working from home...

has its benefits. Pink slippers and tights all day?
It doesn't get much better than that.

the need to read

Lately, I have felt the need to read, but I've been busy-not a lot of time to devote to a book. If I was a content skimmer I might be able to get through books faster, but I like the details; emotion is in the details. Anyway, I gave a book to Kent for Valentine's Day that seemed sort of interesting (and short). It is titled The Five People You Meet in Heaven by Mitch Albom. Kent liked Tuesdays with Morrie, so I thought he might like another book by the same author.

Kent hasn't read it yet, but I zoomed through this little shorty in about 5 hours (more or less). It was a fascinating book, a book that made me think, and made me look at Heaven and people in a different light. Most importantly, the lessons learned rang true to me. I know this book is fictional, but I feel that most stories are built upon real experiences, viewpoints and people (Albom's uncle was an inspiration). Fiction or nonfiction, it makes me want to be a more understanding, better person.

The point of this post: If you are looking for a good book that you can read in a few hours, and that also makes you want to be a better person, The Five People You Meet in Heaven, is for you.

on the verge of extinction?

Have yellow page directories lost their usefulness in our society? Sadly enough, this question plagues my mind every day. Why? Because I do marketing and I just don't know if enough people use them to justify spending thousands of dollars on them each year. I know that people age 65+ probably use them, and possibly people who don't have Internet access (I can't imagine there are too many people out there in the latter situation-well, at least people who are looking for a dermatologist), but that's about it. Okay, I guess I used them this weekend to find a U-Haul company, but it's a rare occasion when I open that big, yellow book sitting in a dark cabinet.

So, I pose a question to any readers of this blog:

Do you use the yellow pages?

If so, would you use them to find a physician?

Please enlighten me.

aerobics will never be the same

Ever dreamed of working out with Richard Simmons? Well, your dream can become a reality at Slimmons. (And no, this photo isn't produced by Photoshop magic, this is the real deal.) Lindsey, Kent's little sister, and our friends, Lindsay and Jessie Turner, thought it would be a good idea to head to Beverly Hills to take an aerobics class with the one, the only, Mr. Richard Simmons.

Suffice it to say, it was probably the most entertaining, high energy workout session I've ever had. Did I break a sweat? You bet. Did I come out of that class wanting to be a better person? Definitely. Do I want Kent to start dressing like Richard? No way. But Richard Simmons is a good man. A little bizarre, but he genuinely wants people to be healthy and feel great about themselves.

Highlights (in no particular order):

1. Richard's outfit: Tiny, black and white striped polyester shorts coupled with a black, rhinestone-flowered, tank top. And of course, there were skin-colored nylons, white socks and white tennis shoes. Classic. It actually made the workout that much better seeing a sparkly flower on Richard's back. How could that not make someone happy?

2. The record player: Richard played a few of the songs on a vinyl record player. You just don't see those very often and it was so fitting. His prime was in the late 70s and 80s and it seemed natural he would use records.

3. My favorite song selections: "All or Nothing" by Cher. We all stood in a big circle when the Cher song came on and Richard would grab random people to lead the class with him. So fantastic.




"The Galop" (or Can-can music) by Jacques Offenbach. We all held hands and did a Richard Simmons rendition of the Can-can. I never knew that holding the sweaty hands of strangers whilst doing the grapevine and kicking could be so fun.



4. Richard's assistant: She was the nicest, most normal person ever. She signed us in and participated in the class. She wore nylons like Richard. I'm wondering if I need to start wearing nylons when I work out.

5. Richard's advice: He gave a lot of dating advice, which I didn't need, but thought was funny, albeit little over the top, but what I really loved was his advice at the end of class. We all sat on our mats and Richard told us to look at the proverbial glass half-full instead of half-empty and to be grateful for what we had. He also said the first 4 minutes of awakeness can set the tone for the rest of the day. And you know what? It made me want to make those 4 minutes better.

Before going into the class, our friend said, "This is one of those things that needs to be on every person's Top 100 Things To Do Before You Die list," and I completely agree. It was just so fun and ultimately, inspiring. Happiness came to me in the form of a $12 workout with Richard Simmons and friends on an overcast Saturday morning this weekend.


Next time, I'm bringing Kent.

want to go to seattle?

