Everyday Adventures Of A Curious Gal

that was a quick year!

2012-02-15T09:06:00.000-08:00

Yep, today is my great nephew, Mason's

1st birthday - how the time has flown by!

He is quite the character and such a

happy happy baby! Look at that toothy grin!

Steff and I are heading north this weekend to

party with Mason and the family in celebration

of the big 1! We are also celebrating Mason's

great grandpa's 100th birthday too - fun times!

Happy Birthday, Mason!

We love you lots!

xxoo

love.this.quote....

2012-02-14T00:00:00.000-08:00


i carry your heart with me (i carry it in
my heart) i am never without it (anywhere
i go you go, my dear; and whatever is done
by only me is your doing, my darling)
                                  i fear
no fate (for you are my fate, my sweet) i want
no world (for beautiful you are my world, my true)
and it's you are whatever a moon has always meant
and whatever a sun will always sing is you

here is the deepest secret nobody knows
(here is the root of the root and the bud of the bud
and the sky of the sky of a tree called life; which grows
higher than the soul can hope or mind can hide)
and this is the wonder that's keeping the stars apart

i carry your heart (i carry it in my heart)



~e.e. cummings~




Happy Valentines Day, my lovely friends!
xxoo








(photo via here)

the greatest love of all...

2012-02-12T19:26:00.000-08:00

"I've found the greatest love of all inside of me"

Words can't express the sadness that I felt upon hearing the news of the passing of Whitney Houston. I really was not too surprised as her struggles were pretty well known over the years, but you hope and pray that for anyone going thru any type of addiction, that they are able to overcome it. She truly had one of the most beautiful voices that I have ever heard and this song and it's message has always touched my heart. Hug your loved ones and don't take one moment for granted. Rest in peace, Whitney!

xxoo

love.this.quote....

2012-02-07T23:26:00.000-08:00

"If I could reach up and hold a star for every

time you've made me smile, the entire evening sky

would be in the palm of my hand"

xxoo

(photo via here)

Eight Things - Week # 1

2012-02-06T00:00:00.000-08:00

Each Monday, I am going to feature Eight

Things that I have enjoyed around the blogosphere

during the week and my hope is that you will too!

Rachel Ashwell's inspirational post about "Enjoying Our Dreams".

Ciao Christy's "Under the Tuscan Sun Salutations" reduces stress.

"Word Up" by Lisa at A Bloomsbury Life will make you smile.

Christina at Soul Aperture's "Twenty Four" love story will make

your heart swell and possibly shed a tear or two. Very sweet!

Latte Lisa has quite a few fabulous recipes and this Apple and Chocolate Muffin sounds so delicious to me! P.S. Steff and I made

a veggie chili from her food blog Kitchen and Aroma - yummy!

My French County Home has a tale of the perils of living in a small French village called Crisis in the Chicken Coup.

The always humourous Jenny Mac from Let's Have a Cocktail gives us tips on "How to be a good air traveler" - very funny!

Zen Habits motivational tips "The habits that crush us"

If you have any interesting blog posts that you'd like to pass on, definitely drop me a line at cathinunn@gmail.com

Happy Monday!

xxoo

(photo via here)

It's World Nutella Day....

2012-02-05T09:26:00.000-08:00

It's not just Super Bowl Sunday - which I usually just watch for the commercials, but it is also the delicious World Nutella Day.

This tasty treat above is on my wish list today! For more recipes check out the World Nutella Day website.

Happy Sunday!

xxoo

(photo & recipe via here)

up on the roof....

2012-01-31T20:39:00.000-08:00

Now that is what I call a view

What a cozy place to sit with

your thoughts or a good book

Take a little stroll

A beautiful pocket-like park all on the roof

I could while away quite a few hours here

Alfresco dining anyone?

Putter around the garden and potting area

Such beauty for a quiet meditation

To be amazed at more beautiful gardens, check out:

Rooftop Gardens: The Terraces, Conservatories,
and Balconies of New York

Which one is your fave?

xxoo

(photos via here)

love.this.quote...

2012-01-30T22:36:00.000-08:00

Peace is every step.

The shining red sun is my heart.

Each flower smiles with me.

How green, how fresh all that grows.

How cool the wind blows.

Peace is every step.

It turns the endless path to joy.

~Thich Nhat Hanh~
xxoo
(photo via here)

travel on my mind....

2012-01-28T09:31:00.000-08:00

This sums up the way I feel about travel!

Happy Saturday, friends!

xxoo

(photos via here)

cheers to the weekend....

2012-01-27T10:57:00.000-08:00

My juice detox lasted 5 days. While I was hoping to go for the full 7 days, my other half arranged a business dinner with clients and I felt it best if I ate something - though it was light fare. I learned alot from this experience, and I am still drinking the juice twice daily with a yummy late night hot cinnamon freshly juiced apple drink that is divine! I found that I am not missing my coffee at all and am really thinking about what I am putting in my mouth, so it was a fabulous learning tool!

Last night, Sally and I went to a play at Pepperdine University called Forbidden Broadway, a satirical look at Broadway shows and so so wonderfully funny - the actors were WONDERFUL and their voices were OUTSTANDING! We shared a nice VERY HEALTHY pre theater dinner at a quaint Italian restaurant in Malibu and had some nice girlfriend catch up time together!

Tomorrow I am off to see my elderly friends and discuss life, movies and the goings on around the assisted living home - so looking forward to it!

Our weather this week has been very strange from very very windy and cold earlier in the week, to summer like weather yesterday and today a mix of wind and sun, but the best part of this week is IT'S FRIDAY!!! YIPPEE!

Thank you for your kind comments, you are appreciated very much!

xxoo

this life....

2012-01-26T10:16:00.000-08:00

“This life is yours. Take the power to choose what you want to do and do it well. Take the power to love what you want in life and love it honestly.

Take the power to walk in the forest and be a part of nature.

Take the power to control your own life.

No one else can do it for you.

Take the power to make your life happy.”

I came across this quote last night from Susan Polis Schutz, the founder of Blue Mountain Arts. It brought back such warm memories, as I spent many an hour perusing her cards and poetry books in small boutiques in the late 70's - The Cooper House in Santa Cruz, California being one of my fave places to shop (sadly it was destroyed in the 1989 earthquake). She has such a way with words, so lovely. Well, she is now an independent filmmaker aside from her writings and here is a fabulous article about her life these days! Truly inspiring!

xxoo

(photos via here)

the best things....

2012-01-23T23:53:00.000-08:00

I spotted Dana Tanamachi, a chalk artist on a blog last week and was instantly smitten with her work. Who knew there was more to chalk art than on a sidewalk? She has definitely taken this to a wonderful & fun level. Imagine my surprise when at the grocery store a few days later,I came across Oprah's magazine and I was drawn to the art on the cover and voila, it was Dana Tanamachi! If you haven't already check out her work on her website - it's fabulous! There is something about colorful chalk that makes me smile, it reminds me of my chalk artist days drawing flowers, and stick people and the famous hopscotch squares on the sidewalk!

(photos via here)

cha, cha, changes....

2012-01-23T10:16:00.000-08:00

(photo via here, thanks Lori!)

This photo reminded me of my Sunday School classes at church when we'd sing this song - "if you're happy and you know it, then your face will surely show it, if you're happy and you know it clap your hands" That was always a fun song to sing. Fun memories!

