So True

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I read this quote and immediately connected with it. L and I have gotten in many fights about this very subject. Sometimes he loves differently than I do. For the most part, I've learned to accept that. But every once in awhile, I have those tough days where it's still difficult for me to fully trust. I suppose that's my own insecurity rearing its ugly head.

Favorite Things: Capri Blue Candle in Volcano Scent

To kick off my "Favorite Things" series, I thought I'd start small and simple. The Capri Blue candle in Volcano from Anthropologie is my absolute FAVORITE! (I love it so much that I blogged about it here last year, too). It smells amazing. The website describes it as, "tropical fruits, sugared oranges, lemons, and limes, redolent with lightly exotic mountain greens". Ooooo, it's so delicious and so pretty to look at, who could resist?

I think it would be a wonderful hostess gift for holiday get-togethers, or as a Secret Santa gift. The candle retails for $25.00.

Red Lipstick: Where Art Thou?

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I've decided I want to go on a quest to find the perfect shade of red lipstick. Normally, I'm a boring girl when it comes to make-up. During the day, minimal products - foundation, gloss, mascara, eyeliner (maybe, if I have time to spare) and eyebrow pencil. If I'm going out at night, I'll do the smokey-eye thing. And I've always thought of myself as more of the gloss type than lipstick.

But I want to branch out. With the holidays coming up, and a few engagements already on our calendar, NOW is the perfect time. Take me to the nearest Sephora! I'm on a mission.

Hopefully I won't come out looking like my 8th grade yearbook picture. True story: On the day of 8th grade yearbook photos, all of the girls in my class thought it would be a great idea to share the same tube of ugly pink lipstick. The results: I looked like Jaime Foxx playing Wanda on In Living Color.

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Maybe that's why I haven't worn actual lipstick since. Hmmm...

Do you ever take chances with your make-up routine? Or is it the same thing every day and night? If so, follow me to the nearest make-up counter, and take a chance! It'll be fun.

Adventures in Yoga: Bring it On

I took the plunge and went to my first ever yoga class!! YES! It is a couple days after the fact, and I'm still feeling sore. But it's a definite improvement from Sunday when my chest was so sore, it actually hurt to breathe deeply.

On Saturday, I walked into class, and I was like, "Hey guys! I'm wearing yoga pants, and I'm a poser." I attracted the attention of our instructor (and the class) from the word go, as she declared my pilates mat to be "virtually useless for the practice of yoga". My bad. Luckily, I had my mommy with me, or I would've really been embarrassed. ;)

I was getting along pretty well until my weak-ass triceps, biceps, and/or whatever other arm muscles I should have developed more of back in third grade, lost all steam. I nearly broke my neck transitioning from downward facing dog to some other animal-inspired pose, and for the remainder of the class, I think the instructor felt sorry for me.

All in all, I'm happy to report that I am going to give yoga a chance. I want to take it one day at a time, one class at a time.

Next on the list: I've got to get myself a proper mat, so as not to be guilty of improper mat usage next Saturday. Til next time...we'll see how this adventure unfolds.

Home Ideas I Covet

Whenever L and I are lucky enough to have our very own home, I have a list of fun things I want. Here are a few:

Floor to ceiling bookshelves! I love the look of bookshelves in any room, but they are especially awesome in the bedroom. Ooooh, I can entertain my hobby of buying books, and rarely getting around to reading most of them. :)

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Another must have? I really want my own girly area. Carrie Bradshaw wanted the ultimate closet. I want an area reserved just for me where I can privately obsess over all of my womanly obsessions. A boudoir, if you will. My rationale: I've "put in my time" over the years. From sharing a dorm bathroom with an entire floor of women to sharing a bathroom (and sink) with L, I think I've earned some girl space.

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{Sigh} Dreams are free, right? One day...

What home ideas do you covet?

That's My Show!

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Sunday evenings tend to be kinda...sucky. Pardon my lack of witty word choice, but since I was of school age, Sunday evenings were reserved for dreading Monday and the upcoming week.

Well, I finally found a solid cure for my Sunday blues. For awhile now, I have been looking forward to 10pm every Sunday because I get to watch one of my favorite TV shows, Brothers & Sisters.

*cue L's eye roll*

I should give him some slack. L got over my obsessive need to watch Brothers & Sisters awhile back. He's just bitter lately because Entourage and True Blood went on season hiatus, and he has nothing to watch but football highlights on Sunday nights.

