Monday Lunch Break

I got The Sonoma from Anna's Bakery to go, and headed to Goleta Beach.

My sandwich....chicken, garlic sauteed mushrooms, marinara sauce, parm and mozzarela cheese....was so tasty. I ate the whole thing....AND polished off my Peanut Butter Chocolote Chip cookie too!

The view....the ocean, calm and peaceful....was, well, calm and peaceful.

The sounds....the children laughing, the gulls, the families enjoying the June gloom day....was wistful.

I brought my book with me to the spot I found to sit down, but as soon as I got there, my plans changed. Instead of reading, I fell in love with a family that had me smiling the entire time....2 little girls and their Dad. They were so wonderful, they just put a smile on my face the entire time I was there. I wish I'd had enough courage to go up to them and tell them how much I really wanted to capture and tell their story, but I thought that might be a little creepy (families.....what would YOU think if a stranger on the beach came up to you and said they wanted to tell your story??).

It was the best lunch. Only one thing would have made it any better.

Ok...that's all. I just wanted to remember this day.

Weekends in SB

Brett, Kyle and I had a great lunch at Stacky's in Summerland on Saturday afternoon. The boys laughed at me when I started to take pics, but I just had to. This place makes me smile with all it's fun colors and things to look at, and it is such a neat spot.....somewhere that I would love to take pictures someday. Anyone up for a nautical session? :)



Not sure if the boys know I took this one....but oh well, I gotta post it. Just look at what a beautiful day it was in Summerland!!!


Sunday afternoon was also a sunny day, so we washed our cars, and then went to meet up with Jeff, DJ, Christianne, Mark and Chelsea, for some beach volleyball. As we have talked about, I'm not the most athletic person, but I decided to go ahead and play so that we'd have even teams.

Guess what? I wasn't half bad!!! I hadn't played beach volleyball before, I've always just watched from the sidelines. I guess in the past I'd never really understood how you play the game...but it all clicked. My first two serves even went over the net! Ha!!

I played the first game and then ended up hanging out with Zuri. She is the coolest dog!!!


I broke a few blood vessels in my arms from all the bumping, setting and serving....but it was worth it!! Had so much fun!!

BBQ at 1339

We had a little BBQ tonight at our place to test out new grill. Thank goodness that we had Brett on hand to set the thing up...not sure that Laura and I would have figured it out on our own!!

We invited over a few friends, everyone brought their own meat, we had a few sides, people brought some sides....it was a great night overall!

Emily brought over a croquet set, and so we played again. I fared MUCH better this time, although the luck of the mallet was with Janey. She took 1st on her very first try at the game. Way to go, MJ!! 

A wonderful night with friends, laughter, yummy food (GREAT tri-tip.....mmmmm), and good times.   

Croquet???

Click to see what ELSE you can do with the croquet mallets. Circus anyone??

Home Group BBQ

I was so lucky to be part of this Home Group this season. I went to the first one back when I was in town, still as a visitor, and got to meet everyone then. It was such an awesome way to get to know some wonderful people around town, and also get to know the Gospel, over the last few months.

We ended our season a few weeks back, but decided to get together one last time and celebrate our awesomeness. Bob and Brenda were willing to open their house to all of us one more time for our shindig. We had some yummy treats and a lot of fun hanging out.

Everyone brought a little something....and the end result was a LOT of really delicious food!! I filled my plate...and enjoyed it all too!!

Awww....our Home Group!! It's going to be a lonely summer not seeing all of these wonderful folks every Tuesday night!!

Of course I had to try for one of my self portrait shots. It's not the ideal shot...but there ARE a lot of smiling faces in there! That's all that matters!

We setup and played a round of croquet. Turns out that despite my strong start, I am not very good at this sport either. Even despite my wonderful form....it took me about 5 tries to get through that obstacle. Brett and Dave battled it out for the winning spot....and it was truly entertaining the entire time.

We did break out in the middle at one point however to see how well everyone would fare in a one man circus. Jessica takes the trophy!

Wonderful women!!

