Summer Sun in January

Today, in the middle of January, it is 75 degrees outside. Yes, I live in San Diego, where it is relatively warm all year long, but this is very nice for this time of year.
Oh how I love the warmth. I feel instantly happy, relaxed and at ease with this beautiful weather.
I spent a good part of today walking on the boardwalk by the beach and it was just lovely.
But there is a catch. This weather feels more like summer, and so my mind wanders to my favorite time of year, drifting to visions of beach days, bonfires, beach bbqs, kayaking in the ocean and spending lazy warm days lingering near the beach. I become greedy, wanting summer here now, so that days like today can be every day.
And then I think, why don't i just live somewhere tropical?
I could be on a plane to Hawaii tomorrow...
:)
But instead I'll just have to relish days like today. Feel the warm sun on my face and take in all the beautiful scenery that I am so lucky to live amongst.
Its days like today, and things like the ocean on inviting sunny day that make me glad to be alive.

This was a perfect song for today:
Constellations, by Jack Johnson

The light was leaving
in the west it was blue
The children's laughter sang
and skipping just like the stones they threw
the voices echoed across the way
its getting late

It was just another night
with the sun set
and the moon rise not so far behind
to give us just enough light
to lay down underneath the stars
listen to papas translations
of the stories across the sky
we drew our own constellations

The west winds often last too long
the wind may calm down
nothing ever feels the same
Sheltered under the Kamani tree
waiting for the passing rain
clouds keep moving to uncover the scene
stars above are chasing the day away
to find the stories that we sometimes need
Listen close enough
all else fades
fades away

It was just another night
with the sun set
and the moon rise not so far behind
to give us just enough light
to lay down underneath the stars
listen to all the translations
of the stories across the sky
we drew our own constellations

Something fun to share!

Well, I have something fun to share today.
Our wedding was featured on a blog today!
This is a blog is written by a wedding publicist who loves to share inspiring weddings with the world and give wedding vendors some recognition for their great work!

Take a look at the lovely post!

http://www.inspiredbythis.com

:)

Happy New Year!

Though I am somewhat sad to end this last, very exciting year, (purchasing my first house and getting married, its hard to top that!) I am, as always excited to see what this new year brings.
I'm excited to settle back into normal life and enjoy our new house, and as always for a few things and trips I plan to partake in; snowboarding in Tahoe, Cochella in the spring, and a trip to France in August.
Anyone who knows me knows I love to plan trips and adventures, its what I'm best at.
So of course I'm excited for these adventures, but a new priority I have this year is to find smaller, if you will, joys. Sometimes I find I am victim of waiting for the next fun thing or adventure, while passing the time in between. This is no way to live. Life is the every day, the small moments.
No day, no part of life is trivial and each day should be taken as a gift.

SO here is to a New Year and (hopefully): Living life to the fullest and always in the present, finding joy in every day and in the little things (because that is really what life is made up of, isn't it?), and always, loving freely and without pretense or judgement.
:)

Cheers!

Today was a fairy tale.. I wore a dress, you wore a dark grey suit

I got my wedding photos right around Thanksgiving, and I've just recently had time to organize them.
Looking back through them, I am reliving the day and getting emotional all over again.
I am overcome by the love I have for my husband.
I know so many say this, and I know this, but I love how it evident to me in the photos that I am marrying my best friend. My partner for eight years, there is no one who knows me better, who always keeps me sane and laughing, and who always believes in me.
I think, how young we look. It has only been a couple of months, but I somehow see our lives flash by in my head, and I can see us looking at our wedding photos years down the road. We were, we are kids. So many things to come and so much to learn, and yet I feel in my bones that nothing could break us.
Perhaps this is just the naivety of being a newlywed, but nothing has ever felt so right.

So, a wedding, the love between a bride and groom, is obvious.
But I am also positively overwhelmed by the happiness I feel when I see all of my best friends and sisters together. These girls have stood by me for years and with out a doubt can always bring a smile to my face.
Love between a man and a woman is beautiful, but the love of girlfriends is, in my opinion, essential.
I cannot even explain how lucky I feel, how blessed, how overjoyed that I have these wonderful girls as friends. I have the sudden urge to tackle all of them at once...

And then there is my family. Words fall short, always, in expressing how i feel about them or what they mean to me. I know that it comes naturally to love one's family, especially parents.
But now that I am older I can look back and truly be amazed at my parents and all they have done for me. I can understand how hard it is to raise a family and give them all the credit in the world for doing a job that leaves me in awe. How extraordinary to not only provide for others and put them above yourself completely, so much so that they never have to wonder if they are taken care of,  but also to inspire love, creativity, a love of learning, a thirst for adventure and an example of giving that is set deep within me today. I know so many say it, but my parents have really given me everything. How can I express gratitude for that?
My sisters are a part of me that will never be shaken. I learn from their examples and look up to them always. But more, and now that we are grown, I know that they are friends and, like I would do the same, would do anything for me.

