280/365

12 noon on October 7, 2010 in Vista, CA.

there i was, eating my lunch in my car, under the shade of a tree in a parking lot, when i saw these flowers soaking up the sun. i love finding beautiful things in unexpected places.
:-)

~n

279/365

~7:00pm on October 6, 2010 at home.

empanadas y pizza rellena!! not only are these an awesome dinner, but they make an excellent breakfast.
:-)

~n

278/365

~11:00pm on October 5, 2010 at home.

sometimes it's just one of those curl-up-in-bed-with-a-magazine-in-front-of-the-tv sorta nights :-)

~n

277/365

mid-morning on October 4, 2010 in Vista, CA.

you know those foods that, once in front of you, you will eat non-stop until they are completely gone? the first one that comes to mind for me is tortilla chips. doesn't matter what kind, i have to eat them. all of them.
these peanut butter cups are another one of those foods for me. they're from Trader Joe's and are miniature cups. it's scary how fast this box disappears!
:-)

~n

276/365

12 noon on October 3, 2010 in San Diego, CA.

i'm still soaking in the change of seasons. yes, San Diego doesn't exactly have a big change in weather, but there are still leaves on the ground to remind us that fall's trying to make its way in.

"Everyone must take time to sit and watch the leaves turn."
~Elizabeth Lawrence

:-)

~n

275/365

~2:00pm on October 2, 2010 in San Diego, CA.

there's a little gelato place in Mission Hills that i love. i don't get there nearly as often as i wish i would, but when i do go, it's totally worth it! i finally made it back for another helping of gelato. today i got hazelnut chocolate, vanilla bean, and caramel w/ brownie chunks. yu-um!!
:-)

~n

274/365

~10:00pm on October 1, 2010 at home.

when I was in college, I drove to IUP (Indian Univ. of PA) to visit a friend during their homecoming weekend. it was a pretty fun time, involving way more drinks than i care to admit.... so it's only fitting that this t-shirt is the souvenir I still have left from that weekend. this shirt was my friend's sorority's homecoming t-shirt, which they sold to raise funds. I'm so glad I still have it as a memory of those "scooby snacks" consumed!
:-)

~n

273/365

5:30pm on September 30, 2010 in Encinitas, CA.

i went to one of the cutest restaurants today. it's completely unassuming outside (as in, i've never noticed it in 7 years of driving right by it), and it only has 4 tables and a small bar inside. it's a japanese sake house that i've somehow never been to, but i'll go back to for sure. the only downside is that because it's small, it gets full quickly, and so they don't let you hang out endlessly. we found this out firsthand when we got kicked out so they could seat the next reservation. oops!
these adorable origami creations are at each place setting, in various colors.
:-)

~n

272/365

12:00noon on September 29, 2010 in Vista, CA.

i was not in a good mood today. i was in one of those 'stay in bed all day to sulk and eat junk food' sorta moods. and if i didn't have a job to go to i would totally have done that. unfortunately, i have a job. so i dragged myself to the office... suffered through the morning.... shuffled out to my car at lunch time... and then i look at the ground and see this! this little flattened leaf in the shape of a heart caught my eye, and it made me smile. suddenly my mood started to change, and my day didn't seem so sad after all.
:-)

~n

271/365

~8:00pm on September 28, 2010 at home.

a few years ago my sister brought me some incense cones. i stared at them with a confused look for a minute, then lit one up and watched it burn slowly. from that day on, i love incense cones! a great alternative to the usual incense sticks!
:-)

~n

270/365

8:41pm on September 27, 2010 at home.

after my day out in the heat yesterday, i was super tired today! so.... this is the time i hopped into bed. now, i'm a night owl, so this wasn't the time i went to sleep, but it was nice to climb into my cushy bed and relax for a while before sleeping.
:-)

~n

269/365

1:30pm on September 26, 2010 in San Marino, CA.

as if yesterday wasn't hot enough, today was even hotter. i didn't know this at the time, but it was 110 degrees in San Marino today. where was i? was i in an air-conditioned home, or restaurant, or movie theater? no.... i was walking outside. all afternoon.
actually i had a great time getting to know the Huntington Library and Botanical Gardens, but i think next time i go i'll check the weather forecast before heading up there.
:-)

~n

268/365

2:00pm on September 25, 2010 in San Diego, CA.

it was hot today. very hot. extremely hot. as in, record-breaking hot. little did i know that the next couple of days would be even hotter! i did manage to take solace in some shade while in the company of this beautiful bright yellow umbrella. last time i had been in this yard, the umbrella was red and i took a great picture of that one too. i wonder what color the umbrella will be next time i go visit??
:-)

~n

267/365

6:30pm on September 24, 2010 in La Jolla, CA.

i love that i have a beach just a few minutes away, because on days like today that means that I can go for  quick visit after work and still be home at a decent hour for dinner. today's sunset was amazing, and i didn't want to go home. the only thing that could have been better? i love empty beaches.... a few less people would've made it a perfect evening :-)

~n

266/365

10:00pm on September 23, 2010 at home.

there's something pretty awesome about clothespins.... maybe it's that they're so simple and functional that they're genius. maybe it's that so few people use them anymore that they have a retro appeal. whatever it is, i love them!
:-)

~n