how to appreciate

...annnd we're back! you know that feeling of needing another vacation just to recover from the vacation you just had? you just need to wind down and rest? yeah, well i don't feel one ounce of that. if anything, i feel like grabbing life by its horns and hauling a**! our time spent in puerto rico was centered on replenishing our bodies, nourishing our souls, and healing from the everyday battles that tend to exhaust our well being.

prior to traveling to puerto rico, i was a little worried that g and i would have high expectations. i feared that we would compare our time in costa rica, last year, to this current trip. would the beaches be as breathtaking, the fruit as sweet, the memories as lasting? thankfully, i left those worries stateside and embraced puerto rico 2013 for exactly what it was. and it was heavenly. 

g and i stayed in a puerto rican woman's guesthouse, set on the outskirts of the rainforest, with the bright blue sea in clear sight. we felt like we were visiting family. mornings were spent eating breakfast outside, listening to our host share stories of the natives and their traditions. we practiced yoga in the patio, as the warm, albeit humid, breeze wisped by. beach after beautiful beach was laid upon, downpour after fleeting downpour was embraced. g and i let the days guide us, our bodies dictate the level of activity. and for the most part, it was just being. 

coming home, g and i contemplated a shared thought - that traveling is essential to not only color our lives, but to, more importantly, allow us to appreciate the things we have so easily accessible. like kale and greek yogurt. or honest-to-good bakeries. i'm excited to wear dry underwear instead of a damp swimsuit. and running! thank the Lord above for less-than-80% humidity. my days will be enjoyed NOT reapplying sunscreen over and over again. afternoon walks to the park with chase - let's do this! 

none of this is to say i didn't enjoy my time or that i wish things had been different. no, that's not the point of traveling. for some time, g and i vacated the routine and the hustle, submerged ourselves in another land, learned and grew and loved, and now we're back home to embrace the simplicity to which we refer to as life. i feel so thankful.

life is a feast

i've mentioned before that i have an obsession with instagram, and although i love scanning through photos, i think i love reading the captions even more. we can interpret the photo any which way we want, but it's the perspective of the "owner" that tells the whole story. the caption completes it.

the other day, i was moved by a quote sara forte from sprouted kitchen wrote underneath one of her instagram photos:

"we ate well and cheaply and drank well and cheaply and slept well and warm together and loved each other." - ernest hemingway, a moveable feast

since reading that quote, i can't stop thinking about how much truth it speaks. an honest, simple life being lived fully with love. i feel so in tuned with those words and can't be grateful enough for how my life with g seems to manifest that image.

life is a feast, and i want to continue eating.

all of this is to say that i will be on hiatus for the next few weeks. g and i are going to bid the city of angels adieu, and jump wholeheartedly into the arms of puerto rico. i am beyond thankful to take time away from my routine and explore the world with the man i love. there is no doubt we will be eating, drinking, sleeping well and warm together, and just plain ol' loving - each other and life - just as we all should. 

until we meet again, happy feasting!

beach days

i'm beginning to think springtime beach time is my favorite time. i love the random days during the week when no one is there. i love taking long walks, pants and all, with the cool sea breeze blowing to and fro. it could be cloudy or foggy and i would enjoy it just the same - no grand expectations for sun or heat since it is spring, after all. 

somehow, the beach seems more peaceful during this transitional season. perhaps it's the absence of crowds and activity. or maybe it's the cooler temperatures. i feel like this vast space is just itching to speak to the people who aren't there. and so in its quietude, the beach continues to live. waves crashing. sea breeze blowing. fog intermingling with sun. 

of course, i look forward to sunbathing and playing paddle ball and swimming during the summer months. but for now, i will enjoy the peace that the beach embodies and i will listen to what it has to say. because it really does have a lot to say.

cookie craze

it all started with a chocolate chip cookie at whole foods.

during my lunch break at work, i took a stroll into westwood for a treat. usually, i tend toward something i can eat with a fork or spoon, that way i can savor each bite more slowly. and to be honest, i've never been a fan of "multiples." you know, the kinda treat that you can't just have one of since they are on the smallish side, so you end up eating multiple (i.e. cookies, cupcakes, ice cream cones). but on this particular day, in a bit of a time crunch, i thought i'd give their house-baked chocolate chip a try. and, boy, was i pleasantly surprised. 

