Monday, February 28, 2011

thoughts on the oscars.

did you see the awards?  i don't normally get too into the oscars, but i have two things to say this year:

1.  i am completely in LOVE with cate blanchett's dress!  i normally don't care about the dresses at all.  sure they're all pretty, or really weird, but i have never wanted one of the dresses before... until now.  this dress, oh this dress!  it's just gorgeous.  


2. why was everyone so harsh towards james franco?  all night i saw tweet after tweet of people dogging on him, but it seemed pretty clear that he was nervous and more than a little intimidated to stand in front of ALL the experts in his field, plus billions of viewers across the world {talk about pressure}.  just because he has a job performing in front of a camera means that he should be charismatic and outgoing all the time?  not to mention, i'm sure he was pretty distracted having his own nomination at the end of the evening.  i read recently that james franco got into acting as a way to overcome his extreme shyness, which seems like an accurate description when we see him in interviews and hosting award shows.  would we be harsh on anyone else that we knew had phobias of public speaking or felt completely socially awkward?  why do we expect SO MUCH from people who work behind the camera?  whether or not you "like him as a person" {as if any of us actually know him in person}, you can't blame him for being shy and awkward.  sure, maybe he wasn't the best choice to be a host of a major award show, but we should send those complaints to whoever is the hiring powers behind the academy awards.  instead, i think we should praise james franco for taking such a huge risk and facing what was probably an enormous fear.  

good deeds ~ stand with planned parenthood

as i'm sure many of you in the united states have heard, the house of representatives just voted to ban planned parenthood from all federal funding, and it is now headed to the senate.  i try to keep politics off my blog since it's such an enraging issue in so many ways, but i just couldn't let this one slip by.  how absurd is it that the government is taking away funding from one of the best organizations our country has?!  how can they care so little about the one in five women who receives health services from planned parenthood for a wide range of health issues?!  90% of the health care provided for women, children, and even men, at planned parenthood is for birth control, prenatal care, cancer screenings, hiv screenings, and educational services, to name a few.  if this bill gets passed, these vital and affordable services will be removed from public access.  

of all the stupid, selfish, corrupt things our government does, this has got to be at the top.  i'm so shocked and angered by this, that i'm having a hard time writing out the numerous benefits of planned parenthood in a clear and concise way.  so if you are not educated on how important planned parenthood is, please take the 1:27 minutes of your time to watch this.  as you'll see, it's women and families just like you and yours that will be hurt by this bill:  


for most low income and middle class families all across the united states, both in rural areas and inner cities, planned parenthood is the only place to which they can turn for preventative health care and prenatal care.  we desperately need planned parenthood to survive, but we must all stand together.  even if you have never received treatment, nor needed it, from planned parenthood, please don't turn your back on your fellow women who rely on it for numerous medical services.

i can also say, on a personal note, that when i worked at an inner city san francisco high school last year, we referred dozens of students to planned parenthood to receive free, confidential health care.  many of them needed assistance to be treated after abuse, to receive prenatal care, and to become educated on safe health practices {none of these issues involved abortions by the way}.  for many of them, it was unsafe to go to their parents {who were often the ones causing the health problems in the first place}, and they had no one to which they could turn for assistance paying medical bills.  planned parenthood was the only place where they could receive the much needed medical assistance on a high schooler's paycheck.  

so please head over to the i stand with planned parenthood page where you can learn more, give a donation, or find out how your representative voted on this bill {found in the "learn more" tab}. 

and if nothing else, please stand up for planned parenthood and sign the petition to keep federal funding in place!  


if you want to hear what others have to say on this issue...
check out the post that lauryn, from laureality, wrote.
i also LOVED what this gal had to say on the subject here.

Saturday, February 26, 2011

cozy...


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wishing you a very cozy weekend!

