I AM GRATEFUL

FOR...

yesterday, TODAY, dove mini ice cream bars, mornings, quiet evenings, LAUGHTER, hummus, popcorn, on demand, my flat iron, Esse and OPI nail polish, mini Polaroids, moose, airplanes and cars that take me to new places, home decor blogs, Chanel fragrances, FRIENDS who come over, friends who invite me over for a glass of WINE (or five), candles that make the house smell really really good (even if it's only for an hour), freshly washed sheets, 5 minute dance parties in the kitchen, MUSIC, bubbly, facetime convos with my FAMILY, post work chats with my MOM, my job, magazines, the iPhone camera, Mr. Clean Magic Erasers, skymiles, $3 ebooks, pinterest, colorful stuff

essentially, all of the LITTLE THINGS on this list make me happy...or at least give my life an increased level of awesomeness...with that said, THANK YOU little things, THANK YOU for the good times, for the laughs, for allowing my to hair look decent and for making my apartment smell nice

on a more "serious" note...
if you know me, i think you would agree on how much i value RELATIONSHIPS - whether it be  those established through my family early on or those formed recently. i love my people and i appreciate how my parents instilled the sense of "friends are family you get to choose" from an early age. This is what I am most thankful for this year, the good people i can start a conversation with "te acuerdas cuando...." ("remember when...")

soooo during this highly anticipated holiday, enjoy the time with your new or old relationships, take a chill pill, eat lots of goodies, put on some good music, try not to fight and don't forget to drink (it helps relax especially if you're traveling or having guests over).

oh and thank you for reading all the way down the page, you rock!! tell me, what are some things you are grateful for?

cheers!

mucho love
LD

LA BODA DE ELLA...

Fue la mejor...

What a week...the wedding, the parties, seeing old friends, meeting new friends, seeing Mariella and Dustin so happy celebrating their day...I couldn't have had a better vacation. I still can't wear closed shoes and my voice is slowly returning, but like my friend Carla wrote to me "I wouldn't expect anything else from you, anything else would just be BORING."

Now I'm back in Jacksonville, recovering from the intensity and reliving the good times through photos. Here are some highlights...Enjoy!

llegamos a la iglesia, la cosa se puso seria

amor del bueno

se atrevieron!

ohh the nerves

with the parental unit

missing these girls mucho

next

love them!

these two know how to have a good time

mi favorita

my girls

pleneros en accion

here we are after i intercepted the bouquet

There were a few more festivities surrounding the wedding...all for now, more laters.

xo

LD

CALI IPHONE DUMP PART DEUX...ON THE ROAD EDITION

72 hours around Nor Cal...

This was actually the start of my mini vacation. MPCC Shore Course...beautiful track!

I drove...A LOT

First leg...

Open road on my way from Yosemite to San Fran...Bay Bridge (top right)...and the awesome Metro Hotel (top left)

Made it to Napa!

Dolores Park

Golden Gate Park

Wrapped up the week with golf at The Olympic Club

All for now...more to come in a few days. Still need to download photos from NYC.

Ciao,
LD

CARMEL (AND OTHER PLACES) FROM MY IPHONE

I was so hyped up after my dance trance class this evening that I took some time to download pictures from my phone to the PC. Looking at these brought back the West coast wannabe in me so I figured I would share again. Some of you may have already seen these on Instagram so bear with me. Did I mention how much I love Cali? Can you tell? I'll shut up now...Here's the result of the iPhone dump...

the.best.burgers.ever.period

Bonfire @ Carmel Beach - this right here is probably the best evening I've spent in 2012

sunset...

Fuego

Big Sur mantra

Classic shot of #18 at Pebble

Mission Ranch

Carmel Beach looking glassy...

Mundaka

Art...

Lost deer on 17 Mile Drive...go figure!

MPF ladies...

Monterey Beach

17 from The Beach Club

YOSEMITE

I won't ramble much, the photos speak for themselves. However, I will say that Yosemite is a SPECTACULAR place. Getting there is a bit of a pain...you have to drive through a few small towns with below 50 speed limits. Not to mention the elevation changes and curvy two lane roads (not the best combination if you get car sick). I was so excited to be there that I ignored the symptoms, but I could feel my body not responding well to the altitude.

We hiked about 5 miles throughout the day. We visited Mariposa Grove, Taft Point, The Fissures, Glacier Point, Tunnel View, the valley floor and The Ahwahnee Hotel. 

Base of a fallen Sequoia 

Giant Grizzly

Posing under the tunnel tree

Tree hugging...

Making the hike down to Taft Point, elev. 7,500 ft

With my awesome tour guide

Livin' on the edge

The Fissures on Taft Point - you really need to watch your step here!

Shots from above....

First glimpse of Half Dome to the left & Bridalveil Falls to the right

Tunnel View - El Capitan to the left, Half Dome in the distance and Yosemite Falls to the right

We made it down to the valley

Huuuge fireplace at The Ahwahnee

 The Ahwahnee Hotel - the 'logs' are acutally made of concrete to prevent fires. Crazy how they look like real wood! 

El Capitan from the valley floor

After the 5 miles...cansaaaa

In the end, I'm glad I ventured beyond the cities...it was so different. Highly recommend to anyone who has a few days so spare in Northern California. Be sure to do your research and plan ahead, wear comfy shoes and make all your calls before heading to the park. No service up there.

I was so amazed by the grandeur of the landscape that took its shape from glaciers centuries ago. So much to see and do, if only I had more time...I will definitely be going back!! Seriously contemplating hiking up to Half Dome the next time or visiting during the winter. 

LD