Monday, August 20, 2012

Life is Good


I woke up this morning with a new start. A new start of a two week body cleanse and a new start after a well needed pick me up visit from my mama. It's weird getting used to an empty and quiet house again since they've left. I started the day off with the tastiest smoothie I've made myself to date and a handful of vitamins and cleanse detox capsules. Then I hopped on my squeaky new cotton candy blue schwinn and hit the town! I was coasting down to the beach at a higher speed than normal, (having not yet adjusted to gears and handle breaks) and  I slammed up a curb and ate it in front of a busy intersection! My day got better when I put on my favorite pandora station by the water and the vitamin d rays started soaking in! Then this creepy perv of a being came and parked himself right in front of the way I was laying, and on a Monday morning when the sand is wiped clean and cleared of the weekends crowd! How annoying and obvious can you be? It's like he saw me instagraming him though, because as soon as I posted his photo with a big Go away Creep, off he went! I wrapped up my sun bathing (we're trying to get our base tan on for our Florida trip in a few weeks!) and threw together a little post beach fruit and veggie snack on my new lazy susan. (Thanks for that, mom!) I love the contrast of a freshly showered body & warm skin from the sun, paired with cold & crisp fresh fruits and veggies. So refreshing! Life is good.
Contently yours,
Drey $ Nicole

Saturday, August 18, 2012

The Best Birthday Part II

After posting about the first half of the day yesterday, we set off on our bikes and headed to the last half of my surprise filled day. We made a pit stop for champagne and arrived at a little pier on the Bay. My first guess was that we were going to ride on a sailboat because there were rows and rows of them around, but I should have known my toots is even more original than that! Everything was timed out perfectly as usual, and we stepped into our private gondola (!!!) just at sunset! Mister busted out our roots and brought the Italia vibe to us here in Long Beach! Our champagne was chilled in a bucket of ice between us, 'that's amore' and other Italian tunes were serenading us in the background, and the sunset dancing across the ripples in the water all had me feeling like a lucky babe from the bachelor.
After an hour of Italian bliss, we decided on a wimb to stop in a tiny little place called Gypsy's that we'd always wanted to try. We went family style with everything and had falafels, hummus, pita bread, mediterranean salad, a persian veggie mix, and the most amazing slide off the bone lamb in the world. We finished the meal -and the best day ever- off with a fancy espresso and off we went. I can't say it enough you guys, best hubby, best. day. ever. 

Drey $ Nicole

Friday, August 17, 2012

The Best Birthday Part I

My toots had a master plan for my birthday this morning while he was away 
at work, and it was so genius I had to share it with you all before the day
is even over! Let me just throw in there that I am the happiest girl ever
and daily ask myself how I got so freakin' lucky with this guy!
I had been swooning over this for weeks in the window of a Moroccan store
on our street and said something about it everyday when we passed by. 
About a month ago it went missing and I was kicking myself for not getting
it before this mysterious person swooped in and bought it. Good thing it was
just my boy!
I cried when I opened this you guys!!!!! Isn't that bookmark cute! We got a little penguin thing going on over here, they find their one and only and mate 
for life!
Sugar is now home and were about to head out to the next surprise spot!
So excited to find out what we'll be doing and I'll share it will you all later!
I've gotten one little hint that it's something "outside." Hmm...
Stay peeled and find out soon!

Birthday $ Girl

Thursday, August 16, 2012

Surprise Visit Day 4: Knott's Berry Farm

Contrary to spending the day at a young spirited theme park,
it really had me feeling rather old. It'd been quite some time
since I'd ridden on a roller coaster and I've gotta tell ya, it kinda
rattled my brain and jerked my bones to exhaustion pretty early on.
I learned that I am more afraid of heights than even I myself knew, 
and that I'm not as spontaneous or fearless as I was once or would
like to be. However, I did ride every ride in the park excluding the
water rides, (have you smelled that water?!) and the boat will forever be my 
favorite. My mom even jumped on a couple coasters and we had some fun 
convos while we sat out the repeat rides for the other two. It was so 
much fun squeezing misters hand tight, laughing at screamy face photos, and watching him be the sweetest and so cute with Trinity. He said she stole his heart when she made friends with another kiddie in line and said she 
was here visiting her "aunt and uncle." Precious.
Having her here this week and doing so many kid things has got the both
of us feeling preeetty baby crazy. I keep reminding toots that I
hate odd numbers and I don't want a baby born in 2013 but then I just
feel a little silly. Were gonna keep pushing through and try to hold out
as long as possible, but I know it will come sooner rather than later, 
especially with his eagerness for a baby and my weakness for babies.
It's weird how it's what I've looked forward to my whole life, and now that 
it's here in front of me, the subject makes me so scared and anxious,
but like an excited scared and anxious! Eeeek! I can say though,
 that I'm more confident in doing anything to move forward with him
than I have been ever before in my life by a landslide. I couldn't
be happier with the person I chose and I feel too lucky that he 
chose me back. (This got way off topic.) KNOTT'S!

Drey $ Nicole

Wednesday, August 15, 2012

Surprise Visit Day 3: Dinner and Movies on the Beach

After a long day of soakin' in the ocean and the suns warm rays,
we polished up with a shower and hit a local favorite called Berth 55!
It's the freshest seafood in town and it's a true hidden gem!
(Took us a couple re-routes on the maps AND a pull into a gas
station for some help to find it!) It's so good that it's quite the
controversy around town right now! Someone with the city is trying
to out buy the owner of 40 years because the spot is ideal for 
his potential docking plans. This has the town in a fit, posting
pleads rants and raves in their reviews online, and even going so
far as to start a petition to keep the place in business. (Which
we signed after dinner.) 

After stuffing our guts with loads of halibut, calamari and snapper,
we topped the night off with the weekly showing of Movies on the Beach.
Trinity was extra excited over seeing Titanic, having only seen half of it.
She even out did mister and stayed awake until the very end!
I feel a new tradition coming on.

Drey $ Nicole


Tuesday, August 14, 2012

Surprise Visit Day 2: Retro Row


1. Up bright and early for a day of vintage shopping on the infamous Retro Row
2. Mom got to ride shotgun all week since I immediately took over her mini cooper
3. We all died over this beautiful 3,000 dollar pair of vintage chairs
4 & 5. Little hipster in training? She loved my favorite shop almost as much as me!
6. Brightness and feel-good item overload
7. This is about the time she couldn't hang and was over how much my mama and me shop when we get together
8. The cutest little retro barber shop called Salon Pop! The colors are fitting, Eh?
9 & 10. This little lady loves fruit more than anyone- including adults- that I know! I've lost count of how many "fruit salads" she's had since being here while the rest of indulge. She even orders the fruit cup over the waffle fries with her chickfila kids meal! Beats me.

Drey $ Nicole