spectacle.

the golden gate bridge turned seventy five this past weekend. they threw her soooome birthday party, let me tell you. i hope if i'm still kickin' at that ripe age, i'll get fireworks too.

spectacular doesn't even begin to describe the magnificence that was the performance. the picture does not do it justice, but the most breathtaking part was the waterfall that so gracefully began the show to when the lights go down in the city. this spectacle took the long weekend turned staycation over.the.top.

and here we are again, yet another reason i am grateful for san francisco. you must be thinking... is this just a blog about san francisco? how boring! i promise i'll pump the breaks. that's all for now.

staycation.

so, i've never really done a true staycation before. have you? oh, i highly recommend that you give it a whirl! treasures are unveiled before your very eyes on your home turf.

well, dolls, we stuck right down to the definition and in essence, were tourists in our own city, visiting the east, north, and south bays. it's amazing how each one has something just as good as the other to offer. us northern californians are oh-so-lucky.

just a few snapshots for you...

so nice to have my long lost friend in town. dinner on fourth street in berkeley followed by an impromptu concert with a new fave, cris cab {he's about to go big, people!}.

angel island hiking adventures... it's the perfect hike, i swear. a five mile loop with three sixty views of the bay area. at the highest point you can see three bridges at once: bay, richmond-san rafael, and golden gate.

union square shopping interrupted with a quick break at the starlight room, one of san francisco's signature experiences at the top of the sir francis drake hotel.

...so grateful for three day weekends!

amulet.

he was in her life for but a brief moment. too brief.

i could get used to this she found herself repeating over and over.

but, before she could even get to the top of her long inhale or re-open her eyes after soaking in all of his goodness, he was gone. 

timing is everything, my dear...

and with that, she left him with a little bit of luck. to follow his dreams and maybe his way back to her someday.

be amazing.

the other day ago {gosh i've always wanted to say that. it makes me feel all wise and grandmother-y} i paid a visit to one of san francisco's little hidden gems. nothing like a good gem. chambers in the phoenix hotel. not in the nicest of areas, but well worth the trip.

i've had this photo pinned on my "i'm in love" pinterest board for almost a year! and, whaddyaknow i could recreate the act right here in my very own city!

i must admit, it's the most inspired i've ever felt in a bar. ever.

and, you know me, i do love my positive affirmations... as i sit here beneath the word D R E A M adorned to one of the four walls that surround me...

sweet {and amazing!} dreams to you. xoxo. 

breakups.

every time i contemplate living in a different city {which is becoming increasingly more frequent} i have an adventure day and i am reminded how lucky i am to be in one of the best places on earth.

let's just hop on the bus and go... 

it's one of my most favorite things to do. ever. to explore. to gallivant on new stomping grounds. no agenda. just you, a pal, and the whole the day ahead.
 

i had a thought... i am in a very committed relationship with san francisco. it's an unconditional and forgiving love, really. there are good days when the sun is shining and everything fits to perfection. and you think to yourself, it can't get much better than this. and there are bad days, too, when that fog never lifts and just about everything seems annoying. you find yourself shouting, why do you have to be like this? but, see, at the end of the day neither of us can imagine life without the other.

but {there's that but}, i still think a healthy break would be a positive thing for the both of us. to spread our wings. to see what else is out there. as the saying goes... we don't know what we have until it's gone. well, who knows, my darling city, we may find our way back to each other. maybe it's time to breakup... i just can't decide because oh how i love you so...

inhale.

the other night i was applying lip gloss, and as the wand hit my lip {sorry to get so sensual on you, it must be all of the fifty shades} i was immediately transported back in time. i couldn't quite put my finger on what exactly, but just a phase in life i used to apply the stuff.

this seems like the most pointless story, but it got me thinking about the impact of our sense of smell. in an instant, it has the power to completely conjure up the most intricate of memories {there's a term for this in psychology. as a psych major, i should really remember these things!}.

does that ever happen to you? like how thierry mugler - angel - plants me right back in high school in the thick of my first love. or the distinct and yet grotesque smell of sulfur makes me feel like i'm on a jog around the ucsb lagoon. 

i love this concept and i think i'll take a moment to be grateful for my nose {it is the one body part i am quite satisfied with, i must admit!}.

may you stop and smell the roses, darlings. and may it evoke nothing but blissful memories. the more the merrier. xoxo.

