Uhm, is anyone else out there still processing the fact that August has come and gone ALREADY?! This month felt like it went by literally in the blink of an eye. But rather than go on and on about how fast this whole year is going…here is my August Roundup for you all!
AUGUST LOOKBACK LIST
READING:
This month the gals of Redondo Condo and I started our own little mini book club! We all read Jeannette Walls’ memoir, The Glass Castle, and have plans to go see the movie together this month when our schedules all line up! We all loved this book. It was easy to read and was cool because each chapter was kind of like it’s own mini story. It follows the life of Jeannette and her family as they grow up in poverty and move all over the US. The children all end up being successful individuals living in NY, while their parents are still living homeless on the same streets. It was a very eye-opening story, and has moved up the list to my Top Ten Favorite Books of All Time! Would definitely recommend.
PLANNING:
On September 9th, I get to give a Maid of Honor speech for my best friends, Lauren & Pags! I’m putting the final touches on my speech and making changes here and there. I know what I’m saying, it’s just a matter of saying it in a way that doesn’t take up the whole evening 😉
WATCHING:
my project runway buddy^^
Al and I always try to start watching shows together, but with our differing work schedules sometimes it’s hard to both stick with something and we usually end up not finishing the series, or only one of us finishing it! But this month we started watching a Netflix Original Scripted Series, called GLOW (Gorgeous Ladies of Wrestling). The show takes place in the 1980’s and is about the introduction of female wrestlers in the WWF – following their personal and professional lives. If you’ve ever watched the show, Community, then you’ll recognize “Annie” as the Protagonist, Ruth. So far it’s been really good – there are 10 episodes and they’re half hour each. Marc Maron – a comedian/actor that Al really likes – is also starring in it and he’s hilarious.
And of course we couldn’t miss the Mayweather / McGregor boxing match that took place this month! I was certainly surprised (in a good way) of how competitive McGregor was! We had a great time watching the match with some friends at home over some chili cheese dogs and Golden Road beers.
And this month, Project Runway came back for its 16th season! My friend, Val, and I are avid fans and we always text about the show after we’ve watched it. Anyone else out there watching this season? You can catch it on Lifetime, Thursdays at 9pm! (Or just watch them all on DVR, like me 😉 )
COOKING:
As I just mentioned, in preparation for the fight, I whipped up some chili in the crockpot and let it cook all day so that we could enjoy some chili cheese dogs! Chili is a great, inexpensive meal that you can feed a lot of people with! To accompany it, I made my famous guacamole, served with blue-corn tortilla chips.
I also want to mention here how amazing the Vidalia Chop Wizard is! You’ve probably seen this thing on infomercials…we got one from our wedding registry and I finally used it this month – to chop onions and peppers for the chili, and tomatoes and onions for the guacamole – and this thing is a lifesaver. I love it. I think it’s my new favorite kitchen tool. It chops and dices pretty much anything that you put in there, and decreases the chances of chopping your fingers off 😉 Also, if you make as much guacamole as I do, then this product should be calling your name.
EATING:
With so many weekends spent away this month, I’ve been trying to eat in as much as possible while in LA. But thought I would note a cool Ramen place my coworkers took me to recently! We went to Shin-Sen-Cumi Hakata Ramen in Little Tokyo for bowls of ramen and some saki! I love a good bowl of ramen, so anytime someone wants to go, I’m in! It’s been fun taking advantage of working downtown with some new friends!
DRINKING:
While browsing through one of my favorite stores ever with Julie this month – World Market – we came across the Save Me, San Francisco Wine Co.! For anyone familiar with the band, Train, this wine company was started by one of the band members, and each bottle is named after a Train song! We got the Drops of Jupiter red blend and enjoyed it on a Sunday evening in the backyard J
While in Virginia Beach for Lauren’s Bachelorette Weekend festivities, our friend, Mel, took us to one of her favorite breweries in the area: Commonwealth Brewing Company. We ordered two samplers between the three of us and they ended up being pretty hefty samplers to the point where I think just one would have been enough! I loved the huge selection that they had available…and their cans are pretty beautiful too 😉
In Manhattan Beach, located on PCH, is one of our favorite little coffee shops: Two Guns. My only-ever complaint about this place was that they didn’t have any indoor seating and only a few little tables outside, so it was mostly a grab-and-go place for me. But now! They bought the store next to them and have turned it into a little coffee boutique / art gallery / sitting area and connected the two and it is perfect. It’s called Suite6. This will definitely have me coming back more often, especially since it’s so close!
PINNING:
As Marty is winding down on his awful coffee-table-chewing habit (eyeroll), I’ve had my eye on a new coffee table project for Al. I’d like to reuse the hairpin legs that I bought off of Etsy, so I’ve been looking at different hairpin designs. Al said he’s up for the challenge, so we’re just waiting for Marty to kick the habit altogether and then it’s go-time!
