{photo credit}

Well hello Tuesday! What a week it's been and we're only at the beginning! This weekend I'm setting up for another 10 miler and packing for New York, so much going on but so many amazing and good things that I can't even wrap my head around.


This afternoon I got an e-mail that just made the smile on my face even bigger. Today I was nominated for a rock hero (ironic considering my super, superhero party, no?!) In no way do I consider myself a hero (but it does make you feel good).


ROCK HEROES:

We must say that every week we are flooded with nominees for the Rock Heroes!  It just goes to show you what an amazing group of individuals all of you are!  Here are a few of those Rock Heroes…..

Emily has been so much fun to watch as she gets stronger every week.  She comes to us while starting a new page in her life and decided to help in the fight against blood cancers.  It is always so refreshing to have someone that is making a positive impact on their lives as well as others!  Emily is another one with a knock out smile on her face and a wonderful attitude about life that keeps us all smiling!    

With team in training, while being able to accomplish 13 miles is it's own great challenge, there are so many more personal reasons that I'm training. I'm not running for myself, but really for all those who are fighting. Those who dream of running, or even wish they could walk. People who are fighting a battle bigger than themselves. If I can do 13 miles for them, then that's just the beginning of what I can do. 

Hello blog, I've done a horrible job at updating {past updates can be found here} 

There's so much to say and so much to get caught up on, but right now all I can say is that I'm nothing short of utterly grateful for the blessings that have been given to me in my life. Tomorrow I turn 31 {how did that happen!} and I honestly couldn't image a more perfect place to be in life, in every way possible. 

 I can only hope and pray that this next year can be even more amazing that 30 was!

All the fun superhero photos here and of course here!

{photo credit}

I'm leaving on a jet plane.. again... but 48 hours to and from Ottawa {Canada} will be my non-weekend-weekend before I begin to pack and get ready for New York, which just might have to be a completely separate blog post. But for now, I'm over packed for a way too quick international flight back up to visit our northern neighbors and returning to hot, hot, hot California just in time to go to work again on Tuesday. 

C'est la vie {and I loooove it! }

{photo credit}

Yesterday marked the end of a chapter, well.. the chapter ended long ago, but now it's legally over. So many things left unsaid, but a new day... a new chapter.. and most definitely a new life. I found this blog via a friend, and this post which sums up so much of what I've felt over the last year. 


Turning 30 is a big enough deal, turning 30 and getting divorced (yep, I said it..) well that's just never the place you thought life would take you. But I'm embracing every twist and turn, ups and downs, every bit of irony and humor that God's throwing my way, every friend, every rotating crush, every mistake, every joy, and learning to embrace my singleness in the way it was always meant to be embraced from the start. To be completely content and happy through every trial in life, every emotion (good and bad) and falling in love with God's plan for my life...and leaving mine at his feet...every day. 

