Update # 1 & 2

One of the first reasons, I've been MIA is because my brother and his family moved back to California at the end of October. Now, this is kinda a big deal because he's typically been out of CA since he's been in the military. He and his family were in South Carolina the past 2 years, and now they live about 30 minutes away. It's pretty awesome! 

{This is my side of the family. The only person we're missing is my nephew, who lives in Louisiana.}

Soon after they moved here, Joe and I went on a 7 Day cruise to Mexico with another couple. We celebrated our 2 year anniversary there and had an amazing time! We went snorkeling, zip-lining, and rappelling in Cabo; horseback-riding and exploring the beach in Puerto Vallarta; dancing, mini-golfing, and karaoking on the cruise ship. 

{Celebrating our 2 year anniversary}

{My dream come true! Holding lion cubs in Cabo!}}

 {The Arch}

{Saying hello to a dolphin, who was hamming it up for Joe}

{Arriving in Puerto Vallarta}

{Enjoying the sun}

{Our little group + a hammock chair}

 {Waiting to go horseback-riding}

{Finally horseback-riding}

{Mini-golf on top of the ship with crazy wind}

{One of the last nights on the cruise}

Is This Real Life?

Am I really blogging again?  Am I really writing this post? Am I really going to try to do it regularly?Yes. Yes. And YES!

Okay, so maybe it sounds like an empty promise given my past failed attempts at doing this regularly, but I do want to give it another chance. In all fairness, life has been pretty crazy since November, and it is just now slowing down. I'll post a few updates and then we'll be all caught up. Sound good?

Monday Likes&Loves

I spent much of this weekend cleaning, doing laundry, ironing, figuring out my husband's homework, and making lists of what we'll need once we move into our new place. Fortunately, I was able to get everything under control before Sunday, which is when my niece came to visit. We spent time together all of Sunday, and we even did some baking. It was a nice and relaxing end to my otherwise busy weekend. Here are the things that made my weekend great...

On Saturday, I made a list of what we'll need for our new place, but the best part was picking colors for the walls! I love color!

My niece and I watched two movies--one of which was Tangled. I hadn't seen it yet (can you believe it?), but I'm glad I finally did. It was definitely entertaining.

Okay so one of my guilty pleasures is going to Target and browsing their clothes and home items, but this weekend, I didn't! If I make a shopping list for Target, I usually end up buying a million other things that I don't need, but I stuck to my list this time! If you have an addiction to buying too much stuff from Target like I do, then you know this is a big deal; therefore, I felt it deserved a spot on this post. 

Among the items on my shopping list were a few ingredients for these chocolate chip & mint cookies. My best friend, who is amazing at baking all sorts of goodies, came over and baked these cookies with my niece and me. They're super chocolatey and yummy!

Lastly, my dog Carolina has made it onto the blog once again (sleeping once again) because she has kept me company not only this weekend--but the whole week since Joe has been gone. She has been sleeping at my feet each night and kept me nice and warm. *On a side note, she has also managed to chew 4 holes in my blanket, but I'll overlook them until Joe is home.* 

That was my weekend... How was yours?  

Monday Likes&Loves

It seems to be incredibly easy to complain on Mondays about how the weekend is over and how none of us want to go to work, BUT wouldn't it be so much better to start off the week with a few positive things on your mind? Here are some of my favorite things/events/activities/etc that I encountered this weekend. Enjoy...

I finished the first book in The Hunger Games Series, and I loved it! I just started reading the second book... Hooray for new books!

I've been lusting over this shade of purple/grey for a while now. It's called Grey Area. Love.

This gold leaf brooch is definitely making its way into my fall wardrobe this season, and I can't wait!

My dad plants flowers, and they grow. He plants random vegetables, and they grow. As did this nice and round pumpkin. It's beginning to feel A LOT like fall!

Lastly, here is a vintage Gucci purse. You could say that I sort of inherited it. I absolutely love it! It's wonderfully practical. Though you can't tell from this image, it is a well-sized structured square purse in a fab shade of brown. Notice the Brown Derby matches? They were inside the purse when I opened it! When I think of The Brown Derby, I automatically think of the I Love Lucy episode where Lucy dines there with Fred and Ethel, but runs into a waiter who drops a ton of food on a celebrity (I think it's William Holden) and runs out of the restaurant embarrassed. Then, Ricky unknowingly invites that same celebrity to their hotel, so Lucy uses some sort of putty to make her nose look larger, and lights the tip of it on fire while trying to light her cigarette. Have I mentioned that I also LOVE watching I  Love Lucy? 

These five things made my weekend wonderful. How was your weekend?

Home

Lately, it feels like I've been everywhere but home. I would love to have a lazy day right now. And although it is a long weekend, and I may get to have my lazy day tomorrow, it won't be the same without my husband. Here are just a few images that make me feel at home.

The heart sticker that greets me at the freeway onramp...

The pink & purple flowers that adorn the mailbox...

Zoe & Carolina, who have a love/hate relationship...

Carolina, who keeps me company and sleeps at my feet when Joe is gone.

The Inspiration Behind "The Umbrella"

A few years ago, my (then) boyfriend (now husband), best friend, and her boyfriend took a mini vacation to Yosemite. On our way there, we stopped to get gas because that's what you do when you drive to faraway places. As we pulled up to the gas station, I saw a man struggling against the wind to keep his umbrella grounded. He was indeed selling strawberries, but there was no little boy there; however, I instantly considered that he may have a child at home--a family.

Now, I live in California, and I see people selling fruit and flowers on the street all the time, and to be quite honest, it irks me. Why? Because I wish so badly that they didn't have to do that. I wonder if that is one of the ways they make their living, and if so, I wonder how much they either enjoy or despise doing it. I wonder how much more they have to offer. I wonder about how many people disregard the fact that they may be very well-educated individuals but write them off as illiterate or untalented. I wonder how many people take the time to think about and consider the lives of these individuals. There are various social implications that can be read into my poem, but it is ultimately the reader's right to make up his or her mind on what those implications may be.

P.S. Thank you to my best friend, who tracked down the picture we took of the man we saw peddling strawberries.

The Umbrella

The umbrella was ascending

As the wind tested its fullness

And threatened to invert its perfect metal frame

It was a rainbow with its infinite colors

Against the crisp celestial backdrop of spring

It spun in its struggle

And danced with the wind,

But holding it down was a man

Stout—with a plump belly

A straw hat balanced on his head

As he pleaded with the umbrella

To shield him from the sun

But his skin was already russet

And looked like worn leather.

He had knocked back his chair

In his clumsy attempt to conquer the umbrella

He lunged after it with heavy feet after each strong gust of wind

Then I saw the strawberries in crates not far from his overturned chair

They were a bleeding crimson sitting in the sun

Begging to be bought.

The sign read:

Straberies $2.00

Fresas $2.00

And I thought this scene comical

Until I saw behind the sign

A little boy with huaraches staring at the man and the umbrella.

No one bought any strawberries,

So neither did I.