A Day In My Life...

I've always been fascinated to see how other people live and what goes on in their day to day lives. I've shared glimpses of my life here and there, moments, outfits, accessories that I love but I thought it might be fun to share an entire day from start to finish. 

9:00am

Sleepy head crawled out of bed, brushed my teeth, made the bed and got dressed for my first appointment of the day. 

My favorite Nike hoodie, Zella workout pants & a plain white tank.

10:00am

Grabbed my Venti half-soy, half non-fat, triple shot latte from Starbucks and dashed to my 10:30 appointment, messy hair, yoga pants and all. 

11:00am-1:00pm

My saving grace and glamour on the go arrived! Hair, makeup and a little work while getting my pretty on! Yes, I know it's a bit crazy but my days tend to be pretty jam packed and I end up on the phone, working, typing and hysterically laughing all while my makeup is being applied and my hair is being styled. 

It's hard not to laugh when you look like a Who from The Grinch Who Stole Christmas, and did I mention that my stylist continually cracks me up and entertains me. She's the absolute best!

1:00-2:00pm

Prepared for 2:00 meeting. 

Not too exciting, but I actually just sat at my bathroom counter with my laptop and worked before I got dressed for my meeting. 

2:00-3:00pm

Four hours later I'm out of my sweats and on my way to a quick business meeting.

3:30-5:30pm

Dashed to a birthday Celebration, no time for an outfit change!

6:00-10:00

Off to a charity gala for an exceptional organization that I am so proud to be a part of.

Did I mention it was cowboy themed!

:: My Boots ::

::  My Buckle of Love ::

:: And the incredible women from whom I learned that it is far better to give than to receive ::  

10:30pm

When I saw this at the gala I just had to have it! It's Champs, says "couture," looks like Louis and was for an excellent cause so of course this cutie came home with me. 

 I also got to come home to my husband! We Caught up on our days since he left before I woke up and I washed my face because as much as I love being pretty and pulled together I actually hate to have anything on my face!

11:30pm

Time for my beauty rest. Night night, sleep tight, don't let those bed bugs bite.

Hope you all had a great day!

xo, 

  

Oh What a Year!

I have never been more excited to see one year end and another begin! 

This year has taught be some wonderful life lessons. It has revealed to me those who are truly my friends. It has made me a stronger person and has demonstrated to me that grace and dignity always prevail. It has reminded me time and time again how incredibly grateful and thankful I am for the remarkable people I have the honor and privilege to have present in my life. 

I chose the words above with great care for to me they are not simply words, they are action and values. 

:: presence :: grace :: gratitude :: loyalty :: authenticity :: 

These are the values that define my character, my friends and my life. I know they're strong and powerful and that sometimes it may require more work for me to embody them, but I also know that when the day is done these qualities are who I really am and I am proud of that. 

I recently came upon the song, Nothing More by The Alternate Routes. It is a poignant song that seems befitting as this year draws to a close.

To be humble, to be kind.

It is the giving of the peace in your mind.

To a stranger, To a friend

To give in such a way that has no end.

We are Love

We are One

We are how we treat each other when the day is done.

We are Peace

We are War

We are how we treat each other and Nothing More

To be bold, to be brave.

It is the thinking that the heart can still be saved

And the darkness can come quick

The Dangers in the Anger and the hanging on to it.

We are Love

We are One

We are how we treat each other when the day is done.

We are Peace

We are War

We are how we treat each other and Nothing More

Tell me what it is that you see

A world that’s filled with endless possibilities?

Heroes don’t look they used to, they look like you do.

We are Love

We are One

We are how we treat each other when the day is done.

We are Peace

We are War

We are how we treat each other and Nothing More

I wish you all a happy, safe and healthy 2014! 

With love, gratitude & kindness, 

Onward & Upward!

It's been a while...a long while since I've posted anything of substance and there has been a very good reason as to why. My privacy and my family's privacy were violated. 

Obviously, I fully understand that when blogging any information one chooses to share should essentially be considered public. To this day I have no regrets about anything I've posted. 

Never in my wildest dreams did I expect or even consider that the content of my blog would be used against my family. What would have appeared, and what I am sure did appear as a typical and seemingly innocuous post was used as fodder against my family in an outrageous and totally inappropriate way. This malicious act was committed by a couple of very close family friends, and I'm truly disappointed in them.

