Happy Easter!

There is something so refreshing about Easter. If Thanksgiving is centered around food and Christmas revolves around gifts, then Easter is perhaps the best because it's the least self-indulgent. I still like getting a little extra dressed up for Easter service at church, and the color palette is always so vibrant and welcome after winter. It seems fitting to sip on pink champagne Easter morning as well. After dinner we had the cutest egg-garnished chocolate malt cupcakes from My Delight. I haven't had a cupcake in months because I've been on a diet, so they tasted extra sweet. But what makes every holiday all the more merry is that my family is always there. I hope your Easter was as warm and sweet as mine was. He IS risen. 

Obsession

I have mentioned in past posts that I am feeling the studded trend. It is still going strong, and I am still buying into it. I love how Sam Edelman adapted this trend for spring. The mint colored trench is perfect for the weather now. And the motorcycle jackets are actually not real leather, so they are light and perfect to throw over a maxi dress. It might seem obsessive to buy three pieces of outerwear, but when they are faux leather they are cheaper, and the deals are even better when you score them at Hautelook. Hautelook is owned by Nordstrom and so you can find sample sale prices on Nordstrom goods while the sale is on Hautelook. Thank you, Hautelook!

Happy shopping!

Wine & Cakes

I'm a big fan of the daily indulgence that is wine. I love a good red syrah or cab. The holidays bring us together, and in seeking out spots to reunite with friends, I discovered Packing House Wine Merchants  in Claremont. It's the perfect place to have a sip, catch up, and pick up a bottle (the ideal holiday gift). This place has quiet tables and a tasting bar. There's a small menu and a great happy hour. I enjoyed the happy hour Cab and my bf had some bubbly. Christmas cheer(s) indeed!

Another suggestion for a place to quickly chat or pick up the perfect hostess gift: Georgetown Cupcake. If you watch DC Cupcakes on TLC, this is the same chain. I went to their beautiful Beverly Hills location while getting some work done on Friday. I was beyond impressed. They had a lot of holiday flavors that were unique. I loved the gingerbread (which came with an actual gingerbread man) and the peppermint dark chocolate was heaven. Their coffee offerings looked delightful as well. I highly recommend!

Happy Gathering!

My December

I have been a bad blogger lately. But my excuse is that it's December, otherwise known as the busiest month of the year. Now that I have a decent vacation, I am going to try to blog more.

When you are younger, December has such a different meaning. For me, it always meant my birthday, lots of cake, cards from my parents, and Christmas. Lovely, wonderful Christmas. A time when our home smelled like pine, my parents played Amy Grant Christmas music and my sister and I were actually nice to each other. On Christmas Eve we were allowed to open one gift to whet our appetite. And a little secret I've never told anyone -- I used to stay up on Christmas Eve and just write. I remember doing that a lot. I would journal until midnight, until it was Christmas, because I wanted to be awake during Christmas day as long as possible, to really soak it all in.

But at 28, December feels so different. So rushed, so busy. I get angry over traffic, parking at the mall, not having any money and being unsure of what to buy and how much to spend. Something got lost in the years between.

Now that I have a minute to reflect and catch my breath, I see the sadness in that. But at the same time, I am glad that on Christmas Eve Day I have found my way back to this blog, to writing. And as I type I am listening to Amy Grant. And although I didn't have time to get a tree this year, I am still surrounded by decorations, by the love of those I am closest to. And I am so grateful, so thankful. It has been a year of blessings, and I am happy. When you're small you want nothing more than for it to always be Christmas at your family's house, and to live in that memory forever. While that is not possible, it is good to know that life, as unplanned (and often hectic as it is) can deliver those same happy, safe feelings in unexpected ways. Despite all the twists and turns, I have always found my way back to writing, to family and to those songs that remind me what everything in life is really all about.

The pictures above are from my December. It was full of surprises (an iPod Nano from my bf, a birthday office prank from my new co-workers), nights with friends at good restaurants (Brasserie Pascal in Newport), champagne all around, shopping (coats from Juicy Couture and shoes from Kate Spade), a trip to Crumbs (of course!), and lots of glitter (picture taken from my work trip to G the Body Art Professionals).

I wish you all the Merriest, most blessed of Christmases. I hope you take the time to cherish all you have and those around you <3 nbsp="nbsp" p="p">

My Favorite Things

This is my favorite time of year and with my birthday this past week, I am feeling truly blessed and happy. So much to be thankful for in this life and in this season in particular. I have been so swamped with work that I have not taken the time I would like to savor the fall-Christmas onslaught. Today it felt good to come up for air and write this post. So here are some of my favorite things, in addition to whiskers on kittens, of course:

1. Sketches. I have always been a huge fan, and have talked about my love of illustration here before, but a birthday card from my colleagues, a receipt from Ann Taylor, and a trip to a fabulous nail lounge that had these portraits, got me really loving those who have the gift to draw. I love how others capture the fashion and form of women.

