Much Love Monday: {Pasta}

It's basically my favorite food in all the world.  I am never not in the mood for it.  It is comfort and flavor and energy all in one.  And! there are so many varieties.  So many ways to prepare it, so many vegetables and spices and sauces to try with it, so many cheeses that make it perfection.  I know food can't love you back, but I feel loved when I eat it.  God and the universe must love me if pasta was invented.

Yesterday, I spent the afternoon with two delightfuls (Katelyn and Victoria).  We were belatedly celebrating Victoria's July birthday because Katelyn had been out of the country getting herself engaged at the top of some hill in the Alps at the time.  Victoria and I deemed it a heck of a good reason to postpone our little get-together and exercised the "Patience is a virtue" proverb.

Once Katelyn returned to the U.S.A. and was back in the swing of things, the three of us went to the Americana in Glendale and took pictures by the fountain, got slightly sprinkled, and I made them laugh.  (Click to enlarge images)

We had pasta at The Cheesecake Factory. Victoria got fettucini alfredo with shrimp, Katelyn got chicken carbonara, and I got four cheese penne!   And we chose crab and artichoke dip for an appetizer, which was "heaven in my mouth" (I don't care, Victoria!).  Yum. Yum. Yum!!!

Then, we went to H&M and Forever 21, which was dangerous because we all left with our bags heavier and our pockets lighter.  As you know, it is a personal goal after years and years of black, to incorporate color back into my life and succeeded in adding four new colors!

Confession:  I have never gone clothes shopping with friends before.  I am told that I have broken some cardinal rule that is typically observed most stringently during the teenage years.  I wasn't the typical teenager by any means and rarely, if ever, went to the mall or Oldtown Pasadena to "walk around".  I didn't understand the appeal.

For me, shopping trips have always been solo missions or in tag-team style with my baby sister.  However, despite my fears of having to come out of the try-on room and show someone an outfit (scary!) and feeling self-conscious, I had a lovely first group-shop experience-  at age 26.

I think I am going to implement a new personal rule.  Every time I add something to my closet, I have to give something away.  I like this.  I like this a lot.

Happy (belated) Birthday, Victoria!!!

{Note: All photographs with me in them are courtesy of the lovely Katelyn Paige}

{This blog post was inspired by Much Love Mondays}