Thankful Thursday: Right Now

Gratitude List:

~Girls Nights (and talking for hours)
~Tasty cocktail concoctions (Coconut Mint Mojito? Yes please!)
~Old Faithful eating establishments (especially when they have good salad)
~Old friends (like bad pennies that always come back)
~Progress (at work and inside my head)
~Money (having it, getting it, spending it)
~A home that feels like one
~Having my closet cleaned out and organized (I smile every time I look in there now)
~New Kindred Spirits
~Travel plans (Idaho; Idaho; Vancouver, B.C; Idaho; and Ireland in the next year so far)
~Getting paid to learn and grow
~How much better I feel when I avoid ingesting sugar
~Reading several books at a time because they are all so good I just can't decide

My Manifesto: 11 Things

If I only do eleven more things in this life, I want them to be:

1. Ireland, Prince Edward Island, Italy (I know those are technically separate things, but the list got too long ;)
2. Learning the piano again, and better than before.
3. Having a 'real' camera, and getting lost often in taking beautiful pictures.
4. Living a quiet, simple, country life in between adventures.
5. Being surrounded by family regularly.
6. Taking care of myself and my family financially.
7. Being in love- love that makes me feel alive, and desperately happy to be so.
8. Making life here on Planet Earth better.
9. Living authentically, without apology- being fully myself.
10.Collecting as many beautiful tattoos as I want.
11.Broadening my horizons and stretching my imagination by reading often.

More Feminine Thigh Tattoos

Gah! These just blow me away! Aren't they gorgeous??

This last one was just started by my wonderful artist, Micah Caudle
(at Flying Panther Tattoo in SD. It's not my thigh, in case you were wondering.)
{*EDIT: here's the finished piece in full color.}

Other sources: one two

By the way, it just IRKS me when people don't credit the artist in their image titles and links!!!! Come on! It's not that hard.

P.S. My first post of feminine thigh tattoos.

Wash Your Spoon! (and Rise Above Plastic)

The Surfrider Foundation sure got it right!
Couldn't have said it better myself!!

We Did It! (She's Hitched!)

{My speech- 8 cards long. I ditched most of it last minute and went with my gut and my heart- 
and left the cards for them to read later. It was nerve wracking, but I'm glad I did it!}



{OMG adorbs}



{My best gay boyfriend was my date. He was upset he couldn't find white pants to go with 
the salmon shirt he wanted to wear, but I think he looked fabulous in blue, don't you?}



{My shoes handled the terrain like champs. 
My feet were angry by the end of the night, but it was to be expected! (and worth it)}



{Night falls on the reception.}

Phew! I am so emotionally, mentally and physically exhausted. Not to mention broke.
But it's all done! My plp is a wife. It was a wonderful experience! 
Now I hope you'll excuse me. I need sleep.

Thankful Thursday: I'm Getting the Vapors

Oh, man. What a time. Feelin the gratitude majorly today!

~My best friend is getting married in two days, and I get to be a part of the celebration.
~My uncle and his band are playing the ceremony and the cocktail hour. I can't remember the last time I got to hear them live, but I adore their music and it's going to be epic.
~You know the song I wanted to walk down the aisle to at my own wedding? I get to as a bridesmaid at hers!
~I got to have one last pedicure with both of us being single girls today.
~I've been on the verge of tears constantly this week. Just feeling so nostalgic and blessed! Sometimes it's good to be overtaken by emotion.
~My almost-sister-in-law has been a godsend in organizing this event. Thanking our lucky stars for her!!
~I miss my dad. I'm so thankful to have had such a wonderful dad my whole life! Love you!
~Cannot express how thankful I am for my friends, especially my bestie. I have such wonderful energy around me at any given time!
~So excited for all of the travel that is coming up for me. I've been saying I wanted to go places my whole life, and it's finally going to happen.
~The power of music. Especially the guitar, mandolin, piano, and violin. I have grown up on live music, played with emotion and soul, and I wouldn't have it any other way.
~Admitting when I'm wrong or feeling something I'm embarrassed of, releasing it, and moving on.
~The hope that my dad will walk me down the aisle someday on my own happy wedding day.
~All of the joy and love that will be shared in the next few days.

{photo: Teresa on her birthday this year}

Mount Helix Sunset Magic

Good, good times with my middle brother Jeff. (Can you believe I used to carry him around on my shoulders??)

{These pics are even better if you listen to 'Medicine Bow' by Peter Ostroushko while looking at them. Just sayin'!}

P.s. More of that evening here.