Friday, February 25, 2011

gratitude!

i can't thank you wonderful, amazing readers enough for all of your kind words on yesterday's post!  it was really touching how supportive you all were with something that is truly difficult to talk about {and live with}.  i'm so glad it was helpful for a lot of you to better understand people you know living with OCD.  i'm also really inspired by how encouraging this community of bloggers really is.  i am so thankful for each and every single one of you!


this week, i'm also thankful for...
* all of the amazing meetups i've had with lovely bloggers this week {and the yummy places at which we ate together}:
- hanging out all day saturday with brandi, discovering an amazing
bakery at the farmers' market {see brandi's post about
 it here}, roaming around the spice station, grabbing
a bite at real food daily, and tea at chado
- chatting with lynn on tuesday at bricks & scones.  if you live in the area,
you must stop by and try a scone
{their chai latte isn't bad either}.  yum!
- walking down to stories bookstore & cafe with tatiana.  how can you
go wrong with a plate of pitas & hummus,
and a huge selection of used books?!
* receiving my sweet little bookmark from cassie's etsy shop between the lines.  it's a perfect gift for all you book lovers out there!
* finally beginning to figure out this thing called marriage.
* having a quiet week after a very busy past couple of weeks.
* that smart designer/architect partner of mine and his brilliant idea to build an office in our front
courtyard.  hello yurt, goodbye driving each other crazy in our teeny apartment!
* documentary nights!! we've watched a bunch of the docs up for nomination at the oscars this week.  we've seen exit through the gift shop, restrepo, and tonight we're going to see waste land - documentaries,
great friends, pizza, girl scout cookies, root beer, wine, & good conversations? so much fun!!
* a little bit of cold & rainy weather.  sure i wish it were summer, but i'm going to enjoy these last few winter days while i have them.  hopefully i'll get to enjoy my favorite rainy day activity - reading a good book!

{photo}


what are you thankful for this week?

Thursday, February 24, 2011

my mental illness

lately i've received an overwhelming number of kind words from all of you dear readers.  i'm so humbled and grateful for your support, but i have been feeling more and more convicted to be honest about the fact that my life is not the picture-perfect depiction that it seems in this blog.  sure, my blog is full of my favorite things, people and memories.  i love having a blog that reminds me of all the good in my life and can serve as my happy place. but i've been feeling that my blog life and my real life are becoming increasingly disconnected.  in my blogging world i've kept the lid tight on one of the toughest things i struggle with in my real life, and to continue to keep quiet about something that i daily wrestle with is making me feel like a big fat lier. 

a couple days ago i got to chat with lynn from the actor's diet.  what i love most about lynn's blog is her honesty about her relationship and struggles with food.  i've been thinking a lot about how i want my blog to also be a place where i can be honest about how hard life is sometimes.  it's not all cupcakes and pretty dresses.  life is TOUGH.  but we find ways to cope, to pull through, and to even rise above.  i want my blog to show each piece of this journey.  

so, the real truth about my life is that i have clinical OCD.  usually when i tell people this they respond with "oh, i have some of that too..." and then they proceed to tell me that they like their pillows stacked a certain way or they like their kitchen sink to sparkle.  THIS IS NOT OCD, this is completely normal {and it is highly disrespectful to respond that way to someone who actually struggles with OCD. the best thing you can do is just listen and empathize}.    

what is OCD?  in the simplest terms, it involves an extra pathway between two parts of my brain that shouldn't be there.  that means, my brain and body see certain things, that are not at all dangerous, as being incredibly threatening.  OCD means that when i drop my scarf on my living room floor {which in my mind is a dirty, dangerous place} it suddenly feels as though my puppy is trapped in a burning building and i'm forced to watch.  i wish this were an exaggeration, but sadly, it is not.  i often feel like there is a Sane Me being held captive by my own brain who tortures me with feelings of being in extreme danger.  most of you watch glee and are familiar with the way emma handles the world around her.  it seems cute and funny in the show, but that's what life is really like for me.  and it sucks!

