Sunday Funday: Flea Market, Bob's + Griffith Park

A bonus of being a morning person: my kid wakes up at 6am (or before) - he has no concept of weekends. Therefore, we can start our day off early, just how I like!!

Chris nor I have ever been to the Rose Bowl in Pasadena. On the second Sunday of each month they have a huge flea market. I always have forgotten about it (because who can keep track of the second flipping Sunday of the month?!), but Chris reminded me on Saturday so off we went! Funny fact, we had to travel over SEVEN freeways to get there: 90-405-10-110-5-2-134!

Cool admission tickets

We arrived around 9:30, parking is free but it was already crowded - get there early to get a good spot. And silly me, I though the market would be held on the stadium field. Haha...NO. In a circle around the outside of the stadium are vendors similar to those you would find at a swap meet selling good and products. And in a large parking lot section are the rows and rows are the other vendors who are selling the antiques and other typical flea market finds. Going to the market I had no real "shopping list" - I was just browsing. Although I was keeping my eye out for a good colorful train case (I have two or three already) and some old wooden soda crates. This place was overwhelming. We didn't even go down all the rows! I saw a few curiosities, but ended up not buying anything. I think next time we go, I'll be more prepared and will know what I'm looking for.

Empty field

"Hmmm...Which alligator head should I buy?"

This could fit on my balcony, right?

We left Pasadena around 11:30 and made our way back up the 134 to one of Chris' favorites: Bob's Big Boy for lunch in Burbank. This particular Bob's is the best because it's a historical landmark built in 1949. They do classic car shows every Friday (Jay Leno is a frequent guest), and celebrities are spotted there often. *A couple years ago we sat next to James Marsden and his kids. We've also sat at the "Beatles Booth" a number of times with my family. Chris loves this place because they serve a dish called chili spaghetti - which is simple enough: chili poured over spaghetti noodles. He also gets the deluxe version which adds a burger patty at the bottom of the bowl!

"Bob, meet Ollie. Ollie, Bob."

"One cheeseburger for me, please."

Stuffed, we were going to just head home, but I brought up the idea of going up to Griffith Observatory since it was a clear day and Chris had never been there.

We made a wrong turn on the 5 and stopped to get gas. Across the street I saw a cool building...turns out, it was the Los Angeles County Coroner's Office O_o (Photo credit)

The drive up is simple enough, be aware though that the parking lot is small. We had to find street parking on the hill and hike up. On weekends the place is overrun with Los Angelenos going on hikes through the trails near the observatory and of course, tourists. We took a ton of pictures! The view was great - you could see all the way to the Pacific Ocean and of course, the famed Hollywood sign. Admission is free to the museum, but we were really only on the inside to use the restrooms and the elevator up to the roof. Perhaps when Oliver is older, we'll take some time and actually look around the exhibits.

It was an unexpected excursion Sunday, but a fun one :)
xx, Chrissy

Coming Soon: Vegas

Chris and I leave for Vegas this upcoming weekend! Our company is exhibiting at the CMAA National Conference and we get to go! I can't wait, I'm already dreaming about my margarita from Margaritaville...I'll be sure to post pictures when we get back!

P.S. I finally had our baby: Oliver Gregory Gallis, born July 30 at 9:11pm. He was 9 pounds, 4 ounces, 21 1/2 inches. He's a great kid, he's always so happy (unless he's hungry...). We all love him so much <3

Waiting...

Just an FYI, I'm still pregnant and past my due date :/ I can't wait for this to be over because just taking Bruce out for a walk exhausts me. I'm looking forward to being able to go out and about soon! Ahead on our calendar in October: Maroon 5/Kelly Clarkson concert and a trip to Vegas for a company trade show! 

xx, Chrissy

I'm Horrible at Updating!

Good heavens, I'm really bad at keeping this blog updated! Let's see...since the last time I posted at the end of February:

MARCH 

San Diego

Chris and I celebrated our seven year anniversary (two of those, being married) by taking a trip to San Diego. We stayed at the Hacienda Hotel in Old Town San Diego.

Best Western Hacienda Hotel

I've been staying there since I was a little kid with my family, and we stayed there last year for our anniversary as well. The best views are from the 600 and 500 buildings. From there you have a view all the way out to the coast.

Staying in Old Town is great because you're in walking distance to so many interesting "tourist" spots! The restaurant we always have to visit is the Cosmopolitan Hotel - when I was little, it was known as Casa de Bandini and was a typical Mexican restaurant. Today, after a few years of renovations, they have restored the Cosmopolitan to it's roots, a Bed and Breakfast with a restaurant featuring a more upscale menu.

