Poppies!!!

As I may have mentioned before, the inspiration behind my decorating the apartment are poppies.  I think poppies are one of the most beautiful creations on earth and love the fresh and lively feel they bring to a room.  This also provides me with bright colors of aqua blue and crimson red I can play with throughout the apartment.  I figure I should have fun and go crazy with decorating before having kids after which I will have to decorate in all brown because that will be the only color that will hide all their messes.

For the living room, I bought a large canvas of a poppy that will bring the room together.

The colors are much more vivid in person.  It will hang over our TV so it will be a focal point for the room.  Below is the living room set we purchased in January.

The pillows I found at Overstock.com and they match perfectly.  I couldn't be happier with them.  

Next, I need to get some red into the room.  I'm debating replacing the lamps that came with this living room set with these from Target.  I can't decide if I want these lamps in the living room or the bedroom.  I was also thinking of a bright red rug under the coffee table.  Either way, I will incorporate red into the room in some fashion.  Below is the TV stand which will eventually have two bookshelves on either side.

The bedroom is less put together but I have accents of poppies already in that room.

The pillow were my creative project over Christmas break.  I have a LOT to do to finish decorating this apartment, but I'm off to a good start!

Paris Vacation

We have officially booked our trip to France!  Femi and I are going to celebrate our second wedding anniversary.  We will be there the first week of August.  I wish we could stay longer, but I'm not sure I would think any amount of time is long enough.  After considering our lodging options, we decided to rent an apartment.  It will be my chance to live like a Parisian for a week!  Here is the link to the apartment:  http://www.vrbo.com/301112

I absolutely love the location!  It's very centrally located and we can walk to:

Pont Neuf

Hotel de Ville

The Louvre

and Notre Dame

Paris is by far my favorite city in the world (from the ones I have visited), and I can't wait to go back.  Now it's time to start planning out our trip.  Two places that are a must are Versailles and St. Michael because I didn't make it to them on my first visit to Paris.  I'm so excited for this summer!

Entryway

I have a beautiful mirror I have been hanging onto for the past 4+ years.  

Isn't it lovely!

I love this mirror and when I saw it I knew I had to have it even though I had no were to put it.  I've been holding onto it all these years knowing that one day I would have a home to put it in (granted I don't live in a house, but for LA an apartment is as close to a home as most people get).  As soon as I saw our entryway I knew the mirror would look perfect in there. 

 I think the mirror plus a console table under it would be functional and inviting.  

Now I just need to find a table to go below it.  At first I thought the mirror was black (it's been in the box too long) but it actually is a dark espresso finish which matches perfectly with our apartment.  

Now for the tables.  I want something that complements the table but doesn't clash or compete.  

This is the top contender.  I like the lines and think that it would flatter while still maintaining the mirror as the focal point.

There are lots of options like this.  The square design could go well with the mirror.  I feel like since the mirror has curves but is square, I could go with either something with curves or straight lines.  I need help with this.  I'm too indecisive.  I'm afraid I won't get it hung up before I move again.

Shoes on the Brain

My little brother is getting married in two months (*tear) and I am having major issues deciding what shoes to wear.  Thankfully I already have my dress, but now I am trying to figure out the rest of my outfit.  Here is the dress:

That is the design on the dress but my dress is a deeper blue, almost navy.  I'm going to wear my hair in a side pony with lots of curls over the shoulder that is bare.  

Something like this.

I'm glad I have that much figured out but now I need to decide on shoes.  I found a pair of Badgley Mischka heels that I LOVED that I think would match perfectly, but I couldn't justifying over $200 dollars on a pair of shoes I probably wouldn't wear again.  Here they are:

After consulting my shoe expert, Dalia, I got more ideas to broaden my search in hopes of finding something more affordable.  The wedding colors are black, royal blue, and hot pink.  I found a pair of hot pink shoes that I think would match the dress well:

My main hesitation about these shoes is that the bridesmaids are wearing black dresses with hot pink shoes and I don't want to look like a bridesmaids.  I like how the soles are rubber so that I won't slip.  I'm worried they might not stay on because I often have difficulty getting shoes to stay on unless they have an ankle strap.  

