Here are photos I snapped in January 2016, featuring miscellaneous shots of family, friends, coffee, food, and the Massachusetts and California coasts.

I woke up on New Years Day in Cape Cod. We got in a quick walk on the beach (and one round of a board game) before I had to leave for the airport. I got to Los Angeles by midnight.

Guess who I ran into at Logan Airport? Kelley & Irving, two of my best friends! Our flights weren’t supposed to overlap but their was delayed so we got to catch up. What a nice surprise.

On my first morning back in LA, my friend Jenny and I grabbed coffee and croissants at Aeirloom Bakery in Toluca Lake.

Of course I’m not really in LA until I visit my favorite coffee shop, Priscilla’s. Gosh I missed this place. (If you like cinnamon, try the vanilla hazelnut spiced latte — hot or iced. Hands down my favorite drink.)

Oh, how I’ve missed Trader Joe’s. These are three of my new favorite items: Cherry Blossom pinot noir (it’s $4 and so tasty), baconesque-cheddar popcorn (no explanation needed), and kale & cauliflower curry salad (I eat this like 4x a week).

My roommates Jenny & Ziggy happen to be excellent cooks and a couple of times this month I came home to fresh baked goodies, like this homemade creme brûlée. Other culinary treats include bubble waffles, peanut butter cookies, and chocolate chip brownie bars. (I am totally winning in the roommate department.)

I met up with these lovely ladies for brunch at SteamPunk Kitchen + Coffeebar: Laura, Yaz, and Naz!

I ordered my favorite thing on the menu, ‘The Stack’ — chicken and waffles with bacon and a chipotle maple dip, plus steamed kale and onions. SO GOOD. (Their coffee is great too.)

But my favorite meal thus far is deep dish pizza at Masa of Echo Park — this is actually my favorite restaurant in all of Los Angeles, and my friends kindly indulged me by returning for a highly caloric and intensely satisfying meal. Thanks Amanda, Jenny, Ziggy, Matt, Craig, and Allison!

A close up of the deep dish pizza goodness:

Another meal with this same group of very fun people — pulled pork at Boneyard Bistro:

While in downtown LA one Sunday afternoon I stopped by The Pie Hole, a place that’s been on my radar for quite awhile for their noteworthy latte flavors.

I skipped the pie (though all options looked DELICIOUS) in favor of the Thin Mint Latte.

From there I walked to the Music Center, home of the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion, Mark Taper Forum, and Ahmanson Theater.

I saw the final LA performance of The Bridges of Madison County, a show I adore. It was conducted by the show’s Tony-winning composer and lyricist Jason Robert Brown and starred an actor I’ve long appreciated (I saw Andrew Samonsky in tick tick Boom three times back in 2006.)

Afterwards I met up with Grace, Rian, and Tamar for sushi at our favorite spot, Octopus. We stuffed our faces with raw fish.

Speaking of eating good food, Jenny & Ziggy and I grabbed dinner at Jinya Ramen, one of our favorite spots:

YUM:

On Martin Luther King Day, Jenny and I took a day trip down to Laguna Beach:

And then over to San Juan Capistrano:

And then we watched sunset at Dana Point:

I’ll have a full recap of this trip soon — it was a beautiful day and I hadn’t previously been to those places.

I did not take the next photo, but I love it so much I have to share it here. My sister poses with her little boy Oscar and my parents’ pup Bijou. Aren’t they the definition of sweetness?

Of course, I already shared the highlight of this past month — working on Grease Live. This might be the highlight of my year? I am so proud of the show and grateful to have been a part of it.

Thanks for memories, January!