Williams-Sonoma wasn't lying when they said these are the.best. chocolate chip cookies around!  I needed a little study break this weekend (can we all celebrate that I'm finished with this semester of graduate school!) and spotted this recipe on Pinterest.  Seriously, these are heavenly!

You can follow the recipe here.  I used gluten free flour and I have to rave about that, too! I've always been a huge fan of Pamela's Products.  I use her baking and pancake mix for anything sweet (cookies, cake, and of course pancakes!) and her bread and flour mix for anything bread-y (bread, dough, crusts, etc.).  They've always done me right but I've had one small complaint which is that the pancake mix has almond flour.  I have a bestie who is allergic to nuts.  She loves desserts as much as I do so it's always a bummer when I make something g-free that she can't partake in! Anyway, I noticed at Whole Foods the other day that Pamela's had a new artisan mix (which is nut free), and I've been eager to try it!  On Pamela's website it advertises that the new mix is closer to a cup-for-cup replacement  for wheat flour (meaning you don't have to estimate with the salt and baking soda/powder amounts).  

Well, it's a hit!  The tell tale sign we were onto something is when my husband kept coming back for another spoonful of raw dough.  Even though the finished product is always good, the raw dough isn't always as appealing with g-free flours.  Now will someone please send me an equally delicious oatmeal cookie recipe, please?

Alteration Success.

I wanted to share quick post on an alteration I made to my birthday dress.  I found this dress on Karmaloop on sale for $15!  When it arrived I loved it!  But it was way too short.  I just turned 30, afterall.  I continued to look around for other options but I really loved this dress. So I decided I'd spend a few more dollars at JoAnn to see if I could make it work. The hubby was convinced it wouldn't turn out, so sadly, I didn't bother to document the process.  But since it did turn out, I thought I'd brag to the internets about it instead...  Look, ma!

I sent this before and after to one of my girlfriends and she congratulated on my hard work at the gym.  When I explained that I haven't worked out since January and that I was actually showing her the difference in length, she was very concerned for my health... I'm happy to report I'm going back to my favorite workout, The Dailey Method, at the end of the month!

I Pink I Love You.

This is my favorite nail polish of all time.  If I ever had a 'signature' anything, it's this nail polish.  Annnnd, OPI has discontinued it.  Major bummer!  I learned it had been discontinued about six months ago and since then I haven't been able to find it anywhere for under $30.  I figured better to focus on finding a suitable replacement until a few weeks ago I spotted a very familiar color out of the corner of my eye on an abandoned display at CVS.  There it was - three whole bottles of I Pink I Love You!  For some reason I let my frugality get the better of me, and I only bought two of the bottles.  My husband thinks.I'm.crazy.  Rightfully so!

This was pre finding-the-miracle-bottles so it's only two coats.

This is with my beloved three coats.

I have come to accept that eventually I will run out of my supply.  Any recommendations for a similar color?  What I love about this is that it's opaque with three coats, iridescent rather than flat, and a cool pink.  Tall order!

Birthday, Part II.

At SUR, wearing on the patience of some impromptu but kind photographers.

Well, I can barely remember this trip at this point but I figure you can't leave a part one hanging without a part two!  A few weeks ago I headed to LA with my best girlfriends to celebrate my birthday.  We made it a super quick trip and flew up for just one night.  The time with my girlfriends was the best but I can't say that I fell in love with LA.  

We stayed in West Hollywood at just about the BEST Best Western I've ever seen - seriously, check out the Best Western Plus Sunset Plaza if you're in LA.  It's centrally located, down the street from the Andaz and up the street from The Chateau Marmont and The Standard, but probably half the price per night.  It also has the most darling pool.  

When we arrived we did some window shopping, some bottomless mims (evidence below) and then we rested up for a long night.  We started with cocktails at SUR.  I'm not ashamed to say I was dying to catch my favorite Real Housewife, but no luck.  Next we went to Laurel Hardware for dinner.  The food was delish and I had my first ever Moscow Mule - as an avid soda water drinker how did I ever go so long without having one?!  I think I thought it was like a White Russian.  