30 Truths I've Learned in 30 Years:

1. There comes a point in life when you get tired of chasing everyone and trying to fix everything, but it’s not giving up.  It’s realizing you don’t need certain people and things and the drama they bring.
2. If a person wants to be a part of your life they will make an obvious effort to do so.  Don’t bother reserving a space in your heart for people who do not make an effort to stay.
3. If you want to fly, you have to give up the things that weigh you down – which is not always as obvious and easy as it sounds.
4. Doing something and getting it wrong is at least ten times more productive than doing nothing.
5. Every success has a trail of failures behind it, and every failure is leading towards success.  You don’t fail by falling down.  You fail by never getting back up.  Sometimes you just have to forget how you feel, remember what you deserve, and keep pushing forward.
6. When you get to know people with different ethnic backgrounds, from different cities and countries, who live at various socioeconomic levels, you begin to realize that everyone basically wants the same things.  Theywant validation, love, happiness, fulfillment and hopes for a better future.  The way they pursue these desires is where things branch off, but the fundamentals are the same.  You can relate to almost everyone everywhere if you look past the superficial facades that divide us.
7. The more things you own, the more your things own you.  Less truly gives you more freedom.  Read The Joy of Less.
8. While you’re busy looking for the perfect person, you’ll probably miss the imperfect person who could make you perfectly happy.  This is as true for friendships as it is for intimate relationships.  Finding a companion or a friend isn’t about trying to transform yourself into the perfect image of what you think they want.  It’s about being exactly who you are and then finding someone who appreciates that.
9. Relationships must be chosen wisely.  It’s better to be alone than to be in bad company.  There’s no need to rush.  If something is meant to be, it will happen – in the right time, with the right person, and for the best reason.
10. Making a thousand friends is not a miracle.  A miracle is making one friend who will stand by your side when thousands are against you.
11. Someone will always be better looking.  Someone will always be smarter.  Someone will always be more charismatic.  But they will never be you – with your exact ideas, knowledge and skills.
12. Making progress involves risk.  Period.  You can’t make it to second base with your foot on first.
13. Every morning you are faced with two choices:  You can aimlessly stumble through the day not knowing what’s going to happen and simply react to events at a moment’s notice, or you can go through the day directing your own life and making your own decisions and destiny.  ReadThe 7 Habits of Highly Effective People.
14. Everyone makes mistakes.  If you can’t forgive others, don’t expect others to forgive you.  To forgive is to set a prisoner free and discover the prisoner was you.
15. It’s okay to fall apart for a little while.  You don’t always have to pretend to be strong, and there is no need to constantly prove that everything is going well.  You shouldn’t be concerned with what other people are thinking either – cry if you need to – it’s healthy to shed your tears.  The sooner you do, the sooner you will be able to smile again.
16. We sometimes do things that are permanently foolish just because we are temporarily upset.  A lot of heartache can be avoided if you learn to control your emotions.
17. Someone else doesn’t have to be wrong for you to be right.  There are many roads to what’s right.  You cannot judge others by your own past.  They are living a different life than you.  What might be good for one person may not be good for another.  What might be bad for one person might change another person’s life for the better.  You have to allow people to make their own mistakes and their own decisions.
18. Nobody is perfect, and nobody deserves to be perfect.  Nobody has it easy.  You never know what people are going through.  Every one of us has issues.  So don’t belittle yourself or anyone else.  Everybody is fighting their own unique war.
19. A smile doesn’t always mean a person is happy.  Sometimes it simply means they are strong enough to face their problems.
20. The happiest people I know keep an open mind to new ideas and ventures, use their leisure time as a means of mental development, and love good music, good books, good pictures, good company and good conversation.  And oftentimes they are also the cause of happiness in others – me in particular.
21. You can’t take things too personally.  Rarely do people do things because of you.  They do things because of them.
22. Feelings change, people change, and time keeps rolling.  You can hold on to past mistakes or you can create your own happiness.  A smile is a choice, not a miracle.  True happiness comes from within.  Don’t make the mistake of waiting on someone or something to come along and make you happy.
23. It’s much harder to change the length of your life than it is to change the depth of it.
24. You end up regretting the things you did NOT do far more than the things you did.
25. When you stop chasing the wrong things you give the right things a chance to catch you.
26. One of the greatest challenges in life is being yourself in a world that’s trying to make you like everyone else.
27. Enjoy the little things, because one day you may look back and discover they were the big things.  Read The Book of Awesome.
28. Anyone can make a difference.  Making one person smile can change the world.  Maybe not the whole world, but their world.
29. Everything is a life lesson.  Everyone you meet, everything you encounter, etc.  They’re all part of the learning experience we call ‘life.’  Never forget to acknowledge the lesson, especially when things don’t go your way.  If you don’t get a job that you wanted or a relationship doesn’t work, it only means something better is out there waiting.  And the lesson you just learned is the first step towards it.
30. Regardless of how filthy your past has been, your future is still spotless.  Don’t start your day with the broken pieces of yesterday.  Every day is a fresh start.  Each day is a new beginning.  Every morning we wake up is the first day of the rest of our life.

{photo credit}

In between flights, layovers, gate changes, pick ups and drop offs, it suddenly turned to a chilly Fall in California. September is almost officially over and another chapter coming to anti-climatic finish. Today I day dreamed about heading home and spending the night building a fort, curling up with a cup of warm soup, a bottle of wine (or two..) and a date with netflix, ignoring the world for just one night, but life has other plans for me tonight. 


