Life According to my iPhone

oh my gosh I love October

HOORAY IT'S HERE!!! 

I just love love love October.

Year after year I say it, I blog about it, I go on and on about it...

I can't help it, it's my absolute favorite!!

This October I plan to do the following:

-Turn 26 (that's a pretty easy one, I can't really help it)

-Make 1 of my favorite soups each week

-Decorate + carve pumpkins 

-Give my true love a big fluffy sweater so we can be sweater twins and force him to wear it

-Make Caramel Apple Bites

-buy my plane ticket home for Christmas

-pretending I am spending my bday weekend in SF instead of working (I'll just pretend that there is a real autumn here and make the most of it!)

-most likely I will envy every single person who lives near or in the mountains, daily.

-Show my co-workers (even if they don't want me to) all of the "ohmygosh" adorable photos of my nieces and nephews in their Halloween get-up

-Go to Disneyland!!

-Cook yummy fall meals that include roasting chicken, veggies, and fall salads with butternut squash cubes....mmmmMmmmmMmm!

-hear good news from my podiatrist about my foot recovery (I plan on this!)

-drink about 5zillion vanilla/pumpkin steamers and apple ciders

...anything else I am forgetting? Let me know!

I love this month and all of the things it brings. I can't help but feel nostalgic whenever October comes around....I think about my wonderful childhood and my sweet mother making this time of year so magical. After all, I am her autumn baby. 

I hope you're celebrating the fresh new season and spoiling yourself with a sweater or a favorite soup....even better if you live somewhere that the leaves actually change go enjoy being outside for me!! (boo, hurts my heart!)

Happy October Friends! 

the Greek

Last night I attended the Fleet Foxes & the Walkmen concert at the Greek theater @Griffith Park in the heart of LA.  Originally I invited my sexy spouse to join me, but alas he was unable to join so I made other plans with some lovelies. 

I had never been to a show at the Greek, and let me tell you...Wow. GORGEOUS. I cannot wait to attend another show there, it was incredible. 

The two bands performed their hearts out and it was amazing. I was able to go with my fav girls...Jackie (super spaztic amazing) and we met up with Lauren & Meg. Those girls are simply the best. During the show the air felt crisp and the stars were out....made me so unbelievably home-sick. Gosh, this time of year I sure do get the autumn-blues. During the concert, while the oh-so-lovely music was filling the air and the setting was just right I took a long deep breath and reminded myself that my life is pretty incredible. Trails and all. It was perfect timing after the disaster day before. Gotta love the way things work out like that. <3

vent-sesh

Today i am feeling a little...off. I often hesitate blogging on days like today because I don't want it to be A) an invitation for "I can solve your problems with X, Y, & Z"....or    B) a pity party. I think it's fair to want to write about things going on in my life without people assuming that's what my intentions are. Sometimes a girl just has to vent. Ya know?

i have this hole, a hole which used to be small but is now getting bigger
i try to fill this hole with things that distract me...clothing, work, hobbies...but no matter what I do, the hole remains.
i don't like it when people assume/comment on the things I do to try fill my hole..but I guess they may not know that I'm trying to fill a hole.  I just don't like when they just assume.

there are days when it doesn't hurt so much and days when it does
there are days when I think I can live with it and days when I want to give up

people try to talk to me about it. sometimes it helps.
most of the time it doesn't.
I do my very best to ignore this big, giant hole...
but like the elephant in the room, ignoring it doesn't make it go away.

I consider myself a very happy person but this silly hole has made me feel sad, unmotivated, and irritable...sometimes even depressed. I hate that it's doing that. I hate that I'm letting it. I hate that I have no control.

most days I do okay. today isn't one of those days. (which usually means I go straight to retail therapy...not a good reaction!!)

Anyway, other than feeling off and venting about what a mess I am, things are relatively unaltered 'round these parts. Same old same! We recently found out that Christopher's work life is only going to get busier for the remaining months of 2011 (can we say trial-crazed-mayhem?) And thus my life of single wife-hood will return. (although I know much more respectable and admirable ladies who deal with the SWL  24/7 and handle it better than me! (ahem SabrinaLaurenKatieetc) I will have to reach out to them in moments of oh-my-gosh-I'm-going-to-kill-you to help level myself out again ha!)

Amongst all of this I must say that I am truly grateful for my faith, as it has been the only source of comfort during these challenges. I am reminded that there are others who face harder things and have bigger holes to fill. Although it doesn't make it easier for me, I am humbled and found counting my blessings. I only hope to continue to grow through this (and to survive it, because today I feel like I most certainly will not). :(

Love & Marriage

 Today (Sept 2nd) is our anniversary! I cannot believe it has already been five years. Where has the time gone? We have had our ups & our downs. We have had our arguments, our trials, and our adventures. We have survived a lot and have grown together more than we could have imagined. And although there are bad days, the good days far outweigh the bad ones....and the great days erase them completely.

 All in all, I wouldn't trade it for the world.

"I’ll follow you into the park, through the jungle, through the dark
Girl, I’ve never loved one like you

Moats & boats & waterfalls, alley ways & pay phone calls
I’ve been everywhere with you

That’s true

We laugh until we think we’ll die, barefoot on a summer night
Nothin’ new is sweeter than with you

And in the sticks we’re running free like it’s only you and me
Geez, you’re something to see."

Happy 5 Years Christopher. I love you!

a collection is born

Have you ever wondered why people collect things? Be it coins, baseball cards, etc..
I have.
I never understood it. Why in the world would you want to have SO many of one thing? Clearly these people needed a new hobby.

Then I met Anthology. (not to be confused with anthropologie)

I fell in love with issue #2 of this quirky little magazine when it first arrived at anthropologie. I was caught reading it on the couch in the middle of the store...in the middle of my shift! I couldn't help it! I adored it's size, aesthetic, and content.

A month later issue #3 arrived. Bam! Purchased. Done & Done.
Wait....
Where was issue #1? I have never seen that.  Weird...Ill call all the anthropologie stores in CA & have them ship me one...
"Oh you don't have it? Weird. :( Okay, thanks for checking."

There sat issue #2 & #3 stacked neatly on my coffee table, longing for their missing sibling.
How could I deny them this?
And the search began...

Luckily, it was a fairly simple one. Found Anthology on Facebook and asked them to help me locate a copy of issue #1. To my horror there were only 2 stores in the US that might have any copies left, but they couldn't be sure.
I called these stores right away only to find they were sold out.
GAH!

Poor issues #2 & #3...

Then little miss tiny-shop owner in Oregon happily called me back & left me sweet news that she found a stack stashed away in the back and would ship me my copy right away (oh! make that 2 copies, I had also gotten Erica at work hooked).
Hooray!

My first experience collecting, I can somewhat see the fascination with having a 'complete' set. (let's just hope it stays with practical collecting & not lawn gnome collecting..)

Issues 1, 2, & 3. What a happy little family!

If you haven't had the chance to read this lovely mag, you should. Issue #4 debuts soon! If you subscribe by midnight August 12th your subscription will begin with issue #4! 

Trust me, you'll love it too!

Fun in the Sun

 I was lucky enough to spend some of my recovery time at home with my family (while my handsome husband worked way too hard :( ). I enjoyed every second of it & found it to be the best way to spend my recovery time---constantly entertained by these crazy Carvers!