Coffee Date

Hi friend! And hi Tuesday! MMM raspberry tea. Pull up a chair, I will brew you a cup, or coffee if you prefer. The tea is delicious, and from my friend Georgia. Both lovers of tea, all things crafty, holidays, and any excuse to give a gift, we decided to do a Valentine's Day gift swap. It was so much fun...the rules were simple, make a Valentine's Day decoration, and add something edible to enjoy. Georgia is incredibly crafty and an inspiration with the beautiful items she creates!

As my gift to her, I made her a multimedia painting on a 5"x5" canvas. Something I have never really done before but had a lot of fun with it! Man this tea is delicious. Thanks Georgia!

If we were meeting for coffee today, I would tell you to head on over. I am tired and don't have the energy to get dressed, so feel free to stay in your comfy clothes and snuggle under a blanket.

If we were meeting for coffee today, I would ask you "what you did for Valentine's Day?" Because Mondays are long days for Brent and he starts early the next day, we both agreed we would rather celebrate over the weekend. Saturday we rode bikes to the coffee shop down the street, grabbed iced lattes, and hit the beach for a picnic, sunshine, reading, and relaxing. That night from the comfort of home we made a three-course fondue dinner...cheese with apples and bread, oriental beef broth with veggies, chicken and shrimp, chocolate fondue, and champagne. (Okay so we were too full for the dessert fondue, so we are actually having that tonight) YUM! He surprise me with tulips on Friday and roses on Saturday.

And my gift?

A bracelet and necklace from Dogeared, paired with a card from him that said, "I love you to the moon and back" and "Our love is infinite" - I am so so lucky. And I love the dogeared stuff because they all have some kind of special meaning behind them.

Are you reading anything right now? I am reading House Rules by Jodi Picoult. She is such a talented writer and I can't put it down. It is extra fascinating to me because the main character is a boy with Aspergers Syndrome, so at times it is like reading about my cousin who is autistic.

♥ Enjoy the rest of your week, thanks for having coffee with me! ♥

And thanks of course to Amy of Lucky Number Thirteen for hosting Virtual Coffee!

*The I Love You card is by Crafty Fanny

♥ Happy Valentine's Day! ♥

There are many reasons I love Valentine's Day. For one, it brings back fun memories of giving and receiving valentines in elementary school...the excitement of carefully picking them out at the store, distributing into everyone's homemade holders, and gleefully reading each one as I stuffed my face with candy.

Another reason I love Valentine's Day, I can't get enough of all the hearts, the reds, pinks & purples, the sappy cards and of course the surplus of chocolate and candy. And I love walking around the downtown shopping area and seeing all the store windows decorated.

But my very favorite part of the holiday is the opportunity to express my love for those who mean the world to me. While romance is a big part of the day, I like to think of it as a day for love of any kind...shared between parents and kids, significant others, pets and owners, siblings, friends...

This year I spread the love by sending out homemade valentines and chocolates.

I hope that above all else, you were able to spend time with those who you love!

Happy Valentine's Day! ♥ ♥

10 on 10 - February Style

February 10th and time for 10 on 10! 10 photos on the 10th of the month, 1 photo every hour for 10 consecutive hours. This month, I still took a photo every hour, but I focused on the hearts and love around me in honor of Velentine's Day and National Heart month!

See some more 10 on 10 projects from other participants HERE.

Virtual Coffee

Good morning! I love having coffee or tea on Tuesday mornings and chatting. Today I am sipping some peach tea in my favorite purple mug siting in my favorite chair, and listening to the birds singing away in this windy, grey day.

If we were actually meeting to have coffee and chat I would ask about your weekend. Ours was jam-packed between Brent's birthday and Superbowl. Friday was Brent's actual birthday, just the two of us had sushi and saw the Black Swan. It was a really good movie we both loved it, but I did not expect to be so freaked out by it! We met there so we had separate cars, and driving home alone my mind was playing tricks on my and scaring me. I was very proud of myself for baking a cheesecake for the first time, it came out wonderfully and Brent enjoyed it.

Saturday we were able to relax, then we met a few good friends for dinner at a Caribbean restaurant. That was my first experience with Caribbean food...good but spicy. Sunday was brunch at Brent's parent's house for another birthday celebration. Huevos rancheros with homemade tortillas and the works. His sister is 4 months pregnant and we had a blast coming up with ridiculous name ideas (it is a boy). Back in the car and headed to Long Beach for a Superbowl party at our friend's house. Busy weekend but fun.

If we were really meeting for coffee, I would ask if you have ever heard of Kina Grannis? I have been following her for awhile and have even seen her live. But I love this cover she did with Boyce Avenue of "Fast Car"I am excited for Spring...can't wait for the bustling farmer's markets on sunday filled with my favorite fruits, the hillsides of wild mustard and wildflowers, fruit pies, Easter Sunday...

