You really eat that??

Last night I went hiking with Juju and Danny. We did Echo Mountain in Pasadena. The trail we hiked is 2-1/2 miles one way and it's up hill the whole way. I'm in pretty decent shape, but boy was it a struggle the whole way up. My face was bright red. I was a mess. We didn't make it all the way to the top, but we got pretty close. We decided to turn back at about 2-1/4 miles. We pretty much ran down the mountain on the way back. Juju was upset, she doesn't like going downhill. I was dying to get off the mountain. I was hungry.

We had decided before our hike that the perfect dinner spot, after our hike, would be Roscoe's Chicken & Waffles. Or as the cool people call it "Scoe" (Steve told me this is the cool way). That was pretty much the only reason we went hiking, so that we could have "Scoe" after the hike and not feel super guilty.

So Steve and Rochelle met us up for dinner (they didn't go hiking). I got a little carried away and ordered a drumstick, 2 wings and a waffle. They ended up giving me an extra drumstick. I think they could see the hunger in my eyes. Well everyone else pretty much ordered a variation of the same, but they got white meat, "a succulent breast", as Juju likes to call it.

Mid way through dinner Juju remembers that I like to eat chicken cartilage. In particular the big piece that is connected to the breast bone.

They look like this:

p.s. I can't believe I found this pic. It's a cartilage kebob!












They are delicious. So Juju offers me her cartilage and I take it happily. I was hoping she would offer it to me because I would never ask for it in public, but she does and I eat it up. Everyone else at the table looks at me like I'm creepy, primarily Rochelle and Danny, Steve already knows I'm creepy. So Danny's like "really? You eat that part?" I say, "YES I love it. My cousin Erik and I used to fight over that part when we were younger". We're a family of creepies, apparently. At this point I have no shame, I start looking at everyone's chicken breast for more cartilage. It's not like we're at a fancy dinner, we're at "Scoe" in our sweats, Right?

At the end of dinner I convinced everyone that they still love me and will still be my friend despite the fact that I like chicken cartilage. They kind of agree, and we move on. It was a great night of hiking, eating and sharing. And Juju was nice enough to take the last 2 lonely pieces of chicken home.

Stinky Brooklyn

While in NY on this last trip, we decided to take the subway to Brooklyn to look for a cheese shop called Stinky Brooklyn. Apparently it had a following and we were told we should check it out. We arrive in Brooklyn and start our hunt. Walking through the streets of Brooklyn I feel good and I feel cool. A different coolness than I feel when I'm walking in Manhattan and people mistake me for a new yorker and ask me for directions. That always makes me smile, even though I can't ever tell them how to get where they're going. Sometimes I try to make the rouse last as long as possible and I pretend to look around, like I might know in what direction to send them, but alas, I never do and they walk away disappointed.

But Brooklyn, I don't know how to explain it but I feel like the air is even different in Brooklyn, it's not glitzy and full of itself. I like that I can almost see myself living there. We stop to get a drink (as we always do anywhere) and we end up at this little cafe. We sit outside and chill. I look around and take it all in. There are some brownstones in front of us. Somehow the people in the neighborhood have closed off a block of their street to let their kids play and get wet on the street. I'm not sure if this is legal but they have parked a car on each end of the block and everyone seems to be ok with this, and so am I. You make the best with what you've got and you make it work. You don't have a yard for the kiddies to play? Just close off the street for a few hours :) We had a nice time drinking, talking and people watching.

So back to Stinky Brooklyn. We make it to the tiny shop. It's nothing to write home about. BUT all is not lost. On the way to the shop we happen to bump into this indie fair. It's small but has a lot of awesome stuff. I fall in love with this clutch I must have. I actually fall in love with all of the designer's bags, I want them all, but Shteve makes me pick one. I get this one:

Front & Back

I love it! I just wore it the other day and it made me feel all indie chic. The designer Lola Falk has a website. Check it out when you get a chance and buy me The Jackie Bag...

www.lolafalk.com/

Green with Envy....

Last month I tagged along with Steve (my fiance) and his mama on a work trip. Goal: to visit the Fancy Food show going on that weekend and sample all the great food products from all over the world and hopefully discover something new and exciting (Steve and his mom are in the food business fyi). Well, that was their goal. My goal was to explore and eat as much as possible. Also to maybe do a little shopping, but only if it came up and I bumped into a store or two...

We arrive on a Friday night and after a 3 hour drive from Newark to Manhattan, we get to our hotel, freshen up, and meet up some friends at a really yummy Spanish restaurant we love, Mercat.





We had the best time eating and talking and drinking cava. After dinner we decide to take a little walk and I bump into this:



This shoe store looked amazing. I wanted to go in so bad, but it was midnight. I did some window shopping and had to walk away.