Anyone else a fan of Brothers & Sisters? What are your favorite shows?

Waxing Sentimental

Our closet has become quite a beast in the past few years. It overflows with suitcases, old shoes, hats, papers, and plastic bins filled with stuff; physical evidence of our past six years and some change.

Recently, I made it my life's goal to start cleaning out "the beast". I read somewhere that the act of hoarding can be comforting, but can also create a cluttered mind and a cluttered life. Who wants a cluttered anything? Not me, I thought.

My in-laws pride themselves on having the cleanest home in the world. I remember the first time I walked into their house it was like a museum. Spotless. I was afraid to sit on their plastic covered furniture.

My house growing up was very warm and "lived in". There were three young children living within those walls, and man, did it show. Bless my dear mom for trying her best to keep it organized, but growing up it was filled to the brim with toys, family pictures, and sports schedules. I kept a lot of my school projects, pictures I painted, and of course, my old diary.

So what happens when a boy who grew up in a mausoleum meets and marries a girl who grew up in a happy mess? A bit of chaos. A lot of bickering about cleaning, straightening, what goes and what stays.

But as I stood in front of our closet, with a giant plastic trash bag in hand, ready to throw out anything and everything in sight, I was overcome with emotion, and out of nowhere tears filled my eyes. Ticket stubs from concerts and Lakers games past, old keychains and wallets, all kinds of trinkets, and even a hotel bill from that time we traveled to NYC during Christmas. This stuff was us. Our memories. The story of how two people, so young and so incredibly in love, got to where they are today.

I won't throw our past away for all the non-clutterness in the world. I'm sorry. Call me a hoarder. Call me messy. Call me whatever you want. I promise I'll go to the Container Store and attempt to organize the clutter. But the contents of those plastic bins are coming with us.

Happy Friday!

I haven't done a Happy Friday post in ages!

L and I have a couple of things on our plate- including a surprise birthday dinner for L's cousin, and a quick trip to Santa Barbara for my little brother's college family weekend. I read that this weekend's Southern California weather promises to be crisp and cool. Fingers crossed that it follows through!

Also, I've noticed that with each day, there seems to be new readers stopping by to check out my blog. I just wanted to say thank you for reading, and I hope you decide to stay! Feel free to introduce yourself and/or comment any time.

Enjoy the first weekend of November, everyone!

The Unexpected

Through the hustle and bustle of my day to day, I'll often forget to do things...the little things. Like call up an old friend to chat, or leave my husband a handwritten love note, or just smile!

The other day, I remembered a task that has been on my to do list for awhile. When my Grandma passed away at the end of July, we held a small memorial for her in August. My dad's cousin made the trek all the way from Seattle to be there. Such a cute lady. She noticed L taking pictures of everyone and everything. So she gave me her email address, and asked us if I could email her some pictures from the day.

I replied, "Of course we will!"

Then two months passed and I hadn't done it. I kept thinking, "I've got to send those pictures. I've got to send those pictures." But, I never actually followed through until the end of October.

I meekly wrote her a short note, apologized profusely for my lateness, and emailed it off.

A few days later I got the sweetest email from her. She thanked me for getting her the pictures and said she would pass them around to the other relatives in Seattle who could not make it to the memorial. She talked a little about her fond memories of my Grandma, and how her mother and my Grandma were sisters that were very close in age. She believes that must have given them a very special bond. My Grandma was the youngest of 9 children, and the last one of her immediate family to pass away. For many reasons, the passing of my Grandma, at the age of 96, was the end of an era.

I sat there at my computer thinking about how grateful I was for her note. It felt good. Even though I was late with getting her those pictures, I did follow through, and make that connection. It's often the little moments that touch our hearts, and remind us that sometimes life is unexpected, but in a good way.

TwitterPeek. TwitterWhat?

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Have you seen this? A newly launched device, called TwitterPeek, has hit the consumer market. It's a device that resembles a smartphone, yet is devoted exclusively to...you guessed it...tweeting! It does nothing else. It costs $200 for lifetime service, and you can tweet to your heart's delight. I'm laughing at the image of me at 80 years old, tweeting on my trusty TwitterPeek.

One article I read believes that TwitterPeak should be geared toward people without smartphones. Except at the end of the day, you still don't have email, web, or phone capabilities. While my love for Twitter seems to be growing daily, I'm not sold that there is an actual need for a device like this.

However, I'm no techno-buff. Maybe this is the newest "it" product? What do you think? Would you buy a TwitterPeek?