be grateful.

i was greeted with such a pleasant surprise on my walk home from work on friday evening. it was one of those perfect san-francisco-popsicle-sky-nights as i approached the peak of that long trek up the union street hill.

a little reminder scribbled on a lamp post for all of the passerby's.

be grateful. yes, indeed.

hoping you little sweets had lovely weekends. the past thirty six hours brought many thankful thoughts for... yoges, friday nights in, oldest of friends catch-up sesh's, candles + sage, sisters, sausalito, and healing truth seekers.

let's carry this grateful energy into this week, shall we? 

what makes loves true.

so tiffany & co. has this what makes love true campaign {i love marketing campaigns that take their consumers to the next level and allow hopeless romantics like me to relate to the brand}.

i first learned about it on stylelist, a great website i work with and have come to know and love.

then a sisterfriend shared this great video featuring one of our faves. remember him here?



he brings his brilliance to life once again, and tiffany's is lucky to have him. in light of my favorite month and holiday coming up, i had to share.

also, something to note. music: chase you by mike stocksdale. new find. a singer/songwriter/guitar player from santa monica. love.

happy weekend, loves {excuse all the love posts this week}. i guess it's that time of year. hugs.

hold.

i remember this very distinct hallmark card from many years ago. after lots of research, i discovered it's part of the fresh ink line. they are the uniquely round or square-shaped cards known for their short sentiments and for taking an offbeat approach to saying something real or unexpected. absolutely some of my favorite cards of all time.

this particular one i'm thinking of had two youngin's on the front in rain gear huddled together under an umbrella.

inside it read...

you hold the umbrella,
and i'll hold you.

you know what? i wish i bought it because i think of that saying all.the.time. since i can't locate it at the moment, i'm giving you the it's all happening version above... the photo that made me think of it in the first place.

during my mad search, i dug through my card collection. looks like i have just a few to send! oh, who will be my first victim?

may you have someone to hold your umbrella, dolls. xo.

mystery.

found this great quote over on my girl, tp's blog. i miss her daily posts, but relish in the sporadic ones that magically appear in my reader. it also has an incredibly similar message as this post. i love when the dots connect.

"it is a mystery why we fall in love. it is a mystery how it happens. it is a mystery when it comes. it is a mystery why some loves grow, and it is a mystery why some loves fail. you can analyze this mystery and look for reasons and causes, but you will never do any more than take the life out of the experience.

love is more than the sum of the interests and attractions and commonalities that two people share. and just as life itself is a gift that comes and goes in its time, the coming of love must be taken as an unfathomable gift that cannot be questioned in its ways.

you need to treat what love brings you with kindness. if you find yourself in love with someone who does not love you, be gentle with yourself. there is nothing wrong with you. love just didn’t choose to rest in the other person’s heart.

if you find someone else in love with you toward whom you feel no love, feel honored that love came and called at your door, but gently refuse the gift you cannot return. do not take advantage; do not cause pain. how you deal with love is how love will deal with you, and all our hearts feel the same pains and joys, even if our lives and ways are very different.

if you fall in love with another who falls in love with you, and then love chooses to leave, do not try to reclaim it or to assess blame. let it go. there is a reason and there is a meaning. you will know it in time, but time itself will choose the moment.

remember this and keep it in your heart. you don’t choose love. love chooses you. all you can really do is accept it for all its mystery when it comes into your life. feel the way it fills you to overflowing, then reach out and give it away. give it back to the person who brought it to you. give it to others who seem poor in spirit. give it to the world around you in any way you can.

love has its own time, its own season, and its own reasons for coming and going. you cannot bribe it or coerce it or reason it into staying. if it chooses to leave your heart or the heart of your lover, there is nothing you can do and nothing you should do. be glad that it came to live for a moment in your life. if you keep your heart open, it will surely come again."

-kent nerbern

*honor.

love journalist.

it was a series about couples and 'how they first got together' in the february edition of real simple magazine that truly inspired an epiphany i had this week. it happened mid-flight, somewhere over... i'd say... kansas. yes, that seems about right. i decided i wanted to write about love. and, by that i mean more so than i already do in this little space, but like for reals.

i want to write people's love stories. a love journalist, if you will.

it seems like the natural and obvious fit for me, yes? after all, my favorite question to ask people is so, how did you two meet? everybody has a story. and i want to tell yours. will you let me? oh, pretty please.

{i have the perfect guinea pig couple in mind who just might be celebrating their thirtieth wedding anniversary this year}. stay tuned!

*always.

oh, thank heaven.

