Bloomington Breadstick Tour

Kathryn and I recently went back to the greatest college town in the world: Bloomington, IN. We attended a conference put on by our college called MultiVisions. We both spoke on a panel for students and faculty to inform them about our jobs in the media industry. We were excited to go back to our Telecommunications building, but we were also pretty pumped to eat tons of bread. Yup.

Kathryn created the name BBT (Bloomington Breadstick Tour). It made me laugh so hard that I had to use that hashtag when uploading all our pictures. One thing about LA, is that there are NO BREADSTICKS or good pizza. There are a plethora of these things in Bloomington and we had to eat them all in less than 12 hours.
So here is the documentation of our BBT that I wanted to share with all my Los Angeles and non-IU friends, but also for my IU friends to look back on with fond memories. I apologize now for generating any withdraws.

1) Kilroy's on Kirkwood "KOK"- 12:00PM
 http://kilroyskirkwood.com/ 
Our first stop was at Kilroy's to enjoy their amazing Stuffed Breadsticks for lunch! I was able to get an Amaretto Sour drink for only $3 (WIN!) and Kathryn was able to get her beloved Strawberry Long Island which is also delectable. Apparently, flavored long island drinks are only a thing in B-town, or atleast NOT in LA. People usually look at Kathryn like she is crazy whenever she tries ordering a Strawberry Long Island anywhere in Los Angeles. 

Kilroy's is ranked as one The Best College Bars in America according to:
Business Insider
Complex City Guide
University Primetime
Sports Business Daily
Bro Bible  
Thrillist.com 





 
2) Mother Bear's - 5:00PM
http://www.motherbearspizza.com/ 
Next stop is my favorite Pizza place in the entire WORLD!!! I was very excited to eat their orgasmic breadsticks with spicy cheese and delicious pizza. Yes, People. Indiana has amazing pizza. Not just Chicago and New York. People Magazine named Mother Bear's one of America’s Top Nine Pizzarias! The sign out front rocks a blue ribbon saying "4th in the Nation." 
I'm starting to have withdraws just looking at these pictures. The breadsticks as you can see are grouped in fours. They have a crunchy top with a SUPER soft amazing middle section as you bite into it. It's perfection. Yes, I may be a little biased, but this is QUALITY BREAD PEOPLE! Below you will see an example of a 10'' pepperoni pizza. It's more on the deep dish side, but this is consider their traditional crust. They have a deep dish square shaped pizza you can order as well. NOM.

3) Hartzall's Ice Cream - 7:30PM
http://www.hartzellsic.com/
We took a #BBT Detour. The line was OUT THE DOOR, but it was worth it. This place has the best chocolate milkshake I've ever had in my entire life. If you know me, I LOVE chocolate and usually get some sort of fancy sundae with Oreos and what not. No. Hartzall's chocolate milkshake holds its own. I know what you are thinking LA kids. Yes, it is hands down better than In-and-Out Milkshakes. Yup. I said it. Their milkshake is made to order and they put their own chocolate blend into the ice cream which makes it incredibly chocolatey and delicious. They also let you hand pick your own HUGE colorful straw which is made for drinking shakes. Take Notes In-and-Out. Sorry I didn't take a picture of my milkshake cup. I was too busy inhaling it. However,  I did take a picture of Kathryn before she had her 50 cent cone. It was so cute.


4) Pizza X - 8:30PM
http://www.pizzaxbloomington.com/index.html 
Our final stop! When I first arrived in Bloomington as a freshman this place was called Pizza Express. I find myself still calling it that, but they shortened it to Pizza X during my 4 years at IU. "Same friendly people. Same great taste." Their pizza is okay, it gets the job done when you are hungry and/or drunk. The bread is always good. They are known for their "Big Ten Deal" or "Big X Deal" Where you get a large pizza, 2 cups of your soft drink choice, (You can keep the Pizza X cups forever! We have a collection of them), and a bag of breadsticks with dipping sauce. These breadsticks are Kathryn's personal favorite. She is a frequent buyer of the "Little 5 Deal" which includes 8 breadsticks, 2 dipping sauces and a Pizza X cup drink! Their shape reminds me of bones. They are saltier than Mother Bear's breadsticks. Kathryn enjoy's their cheese dip better as well. Oh and this place is open until 4am. Yup.

This concludes the BBT! I hope you enjoyed our inside look of the tour. Please come again. 
Our Bloomington Breadstick Tour was a great success. We left with very full tummies, but with happy hearts/taste buds. =)
This is Indiana.  
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H8hdKnr7rpE

Save the Date designs

Hey lovelies,

Well, since I have a lot of time on my hands (funemployment) I was able to enter DESIGN MODE. My good friends Paul and Crystal are getting married this September and I was honored to be asked to be in their bridal party. I saw it as my duty to design their Save the Dates. [I have to admit I was really excited to create them].
I looked and Googled HUNDREDS of Save the Dates to get an idea of what is current, modern, and appropriate. I was inspired by many other designs and I will credit with a source link below each one.
In the end, I believe I designed about 8 or 9. Here are the finished (or nearly finished) designs:

 Can you guess which one Crystal and Paul chose for their wedding?!

 

 Source image

 Crystal's idea   

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My own design

 

Source image

Source image 2

 

Crystal's idea

Source image

Let me know what you think!

