Life of Larisa or LOL

...and a potato head. Thank goodness. The potato saved our lives. Or at least our dinner. Potato provisions provided by the restaurant. First star earned. You made my kid quiet and happy. Second star earned with the delectable dessert you see below. But I have skipped a few things in between potato heads and pies.   Like the fish and chips my pirate enjoyed. And the ginger beer I gulped down. Not pictured and not alcoholic.  And the fries. I thought it might be weird eating them in front of Mr. Potato Head, turns out I was wrong.  And the caramelized onion, pine nut, and butternut squash pizza. There's no leftovers. And who could leave out the poke mini tacos? What are we up to now? Six stars? Well, it was a treat trying this new to us restaurant out. Stunning views of both sunset and the moon. A charming live performer who switched songs from artists like Train to CeeLo Green to The Police with ease.  Vacationing, staycationing, or just Westside dwellers, I recommend checking out

As if I needed one more reason to play on my phone. I did it. The unthinkable. I paid for an iPhone App. It didn't break the bank. Only 99 cents, but it was a tough decision. I'm happy to report it was worth all 99 pennies. Instagram has long been my favorite tool in which to capture every mundane moment. Now, I get to add color, captions, and general pizzazz to my cupcake creation photos, endless curled haired Zachy photos, and whatever else the latest obsession may be.  Here are a few of my favorite new and improved pictures using "a beautiful mess". And in case you were wondering, I found out about this app...via Instagram. So, if you have forgotten what my face looks like because you only see the top of my head (crouching over my beloved phone), don't worry. You may be able to catch a glimpse of me in a photo I post. Never in real life.  I never dreamed photos plus doodles could make me giddy with excitement. It now makes sense why they call the app... A BEAUT

I cant seem to get through any type of holiday, American or otherwise, without pizza. Today I found a way to take Italian and turn it into Mexican...or my perception of the two. It's few ingredients. We always keep some sort of store bought pizza crust around the house, so today I took out two crusts and brushed olive oil on them. For "pizza sauce", I used a mild enchilada sauce. Next, I whipped up my vegetarian refried beans in a bowl and spread a thick layer on top of the sauce. I used mild green chiles and fresh chopped orange bell pepper for our toppings. For a little 'kick', I poured Chalula around. Then I sprinkled shredded cheese on the top. Baked at 425 degrees for 10 minutes and add salsa as a garnish/topping to it when it hits your plate and you are ready to eat. Yummy! It only lacked a margarita or a Corona. Or both. It was mid day, so I decided not to go crazy with an alcohol chaser. Gabe was the biggest fan of the Mexican pizza. It was fun to make.