...for little girls {as i believe the saying goes}.

well, this here little girl happens to be a very special one. my sweet goddaughter.

meet priscilla.

she's pretty precious, to say the least. a spit fire in her own way, who loves ballerina poses, candy, and tea parties more than anything on the planet. i can already tell she is growing up to be a sassy and confident young lady who can hold her own, and is not afraid to express her own personal style. that's what we need more of in this world, don't you think? fearless little girls.

i can't wait for the day when she can come to me with anything she needs. gina, will you help me with my homework? oh my gosh! that boy kissed me on the cheek! will you help teach me to drive?

oh yes, i can't wait to be there every step of the way. i vow to the best godmamma i can possibly be {what an underrated role it is}.

the other day i received a text message from mom:
also, went to say hi to jami and the girls and priscilla made you a necklace. amy, rich, and i got a pink piece of paper. think she likes you the best? lol

exhibit a.

the newest jewels to add to the collection. i wore it to work last week, paired with a simple white tee and a red scarf. it really tied in the colors nicely. whether or not she likes me the best, i love homemade gifts. and, for this one, i'm incredibly thankful.

sunday soup.

it's no secret i love me some soup, especially in the winter. however, i do not discriminate toward any season even if it's a scorcher outside.

last year i wrote about whipping up one of my absolute faves, and even coined a soup of my very own {it's all about getting creative, dolls! don't be shy}.

well, i happened to receive a very thoughtful and incredibly sweet gift that couldn't be more right up my alley {thank you for your uncanny kindness. seriously. from the bottom of my heart}.

a sunday soup cookbook! the opportunities are endless, and i can't wait to dive right in and experiment. it just so happens that sunday is the perfect day to whip up a delicious batch of soup and it's coincidentally the day i do all of my mixing and simmering. how positively perfect.

here's to stirring! 

yoga envy.

yup, i just used the "p" word on it's all happening. how racy of me! it's that good, though, i promise! remember when i gasped at this photo?

well, this video i'm about to show you left me jaw-dropped and wanting more...



if you are able to pull your eyes away from this perfect specimen of a yogi, you'll notice what makes this video even sexier is the certain male in bed and the stunning apartment with a view.

here's to hoping i can achieve every bit of grace, delicacy, and lightness that she has in her practice. add it to the goals, my friends. and, add it to the moments to recreate. kisses!

you are what you do not breathe out.*

it's a full moon! she exclaimed. each and every month, without fail. i knew something was up.

and then she immediately thought of the childhood rhyme from one of her very favorite chapter books.

i see the moon

the moon sees me

the moon sees the one i long to see

so god bless the moon

and god bless me

and god bless the one i long to see

surely, every full moon she gazed at that bright, glowing sphere, singing to herself, and blessing the ones she wished were closer.

{here you go... in case you want to check out our full moon calendar for twenty twelve so you don't miss them, my loves. and remember, i love you to the moon and back.}


*title of this post stolen as a direct quote from the one and only. what a perfect monday night.

nostalgia.

so, college wasn't my most faaaaavorite time of life {i know, i know what you're thinking, it's supposed to be "the best four years of your life!" but, see, i much prefer the years i'm living now}.

i'm still beyond grateful for ucsb. it's changed my life for the absolute better, and given me the most amazing friends, many of which live just blocks away. and, if not less than a mile, only a hop-skip-and-a-jump to different cities. how blessed we are.

it also turns out that santa barbara is one of the most amazing places on earth. i realize that's a powerful statement, and i really do mean it. a hidden gem - if you will - full of surfers, yogis, and young families {to name a few}.

a coworker and fellow alum sent me this beyond awesome webcam of campus point. it makes me nostalgic for the countless runs i took along the lagoon at sunset.

it's funny... we grow up and move on with our lives, but some things never change. this spot is a place for new people to discover, it's their time. i don't know about you, but i could stare at the passing runners, bikers, and surfers for hours and smile with a heart full of memories.

happy weekend!

be mindful.

sweethearts, how are your twenty twelves? i miss you.

you know, i've never been one to make resolutions (goal setting, yes). however, i suppose in two thousand nine this blog was born as a promise to write down five things a day i was thankful for. and, well, it worked.

resolution - derived from resolve - implies to convert or transform. i hope that we are always moving in the direction of becoming the best versions of ourselves. january seems to symbolize fresh starts and rebirth, so now is as good a time as any.

may we be approach this year with fluidity.

thus far, i've received some great advice. both from wise yogis, no less.

this one told me to be mindful. i love that word, don't you? let's be aware of it all.

and this one constantly reminds me that you are exactly where you should be and everything that's happened in your life has built and prepared you for this moment. this phenomenon is one of the most grounding in all the world and makes you grateful for the good and the bad because inevitably in that moment you are okay. and happy.

this year, i vow to remember these two pieces of advice. i hope you do too!

{tree me and glitter me}.