I found another pair I like in a blush pink:

These would still pop but I wouldn't look like I'm trying to dress like the bridesmaids.  I could also wear these shoes again easier than the others.  The ankle strap would ensure they would stay on.  A con is that they don't match the ruffles of the dress as well as the other pink ones.  Another con is that they have leather soles which can be slick.  

The last pair comes in blue as well which would match the dress well:

This is a safe choice.  I would look very put together and it would match well, I'm just not sure if it excites me.  I'm also not sure how often I would wear them in the future.

These are my thoughts.  Please provide feedback to help me make this VERY important decision (sarcasm).  

Our New Place

On Saturday, March 19th we got the keys to our new place.  I was so excited to see it!  Since we signed the lease while people were still living in it, we were not able to see the actual unit until move-in.  We knew it would be nice since the apartment was within the same apartment complex, but I was still so happy to find out it had everything we were looking for!  We wanted two main things (well for me it might have been three, or four, or five).  First, we wanted a second bedroom (now that we had two mattresses it only made sense) in hopes that we would attract more visitors.  Second, we wanted more storage.  The one bedroom was seriously lacking in storage space.  Femi felt we had too much stuff.  I disagree!  I felt we simply needed a bigger apartment and this two bedroom has proven me right.

Without further ado, let me present to you our new place.  (furnished pics are to follow)

The entryway which is the perfect location for an entryway table and mirror!

The living room.

The dining room.

Kitchen complete with a pantry (something we didn't have in the one bedroom).

Lots of needed cabinet space.

The master bedroom.

Another shot of the master.

Walk-in closet!!!

Master bath with a double vanity.

Hall closet.

Linen closet.

Guest bedroom.

The guest bedroom has a walk-in as well (that is two more closets than we had in our old place and two of them are walk-ins)!

Guest bathroom.

View from our balcony.  Love how the palm trees provide privacy!

View of the pool.  Looking forward to summer!

View of Century City from our apartment.  Femi's office is the second sky-scraper from the right.  We are living in the shadow of the law.

And lastly, this Kansan has found her other side of the rainbow!

Solvang and the San Ynez Valley

Well I am very late posting this and for a very sad reason.  I was sick with the flu and a sinus infection.  Luckily I am better now and FINALLY able to post this!

Almost two weeks ago Femi and I took a weekend getaway to the San Ynez Valley.  It's about 2 1/2 to 3 hours away from LA so it's a nice place to go when you want to get out of the city.  We stayed there one night in the summer of '09 on our way to San Francisco via Pacific Coast Highway.  We stayed in Solvang which is a very charming Dutch town in the heart of Southern California's wine country.  The town is adorable!  It's about three blocks North/South and six blocks East/West so everything is within walking distance.  There are cute shops, Dutch restaurants, and wine tasting rooms all nestled in this adorable town with beautiful European architecture.  Throughout the town they have windmills and clock towers.  It's so quaint and charming and after staying there in '09 I knew this was a place I wanted to stay at longer once we moved to LA.

Our hotel

We got into Solvang on a Friday night around 10pm.  After checking into our hotel, we were starving so we headed out for food.  I didn't think finding food at 10pm would be difficult.  I was WRONG!  The hotel manager recommended a pub that across the street that might still have their kitchen open.  Nope!  Luckily they directed us to the ONLY place in town still serving food.  It was a Chinese restaurant that served food until midnight.  We made our way there and even though there wasn't a single Chinese person working in that restaurant, we ordered food and it ended up being excellent.  I was so hungry it tasted divine!

I woke up on Saturday knowing I was in trouble.  My allergies were bothering me and the first thing we did that day was go to the pharmacy.  After getting some Claritan D, we headed to a lavender farm a few miles away.  Unfortunately, the lavender wasn't blooming but we shopped for products they make right on the farm.  There were soaps, lotions and other body products.  I got lavender infused honey and Femi got lavender tea.  I also got some sachets to use in our drawers and cars to make everything smell wonderful!  I'll have to go back in June and July when the lavender is blooming.

