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The Grinch Who Stole Christmas

H&M Blazer | Forever 21 Camisole | Louis Vuitton Monogram Inclusion Necklace & Ribera Mm Bag | Joe's Jeans Cigarette Jeans | Bakers OTK Suede Boots

Last year, my husband (then, fiance) coordinated one of the best surprises for me to date. He’s normally great with surprises and gifts (lucky me!) but usually, it’s something I’ve mentioned wanting, thought about or seen in passing. This surprise was something I never saw coming and didn’t really know existed. He told me to dress nice and that he was taking me somewhere that evening. We got into the car and started driving – I had no idea where to. We finally got to San Diego’s Balboa Park and I searched and searched for clues… I saw signs for ballets and various symphonies performing nearby, but he wouldn’t budge. We found parking and started walking into the park, passing museum after museum. Finally, we turned a corner and I saw this gigantic cartoonish tree, followed by posters for The Grinch Who Stole Christmas – he surprised me with front & center tickets on opening night to The Old Globe Theatre! I absolutely loved it (and would recommend it to anyone – at any age). It was incredible; beautiful voices singing heart warming songs, impeccable attention to detail on set, award-winning talent… I was head over heals in love with it. Afterwards, he took me to dinner at The Prado, a restaurant I’d been wanting to dine at for years but never got around to trying. Naturally, I mentioned that it was something we had to do again. This year, my husband did not disappoint. He surprised me with front row tickets (I could literally touch the stage without reaching too far). I was ecstatic and the show was better than ever! We were so close, it was as if were part of the show! Unfortunately, no cameras are ever allowed inside; I saw a few peopled trying to take camera phone shots who were immediately scolded by security and threatened with removal – yikes. Following our new tradition, we had a delicious dinner at The Prado, again. If you’re ever in San Diego during the holidays, this is a performance I would highly recommend!

An Dyer The Prado's roasted jidori half chicken

The Prado's Roasted Jidori Half Chicken - mascarpone polenta, sauteed spinach, fennel confit, truffle pan sauce

The Prado's Braised Short Rib - golden raisin couscous, sunchoke horseradish puree, root vegetable confit, bordelaise

An Dyer The Prado's truffle mac-n-cheese

The Prado's Truffle Mac-N-Cheese - look at those slices of black truffles! Delicious!

Last year:

Xox,
An

What To Wear

Going Bananas

An Dyer Grandma's birthday dinner outfit

Please excuse my lack of creativity for blog titles :p

I’ve mentioned before my Grandma’s distaste of dark/harsh colors so when her birthday rolled around, I racked my brain for outfit ideas. I decided on mustard, caramel and dark brown for the family get together and birthday celebration. I love this Forever21 skirt because it’s fun and functional with deep pockets to stash my camera and cell phone and also full and twirly to keep me comfortable while stuffing my face with all the yummy foods my relatives would be bringing. I also took full advantage of the 80 degree Southern California weather by skipping the tights and showing off some legs but the sweater coat would keep me cozy in case it got cold later on that evening.

I love comfort food and Banana Nut Bread is definitely one of them. When I saw this No Fuss Banana Nut Bread recipe on one of my favorite food blogs, dailyfoodgasm, I knew I had to try to make it. I’d been meaning to try this recipe since Vy first shared it on her blog but unfortunately for me, my husband loves having a banana for breakfast every morning and they’d disappear before I had a chance to make it. Feeling determined and planning to attend my Grandma’s birthday dinner last Saturday, I made a run to the grocery store for bananas. Two bundles to keep both my baking urge and my husband satisfied. The recipe was fuss free overall; except for sifting the flour – I can’t seem to ever do this without making a mess! In the end, it was well worth the mini flour mess I made because it was a huge hit! My Grandma loved it and everyone kept telling me I should make this again. This recipe is definitely a winner & a keeper in my book!