Chris and I go mainly for their drinks. Chris' favorite is the Sazerac Cocktail (Sazerac rye whiskey, Absinthe, and Peychaud's Bitters) and my favorite is the Lady Seeley's Violette Fizz (Oxley gin, St. Germain Elderflower Liqueur, Creme d'Yvette, lemon juice, sugar, and soda water). Unfortunately for me, on this trip I had to just make due with Diet Coke :( We also like this place because it was featured on Ghost Adventures!

Trolley

On this trip we did something we hadn't done before - we bought a two-day pass for the Old Town Trolley Tour.

It's a hop-on/hop-off tour that takes you all around the city. The stops include: Old Town, USS Midway, Seaport Village, Horton Plaza, Gaslamp Quarter, Coronado, Balboa Park, and Little Italy to name a few. Our first day we stayed on the trolley the whole time, except we jumped off at a stop on Coronado.

Hotel del Coronado

It's a great way to tour the city, we saw places we don't normally visit! Our second day we used the trolley to take us to the USS Midway, then we walked over to Little Italy to have lunch, hopped back on the trolley to take us back to Old Town.

Standing outside the USS Midway

Chris with the landing signal officer

Chris testing out the controls

Gnocchi with sundried tomatoes, pine nuts, and pesto cream from Trattoria Fantastica in Little Italy

When we bought our trolley tickets (side note: there is a kiosk set up in Old Town to buy all these tickets and more), we also bought a two hour harbor tour on the Hornblower. The first part of the cruise they take you along the south side of the bay and you go underneath the Coronado Bridge and you get to see all the naval ships.

Bridge to Coronado Island

Chris with the USS Midway behind him

The second part is along the north side of the bay and the best part is you get to see all the Sea Lions basking in the sun, soaking up the rays!

Hodad's

Hodad's is a burger restaurant in Ocean Beach that was featured on Diners, Drive-In's, and Dives and is known for their bacon patties! Chris hadn't been here before so we made a stop for lunch to stuff our faces :) Get there as it opens because there is always a line out in front!

I'm pretty sure he ate the whole thing!

Galco's

At the end of March, we made a trip out to Galco's in Pasadena to get some fun, retro sodas. I had first heard about Galco's back in the early 2000s when Huell Howser visited the shop on his show. My family and I had made a trek or two up there from Lake Forest because of Huell (and my dad's love of bottles). They have hundreds of different types of sodas, yes they still carry the same kind you would find in Ralph's, but it's more of a specialty shop.

Soooo many sodas!

I stocked up on different types of creme sodas, and I think Chris' favorite find during this trip was the Cucumber Soda! Personally, I don't like the taste of cucumbers, but it had a crisp, refreshing taste.

Chocolate Tour

Also in March, my aunt Rebecca booked my sisters, cousins, and I on the Beverly Hills Walking Chocolate Tour. Located near Rodeo Drive, this tour takes you around to a few locations: Sprinkles, Coupa Cafe, The American Tea Room, Vosges Haut-Chocolate, The Beverly Hills Brownie Company, and I think everyone's favorite: The Cheese Store.

The Cheese Store

You have a tour guide and in each location you get to try some samples and then spend a little time looking around each store and make purchases.

The Beverly Hills Brownie Company

It was pretty fun, I felt like such a tourist since I only live a couple miles away, but it was neat because I never visit this area of L.A.! My sister Katy was pretty happy because she parked near Lisa Vanderpump's (Real Housewives of Beverly Hills) restaurant, Villa Blanca, and she saw someone from the show.

APRIL

Tosh.0

Comedy Central films Tosh.0 close by our home over in Culver City. I had put my name on a wait list through On-Camera Audiences to go to a taping of the show so long ago that I had forgotten I had done it! Well I finally got an email letting me know it was my turn...you have to show up a few hours early, wait in a line, and then hope you can get a seat because it's first come, first serve.

Waiting outside the Tosh.0 offices

We got there early enough, but by the time they started letting people in when we got to the front of the line it was standing room only. I think I was around six and a half months pregnant by then and I did NOT want to stand on my feet for another two hours! So we declined and they gave us priority passes to another taping on a different day. Fast forward two weeks, we went back to the studio, got to the front of the line and got to sit in the second row, right next to the aisle. It was a fun experience, almost like just watching Daniel Tosh do stand-up. He runs through the episode one time, the he goes back a second to redo any lines or to try out different jokes. If you're a fan of his, I'd recommend putting your name on the wait list now!

