Too cute Tuesday

"David's Bridal welcomes Andrea" on this Too cute Tuesday, where I tried on too many too cute dresses and am too darn torn!

Dresses & Cuties,

Drey $ Nicole

P.S. - We were in dressing room number 24! Not only is that an even number and one of my favs, but it's the date the weddings on! Coinkydink, or?!

Lazy Sunday

Today is for pjs, hoodies, movies, and snuggling with these two mama's boys. Thanks rain for allowing me the excuse to be lazy!

Couch potato,

Drey $ Nicole

Just Because

Today, like most days, I woke up to a wonderful surprise...JUST BECAUSE! Along with the usual Starbucks and bagel by my bedside, I had this beautiful flower arrangement and the sweetest love note inside of a card. I said to myself, "Think quick, what is today!?" But mister said nope, I got it just because. Followed by a "I don't need a holiday to show my love" rant. Such a sweet sucker!

Lucky Lady,

Drey $ Nicole

Long Beach Livin' Food Edition

This week was full of doubles at work for mister, which meant loads of food brought to me on lunch breaks and dinner time breaks. Getting married to a chef is like having a personal chef right at my fingertips 24/7, and also that I'll have to stay on my tip top toes with the workouts! Here's a few of the many delicious meals I had the pleasure of indulging in this week!

1. Cajun chicken tacos 

2. Country fried Steak, biscuits & sausage gravy, hashbrowns, bacon

3. Veggie Burger with sauteed onions, bell peppers & jalapenos 

4. Daily fresh sliced lemon water

5. Hot fudge brownie sundae with whip cream & chopped peanuts 

6. Chicken penne pasta with white wine citrus Beurre Blanc and garlic bread

Full-y yours,

Drey $ Nicole

Number Nine

Last night we walked to a local favorite off 4th Street called Number Nine. We each cracked young coconut water that was sweet and delicious, shared a few good spring rolls with my favorite peanut dipping sauce, and had something called a 'bun,' which is a type of pho, salad mix. Love this place! Fresh, clean, light.

Love,

Drey $ Nicole

A little bit of shopping drama

Today I went thrifting and found this adorable little baby sweater. A couple girls were pushing around a baby girl in a stroller and they kept eyeing me and the goods I was carrying around. I spotted an amazing 70's chair/ottoman combo, and went to tell the man at the register that I wanted it. He took the sweater from me, sat it on the register's counter, and told me to follow him and show him which chair. When we got back to the register, you guessed it, the sweater was GONE. He asked a couple employees if they grabbed it, no luck. I told him I think those two girls got it because they wouldn't take their eyes off me with it. I looked them in the eyes and started to walk right up to them. They saw me coming and quick grabbed the sweater, held it out and said, "Are you looking for this? Here you go. We thought you didn't want it anymore, sorry." Mhm...thank you! As I was walking home to get the truck to load the chair, I couldn't help but feel a little guilty when I got to thinking, "Hey, they already had a little baby to buy this for...here I go again shopping for a non existent seed." Oh well, in a couple years when you get here baby girl, I promise you'll have a wardrobe to be proud of. (Watch me have a boy now.)

b

Dramarama,

Drey $ Nicole

P.S.- Bentley made this chair his spot the second we placed it on the floor.

The 'Bentleys' Dilemma

Since moving into mister's Long Beach home, we quickly discovered a dramarama dog dilemma. Both of our dogs are named Bentley! No joke, believe it! I named my Bentley the name Bentley when I got him four years ago, thinking he looked like an old classy man that'd drive a Bentley and smoke cigars with that scruffy face of his. Gian got his Bentley with the name already, and kept it as is. We didn't think this would be such a big problem, I mean, they're dogs, but we were wrong. Within the first hour home there were lots of "Where's Bentley?" "My Bentley or your Bentley?" "Bentley, do you want to go for a walk?" "Noo, not you yet, the other one!" What do we do? Change one of their names? But they both know their names very well! Bentley 1 and Bentley 2? Give me advice!

Mama of 2 B's,

Drey $ Nicole

P.S. - What a cute little stepbrother dynamic these two have created! Long Beach Bentley was a little excited and pushy at first, while mine was annoyed and hesitant. A couple days later and they're BFFS! I can walk them both at the same time and they stay side by side. When one stops to pee or one is lagging behind, the other stops and waits for him to catch up. So cute!

Long Beach Livin'

My life as of lately, according to my smartphone photos.

Inspired by Bleubird Vintage 'Bits and Pieces' (A Friday ritual)

1. Couples bikerides to the beach 2. My everyday sunset

3. Best burrito made by mister 4. My new son

5. Early morning paper reading 6. I wake up to a Starbucks delivery everyday

See you next week for some more weekly life updates, via photo!

