Begin Again

We were up to our old tricks again with overspending on coffee and chasing the sunset in Melrose over the weekend. Our natural inclination to avoid the popular sights caused us to stumble upon some cool spaces as we combed the back alleys and small streets of this corner of LA. Since our last visit in September, it was bittersweet reminiscing of old times and exciting to see how much we've grown as bloggers, as a couple, and as individuals since then. We've both come a long way since that day and as the weather warms up, we can't help but feel a renewal of energy as Spring approaches.

The Weekenders

Perfection is not a label I use easily or often, but Saturday morning was just that--perfection. Waking up before the sun, we basked in the quietness and stillness of the transition from week to weekend. We watched the world come alive as the sun started to peek through the windows and created elongated shadows on the walls. It was a quiet, slow, unpressurized start to the day. A couple "just five more minutes" turned into hours of being in bed. There was something about that morning that made the world not exist for a while. Talking or not talking, it didn't matter because it was just us under the covers. That was our world and that was all that mattered. It's a morning that we will never forget and will always strive to replicate. Perfection is underrated.

Shades of Blue

After a hard week back at work, the rain gave us a good excuse to stay in and rest. Our cozy weekend began with lattes and brunch at Lamill Coffee in Silver Lake. After a failed attempt to explore, we retreated back indoors when it started to pour. We didn't let the rain dampen our spirits though! When the rain finally let up for a bit on Sunday, we got some fresh air and explored a nearby lake. The tranquility and stillness after the storm was so intoxicating. Everything was a cool shade of blue and we tried to soak up as much of it as we could before it started sprinkling again.

Cruzin'

We ended our holiday in Northern California by finally exploring the city in which we were staying. Downtown Santa Cruz made us feel right at home with cute little shops and multiple options for getting our morning cup of joe. After grabbing coffee at Verve, we took to our habits of exploring the alleys and corners of the city we're in. The brightly painted alleyways were refreshing to our usual grimey haunts. After taking in the city, we filled up on the best pizza we've ever had at Pizza My Heart before making the trek back home.

December Outtakes

December was an action-packed month. Because it was our first holiday season together as a couple, there were many firsts to be had. We went on our first Disneyland trip together. We got our first Christmas tree. We met each other’s families. We exchanged gifts for the first time. And as much as we enjoyed these big happenings, it was the little moments in between that really made the fleeting days of 2014 that much more bittersweet.

Old Haunts

Realizing that San Francisco was only a train ride away from where we were staying, we decided to go into the city for an afternoon of fun in our favorite area, the Mission District. Once we got there, we stuck to Brandon's tradition of grabbing lamb and beef schwarma from Ali Baba's Cave. Whenever we're in a new city, we always set out to find a good coffee place to get our caffeine fix. We found ours at Four Barrel Coffee, which was also a cool space to hang out. After filling up on good food and drinks, we perused through some cool thrift stores along Valencia before ending our visit at hipster hill in Dolores Park--another place that we love to haunt when we're in the area. We really enjoyed revisiting our favorite spots in the Mission and keeping on with our traditions. We cannot wait to go back again hopefully soon.

The Great Outdoors

Instead of giving each other big gifts for Christmas, we decided to go on one last adventure together in 2014. We couldn't think of a better way to end the year than with a drive along the coast of the state that we adore. On our first trip to San Francisco together in September, we flew and missed all the beauty that's in between LA and SF. While packing, we realized that going on a roadtrip means never having to pick your favorite sweater or pair of boots because you can bring them all!