ILLUSTRATED RECIPE CARDS

Earlier this summer, I got to work on this super fun project with my friend Kathy.   Kathy's husband, Jeremiah is the co-owner and lead chef at Contra so she came up with the idea of making illustrated cards of some of his recipes for their wedding favors.

What surprised me about the recipes was that a lot of the ingredients were things that I'd normally buy at the market or already have in the pantry, but were prepared in a way that I hadn't been exposed to before. This was also the first time I printed any of my drawings, so that was pretty cool too. Best of all, they were kind enough to send us a gift card to Contra, so I can't wait to eat there and finally make another long overdue trip to New York!

CHEVRON LEMON TARTS

I decided to make some lemon bars with the lemons I picked from my tree. Adapted from this recipe here

LOS ANGELES, YOU'VE BEEN GOOD TO ME

Chalkboard drawing of the downtown Los Angeles skyline

Today I am driving up the 101 and making my way to the Bay Area to start a new job and embark on what looks to be a new chapter in life. The transition is undoubtedly a mixed bag of emotions- butterflies over the thought of something new, but also the inevitable sadness in leaving family, friends, and a city I really grew to love.

A quote I read in C.S. Lewis' The Four Loves, really rings true to me- "No man loves his city because it is great, but because it is his" Though I was born and raised in Southern California, LA never became mine until I moved there after college. In my three years back, I've rediscovered my relationships with family, had the privilege of sharing life with some of the most incredible people I've ever met, and said "I do" to a lifelong commitment to my best friend. I could never put it in words, but I am so thankful for my time here, LA - the people, the places, even the smog filled traffic, made their mark on me, and I am forever changed because of it.