It's Ok..

Sometimes, it's ok to not feel good enough.

It's ok to not be chosen.

It's ok to not understand or be able to define something.

It's ok to not be crazy about what you're doing for a living at the time.

It's ok to not know where things are headed next.

It's ok to feel confused.

It's ok to feel left out.

It's ok to not love everyone you have to spend your days with.

It's ok to not ever get your to-do list completed.

It's ok to accept life not being perfect.

It's ok to feel jealous.

I'm learning to accept ALL of my thoughts, feelings, uncertainty and fears.

They are just a part of life, after all.

Telling myself it's ok helps. :)

{Photo: my dear friend Adam, who just got that beautiful Om tattoo recently. Love it!}

Small Snippets of Home

The basics. Flowers, fresh bread, and tea. I always go back to my old favorites.

Thankful Thursday: Friday Night

thankful for.

_how pretty my house looks right now with the fresh from the farmers market flowers everywhere

_how soft and pretty it looks and feels with all the candles i lit all around

_unexpected plp time

_having a best friend who gives me perspective on everything in life, always right when i need an adjustment the most

_still having my childhood piano in my house, in my reach

_playing my favorite song ever on that piano and just getting lost in it

_the world of opportunities i have available to me for my next step

_having so many wonderful people in my life, i am never ever lonely

_a roof over my head, a home that feels like home, a sanctuary i can't wait to return to every night

_breaking down, admitting i can't do it all, and then picking myself up and dusting myself off and trying again

The Country Is Calling Me

Between Olivia's posts about the French countryside, and this ever-so-moving and inspiring post by Tatiana,
I've got country fever.
What am I doing in the city, struggling to make ends meet, stressing over problems that are not my own?
I long for a simpler life.
Family, nature, food, books, music, and home. There is not much else I need, besides travel.
And living a simpler life would mean more savings for the traveling!
I'm really considering making some major changes in my life. After all, what am I waiting for?
Like Tatiana said,  
"Your life is worth fighting for. Ten years have flown by in the blink of an eye. Don't wait until tomorrow. Do what feels right to you now."
Words to live by, to be sure!

Simply Ten (More) Good Things

This shirt...



Red sky at night in my car mirror...



Honey for my Lavender French Breakfast tea at a favorite spot (Cafe Chloe)...



A really good syrah (made even better by their sponsorship of annual rock-paper-scissors championships!)



A perfect Sunday afternoon (Have you read this yet? Do!)



Pear tart time again, this time double the deliciousness!



This adorable 'angry' baby... {found here}



Discarded items from a rainy day creating an impromptu kitty beach scene!
{by Moriah Angeline}



The shoes of glorious awesomeness I get to wear for my PLP's wedding {next Saturday! eep!}



Feeling pretty and sassy for girls' date night...



Beautiful sky scenery thirty seconds from my house at my local market. {You know I had to break the rules and do 11!}

{source of inspiration for these posts}
{more good things}

Thankful Thursday: Negative Into Positive

I'm Thankful:

That my job was SO stressful today...

Because it means I have a job.

That my car is acting up...

Because it means I have a reliable means of transportation, at least for now.

That I miss him so much...

Because it means I have someone to miss, someone who has touched my heart and soul.

That everything seemed to go wrong today...

Because that means everything can go absolutely right another day.

That I was so unprepared for the electrical blackout...

Because it means I know now to prepare myself for emergencies and natural disasters the best I can.

That I'm so exhausted right now...

Because it means I give my all to everything I do.

That my boss freaked out so much today...

Because it was a reminder to stay calm and do my best anyway.

That I'm so strapped for cash...

Because all of the good food and good times were worth the money.

That I have to wait two more months to see my family...

Because that means I have a wonderful family to visit and miss.

That I never have enough time to do everything I'd like to...

Because that means I have goals, standards and interests.

Your turn!

{Photo by my PLP. Which reminds me, I'm so thankful to have a bosom friend (as Anne Shirley would say), and so thankful to have had such a wonderful trip to San Francisco together!}

Blackout!

Due to the widespread Southern California blackouts last night, I was unable to write my usual Thankful Thursday post.
Stay tuned! For now, I'm thankful the power has returned, and everyone I know is safe.
(The valley actually reminded me of Idaho a bit looking out over it last night with so few lights- peaceful!)

That Day We Walked to Hauser Lake

Three years ago. Don't you just love Jacob modeling my sunglasses?