Life Lately (In the Last 6 Months) Part II

Here's what we've been up to from May through July! See Part I and Part I cont.  here!

May - In May, we celebrated our 1 year anniversary. It's crazy how fast the year went by. Actually, it's crazy to think that Dean and I have been together for 9 years total! For our first anniversary, I knew I wanted to go away and I've been meaning to get to Santa Barbara for a long time. I'll do a separate post on this since there will be lots of photos and I want to be able to give details on where we stayed, ate and the places we visited!

For now, here's a sneak peek.

Another major thing we did in May was go to Maui! I'm saving that for another full blog post as well because there's about a week's worth of details I'll need to fit in. 

It was ridiculously hot in May and all we could think of was wanting a swimming pool. Since this is not our forever home, we really don't want to invest in one. Luckily, my cousins live in a community that has a community pool. Actually, it's better than a community pool...it's like a resort!

June - In June, I got the itch to redecorate. I had been wanting to move a few things around at home but just never had the energy or the time to do it. One Saturday, I finally did and convinced Dean to help me. 

I don't have a before picture of the room, but I snapped this photo when we were taking down the bookcases that lived in the front room.

And here's the after!

xx, Shiela

Life Lately (In the last 6 Months) Part I

I've been meaning to get back to blogging. Not regularly of course, because I was never regularly blogging ;) I've been thinking about this blog a lot and trying to figure out what I really want out of it. My mind is always full of ideas...mental list of what I want to blog about, things I want to change around the house, places I want to visit, things I want to research and changes I want to make.

When I look at that list, I honestly think that would make for lots and lots and lots of very interesting blog posts. I just still haven't figured out how to fit this all in, how to make the blog "pretty" and how to develop original content. 

I also struggle with both putting too much information out there and would anyone care and too little information and why would it matter? But then again maybe that's the best part about blogs...is that there aren't any rules. It can be about anything, as often or not often at all, as much or very little and it would be more about me than my readers. Is there anyone out there reading this anyway? I guess I should tell people that I actually have a blog :)

Well, enough of that and let's get to some updates. I know it's been since January since I last posted so I'll try to go month by month to share what we've done!

February - Can I even remember this far back? Wasn't the Super Bowl in February? If it was, then we had a Super Bowl party and I made my first ever banana cream pie! I used store bought dough and this recipe.

We also took a day trip to Napa with a couple of our favorite friends, Ravi and Priya. We visited one of our go to's in Napa Elizabeth Spencer Wines and finished the day off at R+D Kitchen in Yountville. 

March - We celebrated a couple birthdays in March. This one is a combined birthday celebration for a couple of cousins. 

And then, of course, Easter! Our first as a married couple and it was special because we attended mass at the church where we got married. Every time we're there, it is just a nice reminder of the big day. 

April - One of our favorite things to do is go to the movies. Dean wanted to see Batman v. Superman and we love going to the Studio Movie Grill!

And then, since it was starting to warm up real fast in northern California, I was itching to to redecorate a bit and change out some of my neutral pillows for some color! I picked up this and this Shibori throw pillow covers from one of my favorite places, Pottery Barn!

I also discovered this Peanut Butter Bread recipe on Pinterest and oh. my. goodness! Try it, just try it. 

Lastly, yet another day trip to Napa with our favorite people! If your haven't noticed yet, we're always in Napa! It is only a couple hours away from us and we love it there! This trip, we have brunch at Archetype, a MUST!

Donut holes and dipping sauce with our coffees!

And I had their lemon ricotta pancakes with blueberry sauce. Yum. 

Stay tuned for updates from May through July!

xx, Shiela

2015 Holiday Season Recap II

We flew in and out of Seattle from California because it was way cheaper than taking a direct flight into Canada. Even though it was a 2 hour drive and a short wait at the Canadian border, the drive wasn't too bad and it gave us the opportunity to stop and have a Seattle day!

Pike Place Market

We got home a couple days before New Year's Eve. I have this strange rule that we at least have to spend one holiday at home during the season. I think it's because in my mind, being home for the holidays is exactly what the holidays are all about. So, since we spent Christmas away, we threw a small NYE game night pajama party with a handful of friends. 

We started off with a nice dinner with friends at Paul Martin's - a nice little neighborhood restaurant.

Then, we got back to the house, prepped some appetizers and desserts and had more drinks, played Taboo and rang in the 2016 with a handful of good friends. 

