I Lava CSA's

Okay. Let's be frank.

I'm about two Guinness-labeled pint glasses deep into a box of Big House Red wine as I write this, don't judge.  

I kind of sometimes treat my life like a video game, odd for someone who really sucks at video games that don't involve a screen moving forward for you, or a princess that floats for a few seconds when you push the right buttons.  But alas, I'm not actually perfect, I just look the part and so I compensate for this fact by leveling myself up when I do things that I consider major.

Like I leveled up this fall when I commissioned some artwork from Aurora Lady to give to my mom on her birthday.  

And I leveled up by having my hair done by someone professional, not by Feria. 

Well folks, looks like I"ve totally leveled up again.  I finally ordered a produce box from one of the local CSA's.  CSA stands not for Cheese Stands Alone, but instead for Community Supported Agriculture.  CSA's operate based on the people in the -taadaa- community buying in and becoming part of the funding needed to get the deliciously local and organic greens from farm to fridge.  Or frittata.  I didn't really know what "F" word would work there.  Wine, remember?  Look, just be happy I'm not drunk texting anyone this time.  (Lies, I just sent a text that said "speakeasypeasy" to someone.)

ANYWAY.  Like, you know how I was married before?  Well, I wanted to do the whole CSA thing then, but it never happened because I'm pretty sure it was part of the whole "Down, hippie!  Bad hippie for barking at nothing!" movement that was a'happening in our house for a little while and so I just gave up and sneaked in farm stand produce when I could.  Well, now I'm single (Clearly, dear God.  I'd make out with a head of lettuce if it had soft enough lips.) and I can do whatever I want whenever I want and I want my produce to come from a local source that gives a damn about what they're doing and all of that other subversive stuff.    So that lead me to place my order with The Farmer's Daughter CSA.  

The Farmer's Daughter makes weekly deliveries to several places in the Fresno Area, but I'm all about convenience so instead of looking into those other spots I decided to just go with the drop off that happens to take place in my place of employment, Twee Boutique.  OMAHGAWD you guys.  It was gorgeous.  I opened my box up and it was like golden rays came bursting through, and little angels were singing about nutrients and enzymes and shit. And it was only $18.

See: 

 

Obviously I'll be making some serious soup tomorrow.  

I really LAVA a chance to be part of my community by the foods I consume. A tasty step closer to maybe eventually becoming a locavore!

I Lava Wishon Row.

Wishon Row is this little string of businesses in the Tower District of Fresno that feeds my every need.  Because when it comes right down to the essentials, strong coffee, gorgeous sandwiches, cupcakes and cute shit are all I actually depend on for survival.

Today I was charged with the sacred task of obtaining foodstuffs for the dependents, and I decided that Wishon Row would have to be it.  I needed a mustache stamp, after all. 

The first stop was Twee Boutique, which I constantly talk about because I'm obsessed with handmade cute.  And I love Melanie and think she's the bee's knees. If you haven't been to Twee yet and you live in the Fresno area, shame shame!  The wares vary from the silly to the breathtaking, with a whole lot of OMG SO ADORBS in between.  There is not a gift-giving occasion that Twee has failed me for.  Even when I drew my sister's father-in-law for Secret Santa I managed to find the absolute perfect gift for him. (A Hand-Carved Manzanita vase with natural knot holes alllll over it.  My husband was appropriately jealous that I didn't buy one for him.)  It has a wide price range so it's easy to spend a bit or really splurge depending on your budget, but what I like the most about it is that it supports local artists and crafters.  Fuck yeah. 

Next I popped into Cafe Corazon, just next door to Twee.  I've only had one bag of beans from them (New Orleans, OMG.  I just died in your arms tonight.) and I decided it was definitely time to have good coffee at home again.  I picked up some Papua New Guinea today, and just the smell alone has won me over.  In about 10 minutes I'm gonna go brew some up and LAVA my life.  If you don't know a lot about coffee but want to (like me), I'd bet this is the place to learn.  I'd like to become a regular now that my 4:00 AM wake up is making me a very regular coffee drinker.

Finally I headed back toward my car and made my last stop on Wishon Row- The SupportR and Frosted Cakery.  Sharing a shop space, these two businesses are absolutely irresistable to me.  I can't order from one without buying from the other.  The SupportR is a sandwich shop that makes healthy food to fit in with a healthy lifestyle.  I like it because if I could I would crawl in between the slices of pita bread and just absolutely make sweet love to the tangy sauce they douse the sprouts, avocado and cheese with in the We Support Veggie sandwich.

It may seem counter-intuitive to have this healthy yum yum share a counter with lovely cupcakes... and yeah, yeah it is.  Because all of those calories saved are just null and void once I take a sidelong glance over at the beautifully displayed cupcakes with perfect frosting and amazing fillings.  How can I resist?  Like I said, I need cute.  More important than all of the avoidance of trans fats and deep fried and all of that is necessity of filling my recommended daily intake of cute.  And I love the girl behind Frosted Cakery.  She's friendly, she's adorable.  I want to be her best friend and we can make BFF cupcakes and eat them while watching movies where the main characters wear a lot of pink.  So there you have it.  Cupcakes.  Delish.  Having a hard time waiting before I go enjoy mine right now. (I picked up 4 kinds under the pretense of sharing them with my family.  Triple Lemon Drop, Choco Fudge, Tiramisu and Pecan Bacon and Waffles.)

The best part is that I looked like a fucking hero when I walked through the door with everything wonderful from Wishon in my arms.  I LAVA Wishon Row for making my life so decadent.

I Lava Mustaches

...and today my amazing friend Katie just sent me this:

 

It'll go great with my mustache necklace!

(And my mustache necklace goes great with everything!)

If only my party 'stache hadn't been mercilessly torn to shreds by my kid.  That was a wonderful thing to behold.

www.studioboothing.com

I know Twee has a mustache stamp and I intend to make it mine next time I travel down to Tower.  

VIVA LA 'STACHE!