paying it forward

last week i was standing in line at starbucks, when i heard these two 12-year-old boys discussing what they were going to order.  i started laughing, because i found it comical that they were at starbucks getting caffeinated and they were 12!  they asked me what was so funny and before i knew it, i was having a full-blown conversation with them.  their dad was over at sears and they decided to come get a snack and their drink of choice was a caramel frappuccino. so when i got up to the counter, i said that i wanted to buy their drinks.  they looked at their rolled up dollars and then at me and asked "can we get a large?"

i can't describe how happy it made me to do that for them.  in all reality, the $10 to them was a hard-earned allowance, but to me it was just a tiny dint on my starbucks card (of which i am totally out of control, btw).  of course, then i took a picture of them with their drinks and jeff said that was a little creepy. hence, the generic pic above.

it just feels so good to do something for someone who owes you nothing.  i was thinking about a story my sister had told me about when she was volunteering at her church and was helping out a family who had been homeless for quite some time.  she asked the son how long it had been since he had a home and he said four years.  four years.  no kid should have to live like that.  it just breaks my heart.

ever since she told me that i've been trying to make more of an effort in showing thanks for the things i do have and i think sharing that with others is a pretty good way to do so.

so maybe the next time you're out and you see someone, buy them a coffee, open their door, or treat them to a burrito at chipotle.  i promise it will make you feel a little bit better about life.

i'm thankful for ... (birthday edition)

my sweet husband who worked his booty off for the past several weeks (he even got bit by a nasty spider) helping me get the house ready for my party.  i am always amazed at how much of a rock he is.  he works so hard and i couldn't be more thankful for him!

birthday cards -- every year jeff gives me multiple birthday cards that he has collected throughout the year - one is more sentimental, one is funny - actually, all of the others are funny. my friend tita said the other day "jeff is a mutant man and his super power is romance."  it's hilarious, because it's true.

sushi for my birthday

incredibly thoughtful & generous friends who made me feel so special by not only getting me a present, but by taking the time to pick out something that was so "me."  the weirdest part was that it all came together in this sort of parisian theme with lots of coral and blue -- so, so lovely. 

facebook messages -- say what you will about people being too plugged in, but there is nothing like getting birthday wishes from all the people in your life :)

all in all, it was such a great way to welcome 36.  i have a feeling this is going to be a good one!

going down memory lane

the other day while i was driving through practically every neighborhood in los angeles on a massive hunt for a pair of spearmint skinny jeans from j crew  - they are sold out :( - i found myself in my old los feliz neighborhood.  it was the very first place i moved to when i arrived in los angeles ten years ago.  in fact, i found the apartment below within my first 24 hours here.  just having moved from washington d.c. i really wanted to be somewhere walkable.  i fell in love with the location and lived in two apartments in this building and then moved to a one-bedroom down the street.  i was feeling super nostalgic, so i took a quick tour through the neighborhood.

i used to love walking across the street and hearing marty & elaine sing

best conchinita pibil burrito in la

skylight - great neighborhood bookstore

loved eating pastries at figaro

my friend nedra was obsessed with fred 62's thai cobb salad

birthdays

today i turn 36 and i'm reminded of that sex & the city episode (click here for the clip, but scroll to 3:26) where carrie waits forever for her friends to join her for her birthday at il cantinori and while she is sitting their alone, a birthday cake arrives at the table next to her and as the girl blows out her candles she says "25, f**** i'm old!" oh, to be 25!

that being said, i'm definitely one of those ladies who loves to celebrate her birthday.  maybe it's because my mom always made a point of making my birthday a big deal -- she still calls me and sings happy birthday first thing in the morning -- or maybe it's because i love birthday cake - either way, my birthday excitement ends up being something that stresses jeff out. what exactly do i want? do i want a party? just dinner? a cake?  do i really mean that i don't want a big present?

so this year, i said to him that i wanted to have a small group of friends over, have ricky of ensenada's fish tacos cater it (more coming on that later, but click here for more info), and margaritas.  when i told my friend marleine i really wanted a birthday cake, she said she would make one for me.  i told her not to go crazy, but she is known for her inability to do anything small.  she made this almost-wedding cake for me (thanks, mary!) - amazing!

even though my simple request turned into weeks of prepping the garden, buying new furniture, hanging more art in the house, it was all worth it in the end.

i just feel so blessed to have such amazing people in my life - my husband, my family and my incredible friends who journey to pasadena even though it means sitting in traffic for an hour.  (i only feel bad that i didn't get to spend more one-on-one time with everyone, but that's always how it is when you host a party, right?)  i have a good job, a house that really does feel like a home, i'm in good health and on most days, i almost always find myself laughing.  it all makes turning one year older seem more like a gift than something to dread.