Dessert was brownies, cupcakes.....and SMORES!! How fun!!

Dave was having way too much fun with his new camera. He's got the perfect model living with him....I'd be taking pics of Ash all day long too!

Had a great time getting to know and spend time with everyone over the last few months!! Don't be strangers.....hope to see you all again soon!!

Delightful.

I called Vanessa on my way home from church.

Annemarie: "Are you hungry?".
Vanessa: "Yes.".
Annemarie: "Do you want to grab lunch?".
Vanessa: "Sure, where should we go?".
Annemarie: "I want to go somewhere that I haven't gone before...so you pick!".

We talked about how there are so many neat local places to eat in SB, and so many that we hadn't been to. After a little thought, we ended up at Jake's Cottage Cafe on De La Vina. They evidently have just re-opened...so be sure to check them out!!

In the spirit of going to a new place...I decided to try something new too! I've always eyed people's food when they ordered Eggs Benedict, but never tried it myself. So, after trying to figure out if I wanted French Toast or Pancakes (my usual choices), I made a game time decision when she asked me for my order to go with the EB. I was a little nervous about not liking the poached eggs, so I asked her to have it prepared with over medium fried eggs instead.

Well, I know you're on the edge of your seat wondering if I liked it. I won't keep you waiting...it was scrumptious!! I liked the hollandaise sauce..and combined with the mushrooms, ham and spinach....it was a treat!! Yeah, I cleaned my plate.


My food wasn't the only treat. It was great to spend some time with Vanessa, and get to know her better. She's got a real sense of joy surrounding her....and she's always smiling!! Thank you, Vanessa, for hanging out with me!!! Hope you have a great run this afternoon!! :)


PS. If you're a grits fan....definitely stop by Jake's. They prepare them every which way you can imagine!!!

Home Sweet Home

It's been a little over a month that we've been in our new home....and I love it!!! It's so open, bright (lots of windows), serene (we have lots of nature noises) and cozy! We had a roomie night about a week ago and figured how what we were going to hang on some of the walls, so it's pretty much all setup at this point. I still have a few major decisions to make in my room....but I'm not that concerned. All I do is sleep in there. If I'm home, I'm out in the living room, chatting it up with one of my roomies, or enjoying the breeze from opening the windows and doors.

So....here's my new home in Santa Barbara. 1339 on the Mesa. Come visit us!!

The side of the house was a blank lot, until Laura turned it into a garden a few weeks ago. Also....the BBQ pit is a brand new addition, thanks to Laura's friend, Paul. Thanks for the pit, Paul!!!

I had lunch with Laura sitting on the patio yesterday. It was absolutely lovely.

We have a beautiful fountain, complete with lots of fishies. The gentle music that comes from when it runs is just wonderful. We love it!! We've also got a rope swing!! It's so much fun!!

Our home came with a gardner....thank goodness!!! Someone else responsible for keeping all of this green and pretty!! So glad for him!!

I love all the windows in our home. First thing in the morning, we open up all the blinds to let all the light in! Love it!!

Lots of comfy seating!!

Our kitchen is a little interesting, it's got a lower than normal stove, but it works for us. AND...it's the best kitchen for The Good Spoon. Can't you see Laura on the other side of the stove, with all of her guests at the table, learning all the tricks on how to prepare a yummy meal? I can!!!

We got lucky and scored a place that also has a washer and dryer. It's in the kitchen, which some people might think is a little strange....but in my mind, all of the noisy appliances are in the same spot....so that's a good thing!

We hung some of my photography that I brought with me in the hallway back towards our rooms. The frames are filled with images from downtown Austin (SoCo) and the Capital. Make me smile to remember the fun day that I spent taking them with Toni in December 2007. It was the first time I took out my DSLR. :)

Lastly...I didn't really pick it up too much, but I just wanted to complete the tour.....this is my room. I took the doors off my closet to make it easier for me to get to all of it without having to slide them back and forth. Some might find it weird, but I kind of like being able to see it.

Ok, so that's all. Hope you enjoyed the tour. Hope you come visit in person soon!!