OCD is incredibly irrational.  when i experience these "danger" feelings and burst out crying, or begin a panic attack, i KNOW without a doubt that the feelings are unwarranted.  i know there's no need to fear a scarf falling on my floor, i know that it's all in my head.  but it's incredibly difficult to ignore these thoughts when your body is reacting so strongly.  OCD is also incredibly unpredictable.  there are certain things that are actually dirty and gross that don't bother me at all.  when i work with dirty little kids in therapy, i don't think about the germs, and i probably clean my shower twice a year.  those things just don't bother me.  yeah, i don't get it either, but that's just the way OCD works.

it's easy for me to hide my OCD when i'm out with friends.  i've learned to cope pretty well so that people out in the world don't notice too easily.  but at home it's a very different story.  until last august, i had lived alone for 10 years.  it was awesome to have my own apartment where i could live however i needed to.  but now that i'm living with the mister, it's hard to keep things "safe."  also, having another person who is living totally normally in my home, sure makes the things i do to avoid germs that much more painfully obvious.

 {photo}

recently, i was given the stylish blogger award by a couple sweet ladies, alli and kaylia.  since i had already done one of these including fun facts not too long ago, i thought i would use this opportunity to share 7 facts about my struggles with OCD {although, believe me, there are far more than 7}:

1. for me, it mostly revolves around germs {although i have a few non-germ compulsions}.  there is no logical fear of getting sick or dying, there is no "what happens if i catch germs."  the germs themselves are the horrible, awful, terrifying things that send me into a panic if i'm near them.  and it's not that i'm afraid of only dirty things.  i get incredibly anxious about things that my mind deems dirty.  so even though a pair of shoes are brand new, the simple fact that they are shoes means that they are "dirty" and life threatening.  

2.  i wash my hands, on average, about 30-35 times a day.  sometimes i wear gloves to touch things, and then immediately throw the gloves away, careful not to touch the outside of them where they have been contaminated.  i never go anywhere without a giant stack of disinfectant wipes in my bag.  i'm constantly disinfecting my hands, bag, clothes and even hair if it touches something out in the world.

3. once i was late to class because i couldn't stop checking my front door to make sure it was locked.  i would try to leave, but my brain and body told me something horrible was going to happen because i wasn't SURE if my door was locked, even though i had just checked it.  i would check the door, begin to walk away, and feel so overwhelmed that i would go back and check it again.  i did this for 20 minutes, sobbing the entire time because i knew i was being ridiculous, but i just couldn't stop.  

4. the floor and ground are dirty.  always.  everywhere.  even if i have just cleaned my own floors in my own house, i can't use or touch something that has fallen on it, and i certainly can't sit on it myself.  i have house shoes that never go outside, yard shoes that never come in the house nor out into the world, and world shoes that i only wear out, all so that i won't contaminate my home or yard with certain germs.  i am the exact same with my clothes.  out-in-the-world clothes are never worn in the house.  i have been known to strip down just outside of my door, put my clothes in a plastic bag, and disinfected my hands before going inside my home.  where had i been that made me so "dirty?"  the DMV.  logically i knew i wasn't dirty, but i saw a woman move her purse from the ground to an empty chair, which i then had to sit in later.  in my mind it was the same thing as having to sit on the floor because the germs had been transferred to the chair on her bag.  

5.  two weeks ago i had a panic attack {something that happens fairly often for me} in the car because the day before the mister had given someone i didn't know a ride in it.  suddenly the whole car felt disastrously unclean and we had to stop on the side of the road to let me out.  we had to spend the entire rest of the day roaming around a "clean" neighborhood just so i could calm down enough to get back in the car and drive home.

6.  i don't use shoes with shoelaces because the laces touch the ground, which is a "dirty" place, so then i wouldn't be able to touch the laces to tie them.  plus, even if i got the laces tied somehow, there would be something really "dirty" sitting on top of my shoes everywhere i go, touching the bottom of my pants, which would then cause my pants to become contaminated and then my legs... and it goes on and on from there.