 

i'm thankful for ...

next monday, i'll be 36 - eek!  i can't believe i am actually going to now be mid-to-late 30s, because honestly i just don't feel 36.  it's not that i'm freaking out about it so much, as i'm just sort of astonished i've been on this earth for almost 36 years.  so this week, i'm thankful for ...

my favorite store knowing just how to celebrate my birthday by giving me 15% off

late afternoon swims in the backyard

my adorable niece addie who always sends me love notes when she stops by (absolutely love the "j" spelled backwards).  how did i get so lucky?

my find at the barney's outlet ($35), which is just in time for summer

discovering a healthier way to eat spaghetti & meatballs:  spaghetti squash & meatballs.  thanks, chef extraordinaire, helen cavallo for the delicious recipe!

mark downs

i posted about my new favorite pair of summer jeans earlier this year and just saw that they are on sale at jcrew for $89.99 + 30% off at checkout!  they were originally $125.  i can't recommend these enough - the bright colors go so easily with a simple tank, or a chambray shirt -- and they are actually comfortable.  not every color gets the low price tag, so i'm still holding out for the spearmint ones to go on sale, as i can already envision wearing them with my slew of nautical tops.  i bought the ones in neon rose below, but also really love the ancient fig. 

go get 'em ladies!

prints for the someday bun

i love words and i love having them surround our home, so we have lots of typography prints hanging all over the house. as my pinterest addiction has grown, i've spent more time thinking what can i decorate next?  every time we travel, i always try and buy a children's book, knowing that someday it will be so sweet to snuggle with my little babe and read a story i bought for him/her in new zealand, or hawaii, or ny.  so my secret is out people - i love looking for ideas for our hopefully-someday-nursery.  (i found almost all of these pics on etsy and meg fee on pinterest, btw).  here are some prints i'd love for our future little bun:

*from etsy*

*love how it looks framed - via littlegreennotebook*

*etsy - gusandlula*

*etsy - handz*

*for the ron burgundy fans out there*

*print by handz*

marrying a gentleman

 

i ran across this print on etsy and ordered it immediately,  partly because i will absolutely hang it in my future son's room (when and if i have a boy), but mostly because i am reminded of it every day, being married to jeff, my old-fashioned gentleman.

i think it is important for me to preface all of this with the fact that i took my fair share of womens' studies classes at unc and would absolutely define myself as independent.  i didn't walk through life waiting for a man to do things for me.  all that being said, i can't tell you how many times i've been in an elevator with a guy and been floored when he cuts right in front of me the minute the door opens.  maybe it's the southern girl in me, but i just find it to be rude.

it makes me so happy when i see jeff being thoughtful and considerate to those around him.  for example, yesterday when my new hairdresser (thanks for the referral, tita) was walking out to her car with her mobile office (aka suitcase) and jeff insisted on carrying it out to her car, she was so taken aback by it.  she must have said "really? you'd do that?"  at least three times.  when she left she said "you are such a gentleman and there aren't that many left." i think she was genuinely shocked by jeff's graciousness, but that's just who he is.  on one of our very first dates, we had both driven separately to a bar and when i got up to pay the valet said jeff had already taken care of it.  that was such a gentleman move.  and if you didn't know this, jeff is an identical twin and his brother is exactly the same way (nice work, debby).  it makes me so happy to know that my two nieces are growing up with such an incredible father and what a gift to be able to give your daughters - showing them how men should behave.

jeff is the man who showed up at my door on our first date with a beautiful bouquet of flowers.  he's the man who still opens the door for me -- and not only my car door, but my friends' doors, as well.  he's the man who wears the same cologne that jfk wore.  he's the man who offered up his seat multiple times on a new york subway, only to be met with nasty glares from independent new york women, stating "no, i'm fine!"  he's the man who respects his elders and always stops to open doors for old ladies.  he's the man who bought a police officer behind us in line dinner.  he's the man who works incredibly hard, but rarely complains.  he's the man who always brings me home a thoughtful gift when he travels for work. he's the man who took me on a very lovely mini-break for our first trip together and refused to let me pay for one thing.  he's the man who knows the importance of nice quality wrapping paper and yet is also 100% handy around the house.  he's the man who wakes up early to make me a coffee in the morning.  he's the man who looks you in the eye when he shakes your hand.  he's the man who treats my girlfriends to dinner. he's the first man that told me it was okay to be my goofy self.  he's the man that called my dad, my mom and my sister separately to ask permission before marrying me.  he's the man who makes me feel so, so loved and he was definitely worth the wait.

i know we're all independent women and can 100% take care of ourselves, but it's nice to have a gentleman around.  tell me, what was the last chivalrous thing a man has done for you?