from film with love.

wow, this weekend has come and pretty much gone like a blur. i think i've been so pre-occupied with the thought of life and its fragility to really pay the last couple days any attention. on friday afternoon chris called me after he learned that his second cousin and her husband were killed when their apartment and about 10 others were destroyed in a fire. she was only 26 years old. i will never understand tragedy, and i can't understand death. it sort of puts things into perspective, and not that i didn't appreciate what, and more importantly, WHO i have in my life, but this really made me think about it all. their passing scares and saddens me, and that fear makes me want to take more risks, enjoy each minute, and stop worrying about things i can't change. i didn't mean to make this a preachy post, but life, and death, really scare me sometimes. as some of you know, chris is going through a battle of sorts for back pay. i've realized that having a fat bank account really isn't that big a deal; enjoying our time is. so once things are settled on that front, we're traveling, whether he likes it not! one place i want to take him is pebble beach, which still holds a piece of my heart...


on a lighter note, my pop is hilarious, and i used to always tell him that he should've been a comedian. i think i get my never serious and always making a joke attitude from him, and i'm grateful for that! anyway, yesterday was his birthday, HAPPY BIRTHDAY, POP!!!!!, so when i talked to him today and asked him what all he did, he told me that he and tricia, my stepmom, went to charlottesville to eat. here's the funny part, he said that he was hungry for mexican, pizza, a cheeseburger and fried chicken. so they went somewhere that had everything but the mexican and for dinner he devoured: three pieces of fried chicken, one cheeseburger, one piece of pizza and two servings of corn. seriously, you'd think he was as big as a house, but he isn't! he's nuts.

how was your weekend?

instant film + san francisco = instant happiness

i've been meaning to scan in my polaroids from san francisco ever since i got back, but if i didn't procrastinate, i just wouldn't be myself. anyway, my scanner is old and not the best quality, but you still get the idea. i don't care what any techie says, film just can't be beat! i love its soft, nostalgic quality, and the fact that you have to wait for it to be developed (whether it develops instantly or in a few days) makes it like a little surprise every time!

the first is from the beach, second is at the palace of fine arts, third is in the rose garden at golden gate park, fourth is at the conservatory of flowers, and the fifth is again from the palace of fine arts.

i didn't really do much planning today for a blog post as most of my day was spent getting a closet organized. i kid you not, there was a mountain nearly up to my knees of chris' "play clothes" that had accumulated to the point that we couldn't walk in our walk-in closet. i started sorting yesterday and got that part done, but today i did load after load of laundry from the closet floor, vacuumed our closet so it looks like new, then put back only what really needed to go in, and the good news is, our closet floor is almost bare! of course my nesting instincts come into play since my time of the month is rapidly approaching, but that closet has been bothering me for a long time now! glad to have it behind me.

also, this is going to be pretty nasty, but since i had to see it, you have to hear about it. yesterday afternoon chris and i had to go to the dreaded mall because he needed new work shoes (his poor old shoes exposed more of his feet than they covered). as we were walking out of the door, there was a van parked by the curb with the mom and two children by it. the girl, who i imagine was 8 or 9 not only picked her nose in that public spot, but then proceeded to eat her finding. i thought my japanese hibachi lunch would end up on the sidewalk. seriously, booger eating, to me, is just as nasty as a fingernail coming off or puss coming from an open wound. i can't handle it! so my question is this: why do kids eat their boogies? i never remember even touching on that in any of my developmental psychology classes, and i'd really like to know the answer (so i can be sure it doesn't happen when i have a child).

how has your weekend/labor day been?

one of my favorite things

kassi and brandi asked me to share my favorite thing about my trip. i actually have two (and one may be pretty obvious) and choosing them was a no-brainer! one of my favorite things was visiting pebble beach and carmel. seriously, so beautiful it almost hurts! i took way too many pictures, walked on the beach, played in the water even though it felt colder than ice, and watched sea birds, sea lions and little sea creatures. also, you may notice in my picture posts that i'm the only person, making it look like i took a trip by myself; i did have a travel buddy, amy, but i only have one picture of the two of us, and she basically made me swear on my life that i wouldn't share it with anyone. ever. i really tried to pick out just a few of my favorites, but this is still REALLY image heavy!

i loved those starfish! i've actually never seen a living starfish before then (no, i didn't kill it and keep it), only sand dollars in florida. i told amy that if i thought i had to live my life knowing that i could never visit pebble beach again, it wouldn't be worth living! i LOVED it!

how has your weekend been? do anything fun?

i'm going to san francisco!

aaaahhhhhhh! i'm so excited! it's my favorite place on earth, and i'll be there in less than two weeks! auntie amy and i are going for a few days just to have fun and non-stop girl talk. on my list of things to do: walk around telegraph hill talking to the wild parrots (but that one is obvious), go to haight-ashbury and get vintage clothes, and if we have enough time, we're driving down to carmel and monterey for the day to take in its beauty (but that's really up in the air as there is so much to do in san francisco we may run out of time).

images from we heart it and google search.

here's my one problem with traveling: i'm too cheap to check my bag, and i have a really difficult time fitting everything into my carry-on. since california weather is SO different from the weather in virginia, i know i'll have to bring extra clothes so i can dress in layers, so i'm thinking about using lauren's idea from when we all met up in june and basically shrink wrapping everything in ziploc bags so it takes up less space! she's a genius!

i know the city is huge, and there's so much i haven't seen, so if you have any suggestions for food, shopping (keep in mind i'm a cheapskate) or anything else, let me know! i don't require much sleep, so i like to try and cram in as much as possible on trips!

have you taken any trips this year? do have any planned for later in the year?

wishlist wednesday!

