it's that time again...

you've gotta love the birthday love from anthropologie {one of my all time faves}. their creativity never ceases to amaze me.

fifteen percent off for the month of october. don't mind if i do.

last year i received a birthday candle necklace. i'm partial to the "me time" watch. maybe because i so value taking time for yourself.

here's to the start of a beautiful anniversary, celebrating twenty six years of life. may we all continue to grow and learn. with years comes wisdom and security. we are actually born with this, but sometimes time helps us find it again, just in case we lose it along the way.

i heart october. especially the fifth.

thank you for the daily inspirations, and for reading. i don't know what i'd do without you. xoxo.

is it saturday yet?

saturday mornings were her favorite mornings of all.

mostly because she got to linger with him next to her {a lot} longer than usual.

and after a deep nights sleep, devoured in feathers and warmth, there was nothing better - in her opinion - than that early saturday morning light, the smell of him, and skin to skin.

it was that simple.

if she got her weekly dose of this, a lifetime of happiness lay ahead...she was sure of it.

being easily pleased was always one of her fortés.

*inspiration found here. i sure am glad it's almost the weekend.

jazz hands.

loves, i've missed you.

i just wanted to stop in and tell you a little tiny sweet something {but please know i've been thinking about you nonstop since i last wrote}.

i dusted off the 'ol jazz shoes last night.

are you picturing jazz hands, jazz boxes, sashays, pas de bourrées, kick ball changes, and fan kicks? because you should be.

jazz is pure sass.

it occurred to me why i was so confident as a little girl. because i was a damn good dancer.

i want to find that girl again. to trust my body and know that there is grace in there. a true gift, if i just let go.

great lesson learned from just one class. 

a special thanks to my dancing pal for adventuring with me. she's got the moves like jagger, moves like jagger. photo found here.

dooce.

so, dooce is the first blog i ever read.

blog? what's a blog? i'd never heard of one before.

it was love at first post. heather armstrong is as good as they come, my dear friends. the perfect mix of wit and charm and humor and sap.

i once went on an adventure to see her live in person, oh my, and i've been thankful for her (here and here) back during the birth of my very own blog. i'd be lying if i said she didn't inspire me to start my own.

so give her a read. laugh out loud. and maybe even a cry a little. this is exactly what i did late last week when i caught up on over sixty unread posts. apparently, a lot can happen in three months.

happy reading. xoxo.

*photo directly from one of dooce's monthly creative headers.

dear baby.

while we're in the spirit of babies, i discovered this over at my dear friend, all heart.

even though i'm an aol'er, this one is too good to pass up.

it's a little heart-warmer, if i do say so myself.

the web is what you make of it.

remember that. and, cultivate creativity with this thing we call the world wide web.

enjoy!

on turning two.

dear curren,

i remember the day i found out you would be coming into the world. i can even recall what your mama was wearing. a gray sweater dress with awesome gray suede heels. the scar on her knee was particularly prominent that day. scars build character though, don't you worry. it's funny the tiny details that stick with us, when the big moments happen in life.

well, your mama and i were standing on the street corner in san francisco and when she told me the good news about you, i hugged her so big i think i just might have picked her up and twirled her around in circles. it was a beautiful, sunny afternoon. then i said a big fat "i told you so." i think i knew you were in her tummy before she even did. but let's keep that between us, okay?

today marks your second birthday. you are loved, little one. i am so thankful to be one of your many loving aunties and witness you grow up to be...anything you want...like, say, the next justin bieber. no pressure though. when you're in your twenties i'll be sure to remind you of the sweet moves you had on the eve of seven hundred and thirty days around the sun. i really do owe you one. because of you, i learned a whole lot about the step-by-step process of bringing a little babe into this world.

may you always embrace your authentic, cool self. it's the only way to live, buddy. and, you've got two perfect parental role models to guide you.

all my love,

auntie geenz

any little something.

oh my love! do not cling to any little something. 

~rumi

i feel like i'm hanging onto things that aren't serving me.

let go. let go. let go.