Anyway, the night took a turn after dinner.  We asked around about where the hot spots were and we were terribly misadvised to go to Supper Club.  Now there's a Supper Club in SF, but it's nothing like it.  The club was fine inside but it wasn't exactly my scene so we decided to try something else.  Outside, it was like an apocalypse with all these strange characters grabbing at us.  Now, I grew up in San Francisco and I've lived in some shady areas since (in fact, I currently live in a city that was dubbed the murder capital of the country - 20 years ago - it's lovely now!).  Let's just say it definitely wasn't our crowd!

Plenty of time for cab selfies.

Next we tried the Standard Downtown LA.  I'd been to The Standard in Manhattan so I had an idea of what to expect. After 30 minutes in a cab, it was less than we'd hoped for.  The view was nice, though.  We decided to call it a night and when we got back two of my girlfriends surprised me with Cool Ranch Doritos from the vending machine.  And the world was right again.  

Paper Goods.

I'm going to let you in on a little secret.  I'm obsessed with paper goods!  I've always loved stationary but following our wedding, I'm officially over the edge.  I mean getting to choose coordinating announcements, shower invitations, shower thank you notes, wedding invitations, place cards, menus, and wedding thank you notes was seriously one of the most fun parts of planning!  If I could decide on a style for personalized stationary, I'd have reams of it!  Anyway, that's not even the secret.  The secret is Verrier.  

Last year around this time I was in New York City for work and I found this delightful stall at a pop-up shop at the Chelsea Market.  Ashleigh and her mom/partner Jude were so sweet, and when we got to talking it turns out Ashleigh is originally from Mill Valley, born in San Francisco - like me!  Well, as soon as I told her we were set to get married in Mill Valley, we were fast friends.  She's a fashion designer but also makes the.most.amazing prints and cards.  I bought several pieces that day and I've been buying a steady stream of thank you notes from her website since.  She really has a card for all purposes.  I may or may not have purchased birthday cards for all of my girlfriends that I've saved to send throughout the year...

I la-la-la-LOVE this set of thank you notes.  I've given my first set out and I've seen more than one card face cut out and framed around my office.  How's that for double-duty?  Anyway, if you're crazy for paper goods like me, check out her shop online or in NYC!

Am I the only one who's crazy for paper?

Birthday, Part I.

This past weekend the hubby took me to Sonoma to celebrate the big 3 - 0.  Originally, we were going to go to Napa and eat at the Culinary Institute (which is actually in St. Helena), but after my husband made the reservation they called to say they'd be closed for spring break - boo!  So we decided to try something slightly new and go to Sonoma instead of the much hyped Napa.  And it was great!!  My birthday fell on Easter Sunday so I'm not sure if that made it quieter or busier but it was perfect.  

First we went to Cornerstone, which was a little development with tasting rooms, restaurants, and shops.  Next, we went to a smaller family estate, where they offered to take us on a tour of their caves when the hubby mentioned it was my birthday!

Our hotel was fab!  We stayed at The Lodge, which was a stone's throw from the charming downtown.  The customer service was great and the rate was good considering the resort atmosphere.  We stopped mid-day to eat lunch on the pool deck.  Delightful!  After lunch we went did more tasting in another little town called Glen Ellen.  

We had dinner at The Girl and the Fig, which was great.  We had some great cocktails, some mediocre rose (shhh!), and some YUMMY salad and asparagus appetizer.  We were pretty full from eating.all.day, so we opted not to get dessert.  Later we ordered room service from the hotel restaurant. This was just so so, but there is always something so luxurious about ordering room service!  

I was on the hunt for a winery that makes champagne, so the next day we stopped at a chateau with a gorgeous view, where I had just about the best breakfast I've ever had!  Yes, please!

And this is one of the things I love most about my husband - the laughter never ends.  We were laughing about almonds.  Yep.

Next weekend I'm going to LA with my girlfriends and I can't wait!  And between then and now, I'll have my head buried in books.

Meme.

I've been buried in school work this past week but trying to keep my spirits up with a few laughs! This might be my all time favorite internet meme.

I just love the little guy's conviction.  I laugh every time I think of it.  And of course, I'd like to think of myself as someone who keeps it exceptionally real.  I suppose my girlfriends can attest to that - or not!

P.S.  If anyone would like to know about the misplacement of minority math students in ninth grade geometry or residential segregation and its association to crime, you know where to find me!