A few weeks ago Ryan and I went sailing out on the harbor to celebrate our friend Monty’s birthday. It was really cloudy, which at first may have seemed like a bummer, but it was actually really beautiful. I loved the way the sun was pouring through the clouds. 

Monty & his wife Christa are very dear to us. When we first moved to California they opened up their home to us and allowed us to live with them for a few weeks until we found our own place. They are now like family to us, and we’re very grateful to have them. ♥

The other night Ryan and I headed to the park near our house for some reading & relaxing. There’s this beautiful tree that is perfect for reading under. The weather was amazing and we read & talked until the sun went down. I think I could do this every single night and not get tired of it. Feeling really blessed and grateful that I get to live in this beautiful state.

Here are five things that are currently making me smile. Hope your week is off to a great start! 

1. Walks around the lake with my hubs. Exercise + Quality time + Being Outdoors = Happy Girl.

2. Dresses that I find at Target for only $12. Thank you, sale rack. 

3. Sleeping in and relaxing on Saturday mornings.

4. Drinking coffee & reading teen fiction. Because my inner fifteen year old needs it.

5. Bowls of cereal with fresh berries. So yum.

Last Friday I was battling a particularly strong case of blahness. I was in this rut where my mood was “blah.” My clothes felt “blah.” My hair felt “blah.” These are the moments that I am most susceptible to impulsiveness (fighting the urge to go buy new clothes and/or chop off my hair). So I decided to fight these feelings by mixing things up. I threw on my husband’s glasses (which I have now officially adopted to be own. Thanks hubs!), tossed my hair up into a messy topknot, and put on some bold lipstick. Sometimes it’s just necessary to have a little fun & play around! Later that night Ryan and I went out to dinner with friends & went to a comedy show fundraiser. Made for a fun Friday night out. Laughter is the best medicine. :)

Hope your Friday is wonderful. ♥

I love lunch dates with my hubby. Of course, I love date “nights” as well. But there is just something really wonderful about spending the day together exploring a new part of town and grabbing lunch together. This particular day we went to old town San Juan Capistrano, which has a cute historic district with lots of fun restaurants and shops. Ryan had been down there before, but this was my first time. Such a cute part of town! We walked around and checked out a few shops & thrift stores, and had pizza for lunch (because sometimes a girl just needs some pizza). 

Feeling really thankful & blessed lately, and so enjoying where I’m at in my life right now. Looking forward to many great adventures with this cute boy.

Last Saturday our dear friends Justin & Valerie came and spent the day with us here in Orange County. We took advantage of the beautiful weather and had lunch in Laguna Beach, and then walked around the little downtown village & walking trail near the ocean. The views were incredible. As the sun began to go down we found a bench, relaxed, and watched the sunset. I love these kinds of days. So life-giving. 

Earlier this week Ryan and I went on a camping trip to Joshua Tree National Park with a group of people from our church. It was an amazing trip filled with a few “firsts”. Our first time going to Joshua Tree, our first time camping as a married couple, and my first time going real rock climbing (not indoor). It was so refreshing to get away and get some time out in nature. We may not have slept very well (not sure how people camp for long stretches of time!) but it was a great trip! Hope to go back and explore again soon. 

I am blessed in that I married into one of the most loving, fun, goofy families ever. It’s hard living so far away from them (they’re in Florida, we’re in California), but living far apart has helped us to cherish the time that we do have together.

Christmas 2011 the whole family came out to visit us. We had an amazing ten days together and we made the most of it. We showed them all of our favorite places here in Southern California (quite possibly in an attempt to lure them out west). We played in the snow in Big Bear, paddle boarded in Dana Point, hiked in Hollywood, and wine tasted in Temecula Valley. So many great memories that I will treasure for years to come. 

Sidenote: my nephew Sawyer is pretty much the cutest thing ever. His parents, my brother and sister-in-law, just recently welcomed their second child (a precious baby girl named River) into the world! Cannot wait to meet her & snuggle. 

Well, hi! Not sure if you remember me… Once upon I time I had a blog. Then life happened and I slowly but surely lost the time & motivation to keep it up. My little blog has been on my heart lately though, and I’ve really missed it.

I’ve been wanting to post again for a while now, but was back and forth on whether or not I should. After a few months of internally battling self-doubt and a bucket full of excuses, I’ve decided to go for it. This time around I want to use my blog (moreso) to share what the hubs and I are up to, and as a creative outlet to express myself. Before, posting became challenging as I grew too concerned with what other people thought. I worried how I would be perceived, and if other people were judging me. I could get 100 positive comments or responses to my blog, but would dwell on 1 negative comment. I let it get to my head. But now, as I post, I will try to remember that is blog is not for them. I want to have the freedom to post & share as I please. To share whatever is on my heart or my mind.

And so, with that being said, it’s been a year and a half and I have lots to catch up on. :)

I thought I’d kick off by sharing a little bit of what we’ve been up to. The photos below are from my instagram account.

1. Shopping at the Americana at Brand in Glendale. 2. Gorgeous day by the water in Huntington Beach. 3. Wakeboarding this past summer in Lake Mead, NV on a church trip. 4. Macarons at SweetSalt in Toluca Lake 5. Date night with the hubs. 6. Another shot from Lake Mead, NV 7. View of LA from Runyon Canyon in Hollywood. 8. Irish coffee at dinner from our trip to cancun. 9. Farmer’s market in Glendale 10. Girls night out with my lovely friend Valerie. 

    Several weeks ago Ryan and I had the luxury of going to Santa Barbara/Santa Ynez Valley with some friends to wine taste & explore. It is so stunning there that I couldn’t help but take a ton of pictures. The rolling hills & mountains are majestic enough to take your breath away. We had the opportunity to tour Saarloos & Sons on the first day of harvest. The owners explained the winemaking process and even let us try some of the grapes! AHmazing. Here are some photos from the trip. ♥