#luudachris

meet margo and chris {oh, you've met margo before}. a couple of weeks ago they tied the knot and threw the best celebration ever in the wine country with over a hundred of their best friends {it also happened to fall on the day after i arrived home from new york, so i secretly pretended it was my very own welcome home party}.

my favorite part about weddings is that they are a true symbol of the life that the couple has created for themselves. there's nothing like having everyone you love in one place at one time showering you with all of their love and adoration and speaking the most genuine words.

i asked my margo if i could say a little something at her rehearsal dinner and, well, this is what came out...

hi everyone, i’m gina and i am lucky enough to be one of margo's 'maids and part of chris and margo's lives for the past 10 years… which, wow, makes me feel like we’re getting really old!
i became friends with margo and chris in college in santa barbara, but it was san francisco where they truly became my family.
margo and chris have this special gift where they are the core of so many great groups of true friends. it’s almost like if you know margo and chris you’re in this exclusive club of genuinely awesome people. they have this unique ability to bring good people together and make you feel like you’re apart of something really special.
i’d like to think that when we all lived in san francisco together we were like the modern day version of friends {we even had a joey!}. we’d spend lazy days on the floral couch watching tv and doing really cool things like filling up the ‘642 things to draw’ book. we’d cook sunday night dinners, make fro yo runs, and fill our weekends adventuring around the bay area generally just enjoying each other’s company and depending on one another like friends do. it was the most natural, easy, and comforting thing in the world.
and that is margo and chris for you. they remind you that the most important thing we have in life is each other.
i am so grateful to know you. when i think of what love should be like i think of you two. thank you for being such a beautiful example of what it means to marry your best friend, to grow together in love, and to create a rich, happy, fulfilling life.
i wish for all of us to have it as good as you two do.
so, with that, cheers to margo and chris! i love you guys with all my heart.

the weekend was practically perfect in every way filled to the brim with happiness and just the best friends anyone could have. i feel so lucky to be a part of such an amazing crew.

this one's for the wedding montage.

on october 12th, 2013 my bestest friend got married. and i wrote a speech. speaking in front of others isn't something that comes naturally to me... writing here feels much more comfy. but, it was an absolute thrill so i wanted to share it with you. cheers to love stories!

***

hi, everyone. for those of you i don't know, i'm gina, one of alexis's maids of honors and very best friends. i'm so excited to be up here tonight because i've pretty much been looking forward to this moment since the very first day i met alexis. so, please know it is an absolute gift to be standing here.

i do actually remember the first day i met her {if you don't count the time we serendipitously attended the same info session at usd in the spring of 2003}. it was in the common area of our freshman year dorm at ucsb before school started. she was in a gray sweatshirt, maroon juicy sweatpants, and rocking a bun on top of her head. high school ladies, i'm sure you know the exact look i'm talking about here. it was the freshman year uniform.

and i, ironically enough {while i have no idea what i was wearing} was walking into the dorm with a friend of hers. it was he who initially introduced us, and while i hesitate to give him any credit since we learned shortly thereafter that we were to live directly across the hall from each other, it was this torrey pines mutual friend who bridged that first gap, and i will forever be grateful for that rare moment.

alexis was the first real best friend i ever had. she taught me what it meant to have a supportive, compassionate, trustworthy, loyal, and true person by my side. we were in a scary and unsure phase of life, going off to college... both the oldest of two siblings leaving our families for the first time, both timid to be in a new place... one that consistently made the list of top 10 party schools in the nation, and both very much connected to people and aspects of our home.

i think, looking back on it all, that god sent me alexis as a guardian angel. the closest thing to a sister, aside from my own, that i'd ever have.

in prepping for my speech tonight, i re-lived some of our college days by going back through every facebook message we had ever sent to each other. i don't know if any of you guys have ever done this, but you should because it is a real treat! anyhow, it turns out that i had been writing this speech all along...

the message string began with a message from me on september 16, 2004, which would have been fall of our sophomore year of college, the first of our 3 years living together as roommates.

the subject line read: theta.

the message: theta love!

from there begins an epic coming of age story of two girls navigating college and then transitioning to the real world. the stress, the angst, the insecurity, but also the pep talks, the silliness, and the inspiration that exist in this chain are a true symbol of two friends being there for each other every step of the way in such unchartered territory.

the facebook messages even revealed to me the first time i met brian. it was february 16th, 2008. a saturday. right after they became official. we were at robby and elizabeth’s in la jolla and did a quick stop-in to meet brian before heading to see our favorite tristan prettyman in la. what i remember most about that first encounter was just how clear it was that brian knew he was meeting someone important. and i don't mean that in a self-boasting kind of way, i mean it genuinely, in a this-is-the-real-deal kind of way. my second time hanging out with brian was the day after. it was a night spent sitting at his kitchen table - with james - in fits of laughter about gosh knows what now, but i remember laughing so hard it hurt and many an inside joke were born. the thing was, it all came so easily. the comfort was there from the beginning.

