Curves

Today I'm over at Hollie Takes Notes talking about the female body and how hard we are on ourselves. Come visit me!

xo,

Birthday Letters

Dear Mom - Today is your birthday and there really isn't anyone on the planet I can think of that deserves a better one than you. For the entire 28 years of my life you've always given selflessly to your kids without ever thinking of yourself. Although I did not get your blonde hair or blue eyes, I did get your mannerisms. Brandon has stopped me in the middle of talking a few times to say, "Whoa, whatever hand motion you were just doing while telling that story was identical to your mom." I have always loved reading and all things book related, just like you. Perhaps it was all those years of reading to me when I was little, and taking me to Little Professor Book Store to let me pick out a book (or 3) every few weeks.  It goes without saying that I went on to get my English degree just like you. You have always been the smartest person I've ever known. 19 year ago you had to give birth on your birthday (that was unfortunate) but you gave me our youngest brother, Spencer.

Spence- Having a little brother ten years younger than me was sometimes like having my own living baby doll. I remember clearly when mom and dad brought you home. All 10 pounds 14 oz of you. Holding you was like holding a toddler. I loved when people would talk about how much you looked like me when I was a baby because I thought you were the cutest thing I had ever seen. I'll be honest and admit that I really wanted a sister. You see, I already had a younger brother, AJ. But I had to make due with what I was given. So when you were 4 years old, I would dress you up in my dresses, and put mascara and blush on you. You were always a good sport. Watching you grow up has been a lot of fun. Watching you start college has been weird. I still picture you as this little kid. Although you're now 6'4, you will always be my kid brother. Happy 19th Birthday, doodles.

One of the outtakes but one of my favorites :-)
Dad, Mom, Brandon, Me, Spencer & AJ

30 Things Every Woman Should Know by 30

The Huffington Post recently posted this article that they originally got from Glamour magazine. I've seen this list before, but now that I am closer to 30 (in 1.2 years) it resonated a little more with me then it did years and years ago.

By 30, you should have ...
1. One old boyfriend you can imagine going back to and one who reminds you of how far you’ve come.
2. A decent piece of furniture not previously owned by anyone else in your family.
3. Something perfect to wear if the employer or man of your dreams wants to see you in an hour.
4. A purse, a suitcase, and an umbrella you’re not ashamed to be seen carrying.
5. A youth you’re content to move beyond.
6. A past juicy enough that you’re looking forward to retelling it in your old age.
7. The realization that you are actually going to have an old age -- and some money set aside to help fund it.
8. An email address, a voice mailbox, and a bank account -- all of which nobody has access to but you.
9. A résumé that is not even the slightest bit padded.
10. One friend who always makes you laugh and one who lets you cry.
11. A set of screwdrivers, a cordless drill, and a black lace bra.
12. Something ridiculously expensive that you bought for yourself, just because you deserve it.
13. The belief that you deserve it.
14. A skin-care regimen, an exercise routine, and a plan for dealing with those few other facets of life that don’t get better after 30.
15. A solid start on a satisfying career, a satisfying relationship, and all those other facets of life that do get better.

By 30, you should know ...

 1. How to fall in love without losing yourself.
2. How you feel about having kids.
3. How to quit a job, break up with a man, and confront a friend without ruining the friendship.
4. When to try harder and when to walk away.
5. How to kiss in a way that communicates perfectly what you would and wouldn’t like to happen next.
6. The names of the secretary of state, your great-grandmothers, and the best tailor in town.
7. How to live alone, even if you don’t like to.
8. Where to go -- be it your best friend’s kitchen table or a yoga mat -- when your soul needs soothing.
9. That you can’t change the length of your legs, the width of your hips, or the nature of your parents.
10. That your childhood may not have been perfect, but it’s over.
11. What you would and wouldn’t do for money or love.
12. That nobody gets away with smoking, drinking, doing drugs, or not flossing for very long.
13. Who you can trust, who you can’t, and why you shouldn’t take it personally.
14. Not to apologize for something that isn’t your fault.
15. Why they say life begins at 30

And P.S. Our current Secretary of State is Hilary Clinton ;-)

Fidel's

Fidel's quickly became my favorite Mexican restaurant in the Encinitas area. Well, it's probably tied with Tony's Jacal which I'm sure I'll share at some point. When my best friend Kandi asked if we wanted to meet for a triple date, we were all for it. Even better is that we were triple dating with my old buddy Jordan and his wife and daughter. Jo and I have been friends since we were 15 years old. We don't get to hang out every weekend like we did when we were younger but when we do get together it's like no time has passed at all.

I'm not a huge drinker but it had been a long day and a Mojito just sounded refreshing. It was humongous {and delicious}

Mmm carne asada taco with black beans and spanish rice. Mouth watering.

Brooklyn showing auntie Kandi her full belly

I've never see a toddler under the age of 2 who likes hot sauce as much as Brooklyn!

"Don't look and maybe they won't come over here."



Fidel's has two locations, one in Solana Beach and one in Carlsbad that is now called Norte. 

You would NOT regret visiting, and gorging yourself on this traditional Mexican cuisine. 

Their chips and salsa alone are worth the trip.
Do any of my San Diego peeps know of any delicious Mexican restaurants I might be unaware of?
I want to try them all.