My decision to take a brief break from blogging was an easy one, you simply do not hurt my family. The good news is that I've never lost faith in my blogging family. After giving this blog a lot of consideration over the past several months, I have made the decision to begin blogging again!

Why?

Because I have truly missed blogging and it is something important to me. 

I don't let people keep me from what I love and I am certainly not going to begin now. 

And, while I have always known that I was awful at keeping a journal I came to realize that this blog quickly became a beautiful way for me to chronicle my life, interests, travels, friends....

To my friends and family who have supported me, thank you! 

To my fellow bloggers, I am sincerely sorry if we've lost touch, I truly look forward to reconnecting! 

And so with love, gratitude and perspective, I look forward to what's next. 

Heart to Heart

:: Disclaimer | I had planned and still will post a much lighter piece in the coming days :: 

The last two weeks have been a humbling reminder of how fragile life can be. They have also been a stunning demonstration of love, friendship and family. Nearly a year ago my life began to change. In some ways things have changed for the better, in some ways things have become more challenging.  Some changes were more foreseen than others and some have been downright shocking and painful. 

:: truth ::

Last Sunday my best friend and I had a wonderful evening together. We said good night to one another and I began to get ready to crawl into bed. Then my phone rang, it was him. In an instant my heart sank and I knew he needed me and that I needed to be with him through whatever the coming hours would bring. Ultimately, a patriarch passed away; a husband, a father, a grandfather and one incredible man. It was sudden, unexpected and heartbreaking.  I was fortunate enough to have witnessed Max's incredible love, devotion, affection and kindness. His presence and energy were such that by proximity alone you could feel the warmth, love, and gentle manner of his soul. 

:: my everything ::

I returned from Sunday evening mid-day Monday. Only a few hours later my husband received a phone call from his mom. His cousin had passed away. This was also a sudden and unexpected death, he was only 42. To say that my husband and I felt overwhelmed at this moment does not even begin to touch on the emotions of disbelief, emotional exhaustion and sadness that we both experienced. 

Yesterday we gathered to celebrate the life of an amazing son, brother, uncle, friend and person. Following the funeral we returned to the family home and were surrounded by his closest friends. His brother, sisters, nieces and nephew's all jumped into the pool in his honor. There was laughter, there were tears, wonderful memories and shared stories but above all there was what matters.  

:: love. friendship. family :: 

As I write this I am sitting in the warmth of the incredible sunshine, looking at the deep blue sky and there is an overwhelming sense of peace. My peace is not the result of a perfect life but rather the acknowledgement of a life fulfilled. 

And while some people have come and gone from my life I realize that those who matter remain. And, that through it all there is love, there is friendship and we are all family. 

With incredible gratitude & love, 

Friends

One of the things I cherish most in life are my friends.  I think to be a friend and to have friends is such a special relationship. I absolutely love sharing my life with my friends and being privileged enough to share in theirs. 

The past six months have been some of the hardest months of my entire life. I've been really hurt and disappointed by a couple of friends, especially because I felt like when I needed them the most in my life they just sort of disappeared. I know how busy and crazy life can be and I wasn't expecting much. But a phone call, an email, a quick text or just to have grabbed a cup of coffee would have meant so much. 

On the other hand I have some truly remarkable and amazing friends who have shown me more love, compassion and kindness than I could have ever imagined. Who check in and call or text just to say. Some days simply hearing their voices or seeing their messages made my entire day.  From boozy dinners, to great catch up sessions, crazy glitter art adventures, Skype dates from afar, and hikes in flip flops these friends have been and are incredible. It's truly hard for me to find words to properly express my gratitude, my love, my respect and the loyalty I feel for these beautiful souls who I am so lucky to call my friends. 

 Thank you for making my life better. 

Thank you for making me a better person. 

Thank you for making me laugh. Thank you for making me smile. 

Thank you for listening to me. 

Thank you for ensuring my glass is always full & for making nearly anything better with you & a bottle of wine.  

Thank you for loving me and showing me such kindness. 

I value you all, your actions and your presence in my life more than you will ever know. 

With love & gratitude,