Xox,
An

What To Wear

Christmas on the Prado

I knew it would be a cold night and we’d be doing a lot of walking around so I wanted to make sure I wore something warm, comfortable but of course, still fashionable and cute. I recently scored these NYLA black leather booties at Nordstrom rack for an awesome price (only $30 after using the Groupon deal) and I wanted a fun occasion to wear them. The heel isn’t too high at about 3.5 inches with a 1.5 inch platform and was thick enough to give great support. I wore a long-sleeved plaid shirt underneath my jacket so that it would still keep me warm in case I wanted to take off the jacket during the night. My Pochette Florentine is always my go-to accessory when going anywhere with extensive walking (county fairs or amusement parks etc.) especially since it gives me easy access to my camera or Blackberry… no need to rummage through my big purse and risk missing a great Kodak moment! Glasses? Unfortunately for me, I’m near-sighted and over the years, my vision has gotten progressively worse. Although I have prescription glasses, I usually tough it out and only wear them when necessary (usually only while driving or at the theatre). They’re definitely a fun accessory though – hopefully that will entice me to wear them more often… as I should ;p

Every year since I was little, as far back as I can remember, my family attends Balboa Park’s Christmas on the Prado. It’s the event that’s known to jump start Christmas season in San Diego. The entire park and it’s museums are decorated with Christmas decor and there are carnival rides, various holiday performances, international food booths and especially my favorite – The Christmas Tree Story. It’s always the first weekend of December and only lasts two days. During the two days, entrance to the museums are free and the event typically has over 300,000 visitors. It’s truly amazing and I love every part of it.

Yummy Food Booths - Ruth's Chris is my all time favorite restaurant so I had to stop at their booth and was I glad I did, their filet mignion sandwich was amazing!

Beautiful Choir Performances by the Del Cerro Baptist Church

Christmas on the Prado Del Cerro Baptist Church Christmas Tree Story

Del Cerro Baptist Church's Christmas Tree Story - the tree opens up and they go through the nativity scenes, telling the story of baby Jesus with narration and music. It's beautiful! (This is why I wanted to wear my glasses.)

Xox,
An

What To Wear

On any given Sunday

: Black Michael Kors Bag | Cranberry Papaya Velour Blazer | Banana An Scarf | Victoria Secrets NFL Tee | Charlotte Russe Jeggings | BCBG Brown Wedges | JCPenny Studded Ring | Forever 21 Necklace | Michael Kors Watch

My husband and I are both huge San Diego Charger fans – although, I’ll admit I’m more of a fan because he loves them (and naturally since we were both born and bred in Southern California). Unfortunately, they suffered a loss to the Raiders last weekend so here’s hoping and praying we’ll win tomorrow 🙂 Gettem’ Bolts! <3

Xox,
An

What To Wear

Friend Friday: Connecting With Readers

I’m so excited to be a part of Fashion Beauty Friend Friday, created by ModlyChic, and below is my very first post with the group. We’re to answer questions regarding connecting with our readers and it’s importance.

photo via kevinmartineau.blogspot.com

How important do you think reader connectedness is to the success of your blog?
Reader connectedness is extremely important to my blog’s success. Having regular reader base would help keep my posts interesting and cohesive as well as give me more ideas for content. When I’m able to relate to my readers, I would want to write more posts that we’re mutually interested in.

What do you do to draw readers in and create that writer-reader bond?
I try my best to write interesting posts as well as include lots of photos to ensure my blog’s content keeps my readers entertained. I’m very active with responding to comments so I think that definitely helps create more of a bond. I also frequently visit my readers’ blogs, if they have one, and will comment on their posts as well.

What is one way you could improve this connection?
Oh, I could think of dozens! Being a new blogger, improving my reader connection is my main concern right now. I think I should definitely start asking questions of my readers to get them involved with my posts and be more interactive.

Is there a blogger you think does a great job creating that writer-reader bond? Why?
I would definitely say Zarna’s Runway – she writes frequently, responds to comments, she’s visited my blog a few times and has been so sweet with her comments, and her content is amazing; vivid photos and great writing!

What do you do to cultivate new readers? How do you get them to your site in the first place?
Since I recently started my blog; I’ve relied heavily on twitter as well as frequently visiting blogs with similar styles/content and being active with commenting on fellow bloggers posts. I’m also active on LookBook.nu & Chictopia which definitely helps bring readers to my blog.

Interested in joining in on the fun to? See information about Fashion Beauty Friend Friday here.

Xox,
An

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The Grinch Who Stole Christmas

Going Bananas

Christmas on the Prado

On any given Sunday

Friend Friday: Connecting With Readers