Best of 2013

Tuesday, December 31, 2013


Oh 2013. It really does seem true that each year is better than the last. I could go on for ever and ever about this year, but I'll try to keep it simple.  Jim and I grew in so many ways, both in our relationship and separately. We started 2013 out on a road trip across the country for our move to California. We spent most weekends embracing the new space and beautiful weather, traveling everywhere we could within a 4 hour radius of our new home. We ran our first half marathon, spent a lot of time outdoors, made new friends. We've enjoyed the new challenges and experiences that go along with having new jobs. It's been a selfish year really, one just for us, and I know that's something we'll never take for granted.

It seems impossible to summarize the year, but the best way I can think of is through this list of lists...


Here are the year's Top 5:


Weekend Getaways:


1. Austin
2. Big Sur
3. Bodega Bay
4. The Lost Coast
5. Mendocino


Songs:


1. Roll Um Easy by Sarah and Christian Dugas
2. Teach Me To Know by The Lone Bellow
3. Up Above My Head by The Wood Brothers
4. Attaboy by Yo-Yo Ma, Stuart Duncan, Edgar Meyer and Chris Thile
5. Marmalade by Anders Osbourne
House of Stone by Mandolin Orange
+ Black as Night by Nahko and Medicine for The People
We Will All Be Changed by Seryn


Concerts:


1. Trevor Hall and Nahko / The Independent, San Francisco
2. The Lone Bellow / The Independent, San Francisco
3. Zac Brown / SAP Center, San Jose
4. Delta Rae and ZZ Ward / Great American Music Hall, San Francisco
5. The Wood Brothers / Great American Music Hall, San Francisco

Purchases:


1. Pour over coffee set, Part 1 and part 2.
2. SodaStream
3. The softest flannel sheets (actually this one was a gift!)
4. Favorite new workout capris
5. Our scooter!


Eats:


1. Lotus Cafe / Jackson, WY
2. Sushi Go 55 / Little Tokyo, Los Angeles, CA
3. Ciccio / Yountville, CA
4. Penny Ice Creamery / Santa Cruz, CA
5. Nick's Crispy Tacos / San Francisco, CA

Reads:


1. And the Mountains Echoed by Khaled Hosseini
2. Sunset Magazine (my new fave)
3. Dark Places by Gillian Flynn
4. The Snow Child by Eowyn Ivy
5. Animal Tracks and Scat of California



It's time for a new year of favorites - bring it on '14!

Happy New Year, all.

Thoughts for a Holiday Season

Saturday, December 28, 2013

Merry merry merry merry. What a wonderful week this has been. And how nice to see you here! I've been incredibly out of the loop, I know. I needed a bit of a break from the old log. And really, without meaning to sound dramatic, I needed a break from everything. So, this past week or so has been an absolute dream. I've been hiding away with my love and friends up in a cozy cabin up at Tahoe.  There has been way less snow than we expected, but I honestly think that's been a blessing in disguise. With our snow activity options cut down a bit we've had even more time to relax and sleep and catch up and play games and cook and explore together. I've had time to reflect on the crazy past two months, and to make goals and plans for the new year. 
And as I said, it was needed. I'm not saying I was any busier than the next person, but for me, November and December were a LOT. My job exploded, in exciting but at times, overwhelming ways. I love new challenges, but I hate failure (really...who doesn't?), so I let myself stretch a little bit thin, hyper-focusing on some areas of my life (work) and ignoring others (exercise, blog, healthy eating). This requisite winter break could not have come at a better time. I've had time to digest the changes and let my mind catch up a bit, and to find some balance again. Nothing like a few months of ignoring yoga and healthy cooking to realize how much you need and love them. And there's no time like the New Year to get back on track, right?
Now, may I blab for a moment about Christmas? I freaking love the holidays. I'm a little bummed to have missed out on the fun of Christmas wishlist and recipe posts here on the log, but I'm happy to say that I didn't let anything get in the way of serious holiday cheer at home. We got a tree, we decorated, we had mulled wine and whiskey ciders and beautifully wrapped gifts and a party crashed by Santa. I did everything on my list of rules for your best holiday season. I listened to a thousand Christmas songs, sent cards, and drank eggnog. Being without my family for Christmas (for the first time in my life) was sad, especially Christmas Eve which has been absolutely magical for me ever since I was a kid. But I whisked away up to Tahoe with dear friends, and we ate a turkey dinner and wished on shooting stars on a frozen pond and exchanged stocking stuffers and laughed and laughed. I'll get to see my family and homeys in a couple of weeks, and in the meantime, this relaxing Christmas in Cali was absolutely what I needed.
I'll close this up, as this is probably the most text-heavy post I've ever done and I'm not sure how I feel about it. Actually you know what? I'm not gonna lie - it felt really good! This has served as a wonderful reminder that I need this space to record - unload - wonder - and catch up. Thank you for letting me selfishly do it in one long-winded swoop. 
In summary - I'm on my way to being back in balance, and I'm excited for what's coming. I'm hoping to use this space more regularly and become a bit more clear about what, how and why I share here. Thanks so much for checking in. I hope you had a merry and bright holiday!
photos:
1. holiday mojitos on Xmas eve
2. a Christmas scene on Bodega Bay
3. beautifully wrapped gifts from my beautiful sister
4. back country hiking on a Tahoe ridge
5. lovely Bodega dunes
6. walking in the dunes
7. Tahoe vacation kickoff with whiskey ciders

