Loving this wallpaper on my phone lately. So happy!
currently on my phone
14 Tuesday May 2013
Posted in obessed
poor baby
27 Wednesday Mar 2013
Posted in about me
This week is dominated by our little “fur baby”. We just found out he has a pretty bad eye infection. The vet seemed a little nervous which makes me a tiny bit nervous but I’m trying not to think about it too much. She even gave him a shot of antibiotics directly in his eye! *shiver*
fur baby’s medication
poor baby
All he wants to do is sleep and I keep waking him up and prying open his eyes to give him his medications… poor guy. :( The good news is there seems to be some improvement already so I’m sure he’ll be fine.
Hope everyone is doing well.
Love,
Moi
life lately…
25 Monday Mar 2013
Posted in about me, milestones
The past two weeks have been pretty busy around here. Hubbie and I are apparently addicted to changing e-v-e-r-y-t-h-i-n-g!
Watching the documentary “Sound City” (really interesting by the way) I realized my Hubbie doesn’t really have a good outlet for himself right now. Music has always had a special meaning and effect on him. He used to love playing piano and was going to return to it “someday”. We even knew he was going to inherit the piano he learned to play on, but we always thought we would wait until we had a house. Finally we decided if we decluttered enough we could get rid of a bookcase and have room for the piano now. One week later it was delivered!
Yeah piano!
Little did we know getting the piano would prompt another change around our place. The low bookcase that used to be where the piano is now has been moved behind our dining table. Turns out I really like it there! We have a mix-match of furniture and the bookcase behind the table acts like a buffet which makes a lot more sense and looks half-way decent.
The only place to plug-in the table lamp was an outlet connected to the chandelier switch. Since I had installed a dimmer years ago and our table lamp is CFLs, the switch started humming. We were just going to replace the one switch but why do one when we could update them all! Yep, at about 4pm we spontaneously decided to replaced all our outlets and switches. We weren’t done until about 8pm so the last hour or so we were relying entirely on candles and flash lights. Not the smartest but it feels sooo much better! The previous owner had painted over them and they where the old rounded style outlets and traditional switches. Now they are clean, white and more modern.
oooo… ahhhh (the most exciting photo in the world)
I’m currently working the first websites I’ve been hired to do! Stay tuned for links and screenshots!
Love,
Moi
i am scared
23 Saturday Mar 2013
Posted in finding inspiration
The other night I was talking to Hubbie about all my emotions and finally heard what I needed to hear.
I am scared.
I’m scared of starting something I don’t think I’ll be able to finish. I’m scared of putting myself out there and failing. Writing it out now it sounds simple enough and should have been obvious to me before, but sometimes you just need a little outside perspective. Hearing this from my Hubbie makes it easier to pick-out the negative internal dialog and diminish it’s worth because I know those thoughts are just the fear talking. I can start fighting them now.
I made this desktop wallpaper for myself to remind me to keep going and don’t be afraid to try. I have so much support around me. I am the only one holding myself back.
Love,
Moi
noticing the details
02 Saturday Mar 2013
Posted in finding inspiration, observations
I used to think that stopping to take pictures ruins the moment, now I think quite the opposite. Being in the habit of thinking like a photographer has made me see things I never noticed before. Details and beauty, little bits of what I hope to surround myself with more in the future.
Old Orange details
This little alley in Old Orange is a perfect example. I never noticed it before. In fact, until yesterday I thought the painted sign was new. Then I saw this:
The West Wing (season 6 episode 11)
Of course the best argument is that stopping to take pictures makes those moments last forever.
Love,
Moi
looking for balance
28 Thursday Feb 2013
Posted in finding inspiration, looking into the furture
by SgtSalt, via Flickr
How do you dream of the future while still investing in the present?
Ever since we’ve been back Hubbie and I have had one foot out the door. The amount of change and growth that came out of completely uprooting our lives last year was addictive. Feeling like we’ve finally moved on to the next chapter in our lives was addictive. Getting out on our own, away from everything familiar, old routines and the confines of the expectations from those left behind was addictive.
The future we want means going against the grain. We have to carve out our own path, as everyone does, but more than that… There’s no if you do this, you get that. We have to be open to the once unthinkable, make sacrifices and each move must be made with the ultimate goal in mind.
We are so far yet so close at the same time. Maybe that’s were the problem lies. We’re close enough that its impossible to concentrate on the present. So much of the present excites me but all the while feels like a giant distraction. To me, the present and future feel completely disconnected. What I do now has very little to do with what I want to do later. So for now, we do it all. A little bit of everything. Keeping all doors open.
It’s exhausting. When will our path be lit?
Love,
Moi
PS. I’m not sure if any of this makes any sense, I just had to put it out there… record this time in our lives. How do you balance the future and present? I appreciate any comments/advice/thoughts.
new reflections
24 Sunday Feb 2013
Posted in about me, milestones, observations
zooey deschanel
A couple weeks before my birthday I started noticing something… Every once in a while I’d catch myself in the mirror and for a brief moment I saw someone different. Someone more grown-up. Someone more confident. Someone more sure of her future… Someone I’ve been waiting to see since I turned eighteen.
I feel like I’m finally becoming the person I’ve always wanted to be. That vision I had as a kid of what I’d look like and how I’d act as an adult is just now starting to match up to reality. I’m not sure if its really the changes prompted by this last summer or if I’m just starting to look older, but one thing’s for sure… I like where things are headed!
