the new easy

Last weekend Erin and Mat came to shoot some photos for an upcoming Bold Italic article of mine. I tagged along and practiced on my own photography-- something that's been on my monthly goals for a couple of months! These are from a great bar, The New Easy. I don't know if it's the Indian in me, but every time I see copper I swoon... their bar top was no exception. Incidentally, it made a great background for some of our drink photos. If you're in Lake Merritt, stop by and grab a gimlet!

apps & desserts // december

I decided I'd share my favorite mobile apps and delicious desserts every month with you all! This month it's Evernote, which I've been using nonstop to organize my work and personal life (I have a "Christmas" notebook which contains several notes including gift list and decoration ideas) and a Martha Steward lemon pound cake I made last week. 

The features I love about Evernote are: syncing across all devices (for me thats my iPhone, iPad mini, Macbook Pro, and iMac), amazingly beautiful and clear design, and really neat features. Even if you don't use it for work, I'd encourage you to take a look at it for your personal lists (it has a feature where you can put check boxes next to each item...my list-makers, you feel me, right?).

I have not baked in a long time, and it was awesome to get my feet wet again with this delicious lemon pound cake by Martha Stewart. It was very easy to make and requires so few ingredients  Oh, and the actual bake time is fairly fast, so once you get it in the over you don't have to wait super long to enjoy it with chai, hot chocolate, or a hot toddy (as we did this past weekend). 

What apps and/or desserts are you enjoying? Leave in comments!

so far, so awesome

Moving to Oakland has been one of the easiest transitions in my life. I've moved enough (from a cold tiny student flat in Manchester to a village in Africa) to appreciate the ease with which my life in Oakalnd has taken root. There have been many wonderful experiences since we arrived in July. I'm so thankful to have moved to a place where I can be closer to wonderful friends. I had been missing the presence of people that know me on different levels while living in Long Beach. It's somewhat bittersweet, though; Long Beach is a wonderland that will always hold my heart.