This new year, 2012 - I am concentrating on focus and simplicity.

I am the world's biggest procrastinator, so I really want to focus more this year on everything in my life and simplify. Which gets me to my "new look" here - I am looking for calm in my life and this says calm, focus and simplicity to me - don't ya think? I would like to thank Caroline from Constantly Evolving for helping me to come up with an idea and implementing it - she was wonderful to work with and I truly appreciate all of her help! The beautiful photos on my header are all hers, I love them!

I am on Day 3 of Detox and I'm not gonna lie, I had a big headache and a quesy tummy - but I am pretty sure I am supposed

to be feeling that. Today I feel much better. What I have learned from this so far about myself is: it's not so much that I am hungry, as I'm not - I am getting plenty of nourishment with all of the juices, it's more a mental need to put something in my mouth and chew it. Even though it's only been a few days, it's been very eye opening to me!

This week, my girlfriend and I are going to see a fun show at Pepperdine University in Malibu, which overlooks the ocean - so beautiful! It's called Forbidden Broadway and I am truly looking forward to it! Sally and I usually go to a play once a month, but it's been probably 3 since we went. This is much needed!

I am enjoying a bit of rain we are having today - it feels so refreshing! I get to wear my boots and scarves finally!

Have a beautiful week!

xxoo

simplicity...

2012-01-21T21:15:00.000-08:00

xxoo

(via here)

cheers to the weekend....

2012-01-20T09:28:00.000-08:00

Starting tomorrow I am off on a new adventure,that of a juice detox one. Inspired by my friend Simone and my daughter Steff - I will be juicing for a week's time. I am actually looking forward to it. Steff will be my supervisor looking after me and making sure I am doing everything properly. She is becoming quite the expert in all things healthy. I predict a holistic nutritionist in my family in the next few years. Many thanks to Simone for her help in getting a fabulous list together for me to start with!

I also am heading off to my assisted living homes to chat with my elderly friends and show them all of the new & old movies that I have brought for them. I truly enjoy visiting them as you well know - they are fun, feisty and tell the best stories!

I will also be doing my monthly girly pampering, I love it and truly look forward to it!

I am also hoping to take some nice long walks this weekend and work on a few neglected projects .

Whatever you are doing this weekend - make sure it includes alot of laughing! Be kind to everyone!

xxoo

(photo via here)

lucky girl....

2012-01-19T09:53:00.000-08:00

Imagine my surprise a few weeks ago when I received a sweet email from Lynn at Paris Hotel Boutique Journal informing me that I was the winner in the book giveaway she was having! I have been reading Lynn's blog for at least 3 years now, I found her when I was looking for a silver creamer from a historic San Francisco hotel and I have been hooked on her blog ever since!

The book is called Hers: Design with a Feminine Touch by Jacqueline DeMontravel, the editorial director of Romantic Homes, Victorian Homes and Cottage & Bungalows Magazines.

I received it just a few short days later and it has been by my side ever since. If there is one thing you don't know about me, I love my coffee table books especially home interiors. Years ago I worked at Barnes and Noble bookstore and let's just say my paycheck never quite made it out the door, it was spent all on books...haha...

If you get a chance, check out this book - every page is absolutely gorgeous!

Merci, Lynn - what a wonderful gift to start off the new year with! Check out Lynn's blog today - she has some delicious Tiffany mini cakes and other eye candy from Tiffany's too!

Make today the best day ever!

xxoo

(photos via lynn's place)

love.this.quote....

2012-01-16T00:05:00.000-08:00

"In every community there is work to be done.

In every nation there are wounds to heal.

In every heart there is the power to do it."

xxoo

(photo via here)

simple pleasures....

2012-01-12T10:07:00.000-08:00

Wishing you a day of simple pleasures!

Enjoy each moment, my friends!

xxoo

(photos via here)

feeling cozy....

2012-01-10T21:17:00.000-08:00

This is one of those weeks where I just want

to curl up with a good book, a coffee, chocolate

and a warm blanket and relax. Despite the pretty

nice weather we have been having, that nasty cold

bug has invaded our home, so a bit of rest and

relaxation is definitely the best tonic this week.

Have a peaceful day!

xxoo

my goal for 2012....

2012-01-08T19:27:00.000-08:00

What are yours?

xxoo

(photo via here)

all aboard!

2012-01-05T10:25:00.000-08:00

This is what I call traveling in style! Wouldn't it be wonderful to take a nice long train trip and be able to relax like this! This definitely makes my top ten list of things to do!

Make the most of today!

xxoo

(photo via here)

park here: cool concept

2012-01-04T00:00:00.000-08:00

Park Here is Openhouse Gallery's answer to the extreme weather conditions in New York City. It is a pop up indoor park in Nolita made to look, feel and sound like the outdoors. It is open from early December - mid February. What a fabulous idea!

It has plush grass, beautiful plants, picnic blankets, beanbag chairs

and hammocks. Free wifi and mornings reserved just for moms

and kids from 9-11:30. The park is open to the public from12:00-

8pm. Food vendors and coffee are not in short supply there either!

If I lived in NYC, you can bet your bottom dollar that

I would be high tailing it over there to check it out -

I love my parks! And they even have concerts there!

I love this poster!

Have a beautiful day!

xxoo

love.this.quote....

2012-01-01T22:32:00.000-08:00

"What we are today comes from our thoughts

of yesterday, and our present thoughts build

our life of tomorrow: Our life is the

creation of our mind". ~Buddha~

2012 - let's go!

xxoo

(photo via here)

cheers to the new year....

2011-12-30T10:12:00.000-08:00

I have to admit that 2011 was a pretty fabulous year

in my family. We had two beautiful new babies that

are growing up so fast, it's amazing to see!

Alex and I have visited some pretty amazing places and met

alot of very cool people that make us smile to this day

I have had alot of good times with my girlfriends this year and

have been to visit my family about 10 times (I usually only

see them about once or twice a year), so it's been pretty nice!

I have a new project in the works which I am super excited

about, that I will share within this next month

I have "met" the most awesome friends thru this blog and for that

I am so very thankful - who would have thought that starting a small

blog to get some relief for alot of grief that I was dealing with would

change my life, but truly it has and I am so very thankful!

Here's to 2012, this is our year

Let it be amazing!

xxoo

(photo via here)

it's that time....

2011-12-22T00:35:00.000-08:00

And I do believe that I am ready, set to go....yippee! We have
a few more Christmas parties to attend, then on Christmas morning
we're driving up to No Cal to spend the holiday with my family -
I can't wait to see everyone - especially the little wee babies!
So here is wishing you a very Merry Christmas from my house to
yours - if you are traveling as we are may your travels be safe. Enjoy
every moment with your loved ones - eat, drink (responsibly), laugh,
cry, laugh some more, sing, dance and repeat several times. As
one my fave saying goes " Live like you mean it, baby"

xxoo

(photos via here)

cool vintage trailer art....

2011-12-21T12:00:00.000-08:00

In my quest, to enjoy this week and not rush around - I was relaxing at home and cruising around the internet this evening and found this really cool vintage trailer art. It makes me want to curl up in a warm blanket with some hot apple cider and sing Christmas songs. If you have a spare moment sometime, check out the rest of the art on the Vintage Travel Trailer Art website - it's really cool!

Have an awesome day!
xxoo

a little smile for you....

2011-12-19T17:08:00.001-08:00

cheers to the weekend..