2. My home, Laguna Beach. I have only lived here for five years, but it is such a part of me and who I am. I know I am meant to be here. I was asked recently if I was considering moving to Torrance, near my work. True, Torrance is near Redondo and Manhattan Beach, but it is not the same as Laguna. Where else can parrots greet you outside your favorite eatery? My feathered friends were out at Mozambique to meet me as I enjoyed a glass of wine while overlooking the ocean today.

3. Champagne. The celebratory drink of choice, I had the perfect mimosa today while at the nail lounge and a pomegranate kir for my birthday at Brasserie Pascal on Fashion Island. Trying a new restaurant is something I always say I will do, and birthdays are the perfect opportunity. I came away really loving this gem of a restaurant, and the $5 champagne cocktails at Happy Hour even more. Something as simple as a sip can make any occasion seem grand. 

4.  Tulle ... in white packages wrapped up with grosgrain. I have been really into the look of tulle lately. While it can make many think of vintage petticoats, I love it on an overskirt more. Tulle flows from the waist, really nipping a high waistline. And who doesn't want to look smaller in the waist? I purchased a full, puffy white skirt from Anthropologie and a minty tiered tulle from one of my new favorite sites, BHLDN. I have never received anything packaged so beautifully as this BHLDN arrival. I am definitely keeping the box. It made opening the mail an event, and the skirt came in a garment bag for safe keeping.

5. Jewelry. My affair with handmade jewelry is something I think will be with me for life. I stumbled upon this booth in Laguna with gorgeous handmade designs reworked from vintage. I bought many gifts and soaked in the color and shine. I am a bit sad to think that I don't work with jewelry anymore, as I remember when I see new pieces and meet new artists why I fell in love. I love the passion behind this craft. The effects of it linger in my veins still. My roommate bought me this fabulous white statement piece off Etsy for my birthday. And every now and then, there's still a good store-bought piece at Nordstrom that is worth the money. This pink statement bib is only $29 and I have been wearing it non-stop. You can never have too much.

6. My job. I spent today at Cosi Fan Tutte Nail Lounge in Laguna and loved getting to know the owners, staff and learn about the nail industry in general. The passion people have for nails and nail art is made so apparent to me, and it reminds me of how walking down PCH, picking up some handmade jewelry and sipping a glass of wine makes me feel at home; comfortable; safe. Working has been something that I love to do and am good at, and I am so blessed to have found this new job, and am so thankful for the doors it's opening up for me. I love that going to get pampered is part of the job. My toes are sparkling in OPI polish, and it reminds me of the sand on the beach glistening.

There's nothing I would trade my time in Laguna for. Work is after all, why I moved out to Laguna in the first place. It's where me and my roommates have gone out and danced, celebrated, and dined. It's where I have spent a few birthdays, a few summers, taken visitors, and attended art events. It is the place that binds me to so many people, memories, and loves. The best date of my life was walking along Laguna Beach and stopping for coffee twice.  If you truly love where you live, you stay there and soak it in as long as you possibly can, so that you feel like you will never really leave it.  Sometimes it's the home you make -- whether it's a salon, store, restaurant, or at work, that becomes your favorite place. And that feeling of finally being at home is the best gift imaginable, and no box, no matter how pretty, can possibly contain it. 

i carry your heart

My boyfriend and I celebrated our 2 year anniversary this past Saturday. The time has gone by so quickly. It seems like we just met, and yet, it seems like we have known each other our whole lives. It's a great place to be.

His gift to me was this storage unit he built after several trips to Home Depot. It is specifically built for shoe storage! Isn't that amazing? It has helped keep my room much cleaner. And now I can go buy more shoes!!! He told me that he loved that I have a passion for shoes. It was such a relief to hear that he gets me. I have dated some horrible guys in the past; guys who used to give me lots of grief about the stuff I bought. So it is so nice that this guy not only helps me add to my collection with a place to house my hobby, but he also buys me shoes on occasion (like the Lobster Crocs pictured above). I am so blessed.

We have a thing about lobsters, my boyfriend and I. We are each other's lobster, and it has become sort of an inside joke. So for my gift to him, I altered a T-shirt. I stenciled on "Smug Lobster" and used a design from my friend, Virginia, to complete the look. The shirt looks very cool, almost vintage. And I love that we both handmade each other gifts this year. I even baked cookies! Something I never do. But these pumpkin, chocolate chip, cinnamon cookies were well worth the try.

I didn't get a card this year, but I did do something quite romantic and write down ee cummings' "i carry your heart" on stationery and gave it to him. Hands down, this is the most romantic poem I have ever read. And it really got me thinking about love. Good love inspires us. It makes us want to write. Even if we are not a poet, love is the guiding force to finding the right words, the right expression. I have been so lucky in love of late. The blog comments I get here have been full of support and encouragement. I feel so deeply loved by everyone who reads and writes some words. Your comments are like poetry to me, and they too get me thinking. Because I love to write and because I run across so many people who inspire me, I am able to blog. It is how I share in that dialogue of sentiment and warmth with friends, family, and maybe even strangers across great distances. Your words are appreciated. Your words are kind. I carry them in my heart.