*one of the many cards i live by.

reverse gravity. go on, do it.

so i practiced for just short of five hours today. yup, you heard me. five. three of them were specifically dedicated to arm balances and inversions. you know, where your feet are over your head. many little epiphanies and moments of sheer joy and laughter, but also moments of fear and fatigue happened along the way.

symbolic for life, i guess.

and it's really just that, isn't it? inversions are a representation of how we face life. and, just as we rely on our arms in these poses, we constantly strive for balance.

when we reverse gravity, our bodies must adjust to this intense change in energy. practicing head stands, hand stands, and arm balances - oh my! - forces us to get out of our comfort zone and see things a bit differently, and with a fresh perspective.

they help us face our fears.

there is this moment that occurs when we are able to balance upside down for just an extra split second. it makes the whole process worth it. when that feeling clicks internally, you know you've learned something. 

in my opinion, inversions are just practice for real life. keep trying. put forth your best effort so that those seconds of really getting it extend to minutes, hours, days, and years. 

if we frequently and voluntarily reverse gravity, and maybe one day something in our lives catches us completely off guard - you know the saying ...turns our world upside down - we'll be much better prepared for that moment. no sweat off our backs. 

i take that back, there's lots of sweat.

sorry to be all preachy on you, loves. i hope you had the bestest of best weekends.

plotting.

so, i have a thing for day planners. you know, the old school ones. {academic only. august to august is where it's at, kitty kat}. i usually write in pencil, just in case something isn't perrrrrrrmanent. there's nothing worse than big x marks on that page full of important engagements. unless of course it's your birthday. those things never change.

last night i discovered one of my new favorite past times. wine date with one of my best pals, calendars sprawled out on the table, plotting our upcoming adventures. oh, there are so many to be had! we are busy women after all. xo

i change shapes.

this song, by javier dunn, is a cover version of miike snow's animal. and, it's one for the record books. it usually plays during savasana and i feel oh-so-comforted. i know you will too.

drishti.

gazing is not the same as looking. have you ever thought about that?

in looking, there's a looker and a tangible object being looked at.

gazing, in contrast, is a method for looking beyond mundane objects. this is drishti, the technique of gazing toward the hazy realm of perception beyond the clearly focused. 

i had a thought about drishti and how it can be compared to our life journey. first off, we must look inward to discover who we really are on this voyage. instead of seeking external approval, the answers are all inside of us.

this is the basis of drishti. looking inward.

second, finding drishti can help us detach from our efforts, or life hardships. this helps us develop the ability to be generous and not attach importance to anger, fear, or any emotions that would prevent us from becoming sweeter and sweeter.  

i find it to be much better if we gaze at life on this journey. interpret it, appreciate it, and realize it's bigger than us. allow things to flow in and out of our vision, but not get caught up in one tiny object, the unnecessary details that can bring us down.

**oh, i sure do hope that makes sense. sometimes it fits perfectly in this brain 'o mine and then, well, it gets late and what seemed like such a good story this morning when i was all bright eyed and bushy tailed kind of falls by the wayside {please note, i originally wrote 'goes off the way side' which doesn't even fit here, as it insinuates the road ending. what road, gina?}. the fact that i'm attempting these idioms - is that what they're called? - when i'm too tired to even google. inexcusable! but, just one last thing, don't you just want to be sitting in a circle chanting and praying with these gals? i sure do. there's always tomorrow. do me a favor, will you? start your day with a little sun salutation, surya namaskara. honor this day. namaste.

dancing in the moonlight.

she always bought a perfect bouquet of delicate pink peonies on the night of a full moon. stopped at every local flower stand within a mile radius until she found her bunch.

since she didn't sleep a wink anyways, might has well fill that gem of an apartment with something pretty to gaze at under the fluorescent silver light of the moon.

but it was more than that. 

peonies were the cure for love and romance, symbolizing a happy and harmonious companionship.

these nights she believed her one true love could hear her thoughts. she'd speak to him. hurry up and find me, my love.

little acts.

so, i walked a new way to work today. and, according to my definition of courage, it was a courageous act.

i highly recommend it.


you just might notice new colors and people and hole-in-the-wall shops. i found myself smiling for many more blocks than usual.

so, change it up. even switching to the other side of the street is a step in the right direction.

have a blessed weekend, my loves. {bless-sed.} i'm spending it in tahoe for the third and final time this summer. can't wait for the usual sun time and dancing.

bisous.

plan b attitudes.

so you guys, i have to introduce you to one of my sweeeetest new friends. oh, she's so cool.

meet layla. she's my pilates instructor!

yes, you heard me. p-i-l-a-t-e-s. it's been years since i've touched the stuff.