The next day after breakfast, we were supposed to head to Napa for a leisurely day wine tasting and a nice lunch. However, we underestimated how tired and slow we would be the next day and decided to check out a local winery instead. To our surprise, we had the best time, chatted with the owner and got to have some fantastic tasting wine!

Looking forward to more family time, friendships and fun in 2016!!!

xx, Shiela

It's Been Too Long!

I haven't blogged in so long! I'm not going to beat myself up about it because since my last post, lots has happened! Lots of GOOD stuff! I've gotten married and moved. In the midst of all of that, I switched jobs, made new friends, changed my beauty routine, took a couple mini vacations...you know, regular activities that make for good blog topics!

Before I got to writing this, I perused my old blog posts and pictures. Yikes! In my brief absence, I've definitely grown a bit! I guess that's actually a good thing and as I'm writing this am realizing that maybe that's another benefit of maintaining this blog. Not only do I get to document pieces of my life, but I can witness and reflect on my growth. 

First quick update, like I said, I got married! More details about the planning, dress, decor and day of details later. Those will likely be broken up into several blog posts because if you've ever planned a wedding, you know what I mean. In the meantime, I'll leave you with this photo from the big day!

xx, Shiela

{Easy Fall Centerpiece Tutorial}

One of my favorite parts of entertaining is decorating the house. I'm still slowly decorating here and there for our family Thanksgiving in a little over a week. We are estimating about 20-30 people over at our house that day and are so very excited to see family and eat good food!

Here's a quick tutorial for a simple centerpiece. You don't have to use the exact materials I did. I just "shopped" my own house! Meaning, I took items I already had in the house and recycled them for this look. Enjoy!

{Easy Fall Centerpiece Tutorial}

Step 1: Grab a clear vase. I used a pair of footed hurricanes | Step 2: Add moss or other filler on the bottom | Step 3: Add candle. I used a battery operated pillar candle | Step 4: Add pine cones or other filler that has a more "Fall" feel (i.e. fall leaves, acorns, etc.). Repeat for the second vase.

xx, Shiela

{Burlap and Moss Wreath Tutorial}

I've been searching for the perfect year-round wreath to decorate our front door for a while with no luck. I found a good preserved boxwood option at Target but after reading its reviews, customers commented that it turned a brownish yellow if placed outdoors.

Although I knew that I wanted a good-sized green wreath with a burlap bow I still scoured Pinterest for other ideas and was hopeful that one would take me to a link to an online store where I could easily purchase. I found these beautiful wreath inspirations...

 {This green moss wreath was a great option without the 

green organza bow, pine cones and ornaments}

{This chunky moss wreath without the white satin bow is another great option. Plain enough to display year round}

Unfortunately, I couldn't find just the right wreath so I decided to make it! 

Step-by-Step Tutorial

Step 1: You'll need a straw wreath, a bag of moss (not pictured), spray glue, pair of scissors and burlap ribbon. 

Step 2: In small sections, spray a light layer of glue on the wreath. Take some moss and pull it apart slightly to achieve a less chunky look and to ensure that the moss sticks to the wreath. Repeat until the front of the wreath is completely covered. 

Step 3. Repeat Step 2 on the other side of the wreath. 

Step 4. After you complete covering the entire wreath, double check for patchy areas and add more moss. 

{Final Product}

Happy Crafting!!!

xx, Shiela

{Fall Love}

Although I was sad to see summer go, it made ending the season easier knowing that soon I'd be sitting cozy in a knit sweater and boots sipping on a pumpkin spice latte! The sights, smells and feel of Fall make me giddy!

As soon as I could, I started to decorate around the house. 

(Here's my dining area at home.}

Also, I haven't slacked on the comfort food eating! A couple weeks back D wanted biscuits for breakfast. I was happy to oblige since I love biscuits with melted butter and strawberry jam!

(Home made biscuits and a steamy cup of coffee!}

The next week, I was craving cinnamon rolls. These are the Pillsbury ones you can get in the refrigerated area of your grocery store. They're not as good as the real thing, but we made do!

{Pillsbury Cinnamon Rolls}

After church this past Sunday we decided to try a new brunch spot we have been hearing about called Bacon and Butter. 

{Here's a snapshot of the apple and bacon fritters we started with.}

This week, I made a batch of my favorite chocolate chip cookies. These ones are my spooky Halloween version!

