The San Diego Airport Story

"what do you think I should write about"
"me"
"what about you"
"That I'm cute and cuddly and adorable. I have three dogs, and an auntie and a grandma and a whole ginormous family" (Yes, ginormous is in her vocabulary)

This was my suggestion from P today. As we sit in the San Diego airport. Its funny how life imitates art as art imitates life. As she said this all I could say is, "that is just about all I do talk about, love." My good little traveler is continuing to read as I type which is not usually the case. She's much more likely to be watching netflix, creating epic sagas with her mounds of unusual characters in her room, or splashing in the pools with the dogs. It's a little funny to listen to her read the words as they pour out of my head.

Usually we are not sitting in an airport with 4 hours to go before our flight. Even though this week (that I'll recap in a separate post) has been a very busy one, and totally worth it. I could do without 4 hours at the airport. People watching does make it easier.

Airports have always been an interesting place to me, so much transition, so many people mildly anxious about their next step, about all the things that travel brings. New places, new foods, new sights, or smells. So many ready to go home, much like us, you can see it in their faces. Too much sun, maybe also a few too many cocktails. Recovering from days of rich food and super soft beds lead to feeling a little dazed while awaiting our boarding call. Looking for the comforts of home on the other side of this flight.

killing time

Among the typical airport chaos The World Cup is raging on behind me. While I'm not a soccer fan, the whole process is interesting. I'm glad so see the US doing well, and so many cultures brought together. The tiny airport bar, usually only frequented by day drinkers and business travelers that need use of their outlets, is currently standing room only as fans shout, gasp, and sigh with each turn of events. It makes me want to be more passionate about it, but really I'll probably just continue to admire those dedicated fans and read the recaps tomorrow online.

I think I like airports because of the people they bring together. So many faces, going so many different destinations. A million story-lines to be fulfilled. I'm really a little surprised there aren't more stories that involve airports and their travelers, it all seems so full of potential.

Helping Daddy turn 65 with some love for Canva

*I have not been compensated for this post and all opinions are my own*

This adorable invitation went out to 50 of my dads closest friends last week:

When mom asked for help finding a fun invitation I asked a very busy friend, and when it got close to crunch time, I went to find my own solution. I looked up one of the tools I found at my work conference and decided to put it to good use. Canva is a wonderful free resource for photo editing. It is no Photoshop in it's capabilities, but if you don't own Photoshop or just aren't terribly interested in getting extreme with it, this may be a perfect site to use. I've found it a great resource for blog images, editing photos for Facebook and Twitter, and now inviting our family and friends to celebrate.

So Canva is so sweet and simple, they even offer wonderful premium elements for only $1 each.
Here are the basics:

That's a very rough basic run-down, and with each image I tend to spend lots of time tweaking fonts, altering sizes, and changing elements. It is a great resource for any blogger looking to spice up their blog images.

What is your favorite tool for blogging?

Taking advice from Crazy Eyes

"sometimes the feeling inside me get messy like dirt, then I like to clean things. Those things are like my thoughts, and clean my mind..."

I couldn't help but to rewind and get this quote down. It feels so close to home, so realistic. There are days my brain gets all muddled, my thoughts sloppy and, my personal state of sweet enthusiasm is lost in self-doubt and frustration. This will not be a clean post, it will not be spotless and refined. This post will be muddled.

Work is clear, well the basics of work is clear. My 9 to 5 checklist is filling out just fine, I'm accomplishing my daily tasks and meeting my goals. I've been recently approached with a consulting opportunity, which makes things all blurry. In one way, I really should take the opportunity. Start to make a name for myself, show off my skills, open future doors. But then I could fail... I could be less good than I think. I could be incapable of helping someone else do what I do well.

Home is clear in the daily tasks, checking things off, dinner, dishes, laundry and floors. The easy stuff is being kept up with. Now it's about planning a back lawn for the dogs, getting my garden planted and a yard sale organized. Everything else is half done. My desk isn't organized, the garage could use some work, the deck should be refinished.So many dirty little corner tasks that would make me much happier to be done, but for now they wait.

Family, friends, coworkers are clear on the surface. I text mom every day, keep up with friends each week, and help coworkers appropriately. I could do more. I could go sit with mom more, really talk to her. Friends deserve face time, not just Instagram comments. Coworkers deserve attention, focused attention, not just enough to satisfy them.

