Bon Iver for your Wednesday

I'll keep with the Glee-ish theme and pass on this great little vid. Fantastic things like this only happen in Paris. Hey, anyone want to head on over to Paris with me?

found via ellemenoh

And I'm back!

So sorry for my prolonged absence my friends, I've been feeling uber-mopey lately! Whenever I feel the mean reds, I can't help but also feel utterly silly about it because I know that my teensy weensy troubles are nothing compared to everything that's going on around us all right now. So I thought it best to refrain from broadcasting my pity party on the blog-o-sphere, and return only when I was my grateful, cheery self again (I'm like 95% there, so humor me). And what can I attribute this stupendous recovery to? You guessed it people, Glee. Now I know that some of you just cringed at that last sentence, but I have to admit that those song and dance routines (especially the Journey and Madonna numbers) combined with the oh-so-wholesome goodness of the characters and story lines, was just the trick to make me perk up and count my blessings. Well, that and I seriously have made some pretty darn spectacular friends here in Monterey. So, to my friends and to Glee I say, Thank you with all my heart for yanking me out of my silly little slump. Here's wishing you all a lovely week!

go ahead and check out this fantastic blog (it's on my daily read list now) WWEPW

Alice + Me = Very much in common

I give myself very good advice, but I very seldom follow it. That explains the trouble that I'm always in...

beautiful Mary Blair illustration via the lovely black apple.

Weekend plans

I'm definitley buying this poster from Sad Little Crown, as it is thus far my favorite take on the old Keep Calm version. I may squeeze a little retail therapy and the Super Bowl in between bouts of flinging and sobbing this weekend. Oh the many wonders of being single and having to rifle through all the toads. I very much admire all the single ladies (and some gents) that keep putting themselves out there; it's just not easy to lift yourself up and put yourself back together again. Dammit, it's friggin' hard!

A new hobby...

This Heather Ross surfboard makes me want to learn how to surf! So gorgeous!

image via heather ross blog

Wet pup

Suki was in desperate need of a bath, so I finally buckled down yesterday. When I came back from getting her towel I found her sweetly waiting, little head resting on the tub and all. Too cute for words.

I heart...

This driftwood heart by HEARBLACK. Their oh-so-lovely blog is definitely worth a gander; I need friends that build sweet little teepees and have picnics on the beach. Sigh.

Road Trip!

Hello all! I know it's been too long, but I just got back from an amazing road trip to L.A. and San Diego. It was a professional development outing with my department at the Aquarium and we were lucky enough to visit some spectacular places that are also doing wonderful things in education! The pictures above are not mine (I try but I just can't take decent photos), and they are only a small sample of the sights we saw and enjoyed. The Getty Museum on the upper left corner was stunning, not only the artowrk inside the museum (I gawked at the Degas for a good while) but also the Museum's architecture itself is just gorgeous. The bottom left corner is from Pacific Beah in San Diego, if you're ever in that neck of the woods I recommend staying at the Tower 23 hotel-- I felt uber trendy the moment I  got there! And finally on the right is the Santa Monica Pier. We didn't get to ride the ferris wheel, but it was a great sight. Altogether, it was a great trip and I'm looking forward to going back and maybe camping on the beach in Malibu and soaking up the SoCal sun.

Images via flickr: Getty; Pacific Beach; Santa Monica

One day I'm gonna whistle...

It just doesn't get much cuter than this.

found via heather ross

A little warmth

I love all the prints in Katie Daisy's shop. They make me feel warm and cozy in this oh-so-cold weather.

found via vintage simple

Baby!

There's a cute, new addition at the Aquarium. Just this weekend a baby African blackfooted penguin was born in one of our exhibits. It's the first time we've had a penguin birth here and needless to say, it's very exciting! It's hard to catch a glimpse of the little cutie because it's always snuggly tucked under papa. Here's a little peak of him/her (we won't know until later if it's a boy or a girl):



image and video via monterey bay aquarium

Taking a look...

I hadn't really realized it until I got a Christmas update from a good friend describing all of his 2010 adventures, but I've had a BIG year! It feels like I've been in California for so very long, but I only moved here last March and it's been a tornado of craziness (and awesomeness, and just a teensy bit of sadness) ever since. Despite the major boughts of homesickness I experienced early on in my move (if you're curious about the cure= Grey's Anatomy marathons), I've absolutely enjoyed my cross-country move and I must give myself a proud little pat on the back for being brave enough to take this big step in my life. This year though, I'm allowing myself to be not-so-courageous and just take a moment to really enjoy everything (and everyone) around me. My New Year's Resolutions are few but they all fit one oh-so-important criterium: FUN. Number one on my list (the genius of this one blew me away): Spend New Year's Eve 2011 in New York. Now, this may seem kinda weird to many of you, but it's always been a dream of mine to watch the ball drop in NYC. So this year I'm just going to suck it up and go! Numero dos: Get to know this great state I now live in. Yup, I'm going to explore the heck out of California this year. And then...that's it! I always try to keep my Resolutions List short and sweet because who wants to start the year off with a stressful, mile-long list of things "to do." What about you? Any resloutions for this lovely upcoming year?

photo of suki and me on the 17-mile drive

Big Ups to 2011!

I wish you all every happiness for the upcoming year. Big hugs and best wishes!

image by me at Flamingo Gardens (if you're in the South FLA 'hood, I definitely recommend stopping by!)

Warm Wishes

Sending you all warm thoughts from sunny Florida! Hope your holidays are chock full of yummy goodness.

photo by teddo, inc.

Happy day!

I'm looking forward to all of the birthday shenanigans this weekend! Hope you enjoy your weekend too!

image via miss molly