*luscious lips found here.

of monsters and men.

do people ever ask you what you'd be in another life? 

well, my answer would be a singer/songwriter. hands down. without a doubt. if only i could sing and play guitar... or any instrument for that matter {piano lessons didn't stick and i lost everything i learned in choir about vocals}. oh well, a girl can dream...

i have another gem of a band to gush about. like absolutely gush. of monsters and men. a little indie folk band from none other than iceland. her voice is gorgeous and his... well, it's the kind you least expect. watch them live and maybe you'll agree.

my head is an animal is their one and only album thus far. buy it, you won't regret it! it's the gift that keeps on giving. it's the type of album where every song just keeps getting better and better and every time you listen to it all the way through {like i did this fine evening on a long walk home and a deep clean of the 'ol apartment} it's better than the time before. the best combination, in my opinion.

i can barely decide what song to share, they're all so equally good, but this one has me melting the most. enjoy!



so much love to you.

love is a verb.

i miss my oh-so-quirky john. he's consistently been a part of my music library since as far back as i can remember {aka high school}.

well, much to my pleasant surprise, he's got a new album coming out next week. thank you to my musical genius of a friend for sharing it with me.



pre-ordering born and raised asap. until next week...

available.

i keep toying with the idea of online dating {gasp!}. i've typed e-h-a-r-m-o-n-y dot com into my browser exactly two times in the past month. eharmony, you ask? because if i'm going to do it, i'm really going to do it. no sense in wasting any time on the casual and free. let's just get down to business, people!

twice my fingers have opened a new tab and hesitantly started typing the e...h...a...r... and i am filled with both excitement and doubt. oh, the potential... the satisfaction of taking matters into my own hands is exhilarating, while clinging onto the idea of meeting someone organically is still all-consuming.

layered on top of that is a stigma about online dating that many in our society have yet to release, me included. when people speak about it, it's always done so in a whisper. but there should be no shame in it, my loves.

even so, i am consistently bombarded with, oh, everyone online dates! i know so many people who've met online and are now married! with children! {eeek! i just want a little romance}. and yet to every success story, i counter it with... oh, they're college sweethearts! these two met at a bar. it was a set-up...

oh, what to do...? what do to...?

i can't quite seem to get past step one - that silly welcome screen with the most naturally beautiful blonde woman {where i only end up entering name: gina. sex: female.}. while i have no idea what the fill in the blanks of step two may be, i thought i'd take a stab on the place i feel most comfortable writing. here. then maybe i'll do it for real.

so, ready go.

i like to hold hands. especially when we're driving. is that a silly ask? i think so. but there's something about about the sexiness of your hand touching - even my knee - while we are in transit that i simpy cannot resist.

i prefer walking on the inside of the street, protected. and see, it's the gentlemanly thing to do. your mother taught you well.

i wake up early, despite my diligent attempts at sleeping in. but, with you, i'd like to linger. weekends especially, please make me stay in bed. unless of course i drag you to yoga which is one hundred percent likely. but you secretly love it, and usually comply.

i'm not your typical twenty-six year old. i prefer cozy. they say you should be getting all your crazy out in your twenties. well, not this girl.

wine, candlelight, and pink peonies are only three of the dozens of keys to my heart. 

we balance each other out, you + me. you make me calm and comfy and i, you. because that's what makes a partnership great, don't you think? finding the right balance. and laughter. not a day goes by where we don't find ourselves smiling from ear to ear as laughter erupts from deep within. you know, the uninhibited kind.

i like perfect grammar. and a man who is good at his core, because like i've quoted before, when you're good at your core—really, truly, honestly good—love comes easy.*

i want the real deal. genuine, all-consuming, crazy, unconditional, exciting, best-friend love. i'm also kind of a beginner at this stuff. so, maybe you'll go at my pace and we'll honor the path we're both on, the cards we've been dealt, and then we can live happily ever after.

that's all. but see, it's really only the beginning.

no matter what i decide to do, at least putting it out there in this big 'ol universe is a start. sometimes when you ask, you shall receive. and sometimes, life surprises you. as it turns out, that's when it's the sweetest.