P is clear, she does her homework and her chores. We make dinner together, she earns her Netflix time. Again the basics get done. The day to day is fine. Then there seems to be something missing. We're not painting or drawing or doing cartwheels on the front lawn. We're not getting any deeper than the neat clear waters of a good kid, and a decent mom.

Where's my scuba gear, how do I get beyond the clear, clean top layer. Where do I go to find the dirt, and start to clean it. Today I start to clean, from the inside, today will be a day of affirmations, and taking notes from wonderful columns like The Other B Word, and finding inspiration in people like Tiana. If you need to come find me, please bring a mop.

"and you have to start from the inside out, or you step on the clean"

- Crazy Eyes, Orange is the New Black

High five for Sunday Social! (on Monday... again)

Hi friends, before we get started, will you do me a favor and go follow any one of my social media sites today; please and thank you... links in the pretty circles to the right ->

I'm joining Ashley and Neely with their link-up today for Sunday Social! Visit one of their pages to find the full listed of linked up blogs that participated this week!

1. 5 songs you'll listen to the rest of your life 
Jessica -The Allman Brothers
Faithfully -Journey
Let it Be -Beatles
Crave - Flight Facilities
She Keeps me Warm -Mary Lambert 

2. 5 things on your bucket list
Visit Barcelona
Skydiving
Burning Man
Be part of a flash mob
Be his wife for 50 years

3. 5 celeb you'd love to hang out with for a day
Anna Kendrick!!!!
Justin Timberlake
Kristen Chenoworth
Ellen
J-Law 

4. 5 things you always carry in your purse
Phone
Headphones
ID
Gum
Business cards


5. 5 books on your reading list
Divergent
The Serpent of Venice
The Son of a Certain Woman
The Antelope in the Living Room
Happy to be Alive, Because
 

6. Share the last 5 pictures on your phone

Our Easter Sunday in pictures

Easter Egg Hunter

Our Sweet Little Roses

mommy getting her coffee

This is how we let her go to breakfast

Cutest Easter Cake Ever!

As always I hope you participate with us, I love reading these.  If you repost please be sure to link up with the girls above. Part of my Sunday morning is now dedicated to couch time while reading all of these! Have a wonderful weekend. 

Putting my Best of the Best foward | Sunday Social

Hi friends, before we get started, will you do me a favor and go follow any one of my social media sites today; please and thank you... links in the pretty circles to the right ->

I'm joining Ashley and Neely with their link-up today for Sunday Social! Visit one of their pages to find the full listed of linked up blogs that participated this week!

1. What was your best birthday?
26 was pretty epic. Honey bought me tickets to Armin Van Buren in San Francisco and we stayed the night in the city, ate way too much great food. Really a perfect weekend!

2. What was your best vacation?
At 17 I went on a 2 week trip with my school, to tour Western Europe. I didn't know anyone and there were only a few kids from my school. It was an enlightening experience.

3. What is the best date you've ever been on?
My guy's 30th birthday. We spend the day with family, then got amazing sandwiches at our favorite deli, Guigni's. We had a divine dinner at Bottega courteous of a gift certificate. Then went to dance at Ruby Skye with 15 of our closest friends. It was 18 hours of perfection. 

4. What is the best movie(quality) you've seen?
I think Earth is the most beautiful and stunning movie I've ever seen

5. What is the best TV show ending of all time?

When Rachel got off the Plane! 

As always I hope you participate with us, I love reading these.  If you repost please be sure to link up with the girls above. Part of my Sunday morning is now dedicated to couch time while reading all of these! Have a wonderful weekend. 

I can't wait for Summer because.... A link up!

Hi friends, before we get started, will you do me a favor and check out one of my social media sites today; please and thank you... links in the pretty circles to the right ->

Hello Friends,

I'm jumping into a great link up that makes me so happy to start thinking about the wonderful warmth of Summer. Can we start off without this song.... No I don't think so:




1. Dresses: All dresses. I love summer mornings - Shower, hair, makeup, dress, sandals, accessories and go. No need for the dozens of sweater/scarf/boots/pants options to choose from.