Better plans? Maybe...just maybe...

3 guys, 44 days, 11 countries, 18 flights, 38 thousand miles, an exploding volcano, 2 cameras and almost a terabyte of footage... all to turn 3 ambitious linear concepts based on movement, learning and food ....into 3 beautiful and hopefully compelling short films..... {completely crushworthy}

MOVE from Rick Mereki on Vimeo.

LEARN from Rick Mereki on Vimeo.

EAT from Rick Mereki on Vimeo.

yep, I think I'm in love....

che bel film

The other week, I took my hot date to the Newport Beach Film Festival (I'll take any excuse to see an Italian film.) to see Basilicata Coast To Coast. We laughed, I cried (no, not really), there were Pisa ice sculptures at the after party e abbiamo bevuto molto {molto} vino.

             

{leaning tower of pisa ice sculpture- because sometimes in life thats all you need}

                                                     {photo credit}

I'm so excited, tonight I'm meeting up with an old friend from College to go see the Angels game! Added bonus, this little lady just happens to be working the game. I'm looking forward to a night with more old friends, beer, baseball and of course, an excuse to look cute and show off my new do {I'm rockin' some serious Spiteri curls!}  

Scenes

{*from the not so recent weekend}

Not having a computer that I can call my own is making it a little difficult to blog in a timely manner, but I finally have some photos from our trip to San Francisco.

There was food, lots of it and there was wine- copious amounts as scheduled, and there were friends, best friends, in abunance.

 I believe I have the worlds most amazing friends (and sister and sister's boyfriend). People who have been there for me through life's greatest moments and equally life's more challenging times.

They've been there to cry with me, celebrate with me, laugh with me, keep me accountable so what better way to turn 30 than with some of the people that I love most in this world?

*the rest of the photos are here

   {part of my birthday goodie bag waiting for me at the hotel- and yes, the champagne made it home in one piece}

   I {love} these women

Foreign Cinema is amazing. Equally amazing is Jenn trying to get them to play Breakfast at Tiffany's {a week early} Isn't that what best friends are for!?

   New York Times Food section eat your heart out {pun intended}

{nom}

{love}

ciao

A little quick rogue blog post!

Shortly I'm heading out of my dear New York and back to life out on the West Coast before heading up to San Fran for a little post-birthday getaway with some of my favorite people {to visit some of my favorite people!} 

This week has been such a blessing spending quality time with old friends, hitting up new foodie spots, meeting new editors and being back in the city that has both stolen and broken my heart {full recap still to come}.  But life goes on, and as I head back west, I feel so thankful that I get the opportunity to come back to my first love, in all her glory.

yes, God has an amazing sense of humor with me.

photography by steven chee

Weekend!

                                                 {photo credit}

I don't think I've ever been so excited for the weekend to be here! This week has been a roller coaster of a week, and while I love them, I'm more excited for the warm weekend decending upon us. This week has also been filled with spending time with some amazing women, conversations, testimonies of life challenges and inspiration. I feel so utterly blessed and thankful for the people that Gods brought into my life.

I have no clue what I'm going to do this weekend short of getting my taxes done but some major beach time is definitely on the agenda as well!

 I can only hope and pray that one day I'll have a kid as amazing as this! In the meantime, I'm taking her words of wisdom to live by:

 

who is she?

{photo credit}

she views the world through rose colored glasses • loves to throw dinner parties, but has been known to burn the roast • values eccentricity over convention • is the first to laugh at her own bad jokes • knows the cha-cha, the charleston, and the tango • paints her nails bright coral when she's feeling blue • is infinitely curious • could happily live off of red velvet cake • pens hand written notes to her grandmother • has a signature shade of lipstick • secretly thinks she may be babe paley reincarnated • she will never give up her library card • has a bucket list a mile long and dreams a dime a dozen • is smart, but never a show-off • listens to the day's forecast, but trusts her own intuition • never says no to a sunday matinee at the theater • is quick to blush, but never short of a witty reply • has a skip in her step and a twinkle in her eye • always shares her last piece of gum •

how do they know me so well!?

