They took off the legs to fit into the car.

Apparently, Sergio and I had two different images in our head when we both referred to "the chairs." But I love them anyway! They were a major score -- $5 for one and $15 for the other. We will get them reupholstered in matching fabric.

Earlier in the week, Sergio finalized a deal with a woman who was moving out of her Eagle Rock home. Apartment Therapy and picked up on her Craigstlist ad and featured it in their L.A. Scavenger finds. I emailed it to Sergio who called her immediately. There's cat damage on both arms, in the back so we have to get those fixed. But it's only 6 months new and a fraction of the original price at Crate & Barrel due to the damage.



The couch helped us meet one of out neighbors so it was an even bigger score. Andrew lives across the street and owns a big truck. Sergio had borrowed my mom's car to transport but realized it was too small after measuring. He saw Andrew with his truck and offered him $15 if he would help him pick up and move the couch. He helped us out, gave us the low down on the nabe and graciously turned down the money in the end.



Before we bought the house, we dropped in on an estate sale and picked up a pair of lamps for $15. They go perfectly at either side of the couch. Will have more pics when the room is more put together and I've had time to shark the floors.

We are now on the hunt for a coffeetable and endtables and a rug and floating console for the dvd player and drapes and.... it will never end.

We're hoping for some great finds at the PCC flea market tomorrow morning!

Jenny's Wedding photos

Click here to see a sampling Jenny & Chi's wedding photos from the photographer. My sister was such a beautiful bride!

Wendy & Martin's house

Wendy & Martin graciously invited us to their home for a celebratory birthday dinner in honor of Chi. (Happy birthday Chi!)




We got to hang with cutie Eloise!



Linda brought desserts from Jin Patisserie where she works on the weekends. Yummers:



Playing a major part of the evening was their beautiful home! They hired an architect who designed an amazing modern remodel for the back part of the house, including back yard. The entire back wall of their kitchen area is composed of sliding glass doors that open up to the DG backyard with wispy native grass plantings, a small triangle of grass that echos the shape of the lot, a pretty desert tree and prominently, Martin's treasure box.



Martin's treasure box is an adaptive reuse of a former shipping container. You can see it behind Jenny & Chi in one of the above dinner pics. Martin points out where he will be installing additional shelving inside. It's pretty damned cool.