When Kent and I got married about a year and a half ago, everyone told me to get a good photographer. That made sense since everything else basically disappears after the reception; the flowers wilt, the food is eaten, the cake is devoured (well, all of it besides the top-you get to freeze that and eat it in a year) and the dress is dry-cleaned and put in a box until your little girls find it stowed away in a closet someday. The only things that last are the memories and love, two things a good photographer can capture.

In my wedding planning process (I can say my because Kent was MIA studying for the Bar), I contacted a friend of mine whose opinion I greatly value, and she told me about a girl who had recently moved to L.A. who was supposed to be a really good photographer. I checked out her website and was really impressed with her work. Her photography made me happy and appreciative of life. I guess you could say it kind of "spoke to my soul".

So, we met at a little cafe and it was decided that she would photograph the entire wedding day, engagement photos and my bridals. We only had two months to do this and she was on board and ready to go. Talented, on the ball and completely personable. A winning combination.

After each photography session I was 100% satisfied with the results and I felt like I had gained a new friend. She brought her husband (at the time, boyfriend) to help with the engagement shots and it felt like Kent and I were on a double date with friends at an old train station. Such a fun couple to hang out with.

This fantastic photographer and person I am speaking of is Rachel Thurston. She is a gem. Honestly. Her work is beautiful, creative and always tells a visual, soulful story. Plus, she knows how to get things done. At our wedding, she was basically our wedding director. She moved people from here to there and told us where to be and when. It was great. Kent and I even wished we could have put her in a pocket and taken her to Hawaii with us to document our honeymoon adventure. She's that good.

Long story short, Rachel is awesome. She is a great person (and now friend) and is extremely talented. She has a new website that you can check out here and if you're interested in spending a weekend in Seattle you can enter to be part of her give away here. You'll love her blog. It's always a good read and look.

Good luck with the give away and if you're ever in the market for a photographer (and friend) Rachel is your girl.

little brown bags

As I was driving around doing errands this afternoon, I stumbled across something I love, but didn't know existed nearby: A Farmer's Market. I don't know how to express my love for farmers' markets. All I can say is that I used to make sure I was home by 4:30 every Friday so that I could go to the one in Huntington Beach. If it closed before I was able to make it, I would be depressed at the thought at having to buy produce from a regular grocery store. There's just nothing like walking around, observing the fresh fruits and vegetables, rare honeys, homemade breads, one of a kind dried fruits and nuts, authentic pitas and hummus, and Kent's favorites: kettle corn and roasted corn on the cob.

I was delighted to find a market so close to home, but what delighted me even more were these bags.

I didn't go to Bloomingdale's today, but I did get my little brown bag.

As I was paying for my things, I noticed a large stash of 'little' and 'medium' brown bags behind the table and that my strawberries and Brussels sprouts were about to get very fancy holders for the trip home.

I'm not sure where they got the bags, and I don't really care, but my oh my, it made me laugh so hard.

I did appreciate the sturdy handles and thick paper as wandered around the rest of market. That 'farmer' might actually be onto something....

You just never know what you'll find in a 'little brown bag'. It could be anything from an expensive scarf to a bag of garlic pistachios in a zip lock bag.

I, for one, found it delightfully deceitful, in the most innocent way.

magic awaits

In that last post, I was praising my dentist, but I'm not such a happy patient anymore. The left side of my mouth is ultra sensitive to cold and pressure and my bite feels off. I went in yesterday because it hurts when I eat. They tried to help by doing some filing of the filling and some teeth, but it still hurts. It sure makes me appreciate having a healthy set of teeth-I want them back!

Either way, things will be fine in that department, eventually. It might take a few more trips to another dentist, but it will all work out. Thankfully, Kent is really nice about my 3 year old whining-he has loads of patience.

In the meantime, we are going to look forward to going to the....

MAGIC CASTLE

(not to be confused with this Magic Castle, although, it's a great castle too.)

My friend, Sarah, asked if we want to go there next week and after some reworking of schedules, we are in! I didn't know what the Magic Castle was and I'm still not exactly sure, but it sounds fantastically fun. I've never been to a professional magic show so this is going to be quite the experience.

Looking forward to something exciting and hoping for better teeth by then.