one of the biggest gems i discovered in this facebook correspondence came from a message sent on november 14th, 2007.

me to alexis: 

i can't believe you are like going to get a boyfriend... what? where did he come from?

and alexis in response: 

i'm not getting a boyfriend, gean. it was one movie, one kiss, and two tattoos.

well, friend, i guess you were wrong about that one.

i once emailed brian in the winter of 2009 when i knew alexis was going through a bit of a rough patch. since i couldn't help solve the problem with a therapy walk to sands like we'd done countless times before in college, i reached out to him as he was the person who was her greatest source of love.

in more words than this, i wrote:

i know you are, but please take care of my little alexis. you are such a positive influence in her life... one of her role models and inspirations and sources of love. i'm so glad she has you.

and in brian's response he said:

i will do everything in my power to help her regain that spirit and that spark. gina, i promise i will take care of alexis. i love her too.

bri, you've always been a keeper. always. you let me sit in the front seat and you in the back when alexis drives. you let me have the bed while you sleep on the floor. you get on the phone too when I call for advice and weigh in with your own. you let alexis and i name your tattoo mitchy without even getting mad about it. but, most importantly, you love my best friend the way she deserves to be loved, and for that i will be eternally grateful.

alexis, i remember when we were in hawaii with my family in the summer of 2006 snapping photos on the beach. after one in particular you said to me this one's for the wedding montage. for some reason, that always stuck with me. like we were in this together. like we'd be looking out for each other on this road to falling in love and getting married. so, here we are on your wedding day, and in this moment i could not be happier for you.

i'll end with a quote that i once wrote to you, soulmates are people who bring out the best in you. they are not perfect, but they are always perfect for you.

so here's to brian and alexis, the kind of soulmates who will always bring out the best in the other. and, here's to a lifetime of being perfect for each other.

i love you both!

***

ps. for more on the characters in this tale see here and here. 

incandescently happy.

one of my very favorite movies of all time is pride & prejudice and i am thankful that this christmas eve it was the movie of choice. i could watch it over and over and catch a new line that's so easily missed in those old english accents. the humor is subtle yet witty, and i don't want to miss a beat. i find myself paying extra close attention, completely fascinated with the beauty of proper english and can't help but think how we've debauched it.

there are several moments in this movie that i think to be the greatest of all time. one is when mr. darcy's hand trembles after he helps elizabeth into the carriage. another is when they meet in the field and finally the moment she admits to her father that she is in love with him. i am a sucker for raw, vulnerable true love accompanied with big words.

i think my favorite scene of all time is the dialogue at the end when mr. darcy and elizabeth are finally married.

mr. darcy: how are you this evening, my dear?
elizabeth bennet: very well. only i wish you would not call me "my dear".
mr. d: why?
e.b.: because it's what my father always called my mother when he's cross about something.
mr. d: what endearments am i allowed?
e.b.: well let me think…"lizzy" for everyday, "my pearl" for sundays, and…"goddess divine", but only on very special occasions.
mr. d: {chuckles} and...what should i call you when i'm cross? "mrs. darcy"?
e.b.: {smiling} no! no. you may only call me "mrs. darcy"... when you are completely, perfectly, and incandescently happy.
mr. d: {chuckles} how are you this evening... mrs. darcy? {kisses her forehead}
mr. d: mrs. darcy {kisses her left cheek}
mr. d: mrs. darcy {kisses her nose}
mr. d: mrs. darcy {kisses her right cheek}
mr. d: mrs. darcy {they kiss}

swoon! we all know i go weak in the knees for terms of endearment. if you want to watch the end scene for yourself and fall in love a little bit, you can check it out here. may we all find the love we are looking for, and may it is inspired by an old-fashioned, classic romance.

love.

i've been eyeing this ring for months upon months... maybe even years! and then one afternoon i caved and hit purchase. just like that! i guess it was time. my rational, level-headed self ever so politely stepped aside, and the one that sometimes unnecessarily treats herself hopped in the drivers seat and, well, that was that.

after a phone call to my favorite italian gentleman at phoenix roze for re-sizing {ugh i do not appreciate my ring size!}, a credit card swipe, and confusion over a proof of signature slip from the lovely usps... it's here!

i am oh so grateful i even have the opportunity to splurge. every once in a while, right!? i am absolutely swooning over the delicate gold cursive. worth every penny in my opinion. and, lovelies, us girls need to make our own rules. every time i look down i'm reminded to exude love, choose love, and create infinite space for love.

love letters.

i finally have a moment to catch up on one of my greatest passions in life... blog reading. oh does it feel nice to stop and check in on my favorite blogger talents!

i came across a sweet animated video on this happiness blog that left me all warm and fuzzy inside.  