Julian

Julian is a tiny mountain town in Southern California that is famous for their apple pie. When Brandon and I were first dating we took a day trip to Julian, and we've been going back every year in April.

We've come to Julian every year and taken a picture in this exact spot - 2012

2007

2009 - I didn't say all of the pictures were in focus

Things to do in Julian:

Candy Stores:

Remember cigarette gum?! Had to buy a pack.

Shops: filled with old, pretty things...some that smell nice.

Yummy BBQ: in old barns with checkered table cloths

Pretty streets

and most importantly: Apple Pie and other delicious fattening treats...

I hope we always continue to take day trips to Julian.

We've yet to go in the winter when there is actually snow but I can imagine that could be pretty fun as well.

Happy 5th "Dateversary" Brandon!

The Tale of the Mysterious Poop

Last week Brandon and I went on a mid-week date night to the movies. 

We saw Cabin in the Woods, which is an entirely different story in and of itself. 

We left the movie without speech. Bizarre, is really all I can say about that. 

So we get home and Brandon goes into the bathroom to pee and yells, 

"Looks like someone pooped and forgot to flush."

Umm, excuse me? 

I absolutely did NOT leave any poop in the toilet.

So I reply that clearly it must have been him. 

We get in a debate back and forth, each of us swearing in certainty that it was not us.

Suddenly, I stop and look around our dark house,

and the creeps settle over me in a big way.  

Someone else has pooped in our house while we were out. 

My heart starts to pound as I envision the pooping culprit hiding in the closet.

Has he left poops on our pillows? 

In the guest room?!

 I beg Brandon to flush the enormous poop and be rid of it. 

He flushes. 

It won't go down.

He flushes again.

Still there. 

When I saw it float back out the second time I ran shrieking from the bathroom. 

{We can blame the horror movie we had just watched for my hysteria.}

Brandon goes to look outside and I panic,

"WHERE ARE YOU GOING?! YOU CAN'T LEAVEEEE"

I plead and beg,

certain that if he leaves the room the pooper will come creeping out of hiding.  

I follow him outside. 

I don't know what we're looking for.

We live in a duplex, and the unit next to us is vacant while the owner finishes repairs. 

We determine that it must be a worker.

Since the house next door is empty, they must not have toilet paper.

So either our landlord gave them a key to our unit, or they broke in.

Either way they pooped, 

thought they had flushed and hidden all evidence,

not realizing it had floated back out to betray their presence.

Brandon gets all upset and decides that he's going to call our landlord 

and confirm that he isn't letting anyone into our home. 

But then we realize how absurd it will sound if he asks us 

"WHY"

we think someone was in our house. 

"Well you see Scott, there was a massive poop in the toilet."

So what do we do?

We set booby traps.

Yes, booby traps. 

Brandon places toothpicks in the front door and the back door

and my job is to make sure they are still sticking out of the doors when I get home from work.

They were.  

But I'm still terrified that he's out there somewhere

watching...

                                   waiting...
                                                                        pooping.

Five Years of Dating Bliss

Mr. Gray-

Today marks five years that we've been together. Actually, if we're being honest, you asked me to be your girlfriend on April 20th, 2007, but when we realized that our anniversary would be 4/20, we switched it to 4/21. Yes, we switched it. I can't wait to spend the afternoon in Julian with you eating apple pie and finding a hiking trail.

I love that when we go out to eat you always give me your tomatoes and broccoli

 {it helps that you hate them). 

I love that at night you allow me to place my freezing cold feet between your warm legs. 

I love that I can be completely "me" when I'm with you. 
 You've never tried to change me,

and there is a sense of peace that comes from that kind of acceptance.

I love that you'll clean my glasses every time I hand them to you.

You're so good at making sure there aren't any smudges. 

I love the way you're made and the way your mind works.

I love you!

Young pip squeaks!-2007

Friday Letters

Dear Husband- you finally found the car you've been searching for. A 1968 red and white Bronco. A part of me is relieved that you will finally have an old car to work on again {it's been a whopping five months since you sold the last one}. Your favorite thing in the world is scouring craigslist and auto forums. In fact, I think you recently snapped off the plastic piece on my car window on purpose, so you could have a part to look for online. 

Dear Disney Movies - the other day I got very nostalgic for all of you. Aladdin, Cinderella, Snow White, Beauty and the Beast, Lady & The Tramp, Alice in Wonderland, Lion King, The Little Mermaid {you get the point}. On a whim, I decided I was going to purchase the entire collection of all of them on Amazon. They're old so they'll be like five bucks, right? WRONG. They are each between $28 - $48 dollars. I'm sorry, whaaaat? I didn't buy any.

Dear Instagram friends - I posted a picture of my new sparkly nails (Sally Hansen's Nail Effects) on Instagram and mentioned the one lonely freckle on my palm. Who would have known there were so many others (4 to be exact) with a freckle in the same place. It makes me feel like we are in a special club.

Dear Thursday - you marked day SEVEN in a row where I replaced my regularly enormous lunch with a meal replacement smoothie from Jamba Juice. 100% fruit with added protein to keep me filled up until dinner. While Victoria's Secret will not be asking me to model bikinis anytime soon, I do feel lighter and slightly more energized. 

Dear Readers- I've seen fun Q&A sessions on other blogs and thought I might dare to ask...do you guys have any questions for me? Anything at all? If so, let me know and I'll do a post answering them :-)