I love weddings. Not only because they are pretty and fun, but because love, in all its wonderful forms is evident everywhere. The love between a bride and groom, between a bride and her bridesmaids, between father and daughter. When else do we get to have all our loved ones in one place, celebrating love and family and friendship?

Love is a beautiful thing.

:)

Some favorite photos from our wedding.

8 29 10

To conquer fear is the beginning of wisdom

"Fear is the main source of superstition, and one of the main sources of cruelty. To conquer fear is the beginning of wisdom."


As I end the day today, I try hard to internalize this quote.
But it is difficult, because I feel fear.
To explain, I hope in a short and bittersweet matter: I had to check some details and facts about a medical procedure I have to have in about a week tonight, and ended up reading through the steps of these (a combined procedure) procedures in detail and the preparations I have to do before, as well as what the results could be.
I have known about what I will have to do for some weeks, and had finally done a good job of putting it out of my head until tonight.
So all the not so fun details and fears and an image of me in a violating position in front of doctors came flooding back over me and I sort of feel panicked again.


And so the quote...


Especially in this case, since the fear I have is for something I can't control or change, and something that is to come. I cannot agonize over something that is out of my hands, and it will do no good to anticipate the worst or over analyze the situation.
Instead I need to once again put it out of my head and go on living my life for the next week.
When it comes, I will surrender to those who have greater expertise than me and my health and best interest ( I hope) at heart and go through what I have to, then be done with it (hopefully).
Its as simple as that......

Daily Mantra

This is my new thought for each day, each morning when i wake:
"All the windows of my heart I open to the day."  ~John Greenleaf Whittier


What a perfect, all encompassing thought for an approach to each day.


And, repeat...


(now if only i could find time daily for the meditation I learned in Bali, the actions of which are displayed by the statue above...)

Pretty houses goodies & France.

This morning Brian and I went to a coffee shop in our neighboring neighborhood, Mission Hills. Now we have both been in and around mission hills lots, and I also growing up.
But I had never been to the shop we went to this morning and this part of Mission Hills.
Can you say charming?! The coffee shop was mellow and cute: Espresso Mio.
They have a nice little patio in the back that overlooks a green and tree fill gorge.
But the neighborhood was what really took me by pleasant surprise.
I've always thought of Mission Hills as charming; filled with historical craftsman style houses, but this part of the community was just a step above.
We were on Fort Stockton and drove around the surrounding blocks in what we realized was one of San Diego's historic districts. Huge, tree lined streets with massive craftsman style houses, brick houses and other traditional style houses.
Up on the hill on this clear cool day, nice breeze, I couldn't really think of a better place to be.
This neighborhood just made the list of potential future homes.

http://www.missionhillsheritage.org/Historic/historic-districts.html

After a wonderful drive through these peaceful streets we made our way back home through the more familiar parts of Mission Hills and came upon one of my favorite stores, Maison en Provence.
This store is like my favorite things exploded all over the place. It is full of beautiful things, and more importantly all French beautiful things.
Linens from Provence, soaps, teas, antique French furniture. Parisian themed totes, note cards, tissue wrapped bunches of lavender.
Though I wanted nearly everything in the store, I did find a few favorites, and came out with two of them for myself; a Garnier-Thiebaut Eiffel tower dish towel, Harney&Sons black French tea and a Provonce print little girl's sundress.
I took home the dish towel and the tea. The dress will have to wait to be a Christmas present to my niece.

http://www.everythingprovence.com


After our visit to Maison en Provence Brian and I inevitably started talking about France. Me swooning over the Macaroons, the Tea, the Champagne, the Cheese, the scenery. And he came up with a new and incredible idea; why not go to France instead of to Italy like we had been planning for our first wedding anniversary in August?
And so to France we will go!!
I have been to Paris four or 5 times and to the south of France a few times but not anywhere else.
I CAN NOT wait to explore Provence and Champagne especially.
I have a bucket list, if you have not noticed, posted here on my blog, and there are three things on it that require me to be in France to do.
I cant wait to check off two out of three of them on our trip!
One, go to champagne and visit Veuve Clicquot and champagne taste, and two have tea at Laudree's tea salon in Paris.

So here's to Saturday morning's with my husband, coffee, beautiful neighborhoods full of charm, and the little things that make me happy, like Eiffel tower dish towels and trips to France. :)

“Life is like a mirror. Smile at it and it smiles back at you. ”

― Peace Pilgrim

                                          Art salon in the historic Mission Hills Neighborhood

                                                                               Paris

                                                                             Provence

                                                                   Provence Lavender 

                                                                           Paris