*i've used this quote twice now. found over here. gosh, i need to send her a note so we can really become friends. #bloggercrush
**loveys found here, here, and here.

will you accept this rose?

i have a confession {but, what else is new?}. i'm pretty excited about this season of the bachelorette. you know know me, i don't watch tv. only sometimes. i guess i'm a one-show-at-a-time kind of gal.

anyhow, the one show i most definitely will be watching is emily on season eight of the bachelorette. something about her resonates with me. she's twenty six, like me. and, the sweetest southern belle you ever did meet. when she speaks, you can tell she genuinely means what she says. it comes from her heart.

i like her story and feel connected to her wholesomeness. i think that because she commands it, this season will lack the unnecessary drama that made me stop watching many seasons ago.

she's just a doll in all senses of the word. i already have a growing list of some of my favorite guys. {oh, to be her!}. and listen up, people. i vow not to peek at reality steve, but to stay in suspense all season long. hold me to it, will you? and please, join in on the bachelorette fun!

ps. kinda sad the guy from moraga didn't make the cut. way to represent, john paul!

*pic found here.

swoon.

i woke up from a long night of dreaming that taylor kitsch was my boyfriend. i blame all of the reading about christian grey. this stuff goes to your head, i tell ya!

so today i'm inspired to give you a roundup of my all-time favorite heartthrobs just like i did for my wannabe gal pals.

so, you lovely ladies you, after some intense research i've narrowed down to my four all time fave men to swoon over. in a very specific order, meet scott speedman {you had me at felicity}, ryan gosling {you had me at the notebook}, taylor kitsh {you had me at friday night lights}, and zac efron {you had me at the lucky one}. you'll notice i don't discriminate in age, we're all over the board, dolls! age twenty four to thirty seven.

what a fun project this has been! i encourage you to do the same. and daydream about meeting one of them someday. hey, it could happen!

until then you sexy things, please keep appearing in my dreams.

xoxo.

thank you.

i heard this quote a while back during class willing myself to remember it so i could jot it down afterwards. 

if the only prayer you ever say in your entire life is thank you, it will be enough.

~meister eckhart

of course, it escaped me until today when i was reminded of it while watching some lessons in gratitude. a great refresher of why i started this blog in the first place and the power of physically writing down five things each day we are thankful for.

may we continue to offer up the prayer of thank you. because it is enough.

*humbly bowing forward found here.

off the mat.

so i went on my very first yoga retreat this past weekend and let me go on the record in saying that it was one of the most blissful weekends of my life. period.

retreat {n.} the act of withdrawing as into safety or privacy; retirement; seclusion; a place of refuge.

and that, my friends, was exactly what it was.

a weekend filled with laughter, good company, breath, sunshine, and peace of mind. a group of people brought together for nothing but the pure common interest of discovering yoga. because, like i've mentioned a time or two, it's life changing.

i may have learned a few things. like that friendliness is not dead. in fact, it's come to life more than ever. engaging in those moments of vulnerability are some of the most sacred when we make initial connections with others. there is so much love to go around, we just have to tap into it. open ourselves to it. 

forming friendships in the most unique of places - mat to mat - is one of my most favorite phenomenons. there is a yogi saying... may we take what we learn on our mat and practice it in our everyday lives. i am always striving to do so. i am blessed to have made so many dear friends from on, to off the mat.

i left filled to the brim with emotion. open hearts have a tendency to do that... to help you honor your tears and your joy. can't wait to go back for more.

you had me at hello.

we all know i'm a sucker for kate spade.

my latest treasure is the kindle cover, because obviously i needed it. we can't have that precious device cracked as i toss it so roughly in my purse. {i am a total kindle convert p.s. i used to be all i will never use it! i only read books with pages! well, boy was i mistaken.}

and don't forget the book light that i also threw in my amazon cart. you know, for reading under the covers. very important business.

now every time i go to read i will be greeted with such kindness... hello! oh hi, i'm ready to indulge in my guilty pleasure that lies beneath that innocent case. fifty shades of gray. oh no she di'int!

dear diary.

sometimes we just need to write and to let it all out.

dear diary,

today i am grateful for...

early morning sunlight illuminating through my apartment windows. it was a snooze button kind of day, but i surely did enjoy the gradual pouring in of light. oh hello, may.

one of my new favorite treats is a soy latté {not sure where that came from}. i indulge in adding two splenda and cinnamon {yeah yeah... i know what you're thinking about the splenda thing}.

brand new journals. a girl can never have too many. she makes the day brighter. she leaves a little sparkle wherever she goes. thank you mins, you always have your eye out for others.

now, may you document your hopes and dreams and goals. and forget not to vent your troubles and worries and fears. get it out there in that paper universe. i promise, it works.