Category Archives: Life & Love

A Lovely Visit From Walker’s Folks

As you can probably assume from my absence, the last few weeks have been incredibly busy at work. So the timing could not have been more perfect for Walker’s parents to come spend a wonderfully relaxing, fun-filled weekend with us.  I needed it big time!

Walker’s parents originally chose this weekend to come visit because they are huge Husker football fans and the team was scheduled to play a game against UCLA at the Rose Bowl. Naturally, they decided to come make a weekend of it in Los Angeles!

When we weren’t watching the (sad, disappointing) football game, we were eating like royalty (Thai, Indian, Italian, Mediterranean, Mexican), shopping for books and vinyl, touring the town, and relaxing by the fire pit in the backyard with wine and good conversation. We even visited the Lake Shrine Temple and Meditation Gardens in Malibu on Sunday and it was one of the most stunning places I have ever seen, not to mention calming and so moving.

Without further ado, please enjoy the photo recap of our weekend below! To Bob and Susan- we miss you already!

So many fans in red traveled to CA for the game!

One of the only redeeming plays of the game…

Bo was jealous he couldn’t go to the Meditation Gardens so he decided to show off his best yoga moves. Yes, this pic was taken from his eye level so his legs really were much higher than his head. And he stayed there for a while… strange dog.

Hellllloooo Erika… Are You There?!

Hey strangers! I know it has been a little quieter than normal around here recently. July was an insane month for my personal life (mentally as well as financially… and we all know house projects cost moneyyy!).  August has calmed down from a personal standpoint but work has been ridiculous. So needless to say, I have been a bit wiped out.

I tweeted the other day that I was feeling guilty for not writing as often as I’d like and a very wonderful & wise bloggy friend (Ashley @ First Home Dreams) replied, “Do NOT feel guilty!! Blogging is supposed to be a person’s happy place.” And she is so right! That is why I feel guilty… because I love, love, love blogging but haven’t had enough time to do it as much as I would like lately.

Plus, I am feeling super bummed today because I can’t be back East to take my little not-so-little-anymore brother to college today. :(

I need some relaxation. I need to call my brother. I need to clean the apartment. And I need some inspiration.

But not to worry… I have a few ideas up my sleeve so we will be back to your regularly-scheduled blog posts soon! In the meantime, I will leave you with a few photos to brighten your morning. :)

Tired Bo after a run… we have all been doing Couch to 5k (and Pooch to 5k) together!

Happy Erika enjoying a lovely afternoon with her man at a winery! THIS is how I wish I felt on week days…

BOYS’ HIGH FIVE!

If Posts Were Years: Happy Centennial!!!

Today’s post is super-duper exciting because it is our 100th post!  WOOOOO! :)

In honor of such a lovely milestone, I have decided to share 100 things with you today! Initially I told Walker that I wanted to post 100 adorable pictures of Bo. When he laughed and moved on, I realized he thought I was kidding… so I am pretending that I was. Instead, I will share only 10 pictures of Bo along with the following: 50 random things about me, 15 of my favorite projects so far on the blog, and 25 project ideas for the next 100 posts.  That’s 100 things!

So if you have no interest in any of these things, you are better off closing this page now. Don’t worry, you won’t learn anything too important about me… just my middle name, my love for a certain snack food, and what I happen to be wearing RIGHT NOW. Oooooo la la!

For those of you who are thinking “Sure, why the heck not?!,” brace yourselves for a (mildly scary?) look into the mind & life of Erika West!

Let’s dig right in!  Here are the first 10 awkward questions I got to answer and embarrass myself:

1. Height? 5’4.” Although if you ask my mom, she will tell you that SHE is 5’4″ and I am only 5’3.75.”  LIES! ;)

2. What was your childhood nickname? My parents called me Bugs (due to my love for the bunny of the same name) and Akire (my name backwards and pronounced Ack-Ah-Ree).

3. What color hair do you wish you had? I have always wanted to do temporary pink streaks or something wild but never went for it.  I love being a brunette!

4. Who would you let eat crackers in your bed? Wait, why? Are people actually requesting this?! I guess friends & family would be welcome to eat crackers in my bed as long as they were Goldfish and they shared with me!