2011-12-16T10:18:00.000-08:00

The holiday parties have begun and the shopping is

pretty much done. I have had such a stress free holiday

season and it has felt wonderful. I am enjoying it, just

not buying into all the hustle and bustle. Moving slow and

enjoying each moment. This weekend - I have a bit of pampering

(after all a girl needs her hair to look nice and shiny for the holidays),

visiting with my elderly friends (which is always a treat for me) and

going to a holiday concert in Santa Monica with two of my very close

friends that I don't see often enough. Other than that, I want to get some exercise in, watch a few more Christmas movies and listen to my wonderul holiday music...love.love.love. Pumpkin bread and hot apple cider are on my mind today...yum! Have a fabulously fun weekend!

Enjoy, enjoy, enjoy

Smile at strangers

Be kind to everyone

xxoo

(photo via here)

a resting place....

2011-12-15T15:00:00.000-08:00

The perfect place to relax for a bit and watch the world go by.

Make sure in these last few days before Christmas, that you put

a few quiet moments like this into your life - it's an absolute necessity!

Enjoy!

xxoo

(photo via here)

christmas lights in florence, italy..

2011-12-14T00:29:00.000-08:00

Come join me and take a magical stroll

thru the streets of Florence

These lights have actual live olive trees - aren't they fabulous!

The Ponte Vecchio

Did you enjoy your the Firenze Light Festival?

Now this is the way to end an evening stroll
with a nice thick and rich cioccolata calda

Keep smiling!
xxoo

(photo via here)

quebec city at christmas time....

2011-12-11T21:28:00.000-08:00

Quebec City has long been on my list of places to visit. It looks like such a charming and wonderful city and the romantic in me would love to bundle up and stroll down the small streets

with my guy. Of course we'd have to make several stops to warm up - perhaps some hot apple cider and a crepe or two. Truth be told, in reality this California girl would probably be better off visiting there in the summertime as I haven't really been in super cold weather very much, but it's definitely fun to dream about and if I had a chance to go there during the holidays, I'd take it!

Have a dreamy day, everyone!

xxoo

cheers to the weekend....

2011-12-09T09:20:00.000-08:00

My weekend to do list:

I am way behind on watching Christmas movies

galore, so I need to remedy that this weekend

We are getting our tree and putting it up tomorrow

and putting the finishing touches on the Christmas

shopping (hopefully). All in all a pretty stress free weekend.

If you'd like to be a part of a wonderful project head on over

to my friend Simone's blog The Bottom of the Ironing Basket

and join her in some holiday cheer by helping to raise money

for Jaaja Barb's Home of Angel's. Barb is truly an inspiring lady,

and has done amazing work for the children. She started fundraising

by baking banana bread and has come so far. Please take a moment

to read all about her amazing journey!

Have a fabulous weekend!

xxoo

(photo via here)

my kind of "hot" chocolate....

2011-12-07T21:12:00.000-08:00

“There is nothing better than a friend,

unless it is a friend with chocolate.”

Check out this recipe for this yummy treat

at A Taste of Koko - you will love it!

xxoo

counting blessings....

2011-12-07T09:01:00.000-08:00

Last week here in LA we experienced some very strong winds, it

was kinda crazy as we don't usually get that kind of weather. This

is a photo of my friend Katie's driveway. A city tree came crashing

down on not one but all three of their cars - Katie's, her husbands

and her daughters 5 day old car. Thankfully, no one was hurt and

blessings are being counted all around, as this happened to quite

a few people. The scary part was her daughter was in that car

getting home from work 15 minutes earlier. Her car was totaled,

Katie and her husbands car's had minimal damage and that tree

house in the background (aka her hubby's man-cave) well that is

built so well that it will withstand a very large earthquake (not

that we're waiting for one or anything!) I for one count my blessings

every single day, as life is short and can change at a moments notice!

Happy Wednesday!

xxoo

my dream holiday destination...

2011-12-04T21:40:00.000-08:00

I've often dreamt of spending the Christmas holidays

in another country and experiencing the different traditions

wouldn't that be fun?

I wish I could take my whole family

to Paris for the holidays

to wander the streets

check out the markets

stop in to the Notre Dame to see it in all of it's glory

and to look at all the gorgeous lights

snow would definitely be a bonus

such beautiful colors

Magical indeed!

And of course, we'd need to stop in for desserts - in my

family desserts are one of the main food groups...not kidding!

a cappuccino or a chocolat chaud

would fit the bill perfectly - yum!

If only.....

I had a nice semi busy weekend,

visiting my senior friends,

shopping and more shopping,

watching movies,

listening to Christmas music,

puttering around the house

and just enjoying being.

I hope you did too!

Cheers to a fabulous week for us all!
Smile and be kind to everyone you meet!
xxoo

(photos via here)

love.this.quote...

2011-11-30T19:34:00.000-08:00

“Christmas gift suggestions:

To your enemy, forgiveness.

To an opponent, tolerance.

To a friend, your heart.

To a customer, service.

To all, charity.

To every child, a good example.

To yourself, respect.”

As we approach the holiday season, this is a wonderful reminder to us all to remember the true gifts of the Christmas season.

xxoo

it's beginning to look alot like....

2011-11-27T21:16:00.000-08:00

I hope everyone had a fabulous Thanksgiving. Ours was very nice and delicious with great company, but boy oh boy was I tired afterwards. I just knew I would sleep well that night and did I ever! Being the insomniac that I am it was so needed.

I skipped the whole Black Friday shopping thing - instead I opted for a 15 minute drive out to a suburb, I am not super familiar with and walked around a lake, stopped in at a bookstore/cafe, had a fab cinnamon scone and cappuccino while sitting next to a window facing a gorgeous water fountain and doing some people watching and enjoying the Christmas decorations. Love.love.love.

In my car, I have two Christmas CD's that I used to always start playing in October - much to the embarassment of my then high school daughter, as I had all of her friends in the car.....I sure miss those times! But I so enjoy singing along to these songs while driving in the car!

My guy was out of town yesterday and today, so I puttered around the house doing a bit of holiday decorating, I plan to be very low key this year in that department - simple is perfection for me. I enjoyed perusing Vicki Archer's French Essence and My French Life book's, watched a few movies, rearranged some pictures in my living room and kitchen and just enjoyed a low key, relaxing weekend while sipping on my baileys and coffee - yum!

Here's hoping this week bring lots of

good health, happiness and joy to us all!

xxoo

Psst: Check out Simone's blog The Bottom of the Ironing Basket's wellness and wellbeing posts for the month of November. Loads of great ideas and inspiration. I sent her some of my favorite quotes on this very subject. Thanks Simone!

(photo via here)

thankful.....

2011-11-23T09:55:00.000-08:00

I am thankful for:

good health (there is nothing better)

my family & friends

people smiling, especially

my kids smiles

laughter

the roof over my head

and the food on our table

the sun beating down on me

the blue skies

my warm & cozy scarfs

on the cool days, like today

my morning cappuccinos

being able sit, relax & read

kindness

to name just a few

At this point in my life, I truly feel thankful and blessed for everything and everyone in my life. My life has taken me to people and places that I could never in a million years imagined and for that I am thankful. Life is good, life is short, life is not to be taken for granted but enjoyed moment by moment.

HAPPY THANKSGIVING, FRIENDS

(you are all loved )

xxoo

(photo via here)

love.this.quote...

