Date.

      When you date for a long time, are super busy with everyday routine, get tired, get selfish, get lazy etc it's sometimes hard to spend quality time together.  J and I live in separate cities most of the time. In fact, the whole time we've been together. Law school, chasing a New York dream, moving and relocating kept us apart. It makes me personally value him and the time we do have together much more.
   
        With that being said, my adorable fiance has embarked on the 12 hour a day study routine called "bar exam prep". It is grueling, debilitating, and just plain crazy. He watches videos for hours, writes essays and responds to questions in a 900 page study "guide". His determination, focus and drive to succeed are just a few of his qualities I fell in love with. When studying all this mumbo jumbo I can't wrap my head around, he's in his element. I am incredibly proud of and awed by him and this journey he's on. It's only a few days into studying but we needed a good old fashioned date night. 

(P.S. At one point in my life I too wanted to go to law school. I will admit, however, it was because I had seen " Legally Blonde" one too many times. Embarrassing but true).

See,  I could rock that.

In addition to being a future lawyer, J is also a huuuuuge Conan O'Brien fan. (I've had to tell him multiple times that his "I'm with CoCo" poster must hang in his office only) ... A while back when tickets for his 32 city tour came on sale he was first in line so to speak. The show sold out in 2 hours so he was super pumped to get a few tickets. After much debate over the last few weeks, "should we go?" "Can I take the time away from studying" etc etc, we hopped in the car and headed for DC. We knew we wouldn't regret it, it was a blast! We had an amazing dinner before and it was a perfect night for a walk to the theater. Plus we randomly, in a city of thousands, ran into my dear friend Alex on the street!
      The show was HILARIOUS. Like belly laugh, tears come out of your eyes funny. My favorite part? Looking over and seeing him die laughing with a huge smile knowing that for a second, he forgot about all the studying and pressure and just relaxed. It was incredible but a late night nonetheless. Considering I only slept for about 3 hours before work  I think I was pretty on my game. I ripped 3 signs taking them down from the wall, tripped one of my children, fell off a table, and stapled my capri leg to the carpet. Sounds about right.
 

Blurry cause he was dancing so much!

A date night for the books indeed!

Worst. Blogger. Ever

Hi!

      I've thought about blogging every day but it just never seems to happen. I've been super busy with J's graduation, wedding planning, attending some friends weddings, a fab bridal shower given by my sweet MOH, finishing up kindergarten, packing for the move, horrific dress fitting etc etc etc. Soooo really I'm just tired :)  My precious kindergartners graduate next Wednesday!! Graduate you say? From Kindergarten? youuuuu betcha. Prayer service, play (with costumes), part of a mass, a psalm read by yours truly and a donut reception in the cafeteria. Sounds like graduation to me! I've been either a student or a church member at St. B's most of my life. Not once have I gotten to read at the vestibule with a mic. I now know why. No one and I mean NO ONE should ever give me a microphone. End of story.
   
    Things for the wedding are going great... I'm sure I'm forgetting some major detail that I will realize the night before but hopefully not... and if I do... Mazel Tov. I still get to marry my best friend so who cares about the monogrammed napkins. I mock them but sure enough I'll have them. I'm not doing a ton of decor since the venue has floor to ceiling windows with view of dt Richmond. I'm worried the dance floor is too small etc etc. but lets face it, you give my girlfriends (and most of my family) vodka and they will dance anywhere. I mean that in the best way ladies. Bottom line I'm super excited and will be doing a details post next about some fun things we are doing.

    The move is coming along? My incredible mother has packed and repacked our already received wedding/shower gifts into numbered and lettered boxes with inventories to keep it all straight. We are blessed! As school winds down and I can pack up more of my clothes etc. the boxes will keep coming. I'm very much in a nesting phase. To those of you reading this, J and I do not have a definite place to call home yet but sure enough in my head its perfectly decorated :) I'm into mirrored bedside tables right now.... will I love them or would I wake up wondering why I want to see my reflection first thing in the morning? Anyone have any thoughts on these?

I can not wait to unpack everything, clean, organize and decorate our little piece of the California coast.  

Its been a while...

      I'm due for a mondo blog update which I will get to later.... I just wanted to test out our new computer! If you couldn't tell, I'm not into these crazy things but we just got the new MacBook Pro and it does make blogging a tad more fun! Technically, I guess, J bought it buuuut seeing as how we are getting hitched I inherit these things as well :) I'm now currently taking suggestions for other things I can convince him "he" needs. 

      Things have been super crazy lately with the wedding, family and school but all in good fun. Tonight we are getting together with one of/if not  our favorite couple friends.... Nick and Emb. Dinner at Crazy Greek and much needed laughter I'm sure.

5 months exactly...

This is obviously not J and I but this is the church we are getting married in :)

Things I can't wait to do....

1. When I visited J in California while he was a summer associate we walked to downtown Laguna on the water and ate at a restaurant called Nick's. SUCH a great restaurant. It was on such an amazing part of Main Beach. We ate outside watching the beach and trolleys and had the BEST time. We decided that our first night back we will be venturing to Nick's again to celebrate the new job/move/life. I'm soooo excited.