5. Do you get nervous before doctor appointments? Nope!

6. What do you think of hot dogs? They are a rare treat regret.  I try to stick to the Kosher All-Beef ones to stay safe but I have consumed a Dodger Dog or two in my day.

7. What’s your favorite Christmas song? Silent Night.  My mom sang this to me every night before bed even when it wasn’t Christmastime just like her mom did for her! :)

8. What do you prefer to drink in the morning? If mimosas are not an option (half kidding), then coffee, coffee, coffee!

9. Can you do push ups? Oh yeah!  I was doing about 100 a day before I got lazy.

10. Is your bathroom clean? I plead the fifth.

I wish we didn’t end on that one… oh, well.  MOVING ON TO 5 PICTURES OF BO!! Yaaaay!!

11. This is from the first weekend I brought Bo home after his adoption!

12. Bo’s first real snowstorm! He and Koda were baffled!

13. Bo and Me at Eaton Canyon

14. Beach Bum!

15. I know this has already made an appearance on the blog but I love it!

WHAT A MONKEYYYY! I love him! Shall we continue with more silly things about me?

16. What’s your favorite piece of jewelry? My skeleton key necklace that Walker got me for Christmas!

17. Do you like painkillers? Strange question… I have only had them once when I got my wisdom teeth out.  They did the trick I guess!

18. What is your secret weapon to lure in the opposite sex? Haha no secret weapon! I am baffled that someone actually likes me enough to put up with me so I must have hoodwinked him somehow.

19. Do you have A.D.D.? No, I prefer the term ultimate multi-tasker.

20. What’s your name? Erika N. West

21. Middle name? Nicole.  And my confirmation name is Hope.

22. Name 3 thoughts at this exact moment? 1. Bo is so cute when he sleeps.  2. Can I call out of work today to read?  3. I hope no one finds out that I am watching The Bachelor Pad right now.

23. Name the last 3 things you bought: 1. Running Shoes (Couch to 5K biatches!)  2. Dog leash  3. Wine and tortilla chips

24. Who is your favorite TV chef? Oooh I like this one!  Walker and I are obsessed with Rick Bayless‘ show and Mexican food recipes. We’ve shown hints of our Sunday feasts on the blog.

25. You’re stuck on an deserted island with one other person, who would you want to be stranded with? Walker (as long as he could bring my family, Laura, and Bo in his suitcase)

Are you sick of me yet?  If so, let’s take a little intermission and highlight my 15 favorite projects from the blog so far! :)

15 Favorite Blog Projects!

41. You’ve won a major award and have thanked your family, who else would you thank? Would it be wrong/inappropriate/strange to thank my dog?

42. Current worry? Making ends meet… always!  LA is a pricey town!

43. Current hate? Fakers and inefficiency!  GET OUTTA HERE.

44. Favorite place to be? Home :)

45. How did you bring in the New year? Meeting and hanging out with Walker’s aunt, uncle, and little cousins.  So much fun!!

46. Where would you like to go? Australia/New Zealand, Italy, France, anywhere tropical… wait, who is paying for this? Because I have more…

47. Do you own slippers? Strangely, no despite the fact that I just bought 36 pairs of them for Laura’s bridal shower!

48. What shirt are you wearing? When people hear I live in LA, the thing they are most jealous about is the weather.  Yes, it is going to be a sunny 99 degrees today but I work in a 60 degree machine room.  So I wear winter clothes 5 days a week… and spend the entire day shivering.  I am wearing a red sweater.  Boooooo.

49. Do you burn or tan? TAN BABY TAN!

50. Favorite color(s)? Pink!! And perhaps turquoise or mint!

Moving on to a more interesting and adorable subject with 5 more pictures of Bo!!!

51. Water Safety Bo! (Pre-Kayaking on Castaic Lake)

52. Best buddies at the puppy beach <3

53. Ready for lunch!

54. So very serious.

55. The ultimate Bo glamour shot!

Boooo I’m sad that part is over.

56. Would you be a pirate? Not a very good one.

57. Favorite food? Goldfish Crackers and bacon.  Not necessarily together. ;)

58. What songs do you sing in the shower? Before Walker moved in or now?  There used to be a lot of show tunes but I don’t want him to leave me!