 

it initially made me think of when harry met sally when the older couples share their love stories. my love journalist ways had me all teary-eyed {because it actually is quite sad} and thinking about the importance of writing love letters to the one you choose to be your forever. with all of the weddings i've attended and been reading about lately, i realized that my favorite part is the actual words that are spoken. the vows. the speeches. words are forever. so let them be clear, authentic, and from the heart.

this video is a reminder to never forget the power in the small gesture of writing a love note.

my favorite quote is said by danny, being married is like having a colored television set. you never want to go back to black and white.

may you find your colored tv's, my loves, because you deserve more than just black & white.

only love.

i've been out of touch, my loves. and, i attribute that mostly to not being in a normal routine. instead, there's been lots of movement and quality time and well... just summer. there's more than enough goodness to write about, with so little free time to write it.

it makes me think about the ebb and flow of life. the phases, the busy-ness, the downtime. they all balance each other out. we must take care of ourselves along the way.

as of late, i've learned that tea can sometimes be the best medicine. i've drank more hot tea in the past two weeks than i have in my whole life. and i feel comforted by the warmth. things are a-shiftin' and i feel so blessed to be riding this wave of self-discovery.

i'm overwhelmed with a sense of fullness - much like a warm cup of tea - which best describes this uncharted territory. one sip of this higher-level of understanding and i'm pleased to my core, my heart expanding to fit only love. there is only space for love.

*i knew i pinned this weeks ago with a post in mind.

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.

good people find eachother.

i have some rather exciting news to report, my dears. my bestest is engaged! like for reals! this is like a sister getting married!

i am over the moon excited and happy and emotional and nostalgic. {it's funny how an engagement can make you stop for a moment and really reflect. i love that.} weren't we just seventeen and i met you for the first time in the downstairs of our freshman year dorms to later find out that we were living across the hall from each other? i swear that was just yesterday. it was only the beginning of a lifetime of memories we were about to create.

almost eleven years of friendship. it's moments like this when you think, my oh my, time is precious. and, i'm just so grateful for life and for the amazing relationships we cultivate in it.

that's part of why we're here, yes?  for the relationships. i think that's why i look up to love so much. falling in love. being in love. finding the one to love. because it's such a huge part of our happiness while we're here on earth.

well, i couldn't be happier that you found your one. truly, madly, deeply... i want those i love, to find the one they love. someone who is worthy, who loves them back unconditionally.

enter brian.

when i first met him, he knew i was important. and i don't mean that in a self-promoting kind of way. i mean it genuinely, just as i knew he was equally as important.

in my life, there are a handful of relationships i admire. i think to myself, i want something like that. i chalk it up to healthy envy and optimism and an inner knowing that the best is yet to come. thank you for being role models. it's so comforting to know that you've found each other. 

i read something the other day that i can't stop thinking about. when you're good at your core - really, truly, honestly good - love comes easy.

i believe that to be the truth for you two. 

you know what else they say, good people find each other. i am so thankful for the good people in my life. selfishly, i can't wait to help you plan your special day. and to have you both as best friends forever and ever. i daydream about future days when our three becomes a four.

big hugs from sf to sd.

it's only love that gets you through.

i'm on a music kick. can you tell?

maybe if you saw my new favorite ipad app, you already know this. yes, that's vevo. endless music videos which equals hours upon hours of new discoveries in one sitting.

so, my latest obsession...

i don't know why i don't listen to more sade. her voice is lightness. heaven. air. tenderness. delicacy. peace. all wrapped in a pretty bow.



when this song plays it's as if everything is right in the world. it's been on repeat the entire evening, but of course was first heard in shavasana. we're on play number twenty, at least.

it's about a girl who wasn't afraid to love and unfortunately got her heart broken. but, she didn't let it ruin her. she knows that love conquers all. because...

it's only love, it's only love
that gets you through

slow dance.

i know! i know! what you're thinking. another song, really?

oh, but this one... this one will get you at your core. it'll make you want to close your eyes and slow dance forever and ever with the one you heart the most. you'll want it to be late one night, after a bottle of wine, circling the living room. just the two of you. hand in hand. chest to chest. cheek to ear.

this song will make you want to be in that very moment when you realize that just maybe - just maybe - you don't need anyone else in the whole wide world to make you as happy as this person does.

this is it you think to yourself. the one i could play and adventure with for the rest of eternity. be my partner in crime, won't you?

i surrender myself to your presence and peace of mind.

heard in shavasana on this fine eve.

happy love day.

happy love day, my sweetnesses.

