How was everyone’s week of gluttony – the week where we stand up for everything America stands for by lying around and getting FAT on Thanksgiving comfort food?! So haute.
This past week, there were a LOT of posts on Facebook (as I’m sure everyone saw) about what people were thankful for… also a lot of quotes and comments about being thankful all year round instead of just one day, blah, blah, blah.
I know I’m very grateful for the gifts (and amazing talent 
) I’ve been given. I frequently talk with my sister, friends, mom and dad about how lucky I feel. I really, really do. But I think because of the reason, season and time, we all give a few more thoughts during Thanksgiving week about what we’re especially grateful for.
I jokingly posted on the interwebs that I was thankful for spandex. Just to cut through the seriousness. But if we’re being serious (for serious, seriously), for me more this year than usual, I’m thankful for “each other.” Or more specifically, my friends and family. As cliche as that sounds, let me explain…
This is a lesson you learn even more so when you move away from home and relocate to a new city: Your 16 circles of people become two circles of people. The people who love you and take interest in your life, are those who call to randomly chat and check in (rather than just checking Facebook) and go out of their way to spend time with you because they love and appreciate your friendship just as much as you do theirs. Two way friendships stick around and one way friendships disappear. You stop taking advantage of the time you spend with those you love (because they are oh.so.missed), and your schedule becomes less spread super thin and more focused on those who just make you feel loved when you’re in their presence. This is what life is about.
It’s not easy to move away from all your life-long friends and family and sometimes sit in your house by yourself when it’s your nature to be social, to see everything your friends are doing at home and wishing with every bone in your being that you could cab to their house and go together, to explore new neighborhoods and lunch spots alone, or to not have a group to plan a camping trip with. I realized more so than ever that my personal relationships are more important to me than anything else in my life. I’m growing and learning and changing and having SOO much fun in a new city, exploring a new side to Jeanna. But I just don’t like being away from the people I love. I don’t at all.
But this is another lesson you learn when you move away from home: You work really hard in a new city to make your “family” – your home away from home – which might be 5 people instead of 30. Five very, very special people. In my new city, I’m surrounded by new friends, new people I’m quickly beginning to love, and a small circle of people who are becoming my family and my home away from home. And now, when I’m home in Seattle, I miss them and the fun they’re having. I want to take a cab to their house and go together. They’re my people to explore new neighborhoods and lunch spots as we navigate a big city together. As we miss our “homes” but choose to make a new home together.
What I learned this year is that I’ll never be able to stay in one spot anymore and not miss someone – this is what happens when you can call two places home… or three… or four.
But, I can go everywhere and find people who will love me, and love everyone back just as much, or even more, regardless of my location.
That’s what I’m thankful for.
Currently Feeling: Annoyed my flight is delayed two hours (again!). Damn you, SFO fog!
Currently Anticipating: Sleeping in my own bed tonight and cuddling Miss Stella!
Currently Loving: My new Kindle Touch! (I totes bought it, even though I totes didn’t need it. Whoopsie. But, I love it so much better than the keyboard one!)
On Sunday, I went with my friend Tammy to an event called THREAD Show. It was a small gathering of independent fashion and accessory designers selling their goods (for cost) with some food samples, wine, art and DJs. It was one of the most fun things I’ve done on a rainy Sunday! (Considering I spend 99 percent of my Sundays in bed reading and watching movies).
So many pretty trinkets, sparkly gems and lovely silky items I wanted to make mine immediately! If I had endless amount of dollars to spend, I would have bought the moon. What I loved best about this shopping event was that each curated piece for sale was made by a local designer and unlike anything you can pick up in a large mainstream store like Forever 31. Plus, your purchase supported their art! I came home with some beautiful pieces that I feel are what I like to call, “conversation starters.”
These feather earrings are from Turosum – artisan handmade jewelry from SF. Feathers are all the rage and ubiquitous in earrings, but what I love about these is they feel a little bit more “upscale” and special with their gold plating and soft, multi-colored cream and brown feathers. This designer had so many gorgeous feather earrings, many incorporating semi precious stones too. I kinda wanted to buy the whole rack.