7.  i never touch the door knob to a bathroom.  i know lots of people do this out at public restrooms, but i do it in my own house too.  i either use toilet paper or "dirty" clothes to open the bathroom door.


i know this all sounds totally crazy, but my hope for sharing this is to give you an enlightening look at something we never talk about in society.  people feel like they can share their physical illnesses openly, because hey, you can't help being born with certain issues.  but there's still so much of a stigma around sharing mental illnesses, even though it's really the same thing.  the truth is, i have a mental illness.  my life is a daily struggle, but i am doing something about it.  i was receiving treatment up in san francisco, and i'm currently looking for a therapist here in los angeles.  in the meantime, i hope that being honest about this will be a liberating way for me to deal with my OCD, right now.  i've hidden it from everyone {sometimes even from myself} for so long that it feels really empowering to call it out in this public way.  with that said, it's still totally terrifying to write all this down and put it out there.

so there you have it.  life is pretty fucking hard.  but it doesn't mean that we have to lie down and take it.  we can educate ourselves about what exactly is happening, figure out what can be done about it, and then take action.  the rest is all about embracing the beautiful side of life, which is exactly what i hope my blog can be about. 

and just because i want to end on a happy note, here is my favorite thing this week:
{photo}


ps - i have the most wonderful, amazing, patient, supportive husband in the world! he deserves a metal for everything he puts up with living with me.

Wednesday, February 23, 2011

hold the phone!

i'm taking a break from my regular posts to give my "little" nephew ryan a very special birthday shout out.  HAPPY BIRTHDAY RYAN!!  

i'm trying not to totally freak out about this, but today he turns 18! 
 my nephew!  18!  1-8.  EIGHTEEN.  eighteen!

i can't believe that someone, who's diapers i used to change, is now a legal adult.  

this is how i will forever think of him:
{yup, those are my legs behind him}


but now he's all grown up:

 {playing the guitar with a napoleon dynamite t-shirt? i couldn't be more proud!}


in a few months he'll be graduating high school and is already on his way to becoming an architect! i'm so proud of all the things he's accomplished in life so far.  it's times like these i wish i didn't live on the other side of the country from them. 

lots of love ryan!

xoxo
aunt em 
{because he couldn't say "aunt kim" when he was little}

Tuesday, February 22, 2011

scenes from san francisco

our trip to san francisco last week was far too short, but wonderful all the same.  we got to see many of our old friends, eat at our favorite places, and run some errands.  we also had multiple amazing conversations with all the right people.   there have been a number of big life topics that have come up for us lately.  it was so amazing to hear that we are not alone in the things which we're going through right now, and to gain a little perspective from similar experiences.  every conversation we had was just what we needed.

here's a little peek at our trip:


{eating at our old neighborhood cafe, the bean bag, where we ran into an old friend of the mister's.  that happens all the time in san francisco.  it's really quite a small city!}

{during our few free hours we roamed through our favorite thrift shops on haight street.}

{the best tikka masala i've ever had, at naan n curry in the sunset.  mmm!}


{our friends we stayed with have the cutest apartment, which they painted themselves. they also have two ridiculously adorable little boys which made for very entertaining mornings. one morning i heard him exclaim to his mom "i think the Girl One is up!"}


{the beautiful bay bridge.}

{the view of the city from treasure island, where our dear friend lives. i used to go running along the edge of the island when i lived there long ago. i loved watching the sun glimmer on all the buildings along the embarcadero in the mornings.}

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a lot of you have asked me questions about our life in san francisco, so i wanted to take a minute to answer some of them.

