Peppermint Visits Us

Peppermint (One Little Bird Designs) visited us from Friday 4/25 until Tuesday 4/29.  We’ve been friends since meeting online digital scrapbooking in 2008.  This is the sixth time we’ve seen each other.  The first time they came to San Diego in 2009 (we went to Comic Con and did lots of other fun things).  Then we flew to Wisconsin in fall of 2010 to attend Peppermint & Tom’s wedding.  In summer of 2012, Peppermint, Tom, and Nick (the whole family) came to visit us.  Then I saw Peppermint in January 2013 and January 2014 when she came to Anaheim for CHA.  However, this time was the first time that Peppermint came alone to visit… and you know what that means?  We got to scrapbook together!

On Friday night we picked her up from the airport and drove to Point Loma Seafoods for dinner.  Friday was rainy and surprisingly dreary, very un-San Diego-like. 

Every time Peppermint comes to visit we have to go there, because she loves the scallop sandwich there.  So do I!

Then we went home and promptly watch an episode of “Orphan Black”.  Todd had just started watching the first season and Peppermint had already seen it.  The second season just started.  So we ended up binge-watching it almost every night while she was here, until we caught up to season 2 episode 2. 

The next day we had lunch at Burger Lounge, another restaurant that Peppermint has gone to every time she’s come to visit.  I guess she has some San Diego favorites!

While we were at Burger Lounge, I recognized a Studio Calico Instagram friend.  Much to Todd & Peppermint’s embarrassment, I approached her and asked, “Are you Jenny?”.  She looked at me and said, “Are you listgirl?!”  It was so funny!  We introduced ourselves and our families.  So fun to meet an Instagram friend in real life, by coincidence!

After Burger Lounge, we had to go to Nothing Bundt Cakes, since it was just a few doors over.  Their cake is SO good!  We brought it home and promptly ate half of it.  This one was mine:  white chocolate, so yum!

During Peppermint’s visit, Noodle started napping in the papasan chair a lot.  So much so that Peppermint was convinced that Noodle has a set schedule. 

In the morning it’s Perch time.  In the afternoon he gets his papasan time in.  Then in the evening he sleeps on Todd’s lap while we watch TV.

During the visit, Peppermint introduced me to this Roscato wine.  It’s a sweet red wine.

I guess they used to serve it at the Olive Garden and it was exclusive to the restaurant.  Now you can find it at grocery stores.  I really liked it.  We may or may not have had more bottles later in the week.

On Saturday night Todd cooked fish tacos with tomatillo sauce and it was super delicious!  Who doesn’t love fish tacos?!

It was so funny because we were going to have tacos for lunch and then Todd remembered that he was cooking tacos for dinner.  I asked “Aren’t we gonna be taco’ed out?”  Apparently my question was non-sense to Todd and Peppermint.  Tacos are their favorite!

The next day (Sunday), we went to El Nopalito for lunch, because we wanted to introduce Peppermint to the greatest carne asada ever made by mankind. 

She was not disappointed.  It was such a delicious meal.  Now this is a hole-in-the-wall delicious Mexican place that she doesn’t have in Wisconsin!

After lunch we drove up to Carlsbad State Beach and hung out on the boardwalk there.  It was a really nice day compared to the day before.

That morning and afternoon, we got to scrapbook together for the first time ever! 

We worked on our Project Life albums.  It was so much fun and productive too.  I wish we could do this all the time.

Peppermint sat across from me and we chatted and scrapbooked and listened to music.  Bliss!

That night we took Peppermint to Amaya at the Grand Del Mar for an early birthday dinner (like waaaaay early, her birthday’s not until June).  The grounds there is so pretty!

We took some pictures in the garden before heading in for dinner.

Then we got seated for dinner.  We sat outside because it was a nice night out, plus they have heater lamps.

Todd had the red snapper.

I had lobster & crab pappardelle, which is my favorite dish there.  SO good!

Peppermint got the crispy duck.

We all loved our entrees, it was so good.  Plus we were able to get great food photos since we sat outside and it was still light out.

The early-birthday girl!

Of course dessert was discussed and the three of us picked different ones and had a taste of each other’s desserts.  Todd picked a chocolate espresso cake & gelato.

I picked key lime meringue pie.

And Peppermint picked carrot cake.

After that dinner we took ourselves back home and parked on the couch and watched “The Dark Knight”.  Because I’ve never seen it and they have and loved it.

The next morning (Monday) our friend Kami drove down to San Diego to hang out with us.  The three of us had brunch at Snooze.

I had the chilaquiles benedict with hashed potato cake on the side.

And a pineapple upside down pancake.  So divine!

I don’t remember what Peppermint & Kami got, because I was too busy eating to take photos of their food.

We spent that afternoon scrapbooking & crafting in my craft room, and chit-chatting of course.  Pearl came over later in the afternoon and we hung out.  We all had dinner together (eating all our leftovers) that evening and it was so much fun!  It was Todd and four women, ha ha!  Thanks Todd for taking photos for us!

The next day, Peppermint and I had lunch at Tender Greens. 

Then we went over to my local scrapbook store, Paper Tales.  We found a paper punch that Peppermint wanted there.  She got the last one!  Then we went to Michaels but didn’t get anything.  At 3:30 I dropped her off at the airport to fly back home.  Her visit went by so fast!  It was so much fun.  I want this to be a regular thing now.  I wish that we lived closer to each other.  Bye Peppermint!  Noodle misses you!