Love,
Moi
birthday extravaganza (part 3)
19 Tuesday Feb 2013
The conclusion of the Birthday celebrations…
Part Three: Monday
For my Dad’s last day it was sunny and beautiful again so I took him to two beach towns south of Orange County. The first stop was San Clemente.
This is totally my Dad’s type of town. I was hoping to browse some shops and get about half a days worth out of it, but many of the shops were closed or just not interesting enough. The main attraction is the pier.
restaurant at beginning of pier
Many of the piers in SoCal have a restaurant or shops at the end, this one doesn’t so you get an amazing view of the ocean as far as the eye can see. You’re so far away from the shore you can barely hear the waves! I could’ve stayed there for hours, it was so relaxing.
the view from the beginning of the pier
the view from the end of the pier
Since there wasn’t much to look at I decided we’d pop down to Solana Beach. Solana is more of my kind of beach town. It helps that Cedros Ave is nothing but yoga and design stores. I’d say its more San Franciscoesque than Portlandesque. ;) We didn’t stay here long so I don’t have pics but I did get to visit one of my favorite stores there, Solo. I saw this on display and thought it was very fitting for Hubbie and I right now…
So, yeah, I had a pretty good Birthday! :D
Love,
Moi
birthday extravaganza (part deux)
15 Friday Feb 2013
Posted in about me, finding inspiration, los angeles, orange county
The Birthday celebration continues…
Part Deux: Saturday & Sunday
The sun and blue skies graced us with their presence on Saturday… one day late but better late than never. I took my Dad to my favorite “Portlandesque” (my new term for anything that reminds me of Portland) spot, the OC Mart Mix at SOCO. We had breakfast at the Portola Coffee Lab, the best place to sit and sip a decadent cup of coffee. And I do mean decadent… you can actually taste the natural notes of chocolate and berries. I love the whole environment of this place. The baristas wear lab coats and they have some pretty cool, scientific looking, glass brewing methods and tools. The only downfall is their lack of seating.
After that we wondered over to a new store that just opened, Surfas Culinary District. OMG this place is dangerous! They sell supplies for professional chefs at VERY reasonable prices. From baking chocolate to serving trays, they have it all! It made for some pretty fun browsing. Hubbie would be proud, I was very good and didn’t buy anything… for now ;)
To the beach! What else are you suppose to do in SoCal on a beautiful sunny day? Hubbie and I refer to this spot as “the Jetty”.
If you’re heading down PCH and make a right at Five Crowns Restaurant then continue until you see water, you can find some free and surprisingly easy parking. Walk across the street, down the steps and enjoy the view!
Hubbie and I like this spot because you have all the benefits of being at the beach without needing to step a foot in the sand. You have that option if you like, too.
Next on the agenda was a Birthday dinner with my in-laws and my Mom. It was actually really nice and we had lots of laughs. I’m not going to lie… I was a bit worried there for a while, but it was good. My Mom gave me this card which is just adorable and perfectly suited for me this year, don’t you think?
Sunday we went to the Getty Center. For whatever reason, I woke-up grumpy on this day, but Getty had the cure. First there’s my favorite princess bed. It’s crazy over the top and the detail is just gorgeous.
But the best cure was a dose of my impressionists. You cannot stand in front of a Monet or Van Gogh and not feel transfixed. It completely altered my perspective.
Jeanne Kéfer (Belgian, 1885)
I am ashamed to admit I didn’t even know these painting were here for the longest time. Hubbie and I must’ve come five times before I made it to this section.
“Irises” by Vincent Van Gogh (1889)
My all time favorite is this Monet. They all have an affect on me, but there is something about this painting… Not to sound too cheesy but when I stand in front of this painting…
“Rouen Cathedral” by Monet (1894)
I know I’m in the presence of greatness. It instantly inspires and rejuvenates me. The picture doesn’t do it justice, none of these do.
On the way home we had a delicious seafood meal. Crab for my Birthday has become a tradition, I know, I know… I’m so spoiled! :) It was the perfect weekend. Next up, heading south…
Love,
Moi
birthday extravaganza (part 1)
13 Wednesday Feb 2013
Posted in about me, orange county
My birthday was this past week and with my Dad flying into town it quickly became a week long celebration. I took him all over Southern California and made sure to take lots of pics! Too many for one blog post so I’ve divided them into parts.
Part One: Thursday & Friday
My Dad came in from the East Coast last Thursday afternoon. It was overcast, but that wasn’t going to stop us from heading straight for the beach.
In the spirit of being a tourist in my own town, we went to Ruby’s Shake Shack off of PCH. It’s basically an outdoor Ruby’s with a killer view. I had a Tuna Melt with a Oreo Shake, one of my favorite comfort food meals, and my Dad had his classic Root Beer Float and Turkey Club.
With my Dad at The Shake Shack. I love his hat, great styling for this photo! ;)
After a meal like that you have to do some walking so we headed down PCH to Laguna Beach.
There’s this cute little alley way in Laguna Beach called Peppertree Lane. It feels like another world and the smell from the Gelato and Chocolate Shops make you swoon.
Friday was my actual Birthday. We filled up on a nice breakfast at Kimmie’s Coffee Cup (previously mentioned here), walked it off with a lap around Balboa, saw The Hobbit in IMAX (mainly because it was rainy), then finished the day with the coup de gras… dinner at my favorite restaurant, Cucina Enoteca. Burrata (the creamiest mozzarella) with roasted garlic appetizer, mushroom and pomegranate risotto and zeppole (Italian doughnut holes) for dessert… Happy Birthday to ME! :D
Coming up… the sun decides to make an appearance!