when/why did i move to san francisco?
i moved to san francisco in december 6 years ago.  i had just finished college and couldn't stand living in my small southern town any longer.  i had to get out!  i literally sold everything in my apartment, bought a one-way ticket, and flew out 3 days after christmas with only two boxes of belongings.  i didn't know a soul, have a place to live, or have a job.  one of my ex-boyfriend's old high school friends picked me up from the airport and took me to the ex-boyfriend's apartment, where i stayed in his room for a few weeks while he was away.  it was the scariest, most thrilling experience of my life to completely start over like that, totally on my own, but i did it!   

how did i meet the mister?
we had actually met back in tennessee and dated for a year in college.  we were in very different places though, so like many college relationships, we broke up.  we eventually reconnected in san francisco and completely started over at the beginning. we were friends for a couple years in san francisco {pursuing other dating experiences}, before we began to have feelings for each other again.  eventually we decided that we wanted to give it another go.  three years after dating the second time, we got engaged and then hitched last september.  

what neighborhood did i live in?
for the first few months i lived on treasure island.  it was a blast to pretend to be a pirate and enjoy the amazing view of the city.  but i felt isolated in the middle of the bay, and i ended up getting a studio in the NOPA {north of the panhandle} neighborhood.  i was smack dab in the middle of the city and it was an easy walk to pacific heights, upper fillmore, lower haight, upper haight, the mission, and the castro.  i was only a couple blocks from alamo square {the "full house" park} and golden gate park.  i loved that neighborhood, and its central location allowed me to walk everywhere.  most people don't realize it, but the city of san francisco is only 7 miles by 7 miles, and really, the only places you would want to go is more within a 3 mile radius.  there were about a dozen great restaurants, a few cafes, an awesome music venue, and some bars within a couple blocks of my apartment.  and on sundays they closed down my block to traffic and set up a farmer's market just outside my door.  it was perfect!

so why in the world would we ever leave san francisco?!
as much as i am in love with san francisco, i am even more in love with change.  i am definitely a bohemian at heart and i can't imagine ever staying in one place for too long.  that was also the city of my fiercely independent growth into womanhood, and i thought it would be a good idea to start life with my partner in a new city that didn't represent so much of my single life.  we also have a good number of friends down in los angeles that we were ready to live near, and we missed summer terribly {if you don't know, san francisco is pretty much chilly and foggy year round, especially during the traditional summer months}.  

so there you have it.  i wouldn't be surprised if we move back there someday, but for now, we're soaking up the joys of having a new city to explore.

Monday, February 21, 2011

good deeds ~ 29-day giving challenge

several years ago i was not in a very happy place.  while i loved everything that was happening in my personal life, majority of my days were spent working at a job that was not at all right for me.  it was a 9-5 office job, full of gossiping co-workers and a high-stress boss.  i had just come from being a kindergarten teacher, mind you, so i was used to singing, dancing, coloring, & creating entire universes out of blocks.  being in that soul-sucking desk job made me feel completely lost! 


i can't remember exactly how it happened, but somehow i found the 29-day giving challenge, and i was quite intrigued.  could i really give something away every day for an entire month?  would i really have the energy to think outside of myself a little each day?  after all, i was spending a very large amount of time throwing myself a pity party.  ultimately, i decided that i needed something a little extreme to bring more purpose and growth to my life.  i had no idea what the outcome would be, but i figured things couldn't get any worse.

i started out giving away material possessions i no longer needed - clothes, shoes, & a couple kitchen gadgets.  after a week of giving away the obvious, my focus started shifting from things to people.  one morning i made an extra sandwich and gave it to the homeless girl near my office.  another morning i picked beautiful flowers and gave them to the bus driver who faithfully drove me to work each day.  by the end of the month i was constantly thinking about the people around me, whether they were my dear friends or complete strangers.  all i could think was "hmm... what can i give right now?"  i sent care packages to friends going through hard times, snagged a seat on the bus just so i could give it away, i gave smiles and hugs, i gave my time and friendliness, i even began giving a much more cheerful attitude to my boss.  it was such a beautiful experience to shift my thoughts from "woe is me" to "woah, i have a lot to give!"  i took all of that frustrated energy and turned it into selfless energy, energy which i hope made a difference in at least one person's life.  