2011-11-21T20:54:00.000-08:00

"Gratitude unlocks the fullness of life. It turns what we have into enough, and more. It turns denial into acceptance, chaos to order, confusion to clarity. It can turn a meal into a feast, a house into a home, a stranger into a friend. Gratitude makes sense of our past, brings peace for today, and creates a vision for tomorrow.”

xxoo

(photo via here)

kitchen inspiration....

2011-11-17T22:02:00.000-08:00

Wow, I am loving some of these fabulous kitchens!

We are thinking of making some updates to our kitchen

So being the research buff that I am

I have been super inspired by elements in each of these photos

So many wonderful ideas

But only one little kitchen......

My weekend to do list:

I will be preparing for the Thanksgiving holiday getting my menu together, which is pretty much the same each year except for a few little tweaks. Stephanie and her friends are having a vegan Thanksgiving dinner tomorrow night and she is in charge of the pumpkin pie, cranberry sauce and green bean casserole - she is loving every minute of it!

Visiting with my senior friends

Doing my monthly pampering at the hair salon - love it

Hoping to get a few walks in also

Coffee with a friend or two

I hope whatever your plans are this weekend,

that you enjoy each moment!

xxoo

(photos via here)

a cool project....

2011-11-14T23:52:00.000-08:00

I have been having the best time working on a Christmas project for someone in my household namely my travel companion and partner in life - so if you're lurking about Alex (which I don't think you are) turn away now or your surprise will be ruined! haha...I have put the last 4 years of our vacations in hardcover bound books that I did on the Blurb.com website - so easy to do! I am still working on my last one, but I am really pleased with how they turned out. Excellent quality! I always give Alex books for Christmas, so this will be a nice gift that he will truly enjoy looking at. They are all my photos that I have taken (and although I am not a photographer) the photos definitely trigger all of our fabulous memories. And the best part is they also have an IPad version of the book (and it's very inexpensive!) which I have given to myself, so I have copies of them too! So if you'd like to make a quick gift for a loved one - I highly recommend this project!

Have a fabulous week!
xxoo

a day in florence....

2011-11-10T15:16:00.000-08:00

Almost immediately after we started walking around Florence/Firenze

we realized that a few hours definitely would not be enough time.

Unfortunately we had a flight out of Rome the next day, so decided

to see what we could of Florence. What a magnificent place!

We quickly found a cafe right near the Duomo and had a drink as the weather was extremely hot that day and just getting from the train station to the Duomo (which wasn't far at all) left us feeling parched. We sat and gazed at all of the beauty surrounding us and chatted with a shop keeper next door who was standing outside.

We truly had no agenda but to just wander and wander we

did. Thru as many piazzas, alleyways, tiny streets as we could

find (and there were no shortage of them!)

We walked along the Arno River where there were quite a bit

of street vendors selling fabulous pieces of art and jewelry

We walked across the Ponte Vecchio Bridge (which has tiny

shops inside there as well) and wandered thru the neighborhoods

looking for a certain restaurant one of our friends had recommended.

We never found it, but it was fun just walking down all the streets.

We stopped into a few shops

Sat in an outdoor cafe watching the kids on the carousel

and just people watching. I am really used to hot weather, but

this heat with the humidity and my sprained ankle - well we stopped

several times to eat and drink thru the course of our day in Florence.

(which I truly loved, as when we are home we tend to rush more)

I loved seeing these art walls on one of the streets we were on

We had a nice meal in this quaint little cafe with a nice window seat

Loved everything about Florence

As in Rome, Florence is such a different world than what we

live in, I could easily hang my hat there for a few months!

The breathtaking beauty with every step you take and the

gorgeous artwork that is displayed everywhere. Before we

knew it our day in Firenze had come to an end, but our last

night in Rome was just beginning after a bit of a rest on

the beautiful train ride home!

Here are some photos from Ciao Christy - who lives in Florence

Boboli Gardens - I didn't make it there but I hope to one day

San Miniato Church - I love this statue and the view!

We can't stop gushing about our trip to Italy - it was everything

we imagined it would be and more! The people we met and mingled

with were fabulously fun to spend time with and we look forward

to discovering more fantastic places in Italy someday!

Have a fabulous weekend everyone! Smile at a stranger!

xxoo

love.this.quote...

2011-11-08T09:34:00.000-08:00

" Your imagination is a preview of life's coming attractions"

xxoo

(photo via here)

cheers to the weekend....

2011-11-03T23:46:00.000-07:00

My weekend to do list:

Going on a road trip with Stephanie to No Cal

Attending a wedding of a family member

That means lots of dancing

and most likely embarassing my kids

but I can't help myself....haha..

Having lots of laughs with my family -

my sister and I always find something

to laugh hysterical about - usually

it's a memory of something silly

Giving lots of hugs to everyone

Sharing a nice relaxing meal with

my son Matt & his wife Heather

(Good times!)

Watching little Mason crawl around

(he has just mastered this one)

Can't wait to see little Mia

the last time I saw her

she was one day old

(she has changed quite bit)

Enjoying each moment

Life is short - Live like you mean it!

xxoo

"don't you love new york in the fall"

2011-11-01T00:00:00.000-07:00

"Don't you love New York in the fall? It makes me want to buy school supplies. I would send you a bouquet of newly-sharpened pencils if I knew your name and address. On the other hand, this not knowing has its charms."

I just love that quote from You've Got Mail. I have been having alot of fun putting together photo books of our travels for Alex for Christmas (shhhhh.) from Blurb Books, and that quote reminds me of how much I'd love to be in New York City this time of year! Sadly, we don't have any plans to go there as of yet, but I'm working on it.....haha.....

To stroll through Central Park, look at all the fabulous store windows, stop at a fave restaurant for a cappuccino and relax a bit at Paley Park. Those would be at the top of my must do list!

Until then I'll just have to look through the photos and watch a few

movies with alot of New York City scenes in them!

Do you have a fave place that you are itching to go to?

Have a gorgeous week!

xxoo

happy halloween...

2011-10-31T00:00:00.000-07:00

This is Steff's friend Carleigh. She painted

her face for a party this weekend. I think

she did a gorgeous job! I have seen her

beautifully decorate cakes but never her face.

My curosity got the best of me, so I started

looking around the web for some more interesting

Dia De Los Muertos faces, aren't they fabulous!

Are you dressing up for Halloween tomorrow?

I will be passing out candy to all my little

trick or treaters in my neighborhood. It's

always so much fun to see what costumes

they have come up with!

Have a Spooktacular Day!

(please watch out for the trick or treaters while driving!)

xxoo

love.this.quote...

2011-10-27T09:32:00.000-07:00

“For my part I know nothing with any certainty,

but the sight of the stars makes me dream.”

xxoo

(photo via here)

hello rome....

2011-10-24T21:23:00.000-07:00

It's been two months since we were in Rome, how the time

has flown by. Alex and I were talking about our time there

the other day and wishing we were back there to do some

more exploring and wandering. That has been our fave

thing to do in our travels is to wander endlessly.

This was definitely a room with a view - no matter

the time of day or night, I loved standing at the

window watching the world go by on our street

In the early hours of the morning I would go outside

and do a bit of exploring on my own, while Alex was

still resting, that way I can get to know my area.

What I loved about Rome were the buildings and

streets - it's quite the different world than the one

we live in on a daily basis.

