The Big 24 in San Diego

I'm a little late (5 months to be exact), but here is a little something I put together from my birthday in San Diego with the bf. In this video, you'll see good eats from Hash House A Go Go, the scenery at Balboa Park, little critters at the San Diego Safari Park, and The Keating Hotel in the Gaslamp District. I have to admit, I developed a little crush on San-D while we were there, but alas, Los Angeles still has my heart. Enjoy!

San Diego, Febrary 2013 from Genevieve Capul on Vimeo.

My Top 5 Favorite Blogs

It's been a million years since I last posted, but trust me, blogging has always been in the back of my mind. I've just had a lot going on, okay?! The latest being my new hair and my new job. Yup, chopped off my locks and landed a new gig. Okay, so maybe my new hair has nothing to do with my lack of posting. Anyway, in honor of my possible (not making any promises) re-entrance into the blogosphere, I've decided to share my top 5 favorite blogs that inspired me to start one in the first place.

1. Cupcakes and Cashmere

via Cupcakes and Cashmere

Fashion, food, beauty, and interior design; this blog has it all. Not only do I love Emily Schuman's chic sense of style, but this girl can really whip up some good eats. I'm talking drool-worthy stuff, guys. But what I really love about this blog is that Schuman has consistently stayed true to herself and constantly emphasizes that she only blogs about what she loves and is passionate about. Schuman is the perfect example of the phrase, "Do what you love, love what you do."

2. Man Repeller

via New York Press

If you're not familiar with Leandra Medine's work, I highly recommend reading a post or two. The title of the blog derives from a conversation Medine had with a friend in which she didn't quite understand why she wasn't having any luck in the dating department. She quickly realized that it was her quirky sense of style that was acting as somewhat of a repellant to the men of New York. Thus, the term "Man Repeller" was born. Although some lucky guy did eventually put a ring on it, Medine's style (I'm talking layers on layers on layers with some Dannijo on top) and crazy sense of humor is what keeps me coming back for more.

3. Cakies

via Cakies

True, Brave, Soul, and Glow. These words will probably mean nothing to you unless you start reading Cakies as told by Rubyellen Bratcher. What started as a crafting blog has become a place where Bratcher shares stories about the loves of her life, her vintage finds, and so much more. From birthday parties to breakfast in bed, creativity and thoughtfulness runs deep within this family. Did I mention that the Mr. is a dietitian who grows his own vegetables and creates the most amazing home cooked meals? What. A. Catch.

4. Song of Style

via Song of Style

Aimee like mommy is probably the only blogger I love to hate. But mostly just love. Okay, 50/50. If she's not in Paris, then she is probably in Morocco, and if she is not carrying her Céline bag, then she probably has an A. Wang in hand. Needless to say, Aimee Song is literally drowning in designer goods. Although Song's outfits can be hit or miss, I am inspired by her unique sense of style in more ways than one. I mean, I didn't buy a muscle tank with a pastel colored shark on it for nothing. My recommendation: skip the text and just browse the pix on this one.

5. Refinery 29

via Business Insider

Okay, so Refinery 29 isn't exactly a blog, but it still remains on my list of go to websites. One of my favorite daily rituals is to click the Los Angeles tab under Cities. It is within this tab that I typically find where I should be dining, what event I should be planning an outfit for, and the latest pop culture updates on the celebs that I actually care about, like Amanda Bynes. For example, yesterday was National Donut Day and Refinery was nice enough to remind me. R29 is kind of like Regina George's mom; she's not a regular blog, she's a cool blog.

The Bling Ring Trailer

Ladies and gents, it's here.. The Bling Ring teaser trailer is finally available for your viewing pleasure. If you don't know what the hell I'm talking about, read this first and watch the trailer below second.

The music, the clothes, the crying, the iconic Cali palm trees at the end.. I am beyond excited. Also, can we please start a discussion about how fierce Emma Watson turned out to be? I mean, who would've thought that this:

would turn into this:

via Got Celeb

Sure, HP was a huge part of Watson's childhood, but I predict that it won't be long before she is remembered for bigger and better things. Anyway, stay tuned for more Bling Ring updates!

A Very Venice NYE

Happy New Year, everyone! Wow, 2013. This is where I should probably share my New Year's resolutions, huh? Be more spontaneous, live a healthy lifestyle, work hard, play hard, yada, yada, yada.

Anyway, this year (or last year, rather), Christian and I rounded up a group of friends and rented a space in Venice using Airbnb. We ended up choosing this adorable place about half a block away from the water, which you can take a tour of here. I have to mention that the hosts were so kind and that their daughter, Berlin, is my new best friend. P.S. She's almost 3.

We ate cheese, drank wine (and jungle juice), played Cards Against Humanity, and counted down near the water (sparklers and all!). Talk about perfection. Take a gander below.

