from raleighwood to hollywood

everyone please join me in welcoming to the blog...

my very own teapot!

thanks to my best friend, the teapot featured in today's blog is the real deal! normally i find my wacky teapot pictures on google, but today is different. not only is this a gorgeous teapot, but this gift is a tradition that has been passed down in sara's family. not the teapot itself, but the idea of seeking a present for someone that very specifically reminds you of that person. sara saw this teapot and of course thought of my blog, but the point behind it isn't just to brew up some of my delicious earl grey lavender iced tea. every time i have a prayer, or a hope, or a wish--i drop it into this teapot. it's almost like having my own personal little wishing fountain.

pretty awesome right?

and as for the next time i need to quickly round up a teapot picture, i'll have this amazing present pictured below from my aunt diane to turn to. now i have a whole book of teapots to choose from!

now that you've heard me say teapot sixteen times, let's begin!

1. i send you love and best dishes, from my kitchen to yours

since i've been home, the good meals have just been rolling out one after the other.

i don't know if you remember what my breakfasts looked like in hollywood...

but clearly, i don't like to change things up very much.

as for other yummy foods, i went to mellow mushroom last night with some old high school friends and had some delicious pizza. a few years ago, sara became an honorary slater--joining us in hawaii for a few weeks during the summer. one rainy day while my parents and sister were at the beach, we wandered around the small town of hanalei. one second we were trying on funny hats and picking up postcards, and the next second the terrential downpour sent us running into a small pizza restaurant. the timing couldn't have been more perfect. just as we burst through the door, they were taking a fresh hot pizza out of the oven. the man asked us if we'd like a slice of this hawaiian pizza--which had pepperoni, feta, tomatoes, and pineapple. obviously our answer was DUH and this has been my favorite pizza ever since.

needless to say...you can guess what i ordered at mellow mushroom.

2. the hood

it's been wonderful to be back on koupela drive again and like i said in my last blog, it feels like i never left. to tell you the truth, the fact that today marks less than a week from when i'm going back is starting to flip flop my stomach a little. it feels like i just got here, and suddenly i feel like all of these things and people that i love are slipping out of my reach.

i hate the expression time flies.

as for the neighborhood, everything here is exactly the same as when i left three months ago.

yes, this is our front yard.

no comment.

3. don't judge a sock by its color

as for inside the house. it's a big mess of pj's, snacking, and a lot of movies.

and don't forget the fuzzy socks.

laying in bed watching tv the other night, my sister--head to toe in sweats with the hood wrapped around her face--mentioned how freezing she was. my mom immediately bounced off to find her some socks. sarah asked how many options i thought mom would bring back.

without hesitation: "three."

my mom shuffles back into the room: "i wasn't sure which kind you wanted, so i brought you three to choose from."

we thought THAT was the funny part. after my mom walked out, sarah looked down at her new socks and said, "these are the pinkest socks that ever existed." slightly embarassed, i lifted my foot out of the covers and presented MY socks--a pair my mom had given me a few years back, fuzzy and bright as ever.

"actually i believe these are the pinkest socks that ever existed."

highlight of the day:

the other day, i finally got my boondini's.

santa could have plopped through our chimney and i wouldn't have noticed.