Four days in Rome was definitely not enough to even scratch

the surface, but we did our best with our time there. The weather

was in the mid 80' s - perfect for walking, sitting, eating, drinking

and then repeat that several times in the course of the day!

This is the Piazza Barberini which was literally a few steps from

our hotel - the metro was right there as were several places to

eat, drink, people watch. We shared a drinks & laughs with

a fabulous couple from Australia heading to Greece that

night for a months stay with their family - very nice! We

bonded over the delicious drinks our waiter a Mr. Bean

lookalike brought us and sharing stories of our travels

Love.love.love. these little streets, at any given

moment motorbikes would zoom by, they seemed

to come out of nowhere. I wanted to rent one so much!

I'll tell you about that in a bit!

The Spanish Steps which leads up to the Trinita Dei Monti Church

overlooking the Piazza Spagna

Quite the view from the top!

The crowds weren't too bad at all anywhere we went as it was

August and alot of the residents of Rome leave town for the month

What amazed me the most was the rich history that

this town has. We come from a very young country so

to see all of the ruins and the fantastic architecture -

well it was breathtaking to say the very least!

We covered all the tourist spots and loved the beauty inside

and out! From the Pantheon, The Colosseum, The Roman

Forum, Campo Di Fiori (loved.) All of the plans I had

made went right out the window when we got there -

I love not having an agenda and just experiencing where

the day will take us and that is how we came to explore Rome!

How I loved all the water fountains everywhere in Rome. I refilled by water bottle every chance I got. We were definitely working up a thirst with all the walking we were doing!

What I didn't tell you was the 2nd day we were in Rome - after

we had walked for over 8 hours (with a few stops for food & drinks)

I fell down some dark marble steps at a restaurant and sprained my

ankle. I didn't let it deter me at all - I was walking a bit slower and

it hurt like he** but I didn't go to Rome to sit around...haha...

The colors, the carvings, the rustic nature = beautiful!

Most of my photos of random buildings that we were passing

that I found pretty & interesting

So many restaurants and delicious food and

not enough time. I ate dessert every single day

and sometimes twice and not one pound did

I gain on our trip (of course I didn't lose any

either....haha...)

Gorgeous flowers and balconies, all the color everywhere

Fountains galore - I was in heaven!

Piazza Navona = my kind of piazza!

Everywhere we were motorbikes were hanging out We tried renting one after hobbling up a hill and a 15 minute walk, but when they asked if we had driven one recently and we

honestly said NO, they refused to rent us one as they said it was toodangerous - we tried to reason with them as we travel the roads of Los Angeles everyday - what could be more dangerous? The traffic was very light in Rome due to it being August. So we ended up walking

over to the Termini (the train station) and catching a cab to Villa Borghese park. It was so funny watching all the cab drivers - 5 of them trying to figure out where we wanted to go. I kept saying the intersection where we wanted to be dropped off and they finally came to an agreement as where to take us. It was truly a comical sight - 5 cab drivers hands flying everywhere! haha..

Love the green on the door!

This was a bridge leading over to the Castel Sant' Angelo

Love this view!

Heading into Vatican City near St. Peters Square

Castel Sant' Angelo the gate keeper to Vatican City. The tents

by the river are the restaurants that open up at night - we didn't

ever make it to the film festival - I really wanted to but by the

end of the day, with my foot as swollen as can be, we decided to

stick close to our hotel and relax with some new friends we made

at our hotel that were from Seattle. Such fun people! That is

the best part of traveling - the people you meet, the wonderful

conversations over food and drinks - just the best!

The statues everywhere were so wonderful and beautiful!

I love the shape of these trees!

My namesake

An outdoor market by the Castel Sant' Angelo

St Peter's Basilica - amazing and the entire Vatican City

deserves to have a whole day to explore it!

Another fab fountain in St Peters Square

and another drinkable fountain - yum!

Heading towards Piazza Popolo

Down some random streets - we tossed out the maps and just

strolled where the wind took us!

Why can't we have these fountains everywhere - so refreshing!

Here is a view of the Piazza Popolo from the Villa Borghese Park,
with that view comes alot of steps towalk up but it was so worth it!

Ah, hands down one of my fave places in Rome

Villa Borghese Park - we walked all over and

still didn't see it all. I could spend several days

there and perhaps I will get the chance again!

We spent a good hour or so, sitting on this pathway watching people walking, skating, running, riding bikes, trolleys, golf carts and segways - it was so nice sitting on a bench under a nice shade tree with my fave guy watching the world go by! We ended up renting a bike trolley for two with a canopy. It was wonderful pedaling all over the park. Alex was the driver and did a great job, except at the end, I think he forgot he was in charge of the brakes and we practically took out a young teenager in the midst. No one was hurt (except maybe the drivers ego...haha...) It provided a few moments of hysterical laughter on my part and after that episode I thought it was just as well that we didn't rent the motorbike after all....haha...

A young couple lounging

Another lovely area of the park

Love this area, the most! When Alex saw the boat

he told me not to get any ideas....I think he secretly

wanted to row me around the lake.

We were sitting at an outdoor cafe near the Trevi

fountain in a very narrow alleyway. Vespas zipping

by, people walking and an amazing saxophone player

serenading us - such good memories!

One of the many gelato shops we visited - too many

to sample, but I tried my best!

A vendor that I bought a print of the Spanish Steps from - this was at

the Piazza Navona in the evening - such a fun, lively and wonderful place

to spend the evening!

This was an outdoor rooftop restaurant we ate at

the night I hurt my foot. Come to think of it, every

place we ate in Rome aside from breakfast at our

hotel - was outdoors! Such a glorious way to eat!

The Colosseum - beautiful in a ruins sort of way!

Our time was short in Rome, but we had

the most wonderful time, meeting so many

people who were so kind and made our time

in this fabulous city a memory we will cherish

forever and ever!

Have a beautiful day, my friends!

xxoo

love.this.quote....

2011-10-18T10:17:00.000-07:00

“Learn to be quiet enough to hear the genuine

within yourself so that you can hear it in others.”

xxoo

a scottish celebration....

2011-10-13T10:00:00.000-07:00

Yesterday Alex and I attended a celebration of life for our friend Davey that passed away unexpectedly last weekend.(this is getting all too common as of late - not liking it!) We were sitting in the church listening to all of Davey's mates telling some fabulous stories - some maybe not

quite appropriate for a church but they had edited some of the wording (and when I looked over at the priest he was laughing so hard along with the rest of us...) A few of my faves were: they had been on a 14 hour flight talking almost the whole way as they were sound engineers for concerts and were talking about the show they had just worked on. Davey was so tired he laid right in the aisle of the plane and fell asleep. The flight attendants didn't want to wake him, so when they brought the trolley by with drinks, they lifted it right over him and went on their way.(that would not be happening in this day and age....haha...) and another story was about lighting guys and sound engineers having endless confrontations of whose job is the most important and I loved Davey's quote about this situation - " they don't walk out of the show humming the lights." haha...Regardless of their differences they were all friends and what stayed with me the most yesterday as I was listening to all of these stories were the last bit where they all said " I wish he knew how much I respected and loved him, he meant the world to me and I didn't tell him." I think he knew, most likely. He was a kind gentle soul that we will all miss! At the end of the ceremony, a lone bagpipe player came from the front of the church to lead us all out (that is when my tears started flowing, i guess just the finality of it always gets me.) I looked over at Alex and at that moment a vision crossed both of our minds and memories - we had been at a friends wedding reception a few years ago and he was wearing a kilt, when he turned to me and asked me to hold his drink (well it was a bottle of whiskey or something of the sort) and with one hand right in the middle of the room did a cartwheel..It was quite impressive as he wasn't a small man at all...haha....Alex and I just kept looking at each other hoping we wouldn't burst out laughing at this most solemn moment in the church, but I bet if we did Davey would have loved it! He himself lived quite the life with loads of interesting stories I'm sure. I could have stayed all day just for the fun stories! I know I am preaching to the choir when I tell you all not to hesitate for a moment to tell your loved ones how much they mean to you - so you don't have any regrets. This conversation has come up many times with my daughter as we have had a few friends in the last few months that have lost family members and I always tell her should something happen to me I just wanted her and my son to know that I have had a wonderful life and have enjoyed it all - the good, bad and the ugly of it all! I wish the same for you all! Have a gorgeous day everyone, smile at a stranger and make their day!

xxoo

(photo via here)

love.this.quote...