My mom is coming to visit today, I am very excited. We always have so much fun together, and even though she only lives an hour away I miss here when she is not here. I hope you have a great rest of the day and a wonderful week! Thanks to Amy for hosting Virtual Coffee! Visit her beautiful blog ♥

Raspberry Swirl Cheesecake

Above: after baking, Below: before baking

Friday was Brent's birthday and his favorite dessert is cheesecake. I have never made a full-size cheesecake before, only miniature-sized. It was more intimidating to make a large size, with all the cracking and when is it done issues. But it could not have turned out better!! It did crack in the spots where the raspberry swirls were, must be because it created air pockets. I highly recommend this recipe!

::Raspberry-Swirl Cheesecake::

From Martha Stewart

{Ingredients}

1 cup finely ground graham crackers

2-3 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

1 3/4 cup sugar

6 ounces raspberries

32 ounces cream cheese, room temperature

Pinch of salt

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

4 large eggs, room temperature

{Directions}

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

2. Stir together cracker crumbs, melted butter, and 2 tablespoons of sugar in a medium bowl. Press crumb mixture firmly onto bottom of spring form pan. Bake until set, about 10 minutes. Remove from the oven and allow to cool in pan. Reduce oven temperature to 325 degrees.

3. Process raspberries in food processor until smooth. Pass puree through a fine sieve and discard the seeds. Whisk in 2 tablespoons sugar, set aside.

4. Mix cream cheese in the bowl of an electric mixer on medium speed until fluffy, about 3 minutes. On low speed, add remaining 1 1/2 cups sugar in a slow, steady stream. Add salt and vanilla, mix until well combined. Add eggs, one at a time until just combined (do not overmix). Pour cream cheese filling over crust.

5. Drop the raspberry sauce by the teaspoon on top. With a toothpick, swirl the raspberry into the filling.

6. Bake until cake is set but still slightly wobbly in the center, about 60-65 minutes.

7. Transfer to a rack and cool completely. Refrigerate, uncovered for 6 hours or overnight. Run a knife around the edge of the cake before removing.

ENJOY!!! ♥

{Notes & Tips}
1. The recipe calls for wrapping spring form pan in foil then baking in a roasting pan filled with water. I however did not use this method because we don't have a large enough pan.

2. A helpful tip I learned for quickly bringing the eggs and cream cheese to room temperature: place in a large bowl of warm (not hot) water until it reaches room temp. Change out water if it drops in temperature.

3. Some general tips for perfect cheesecake HERE.

Friday Five - Beauty in Starkness

California may not get the extreme winters the rest of the country faces, but I still like to pay attention and notice the slight seasonal changes. Trees are bare, green is scarce, and there is a chill in the air. Here are five California-style winter shots for you. Today I was featured on the Mortal Muses site, check it out HERE!

Today is Friday (yay!) and Brent's birthday (yay!) so it should be a fun couple of days between the birthday celebrations and Superbowl parties.

Have a wonderful weekend everyone!

Le Ballon Rouge

The Red Balloon or Le Ballon Rouge is a 34 minute short film about a boy in Paris who finds and forms a friendship with a red balloon. The pet-like balloon follows him, obeys him, and has a mind of its own.

I had seen the film in high school, but when I saw it again recently I was touched by an unexpected hope that permeated the film. With age we become jaded as we experience and witness the negativity of the world. As we see and experience pain and suffering, our dreams are shot down, and we focus on our adult responsibilities, we shy away from that feeling of anything is possible and lose that child-like sense of wonder and imagination. Watching this film I was lost in the child's world. That joy, innocence and carefree attitude of a child just made me want to revert back to that time in my life. But why can't I adapt these to my 23 year-old self? I can make my dreams a reality, I can find happiness in my everyday life, and I can escape reality by taking time out for myself to do what I love...escape into my creative world.

In the film, the boy is bullied and his only friend is the balloon. They form a bond, a friendship, and they depend on each other, bringing each other happiness. This made me think...it takes only one person in our lives to make us feel alive, bring us love and joy and support, and instill a sense of hope in our lives. I am so fortunate to have an endless supply of love and support through my boyfriend, family and friends.

Since January 1st I have been writing down one thing everyday that I am grateful for. Even if I have had a bad day, it really forces me to reflect on the positive aspects of my life and I have noticed a major shift in the way I think. It is almost like training my brain to push my way through the muddiness and see the brightness.

Below is the first third of the film...if you have never seen it, it is worth the 34 minutes! The cinematography is stunning, I wanted to freeze every frame and print them out for my walls!

I ♥ Color - Red

For many, winter is stark, lacking in color and brightness.

So here is a little burst of color to brighten your day!

What better for the month of love than a little collection of RED.

xo Have a great day!