but every tuesday and thursday at our work exercise class, i'm requesting let's get those deep, internal abdominals so my core will be strong, and more powerful than ever. and flat. well, that's the hope anyway.

she speaks my language with her darlings and dears and when you're done you're done. and, she even touches on my most favorite talk of all, you know, stuff about the universe.



one day in class, before attempting headstands, she taught us this great saying her mom - louise - says {who happens to be a yoga teacher...all of the good ones are, aren't they!?} when you're having a bad day...

alright ladies, let’s grab an apple and a hunk of cheese and put on our plan b attitudes. go upside down and get your ass over your head. now, lay down, tell the universe what you need and it’ll come to you.

we all need a plan b, wouldn't you agree? to get upside down every now and then. shake things up. keep them a-movin' and a-flowin' {another thing we talk about often}.

i heart my new friend. i know you will too.

magic.

so, i'm a little obsessed.


i was originally introduced to this life altering soap by my dear friend for it's minty and tingly qualities, and now i can't get enough.

you know that saying, a little goes a long way? well, i finally learned the true meaning of it.

currently lathering peppermint in the morning and lavender in the evening. just thought you should know.

i highly recommend it.

dr. bronner is a bit quirky {you've got to see what he preaches on the labels}, but take from it what you will, his soaps are magical. xoxo.

melt.

the entire world lay just beyond the reach of her fingertips {you know, the perfectly manicured ones} and yet she was too blinded by her own fears to see it for herself.



you make me want to melt, he told her.

only in her own time did she believe in the power of her own self-worth and her inner truth.

dip me, she begged him. that's all i need. to be carried for a while.

she takes flight.

i hope this week offers new beginnings.


*this photo is a silly little craft project i tried. it's a picture of the fabric of an adorable scarf i received from a beyond special pal last week {such an unexpected sweet treat}. it's "instagrammed" {my most favorite photo app} and i then inserted a simple quote. it's a bit makeshift, but i've been thinking about creating this from the moment i put the freebird scarf around my neck. love me some D-I-Y. you are free to fly is my mantra whenever i wear it.

say something nice.

i spotted this on a cup of joe last week and it made me so happy.





it's done by an improv group in new york who put the podium and megaphone in a public place {i was just at this exact spot!} and see how people respond. it's truly heartwarming.

then, i did a little exploring and found another improv shoot they did. this one brought tears to my eyes.

i immediately thought of mary poppins. i think the children are too young to understand what's going on, but it just goes to show you how a little extra joy, enthusiasm, imagination, and make-believe can undeniably light up our lives.





okay, i think it's time to move. hope you're all having a sweet monday off, luvies, and really indulging in not having to work. smooch!

lazy daisy.

it feels so nice to stay in bed past noon and just be. i never allow myself to do this, ever. just lay, have no schedule, except to pop out of bed for a bowl of cereal with fresh blueberries, only to hop right back in.

wasting hours and hours pinteresting and catching up on one of my most favorite worlds, the blog one.

have i ever told you i have this thing for bookshelves?

like, i lust after them. there's something so lovely and elegant and mysterious about a bookshelf. if you really look at the book titles - dust-ridden and quite possibly untouched for years and years - you can really learn a lot about a person.

i thought in the spirit of this lazy day i'd share my leaning crate&barrel bookshelves with you.




you can really cram all that is important to you on several simple horizontal pieces of wood. that's why i love them.

let your personality shine with your bookshelves. xo.

gangs all here.

aren't they darlinggggg!?




you know, the gang. you may have heard me mention a thing or two about andrea, margo, stacie, minnie, and kelley.

sometimes i'm taken aback by how utterly blessed i am to have these five stunning brunettes as best pals. they've got my back, always.

i love you.

j'aime septembre.

september is here. fall is upon us.

i must confess, i do heart fall {and yes i may be biased because 'tis the season of the anniversary of my birth}.




but there's something so sweet in the way it creeps up on us. oh, hello crisp air and sunshine...finally {for us sf'ers}! an underrated time of year if you ask me.

i always think of this song lyric by the one and only john mayer.

when autumn comes
it doesn't ask
it just walks in
where it left you last

you never know
when it starts
until there's fog inside the glass
around your summer heart

*may september bring you less to-do lists and more whimsical stories that all come true.