My friend and I had a conquer strategy that included scouting the entire room for what we wanted before we purchased anything. I found this vintage light gray bag (worn with chain or as a clutch) with a hot pink hand-painted and fabric aplique created by De La Luna Designs and immediately fell in love. I walked away for three minutes before I turned back around and immediately bought it. I couldn’t bare the thought of someone else snagging it! The artist also does gorgeous appliquéd wallets, flasks, shoes and more. I wish I had a million people to buy birthday gifts for because these pieces were extraordinarily special.
These little friendship bracelets from Paolo Loves to Shop caught my eye when we first walked in. Friendship bracelets and “layered bracelets” are really in right now, and I love the studs (and rhinestones) braided into these ones, so I bought two! It feels like a fun throwback to my youth to have a friendship bracelet tied on my wrist all day (even if I did give it to myself), but modernized with the studs.
THREAD does Indie fashion pop-up shows in other cities on the West Coast (the best coast) such as Seattle (!!), San Diego and Los Angeles, so look it up and mark your calendars for next year’s shows. It’s something not to be missed!
Currently Feeling: So very, very excited to see my parents and my little sister when I land in Seattle for Thanksgiving week! Going home now feels like I’m 15 since I stay at my parents’ house without a car, but it’s nice to have so much concentrated family time to make up for how little I get to see them.
Currently Anticipating: A week of catching up with Seattle friends I haven’t seen since I moved (six months ago now)! There is lots of partying in my future. I’m going to have to work out extra hard this week.
Currently Watching: Hangover 2 on the plane! Don’t remember people really loving it, but I think it’s hilarious! Many laugh out loud moments (even if a lot of it is kinda crass, sea bass).
Sometimes she likes to sit in the middle of this blue ribbon pillow I have on the couch, and I imagine this is what her Fancy Feast photo shoot would look like.
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Normally I don’t blog about everything I add to my Bucket List and just sneak things in here and there. But this is too magnificent to not share with everyone.
Hotel Kakslauttanen in Finland has thermal glass igloos where you can lie on luxury beds and stare up at the lights of Aurora Borealis – one of the seven natural wonders of the world! These glass igloos are located within one of Finland’s national parks with zero light pollution, and they have a special design that keeps them warm inside and not foggy when temperatures reach negative 20 degrees outside.
The hotel also features the world’s largest smoke sauna (apparently Finish technology and custom), a restaurant that serves reindeer (!!), and a snow restaurant located inside a gigantic igloo. You can read more about this hotel here.
Could you imagine all the boots with da fur you’d pack for this trip?! So neat.
Currently Feeling: Productive working on some personal brand projects today. Got my About.me site up!
Currently Anticipating: Watching “The Big Game” with some friends tonight at Brick Yard. (Like Apple Cup).
Currently Loving: Top Ramen. It’s a throwback to my early 20s.
Last week a friend came over to my house and caught glimpse of my little “What I Want To Do This Week” list.
She totes made fun of me.
Duly noted. It’s pretty nerdy.
But, what can I say – it’s my weekly ritual. Every Monday I fill out a new list with five things (or more) that I want to focus on or accomplish during my week.
How do I want to feel? What do I want to do to feel this way? What are the steps I need to take to accomplish what I need to do in order to feel this way?
It’s my little way to achieve my goals and change what I might not have been happy with the week/month/year before.
What can I say – I like to live my life with intention.
I found a definition to explain “living with intention:”
Life is a series of things that we do, of things that we think about, of interactions, and it’s the choices that we make that will make us. Intentional Living is to:
- Know what you believe.
- Know where you’re headed.
- Know what to do next.
How do you live your life with intention?
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Tell me, have you heard of burrata cheese?!
I hadn’t until a little birdie sitting next to me at an Italian pizza place called Delarosa in the Marina told me that Delarosa’s Burrata Bruschetta (pictured above) was a dish not.to.be.missed.
Of course I ordered it and fell in love, natch.
Burrata is a fresh artisanal Italian cheese made from mozzarella and cream. It’s slightly cool, has a yogurt/cottage cheese type texture. It’s a little sweet, a little salty and a little buttery. Delarosa serves a scoop of it on top of toast, drizzled in honey and hazelnuts.