Also on the menu: flat bread pizzas, samosas, chicken dumplings, ham and cheese puff pastries, etc. Yum. C/O Trader Joe's.

Pinterest Party

Just to snowball off of my latest obsession with Pinterest, I decided to throw a Pinterest Party with some of my closest friends a couple weeks ago. I know, I know, "WTF is a Pinterest Party?" Well, here are the steps that I included in my invite:

1. Go to www.Pinterest.com, click Catagories, and peruse through the Food & Drink section (you do not have to be a member to browse).
2. Choose one recipe to make for the party and let everyone know what you'll be making by leaving a comment on this event page (include the link).
3. Whip up your recipe and share it with everyone!

Anyway, the party turned out to be the best idea ever. This is why:

Mac and Cheese Cups by Kasha

Stuffed Mushrooms by Mike

White Pizza Dip by Jennifer

Nutella Cookies by Camille

Cinnamon Roll Bars made by Hillz

Jalapeno peppers wrapped in bacon by Ali, which we clearly devoured before I could get a shot

Sangria Punch by David

German Chocolate Brownies by Erica

Buffalo Chicken Wraps by Jazzy Lou (P.S. Her mom made them)

Garlic Knots by yours truly

Banana Bread Bars with Brown Butter Frosting by me, too!

I'm sure you're probably drooling by now. And this was not even all of it! Not to worry, Pinterest Party: Holiday Edition is in the works. And anyone who did not attend must now make two dishes. See you there!

Mini Deep Dish Pizzas

One of my latest obsessions these days is Pinterest, especially the Food & Drink section. When I'm really bored or on my lunch break, I tend to browse through this section, looking for recipes to try in my own kitchen. There are literally a thousand recipes that I told myself I'd try, but let's face it, it's not gonna happen. Several weeks ago, I finally found the perfect opportunity to bring to life one of these easy recipes while I was babysitting my cousin's daughter, Jahlysa. Together we made those mini deep dish pizzas that are a reoccurring recipe on Pinterest. See our step-by-step process below!

Ingredients:
Whole wheat pizza dough
Pizza sauce
Cheese 
Any other topping you want to include (we stuck with cheese)

Make sure you have:
A muffin tin
A cutting board or a non-stick surface that you can roll the dough on
Cooking spray

Steps:

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Take a golf size piece of pizza dough and roll it into a ball like so..

Next, flatten out your piece of dough on your surface of choice, eventually using your fingers tips to knead the dough so that it's flat and circular.

Place your piece of flattened dough into the muffin tin (make sure you spray it with cooking spray as you go). Repeat until you've used up all of your dough (we only made seven since it was just the two of us).

Just a heads up, this part is not so glamorous. The dough will tend to crumble and roll back into its original form. Don't be discouraged though! They still turn out delicious. :)

Then, add the pizza sauce and the cheese until each little muffin is full.

We ended up adding a pinch of romano cheese to each pizza, too!

Place the pizzas in the oven for about 20-25 minutes, or until the cheese is bubbly. After allowing the pizzas to cool down a bit, use a butter knife to pop them out of each section. 

Lastly, arrange your pizza(s) on an adorable vintage plate and devour them. Yum!

Unique LA

A couple of weekends ago, I had the pleasure of attending the 2nd Annual Unique LA Summer Show at the Barker Hangar in Santa Monica. Each season, Unique LA brings together people from all over Southern California to showcase their very own Made in America goods. And although Target is my number one love, I'm always down to support my local community one way or another.

While there were many amazing vendors there, my absolute favorite was none other than LA's very own NoeyCakes. The NoeyCakes menu included Banana Chocolate Chunk, Peach Cobbler, Churro, Mocha, and Meyer Lemon cupcakes. See close ups here!

My Banana Chocolate Chunk on the left, Jared's Mocha on the right

Not only is Noey a master baker extraordinaire, but she also so happens to sit less than ten feet away from my desk at work. I was so excited that she had the opportunity to showcase one of her greatest passions!

Another highlight of the event had to be the DIY bar, in which I finally brought to life my wildest Pinterest dreams... DIY bracelets!

Two DIY bracelets on the left, JewelMint friendship bracelets on the right

I've been dying to recreate these bracelets! Not only did they provide the materials, but there were also ladies everywhere to help us get started. There was definitely a "one bracelet per person" rule, so I was glad to have Jared there to grab another for me. And partially weave it for me. Ugh, adorbz.

After our bracelet making extravaganza, Jared and I ended our day at Unique LA by sharing these from the Me So Hungry food truck:

From left to right: the Cali Slider, the KTM Slider, and the Flyin' Hawaiian Slider. Yum!

If you missed out on this really cool event, not to worry, Unique LA will be back for the holidays. Also, if you're a SF or NY resident, keep an eye out for Unique SF and Unique NY!