2011-10-12T10:07:00.000-07:00

So true, smiles make all the difference in one's life!

xxoo

smile monday....

2011-10-10T14:05:00.000-07:00

Having vowed that I would no longer spend my lunchtime at my desk, here is a view from my blanket on a gorgeous sunny lunch hour here in Woodland Hills! I wish I had longer to take a nap!

I hope your day is wonderful whatever you are doing!

xxoo

when i grow up....

2011-10-07T00:08:00.000-07:00

I want to be just like these ladies - they are so inspiring to me!

I have been doing really well with my daily walking. Loving this

new routine that I have made for myself. It's wonderful getting

out in the crisp fresh air in the morning and early evening and taking

a brisk walk. It's fabulous to see so many people out at the park,

getting a bit of exercise in on a daily basis.

This weekend I don't have alot of plans - I am hoping to do a bit

of bike riding, like my inspirations above, get together with friends,

finish up a few projects that I have been procrastinating on and

just enjoy the weekend! I hope you are able to do the same!

CHEERS TO THE WEEKEND!

Smile at a stranger - it's a win win for everyone!

xxoo

(photos via here)

thanks, steve...

2011-10-06T10:05:00.000-07:00

When I heard the news that Steve Jobs died yesterday, I immediately texted my friend Sally, as I knew how sad she would be. She has been an Apple devotee for many many years and truthfully missed her calling as a PR person for that company. I don't think any of us were shocked at the news, as he had fought a long and hard battle with this extremely deadly disease. Sally texted back that she felt like she had lost a member of her family. I think to a point, we all feel that way. Our lives have forever been changed by the genius of this man and his team. As one blogger put it yesterday, " who will dazzle us now?" It might take quite some time, but it will happen again.

I am truly dating myself now, but nearly 30 years ago, when I was a young mom - I was a waitress in a restaurant right across the street from the Apple Headquarters in Cupertino, California. At the time, personal computers were not in my vocabulary, heck I was still adding up my tickets at the restaurant manually...haha.. Hewlett Packard and Atari were the big things in technology in the beginning stages of what was to become Silicon Valley. Thinking back to that time to where we are today, whew, never in a million years would I have imagined how all of these products have changed all of our lives. They have opened this world wide open in the most amazing ways!

I will leave you with a few quotes (as you know how much I love my quotes) from Steve:

Your time is limited, so don't waste it living someone else's life. Don't be trapped by dogma - which is living with the results of other people's thinking. Don't let the noise of other's opinions drown out your own inner voice. And most important, have the courage to follow your heart and intuition. They somehow already know what you truly want to become. Everything else is secondary.

Here’s to the crazy ones. The misfits. The rebels. The troublemakers. The round pegs in the square holes. The ones who see things differently. They’re not fond of rules. And they have no respect for the status quo. You can quote them, disagree with them, glorify or vilify them. About the only thing you can’t do is ignore them. Because they change things. They push the human race forward. And while some may see them as the crazy ones, we see genius. Because the people who are crazy enough to think they can change the world, are the ones who do....

When I was 17, I read a quote that went something like: “If you live each day as if it was your last, someday youll most certainly be right.” It made an impression on me, and since then, for the past 33 years, I have looked in the mirror every morning and asked myself: “If today were the last day of my life, would I want to do what I am about to do today?” And whenever the answer has been “No” for too many days in a row, I know I need to change something.

As one of my Facebook friends wrote: "As I lay in bed with my iPad, I picture Steve Jobs, looking down on all the rectangles of light he created which glow from every corner of the globe in honor of the mega power ballad that was his life." Isn't that the truth!

Thanks Steve for sharing your inspiring vision with us!

Enjoy.each.moment.

xxoo

love.this.quote...

2011-10-05T11:05:00.000-07:00

"The best thing one can do

when it's raining is to let it rain.”

Loving this bit of rain we are having today.

It feels nice to bundle up with a sweater and scarf!

Have a gorgeous day!

xxoo

(photo via here)

pear, fig & sage tarts = delicious!

2011-10-03T23:47:00.000-07:00

On Sunday, Steff and I dressed up and went to this fabulous Cookbook Release Cocktail Party for the lovely sisters, Jenny Engel and Heather Goldberg that are the brainstorms behind Spork Foods! Steff has taken a few cooking classes from them and by the looks of the turn out for the party - they have many many fans. The party was in a GORGEOUS home in the Hollywood Hills overlooking all of Los Angeles and the fabulous canyons - views from their balconies were to die for! They served many dishes from their cookbook for everyone to try and this appetizer was one of my faves! Now, I have never been a big pear or fig fan - but this made me a convert - it was delicious! If you are in need of a fabulous appetizer for a holiday dinner or cocktail party definitely give this a recipe a try - you and your guests will be in for a big treat!

Roasted Garlic Aioli Ingredients:

6 cloves roasted garlic

Dash of neutral tasting high heat oil

1 cup vegan mayonnise

2 tsp. fresh lemon juice

1 tsp. agave nectar

1/4 tsp. sea salt, plus dash

1/4 tsp. finely ground black pepper, plus dash

Tart Ingredients:

2 D'Anjou pears, cut to 1/2 inch pieces

10-12 leaves fresh sage, finely chopped

5-6 dry Black Mission figs, sliced

2 tsp. fresh lemon juice

1-2 sheets frozen puff pastry, thawed

For the Filling: Place sliced pears, sage and figs in 3 separate bowls.

Coat pear slices in lemon juice to prevent browning, and set aside.

For the Roasted Garlic: Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Slice off base of bulb with a large chef's knife (just less than half an inch) Place bulb cut side down in an oiled heat proof baking dish and sprinkle with sea salt and black pepper. Roast for about 25-30 minutes or until cloves are soft, set aside.

For the Aioli: Remove roasted garlic cloves from pan. Place on cutting board and smooth with flat side of chef's knife creating a paste. Transfer to a large bowl and add mayonnaise, lemon juice, agave, sea salt and black pepper. Whisk until uniform.

Cut thawed puff pastry into 2 or 3 inch squares. On each square, place about 1 tsp. garlic aioli,a pinch of sage and 1 piece each of fig and pear, reserving about 2 tsp.aioli for serving. Bring up the corners to center of square. Carefully squeeze to seal puff pastry. Repeat for all squares. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat or use cooking spray.