MAY

We've slowed down on our excursions as I near my due date. We've been busy with weekend baby classes and getting everything ready. I can't do much walking before I tire myself out! This wasn't much of an excursion, but we held my baby shower at the Cheesecake Factory in Marina del Rey, it's right on the Mother's Beach with a great view (and it's like a mile from my home - great distance for me!!).

Chris' grandparents, Connie and Bonnie

And apparently it's a great spot for celebrity sightings because Gwen Stefani was on the beach with her kids for a birthday party!

Photo taken by my paparazzi father

And if you're an Arrested Development fan, this is the same beach where Gob makes the yacht "disappear" :P

The Grand Illusion!

Tomorrow I will be eight months pregnant (it's a boy if I haven't already mentioned) and we don't have any upcoming excursion plans. I keep trying to plan something (E.g., Knott's Berry Farm [passes are cheap right now!], the beach, one last weekend getaway) but Chris reminds me that I'm pregnant and I'm in bed before 9pm. We haven't even been going out to eat dinner anywhere fun! So if anything does come up slightly interesting, I'll post about it, but for now we're acting as homebodies!
xx, Chrissy

Justin Timberlake Concert, LACMA + Birthdays

You should’ve seen me at my parent’s house the day that the Justin Timberlake concert tickets were going on sale. This was for his one night only, live performance at the Hollywood Palladium after the Grammy’s. The tickets went on sale at noon and I was sitting in their office, using two desktop monitors, while I had my dad using my iPhone, and Kelly and Chris using their iPhones as well to all try and score tickets. No one could get through online so I finally called Live Nation and got the tickets that way! I was so excited, it was like I was in high school again about to go see *NSYNC. Chris came with me to the concert and it was amazing! He sang all his hits, some new ones, and a few cover songs. Apparently there were a ton of celebrities there, but I didn’t see any – well except for Jay-Z and Timbaland who came out on stage. I think my days of attending ‘general admission’ concerts are over though, I was on my feet for hours with nowhere to sit which was not good for the little minion growing inside of me, but it was worth it ;)

My dad turned 61 this month and we celebrated by visiting the Los Angeles County Museum of Art, and more specifically the Stanley Kubrick exhibit. I’ve only seen a couple of his movies, but my family is big fan of “The Shining” so it was very cool to see some of the props and scripts with notes from that film. We’ve never been inside of LACMA before and it is huge! We didn’t see everything, but we sure saw a lot…

I don’t want this to turn into a baby blog, but I’ll give you an update: I just had a checkup and everything is really good. My blood pressure had been high the past couple of weeks and that’s why I have to see a regular OB doctor and a high-risk OB, but today my blood pressure was really low! All my blood work has come back fine (including the genetic testing), and I’m still losing weight (20+ pounds so far). My OB said that’s fine (I have enough fat stored in me to feed Octomom’s babies). I didn’t have an ultrasound today, but I will be going in for the important 20 week ultrasound in the beginning of March and we’ll know if it’s a boy or girl then! I love my doctors and I’m so glad that I switched medical groups to UCLA, I know I’m getting the best care!

My mom also had her birthday this month and the family came up to our house - we had a good lunch at Baby Blues BBQ (as seen on Diners, Drive-Ins, and Dives) and just hung out at our place.

Upcoming: This weekend is Chris’ and my anniversary! We will have been together seven years (married two)!
xx, Chrissy

Hey, remember me??

Hi! So it's been a while...Walt Disney World was fun as usual. We have a ton of pictures but find me on Facebook to look through my album if you want to check them out please! I've been pretty sick since the beginning of December, complete with two ER trips :( I'm starting to feel much better and getting my asthma back under control. But I guess the main news (if you don't already know) is that I'm finally pregnant! It took a while, but after help from my OB-GYN and the right medications, it finally happened. Unfortunately I'm being considered a high-risk pregnancy but I've switched medical groups to UCLA and I'm having THE best care. I love my new doctors!! We're due at the end of July and I can't wait for this to be over, LOL! I wanted this for so long, but being pregnant and sick (and I don't mean morning sickness) totally sucks!! Chris has been so good to me during all of this, I have to say I was a little surprised hahaha...And of course Bruce is excited too! I don't have any baby bump pictures yet. I'm still at the stage where I just look extra fat (damn you skinny girls!!). And we'll know the sex of the baby pretty soon. There is no way I want that to be a secret, I don't know how some women don't want to know!! So that's it for now, I'll try to make another post somewhat soon :)
xx, Chrissy