Theirs: Sailing

Aspen and I were gifted a sailing Groupon from his parents a few months back. After months of ignoring the coupon, we finally decided to schedule a date to sail. Aspen had never been sailing and I had done it once before so we were both looking forward to it greatly. The morning of our sailing adventure, we woke up early, skipped breakfast, and headed down to the dock on Pier 39.

Unfortunately, we were running late, and missed our sailing time by about 20 minutes. Fortunately, the company was nice enough to accommodate us for a later sailing trip out on the bay. We had time to kill, so we put on our tourist personalities, and walked along Fisherman's Wharf. We saw the wax museum, Boudin's bread factory, and all the smelly fish markets. We found a small diner to have some late breakfast, then walked back to the dock.

The hour-long sailing adventure was relaxing and beautiful. We were so lucky to have gorgeous weather, a rarity in San Francisco. We traveled out towards the Golden Gate bridge and had a gorgeous view of the city from the bay. Our sailing adventure was just what we needed after what seemed like a very long week of work and school.

Hers: Study Abroad

I have officially been accepted into the Paris Business College for the Fall 2013 semester. I have wanted to study abroad since my freshman year in college, so as you might imagine, I am ecstatic that it is finally happening. I will be leaving for Paris in early September and coming back to the United States in January 2014. It seems so weird to be returning in a different year but in reality, I'll just be gone for four, short months. I am most looking forward to improving my French skills as I have only taken one semester of French in school.

I am so excited to call Paris my new home for four months and explore Europe with friends. French culture has a special place in my heart because my mom is a pastry chef with a focus on French cuisine. All throughout my life, I have eaten French food and listened to French music with my parents. Now, as I'm older, I make an effort to seek out French films and music to learn more about the culture.

As for Aspen, there will be no more "theirs" part of this blog starting when I leave, but he is extremely supportive of my adventures. We plan to keep in touch via Skype and texting, but with the time difference, we aren't putting too much pressure on talking everyday. It's a bittersweet moment for us as I wish he could come along but we know we will have our European adventure together someday.

Theirs: Polka dots

{Hers: Shirt (Urban Outfitters), Jacket (Romeo + Juliet), Pants (Levi's), Necklace (Vintage), Shoes (American Apparel) His: Shirt (Supreme), Jacket (Brooklyn Circus), Pants (Levi's), Hat (Goorin Brothers), Shoes (Sperry)}

From the moment I met Aspen back in 2010, I knew fashion was big in his life. Whether it be an obsession with Nike shoes or a love for funky socks, he takes details very seriously in his wardrobe. I, on the other hand, have always struggled with my "look" and always thought of style as something unattainable in my busy life. What I learned from being around Aspen is that you have to wear what works for your lifestyle, body, and preferences. With his help, I quickly discovered a style that works for me and accepted the fact that fashion and style are never finished.

Being college-budgeted young adults, we often find a hard time meeting our wishful fashion needs. Nevertheless, our walk-in closet is full of great pieces that we can share (or at least I can borrow from him). Today is a nice enough day in San Francisco but we are really itching for official springtime, where the flowers bloom and the sun stays with us later. To make ourselves feel like we were "springing forward," we both opted for polka dots and shoes with no-show socks. And a plus? The polka dots are different enough on our shirts that we didn't feel too matchy-matchy. Have a great Sunday, everyone!

Theirs: Coffee Cake

Both Aspen and I are dessert addicts.... though we probably wouldn't admit it to your face. We are both on the go all the time and barely have time to eat throughout the day. I take 15 units at San Francisco State University, have a job, and on top of all that, I am co-producing a documentary, an awards show for my school, and the graduation for my major. It leaves very little time to plan ahead for healthy eating (or full meals at all), so when I get a moment at home to make a treat, it just feels comforting and obviously delicious. Aspen has no interest in telling me I should watch my sugar intake, so together we make a mean, sweet-loving team. 

At nighttime when we finally are home from our busy days and have a moment to relax, we switch on the TV and head straight for the sweets. It could be worse, right? We don't smoke or drink... just drown our bodies in sugar! We are constantly thinking of desserts to make at home and recently came across the classic coffee cake. It's a pretty simple recipe but be prepared to watch about a stick of butter go into it. These coffee cake squares were absolutely scrumptious but we both agreed that they are rich enough to save for special occasions. Luckily, my future-sister-in-law's bridal shower is coming up in April so I will definitely pull this recipe out again for that event!

Here's the recipe: 

Ingredients for cake

- 2 cups all-purpose flour

- 1/2 cup granulated sugar

- 2 teaspoons baking powder

- 3/4 teaspoon salt

- 6 tablespoons melted butter

- 1 beaten egg

- 1/2 cup buttermilk

Ingredients for topping

- 1/2 cup brown sugar

- 2 teaspoons cinnamon

- 2 tablespoons chopped butter

- 1/4 cup granulated sugar

1. Stir together flour, sugar, baking power, salt, and baking soda.

2. Melt butter and pour in the dry mixture.

3. Add in the egg and buttermilk.

4. In a separate bowl, mix together all the topping ingredients (best to massage the ingredients in with your fingers).

5. Butter and lightly flour an 8 x 8 round or square pan.

6. Pour in half of the mixture into the pan.

7. Sprinkle half of the topping mixture over the cake mix already in the pan.

8. Pour the remaining cake mix, then layer again with the rest of the topping mixture.

9. Bake for 50 minutes at 350º

10. Enjoy!

It's okay to use your hands for mixing the topping ingredients!