My Favorite Spots in Los Angeles

After living in Los Angeles for 2.5 years I definitely have my list of favorites. Of course it keeps growing and changing when I occasionally find a new happenin' spot. Here is my current list:

Restaurants/Eateries
Breakfast/Brunch: Bebe's
This restaurant is always hoppin' and located in Burbank near WB. It's my favorite breakfast spot that closes at 4pm each day. Their menu is pretty awesome: Bebe's Menu

Mexican Joint: Don Cuco's 
So far, this is my favorite place to serve me up some Mexican Cuisine. One is right down the street from me located in Toluca Lake. I hear they serve some good Margaritas. http://doncuco.com/
 
Cupcake Shop: Yummy Cupcakes
THESE CUPCAKES ARE SCRUMPTIOUS! The owner has opened multiple locations around SoCal. There are many cupcake shops here in LA, but this is hands down my favorite place. I have given "Cupcake in a Jar" as gifts for Christmas.  http://www.yummycupcakes.com/

First time taking Kathryn

Underrated Dessert Spots: Cupcake ATM and Millions of Milkshakes
Who doesn't think a Cupcake ATM machine is awesome?! The concept is pretty cool, and I recommend taking people to the Beverly Hills location at least once. (Although Sprinkles cupcakes are not as delicious as Yummy Cupcakes, in my opinion). Cupcake ATM
Also, people (even locals) don't seem to know about Millions of Milkshakes! It is located in West Hollywood off Santa Monica Blvd. You create your own milkshake from tons of different mix-ins. Sounds pretty tasty, right? http://millionsofmilkshakes.com/
 
Frozen Yogurt: Menchie's 
I never grew up with anything like this! You can create your own frozen yogurt concoction with tons of toppings to throw on top. Menchies is great because they have around 10 flavors to choose from and you make it yourself. It's every kid's (and young adult's) dream. http://www.menchies.com/

Activities
Free Activity: Archery
I get to be a badass FO FREE! My roomie, Kathryn found that Cheviot Hills Park in Century City offers free archery lessons and equipment on the weekend. We've made it our new hobby and go any weekend we can. 

Night Time Attraction: LACMA Lights
"Urban Light" is an outdoor exhibit at the LACMA museum. You will always see people there taking pictures, engagement photo shoots or just wandering in the background ruining your shot. 

Hiking Spot: I can't even chose! 
I could write an entire blog post just on all the places I love to hike. I've hiked at Griffith Park, Hollywood Sign, Malibu, Los Liones, Temescal Canyon, Runyon, Fryman Canyon, etc. I went on the most intense hike at Los Liones, but the view from the top was totally worth it. It is by far my favorite view of the ocean front and all of LA.

Studio Tour: WB Studio Tour
There are MANY studios to take a tour from in LA, but Warner Brother's is definitely the best. It isn't as big of a spectacle as Universal Studio's, but it is more intimate. They actually let you out of the tram and walk into the houses used for Gilmore Girls, on the Friends set, into a Harry Potter costume museum, the car museum, the prop warehouse, and onto an actually sound stage for a TV show. (I walked through Pretty Little Liars). The tour guide will accommodate your interests, rather than sticking to a memorized and overused speech like Universal. http://vipstudiotour.warnerbros.com/

Date Spot: The Groundlings
For those of you that have never heard of Groundlings (I had not) it is an improv school where Melissa McCarthy, Kristin Wiig, Maya Rudolph, and Jennifer Coolidge got their start! I think its the perfect date spot because who doesn't like to laugh?! The stage room is very intimidate so every seat is a great view. The tickets are NOT expensive. Last time I went, I found a coupon for 50% off the Sunday show. I only paid $15 for 2 tickets. The first time I went, Mitch Silpa (Steve the Flight Attendant from Bridesmaids) was performing and he made me CRY from laughter. http://www.groundlings.com/

Shopping: The Americana at Brand/Glendale Galleria
This mall is underrated. Not many people know it exists. The Americana at Brand was designed by the same architect that designed the famous mall that EVERYONE loves, "The Grove." The Grove is great, but the Americana at Brand is bigger and just as beautiful. Incredible (and probably expensive) apartments look down at the cute stores below as Frank Sintra-esque music fills the air. Glendale Galleria is a huge indoor mall located right across the street, and that is where I park FOR FREE. So in my opinion, this mall beats the Grove just because it is easier to get to and free to park. The Grove will always have the best Farmer's Market though.

Beach
Beach: Manhattan Beach
This beach is beautiful and the quaint town doesn't hurt either. I've only been twice, but it won me over. Especially the Manhattan Beach Creamery right up the hill from the Pier. It was delicious. Also, every hott guy in LA lives here. So that's a plus.

Wet beach activity: Surfing, duh
Last July, I had the chance to FINALLY go surfing. It was incredible and one heck of a work out. Surfers are in fantastic shape. I recommend taking surf lessons your first time. Don't just try and wing it. I used Groupon to find a deal for Kathryn and I to learn at Santa Monica Beach. We had a group of 8 or so people and 2 instructors out there with us on the water. They provide the wetsuits (get there early to grab the best wetsuit) and long foam boards that are perfect for learning on. Also, I didn't realize you had to tip your instructors so we had to run to the bank right after. 

Dry beach activity: Long boarding/Biking riding The Strand
The Strand is a 22 mile long path down the beach. I love going there to longboard or ride my bike. It is very relaxing (unless you ride through Venice then you'll be dodging homeless people and skaters). There are many rental shops down the coast for people to rent bikes and every small form of transportation you can think of.

Road on The Strand to Manhattan Beach