Place each tart on the baking sheet about 1/2 inch apart and bake for about 18-20 minutes, or until tarts are lightly browned. To serve, top each tart with about 1/2 tsp aioli. Garnish with fresh chopped sage for presentation.

You will LOVE this! Enjoy!

xxoo

cheers to the weekend....

2011-09-30T00:28:00.000-07:00

It's still pretty warm here in LA, but in the evening when I walk

at the park, it feels so refreshing! Looking forward to some

cooler weather - I love my turtleneck sweaters, boots & scarves!

This weekend Stephanie and I have a date to go to a very special

Cookbook Release Cocktail Party (cocktail for me, that is!) It gives

us a chance to put on our "sunday best" and mingle in a beautiful

setting. Stephanie has taken a few classes from these fabulous ladies,

I am so looking forward to finally meeting them and tasting their food!

Wherever you go, whatever you do - enjoy.every.single.second!

xxoo

love.this.quote....

2011-09-27T23:41:00.000-07:00

The absolute truth!

Happy days, my friends!

xxoo

(photo via here)

smile monday...

2011-09-26T00:00:00.000-07:00

Love.this.photo - a perfect way to spend a little time with yourself!

HAPPY MONDAY!

xxoo

(photo via here)

cheers to the weekend....

2011-09-23T09:38:00.000-07:00

This has been an interesting week for me, as I made a commitment to myself to walk 5.2 miles daily for 30 days (at least) half of it in the morning and half of it after work. I am happy to say that I have succeeded so far, however that little girl on my shoulder telling me to stay in bed would not let up - every single day, she tried to tempt me, but the cheerleader on the other shoulder did her job well and lifted me right out of my comfy bed. I have to tell you that it feels so good, to do all of this walking, it's just hard to get moving in the morning!

This morning a tv/film crew were filming at the park - they were in the center of the park, but all the trucks and electrical wires were everywhere. It's fascinating to see how many people it takes to film one little scene and how many hours it takes - from the security men, electrical & sound trucks, wardrobe & makeup trucks, all the food trucks and tables (and most of it looked pretty healthy to me). I have no idea what it was they were filming, but it was interesting to have something to watch while I was doing my walk - and oh what a beautiful morning it has been! My evening walks have been so nice too - the weather is cooler by that time and watching all the little kids play soccer is so much fun too!

I don't have alot of plans this weekend - except to visit my elderly friends, explore a new park, maybe get coffee with a friend or two, but I am definitely keeping with my walking routine for absolute sure - it feels too good to stop!

Have a beautiful weekend everyone!

Be kind to everyone, especially yourself!

xxoo

(photo via here)

my daily challenge....

2011-09-20T09:34:00.000-07:00

Last week I started taking my lunch out to a park near my office

and relaxing on a park bench or under a shade tree - just to get

myself away from the phones and my work for a bit. A quiet

place to sit and think. It was that same park that I used to walk

at every morning and every evening up until 3 years ago.

As I was sitting there watching people walk around, kids swinging

on the swings and listening to the birds chirp - I realized how much

I loved it there. It's a small square park with lots of trees and very

peaceful and the perfect place to start my first challenge for myself.

I stopped walking there 3 years ago, I think as it was a place that I

used to walk with one of my friends who passed away at that time,

and it just felt too lonely to walk there without her. But going there

last week and starting a new routine made it feel really good about

being there again.

So this month (I started it on Sunday) I am trying

to shed some of my bad habits and bringing in some new ones - being

I am challenging myself to walk 5.2 miles a day (so far so good!) I walk

half in the morning and half after work - as those are the only hours that are comfortable to walk (weather wise).

The super hard part is getting up alot earlier. I used to be quite the early bird, but I had gotten a bit lazy about the mornings, so it's actually starting to feel good once I get myself moving! Although I have this little girl on my shoulder telling me to just go back to bed, while on my other shoulder I have quite the cheerleader - I am giving in to the cheerleader and hoping it stays that way! I am calling this Project Getting Me Back To Myself! So here's to fulfilling challenges whatever they may be! There is a line from Something's Gotta Give (one of my go to movies) and it rings true in all aspects of our lives - "I say this from the deepest part of my heart. What are you waiting for"

xxoo

(photo via here)

smile monday....

2011-09-19T00:00:00.000-07:00

Leave it to the babies to teach us all how to be kind to each other...

Have a beautiful day - go out and make a new friend today!

xxoo

cheers to the weekend....

2011-09-16T00:00:00.000-07:00

This photo is of a park very near to my house and I can't believe that I have never been there. It is a secret park of sorts hidden away in a neighborhood behind one of the main roads in my area. I am in a park mood lately, it seems that I can't get enough of them since I strolled thru Hyde Park, Regents Park, Russell Square in London and Villa Borghese in Rome and Central Park in New York City. I am on a new mission on the weekends, to search out new parks in my area and just enjoy their surroundings. There is nothing more peaceful. This week I have been taking my lunches to a nearby park and relaxing on a park bench or under one of the huge shade trees, so much nicer than eating my lunch under flourescent lights in my office.

The last few weeks have been very tense - one of my friends that I work with has been awaiting results of a biopsy that could possibly change the course of her life (and not in a good way). I feel like I have been holding my breath during these two weeks and yesterday we all got a chance to exhale - her tests came back with wonderful results - I can't tell you how happy that I am for her!!

On top of a scary few weeks, I am in the midst of a motivation problem. I am trying my best to get my butt moving in all aspects of my life - it's taken some time, but I think I'm starting to see a little light at the end of the tunnel....I have some projects in the works that really have me excited!

This weekend is going to be a bit of much needed girly pampering, a bit of exploring new places and hopefully catching up with a friend or two with a chat and a coffee or any old drink will do!

My little great nephew Mason just turned 7 months old yesterday, and my great niece, Mia is almost 2 months old - time is flying by so fast!

Here's wishing you all a very wonderful weekend.
Be kind, smile at strangers and enjoy!

xxoo

(photo via here)

love.this.quote...

2011-09-13T23:37:00.000-07:00

"Inside myself is a place where I live all alone

and that is where I renew my springs that never dry up."

Pearl S. Buck

xxoo

(photo via here)

a simple beautiful message....

2011-09-11T10:18:00.000-07:00

On a day we will never forget 9/11/2001. These kids learned this

song in 2 weeks - beautiful! One of my fave songs!

cheers to the weekend....

2011-09-09T09:10:00.000-07:00

Another week flying by - yippee!! My to do list this weekend is:

Visit my elderly friends (one of my highlights!)

Find a new local park and enjoy the beauty of it

(while the weather is still gorgeous!)

Go bike riding, spend time with my guy and Steff

Plan our next year's vacation - the photo above is a big

reason why I want to go to Barcelona - such beautiful artwork!

Upload photos on my very slow moving computer ( grrr...)

Coffee, lunch or a walk with a friend or two

Lay under my tree in the backyard and read a good book!

Sorry I haven't been around to visit blogs this week, I had

a super busy, stressful week of work! I'll be lurking about soon!

Whatever you are doing this weekend - enjoy each moment!

xxoo

It's not Rome, but....

2011-09-05T22:24:00.000-07:00

In an effort to snap myself out of a bit of funk today, i took myself on a little field trip. While I was exploring I came upon this lovely small park - it reminded me of Rome!

And nearby was this lovely walking path,

which actually goes almost 2 miles - it was just

what I needed to put that extra skip in my step again!

