Favorite Fridays v. 10

Happy Friday friends!  I feel like Favorite Fridays always come at just the right time.  I mean I don't know about you, but I definitely need a little superficial in my life every now and then.  This weeks favorite just happens to be my favorite Christmas gift.  I haven't been able to take these babies off since I opened them.  They're crazy expensive, but ladies, they're amazing and worth every last penny.  Like probably the best thing I've ever owned.  They're just so me.  They're comfortable and casual (meaning they're not stilettos) but they're special, so special because they're GOLD.  They go with absolutely EVERYTHING.  Did I mention they're comfortable.  Seriously, I'm in love.  If the almost $400 price tag is too much for your budget (had I not received them as a Christmas gift, I'd definitely have to save) I'd stalk them like crazy and try to get them on sale.  As a friend I'm telling you that if you feel about these boots like I did when I first saw them, buy them now, you will not be sorry. Someday I'll do a proper outfit post so you can see them in action in all they're glory, but for now, here you go.

I'd love to hear about your favorite Christmas gift!  Spill the details and have a super fantastic weekend.

January Spending Freeze- My first ever linkup

Happy New Year friends!  I'm so excited for today's post.  I'm joining Steph from Life According To Steph and Kate from Another Clean Slate in a January Spending Freeze linkup.  Linkups are pretty darn popular here in blogland, and I see their advantages, but until this point I haven't really felt compelled to join in on one.

The January Spending Freeze is screaming my name though.  Let's just say I HAVE ISSUES!  I mean did you guys read my post on How To Spend A Month's Allowance On Your Lunch Break?  It's obscene.   

I'm hoping this spending freeze will shed some light on why I feel I need to spend, spend, spend.  And if I'm being honest, I'm never going to get the new Prada on my 101 in 1001 unless I learn to SAVE.  Besides, Santa was really good to me this year so if there's ever going to be a time that I can go an entire month without buying myself something shiny and new, it's now. 

Wish me luck and by all means, please join in, misery loves company.

The Rules
1. The spending freeze lasts from January 1 - January 31.
2. No outings that are not budgeted for prior to 1/1 - no impromptu lunches, dinners, or nights out. Example: I have a mani/pedi appointment on 1/11 which is budgeted for (full disclosure I called and booked the appointment yesterday knowing the freeze was starting today) and it's ok to spend money on that, but I must stay within the budgeted amount,
3. No purchases that are not budgeted for prior to 1/1 - no daily coffee runs, lunch break trips to Nordstrom, magazines, etc.

Bring It On!

December 30, 2012 via Facebook
 
This New Year's Eve marks 6 years of being smoke free for D and I. We've been smoke free for so long now it seems like another life. It's been another great year, one of the best in awhile.. We moved, AGAIN, but this time into the home I'm confident we'll be in until retirement. The last half of the year has been great for me personally. I've grown so much and in ways I never thought possible- never say never . I'm looking forward to growing new and old friendships, our trip to Maui, and continuing to take care of myself mentally and physically in the upcoming year. Thanks to all my friends and family for the wonderful times in 2012. Bring on 2013!!!

I'm looking forward to pretty much the same things in 2014 (minus the trip to Maui damn it).  Personal Growth, Growing Friendships and Learning To Take Care Of Myself are at the forefront of my mind and have been for some time now.  This year has been full of ups and downs, good times and bad, and lots of life's little lessons.  I've had a good run, but I'm ready for a new beginning.  Before I say goodbye to 2013 though I wanted to share a few of my favorite memories from the year.

April marked 8 fabulous years of marriage for D and I , and we celebrated big time by spending 10 nights at the Four Seasons in Maui.  Don't be too envious folks, we hadn't taken a "real" vacation since our honeymoon.

In June we spent one of the best days ever having lunch at our favorite summer spot and then attending the La Jolla Festival of the Arts.  When we woke up, we had not plans.  We just went wherever the wind took us and it was a great day.

In July we randomly booked a flight two hours before departure and went to Las Vegas for the trip of a lifetime.  We've never been so lucky and it was just what we needed at the time.  Two nights at the Wynn, dinner at our favorite restaurant, Sinatra, a cabana by the pool and spa treatments to boot.  I still think about our little getaway on a regular basis. 

In September my little brother and I took our first trip together as adults, it will forever be one of my favorite memories of he and I.

 I started Brass Honey, we went to Padre games, Charger games, we had more date nights, we found "our" breakfast place, we put new windows in at the house, we laughed, we screamed, we cried.  It was another good year.

Wishing you all a Happy New Year and nothing but health and happiness in 2014.

A Night Away, Alone

The above is an excerpt from my journal dated August 6, 2012.  There are many like it, little reminders to myself to slow down, to take time out, and to work to find inner peace.  Unfortunately for now, 8 days out of 10, my mind runs at the speed of a freight train.  Slowing it down is a struggle and takes a great deal of work.  I've seen glimpses of the calm beautiful woman that lives at my core though.  I treasure her.  She's a better wife, a better person in general, so I continue to do the work it takes to bring her out.  

If I'm honest, it's a lot of work.  I'm human, I get caught up in work, life, and in little dramas.  When things are at their worst, I feel like a pit bull trying to jump or dig out from behind a chain link fence.  It's not pretty and it's exhausting.  Last weekend before our Christmas vacation, and in an attempt to find peace, I went away alone for the first time ever.

This was a planned getaway, agreed upon by D and I, but in the days leading up to my night away, I felt guilty.  Guilty for spending the money on myself, guilty for wanting to leave my family.  "Normal" people don't go away alone do they?  There was a lesson to be learned though, and I knew it, so when Saturday arrived, I kissed D goodbye and I made the drive to the The Inn At Rancho Santa Fe.

Within three hours of checking in, I had walked the grounds of the Inn, walked the town of Rancho Santa Fe, had dinner at the Inn's restaurant and had started watching My Best Friends Wedding.  Not exactly a calm quiet afternoon right.  I poured myself a second glass of wine and walked out onto my deck to enjoy the sunset. 

Why was I drinking?  Not to relax, but to stimulate myself.  I poured the wine out and went back inside.

Later that evening the guests in the room above me started making noise and at that very moment I realized that going away to this beautiful Inn and leaving my home full of all of it's lovely distractions (tv's, ipads, D etc.) wasn't going to make the noise stop.  I went to bed early and woke before dawn.

The moon was still out.  Breakfast wasn't served until 7:00 so I walked the grounds again, only this time with a quiet mind.  In the light of day, I knew why I was there, at the Inn.  My night away was just another attempt to lure the beautiful woman I know is there out.  I've said it a million times.  While I've made mistakes in my life, I have no regrets and in the end, when it's all said and done, the only thing that will cause me any distress is if I don't find a way to be at peace. 

The day before hadn't been a success because peace doesn't come because you're in a peaceful place.  A quiet calm mind is a way of being.  It doesn't go away because you're had a stressful day at work, because you're having issues with your mom, or because you're working on a big project.  It takes work, hard work, and lots of gentle reminders.

Here's to continuous process improvement.