8 Rules for Your Best Holiday Season :: #GivingTuesday

Tuesday, December 3, 2013

Is anyone else feeling a tad overwhelmed? The holidays are officially here. There are so many things I should be planning/sending/decorating/wrapping/buying/writing/cleaning right now. I'm behind on blog posts. I ignored Black Friday and Cyber Monday and am ashamed to admit I have a FOMO feeling about it. I wanted to do ABM's December Daily project but lo and behold it's Dec. 3rd and I never got it going. There are actually a thousand amazing holiday crafts I want to be doing, for that matter.

But, it's okay! It's more than okay actually. I had the most amazing Thanksgiving weekend ever, (minus the fact that I missed my family a bunch). I saw so many friends, bringing old and new together, laughing, sipping, and enjoying the weather (I'm a poet and I know it). We had not one but TWO Thanksgiving dinners, one on a farm out behind Mount Diablo and one up at our friend's cabin in Tahoe. We had a Friendsgiving party in the backyard complete with a fire and leftovers. We went wine tasting in Napa with one of my besties from home and enjoyed a romantic dinner in Yountville at one of our absolute favorite spots. We crushed the Alameda flea, getting our holiday shopping started, and enjoyed some of the most happy, wonderful, feel-good music I know at the Independent.  All in four days. So although I feel a bit behind and overwhelmed, I'm going to venture to say that it's been worth it.

And even better - I have a plan for getting back on track. I'm going to keep things simple this year by living by these 8 rules. Just writing these down I feel the slate getting wiped clean; like I'm starting the season with a clear mind, and I'm right back on track.

8 Rules for Your Best Holiday Season


1. Be a kid again. Write a note to Santa, talk about elves with your closest 6-year-old buddy, and wish on shooting stars.


2. Call friends. They probably want to catch up with you even more than they want that decanter/necklace/pair of J.Crew socks you've been stressing over for 2 days.


3. Play games. With hot chocolate! I think if you play some games you're actually covering #1, 4 and 5 so I'll definitely be doing some of this in December. If only I could get someone to play with me...

{Polish horseshoes in the backyard}

4. Be festive. This can mean many things, and it doesn't mean you need to stress out about going to every holiday party you're invited to. For me it will mean small celebrations with friends, getting a Christmas tree, and going to the Nutcracker with my sister.


5. Be lazy. This is an important part of the holidays too. It's what fires and blankets and flannel pajamas were made for. I think my laziness will come in the form of turning on the TV for once and watching as much of ABC's 25 Days of Christmas as humanly possible.


6. Keep it simple. 5 ingredients or less. One stop shopping. Less-is-more decorations. Finding that one favorite holiday outfit that you can wear to at least 3 events (all with different people, of course!).

{dried apricots, chรจvre, toasted walnuts, agave}
7. Be outside. Fresh, crisp air equals the holidays for me. The smell of wood fires and pine and pies and fresh snow. Breathe it in!


8. Give Back. The world has been so good to me, and I know that returning the favor will give me a greater joy than anything else on this list. Today is #GivingTuesday and so it's a great day to start! Click here or here for more info on #GivingTuesday, but basically it's turning the first Tuesday of December into a day of giving. Counterbalance those icky, consumery feelings created by Black Friday and Cyber Monday - and give back in whatever way you can today, whether it's giving food, time, money, or toys. Then carry on the message. 


 {photos are all from Thanksgiving weekend and edited on VSCOcam}


So what do you think? Do you have any "rules" to add that would help keep the holiday joyful and simple? Happy #GivingTuesday everyone!