Sometimes the best things are just stumbled upon. The B&B looked quite lovely from the website, but as we drove up through the majestic oaks, I knew something special awaited. In fact, the whole Santa Ynez Valley was intoxicating with its vibrant fall colors and aromas of sage and dry grasses drifting in the breeze.
This truly is a special place... and I can't wait to go back.
11.11.11 What a beautiful wedding to officially end my wedding season! Taking place at the recently opened Rosewood Hotel Georgia, the wedding was simple and yet classy, with details in all the right places. I've always said that what matters most on your wedding day is the people that surround you. Libby and Cory's wedding was the perfect example. I heard some of the most touching speeches, and by far the most hilarious. I love the numerous references to Cory's attempts in winning Libby over... and I think everyone would agree, not only was it worth the effort in the end, but they truly are the perfect match. Watching this incredible couple over the course of the day was so touching.
Thank you Cory and Libby! You are both so wonderful! Much love... xoxo
Dress: Alvina Valenta
Jewelry: Vintage (gold locket and pearl/gold ring belonging to Grandmother)
Hair: Amanda MacDonald
Make-up: Jasmine Hoffman-Folster
Flowers: Celsia Florist
Wedding Planner: Spread Love Events (Sarah Duyker & Ashley Bond)
Ceremony & Reception: The Rosewood Hotel Georgia
Cake: The Uncommon Cake (Jill Shumka)
Dj: Dj Ana
I can still taste the salt on my lips, feel the wind on my face, the warmth of the setting sun, the sand in my toes...
Home from a month long voyage. I needed this time away from my Vancouver life... my working life. I needed to stretch my legs and expand my spirit. I needed a visit with myself... check in and see what was going on. Sometimes it can take a while to process our experiences... to feel where we are, and how we have changed. I remember my father telling me years ago, that this anxious feeling I get every now and then can be explained as if I have outgrown the box I call my life. When I am not inspired, when I can no longer stretch my legs fully... I have changed, and I need to change my box accordingly. For me, this requires a bit of distance from it all. I need to disconnect from certain things... and reconnect with others. Sometimes, all the things that make us come alive get pushed to the back-burner... work emails have to be answered and bills need to be paid, right? This is reality. But my happiness lies in remembering... and living those other things. Like travel and adventure, great food and wine, connecting with friends and strangers, laughing and singing, feeling the ocean's salt linger on my body, feeling the sun warming my skin, driving along a road I've never driven... so many things! Don't get me wrong, there are so many wonderful experiences in my every day life that I cherish (and I am so very blessed!), but it's when I lose touch with all the other things that bring life to every cell in my body... that's when the box I call my life begins to feel cramped.
It's just a matter of remembering. And rebuilding. Rearranging a few things to accommodate this new place I have grown into. In fact, it's a very exciting place to be. Taking responsibility and initiative to create something new is empowering. The possibilities are endless.
Recently, I decided I was going to re-write my story. It's time to put it in writing. Tell the story not of my hardships, but of the opportunities and growth that came from them. Not of the losses, but of all that was gained. Gratitude. And more importantly, it's not about where I came from, but where I am going. I can't wait to write about that...
Instead of posting more desert photos (I know, enough already!), I thought I 'd post some inspiring quotes... some good reminders.
Good luck with re-writing your own story...
Here are some images from the latest excursion to the desert. Destination: the Salton Sea. Once a bustling recreational area in the 20's, it now exists mainly as an avian sanctuary, housing over 400 species of birds. The salinity is too high for most fish species, and many of the beaches are littered with literally millions of fish bones. Not so pretty.
Second stop: El Mirage. A popular dry lake bed for shooting editorials and music videos. We just happened to stumble upon a magnificent sunset. There is such a vastness in these areas... you can't help but feel the expansion inside you as well.
Some instagrams from our last baja adventure...
Today is my father's birthday. We are most likely celebrating with a batch of brownies topped with a tealight candle... because that's what we do every year when we are in Mexico on this special day.
My father is a special soul. He is a wanderer, an adventurer, a seeker. He is a skier, a fisherman and a kayaker. But more than that, he is a father and a husband, a brother and a friend. He is a retired school teacher... and I know it would be a challenge to find one student whom he didn't change in some positive way with his spirit and love he gave so freely to all that crossed his path.
One of my favorite things to do with my father is go fishing. It's a rare time I get to be alone with him. My favorite spot is one where we have to walk across a big hay field to get to the cool river lined with tall poplars. In the background are rolling hills glowing golden in the late afternoon light. I remember years ago, watching him come through the tall grass, rod on his shoulder, straw hat on his head, whistling as he takes it all in... dog bounding ahead with a smile on his face. That to me is the core of my father. He is the one that taught me to suck every moment clean of the beauty and love, to cherish every precious second. To practice gratitude. Heaven is here on earth, in those moments. So as we stand in the middle of the river, the cool water circling our ankles and rushing over river rocks a million different shades... I feel so connected to him, because I know that he, too, is filled with so much... love for life.
Thank you dad, for all the precious gifts you gave me... xoxo
