Fun Weekend

John and I had an awesomely relaxing weekend enjoying the beautiful "fall" weather here in San Diego!  We started off the weekend on Friday night by trying our first restaurant Ramen experience at a place called Underbelly.  We got take-out, so the pictures didn't come out that great, but it was unbelievably delicious!

On Saturday, we enjoyed the beautiful weather by checking out the new Downtown San Diego Central Library!  It was the grand opening, so they had a bunch of tents, musicians, displays, etc.  It was really neat to check out, and it was even more fun because we were able to walk from our apartment.  The new library is within walking distance of the Penthouse Penthouse, which I am SO PUMPED about - for those of you that know me well, you know I have a love affair with libraries.  I can not wait to enjoy this new library!!

On Sunday, we started off our morning with some donuts from Donut Bar, which has started to become a weekend tradition for John and I.  We don't intend to get donuts every weekend, but as we start talking about how good they are, we seem to always want them!  So, we started off the day with some bomb donuts, you can see John holding the creme brulee donut in the picture.  OMG SO GOOD!  And then, after filling our stomachs with donuts and looking oh-so-beach ready, we spent the day soaking up the sun on the sand!  It was truly a glorious weekend.  And now, we're back to reality with the Monday blues. :)

Sunday Craft Time

Over the weekend, particularly Sunday, I was feeling crafty and decided to turn something ugly into something beautiful!  When we were visiting Fort Worth, John's Uncle Sam and Aunt Madelene took us to the Kimbell museum, where I was attracted to a painting by Piet Mondrian called Abstraction (pictured on the left).  When I saw it, I not only thought "wow, that's super cool, I love it", I was also thinking "wow, that looks like something I could make"!

Recently at DT, we were cleaning out the supply closet, and I snatched up a canvas that was destined for the garbage and determined to make myself a little craft.  And I did!  And it came out awesome!  And I'm super pumped!  Can't wait for you all to see the newest addition to the Penthouse Penthouse in person when you come visit! ;-)  Check out how awesome it came out in the pics below!!

Me painting!

The finished product, I love it!!  And since it was custom- the colors match perfect with our apartment!

Before and After!

Afternoon in the Park with DT

This past Friday, John and I enjoyed spending an afternoon in the park with my coworkers from digital-telepathy.  We had a fantastic afternoon sharing good company, yummy eats, quenching drinks, and many laughs.  I love my team here at DT and enjoy spending time with them.  Although they don't look familiar to all you NJ/NY followers, they're an amazing group of people and I can't wait to introduce you to them when you visit! :-)

Hahaha, many of our shared laughs took place when Niels 

split the front of his shorts playing football. =P

Christmas Flight Booked

It's official - I purchased my plane tickets home for Christmas - I'll be flying in on the 19th and leaving on the 24th so that I'm not traveling on Christmas day, but instead will be spending the day in sunny San Diego with John and Boots.  I'll be getting Boots from my mom while I'm home for Christmas.  So excited to see friends, family, and my beautiful little baby Boots!!  <3 <3 Can't wait!

DInner at Banker's Hill

John and I had an AMAZING dinner at Bankers Hill last night, our second meal of San Diego restaurant week.  I think we may have found our new favorite restaurant!  We started off with some bomb appetizers of Organic Pear Salad and Bacon-Citrus Marmalade Bruschetta, followed with some amazing entrees.  I had the Roasted Kabocha Squash Ravioli, while John enjoyed the Black Angus Bistro Tender.  For dessert we indulged in a Smores Ice Cream Sandwich (OMG YUMMY), and Spiced Apple Cobbler (which was a little too sweet for our taste, but still good).

I chose the ravioli and apple cobbler, because I wanted a little taste of fall.  It's interesting and weird being in a place that doesn't really have seasons.  The fact that it's still 70 degrees and the leaves aren't changing color is so different!  It does not feel as though Melissapalooza is fast approaching, that's for sure!  So I wanted some tastes that reminded me of fall :-)

San Diego Restaurant Week - 1st Stop Old Venice

It's San Diego restaurant week, so John and I decided to make reservations at a few delicious restaurants around the city.  Last night we checked out Old Venice.  John started off the meal with "Magic Mushrooms", mushrooms stuffed with snow crab, shrimp, and provolone cheese.  I enjoyed a Pesto Caprese appetizer, which was comprised of Buffalo mozzarella, beefsteak tomato, and pesto.  YUM!  Our entrees were super-delicious too!  I got the seafood Risotto, which had shrimp, scallops, fresh fish, mussels, garlic, onion, roma tomatoes, asparagus, and mushrooms in a creamy white wine risotto.  The seafood here in San Diego is always soooo good, any chance I get I order seafood dishes :-)  John's entree was great too - he ordered the Rigatoni Bolognese, which was spicy Italian sausage, onion, mushrooms, and parm cheese in a garlic marinara sauce.  Me and my hot date had a grand time!

Donut Bar

Today John and I woke up early to go to Donut Bar.  We've been there a few times now, but each time we went (at around 10AM), they were always pretty much sold out of donuts.  This morning we went at 8:30, thinking we'd beat the crowd.  We didn't beat the crowd - but they hadn't sold out yet, so we were in luck!  We stood in line for over a half hour waiting, and then had prime choice of all the day's donuts.  The donuts they bake vary from day to day.  Needless to say, it was totally worth the wait, and John and I have been indulging in donut breakfast, donut snacks,  and have been contemplating having a donut for lunch.  They are sooo good, check out the picture of the menu! Talk about delicious flavors - the root beer float donut was TO DIE FOR!

Top left: triple chocolate threat, 

middle row from left to right: red velvet, strawberry split, maple bacon,

Bottom row from Left to Right: Cro-bar, monte cristo, mud pie, and root beer float

Monte Cristo Donut

Strawberry Split