{Spooky Halloween Chocolate Chip Cookies}

Happy Fall!!!

xx, Shiela

{Summer Recap}

Summer 2013 will go down in my personal history as one of the most memorable! Despite some lows, there were definitely more exciting highs, super fun trips, lots of food and awesome memories made. I couldn't have asked for a better summer!

A handful of snapshots from the summer...

{4th of July in San Francisco}

{Drinks at the Vdara in Las Vegas}

{A view of the Bellagio fountains from our hotel room in Vegas}

{Our hotel room in Vegas}

{Labor Day camping trip with the family}

{Hanging on to the last days of summer with a bright bouquet of flowers}

xx, Shiela

{This & That}

It's been a while since I've posted something on this blog. I've been absent for many reasons. When I first started this blog, I thought it was going to be fun and something that would come easy. I mean, what else is easier than talking about the things you love, right?! Wrong. I wasn't even blogging long until it started to feel like a chore. I wasn't even sure if I was posting good content. So, I took a little break.

During this break, lots has happened. So, I'm hoping those events will make for a long list of blog topics for future posts. One of the main things that happened (if you haven't yet noticed) is the name change of this blog...

{Re} introducing...SMITH STREET!

There was nothing wrong with Golden State Gal. I mean, I do live in California. However, it never quiet fit and never quiet felt mine. Then, one day I was sitting on my couch and the first street I ever remember living on popped in my head. All of a sudden, I wanted to name everything, including this blog and all of my future inventions, after it!

WHY?! There are many reasons. The main one is that Smith Street reminds of me of humble beginnings and makes everything posted on this blog that much more meaningful.

And so, it starts again...

I'm excited for future posts. For now, I'll leave you with a quote that stopped me in my tracks a last week.

Via

xx, Shiela

{Dream Kitchen}

We moved into this house a year and half ago and I've had such a fun time decorating every room exactly the way we want it. I think because this is our first home, I went a little crazy and wanted to do EVERYTHING I had in mind! While I love creamy whites and calming neutrals, I also love very masculine severe decor. I love fresh new modern lines but get weak in the knees for unique vintage pieces. I have gotten very lucky with some rare finds on Craigslist but definitely have some very rigid rules as to which items I will NEVER buy used. I can find something I love and wouldn't change in every single room in the house. That is, except the kitchen.

You see, I've always loved, ADORED, sought-after, dreamt about, a white kitchen. White cabinets, marble countertops and sparkly stainless steel appliances. Our current kitchen couldn't be more opposite. We have deep cherry cabinets (i.e., masculine and severe), large pewter floor tile and cream countertops with gray tile detail. Let me clarify, I DO NOT hate my kitchen whatsoever. I actually really loved it when we first moved in. We looked for a bit for a home with white kitchen cabinets but around here, they're rarely done right. I've come to terms that if I ever want my dream kitchen, it will have to be born through a new home build or a kitchen renovation in our next home.

Crisp white cabinets and gorgeous marble countertops.

An oversized island for family and friends to gather around.

Pendant lighting.

A cozy banquette.

Last but not least, a ridiculously large and organized walk-in pantry.

Luckily, we don't plan for this home to be our forever home. So, for now, we're frantically saving for the next one in hopes to be able to build our kitchen exactly how we want! In the meantime, I'm pinning away and and patiently waiting for my dream kitchen.

xx, Shiela

{San Francisco Shenanigans}

This weekend was D's birthday. We both took the day off on Friday and drove to San Francisco. We stopped over at Livermore Paragon outlets and did a little shopping. That place is massive and would take all day to navigate! We only had a few hours so we only went to a few stores.

From Livermore, we went straight to an early dinner. If you've ever been to San Francisco, you'll know that the city is very eclectic and is host to many yummy places to eat! For this trip, we went to Park Chow. A charming little restaurant that serves comfort food!

{The food was delicious!}

{The ambiance was perfect for the chilly, cloudy San Francisco day}

After dinner, we went to a San Francisco Giant's baseball game! D and I try to go to a couple or more each season. We scored great seats and the best part is, they won!!!

It was a fantastic start to a fun-filled birthday weekend for D! If you've never visited San Francisco, I definitely recommend! This post doesn't even scratch the surface of all the fun to be had in the city!

xx, Shiela