monday market

berkeley bowl is one of those markets i love grocery shopping at. they have a vast selection of produce along with a deli that serves a yummy array of foods & they even have an olive bar. today i picked up a few ingredients for dinner and my favorite veggie chips.

team us

we were on our way to a baptism when we had one of our more serious conversations in the car. "you shouldn't be anxious, you should be excited," he said enthusiastically. our future is bright & each year we've been together it truly gets better & better. throughout the decade we've been together ive seen our relationship overcome its fair share of challenges. no relationship is perfect & mine certainly isnt but with each challenge therein lies the opportunity to refine our problem solving skills as a couple. we've been one another's rock, cheerleader, & constant source of encouragement.

we are also each others support system as we go through our own personal struggles. he's assuaged my self doubts & is my reminder to keep trying & to never give up. he has been my shoulder to cry on during times of disappointment & is my gentle reminder to not be so hard on myself. it's been a tad bit difficult to hold my head up high as i continue to walk on this road i set upon years ago, in order to accomplish my dream career, but his positive thoughts in spite of feeling discouraged are my little rays of hope to keep going.

it's a great feeling having my boyfriend as one of my best friends. i was never that girl to believe prince charming was a prerequisite to happiness but having him in my life all these years (firstly as a friend & now as a boyfriend) has added a sense of richness i never expected to have. im thankful. we have each others back. our future is bright & im hopeful.

je t'amie french garden

it took me awhile to find a spring scented candle that i liked given spring is all about flowers & im not a huge fan of overpowering flowery scents. i find most to be sickeningly cloying & in the end im left with a pounding headache. french garden, i expected to be a highly perfumed candle but what i got was a sweet natural peach fragrance with an ever subtle hint of lavender. it's soft, romantic, & alluring.

the label is adorable & out of my bath & body works candles these are superior in burning evenly. the wicks burned nicely & i had no trouble of an uneven wax pooling causing one or more of the wicks to constantly go out (as is the case with my winter candle).

french garden also reminds me of bath & body works paris amour scent. i was gifted the perfume from my best friend & fell in love with its fruity floral fragrance. the quality & longevity of the scent also surprised me, in that, the staying power (for an eau du toilette) matches that of my eau du parfums. definitely a winner!

i hope the paris line in both candles & body products are here to stay because it's definitely becoming my favorite!

april shower me with your love

one of the closest people to me got married last saturday. i cannot begin to describe how it feels to stand beside a dear girlfriend whom you are proud & thankful to have in your life simply because of the person they are. i felt truly honored to be part of her special day.

one look at each other, when i entered her bridal suite, & tears welled up in our eyes. she took my breath away. she was stunningly gorgeous, well poised, & graceful. her wedding is another shiny memory that i have managed to add on my list of fun filled memories for 2012.

experience & character

have you ever read something & it resonated deep within you? a friend text me this & on days where it may be difficult to see past your own emotions, these little reminders help me see the bigger picture.

rain come down

it's been pouring rain the last few days with thunderstorms late last night & im loving it! ive been staying warm in my toes socks & heaping cups of hot chocolate & tea. im thankful for this wonderful cozy weather!

twenties

i am...
in my twenties.
what i am not is stuck, even though i think i am.
my twenties has allowed me to carve out the life ive wanted to live.
it was daunting at first when i took that first step at age 18.
it was scary & liberating & rewarding all at the same time.
its still scary but freeing.
i am my own boss.

i remember...
the nights where i crawled up into a ball in bed crying from my first real heart break.
ramen days in exchange for shopping trips.
clubbing nights with girls, car barring, pre-drinking, & getting home at 5(am) only to be awake 3 hours later for work.
the nursing pre-requisite classes & the horrid commutes.
the nursing program & the sleepless nights & the horrid commutes.
more drinking, partying, quality time with loved ones.
release.

sowing real connections & letting go of what wasnt detrimental to my growth.
constantly learning how to deal with situations & people outside of my comfort zone.
what im not willing to tolerate & what deserves my patience.
what makes me feel good.
what hurts me.
it all equals to the constant addition of wisdom acquired through life lessons.

even though at times i want to be somewhere other than my twenties, i know one day i will miss all of this. ill be nostalgic for the days where sometimes none of it made sense. ill think back on those car drives & late sleepless nights wondering, worrying, & feeling the thrills of being in my twenties all at once.

success through failure

failure is something that can bring so much value into our lives, if only, we can learn from it & use it to make wiser decisions next time around. failure is one of life's toughest lessons but it can bring the greatest rewards.

frenchie friday

i spotted this cutie outside of a coffee shop & immediately asked the owners if i could pet him. theirs just something about flat nosed brachycephalic breeds thats got me head over heels in love with them. lolo, lola, tito's, & tita's have passed down their strong affinity for flat nosed dogs onto the grandchildren. pugs & bulldogs are the type of breeds that rule on our family.

in the nude

when i can find a nude nail lacquer that is as dreamy to apply as it looks, i know i've found a winner. im finding that most of my essie nude polishes far outweigh my zoyas in terms of application. cho & avery from zoya go on streaky and the wait time for each coat to dry is a bit longer, while my essie nudes apply like a dream.

i <3 SF

instant happiness washes over me when crossing the bridge on my way to my favorite city. san francisco never fails to rejuvenate & refresh my spirits. theirs so much beauty, culture, & great places to eat in SF. ill always be a san franciscan girl at heart.

on work

the quiet in my car was solace away from beeping iv's machines, phones ringing, & constant alarm of the ekg monitor. today was just one of those days where everything seemed to happen all at once including two code blue's resulting in the death of a patient while a few doors down their was an accidental fall of another patient. regardless of how rough & hectic a shift gets im blessed to be in a line of work that's preparing me for when something better comes along.