Around the Block

Just a few random shots from around the block

View from straight out our door - Yes, it's very odd to have mini-skyscrapers in residential areas!

View to the right (North). This is the Beverly Hills High School - That large obnoxious structure is an oil well. This one is covered with a mural of flowers and sits near the athletic fields.

View to the Left (South)

All the fire hydrants in B.H. are painted silver - but my dog will still pee on them!

Proud

I can't believe how proud I am of my family!


Micah entered his screenplay into a very prestigious screenwriting fellowship organized by
the Academy Awards.
6,304 screenplays were submitted from around the world
340 made the first cut
114 made the second cut
only 10 made the final cut

He was notified yesterday that he was a finalist!

While it is a huge honor to be in the top 10, only the top 5 will actually receive the Fellowship. Not only does it include recognition in the entertainment industry but, more importantly, $30,000!

Keep your fingers crossed that he will receive a Fellowship - we should know in about 3 weeks!

Another amazing family update:

My new nephew was born on July 24, 2010
Fisher Andrew Cook

He, of course, gets a homemade quilt with ducks, frogs, turtles and dragonflies...

This was my first time doing a meandering stitch...holy moley! Not easy!

and a homemade Corduroy Fish

Our other nephew, Logan, turned 4 this week!
I 'borrowed' this idea from two of the most handsome superheroes that I know:
Myles & Eli

This was my first time working with satin. One word: YIKES!

Yep...that little star on the inside is to cover up a tiny hole! It ended up looking great!

We even had a wonderful visit from Keith & Karen!

I wonder how long it will take to get Skip & Dar out here!

All Moved In!

We're finally settled and ready for visitors!

Our New Table courtesy of Craigslist

Living/Dining room (sorry this pic is a little soft!)

Our new sofa & loveseat and rug

Jake & Lily approve of their new furniture!

Micah working hard in his office (AKA closet!)

Our New Apartment!

We were so thrilled to find our new apartment. It is huge compared to the guest house we were living in and it is unquestionably nicer.

Needless to say - WE LOVE IT!

Here are some pictures we took before we moved in. We are pretty settled in after 2 months & we'll be sure to post pictures of all our new furniture very soon!

I was sold as soon as I opened the front door and saw this beautiful bright space!

Bedroom

1950's O'Keefe & Merritt Oven - SO cool to cook with!

Living Room & Vestibule taken from Dining room. The doorway on the far left wall is Micah's office

The Shirley Building - Our apartment is the lower left above the white trumpet vines.

Farmers Market

**There are 3 new posts - so make sure you take a look at all of them!***


One thing I love about LA are the Farmers Markets.

You can find one every day of the week somewhere in the Los Angeles area 365 days a year! How wonderful it is to have 4 growing seasons a year as opposed to just 1 !

Fresh organic fruits and vegetables at low prices while supporting local farmers - What more could you ask for!?!

Which brings me to my next point...what to do with all this fresh produce? How about some good home cooking!?! We recently signed up for Relish Relish ($20 for 3 months...I think it's a bit pricey but oh so convenient & worth it to me!)

www.relishrelish.com

Every Thursday, a new menu of approximately 15 - 20 recipes is posted. Each one is completed in 30 minutes and comes with a complimenting side dish. Every week there is a theme that is discussed and featured in a handful of the recipes: Parsnips, Things to do with a Bundt Cake pan, SuperFoods (antioxidant rich).
There are also several categories to choose from - Simple Gourmet, Kid Friendly, Budget, Crockpot, Vegetarian, Low Calorie

After going through the menus, you drag them over to your shopping list. Then you simply click how many people you will be serving (awesome for any family that needs less than or more than the traditional 4 servings!) and VOILA! your shopping list is printed out containing exactly what you need for the week along with the recipes (cooking temp and quantities) adjusted for the amount of people you will be serving.

Recently, we've had:
Braised Chicken w. Button Mushrooms and Creamy Polenta
California chopped salad and Parmesan Parsley Biscuits
Slow Cooker Rosemary Stew with Roasted Asparagus

All absolutely delicious and SO easy to make!

Check it out...It's a wonderful way to branch out and try some new recipes!

Heirloom Cherry Tomatoes. A sweet and unique flavor

$1.00 Artichokes! Pass the butter!

*

Santa Barbara Wineries

***Disclaimer***
These photos were uploaded in the wrong order - so they start a night's end after WAY too much drinking! They will become less blurry and less embarrassing the further down you go!

Santa Barbara is beautiful. It is about a 90 minute drive northwest of LA.

Once we arrived at the wineries, we purchased a 'tasting'. $10 for a glass with the logo of the vineyard (which we get to keep). Micah and I split a tasting since he was the designated driver and didn't want to drink too much.

We were then served anywhere from 7 - 11 wines (about 1 - 2 ounces each taste). We did the swirling, the sniffing, the tasting - very sophisticated!

We also had a wonderful picnic compliments of Jode: cheeses (lots of cheeses!), meats, breads, grapes, veggies, etc...And of course, a bottle of merlot!