New Old Stuff

Sunday is universally "funday," but for me, while living in LA, "funday" typically entails rooting through antiques, vintage clothes, old edition books and random odds and ends from times past.  That's right, Sunday is flea market day in LA!  Woo!

If you like to scavenge, like myself, there is a flea market to be found every weekend if the mood strikes. From the Melrose Trading Post to Long Beach [which I am yet to make it to!] and down to Joshua Tree, the SoCal area has secondhand good sales covered!  While it is fun to pop the top down in Selma and road trip to a far away marche, I always find something fabulous and functional at the nearby Rosebowl Flea Market in Pasadena.

  Painted metal letters and flowers.  Someday, I will buy!

Taking place the second Sunday of each month, the Rosebowl Market is the best I have ever encountered.  There is literally something for everyone at one of the 1,500+ vendors; and even if you're seriously that hard to please, non-purchasers will still leave satisfied after a fabulous day of people watching.

Hand-crafted leather bags.

Amazing old bath tub.  Seriously...how cool!

Today I had many things on my "want" list [as always!,] and I was victorious in some ways, but remain on the prowl in others.

Moving from across the country with two suitcases in hand, I have been lacking severely in my material possessions this past year, and have always allocated extra funds to making my homes feel like, well, home.   Since moving into my Miracle Mile house in October, I have slowly introduced new furniture, art and "homey" bips and bobs, but have thus far been unable to locate a bookshelf or coffee table that I really love.  Today, however, the market supplied me with a brilliant, yet slightly unconventional, hutch that will be perfect for movies and books in our family room.  WOO!  I was so pleased when I spotted the piece from afar and knew that I needed it for my own.  Approaching the vendor, I had my best bargaining face on.  I asked casually [so as to not impress my excitement upon him:]

Me: "How much for that hutch?"
Vendor: "Well, it's actually supposed to go on top of a desk, but obviously there's not desk.  So.  I'll give it to you for twenty dollars."
Me: "TWENTY DOLLARS?"
Vendor: Yeah? Twenty.


What.  I did not even try to bargain with this guy, I just found another deal of the century.  I don't care if this isn't your traditional bookshelf, you can't get a shitty, faux-wood shelf from Targe for twenty dollars!  This hutch may not be PERFECT in every way, but for the price and the quality of the piece [solid wood!,] I took it home and will make it my own in the near future!!

Viva la Flea!!

New Foodie Idea: Grilled Pizza!!

Per my own volition, I have been displaced from my WeHo home this week to watch some fabulous pups.  In addition to finally having some animals in my life [halla-lou-ya,] I also have two amenities at my disposal that I have desperately missed:

1. Counter space!!!
2. A grill!!!

The last two evenings I have been in all of my glory grilling eggplant and peppers and making pseudo-muffuletta-esque sandwiches.  While my concoction was delicious, I left work this evening knowing I wanted to try something new.  I considered stuffed portobellos, goat cheese pasta, and even a simple serving of french toast, but none of these options satisfied my reignited adoration of the grill.

Walking into my local Trader Joe's tonight, a genius idea came over me [well, at least I thought it was genius!]  I've been craving pizza lately, and if restaurants serve brick oven pizza, why can't I make grilled pizza?!  Kind-of the same, right?

With just a few ingredients, I made myself a delightful treat.  First, I took the dough and punched it thin, threw it on the grill and browned the dough.  When the dough was nice and toasty, I spread some olive oil around, reduced the heat and flipped the crust.  After flipping, I added a little tomato sauce, pesto and buffalo mozzarella.

After letting the pizza settle for a few, I added tomatoes, artichoke hearts, crushed red pepper and capers and gave the pie a few to come together.  Success, a scrumptious pizza pie.


 I called my Mom while en route to my temporary home to tell her about my dinner idea, and she thought it was going to be questionable at best.  WRONG!  No joke, this was simple and delicious.  Maybe my pizza wasn't perfectly round, but the crust had a great texture and flavor, and I am already for round two!

New Obsession :: Pumped Up Kicks

It may not be totally new in the grand scheme of life, and it's certainly already catching on out here on the west coast, but I cannot get enough of Foster the People's "Pumped Up Kicks."

I don't know exactly what the heck the song is about [perhaps you can decipher some secret meaning?]  But I know that I am loving it.  Such an interesting combo....like MGMT's Oracular Spectacular made out with Edward Sharpe, then awkwardly seduced this Beetle Juice scene.

Tuesday's Trashy Television:: New Teen Mom

As I've gotten older, I've gradually gravitated away from watching television on the daily.  Having said that, if there is a day where you can find me in front of the tube with a bag of Pop Chips,it is without a doubt TUESDAY.

My time would certainly be better spent watching my favorite little lesbian or reading up on really important, worldly news, but I cannot help but be addicted to shows that are less than Emmy worthy.    Wife Swap? I'm there.  Pretty Little Liars? Me, me, me!  20 kids in one family? Fascinating.  But the mother ship of all my favorites?  The show that I pathetically look forward to every week? The show that I [gasp] would possibly choose over Glee, if necessary?  TEEN MOM!  I do not know it is, but there is something about this voyeuristic show that makes me so happy, and the fact that the producer of the show is Morgan Freeman [but not Morgan Freeman,] thrills me even more.  Every tuesday at at 10:55, I well up a little bit because my favorite hour of the week has passed.

In regards to the show's subjects, it truly astounds me how functional some of the girls end up being, and how some muster such perseverance at such a young age; on the flip side, the entertaining side, I am equally as astounded  at how purely idiotic other girls are.  Any fellow fans of the show know that the last two seasons have chronicled the lives of the same four girls and their respective babies.  This season though, all new girls, new babies and most importantly, NEW DRAMA!  Just because our lovely resident psycho from last season is in jail or drinking Korski vodka somewhere without cameras doesn't mean the trash-fest is done.

This season, MTV brings us a whole new crew of moms complete with a new trash disaster that takes the cake on shitty moms.  If you're not watching, you're missing out; I can't believe there are people on this earth that are as awful as this season's Janelle Evans.  The fact that this girl reproduced is proof enough that there is no god governing creation...viva la teen moms!

asshohr.

New Wheels!

Today was a big day for me here in Los Angeles; I bought my first car!  Well, not technically my "first car," but the first car that I selected and bought on my own- phew, really moving up in the world.

I have to admit, I have really loathed, rued and despised the whole process of finding and buying a vehicle...yep, all three.  I think it's safe to say that my family and friends have hated it too because it has consumed all my thoughts and conversations for the past few months!  But finding the perfect set of wheels is a hassle when you're 24 and on a budget!  Maybe someday I will have the leisure to go and pick a Range Rover [or Land Rover for that matter] off the lot, but for now it was a quest to find the perfect car for the perfect price.

Now this buy is good on many levels, but mostly because, if you know me at all, you know that my very recently ex-vehicle, Basil, quickly became the bane of my existence after a series of super pricey repairs.  Sure there was some sentimental value there, tear; and sure Basil was a fun[ny] little ride, but I am overall way ecstatic to have the stress he caused me out of my life.  No more [fingers crossed] waking up to a car that sounds like it's going to go into orbit, or to one that may not just start at all!  Instead, I have days of driving up [or down] the PCH with the top down ahead of me, and I could not be more excited!

So without further adieu, adios Basil...bienvenue yet-to-be-named Saab convertible [and my new bangs!]  woo!