I have been having computer troubles, which is why

I have not posted my Rome photos - I see a nice brand new computer

in my future - it's like having car problems, not fun at all!

Aside from that, I hope everyone had a wonderful weekend!

Cheers to the week ahead - let's make it fabulous!

xxoo

love.this.quote...

2011-09-01T09:08:00.000-07:00

"Rest is not idleness, and to lie sometimes on the grass on a summer day listening to the murmur of water, or watching the clouds float across the sky, is hardly a waste of time."

(photo via here)

wandering thru london....

2011-08-28T22:55:00.000-07:00

The week that we were flying over to London, the riots broke out.

So many people were telling us not to go, especially since we had

tickets to go to a football match in the same area that the riots

broke out. Good thing we didn't listen to everyone, as we had

a FABULOUS time wandering thru London.

As we were driving thru London on the way to our hotel, we

soon noticed that it was "business as usual" The way the media

was showing London on our news stations - you would have thought

the whole entire town of London was on fire and completely looted.

It was nice to see that life was going on as usual and it felt so good

to be back!

The first order of business after dropping our luggage off at the

hotel was to hit the ground running and head out to explore. It

was early evening when we arrived, so we had a Italian dinner in

Covent Garden, dropped into a pub or two before retiring for the night.

While on vacation my early morning ritual is to get up super early

head out to do exploring on my own, get some coffee and by that

time my guy is usually starting to stir and we then head out for the

day. Regent's Park was first on my list, as I didn't make it there

last year. The weather that day was threatening rain, so we brought

our trusty umbrellas and set out to enjoy the gorgeous scenery.

Love all the signage

and the gorgeous flowers

and fabulous lighting fixtures

It's funny that wherever we travel to, I am very drawn to parks

and gardens, but I rarely go to the ones in my own backyard,so

to speak. I need to make that a priority!

As we left the park, we then entered the area around Great

Portland Street (loved it!) and just started wandering down the streets.

It started pouring rain soon after, so we stopped into a pub to

dry off for a bit and have a drink as we were a bit parched

from all the walking we had been doing. As you might notice,

we get parched quite a bit during our vacations...haha...

I also have a thing for taking photos of pubs, I just love all the

flowers that they have everywhere and the comfy, cozy, homey

feeling inside the pubs that makes you feel like you are in someone's

living room.

This was outside of a flower shoppe

As we were exploring a few different neighborhoods

I came across this cool looking piece of urban art!

For my birthday we decided to go see We Will Rock You - and it

sure did! What a fun, fun show. This theater is right around the

corner from our hotel, so we didn't have far to go to see it.

This looks like a cool show too!

Maybe I will be back to see this one too!

We stopped in one night to see the Blues Jam

and had a wonderful time - so many talented

people in the world!

On my birthday I got a cute text from my niece with

a photo of Mason "singing Happy Birthday to me"

He is just the cutest, of course I am not biased or anything!

After coming in from an afternoon of touring London, we would

stop into the outdoor patio at our hotel to relax for a bit.

Here I go again, with the pub shots!

One of my early mornings had me wandering around Covent

Garden and taking photos of shops - Shrek is made of jelly bellys

St Paul's Church

and pretty restaurant exteriors

Fresh fruit is always welcome in my life and I am so glad

that I came across this yummy cart!

One afternoon we just hopped on the Tube with no idea of where

we were going and I just picked a stop that sounded appealing

We ended up at St. Paul's Cathedral and went inside,

it was such a pretty church!

Loved their gardens and it's also a pretty popular place to

eat your lunch if you work in the area, so many people were

sitting around the edges of the garden enjoying their lunch

It was a nice, warm day too - an extra added bonus.

One place I was really looking forward to going

again was Hyde Park.

We took a little rest on the park bench near the Police Station

and we found our way to the lake, we were very proud of ourselves

as we came into the park in a totally different direction from last year.

After enjoying a nice stroll and some time people

watching, we hopped back on the Tube to head

to yet another pub....we were definitely parched that day!

The football match that we were supposed to see in Tottenham had

been canceled a couple days before the match, so I had tentatively

decided to take a train trip to Cardiff, Wales. However, our fab

concierge friends at our hotel asked if we still wanted to go to a

football match and since that was one of the main reasons, we stopped

off in London, we couldn't pass it up. And we are so glad we didn't!

But I'd still like to see Wales, yet another reason to come back!

The walk alone from the Tube station to the Fulham Football

Club Stadium - Craven Cottage, was so beautiful! I wanted to take

a few photos but since it was a game opener, there were quite a few

people on the path, so I kept moving. The trees covering the path were

a few different variety's of weeping willow trees and they covered

the path like a canopy! There was also a beautiful rose garden

not to mention another walking path along the river.

As we were sitting in a small park near the stadium watching the sailboats go by and waiting for the game to start, I noticed a statue of Michael Jackson inside the stadium - truly baffling to me, until I learned that the owner of the team was a friend of Michael's...although truth be told, I still find it odd for him to be in a football stadium.

Our last night in London, we stopped into a Mexican Restaurant/Tequila Bar and had a fabulous time. My other half is Spanish, so we had fun talking to all the bartenders about where they were all from (they came from the same part of Mexico as my guy's grandparents) and they made us some pretty tasty drinks. We then stopped into our hotel bar to say good bye to the best bartender/conversationalist in the world and ended up chatting with him until 3 am! We had the best conversations with him and alot of other hotel guests every evening after we came in from exploring.

We didn't go to many tourist attractions this time, as what we truly love to do is explore what another blogger calls "the museum of life, the everyday of another country."

The absolute best parts of our trips are the people that we meet along the way. This trip we met so many funny and friendly people and spent hours conversing with them all about our trips, our lives, where we come from. No matter where we are all from, we are all the same!

If you are still with me, after this long drawn out post, I thank you for your patience and kindness! I didn't have my camera out everywhere we went, but you get a feeling of what we did! I'll put up my Rome & Florence photos in a few days!

Wishing you all a beautiful week!

xxoo

cheers to the weekend...

2011-08-26T10:11:00.000-07:00

This week was a pretty busy week, having just come off

of our vacation - work, work & lots of it, but I also had

a nice dinner out with a good friend and our daughters for

my belated birthday! Last night I hung out with a few of my

friends in their fabulous tree house (I will get a photo of it),

then went to a wonderful documentary. Tonight I have a

date with my daughter, Steff to go see The Help - looking forward

to it! Tomorrow I get to see my elderly friends - it has been a few weeks, so I am really anxious to see them and have some nice long chats! I am going to try and get some biking and walking in this weekend also - actually I am going to make those my first priorities! I hope whatever you do this weekend - you enjoy yourself! Be kind, smile, laugh and live like you mean it!

XXOO

(my iphone photo of carousel in the piazza della repubblica,florence,italy)

love.this.quote....

2011-08-25T10:49:00.000-07:00

xxoo

moving slowly....

2011-08-24T08:30:00.000-07:00

I am having a super busy week at work and outside of work, and I am still completely exhausted. I have been trying to go to bed as early as possible to get some much needed rest! This is a photo from my train on the way to Florence from Rome - isn't it pretty!! I will start posting some photos from my trip this weekend. I hope everyone is having a FANTASTIC week! I can't believe how fast this summer has zoomed on by! I am enjoying every last bit of it and I hope you are too!

xxoo