I didn't catch the name of the store, but next time I go to New York, I must go back. It's very close to Mercat on Bond St. in Noho. If anyone happens to visit, let me know about the experience and bring me back a pair of shoes. I'm a size 8!

Cache Burger Night anyone?

I went out to dinner with a bunch of crazies last night.


Stevie insists on wearing his shades indoors because he's super cool, but it's actually that he's being a drunky




Here's Mike making O'ryan cry at dinner, again....






Laura's favorite dinner involves a vodka and olives














We went to Cache in Santa Monica for Burger night. The special burger of the night was a burger that was a 9oz patty (50% short rib & 50% ground beef ) with a Fried Egg, Bacon Hollandaise, Watercress, and Beef Steak Tomato. It looked delish!

It looked something like this:



I say it looked something like this because I forgot to take a pic. I was too busy drinking my Prosecco with pomegranate and basil that was sooooooo good. I grabbed this pic from Cache's website.

Here's the tragedy. I sent out this email for all of us to get together on a lovely Summer evening and go to this burger night. So what do I do at burger night??? I order a flatbread with Mozzarella, Crimini Mushroom and Sage. I've had it before and I love it, but seriously Julia? I honestly have no excuse for this. I don't know what possessed me to do it, but I did. So after I order, I'm a little weirded out by my selection, but I actually don't start to really regret it until the food comes out and I look at the burgers. Then I almost start to cry when Juju gives me a quarter of her burger to taste. All I can say is, Yowza! Note to self: Next time you invite people to burger night, think about ordering a burger. Nyesha the chef, rocks! We'll be at Cache' again very soon. I need to make amends with myself.

What the heck? Does my nose not shine enough for you people!!

I've been thinking lately that I need something new in my life, something exciting. Believe me when I tell you that I am one of the happiest gals. Life is great, but I'm just a little bored with myself. I didn't want to just dye my hair a crazy color or wear super bright nail polish. I wanted something more dramatic. I decide that the best way to achieve this satisfaction of change, without completely going bonkers, is to pierce my nose. Mind you, I've already had my nose pierced like twice, but that was like 7-10 years ago when I was a freak and had my tongue and navel pierced as well. Now, I'm a respectable 31 year old woman that has good credit and cooks for her man and gets to work on time (not hung over........most of the time).

So yes, I decide this is what I'm going to do. I'm going to pierce my nose and it's going to be amazing. I go on a random Tuesday after work. I'm all by myself and I find it quite ballsy of me to go without someone to hold my hand. I think at this point that I'm a badass. I pick the cutest little diamond stud. The guy with horns coming out of his forehead and super stretched earlobes is really nice to me. He marks where it's gonna go, it looks great and I say, "go for it". It literally takes 3 seconds and all of a sudden I have a pierced nose. It looks super cute and I love it.

I walk out of the shop feeling majorly cool. I go home and wait for Steve (my fiance) to get there and see the glory that is my nose. He finally arrives and says hello and starts talking to me but doesn't say anything about my nose. He comes in close to give me a kiss and once he's like an inch away from my face he says, "You did it, it looks so cute". Yay! I'm happy!!

I can't wait to show all my friends. The first friend I know I'm going to see is Juju. She comes over because we go running like 2 to 3 times a week. So we're talking, and talking, and about ready to walk out the door when I say, "Hallo! Don't you notice my nose?!" Juju says, "Oh yea, I forgot you got it done, it looks cute". How did she not notice my shiny nose, I think to myself? As the weeks go by I see more of my friends. O'ryan says that it's cute after hanging out with me at least 2 hours on one occasion. I bring it up to Lety and she says that she thought I've always had it. My mama sees it but doesn't even flinch, she thinks I'm crazy anyway. I point it out to Mike and Kineret after we're almost done with dinner one night, they're like, "meh....".

My nose piercing just isn't having the "Wow" factor I was expecting it to have. I'm a little bummed for a sec, but I realize that I really like it. And it makes me feel good, even if most people don't notice it. So I'm happy, And I'm a different Julia to myself, and that's all I really needed...

What to post? What to Post?

So I'm wondering if I'm going to be judged forever by my first posting. I want to post something witty, but now I have writer's block. Well, first of all I want to welcome everyone to my blog. Since I have no followers as of now, let me welcome myself to my blog.

I named my blog, "Julia's Corner for Shoes and Stuff" because I really am obsessed with shoes and shopping for super cool things in general. But there is also so much more to me, that's why I added the "Stuff" portion to my blog title.

I might end up being all over the place on this blog because aside from shopping, some of my other passions are eating, reading, traveling and eating. I'm finding this a great outlet and very therapeutic already.

p.s. I do a lot of eating so you'll be hearing and seeing pics about my latest culinary adventures.

Will write more very soon.