YWB : Homemade Granola

Jessica is a genius, guys! How amazing does this homemade granola look? I've got to thank her for posting such an easy and inspiring recipe on Yeah. We Bake. this week.

Today is bittersweet in the most pure sense of the word. Today is my last day at my current job and I'm leaving behind more than just a desk and coworkers, I'm leaving behind a home and a family. I can't say enough about the positive affect working here has had on my life. I will miss my Los Angeles life terribly, but I truly believe there's more for me on the horizon.

Monday I fly home to celebrate my sister getting married. I am so looking forward to being surrounded by all the love with my family and closest friends. I've got hair appointments, a Bachelorette party, a pizza party, and some of the best local food to look forward to, not to mention Allison and Co's wedding bash! Jessica and I have a few ideas up our sleeves for YWB and we're so excited to tackle those, as well.

Life is happening and I'm doing my best to prepare for it.

Happy Weekend,
Ashley

I'll be there for you...

I love a good carefree weekend. I know they're hard to come by and that we won't get one for a while in the coming months. We did our darndest to take advantage of this one. Jeff and I played tourist in Beverly Hills on Saturday. The Paley Center is hosting a Warner Brothers exhibit highlighting 60 years worth of popular television shows and we both had a surprisingly fun time! There were costumes from E.R., Gossip Girl, Murphy Brown, Pretty Little Liars, Entourage, The Sopranos, True Blood, and if you hadn't guessed it already, Friends.

Jeff and I both worked in Beverly Hills for a time and it was so fun walking by our old buildings and Rodeo and it's surrounding streets. The weather was perfect and so was the iced coffee. Sunday we were hermits and made a late breakfast, watched movies all day, and played cards in the evening. Really low-key and really lovely.

I hope you all had wonderfully relaxing weekends that have transitioned into a not too tough Monday.

-Ashley

YWB : Summer Lime Cookies

For Cinco de Mayo last weekend I baked up these goodies and shared them on Yeah. We Bake. I don't know about you, but I am so inspired by lime (all citrus, really) come summer time. These are a perfect cookie for a little afternoon cool down served with lemonade or iced tea. I hope you're as ready for the weekend as I am!

-Ashley

Simple Cocktail Series : Orange Margarita

How was your Cinco de Mayo? Mine was celebrated with about three days worth of tacos, guac, salsa, and of course a margarita. A good time, to be sure. Although I love a classic margarita I was craving something a bit more sweet (rare for me). The addition of orange juice was just perfect.

This week is so bittersweet. The days at my current job are winding down and it's really starting to hit. I love my coworkers so much. I do, however, have something really fun planned for Thursday which I hope to be able to share with you in the coming months. Also, my sister is getting married in 19 DAYS! I'm am so over the moon ecstatic to fly home and be with my family and friends for 10 whole days. I can't wait to celebrate my sister!

I hope your week is filled with as many ups as downs you may encounter. If the scale starts to tip, however, be sure to end your week with this delicious Orange Margarita.

Cheers!
Ashley

Orange Margarita
*recipe adapted from here   
**recipe makes 1 pitcher full

• 1/2 cup orange juice
• juice from two limes
• 1 cup Triple Sec
• 3 cups ice
• 1 cup white tequila

 

Combine the orange juice, lime juice, Triple Sec, and ice in a blender and puree until completely blended. Add the tequila and puree for 2 seconds more.

Pour the mixture into the frozen margarita glasses and serve.

YWB : Churro Cupcakes

This week on Yeah. We Bake., Jessica made Churro Cupcakes! These cupcakes make me think of Disneyland and my first churro. I was not leaving that park without trying one. It was love at first bite. Churros also make me think of a quick weekend trip to Chicago two Octobers ago. I flew in to meet up with Jessica and our two other best friends, Liz and Allison. It ended all too quickly but before the weekend was over we waited well over an hour in line to try foodie crush, Rick Bayless' Xoco. We had tortas and caldos and finished the meal with a round of churros dipped in hot chocolate. These cupcakes are worth making for the nostalgia factor alone!

This weekend brings both the Kentucky Derby and Cinco de Mayo. I hope you've got weekend plans celebrating (one or both!)  I'm so looking forward to at least having a margarita with fresh lime.

Cheers to your Friday!
Ashley

Denim x Denim

So denim on denim is one trend I'd been hesitant to embrace. I love how chic it looks on other women, but I was afraid I'd be called out for rocking my own Texas tuxedo. I experimented today with this look and really enjoyed it! If there's a trend you're not sure of I encourage you to take the plunge! After all, it's just playing dress up for a day.

-Ashley

*Top - Target, Jeans - Forever XXI, Sandals - Banana Republic, Necklace - Nordstrom

Picnic in the Park : A Post in Pictures

How's that for alliteration? I mentioned in this post that I was so hoping to go on a picnic over the weekend. We did and it was a beautiful day for it! We packed up my favorite spinach salad, a couple of paninis and a jug full of lemon shakeups and set off for the park. We weaved and ducked(ha!) between children's birthday parties and found a tree with good shade and a perfect view of the little lagoon. We people watched and animal watched and just had a really relaxing couple of hours. With two crazy eventful months coming up it was so nice to be able to savor the downtime.