59. What did you fear was going to get you at night as a child? Fire!  Fire safety week was terrifying.

60. What’s in your pockets right now? Nada.

61. Where are you? In my living room on my cozy chair! :)

62. Best bed sheets as a child? Purple? My bedspreads were always fun but my sheets were boring.

63. Worst injury you’ve ever had? Maybe it isn’t the worst but I pulled my inner thigh in ballet and it hurt like no other… until I pulled my quad on the same leg a year later.  Basically my leg is still stiff and I have never quite recovered.

64. Who is your role model? My mommy!  She is the most amazing woman so I have tried to become a replica of her in all ways except: 1. She hates those select-a-size paper towels but I love them.  2. I am 25 and she is 29.

65. How many TVs do you have in your house? 2 but we have no cable!

In case you were curious, we have Hulu, Netflix, and a sexy antenna for TV watching. Speaking of sexy, here are 25 project ideas for the NEXT 100 posts (some are pretty attainable and others are from a “wish list” of sorts).

25 Projects Ideas for the NEXT 100 posts!

66. Shower Curtain
67. Living Room Lighting Solution
68. Kitchen Table Revamp!
69. New Coffee Table
70. Re-grow Grass!
71. New Living Room Cozy Chair
72. Update Our Photo Album
73. Art Above the Desks
74. Refinish/Replace Outdoor Table
75. Display Jars in the Kitchen
76. Sort Through Garage and Sell Stuff $$
77. New Desk Chairs
78. Outdoor Lanterns
79. Fix Gate so Bo Can’t Get Hurt
80. Indoor Herb Garden
81. Clean Up/Weed the Patio Walkway
82. Desk Hardware
83. Plant Something Out Front
84. More Skeleton Keys!!
85. Bathroom Magazine Rack
86. Frame Walker’s Tree/Sky Photos
87. Hanging Plant Outdoors
88. More Flea Market Finds!
89. Fun Hand-Painted Interior Gate
90. Backyard Fire Pit!!
I could go on forever!

 

Finally, here are the last 10 questions…

91. Favorite flavor of ice cream? This is like asking someone what their favorite compliment is… how do you choose? I guess I would say my favorite standard flavor is cookie dough but I also have a love affair with the various Ben & Jerry’s pints (specifically Red Velvet).

92. What do you consider the best invention in history? The interwebz! <3  Or maybe Goldfish crackers.

93. Does someone have a crush on you? I hope/think Walker does… but I KNOW Bo does!  He stares at me with those big brown eyes and I can feel the love! ;)

94. Do you wish on shooting stars? Absolutely! I dislike anyone who is “too good” or “too grown up” for that.

95. What is your favorite book? Les Miserables – the unabridged version! But the HP series does make my heart happy also.

96. What is your favorite candy? Depending on my mood, Skittles or Junior Mints!  But I would eat anything that isn’t black licorice!

97. Any regrets? I can proudly say I have lived life so far with no regrets. I truly believe that “When you look back on your life, you’ll regret the things you didn’t do more than the ones you did” so I will try just about anything once!  I have had to make hard decisions and maybe didn’t always make the best choice… but I try to follow my heart/gut and make smart decisions.  That’s the best you can do!

98. What was the last song you listened to on iTunes? Gypsy Queen by Van Morrison… Walker’s mom once suggested that maybe there was some Gypsy in my heritage and I totally embraced it!! So when we heard Gypsy Queen (which is an awesome song BTW), Walker said it made him think of me. :)

99. What were you doing at 12AM last night? Passed out cold… and probably kicking Walker and/or the dog.

100. What was the first thing you thought of when you woke up? “Is it Friday yet!?”

For anyone that made it this far, thanks for putting up with my nonsense!  I had a blast so really that’s all that matters (sarcasm of course).  ;)

On a serious note, thank you to all of you for reading what I am putting out there (x100!). There would be no point to all of this if I didn’t have so many wonderful readers.  I love you guyssssss and I hope you keep enjoying Our Cozy Cubbyhole!  <3

Xoxo,

signature first name