be mine, oh will you please? {there's something about belonging to someone that i adore}.

hug a little longer today. you deserve it. kisses!

be mine.

it's pretty apparent that valentine's day is my favorite holiday. any excuse to celebrate love, right?

i'm not entirely sure how i developed this notable obsession seeing as though i've never had an exclusive be-mine-because-you're-already-mine-valentine-kind-of-thing. maybe it's the hoping that gets me.

i also enjoy the deeper meaning behind what could just be another ordinary day in february. instead, it serves as an annual reminder to make us think for an extra second about our favorites that we love so much.

so, most appropriately {starting last year}, i decided to host an annual valentine's day soirée.

the first year upon entering my home sweet home, guests had to fill out a card which was then attached to a hanging heart. it read, i love you more than _______. inspiration from a website i was once entranced by, and also this tote bag.

i got some fun "_______ 's" that were left hanging long after the fourteenth. 

this year's more intimate gathering didn't include a special craft, just an impromptu game that always spices up the evening with some extra laughter. i had to document the scene because it's one of my favorite in all the world.

 

it may not look special, but i feel so lucky to have so many of my bests gathered around my "living room." how blessed i am to have them all as sweet valentines. 

extra hugs and kisses to you this week!

xoxo.

it's my favorite month, dolls! and guess who started to decorate? i have a thing for garlands. so thankful for papersource around special holidays.

love me some x's and o's. two of the best letters in the alphabet {when paired together, of course}.

we go together like an x and an o.

a very special shout out to my one and only sissy pie as she turns lucky number twenty three today. oh those early twenties... such a time of growth and learning and figuring out who you are. i couldn't be more proud of the young woman you are becoming. 

hugs and kisses!

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.

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.

gentleman.

he walks on the outside, closest to the street. always, no matter what.

they'd be en route to anywhere, really. saturday morning coffee. dinner reservations. or just a sunday stroll, and he'd be there without thinking twice. sometimes he'd carefully take her hand and, never skipping a beat, gracefully glide her to the inside where he could protect her. you know, just. in. case. in case something scary happened in the middle of that road.

it was what she loved most about him. his need to protect her. and, his good 'ol fashion manners.

he was a gentleman in every sense of the word. doors, they were his specialty. ladies first he'd silently whisper.

this all came effortlessly to him as if it was in his genetic makeup. he must have read the handbook, she thought to herself. or maybe it was that angel of a mother, caring father, or sisters three. {because somewhere behind every polite man is a good woman, yes?}

or maybe, he just really loved her.

*love this photo.

good people find each other.

we drove home from a quick, delicious sushi dinner at one of our all time favorite spots. we hadn't gone out in a quite some time. just him and i. father, daughter {he says he's never wanted a son, but i can't help but not believe that}.

i was trying to articulate this quote i heard that i just can't stop daydreaming about. it also fascinates me to imagine what my dad may have been like in his twenties.

you were never a jerk, were you dad? i asked.
well, no.
why do you think you weren't?
and he answered: that's just not how i was raised.

then it hit me.

my dad is the one of the most genuine and kind souls you'll ever meet. at least to his daughters two and wifey one. he'd do anything for us. anything to know that we are content. he aims to please his girlies three.

they say daughters look for a man exactly like their daddies. only the lucky ones, i guess.

well, lucky me.

as we were just about home i said, it's tough out there, dad.
i know it is, hunny. you've got to go through the bad to find the good.

and, just like that, i got it.

good people find each other. i need not worry because i will find someone with the same honorable qualities that he has. because i come from such an upstanding father, my standards are high and they will be met.

it was your birthday this past weekend. happy birthday. i believe with my whole heart, you're the best dad out there.

{i think we should live by this and this}.

love chooses us.

what would you say to the twenty six year old girl who's never been in love? in deep, real, all-consuming, healthy love.

would you tell her to open her heart and make a little room for someone else?

i would.

but, see, this girl, she peels her heart open each and every day. one back bend... one smile... one hug at a time.

i have faith in her, though, i really do.

i'd also tell her to read this ny times article all the way through to the end for a modern take on big, epic, fairy-tale love story.

and to remember, love chooses us.

{you're my happy place: here and here. article spotted on a cup of jo}.

someday i'll be a duet.

wanna know a secret?

{since, well, this blog is all about secret confessions, isn't it?}

sometimes when i'm feeling a little off or hopeless or a teeny tiny bit glass-half-empty-ish, i look over here, here, here, and never forget here.

life is instantly re-filled with joy and my belief in falling in love is reinstated. 

then i listen to this duet by rachael yamagata and ray la montage and i start to feel love sneak back in.



give it a listen.

it'll melt over every cell of your being.

*let's fly. because if you're a bird, i'm a bird.