CRAFTING:
This isn’t something that I made, but I wanted to share the beautiful skirt that my mom made me for my friend Rachael’s wedding! I was a bridesmaid and Rach had instructed us to wear floor-length neutral tones…she had a vision of a mix of both dresses and skirts, and so when I sent my mom the pictures that Rach had forwarded to us, she said, “I can make that!” She did an incredible job, and this has turned into one of my favorite articles of clothing that I own. The top is from Nordstrom!
GOING:
I’ve been on the move this month! Al and I spent our first weekend of the month back in PA for Rachael & Virgil’s beautiful wedding in Reading, PA. They did such an amazing job with the decorating and bringing the whole space together. I cannot wait to see their photos.
The second weekend of the month, the gals and I took an overnight trip to Santa Barbara to visit our friend, Stephanie! Steph was such a great host, and we spent the day wine tasting throughout the funk zone and then ordering some of the best Thai food ever. I think SB may be one of my favorite weekend getaways. Thank you, Steph! – for letting us stay in your beautiful home, for showing us a good time, and for taking time out of your weekend to hang with us all! Girls trips are just the best, am I right??
The third weekend of the month, I traveled back east to Virginia to celebrate Laur’s Bachelorette Weekend! I was so happy that I got to spend the first night in Laur’s apartment before she and Pags move into their new house! I had total porch envy when I saw the amazing triangle plant shelf that she and Pags had built together. It was fun getting to see her town of Richmond before heading to Virginia Beach for Bachelorette festivities with all the other gals! We rented an Air BnB just a block from the beach and had a great time celebrating our Bride-To-Be!
And on the last weekend of the month, Al took me up north to Sylmar for an early Birthday surprise at the Wildlife Learning Center – which you can read more about in detail in my last post!
LOVING:
I posted earlier this month about the gratitude I’ve been feeling for my sisters / Redondo Condo family. So this month, I am loving them.
This month, we’ve also seen so much progress with the pups! They all really seem to know that they’re brothers now, and it’s been such a joy to watch both Marty and Stone grow up together! We’re to the point now where we can all be in the apartment together and remain cool, calm, and collected. Which makes my mornings before heading into work just the best ❤
FEELING:
This month I was in awe of the amazing Solar Eclipse that we experienced on the 21st! Luckily, Alex’s mom had given us two pairs of viewing glasses, so I was able to put them on that morning and see the eclipse in all its glory! It was just so incredible to witness it, and we weren’t even in the Path of Totality! Alex and I were discussing taking a trip for the next one in April of 2024 to experience the Path of Totality…it’ll be right around our 7 Year Anniversary so I think it sounds like a great idea!
Marty, on the other hand, did not want to be outside at all that morning! He kept going up to the door and just standing there to be let inside, which is strange for him in the morning time. Did anyone else’s pets act weird during the Eclipse!?
LISTENING:
On Sundays in August, Hermosa Beach hosts free concerts on the beach! We made it back from Santa Barbara in time to catch Everclear perform before sundown! Al, Laur, Josh, & I packed a cooler of steak, potato salad, greens, and wine, & enjoyed ourselves a nice little Sunday evening on our picnic blanket 🙂
Since I have a 45 min – 1 hour commute to work each day, I’ve been listening to NPR on my drive into Downtown! It’s been a good way to stay informed on what’s been going on around the world these days.
Speaking of, in light of Hurricane Harvey, Al proposed to the neighbors and I, that we all get together some lightly-worn clothes of ours and some new socks/underwear to send down to those in need. It’s a small gesture, but can make a big difference if everyone gives just a little bit of what they can to families that have lost everything– whether it be money, clothing, or our time.
CELEBRATING:
As you’ve probably noticed, we had lots to celebrate this month!
Congratulations to Rachael & Virgil on their beautiful marriage! I was so honored to stand by your side as you two tied the knot. Your ceremony was the perfect reflection of you both – all of the thought and hard work that you put into every detail of the day really shone through. Also, you had the best wedding party I could have ever imagined, and I think I’ve made a few more lifelong friends because of it 🙂
To Lauren, I can’t wait for your wedding in just a WEEK! I had the best time celebrating your big-day-to-come with some of the best ladies that we know and love. Thank you to everyone who came and shared in the Virginia sunshine with us! I can’t wait to see all you ladies again shortly!
And thank you to Al, Laur, & Josh for being a part of my early birthday celebration! We celebrated early because the weekends where we’re all home together have been slim lately, we’ve all been so busy!
And there we have it! September is here! I’m going to try and slow down a bit and take in every moment, as time just keeps going by faster and faster! We’ve got two weddings to attend this month, job promotions to celebrate, I turn 26, and Marty turns The Big One! So it’s already shaping up to be a good month 😉 On top of all that, I’m so looking forward to this long Labor Day Weekend to spend with my little family in the Southbay – we’re hoping to get a bunch of things done around the house while we’re both home, and hopefully snag some time at the beach while we’re at it!
xo!
LAUREN LIVES 