It’s one of the best things to eat in SF – approved by Je. Mouthwatering, I tell you.
(Delarosa is one of the few places I’ve been to more than once here – they also have an amazing speidini, an Italian skewer dish, made with scallops, citrus, leeks and potatoes, and pretty good artisan pizzas too!)
Currently Feeling: Lured by the amazing pumpkin bread one of my girl friends made for me. I can’t stop!
Currently Anticipating: A whole week at home in Seattle next week for Thanksgiving.
Currently Loving: My new FitBit!
Tell me, blog lovelies, what kinda of fall/winter shoes do you wear these days?
I’ve felt a struggle with my shoes for awhile now. I used to be the girl who wore pointy heels every day, all day long, everywhere. A lot of people would say to me, “How do you wear heels allll day?! I could never do that.”
It drove me crazy. And, well, now I’m one of those girls.
Chalk it up on the list of things I thought I’d never do or say, right there along with staying in the majority of the week, making out with 23 years old when I’m almost 30 and eating fish. I guess one of the best parts of being a woman is that we always have the right to change our minds. (Because those cheesy Kathy magnets say so, right?)
I don’t want to wear pointy heels all day long anymore.
I’m trying to find shoes that are comfy and fashionable, but I don’t love most of the styles out there right now. I don’t want to wear sky-high 60s inspired platforms (not realistic), I don’t love the “dated” retro feel of the T-straps and loafers (too 90s). I don’t know how to style booties and feel like they make me look stubby (I need height). I’m not comfortable in pointy heels all day (unless just dinner or out), but you have to walk everywhere in SF, so I prefer comfortable heels or boots! And I need something to wear with skinny jeans and flares.
I’m still dedicated to the wedge heel … but can’t find tons of cute ones at Nordstrom and the like, so it makes me feel like they’re not in style. (I did pick up the above pictured wedges after scouring the Internet for the perfect shoe for $70 on Amazon.com, originally $170. Might be my score of the season.)
What are your most favorite shoes right now?
Currently Feeling: Awesome that I made it over my 10K steps goal today! (I’m starting to track daily).
Currently Anticipating: Dinner with my old boss and a few girls we know mutually tomorrow at Tyler Florence’s new restaurant – Wayfare Tavern.
Currently Reading: “Before Ever After” by Samantha Sotto
//from Pinterest
I’m happy to report, blog lovelies, that after six months in San Francisco – I finally have my SF Bucket List up!
Since here, I’ve collected lists everywhere from Notes in my iPhone to e-mail and bookmark folders every time someone mentions a great place, or I read an idea in one of the thousands of San Francisco sites I subscribe to. (My fav is 7×7, if you ever plan to come to San Francisco for vacation and need to know the what’s what on the best food in San Francisco and the best things to do in San Francisco. They’re know for their “lists,” ie: Top 10 Burgers in San Francisco, 100 Things to Eat in SF Before You Die, etc).
Much like my general Bucket List for life that I’ve been working on the last three years, I’ll bold the items and mark it with a date when they’re completed.
If you are one of my Bay Area friends or readers – let me know if there’s anything you want to do with me (or you think I should add).
I already have FOURTY items on the list, so I better get at it! (Most of it is food, so here’s hoping I don’t get fat *fingers crossed*!)
P.S. For those of you in love with Bucket Lists like I am, I found this Bucket List Tumblr that’s fun to peruse for ideas!Currently Feeling: Like I ate too many office snacks. Boooo office junk food – there should be a law against it!
Currently Anticipating: The Geographer show tonight with some girl friends at Rickshaw Stop with drinks/food at Straw in Hayes Valley first. Straw is known for their “carnival fare” (and they serve a hamburger between two glazed donuts!). That’s either really gross or really yummy, but either way tis’ on my SF Bucket List, so I’m off to a good start!
Currently Loving: Peanut Butter Cups from Trader Joe’s! So much better than Reese’s. Why? Cause the peanut butter is creamy, not hard!
//from Pinterest