With Love,

Drey $ Nicole

P.S. - A big Happy Anniversary to my Mom today!

A dose of Drey: Fact #7

A dose of Drey: Fact #7

My favorite color in the whole entire world is PEA GREEN. All of my life, up until last year I believe, I've called it Olive Green when asked what my favorite color is. The color I love though, and the color of olives just aren't the same! My kind of green is that mushy pea, ugly old 70's couch, baby diarrhea green.

Sincerely,

Pea $ Head

Final Destination

Twenty-seven hours, eight red bulls, three five hour energys and two sodas later, we're finally here! It wasn't so bad with staying overnight in El Paso, trading off, and stopping often. We even picked up a few goodies at a New Mexico giftshop. There was a Mexican blanket/pancho 3 for $19.99 deal that we snatched up, racking in a pink, black and white blanket, pancho style hoodie in turquoise for mister, and a pink one for our unborn baby girl. No we're NOT expected...we just couldn't find one that I liked for me, and the little girl one was just too cute to leave behind! We also got a shotglass for my mom's collection, fridge magnets for every state we drove through on the trip (currently up displaying a few photos we snapped back home while visiting with my sister), and of course fireworks for Gian. I jogged down the side of an interstate at sunrise for the first time in my life. We stopped at all the state line signs and took pictures! In Phoenix, Arizona we went to a little Mexican food spot called Los Taquitos, that was featured on the show 'Diners, drive-ins and Dives.' It originated out of a taco truck, run by five sisters and a brother. They've now worked their way up to their own restaurant, and it was amazing! We're here in Long Beach now getting everything unpacked and settled in, and then the posts will become regular again! Stay tuned for new life updates!

Sincerely,

California $ Girl

Skype Dates

Thank the lord heavens and Niklas Zennström for inventing Skype and getting me through these last two weeks. The long wait is finally over and mister will be flying into Texas in the morning. We're going to have a few days with our families here and then hit the road for a fun road trip to our home in Long Beach, California. I couldn't have done this without you, Skype. I will continue to use you to talk to my parents, friends, and the rest of my family from California. It's so much better than just a voice over the phone. BEST. INVENTION.

Anxiously yours,

Drey $ Nicole

A Monday night tradition

Okay, so I have a three guilty pleasure show limit. Whether it’s The Bachelor, American Idol, or Big Brother, we’ve got a routine for it. Currently we’re on The Bachelor so it’s a Monday night ritual, but it changes to Tuesdays and sometimes Thursdays come summer time. My stepmom, we’ll call her Marmie, (a “Little Women” reference) and I meet at our favorite place, Pei Wei. We talk, gossip, catch up, and eat wonderful foods. The manager there knows us well because no kidding, this has been our weekly routine for about 3 years now, same spot. He calls us by name, gives us extra attention and even appetizers and meals on the house here and there! We kill just enough time to let tivo do it’s job, then we go home and watch commercial free! I think it’s cute and fun and I can always count on that day. I’ve got a strong thing for traditions and routines. Do you have any guilty pleasures or little traditions with your family and friends?!

For the love of reality television,

Drey $ Nicole

P.S. - The kitties love The Bachelor too!

A letter to the President

Dear Obama,

Why am I 22, have 3 jobs all with the city, live in a two bedroom 1 bath house on my own, struggle to pay rent but always manage to get it done on time, and I OWE sixty-seven dollars in taxes???? Last year I made 15,000 and this year I made 13,000. Yet, I owe $67 this year when I made less, and recieved close to $800 back last year? I feel like I'm being punished for having 3 jobs and trying so hard because that's what it takes at my age to afford my own place and be responsible, when others are sitting on their couches everyday mooching off the government recieving food stamps and being supported by unemployment checks for doing nothing! Can you please explain because I'm feeling pretty defeated.

Sincerely,

Drey $ Nicole

P.S. - And I voted for you.

Recycle Rant

It really bothers me when people don’t recycle. Olly is having a tough time grasping the idea, and you can bet I aint to proud to dig through the bin and pull out boxes, paper, and cans he’s thrown in there. It just makes so much more sense. Not only are you doing a good deed for your environment, it’s more organizational, and you don’t have near as much trash to put out. It takes me like two weeks to even fill a trash bag and have to put it out on the curb. You don’t even have to put recyclables into a trash bag because there’s no food or fluids on them. So you’re saving money on bags too! I hate to be one of those people trying to shove a belief down your throats because the media is making it the “cool thing” to do right now, but come on people, it’s simple. Don’t be a rebel on this one!

Make the world go round,

Drey $ Nicole

P.S. – Did you know it takes 500 years for 1 glass bottle to decompose in a land field?! Think of all the beer bottles and tomato sauce jars building up into a huge pile somewhere! Gross. Don’t think because it’s out of your sight that it just goes away.