my ideal chocolate chip cookie is one with crisp edges and a soft center. it has to be generously studded with bittersweet chocolate chips, guaranteeing a melt-in-your-mouth moment with each bite. brown sugar must be incorporated into the recipe somehow, giving the cookie a full-bodied flavor. and when it comes to size, it has to be about the size of my hand. one cookie, craving satisfied.

so far, i have been blown away by the chocolate chip cookie baked at the larder in brentwood. it sings to my soul, surpassing all my expectations. i just may become a regular there.

i think what i love most about the chocolate chip cookie is its simplicity. no frostings, no elaborate shapes or designs. executed well, it can be a fantastic thing. when i think about a future as a wife and mother, i always want a sweet smell wafting through the windows. i want my husband and children to walk into a home warmed by the oven. i want there to be time allotted to enjoying a homemade treat. and if i can master a winning recipe, i want there to always be cookies.

a lesson on grace

this is how i see g. calm, contemplative, peaceful. he has one of the greatest hearts i have ever known and will probably ever know. for all of my anxieties and petty worries, g reminds me of a much larger world, a simpler one filled with life and pure love.

i've been growing a lot lately, thanks to him. learning a lot about simple truths that are so damn hard to accept. like grace.

two weeks ago, i spilled water on his laptop. my heart stopped and my mind started to imagine every worse case scenario. what if it doesn't turn on? what if he lost all of his work? his photos? oh my gosh, how will these be replaced? of course, i imagined all of these scenarios through my own filter - the one that worries and doubts and thinks way too much. and i also assumed that g prizes his computer the same way i do - it does hold everything, you know.

feeling guilty as ever, apologizing through tears, i told g i would do whatever it takes to repair or replace his laptop. but it was unnecessary. g naturally calmed me of my hysteria, held me in his arms, and assured me everything was fine. accidents happen. the laptop is just a thing. photos can never compete with memories. g then proceeded to tell me i love you. 

grace. g exemplified grace to its fullest. looking back, i don't know why his reaction shocked me. this is g and this is how he loves. unconditionally. things will come and go, wear and tear, but true love will last forever. i am so thankful to share my life with this man, someone who teaches me about meaningful truths even when i think i've got it all figured out. he really is the butter to my bread.

note: we sent his computer to be repaired, and everything came out a-okay! nothing was lost and it works just as new!

who says you can't?

just when i thought i wouldn't be eating this...

...or indulging here...

...or falling in love again and again...

...mama and i say what the hell, let's go back to paris!

i love that mama of mine. for as safe and predicatblet as she is, there will be moments when she surprises you with a burst of spontaneity. and you are totally caught off guard. and all you can ask is: are you serious? and then she'll say yes. and then you just go with the flow because she is your mama, and if there's one thing i've learned in my twenty-six years of life, it's this: mama is always right.

so, that's the gist of our conversation this past weekend. mama is in love with paris, and it's no secret that i am too. we are in good health, we have flexible schedules, and basically, we have nothing holding us back. the only thing that has been confirmed thus far is the date: october 6th-17th. 

it seems so surreal that mama and i will be returning to the place we adore, one year later. but really, who says you can't? paris, we'll be seeing you in the fall!

it's april

it's april, and we're only moving forward. i have never embraced spring with much gusto, but this year feels different. maybe it's the fog-filled morning. or the stash of ready-to-be-used pickling jars. it could also be the glorious bounty of blooming tulips and daffodils, the stockpile of avocados and asparagus. whatever it is that is warming me up to this spring thing...well, thank you.

with the start of a new month comes the whirlwind of ideas focused on how to enjoy it.

this april, i look forward to more flowers. not just the ones that i already love, but also the ones that i've never really considered.

more walks on the beach. even if it's overcast and i'm wearing pants. this season is all about embracing the calm. 

there will definitely be more pickling action. green beans, beets, fennel, zucchini. there's a whole world waiting to be pickled.

and the treats! my heart just swells at the thought of berries and meringues and tarts. but of course, chocolate will be incorporated somehow.

i also look forward to dinners eaten outside, foggy morning runs, afternoon naps, and the hint of wild jasmine wisping by. yeah, this all sounds like a personal ad, but so be it. spring has sprung!