August Recap

Happy first day of September, dear followers! I don't know about you, but September has always been an exciting time for me. There was always the anticipation of starting school again and the promise of cooler weather. I do (kind of) miss being in school, but I know there are still exciting times ahead...and of course, job hunting. For now, I'd like to share all of my favorite August memories. Enjoy!

Beach day with Lucas. Believe it or not, this day was the first time we had gone to the beach together in two years. I know, we're not the typical Southern Californians. I am really glad we went on this day about three weeks ago because the weather couldn't have been more perfect. We started the day off by having lunch on the sand at Newport Beach, but we left right after because it was way too crowded. Afterwards, we drove down the Pacific Coast Highway and found the most perfect little beach in Corona Del Mar. It was quite a long and exhausting walk to get down there (see the middle photo), but the crystal blue water and endless sunshine were worth the hike. Oh and by the way, I almost lost my bikini top while trying to swim under a wave. Even with that embarrassing moment, this beach day was amazing.

Several days later, Lucas and I decided to go on a nighttime adventure. We usually just go on short walks or bike rides, but on that night, he drove us to Laguna Beach. We drove past a eclectic town full of art galleries, gay bars, and little boutiques and ended up in a very nice neighborhood with very expensive houses and a private beach. Is there anything more romantic and magical than walking along the beach at night? I think not. It was so dark that we couldn't tell where the sky and ocean met. I am pretty bummed that it was too dark to take any pictures that night. Still, I figured it was worth sharing this story with all of you. :)

I'm pretty sure I've mentioned before that one of my favorite places to shop is the Irvine Spectrum. About a week ago, I had lunch at The Cheesecake Factory with my mom, grandma, and brother. I have a few favorite dishes from that restaurant, but on that day, I was in the mood to try something new. I ordered the Moroccan Chicken which is now my new favorite. Seriously. It was grilled spiced chicken breasts with couscous, asparagus, onions, tomatoes, and almonds. I ate every last bite and my taste buds were singing the   entire time. After having lunch, my mom and I went shopping at one of our favorite stores, Anthropologie. Even if I can't afford half of the things in that store, I always love exploring every nook and cranny. I like imagining how I'd decorate my future house with mismatched plates hanging on the wall and whimsical touches like this tassel light fixture. Isn't that chameleon dessert plate the cutest thing ever? I use mismatched plates and bowls to store and display all of my jewelry. I'm thinking that maybe I want to add this plate to my collection.

Oh yes, and discovering a new bakery that sells French macarons was another highlight of August! I remember how excited I was when I discovered that other local bakery that sold macarons. (See this post.) This new bakery is in the middle of a very busy Asian shopping and dining center so I was surprised that they actually sold macarons too. I love how these are slightly bigger and have more filling than the other ones I got before. I also really love the packaging that these little lovelies come in. This purple box is almost as pretty as the famous Ladurée box! I still have this box and I have no idea what I should use it for - I don't know, maybe a pencil case? - but for now, I am content with having it sitting pretty on my desk.

My mom's favorite bakery is also in that shopping center. 85 Degrees is almost always ridiculously crowded. I remember one evening we waited in line for over half an hour just to get inside the bakery! They don't sell my precious macarons here, but they do have several savory buns and other types of bread. My mom purchased three orders of their Brioche, which is delicious with jam or just by itself. After stocking up on fresh bread and other baked goods, we had a quick sushi lunch. Pictured here are two of my favorites from that revolving sushi place: seared mackerel and fried sweet potatoes.

A few days ago, I ran some errands at Target and Rite Aid. I came home with these four lovely shades of pastel green and pink nail polish. (In case it isn't obvious yet, can you tell that pale green and pink are my favorite colors in the world?) I had a really hard time deciding which combination of pastel and sparkle to try first. After all, who can choose between two favorite colors? In the end, I ended up painting my nails with my new pink Essie nail polishes. I used "Sugar Daddy" as a base and topped it with "A Cut Above." I must say that so far, I am really impressed by Essie nail polishes. I'm not sure why, but almost all of the pastel nail polishes I own tend to bubble. I'm happy to report that my nails were bubble free!

To conclude an amazing month of August, I went to a Angels game with my boyfriend, mom, and brother. I've lost count of how many games Lucas and I have attended, but it was my mom and brother's first game. We had AMAZING seats. Like, almost in foul ball territory amazing. I don't remember what the score was that night. I want to say 9-2, but whatever it was, YAY! The Angels won. I know I've been complaining about the heat and wishing that fall would just get here already, but to be honest I'm really going to miss summer mostly because of baseball season.

By the way, I hope you don't think I look too creepy in the bottom right photo. Why yes, I was posing with a huge picture of Dan Haren. And yes, I was wearing a t-shirt with his name and number on it. Creepy? Yeah, maybe just a little. Haha. The best part was that my wonderful boyfriend took this photo. He told me that the next time we go to the mall, he's going to do the same thing with a picture of a Victoria's Secret model. I told him that somehow that would be a whole lot creepier than what I was doing. ;)

So that's it! Those were some of the best moments of August for me. How has your summer been?