Life lessons.

Today dear blog, I'm going to go in a different direction. I'm usually one of those blogs who like to write about happy fashiony things... but in a recent turn of events I just wanted to get this out there.

Life is precious. Life is short. Quite frankly - I am blessed. I have my health. My family, my BF, my pets and my friends. I've never wondered what its like to be hungry or go without. I have a job, a roof over my head, nice clothes to wear and a healthy savings account. There are so many people who go without - and here I am being a brat about a 500.00 Hermes scarf. How shallow of myself.

And then there's the other side. The ones you love. Cherish them, because you have no idea what tomorrow holds. I'm realizing that I'm really just a tiny blip on the radar of life. Even when I'm gone - things will go on, people will still be here. I mean... I could walk out of my office today and not make it home. Who knows - right? I certainly don't. So be careful. Cautious, but not overly guarded.

1986 with my papa & grandma

I have been fortunate that I never really experienced loss until the age of 23. But at the same time - I have no idea how to react to people who fall terminally ill or pass away. I don't know how to respond, to think, to act. Is what I'm feeling normal? Who knows. But again - what is normal?

Ultimately what I'm really trying to drive home is that you shouldn't wait to tell people things. Don't wait to say I love you or thank you or that you appreciate them. Be spontaneous (within reason). Jump. Dance. Dye your hair and eat ice cream before dinner. Laugh, and laugh often. Write. Don't regret. Play hooky for a day and wander your city. Try new food (don't be scared - if you hate it you don't have to eat it again). Ride roller coasters and travel. Hug, high five, low five, or walk arm in arm with friends. Buy yourself flowers. Put on rainboots and jump in puddles.

Now that I've gotten it out... I just hope I can remember it all.

Six confessions.

i had actually attempted doing this yesterday but for some reason the internets ate my post for breakfast. booo. i saw this over at Kyla's blog and thought it would be fun to do here.

1) i think i live in the greatest city ever. honestly - i can't get enough of san francisco. even when i travel and come home i'm just so grateful and in awe of the city. i'm not sure of any other place on earth like this. even on days when i hate walking to work or dragging my butt up the hill to the apartment i'll see something like a new flower blooming or the light reflecting off the buildings downtown and i'll remember why i love it here.

2) sometimes i think i should've gone to art school. i really wished i had listened to the inner starving artist inside and taken some photography classes in college. there's nothing that can quite compare to taking my camera out and bending twisting angling myself to get a shot... and when it turns out the feeling is amazing.

3) i have a major soft spot for animals (if you couldn't already tell). if i had oodles of money or if i ever won the lottery i think know i would either start or fund a cat/chinchilla rescue/sanctuary. there's just something about having a fuzzy friend or three around when you come home at the end of the day. plus they always listen and love you unconditionally.

ollie in his dustbath

4) i'm secretly becoming obsessed with pencil skirts. okay, maybe skirts in general. wearing them with tights and flats just makes me happy. i'd really like one in red. and perhaps ocre. oh colors!

5) if there's one thing i wish i could (besides speak fluent italian) it would probably be to sing well. shows like glee and other musicals, heck even the radio make me wish i could belt out a tune or two (without making anyone cringe).

6) i'm a little obsessed with journals. moleskines too, to be exact. there's just something so ... comforting when you open the cover, pick up a pen and let yourself go. i've actually only filled up one whole moleskine but i'm on my way to doing it again (and maybe another by the end of the year). the red ones are secretly my favorite.

well friends thats it for now. hope everyone is having a good week and staying dry if you are in the bay area.

Jetsetting.

Hello my dear blog. I do have some exciting news for you! I just found out yesterday that in March I will be able to travel to London and another city! I'm so, so excited I can't even contain it.

Hello, Big Ben!

In London we will be meeting up with my boyfriend's brother on his way back from Africa to celebrate his 21st birthday. I'm so excited to be able to go back to London again.  There's definitely some sites I'd like to go back to and I'd really like to go see Abbey Road. What's even more fun is that since my last trip to Europe I purchased my nikon camera so I'll have a much better camera to snap photos with.

Also, we'll have enough time to go visit another city for a few days. Our top contenders are Barcelona, Paris, or Amsterdam. I'm really pushing for Paris. Back in 2007 when we did our 6 week tour of Europe we pretty much did everything on the cheap. Hostels, cheap meals, and unassigned train tickets were the main areas in which we cut our costs. But this time around I'd really like to be able to enjoy myself  (within reason, of course) and perhaps not eat at McDonalds so many times. In Paris I could practically taste the croissaints and coffee, Amsterdam I dream of chocolate and wandering the flower marts, and Barcelona's Sacrada Familia and paella are wooing me back in.

I still haven't been able to find churros and chocolate this good in the US...

I'm also starting to think of things to bring back (hah). I'd really like to go to Liberty to bring back some of their specialty printed items and maybe visit to TopShop. Plus the teas, jams, and biscuits... oh man. In Paris I'd totally go for some macarons and perhaps if I could ever swing it a nice scarf from Hermes (hello VAT refund!). And in Barcelona it would be wine.  Amsterdam would be larger photos of flowers (or even tulip bulbs).

Okay so they aren't tulips but they're still pretty.

So - if you have the chance to go to a few European cities again.. what would you bring back? What would you not care to see?

Happy almost weekend!