2. VEGGIES! Daddy built me gorgeous Veggie beds last year, that turn a great crop. Napa also hosts a bi-weekly Farmers Market and the farm stand BIG Ranch Farms near my house opens with a fantastic bounty of fresh produce. I'm so excited to get back to diving in to a giant tomato salad.

MMM these will be so full soon!

3. Grilling! Time to fire up the BBQ again for dinner, steaks, garlic bread and squash all on the grill which means no dirty pans. Add paper plates and sit outside and the house remains wonderfully clean.

4. Napa City Nights : this is one of my favorite ways to spend a Friday night. We take a huge pile of hoops, a few bottles of wine, and hang out in the grass of a downtown park to listen to live music from local bands.

4. Little Hooper at NCN

5. Suuhhummer Niaaaahiights those long hot nights, where you can sit outside just about anywhere and enjoy the cool air.Can't wait to make use of every porch, patio and other alfresco drinking dining options in Napa.

6. Swim Lessons - Little princess comes home exhausted and proud of herself - two things every parent dreams of! And she looks so darn cute doing it:

7. Day Drinking: there's something about summer that  makes it perfectly acceptable to crack your first beer or mini sparkling bottle at 10am. 

8. Finally it will bring me one step closer to my first trip "home" to Burning Man, and enjoying the 15someodd fundraisers to help get Opulent Temple (the sound camp we'll be with) get there too.

Please visit Helene and  Taylor to grab a button and link up with them,  this is a great way to let us daydream our way to warmer days and nights.

What's your favorite thing about summer?

something our kids are missing out on

We talk so much about what our kids have being the new generation. The technology, knowledge, possibilities, the same sex marriage. What we don't talk about as much is what they don't get to have. This was posted by a friend in a group of moms I belong to on Facebook: 

So an old man just asked if when my kids get to the age of playing hide and go seek am I going to let them? ... My answer was I'd watch them play. He said did your parents watch you? I said no. He then asked me to think about when I have grandkids and what the world might be by then?

The Moms (myself included) responded with a grand general consensus. Our kids don't play out front without parents. They don't go to the neighbor's unless they are escorted. They don't go to the park alone. This all from a group of hundreds of women, living in Napa. A city with a crime rate well below average. Several of us live in small neighborhoods, next to good schools, where we may not know our neighbors names, but are friendly.


This whole conversation broke my heart a little.The days of unsupervised roller hockey at the park down the street, running through the neighborhood without supervision, having limits of "when the street lights come one" or "I'll holler for you when dinner's ready" are things our kids may never know.


Our kids will face bigger challenges than we ever saw. How do we manage give them enough freedom to learn who they are. I lived down the block from a school and about 3 blocks from a large park. I knew every kid within a 3 block radius.

The park was the scene of my first time climbing up a slide. The first time I skated backwards on my Roller-blades, the first time I fell out of a tree and my first bee-sting. The school was where I learned to shoot a free-throw and archery, climbed on the roof in hide and seek and the scene of the first (and one of the only) punches I ever threw.

It scares me to think that we may be limiting their opportunities to learn from their peers, and take chances. I did try stupid things but usually only once. I learned a lot from those kids, and consider many of them dear friends to this day. There's something to be said for allowing our children the opportunity to make good decisions, or at least learn from bad ones, but I can't seem to find where that falls in line with keeping them safe in our ever changing world.

Do you (or would you) let your children play with the same level of supervision you were given?

What is one thing your parents would have KILLED you for doing, that taught you a powerful lesson?

Cookies, Walks, Succulents and Sleepiness

This weekend was delicious and relaxing I don't usually do a weekend recap because I am typically TERRIBLE about taking pictures. Somehow I pulled it off this weekend:

Made these awesome cookies, I'd been craving cookies for a while and finally just did it. They were pretty darn good if I do say so myself.

My lovely succulents were all looking a little sad and crowded in their previous arrangement (forgot a before picture oops) but they're much happier in their new homes.

Took our babies for a walk, or well Chester may have been leading a little bit. They're getting so much better on their leashes. 

This amazing salad happened for lunch. BBQ sauce may have not been the healthiest topping, but it sure was good!

 And the theme, of everyone's weekend - pure exhaustion.