who's going to the alameda flea market on sunday? {i am!}

The first Sunday of the month is approaching this weekend, and that only means one thing: the Alameda Pointe Antique Faire (yes, that is the offical name, it’s not a “flea market”). My mom and I are planning to get there around 6:00 am, and Shawn is meeting up with us later in the day. My mother cannot wait for this flea market. She had so much success at the last Alameda flea market, and she’s hungry for more! 

This got me thinking about my first time at a flea market. I went with my friend Megan, who has mad bargaining skills, and we spotted this beautiful, carved, wooden screen. I wanted it so bad. We asked how much the seller wanted, and he said $100. Ugh. But somehow, Megan (who’s birthday is this weekend!) swindled the price down to $40! This is by far one of my favorite pieces of furniture in my collection. 

As I continued to go to the flea markets, my bargaining got better, and so did my eye for “diamonds in the rough”. I’m always a sucker for mirrors and frames. But I also love those unusual pieces that everyone seems to walk by. Case in point, the beautiful, beaded chandelier, shown below. It’s the most expensive item I’ve ever bought at a flea market, with a $100 price tag. Ouch, I know. What flea markets are you going to this weekend? What are some favorite pieces you have bought from a flea market? I’d love to hear!  

healthy pancakes {seriously}

Breakfast is my favorite meal of the day. I could have breakfast anytime of the day and be a happy camper. Did I mention my favorite breakfast food? Pancakes. I love pancakes. But pancakes are made of flour + sugar, which equals belly fat. Did I mention my belly fat hates pancakes?

For the past two months I’ve had egg whites and plain oatmeal every single day for breakfast (except for my cheat day ;) So it’s time for a change. Can I get an hallelujah?

I present to you: protein pancakes. They are comprised of egg whites, old-fashioned oats, cottage cheese, protein powder, cinnamon, a little vanilla extract and pam for the pan. Sounds gross, I know. And it looked really gross before blending it all together. But these are amazing-unbelievable-taste like candy-I want to eat these every meal of the day-pancakes. And I didn't even need syrup. I ate them plain. They are that good. 

I give the credit to Janetha over at Meals and Moves. She used vanilla protein powder, but all I had was chocolate mint protein powder and they were perfect. Also, I’m accustomed to making huge pancakes. Not a good idea with these. I found that making 4” sized pancakes worked best. Go to the kitchen and make these. Now. 

fall must-haves

It has been almost one year since I moved from San Luis Obispo to Gilroy to live with Ryan. And I must say, I have come to love the weather here. Even though my favorite season is summer, for some reason I can’t wait for it to be fall. Maybe it has to do with all of the new fall fashion magazines appearing in our mailbox? I am obsessed with this sweater from J. crew. And how about those spike loafers? I’m not sure if I favor the Steve Madden or the Sam Edelman version more. What I do know is that I need that sweater and a pair of those shoes for fall. What are you coveting for your fall wardrobe?

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strawberry//raspberry//blueberry cobbler

One would think that since I work at a company that sells berries, I would be tired of eating them.

So. Wrong.

Every time I come across a recipe that calls for berries, I have to give it a try. When I saw this recipe that calls for strawberries, raspberries and blueberries, it was a no brainer.

At first I was skeptical of using these three berries in a cobbler— I usually gravitate towards cobblers that use blackberries. But holy moly, this cobbler is delicious. The flavors of strawberries, raspberries and blackberries literally burst in your mouth. Top it off with ice cream, and it is heaven. 

The recipe recommends baking this cobbler in a cast iron pan. My Le Creuset dutch oven is the only piece of cast iron cookware I own, and it worked perfectly. Using a dutch oven also makes it super easy to transport to a party (a glass baking dish will also work).

my weekend {in pictures} ...and results of the fat loss challenge!

Friday night was like Christmas Eve for me.  I had trouble falling asleep in anticipation of what was to come the next day. It had been eight weeks since I started the fat loss competition, and Saturday I would find out how much fat I had lost. Looking back, it wasn't about winning the $500 grand prize. I mostly wanted to see if I had even lost any fat. My heart was beating so fast as my bootcamp trainer “pinched” my fat with the caliper and calculated what percentage of body fat I lost: 6.5%!  I was so happy I danced my way over to the cupcakes that were waiting to be devoured.

If I can lose 6.5% body fat in only eight weeks, what else can I accomplish with my body? Now I want to focus on toning my arms and abs. I feel so empowered after doing this fat loss challenge, and I can't wait for the next one. 

In the meantime, here are some pictures from our weekend.  I clearly indulged in food on Saturday and Sunday. And I also rewarded myself with some new clothes (I bought a dress in a size two!)    

Having breakfast in bed with Bruce Lee while Ryan played golf.

An Alice and Olivia dress I bought this weekend. I previously bought this dress two years ago for the retail price of $330 (I returned it after realizing how ridiculous it was to pay that much for a dress). This weekend I found it at the Saks Outlet for $50. It's the perfect dress for a Christmas party.

Jaci and I celebrating our fat loss by eating cupcakes. Is that an oxymoron?

Freezing cookie dough so I have it on hand for impromptu guests.

