Dreaming of India

If all goes as planned and everything can be properly sorted, I will have the immense pleasure of visiting India by year end!  I've always wanted to see all that India has to offer and I am SO excited to be planning this fabulous adventure!  My girlfriend and I (and maybe even James!) are planning a tour which will take us around the majority of the country.  We're even hoping we can hop over to Nepal for a quick visit.

More details to come as we delve into planning, but for now, all I have are my daydreams of the experiences we are yet to have. 

I could rattle of many names of places I'd love to see during my life - it is so fun to dream! 

What is (are) your absolute dream destination(s)?  Where would you go right now if you were given a free ticket?

Tuesday Tune

A girlfriend introduced me to Supreme Beings of Leisure and I am SO hooked.  This is the kind of music that quickly becomes my go-to for parties, long drives, relaxing at home, or even just background music in the house!

Since I've been cooped up at work for an obscene amount of hours per week I can at least let my ears have a break with their songs and they haven't failed me yet!  Enjoy.

"...mysterious chemistry someone's cookin' in the kitchen..."



"...gold digger, who says you can't have it all?..."



"...in the sublime, wishing we could always be this way..."

World of Good

I used to carry a cotton reusable lunch tote which I'd purchased from a company called World of Good which specializes in fair trade products from around the world.  Recently I discovered eBay is now sponsoring World of Good with it's very own website!

Of course I've already discovered so many treasures I'd love to have!  I may have to treat myself to these bangles!  You can never have too many bangles.


World of Good is even more special because it has brought together a community of artisans from around the world and has allowed people like you and me to purchase the beautiful (mostly) hand-made products.  I love that we can make a difference!  

Unlock Your Soul

I took this picture in Venice - thought the words looked neat against the bright wall.

Another looooong week has passed (and, unfortunately I have to work tomorrow so my week isn't over yet!).  Tax season is really kicking my butt right around now - total lack of sleep doesn't help matters!  I am very much looking forward to April 18th so I can have my life back.

Happy Friday!

Let's Escape

"Out beyond ideas of wrong-doing and right-doing, there is a field, I'll meet you there.  When the soul lies down in that grass, the world is too full to talk about.  Ideas, language, even the phrase each other doesn't make sense."   [Rumi]

The quote above is featured on the website for a gorgeous organic farm and working vineyard, Campovida.  I stumbled upon the site and I don't even remember now how I found it!  At Campovida one can wander the peaceful gardens, enjoy the organic farm, listen to music and see art at many different events, and even stay in the beautiful accomodations.  I am already wanting to plan my visit to this amazing retreat in Mendocino County!

 Where would you like escape to for a short (or long) weekend?

*All images via Campovida.

Change Your World

"Change your thoughts and you change your world." 

 [Norman Vincent Peale]



Photo taken in Varenna, Italy (on Lake Como) in 2005.

Tuesday Tune

You may have heard them on the radio by now and maybe you're already a fan of Mumford & Sons.  I think I was living under a rock because I didn't know who they were until the Grammy's this year!  In any case, I'm hooked and I've really enjoyed their Sigh No More album.  Here are a few of my favorites:

"...but it was not your fault but mine, and it was your heart on the line..."



"...and I'll find strength in pain, and I will change my ways, I'll know my name as it's called again..."

Spring Detox

"Blessed are the seeds waiting in the darkness for the call of Spring."

Spring brings the green leaves and blooming flowers, cool mornings and warm afternoons, and a sense of anticipation for the sunny days of summer.  I think Spring is also a time of new beginnings and a time for cleansing.  Yesterday I attended a Yoga Detox class and purged my body, mind, and spirit of toxins.  It was great and I left feeling renewed and refreshed.  We began our practice with a quiet time of reflection on what we wish for the coming seasons:

Dear Universe:

Where will my dreams take me?  I am thankful for my health, family, and well-being and am excited for the future.  What is my true path and how can I let go of my fear of failure, disappointment, and self criticisms along the way?

I want to have a full, happy life.  I wish to reduce the amounts of self doubt, worry, stress, fear, and anxiety.  I know I am capable of this.  I wish to be calm, confident, happy, excited, and most of all inspired.  Will my dreams take me there?

Happy Spring!

The Birthday Girls

Happy 5th birthday to my sweet girlies!  I can't believe they were ever this small!  We have so much love for our pups... they're part of the family!

