from raleighwood to hollywood

REAL TEAPOTS!

i got lost in the farmer's market at the grove last night...

1. the three B's

bagels...and bea bea!

i think hearing that los angeles doesn't have a lot of great bagel places combined with the fact that my friend V was craving them the other day and i sent her to my favorite bagel shop in raleigh--is what put me on a mission to find the perfect bagel. after lots of research on yelp, it seemed like noah's bagels was the place to go. two nights ago, i pulled up beside the building at 5:30 only to see chairs set on top of tables and a dark empty room. hmmm, i thought to myself, either someone is playing a trick on me, or this place appears to have odd hours.

that's okay, i like a challenge.

of course i went back the next day. not only did i finally get my toasty bagel yesterday--sorry if this picture makes you want to run out and get one--but their flavored coffee was right up my alley!

as i sipped my coffee and ate my bagel while driving to run some errands, i pulled out a card i had received in the mail. it was from bea bea, and of course it was stuffed with a twenty dollar bill, an old photo, and had a note inside that said "have dinner on me." i'm so lucky to have such a thoughtful grandmother who sends me cards so often to let me know she's thinking about me. as my eyes lit up at the sight of the twenty dollar bill, it reminded me that even though i'm twenty five years old and technically an adult, the thought of a twenty dollar bill still excites me as if i was a kid who just received a nickel. when you're on your own, it's an incredible feeling to have small reminders like cards or phonecalls from people that you love just letting you know they're thinking about you.

bea bea, thank you for always putting a smile on my face and keeping a bagel in my tummy.

2. i wonder where santa has to park

as i pulled into the grove last night in west hollywood to run some errands, i couldn't believe how magical this place looked. normally it's just a big shopping center, but they really go jingle balls to the wall for the holiday season. i didn't realize that west hollywood was north pole-adjacent.

of course the stores all follow along with the festive themes, from giant pictures of models in santa hats to endless rows of holiday-scented candles.

i'm a sucker for anything that smells like peppermint...

3. at least it LOOKS like i have a microwave

i know, i know. you're wondering what the caption on this means. YES, this is a working microwave and YAY! i finally have microwave in my kitchen! however, there was this thing i learned when i was little about different kinds of shapes...

so...

don't freak out!--(mom)--i can buy an adapter for this plug at any hardware store so it won't be a problem. i'm even thinking about putting the microwave on top of the fridge, moving the toaster oven to this little compartment, and then moving my coffee maker to where the toaster oven is, which ultimately gives me way more counter space.

don't mind me, i'm just decorating outloud.

highlight of the day:

notice anything different?! last night, i finally got a carpet! how i managed to move the coffee table--which weighs about as much as a pregnant stegosauras--out of the way and then back onto this carpet is still something i'm trying to figure out. i must have developed super human strength from my yummy dinner.

yes that salad is homemade (honey glazed walnuts, dried cranberries, gorgonzola, honey crisp apples, cheese croutons, and creamy balsamic--i can't take credit for the croutons or dressing, thank you whole foods). and come on, i think we all deserve a shrimp cocktail every once in a while.

anyway, back to the rug.