 {photo credit}

This last week was an emotionally difficult week for me, but it made me stop and think about all the wonderful things {and people} that are a part of my life right now...

This week I'm thankful and happy for:

* The warm weather!  There's no reason to be sad when it's almost 80 degrees out in the middle of January!

* My dad because along with his honesty, love and support, he also sends me photos of new record players for me to purchase and helps me dream up new dreams for Emily.

* Shower curtains {see below!}

* Baking brownies with Grandma

* Spending some quality quiet time with God 

* Challenging myself with new experiences...even if they're only two minutes away

* Friday morning coffee dates with ladies who challenge me to think outside of my own understanding

* Quality time with Emily- seeing my growth, challenging myself, learning to a better me. There's nothing quite better than that.

Gratitude

I love this photo from The Selby...it reminds me of our bathtub/semi-shower situation I had in Italy.

What I'm thankful for this week, having a shower with curtains.

Weekend

 

I'm not one for new years resolutions, in fact to be honest- I hate them, but this year I'm getting back into the groove of things. I may not be able to travel the way that I used to, but there are so many wonderful things right here, so this weekend I decided to not forget pick up my camera and wander around my own backyard.

1. Pannikin Coffee & Tea, Encinitas. I think I go there more now than I ever did in High School but it's a little bit of Brooklyn mixed in with some So Cal sun. 2. Moonlight Beach for a little stroll 3. Meeting up with papa p for a lunch date at Cessy's for some real mexican food 4. Carintas taco! 5. Walk around the farmers market in Carlsbad 6&7 Afternoon stop at the Mission San Luis Rey {can you believe I live right next to it!} I haven't been there since our mandatory fourth grade field trip to the California Missions, but I also appreciate better now than when I was 9.

Re-exploring my own backyard is, for me, taking time to enjoy what I have here, in this moment {and being better about blogging about it!}

My life in cookie dough 

(credit-Christoph Niemann& New York Times blog)

What time is it?

It's cocktail hour! 

Ok I love that scene from Sex In The City and if you don't know, I'm sorry because even as I write this, I'm fighting the urge to snap my fingers.


This afternoon, I'm inspired for a little cocktail bar magic. I'm secretly tucking away ideas for different rooms in my one-day-I'll-afford-a-house file. And while a cocktail room might be overdoing it (just a tad), I do love vintage cocktail bars. For all those tom collin's and dirty martini's I'll be making while escaping poolside. For a  little vintage chic and a whole lot of fun, I bring you Ms. Boardman's bar photographed by Clairborne Swanson Frank for Vogue. 

C'est la vie indeed. 

Afternoon daydreaming never hurt anyone....right? 

 

{photo credit, Slim Aarons}

{photo credit, Slim Aarons}

I'm inspired by Slim Aarons, and this afternoon I want to escape poolside to sip a tom collins or a dirty martini, listen to some 1961 vinyls playing from inside our beach front bungalow and have only the worries of lazy summer afternoons. 

Tomorrow Slim, let's go Riveria poolside....

ringraziamento

I have so much to be thankful for this year, and while I'm not celebrating like last years thanksgiving, I have one better- getting to be with my family this year. 

{photo credit}

As someone once wrote:

If you woke up this morning with more health than illness, you are more blessed than the million who won't survive the week. If you have never experienced the danger of battle, the loneliness of imprisonment, the agony of torture, or the pangs of starvation, you are ahead of 20 million people around the world. If you attend a church meeting without fear of harassment, arrest, torture, or death, you are more blessed than almost three billion people in the world. If you have food in your refrigerator, clothes on your back, a roof over your head, and a place to sleep, you are richer than 75 percent of this world. If you have money in the bank, in your wallet, and spare change in a dish someplace, you are among the top 8 percent of the world's wealthy.

Oh, give thanks to the Lord, for He is good! For His mercy endures forever.
— Psalm 107:1

** and if you happen to be traveling to Bologna this Thanksgiving, you can stop by ristorante Farina- my Bolognese insiders have informed me that they're making our Thanksgiving dinner celebration their new yearly tradition for local Bolognese. I guess I did leave my mark in Bologna after all. **