Enjoying some local red wine. 

 New succulents in our windowsill.

Ryan relaxing with a gin and tonic after a long day of golf. 

before and after

Three months ago Ryan and I embarked on an amazing trip throughout Spain. We took over 1,500 pictures and couldn’t wait to go through all of them when we got home. A couple of weeks before our trip I worked out almost every day, trying to get toned for our stay on the beautiful island of Formentera. But after consistently eating not so healthy throughout the trip (and drinking sangrias that were a day’s worth of calories), I was disappointed with some of the pictures taken of myself on the island. Ryan snapped one in particular of me on the beach, and I could not believe that was how I looked. That was officially my “ah-ha moment”. 

I always thought I knew how to work out and eat healthy. Then one week after we got back from our trip, I joined Honu Bootcamp in Gilroy. Let’s just say I got my ass kicked. Honu Bootcamp, ran by the amazing Alfy, is all about high intensity interval training. I have never experienced such a hard work out in my life.  About a month into my bootcamp workouts, Alfy presented us with a challenge: whoever looses the highest percentage of body fat in eight weeks wins $500. Umm, hello. That’s like two new rugs. The only catch was I had to completely change my diet. No sugars, no dairy, no carbs. That meant I had to give up my favorite cereal in the morning. And chocolate. And cheese. 

But I’m here today to say that the eight weeks is over tomorrow. It has actually gone by really fast, and I have learned a lot about my body. I’m not sure I will win the $500 (there are some girls that look phenomenal, including my friend, Jackie, below), but I am confident I have changed my body for the better.

During the eight week challenge I found some great recipes that are considered part of my clean diet. They are posted below if you feel inspired to eat cleaner! And did I mention the cheat day? Once a week, I can chow down on whatever I want, i.e. cookies, ice cream, bread, cereal, pizza. Some of my favorite “cheat day” recipes are posted below as well. 

PS -- If you live in the area and are interested in joining Honu bootcamp and seeing all of the amazing body transformations and stories, visit their Facebook page, found here! 

Clean eating recipes
Pork chile verde
Baked sweet potato fries
Skinny garlic fried rice

Cheat day recipes
36 hour chocoloate chip cookies
Chocolate chocolate chip cookies
Mac n' cheese
Challah french toast

My before and after. The first picture was taken in May 2012.

Jackie's before and after. She looks incredible!

quality rugs under $250

A couple of months ago my friend Shawn and I were at the Alameda Flea Market when she spotted a beautiful rug. It was at least 8’ x 10’ with a beautiful Parisian design. The seller wanted $800 for the rug. Are you kidding me?! Shawn thought it was a great deal, while I couldn’t believe the seller had this $800 rug laying on asphalt with people walking all over it.

Rugs are one of the most expensive pieces of décor you will buy for your home. But I don’t think they have to put a huge dent in your wallet.  Stores like overstock.com, Ikea, and Urban Outfitters all offer quality rugs at amazing prices. I mentioned yesterday that I am looking for a rug to go in our dining room (seen here). Here are some of my favorites so far. All of them are under $250. Which one would you choose?

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round or rectangle dining table with bench?

As you may have noticed, I like to rearrange rooms a lot. I recently rearranged our guest bedroom, and I already have plans on how I want to arrange it next. My Mom and Grandma are the same way, so I’ll blame it on genetics. Lately I’ve been thinking about the layout of our dining room. It’s kind of awkward right now. We have brown leather Parisian chairs from Pottery Barn and a beautiful wood bench from Crate and Barrel that I absolutely love. But the geometric chairs and glass table just aren’t doing it for me right now. 

I’m obsessed with tulip tables and this knock-off from Ikea is only $199, compared to $2,000-$3,000 for original tulip tables. But, I would want to use our bench at the tulip table. What do you think of a round table with a bench? The designers below did a great job of styling tulip tables with benches and a couple of chairs. 

On the other hand, I love the look of a long, rectangle table. It leaves the opportunity to fit many people at your next gathering, as well as tons of foods and goodies. And this rectangle dining table from Ikea is only $59. Such a good deal. If you were looking for a new table, which one would you choose? Leave your comments below! And of course I need a fabulous rug to go under my fabulous dining table, tune in tomorrow to see my top rug picks. 

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new additions to the family

Ever since I’ve moved to Gilroy, I've wanted a cat. I grew up on a farm, and we always had cats running around. Ryan and I decided that after our trip to Europe we would adopt a cat, as long as the cat and Bruce Lee (our adorable dog) got along. So, knowing me, I was at the animal shelter the day after we got back from London. The shelter told us that baby kittens were in high demand, and we would have a better chance at adoption if we fostered a litter first. So we brought home a little brother and sister, knowing we would have to give one back. But how could one say no to either one of those faces?

It has been three months since we added Melky and Suri to our family. And, needless to say, Bruce Lee and the kitty cats love each other.  

Melky and Suri are getting so big! They are five months old and are dying to be outside. So we have made the decision to make them outside cats. What are your feelings on having outside/inside cats? I hate having them cooped up inside all day, but worry about them being out in the “wild”. I would love to hear your thoughts and opinons!