Our Purchases

Next we drove a couple more miles to Los Olivos.  He heard this town was worth seeing and we were glad we checked it out.  It has a Western feel and was also very quaint.  We went to eat at a delicious restaurant, Los Olivos Cafe.  The food was good but pricy.

After lunch my chills and body ache set in.  I took some Tylonol and pressed on.  Next we went to a wine tasting room I really wanted to visit because of the name.  It's call Coquelicot which means 'red poppy' in French.  I have recently become obsesed with poppies and will soon be decorating my new place with a red and aqua poppy color scheme.

The wine tasting was great, our server was excellent, and we left with some wonderful wine.  After that we went to another tasting but didn't enjoy it as much because the woman was rude.  Before leaving we discovered some tasting rooms with interesting names!

They spelled the name wrong but I will forgive them!

In honor of his Best Man

We got back to our hotel exhausted.  I felt so tired and continued to have chills and body aches.  Before taking a nap I was determined to set out on a journey to find aebleskiver.  I read about them online and was told I simply had to try them.  They are like pancake mix, formed into golfball sized spheres, and covered with raspberry jam and powdered sugar.  I set out from the hotel and in a matter of minutes I passed a long line of people standing outside a restaurant.  I knew what the line was for.  Sure enough, in ten minutes I had my hands on some aebleskiver myself.  They were wonderful!  Just writing about it makes me want more.  After stuffing my face with deliciousness, I took my much needed nap.

That evening we ate at a Dutch restaurant and went out to the only place that is open late (until 10pm!)  It was also packed seeing as it is the only place open past 7pm.  It was a fun atmosphere and there was a live band which had a great sound.  I wasn't feeling well at all but I refused to let that stop me from seeing Solvang.  The bar had a vintage Vegas theme and overall it was very fun!

I'm sad I wasn't able to see much of Solvang.  Femi says we will just have to go back again sometime soon.  I took some pics of our hotel which I highly recommend.  We stayed at the Wine Valley Inn and Cottages and have no complains about the experience.  Our room even had a fireplace which feverish me enjoyed very much!

Beverly Hills Wine Festival

Sunday afternoon, Femi and I attended the Beverly Hills Wine Festival.  It was conveniently located across the street from his office so we knew where it was and had free parking!  While full-price tickets were normally around $200, Femi found them for a STEAL online!  We were there for about two hours tasting wine, cheese, and my favorite…chocolate!  I assumed that since tickets were so expensive, people would be dressed nice.  I was wrong!  I forget that this is LA and the dress code is often casual even though the average price for an outfit is still exorbitant.  It’s not WHAT you wear but WHO you wear.   I don’t really care how much you spend on an item, if you are still wearing jeans it’s not dressed up.  Anyways, my worst fears came true and I spent the afternoon with my coat on so I wouldn’t look so out of place.  Femi of course was fine since he’s a guy and a suit with no tie is always appropriate.  IT’S SO NOT FAIR!

Despite my ranting, we actually did have a good time.  The wine was good but nothing really blew my mind.  Maybe it's because I always drink the cheap stuff!  We each got a wine glass and a very nice gentleman engraved them with our names.  He also gave us info on his company, which is a great idea for corporate events with Femi’s firm.  I also got the down-low on how to get my hands on a beautiful beach-cruiser that was being auctioned off.  The event was to support Fran Drescher’s Cancer Schmancer Foundation.  Femi asked a member of the event staff if Fran was there, claiming to be her biggest fan, but sadly she was not. 

My Glass

To top off the event, Femi got his palm read by a “fortune teller.”  While he was waiting, a ten-year-old girl approached me and asked to read my palm for a discount.  That is exactly the type of ridiculousness I expect from a fortune teller.  Femi’s fortune was funny but so predictable:  he will live a long life of 70-90 years old (most people will live that long); he will have two kids, one boy and one girl and they will be healthy (who doesn’t want to hear that); he will be successful in work but he will procrastinate (dead on!); and the best, he and I will get married soon (wrong), we will have no separation and no divorce (DEAD WRONG!) and we will have kids within the next year (we hope she's wrong!).  It was so hard not to laugh or give away any visual expressions that would guide her in one direction or another.

It was certainly an entertaining event!