2. Ruby's Shake Shack. When we were there it was too crowded to go but apparently it's to die for. Burgers, fries, shakes. Heaven. I'm dying to try it. Regardless, there's always In-N-Out Burger :) A personal fav.

3. Watching the boats and riding the Ferris Wheel on Balboa Island. ( This is the view from the top)

                               

4. Shopping on Fashion Island. Yep, a whole " island" of amazing shops and restaurants. It also is home to a lot of offices and lucky for me J's firm is in one of the high rises there. Looks like when I'm waiting to meet him for lunch I might get distracted in Nordstroms. :)

  http://www.shopfashionisland.com/

4. Being able to walk, drive or bike and have this as our backyard. Plus driving the Pacific Coast Highway to work makes for a gorgeous way to start the day...

                      

5. Spend time back where J was born. His parents moved to CA a few years after they were married and loved there time in Mission Viejo and San Diego.They gush about how amazing it was and what incredible things they got to do and see. Mission Viejo is an amazing place because its half an hour away from the beach, yet while on the lake you have stunning views of the mountains. Plus, it's got to be the cutest town ever.

                         

3.4.02

"When I finally make it home, the sweetest song these ears have yet to hear, the voices of the angels..." - Mercy Me

Some Tuesday thoughts.....

Just some things I'm lovin' right now...

1. Milly cocktail jacket and cigarette pants. Yes, I would wear this.

 

2. Tory Burch large Jaden tote. Great carry on for all those cross country flights coming up? Yes please

3. The Architect series of kitchen appliances J and I registered for. They are heavy duty, beautiful  and just what I need to get my culinary career started. That plus a miracle.

4. This top that I just so happened to buy today at Forever 21. It looked so great with the skinny navy pants I bought to go with it :)

5. THIS long black dress. Im into ruffles right now. Weird.

6. Big, fun cocktail rings. Love the turquoise.

7. Graphic wallpaper in bathrooms and/or foyers.

8. White, light and bright master bedrooms with pops of color

9. Reading areas in said bedrooms

10. I must have, at somepoint in my life, a tub like this.

In need of a vacay...

Dulles to Qatar, Qatar to Male, Male to the Maldives (on a sea plane mind you) = 32 hours of flying/ travel

then on the way back home...


Maldives to Male (on said sea plane), Male to Doha, Doha to LAX = 49 hours of flying/travel

 Heaven..... it just happens to be  in the middle of the Indian Ocean....literally when you google map it, it is this tiny  island and nothing else until you get to India. Well there the island of Male, which you fly into THEN take the sea plane across the ocean to the island.

Is it worth it?

We have been looking at a million honeymoon places today. We've contemplated the Maldives, Bora Bora, Thailand, Jamaica, Italy, France, Greece or any combo of European cities, Hawaii and Mexico. We're gonna be honeyyyymooning for 10-14 days depending on how long our stuff takes to drive cross country and meet us in Cali.

Some of my favorites so far...

Thailand

Anastasis, Santorini

The Caves, Negril, Jamaica

Thoughts?

Craving...

    Lately but I have been craving summer. Warm on your face, can throw on some sandals and sundress, sit outside all day kinda sun. When I think of warm weather I immediately think of the South. Deep South. I have the need for a slower pace of life, something simpler. I yearn to be riding one of these barefoot...

Down a warm, sleepy road like this buried under weeping willows....

Until I get here.....

Then after watching the boats all day long.....

 I would pull up a rocking chair on this front porch on the water ...and just SIT.

Ready.....

To some surprise or not, it's been a love/hate relationship with the idea of moving thousands of miles away to the "other" coast... but here's my final verdict.

             You only get a few shots at this life. Really, if you get more than one good one, you're incredibly lucky. You have to live, love, experience new things, and soak in all the knowledge you can. Use what you have and take it all in. We have been given/blessed with this phenomenal chance and opportunity. One of us in particular worked incredibly incredibly hard for it. Who am I to fight it?  It was never on the radar, in the cards, or however you want to word it. It's all one big ride. I will tell you one thing though-10 years ago when I first met my soon-to-be corporate lawyer husband man friend, I couldn't have possibly predicted this would be the road we would go down... that's the most exciting part. One of my dearest friends told me that she believes the universe is balanced and that things happen for different reasons, good and bad, to keep it all that way. Regardless of what you believe, in respect to destiny, fate or luck for that matter, I do know this for sure, I am right where I'm supposed to be. Nevertheless, I sit up at night and ask myself/answer a million questions.......Will I miss my family and friends? duh.... Will I make new friends? I went through years of sorority recruitment, I can pref my way in with a few I'm sure.....Will I fit in? I'm blonde, how hard could it be.... Will I regret starting this new amazing, crazy, unpredictable adventure with my absolute best friend, true partner, and someone I couldn't love more? Not in a million years.

   So California, here's to you. I may seem a little sassy when we first get together but I assure you I'll come around. I can't wait to meet you.

and P.S.. Thanks, we needed this.