Adventure, Shmadventure.

Happy Sunday! This morning was a nice, sleepy cozy one until about 7:30. Then I did some work on the computer, kissed my husband goodbye and went to a yoga class. Now I am home to pack a bag for Santa Barbara! We are shooting some more footage for the travel show tomorrow so I will only be gone tonight, all day tomorrow and then hop the train to come home early Tuesday morning. I am excited, but a little anxious. Apparently, the network wants to see us doing more action/adventure. Sooooo… there is an adventure activity set up for us tomorrow which we are not privy to, seeing as they want to get our reactions on film. !! As for as I can deduce, we are not going to be bungy jumping, we will not be in the water, it is not a tandem activity, and I do get to wear a helmet (Kaleo’s requirement for allowing me to participate, haha). Now, I’m pretty sure it will be all kinds of scary, since they want our reactions on film, and that alone kind of freaks me out. Are we jumping out of an airplane?? Hang gliding? I secretly Googled ‘adventure activity Santa Barbara’ to see what I could find and the one thing that sounded great was a tour of wine country on a bicycle. That’s adventure enough, right?? I mean, four girls wine tasting and riding bikes? You have your adventure, AND your comedy all rolled into one! But alas, I am at the mercy of the producers idea of adventure. So here I go, on the train to SB to do God-knows-what while wearing a helmet and trying to look good on camera while not peeing my pants. Updates to come…

“You know you’re in love when you can’t fall asleep because reality is finally better than your dreams” ~Dr. Seuss

As we inch our way through March, we are deliciously close to one of my favorite times of year… Spring! It gives way to new beginnings, new ideas, new wardbrobe pieces (if you Spring-Clean out your closet), flower buds softly opening and trees and gardens coming back to life after a mild Southern California winter. Bring on the change of seasons, March, I am SO ready for you! I have however, really enjoyed the almost daily change of weather that we have been having. It never really allows you to get used to or bored with, one type of climate. It’s has been kind of extreme, sure. Torrential downpours with thunder and lightning on Tuesday, a sunny 70 degrees on Wednesday, oh maybe a HAIL STORM on Thursday, dropping down to the 30’s Friday night and then okay, how about a nice sunny mid 70’s weekend? Are you kidding me? I love it! But even though I have enjoyed the excitement, I am ready to commit to Spring Time. SO in honor of Spring, I am going to share with you a few of my favorite Springy-feeling things. Now, in no way am I a fashion blogger, and if you know me you are probably laughing right now. My idea of fashion is probably so not in line with normal people. As a kid I was always baffled by the rule that you had to “match”. Why do the kids at school say I don’t match? Who says that you are supposed to match? What is matching anyway? Who decides what goes together?? I think I am perfectly matched. (as I dressed myself in a rainbow-striped long sleeve tee, purple shoes with mismatched socks, and blue and white Dove shorts. Oh you KNOW the ones. One blue leg and the other white, then the back was reversed.) I looked great and I matched. According to me. Fast forward to my adult life. My belief is that clothing exists to make you look and feel good. YOU, not the model in the magazine. Sure, fashion is a different story. Fashion is more akin to art. I love the artistic quality of design and the amazingly beautiful pieces that come out each season with the finest of materials and the sexiest of cuts. But would I wear most of them? No. COULD I wear most of them? Nope. And so for this blogs sake, I am talking here about just clothing. In my opinion, if what you are wearing doesn’t make you feel absolutely beautiful, it is not worth your time. And what makes you feel beautiful might be different from the next person. (i.e. my rainbow colored outfit at 7 yrs old). The only rule of thumb I can offer is to work with, not against, your natural assets and have fun. If you feel you have really pretty shoulders, then celebrate that! If you hate skinny jeans because they make you feel like you’re wearing a body-corset, then by all means wear your favorite jeans until they have holes in them. Then patch them up and rock on. Don’t listen to the nay-sayers and trend-followers. If it makes you feel alive, wear it! But don’t be afraid to try something new. Our bodies and our tastes are fluid and changeable. Maybe you’ve been resisting the trend of black tights and brown knee high boots. Try it on sometime and maybe you will love it! Use the pieces you already have in your closet to get creative and come up with some new ideas. You might end up with some fabulous outfits. Okay, I promised I wouldn’t be a fashion blog. On to my favorites-list:

Making my own essential oils fragrance for Spring. Instead of spraying your usual perfume, why not try an essential oil? You can mix them by using a drop of each, or just enjoy it alone. They are pure and not filled with harsh chemicals, and are extremely inexpensive. Right now I am loving Attar Bazaar’s line. I used a tiny drop of the Tahitian Gardenia mixed with the same amount of Sudanese Coconut this morning and it gave me an instant beachy-summer feeling. So yummy. Another idea for the beach when it gets warmer, is to put a few drops of Ylang-Ylang in a base of coconut skin oil. Put a small amount of the mixture in the palms of your hands and rub through your wet hair at the beach. It conditions your hair while allowing it to dry smelling like you just got back from the South Pacific. Delicious.

The color BLUSH. Or nude, pale pink, etc. is simply beautiful, girly, soft and complementary to all skin tones. It can be matched with black for a classical look, or browns and nudes for a warmer, Bohemian feel. Regardless of how you wear it, it is quietly and utterly romantic. The dress above is by Lotta Stensson and is just gorgeous. However, I also love this color for nails (Essy has THE BEST pale pink colors. My favorite is Ballet Slipper), shades (Forever 21 has them right now), scarves, and soft organic tank tops by Alternative Apparel. Basically anything you wear in this color will make you feel like you are the prettiest girl at the party. 😉

Dr. Seuss! March is his birthday month and a great time to reflect on all of the wonderful advice he gave us all as kids and grown-ups.

“The more that you read, the more things you will know. The more that you’ll learn, the more places you’ll go.”

“Sometimes the questions are complicated and the answers are simple.”

“Today you are you, that is truer than true. There is no one alive who is youer than you.”

“You’re off to great places! Today is your day! Your mountain is waiting, so get on your way!”

“Don’t cry because it’s over. Smile because it happened.”

Astrud Gilberto singing Girl from Ipanema. Truly stunning and classic. I have always loved Bossanova and Brazilian Samba music, and Astrud is one of my all-time favorites. Look up her version of Corcovado and listen to it while preparing a fresh Spring-themed meal and sipping a glass of Vinho Verde. It will brighten any day and warm any night.

Beautiful flower hair clips! First of all, I am so lucky to have a very talented friend Malissa Mattera who makes these gorgeous pieces that I carry at my boutique. I absolutely love to put on one while trouncing around town in a tank top and slippers, going out to a fancy shmancy dinner, or teaching a yoga class. If you ever need a pick-me-up or just feel that your outfit (or hair for that matter) needs some flair, try one on and see what a difference it makes. I’ve worn dramatic peonies or gardenias for a night out and my hair slicked back in a bun, and lovely orchids with loose flowy hair, the possibilities are endless. Of course, if I still lived in Hawaii I cold just go pick one. But since I am here I am really enjoying these beautiful flowers.

This concludes my Springtime faves for now. I had so much fun I might do a Part Deux. What are some of your favorite Spring-things?