i'm not the only one who has experienced the benefits of giving.  there are thousands of people who have joined the challenge and you can too!  head over to the website to sign up and be a part of the community of givers.  and if you'd like to learn more, you can watch the video below by the founder of the 29-day challenge {who's just a regular person, like you and me, making the world a much better place}.



i'm really excited about this good deed, since i had such an amazing personal experience to go with it.  if you have experienced a good deed that has impacted your life for the better, i would love to hear about it!  you can share it in the comments or email me at fillyourwell{at}gmail{dot}com.  

Saturday, February 19, 2011

saturday.

hello all!  this is just a quick post to say that we are finally back in los angeles, after an amazing trip to san francisco.  it was just what i needed this week in all sorts of ways.  well, actually, i could have done without the terrifying drive home where i thought we were going to die, but i suppose even that helped me appreciate life a little more today. 

and now? i'm going to spend the day with the lovely brandi from not your average ordinary and pizzelles.  we're going to have a blast, i'm sure!  and hopefully i'll be able to catch up on all your beautiful blogs and comments from over the past few days tomorrow.

by the by, isn't this a fun print? i was singing this song all week after we 
saw 13 rainbows on the drive to san francisco.  


i hope you all have a fabulous, dreams-come-true sort of weekend!
xoxo

Friday, February 18, 2011

pssst! guess what?

 some of my wedding photos are over on scenic glory today!  
lindsay, the super creative gal behind scenic glory, is doing a fun series where she turns your photos
into photo booth pics.  it's such a clever idea!

head over to her blog to see my photos and submit some of your own!

Photobucket

gratitude!

i have been having a total blast in san francisco the last few days.  today we are actually heading back to los angeles, but i wanted to post my gratitude list quickly before we go. it really has been a great week.

this week i'm thankful for:
* going to san francisco, of course! {we kept asking ourselves, "wait, why did we move?..."}
* playing with the super adorable little boys at our friends' house where we stayed.
* seeing some very dear friends.
* eating at some of our favorite restaurants.
* getting wildflower honey and clover yogurt at rainbow {delicious things we can't find in LA}.
* being back in my old neighborhood.
* randomly running into a friend in our old neighborhood cafe {that happens all the time in san francisco. it really is a small city!}.
* the multiple amazing conversations, which came just when we needed them with all the right people.
* seeing 13 rainbows on our drive to san francisco!!  it was like the universe was welcoming us on our journey back home.

{photo}

i hope you all have had a delightful week.

what are you thankful for?

Thursday, February 17, 2011

ukulele chic

hello everyone! while i'm running errands in san francisco, i thought i would leave you with a little outfit post.  i'm not sure if you are aware of this, but ukulele's are much more fun to play when you get all dressed up.  i may or may not still play in my front yard, pretending i'm performing in front of a cafe full of people, just like i did when i was a little girl.


my current favorite thing to do is play covers of non-ukulele style songs on the ukulele.  anything goes really, so long as  it catches my fancy and uses the chords i know.  but i still go back to the first song i learned on the uke, she & him's "gonna get along without you now."  it's so much fun to play!


dress: forever 21, circa 2005
undershirt & leggings: thermal underwear from REI
shoes: chelsea crew
earrings: forever 21
belt: my best friend's costume closet, circa high school 1998
bow: san franciscan artisan fair  


i hope everyone is having a fabulous week.  happy thursday!

Wednesday, February 16, 2011

off on a mini getaway!

i'm so excited because today, we are going back home to san francisco for the first time since we moved to los angeles.
i can't wait to visit some of my favorite places and see a bunch of my dearest friends!


we have so many amazing memories from our life there.
memories of delicious eateries, dancing in the park, long hikes, mind-blowing concerts, and outrageous street festivals.
this is the city where we rode the bart {subway} in our underpants,
where the mister and i reconnected and began our romance,
where i grew in every way imaginable,
 where we had many fun adventures....


oh! and where we got engaged!

