summer in march

images megan.christine

it was an incredibly beautiful weekend in socal, and i made sure to take full advantage of it.  with temperatures in the 80's, it felt like summer arrived in march.  after an early morning hike, i spent much of sunday on my cruiser.  riding back to cardiff from encinitas, i caught the gorgeous sunset from my favorite lookout.  

mt. woodson

images jess nies burridge

if you're ever looking for a good hike not to far from san diego, head out to poway (about a 30 minute drive from downtown) and hike up mt.woodson.  overlooking lake poway this approximately 7 mile trail (from the parking lot at lake poway) is a great workout, with a slow steady incline in a beautiful setting of trees, boulders and desert shrub. recommend starting out early in the morning, as the temperature definitely rises during the day!

a morning in santa monica

images megan.christine

i went up to santa monica to visit one of my best friends.  with both of us being early risers, sunday found us wandering around town at the crack of dawn.  looking back i realize just how much we did in one morning.  it was nice to explore, just next time hopefully more will be open!

santa monica farmers market: pick up fresh produce, eat street food with fine presentation, support the local artisan, and enjoy the petting zoo of farm animals

main street: a block away from the beach, shops (like weego baby & weego home), restaurants & bars.  very local feel.

m street kitchen: hip restaurant that always has a crowd, sleek modern interior & delicious food.  for breakfast try the farmers market root vegetable hash with lemon aioli and poached eggs (light & flavorful)

montana avenue: (7th to 17th) stroll on the tree lined street, which runs all the way to the beach, and stop into the many shops & restaurants

yogaworks: awesome yoga studio (los angeles & orange county), check out carolina goldberg's vinyasa flow (2/3) in santa monica, it was incredible

morgan maassen, photography

through social networking, last night i discovered morgan maassen.  the california native is a talented photographer and filmmaker, as evident through his online portfolio.  his impressive client list includes patagonia, nike, billabong- just to name a few.  at such a young age (21), he is sure to have a long successful career ahead of him, and i'll be looking forward to see what he produces.

images Morgan Maassen

eye.salt

It's that time of year when I have my annual eye exam and come to terms with the fact that with each passing day, I am slowly becoming more blind.  I have yet to seriously consider lasik surgery, although it's appeal is fast approaching.  In the meantime, I need (ie, I have the insurance to cover) a new pair of glasses.  I have always liked SALT sunglasses, and have also discovered that I equally appreciate their optics collection.  Established in 2006, SALT, a coastal California (Costa Mesa) based eye wear company, provides the optics industry with stylish, technologically advanced designs.  Their mission,  People Who Like Simple Things Made Well, is conveyed through a series of advertisements of chic models sporting SALT eye wear, which capture the essence of the SoCal lifestyle.  They offer a great selection of minimalist designs, which has made choosing the exact model to purchase a challenge, I want so many of them!  (images, saltoptics.com)

skoy .... scrub

*images Megan.Christine

Last month I had the pleasure of shooting a series of product photography for SKOY cloth.  The Encinitas, California based company, was established by two friends that wanted to provide a 100% biodegradable and environmentally friendly all-purpose cloth.  The SKOY cloth is durable and absorbent, which makes it the perfect replacement for a sponge, wash cloth or paper towel.  Having now used the SKOY cloth since the shoot, I can attest that they stand up to a good scrub.

I decided that Mixture would be the perfect backdrop to capture the SKOY cloth in action.  Mixture is a modern furniture and home accessories store in San Diego's Little Italy.  With high-style elements, and many exclusive hard-to-find lines, this store is a must for any design buff.

cup*cake

*images Megan.Christine

I recently went to a birthday party in North Park and had the guilty pleasure of sampling a tasty selection of cupcakes (my favorite was the vanilla bean cup with chocolate mousse center topped with a sliced strawberry).  No longer are the days of plain chocolate or vanilla, and now even marble or funfetti seems so simple.   It may seems fashionable, even Food Network has reaped the benefits of this popular pastry with the Cupcake Wars series, but today's treats have put cupcakes in the dessert spotlight.  Cupcake only bakeries have proliferated in the recent years, and that's clearly evident in San Diego.  With flavors like lemon coconut, guava mango, pistachio, and black forest, these daily baked bites of heaven are hard to resist.  