Halfway done - add more cake then more topping for a layering effect.

Hers: Birthday

The best birthday present.

On Monday I celebrated my twenty-second birthday. I believe that birthdays are what you make of them – that's why I chose to fill up my day with happiness, relaxation, and fun with my boyfriend, Aspen. I woke up to gorgeous flowers from my brother's sweet girlfriend which was a great start to feeling special for the day. I then had to attend class from 10:00-1:00pm where my great friend Stacey brought me a hot chocolate and gorgeous necklace. After class, I headed back home for a quick lunch with Aspen before leaving for the Intercontinental Hotel in SOMA (South of Market Street in San Francisco). My lovely mama set up a massage and pedicure for me, complete with a complimentary mimosa. Mother's know best! Between school, work, being in a relationship, and co-producing a documentary... I've got enough stress to need a massage every week!

After the lush treatments, I met up with Aspen to try a new restaurant in our neighborhood. We walked over to Jasper's Corner Tap in the Tenderloin to try their famous cheesy fries! Aspen was set on the burger, while I dared to try a few different appetizers like baby short ribs and mac n' cheese. We ordered way too much, filled our bellies to the brim, and then were surprised with a birthday dessert! Aspen had quickly mentioned my special day to the waitress who (so thoughtfully) brought us homemade citrus ice cream. And if that wasn't enough, the princess birthday girl in me requested we go to my favorite donut place so we could have something to snack on for later. (I'm quite good at thinking forward when it comes to food). To end the night, we watched Manhattan by Woody Allen (another one of my favorites) and indulged in our donuts. It was the best birthday yet.

Beautiful flowers from my brother's girlfriend, Nikki.

Enjoying a post-massage mimosa at the Intercontinental Hotel.

Complimentary birthday dessert at Jasper's in the tenderloin. (Homemade ice cream not pictured because I ate it too fast.)

Theirs: Twice Baked Potatoes

These potatoes don't stand a chance once they're out of the oven.

My absolute favorite food is mashed potatoes. The creamy texture compliments any homemade meal and you can't blame me for loving something covered in butter. Aspen and I picked up a bag of russet potatoes at Trader Joe's in hopes of having baked or mashed potatoes sometime this week. Instead, I looked up a couple recipes and came across this one for twice baked potatoes. I love trying new recipes and Aspen loves trying new cooking so I decided to give it a go. With a little twist of my own, they turned out perfectly cheesy and creamy. These potatoes are great for when you and your man have a cozy night in and want a hearty, comforting meal.

Here's my take on the recipe:

1. Rinse 2 potatoes under water and lightly scrub. Dry off with paper towel.

2. Heat oven to 400º and place potatoes directly on rack for 30 minutes.

3. Puncture potatoes 3 times each with a fork and put them back in the oven for another 30 minutes.

4. Turn the oven down to 375º and take the potatoes out of the oven. *Careful, they will be very hot! 

5. Carefully cut potatoes in half and scoop insides into a bowl. *Be sure to leave enough potato on the skin so they aren't too flimsy.

6. Mash up all potato in the bowl with fork. Add 1 tablespoon of butter, 1/4 cup milk, a pinch of pepper, two pinches of salt, and a light handful of cheddar cheese shreds. 

7. Stir up everything together so the consistency is that of mashed potatoes. *No large lumps should be found. 

8. Evenly scoop the potato mixture back into the 4 skins. Place potatoes on a baking sheet and into the oven.

9. Bake potatoes for 25 minutes.

10. Enjoy!

Add some cheddar to the tops right before putting them back into the oven for a nice, cheesy top!

I added a bit more salt and pepper to the top before placing in the oven for  a nice kick.

Theirs: Valentine's Day

The "funfetti" cake I made for us.

I've always had mixed feelings about Valentine's Day. Do you buy into the consumerism and shower each other with gifts? Do you make it a point to act like it's just any other day and treat it normally? And what if you're single? I'm definitely not a fan of "Single Awareness Day!" The answer to face Valentine's Day with is to create a happy medium. It's fun for me to buy heart shaped cards and decorate the apartment with pink and red candies and if that makes me happy, then why not do it?

This year for Valentine's Day, I decided to do a little decorating around the apartment to surprise Aspen when he came home from a long day of work (he works for a local chocolate company so you can only imagine how busy he's been). Another easy thing to make the day a little more special was to make a yummy, homemade dinner for us. And to finish off the night, a classic romantic comedy was in order. All in all, it was a lovely, loving evening to celebrate our relationship without going too overboard.

Aspen brought me a rose with two orchids and beautiful chocolates from his work.