{can you believe this was only last april?}

yup, we had many magical years in san francisco, so we're thrilled to go back home and experience our favorite city in the world.  

it won't be all fun and games, mind you.  i have dentist and doctor appointments, as well as a list of errands to run.  it's funny how we've lived in los angeles for over six months now, and we still find it easier to take care of business back in san francisco.  we're even going grocery shopping there at rainbow, the best grocery store/co-op ever {yes, i realize grocery stores aren't normally exciting, but when you're homesick, you tend to get nostalgic about everything... and rainbow is actually pretty wicked cool}.

so here's wishing you all a lovely wednesday and safe travels for us!

Tuesday, February 15, 2011

jesca hoop!

have you heard of jesca hoop yet?  she's lovely!  back in august, kcrw put her album up on their album preview page.  i listened to it over and over as i worked on all our wedding decorations.  i let her gorgeous voice soothe my pre-wedding stress.  then about a month ago, kcrw had jesca do a live performance on morning eclectic.  she sounded just as wonderful in person as on her album {the sign of a true musician in my book}.


so you can imagine my excitement when we got a call from one of our favorite friends here in LA, inviting us to help him make a music video for her.  over the past week we've been taking trips to my friend's adorable house to help.  there were only a few people working to create the gorgeous set {led by my mister} and capture the stop-motion filming, all of whom are so incredibly talented!  

here's a little sneak peek:
{the house that dannon built... and then slightly demolished... being captured by the talented camera guy}

i'm so proud of them!!  it's going to be very cool, and i will definitely share the video with you all when it's finished.  the video is for a new song that will be on her soon-to-be released ep.  in the meantime, i put together a few of my favorites from her most recent album, just so you can see what lovely music she makes.


also, stop-motion animation is super tough stuff! i have a great deal more respect for artists who do this form of story-telling.  wow!  if you know anyone who does this, give them a hug or a high five next time you see them.

Monday, February 14, 2011

good deeds ~ valentine's day!

today's good deed is pretty simple and probably pretty obvious:  show someone some LOVE!

it's not rocket science, but it is life changing... 
a hug,
a compliment,
a gift,
an act of service,
or
some undivided, quality time and attention,

...all are great ways to share the love!

i'm not sure how it happened, but our culture tends to focus on love as being most important when shared between romantic partners, but that's just not true! there are so many types of love in life - family, best friends, our passions & interests, and love for ourselves, to name a few.  so even though valentine's day has become just another commercialized holiday, let's use it as a reminder of ALL the various types of love you have in your life. celebrate them, thank the universe for them, and make your appreciation for those people known.  don't forget to share the love with yourself too!  we can really only properly love and accept love from others when we first know how to love and appreciate ourselves.  and no matter what you were taught growing up, please know that splurging on yourself, treating yourself to something special, or putting your needs first IS a good thing to do!  it's not selfish, it's healthy.  you should have your well filled up so high it's overflowing!  only then can you have the energy and proper mindset to share love and kindness with others.

as for me?  i'm thankful for so many amazing people in my life, including all of you!  your comments always warm my heart and make me smile.  thank you so much for all of your support and friendship.  you {yes YOU} are truly appreciated!


****

and on a completely different note, anthropologie just launched their new bridal line today!
you can check out bhldn {pronounced 'beholden'} here.
i hope this doesn't mean i have to do my wedding all over again... 



ps - if you live in san jose and you're wanting something fun to do, head downtown for the big pillow fight!  this used to be an annual san francisco valentine's day extravaganza, but apparently it was cancelled this year, so san jose picked it up.  enjoy it you crazy kids!