When we first brought them home they were both under 8lbs!  They were such little rascals... and still are!

Sunlight

"Do not anticipate trouble, or worry about what may never happen.  Keep in the sunlight."

[Benjamin Franklin]


Everytime I see this photo I feel warm and happy and carefree!  This weekend I will be wishing my pup, Piper, a very happy birthday, celebrating St. Patrick's day at a local "Irish" pub, and meeting for book club!  What are your plans?  Happy Friday!

Goooo Green!

Let's travel to Ireland today... how gorgeous are these sites?  Someday I'd love to visit in person and explore the country!  St. Patrick's day to me means corned beef!  How about you?  Do you have any rituals?

Cards Galore

Anybody who knows me knows that I love paper products!  Especially cards, invitations, and journals.  Recently I've been making a lot of my own cards and invitations - including my wedding rehearsal invitations, wedding thank-you cards, and other various birthday cards and notes.  Below is a birthday card I made for a good friend.

My favorite tools are my Paper Source stamps, Paper Source card stock (which I buy locally at Pulp Papery), fine-tip permanent pens, and my gold gel pens.

Paper inspires me to no end!  I have so many ideas stocked up for cards and invitations that I've been toying with the idea of opening an Etsy shop.  Maybe soon!

Tuesday Tune

I stumbled upon this song a few years ago and have loved it ever since.  Priscilla Ahn's voice and lyrics combined make this song sound so peaceful.  I know you'll love it, too!

"...I asked God who I'm supposed to be, the stars smiled down on me..."

Hot Italian

Over the weekend a friend and I tried Hot Italian, a midtown eatery specializing in pizzas, calzones, paninis, salads, and Italian cocktails and beers.

We split a Rossi salad (crisp romaine lettuce, blood orange slices, and freshly grated ricotta salata cheese) and the Citerrio pizza (mozzarella, spinach, prosciutto, and parmigiano).  I also tried the prosecco blood orange cocktail.  Absolutely delicious!  It was a perfect break from my crazy tax-season schedule.

Joie de Vivre

Ah, the ever-fabulous weekend getaway.  No, I won't be off on an adventure this weekend but a girl can daydream, right?  I love the Joie de Vivre hotels and I've stayed at a handful now ever since I discovered them a few years ago.  They are a group of boutique hotels throughout California and the newest location (among others) on my MUST-STAY list is the Waters Edge property in Tiburon.  Simply gorgeous!

I'm thinking this will be the PERFECT escape for an after tax season breather.  I mean, look at the picture below - could it be more my style?  I can't wait!!! 

Joie de Vivre also has a blog I like to puruse - joie of life.  I will admit I'm a hotel snob.  The hunt for the most unique hotel is thrilling and I totally appreciate fun, non-corporate, details.  Afterall, staying in a hotel should be an escape in itself - make it somewhere fun!

Happy Friday!

Little Lambs

"For every minute you are angry you lose sixty seconds of happiness."    [Ralph Waldo Emerson]

I love seeing these lambs (and sheep, and rams, oh my!) every time I visit my parents.  They live in the fields surrounding their house and over the weekend I snapped some photos of the little ones just before it started to rain.  Animals have such a calming effect on me and I just LOVE hearing the lambs bah-ing in the distance.  When they get excited and playful they jump straight in the air and take off running!  I'd love to catch a photo of them in action!

The lamb below has the cutest white tipped tail and back leg - so sweet. 

Venice, Italy [Honeymoon Part Ten]

Venice was our last stop on our honeymoon and I can't even begin to describe how amazing it was in autumn.  The fog was rolling in at all angles, the air was crisp and fresh against our faces, the narrow streets were tourist-free, the sun trying to break through the mist creating a glow, and the colorful leaves on the trees in all their glory.  It sounds cliche to have Venice at the top of my "favorite places" list - especially considering all we saw on our honeymoon - but we really felt nothing but love and excitement for this city.  Maybe it was because we had beeen here before a few years prior on a backpacking trip through Europe.  This time we weren't feeling the pressure to see "everything" and so I enjoyed it ALL, every detail, every sound, every delight!

We had time to meander the streets, window shop, and relax at cafes.  Our only goal:  get lost!  I loved EVERY SECOND.