If you're anything like me, and lack baking skills, you're in luck.  There are a handful of cupcake boutiques and bakeries in San Diego that offer a large selection of decadent treats.  Here are a few of my favorites:

Heavenly Cupcake, 518 6th Ave, Downtown

Babycakes, 3766 5th Avenue, Hillcrest

Heaven Sent Desserts, 3001 University (corner 30th St), North Park

Sprinkles, 8855 Villa La Jolla Drive, La Jolla

Elizabethan Desserts, 155 Quail Gardens Drive, Encinitas

Cups, 7857 Girard Avenue, La Jolla

CB's Cupcakes, 5620 Paseo Del Norte, Carlsbad

M+M: MIHO, farm-to-street

It’s always interesting to watch the infiltration of food trends take over a city, sprouting up and giving each other a run for their money.  The focus use to be on gastropubs (in San Diego, think Neighborhood, Corner Bar, etc), where the average pub fare (like burgers) took on new meaning through presentation, ingredients and flavor.  And then over the last year, culinary creations took to the road in the form of food trucks.  Using social media to identify locations (Kogi Truck in LA), becoming the center of nationally televised competitive reality show (The Great Food Truck Race), and creating a craze for delectable on the fly fare. 

Last year, I attended the grand “opening” of the MIHO Gastrotruck, a creation from San Diego foodies Kevin Ho and Juan Miron.  Parked in the back lot of a north Little Italy business, they transformed the grassy yard into a picnic celebration, with music, a bar and of course food from MIHO.  Drawing a decent crowd, people lingered enjoying the gorgeous evening and grazing on the fresh fare.   

They continue their farm-to-table cuisine seen at their North Park eateries, the Linkery and El Take It Easy,  stressing the importance of locally sourced and ethically produced ingredients.   Stepping outside the brick and mortar restaurant, their farm-to-street philosophy brings affordable and delicious food directly into the community.  Everything is made from scratch, and includes ingredients like fennel pesto aioli.  They have a daily short list of menu items (chipotle chicken tostada, Portobello burger, grass fed burger and a spinach salad), other additions may come with the seasons.  MIHO is normally found in North Park, but to track it down, refer to its schedule on mihogastrotruck.com

*images Megan.Christine

weekend afternoon

*images Megan.Christine


So far, it's been such a delightful weekend in San Diego. With temperatures in the high 70's, we were able to catch some sunshine this afternoon, clad in bikinis, on my girlfriend's balcony.  An added bonus to the weather was the views we caught of the Centennial of Naval Aviation show above the San Diego Harbor.  As we snapped some photos of the various air crafts, I couldn't help but notice this beautiful bright succulent in her planters.  It's fluffy round collection of buds reminded me of a dandelion.

torrey pines, watching golf or the scenery

Every year the PGA comes to La Jolla's Torrey Pines golf course for a tournament.  Previously the Buick Invitational, it is now the Farmer's Insurance Open, and runs from 27-30 January 2011.  Fans flock to the course to catch a glimpse of high profile athletes, like Tiger Woods and Phil Mickelson.  But for others, it's a great opportunity to stroll through the gorgeous landscape, overlooking the Pacific Ocean, scattered with torrey pine trees and cliffside vantage points.  With summer arriving in January this year in Southern California, enjoying a little golf in almost 80 degree weather is a treat!

* images Megan.Christine

kindle- mod outdoor living

Recently our friend's hosted a party and with the SoCal climate, both the indoor and outdoor space were used during the celebration.  They had looked into renting heat lamps, as it does get a tad chilly in the evenings, but found that they could purchase some decent ones from the local hardware store (like Home Depot).  But just like many heat lamps on the market, they are bulky, plain and don't blend in with the decor.  While doing some research for our own patio, I came across this awesome design by Kindle.  It's the K Heater, and comes in a variety of colors (I personally liked the white).  The ribbed texture, and sleek form, this over sized lamp (imagine Alice in Wonderland) is both functional and stylish.  In addition to a personal patio or garden, these lamps have been spotted at LA hot spots and roof decks, and would be great for parties and weddings.  

popotla, rustic fishing

If you want to experience northern Baja Mexico and take in the local flavor, then Popotla is a great destination and easy to get to.  Located just south of Rosarito, about 40 miles from San Diego, this small fishing village is bustling during the day.  With fresh catches of fish, baja lobsters, crab, and mussels, along with homemade ceviche and tostadas, a stroll along the shore can be appetizing.  If you can put aside stateside expectations and assume the rustic attitude that comes with this area, you will have a great time.  

*images Megan.Christine