Saturday, February 12, 2011

valentine's ideas for everyone!

hello everyone!  it's the weekend before valentine's day, and even though i don't usually celebrate the day, i have seen so many cute things around the blogosphere that i just had to share.  plus, they're things you could use to celebrate v-day with ALL the people in your life, not just a significant other. 
   

like these adorable cup wrapper printables from eat, drink, chic! they're free and can be printed separately. wouldn't this be such a cute way to dress up a coffee date with a friend?



or how about whipping up some nice goodies from one of the many amazing recipes on pizzelles to share with your neighbors? then you could add these cute free tags from the nimbus factory when you package up your treats. 



you could also set up a dreamy fort {found on wild & precious}!  you could have a slumber party with some friends or your kiddos, and watch favorite love movies!


and if you need a few suggestions, how about...
away we go
amelie
up
when harry met sally
penelope
big fish


or how about some sweet tunes?



whatever you have planned, i hope you'll have a fun and beautiful weekend with people you love!  

Friday, February 11, 2011

gratitude!

what a week it's been!  it seemed to zip by in a flash for me.  anyone else?  i guess that's because i kept very busy, which was a welcomed change.


here are a few of the things i'm thankful for this week:

* making some money {yay jobs!}.
* having creative projects that keep me inspired and challenged.
* successfully parallel parking all over the city and no longer screaming as i do it.
* joining carmella for her birthday dinner at cru.
* the amazingly delicious food at cru {i know raw/vegan sounds scary, but the food there is phenomenal}.
* going to work and being surrounded by great friends.
* playing dress up with tatiana {more like tatiana dressing me up - i'm going to be one of her models at a photoshoot}.
* warm, sunshiny weather.
* waking up at 7.... ish.  ...well, the specifics aren't as important as the fact that i woke up before 8 every day.
* daydreaming about all the places we'll go and people we'll see on next week's trip to san francisco.
* the most amazing, relaxing bath my partner prepared for me. what a guy!
* having absolutely NO plans this weekend. i can't wait to relax, sleep in, take a hike, watch a movie,  or anything else i feel like because i don't have anywhere i have to be. yay!

what are you thankful for?

Thursday, February 10, 2011

swoon!

yesterday we spent the day at our friend's house in a little town outside of los angeles.  we'll be working there over the next few days, helping to build a set and film a stop-motion animation music video {i'll let you know when it's ready so you can see it}.  my day was pretty much spent painting, painting, and more painting!  nothing too exciting, but as soon as we rolled up to my friend's house i knew i had found a little piece of heaven. 

seriously, how ridiculously adorable is her house?!



AND, it's full of the most amazing treasures...



a tea set lamp! so cute!!!

after i wandered around admiring all of her gorgeous things, i spent the day out in the sunshine.  it was so warm and wonderful to sit outside, especially after all that talk of spring.

{oh, why yes that is the anthropologie apron i got for christmas from the lovely carmella.  don't worry, i didn't get any paint on it.  i just wanted to look pretty while i worked.}

***

to end the long hard day, my incredibly romantic partner surprised me with preparing a bath for me.  
not just any bath though, oh my no!  it was EPIC!  complete with candles, 
sweet smelling bath salts he made himself, and hundreds of flower petals floating all around me.  
swoon!!  
i think he just won the "dreamiest boy alive" award.

Wednesday, February 9, 2011

ruche spring lookbook!

have you seen the new spring lookbook for ruche?  everything is so feminine, flowy, & pretty.  plus the set design for their photo shoot is oh so beautiful. i suddenly really want a pomegranate orchard of my own to play in!





lately i've been dreaming about spring. it's such a lovely season that seems to bring with it an energizing breath of fresh air.  smells change, flowers bloom, little birds build their nests, and the whole world seems to wake up with great liveliness.  it's the season of skirts and long walks through the park, of garden parties and stargazing.... and i can't wait! {only 39 more days to go!}
at least i have a very pretty bundle of flowers that the mister brought home for me last night to enjoy, so i have a wee bit of spring in the house.  plus, they smell delightful! 

what are you looking forward to?