Most of the wish lists I do are made up of things I really like, and let's be honest, wouldn't mind having, but they aren't my heart's desire. Today (and pretty much ever day) I've been thinking about California, and how there's some indescribable and powerful hold it has on me; it's like when I go there I feel like I'm home. If I can ever convince Chris to go along with it, California is the place I'd like to be. Permanently. So my wish list today is what I really, truly want more than anything else...

First, I'm going to need a plane and a ticket to take me there. SFO, LAX, doesn't matter as long as I'm California-bound! Next I'll need a suitcase full of (all new...maybe?) clothes for the California sunshine. And I don't really need a plate, I'm sure there are plenty of plates in California so I won't need to take my own, but I needed something that actually said California, right?

Just for kicks (pun not intended at first), I thought I'd share a tangible thing I wouldn't mind owning. Cotton candy pink vintage cowboy boots! I'm truly not a pink, girly person, but how awesome are these?!? I could be a pink person for these babies.

Have a wish list you'd like to share? If so, please leave me a link in the comments section so I can see what you're currently lusting over!

venice, california

After I left my blogger meet up weekend, I stayed with my friend Haley who lives in Venice, California. We did a little eating, a little rocking and a whole lot of shopping! I'd never been to Venice, but I'll tell you, I saw a lot. A whole lot. Abbott Kinney has too many great shops for my wallet, but if you find yourself in Venice, and I suggest going at least once, be sure to visit Skylark!

So, we went to the Promenade and shopped at Urban Outfitters, Anthropologie and American Apparel, then we went out on the boardwalk to a restaurant called Fig Tree Cafe. All of their food is organic, and I got fish tacos worth selling your grandma for!

The next day we went back out on the boardwalk in the daylight so I could see the craziness that is Venice Beach. I bought two huge rings for $2.50 each, I saw a two-headed turtle, caught a contact high from all the legal marijuana, and spied these decorated motor homes where the homeless beachcombers live.

Before we left the boardwalk, we went out on the beach for the drum circle that happens every Sunday. I definitely enjoyed it, and I really liked watching this Native American man dance with his feathers.

When we left the drum circle, we did a little more shopping (okay, a lot), then we went to a greek restaurant and I got the best authentic pita sandwich I've ever in my life eaten. Once we got back to Haley's apartment, she changed her clothes and did my eye makeup (I'm so not a girl) in preparation for the show at The Viper Room! We went to see her friend's band, Stevie Starlight, and it was an awesome show! We drove through Beverly Hills on the way there so I could see all the places I'd never be able to afford.

california, again.

Okay, before I go any further, I'm gonna warn you, there are a lot of pictures! I thought I'd finish showing you everything from my California trip in this one post, but there's seriously no way that's happening. It was hard enough to choose which pictures to use without overwhelming you, but I also figured that I should finish telling you about my blogger meet up fun before I introduced you to Haley, the friend (who isn't a blogger) that I stayed with for the second part of my trip. Haley pictures will come tomorrow. Now, without further ado...

On Friday we spent much of the day at the beach, and I must say, it was breath-taking! And yes, of course I took a picture of a bird!

Lauren and I took a picture of one another taking a picture. Kassi looks cute as always, and Brandi poses for our pictures. Chris loves her mirror sunglasses. I wish Kelly could have come, too!

Kassi's kids were our company and entertainment for the day. Tannyn and Tayli were our photographers, and Tyler left us to girl talk while he surfed. It must be said, Tyler is any mom's dream. Seriously, he's the most respectful and helpful 12-year-old boy I've ever had the pleasure of meeting!

We went to Brandi's friend's store Pretty in Pink in Costa Mesa, CA and I fell in love with so many things. I ended up only getting a double finger ring, but there was a tank top, a pair of pants, a few shirts and a dress that i really wanted! Then we went to the fair for my last bit of time with my three favorite bloggers before it was time for me to leave and go stay with Haley.

I had a great time with them, and I can't wait to do it again. I don't know if the next meet up will be in another state, or maybe at my house, but either way, I'm ready!

back to the san francisco pics

So far, I've uploaded about 150 pictures to facebook and I still have quite a few more, plus videos! I promise I won't obsessively share all of those on this blog, but since I always like to see what others are doing, I figured I'd share as well. Also, do you ever wonder what the person behind the blog/shop/computer looks like? I know I do, and now you know what I look like (in case you're as curious as me).

From the top: looking down (all the way down) from the Golden Gate Bridge, and me at the Golden Gate Bridge.

From the top: looking down the Greenwich steps. If you've ever watched "The Wild Parrots of Telegraph Hill," you'll remember that Mark Bittner lived in a cottage on these steps! The next three pictures show a wild cherry headed conure and her baby (you can tell the baby is only a few months old because of the lack of red feathers). Lastly, Telegraph Hill is my absolute favorite place in San Francisco. Not only is it beautiful because of the view and lush landscaping, but the parrots make it absolutely magical. We saw about 50 parrots and got close enough to touch them, but I didn't, I only took pictures (and they're the main reason I want to go back so badly)!

From the top: Lombard Street is so much more beautiful than I would have thought, and the landscaping inside of the curves is just gorgeous! The last picture is of Amy and I, she's Mr. Dinosaur Toes' aunt, and she was nice enough to take me on this girl's only trip!