Sneak Peek: Our New Kitchen

Hey, check out the kitchen above...I hope you like it because that's our new kitchen! After a frantic search that lasted three weeks (ugh) my friend Nick e-mailed me a link to an apartment in Atwater Village on Wednesday morning. The funny thing about that is each morning I would wake up and the first thing I would type into Craigslist would be: "Atwater Village." It's absolutely my favorite neighborhood in L.A.: cozy, charming, scenic and home to both Proof Bakery and Canele, two of my favorite places here. Nothing worthwhile turned up and the few that did turn up I would make myself go see, only to be disappointed because the places--while well-situated--were really dirty/dusty/musky inside. Craig wasn't having that.

This place, though, positively gleamed in the pictures. I rushed over there as soon as I could and the really nice landlord, Roy, told me that he'd only put the apartments (there are 4 of them in one building, a fourplex) online that morning and already he'd had 12 e-mails about them. I knew it was a good thing the moment I stepped inside.

Everything had been totally redone, most notably the kitchen. Check it out in the picture above: there's a giant sink, a dishwasher, and TWO ovens (though, admittedly, they're small ovens; I think the one below might be a broiler. Also: not sure my roasting pan will fit. Yikes.) But back to the positive: butcher block counters. White tile behind the sink. Also, room for a little breakfast table by the window.

I immediately called Craig and told him to rush over. Craig did and after a quick inspection he agreed: this was the place.

So we serenaded Roy, bought him flowers, promised him our first born child if he would give us the place. And within 24 hours, after reviewing our applications (to which we attached wads of cash and gift certificates to Ruby Tuesday's), he told us the place was ours.

I can't tell you how relieved/happy I am. Searching for an apartment under a time-crunch totally SUCKS. I saw so many bad places, so many sad kitchens, you have no idea.

So we're in good moods this weekend and getting ready for the big move on July 1st which is just a week from Monday. But get ready for lots of pictures of food on butcher block counters: that's what you'll be seeing for the next two years!