Yikes, apologies for being MIA on my own blog! There's been a lot happening lately in a good way. Here's what happened:
I was asked last minute before the new year to come out to Louisiana. So I spent my last day in LA, new year morning, in Malibu to get one last taste of the beach (yes, that's a friend's dog in the sand, and yes, he liked it). Then early morning on January 2nd, I was off to Monroe, Louisiana.
Here's a cute cuddly kitty who wandered into our apartment on move-in day. Sorry we couldn't keep you, buddy.
The weather changes a lot, and on this day, it was very warm out (lucky for us we were outdoors). Got bit by a lot of mosquitos, then this butterfly came by to say hello on our camera cart.
Monroe is in the northeast part of the state, an hour from Shreveport. There's a large paper mill here, so the air and our water all smells like wet paper. But the town is beautiful with the cypress trees and bayous and lots of land all around.
There of course shall be some more blogging from here. I'm definitely having a good time here. I've tasted the BEST hot BBQ wings I've ever had in my life, seen a 3-foot rat (yes, they exist!), and got to experience a lot of the local culture and visit community areas of the town.
Sure, I miss LA: the weather, the choices of food and grocery shopping, the people and all. But I'm just happy that we've got good people here, the crafty is amazing (catered by a local chef), and I'm discovering new things, like voodoo chips (tastes like BBQ and vinegar!) and Slap Ya Mama seasoning). Looking forward to checking out the farmers market and seeing what else this town has to offer.
Hope all is well back in California and stay in touch!
~Woo
This has got to be one of my most favorite things in LA: having a day off and drinking coffee at 
Indonesian coffee is a great go-to when you're looking for something bold yet of a little different taste. It's so dense and thick, like no other. Reminds me of hot chocolate.
My sister just introduced me to 
Ah, beautiful central coast, where I grew up. At 25 years old, I am just now taking advantage of all the many things you can do as an adult as well as revisit old childhood favorites.
We started with brunch at 
Dropped by 
And there we were driving in Los Olivos, and we saw mini horses! Of course, we had to pull into the 
This horsie loved to eat grass, roll over, then eat on the other side, then roll over again, then eat, etc. He also loves loves attention and is up for all your petting.
Next stop, 
So beautiful.
Cass ended up getting a couple Cabernet Sauvignon Reserves, yum.
Next, 
On the syrah label, the waves are in the shape of a horse! And the name, Krow Shore, is a play on Work Horse.
Enjoyed some much-needed caffeine across from Scott's at 
Me noshing on a chicken cordon bleu.
Homemade stuffing by my 
Farmed fresh pecans, courtesy of Mike Kai's family farm. They're surprisingly addicting and delicious.
Sister's low sugar apple pies: she had baked FOUR pies before we drove up to central coast!
Ohhhmygoodness, the tri-tip! It's our Santa Marian "turkey".
Feast! Other food on table: pickle kimchi, mashed potatoes and white wine gravy, ssam (lettuce and hot pepper paste to eat with the meat), and roasted brussel sprouts.
And with leftover mashed potatoes, we had potato cakes!
Another delicious food we had for breakfast: roasted acorn squash with butter and honey and cinnamon. YUUUMMM....
The drive back to LA was so beautiful: sunny blue skies and green hills mixed with red/yellow trees. Will be back soon, can't wait.
How can you turn down a last-last-minute cheap adventure?
First step, drop off a car at the executive Atlantic terminal at LAX (valet the car, and they will have the car waiting on the tarmac for you when you return!).
From LAX, we headed to downtown to Union Station.
I love Union Station!
Much needed breakfast in the very early AM.
This was our Gate.... Apparently we're just here to line up for pizza pretzel twists?
All aboard! We passed through downtown LA, passed the Angels stadium, and a cute old town of San Juan Capistrano (as you'll see in the slideshow below).
Beautiful cloudy beach day.
We arrived in Oceanside and immediately took a cab to Carlsbad, just a town over.
We arrived at the private airport early enough to enjoy a full breakfast.
Watch out for moving planes.
We're here!
We're likin' these $1 adventures. What else can we do for a $1?
On this plane were newspapers, coffee, tea, snacks, wine, and alcohol.
What an easy plane ride back to LA! No taking shoes off, no turning off electronics, and lotsa leg room!
At last, able to take photos of LA without someone telling me to turn off my camera on the flight down.
We did it! Thanks to JetSuite and Mike Kai for the awesome ride!
Have you heard of 
Located near Melrose and Martel, it's the perfect stop for very delicious ice cream and coffee in the midst of your shopping/walking/driving.
Leo Neveux, above on the left, just opened this shop 11 weeks ago. I love that he came from San Francisco to open the creamery here in LA, recognizing the growing foodie scene. We definitely appreciate a proper artisanal business! All the ice cream is made here, on location, by Leo himself.
Love the barrel glass and pendant bulbs.
Bistro chairs just seem to make the scene, as well as the black velvet benches.
Yay for fresh flowers.
Some of their yummy flavors, including their latest seasonal product, pumpkin spice cranberry. Sooo good!
I opted for a latte and blueberry chèvre ice cream. They also do affogatos, in which Leo recommends to try it with the crème fraiche ice cream.
The back where all the delicious magic happens. Clean and spotless, you wouldn't have guessed at all that this place was flooded from all the LA rain yesterday!
Thanks for the delicious snack, guys! Will be back again soon.
You've gotta love the spontaneous entertainment that happens in LA, especially when they're cheap/free! From the Foo Fighters' intimate performances at Spaceland to Prince's $25-per-ticket concerts, now comes live readings by 
