“Being the richest man in the cemetery doesn’t matter to me … Going to bed at night saying we’ve done something wonderful… that’s what matters to me.” [The Wall Street Journal, May 25, 1993]

Today we have lost one of the most influential, insightful, brilliant thinkers of our century.  Steve Jobs has passed, at the age of 56, and the world will forever be at a deficit.  Not only did he create life altering products - computers, phones, music engines - he changed the way we think.  He brought so much passion to his work, and his ideas, and inspired so many people.


In a commencement speech he gave at Stanford, he once said, "You can’t connect the dots looking forward; you can only connect them looking backwards. So you have to trust that the dots will somehow connect in your future. You have to trust in something — your gut, destiny, life, karma, whatever. This approach has never let me down, and it has made all the difference in my life.”


There is no way around it - today, we have lost someone great. 

Engagement Photos: LOVE

Oh my Goodness Gracious!  I hate to be a re-poster, but I just stumbled upon the most GORGEOUS engagement session I think I have ever seen.

As an officially wedding obsessed girl, I am extremely picky over what I swoon over.  So many photo shoots are so staged, and while it can be artsy, I could never picture some of them for myself.  This engagement shoot (while over-the-top extravagant) looks easy, and natural, and oozes romance.  It's classy and timeless, and I honestly can't wait to see the full wedding spread.

Even though I will not be flying to Paris for a photo shoot when I get engaged, I could totally imagine something this simple, authentic, and lovely.

Feeling Cozy

After the sun and warm weather from vacation, I have come back to San Francisco where the weather is chilly, and the days are getting shorter.  Sitting at work, it really feels much later than it is right now and I am feeling the need to curl up in an overstuffed chair with a cozy sweater and a steaming cup of cocoa.

While I can't be preparing for a long winter's nap, and pad around my apartment in my slipper socks until after work, one of my favorite afternoon rituals is to make some tea, and read through my favorite blogs. It's soothing, and even under the flourescent lights, its a lovely break that feels like meeting up with friends, and discussing anything and everything from party planning and DIY projects, to babies, to weddings, to travel, design, and art.



STYLE ME PRETTY:
For wedding inspiration, and all things pretty, StyleMePretty is the ultimate.  The dresses and soires are so soft and romantic, I could easily get lost in this world of whimsy, flowers, and ruffles.

  

OH HAPPY DAY:
She is a native San Franciscan, but picked up her life - husband, kids, and career - and moved to Paris for a year.  She has guts, and is loaded with creativity as a party planner, and blogger extraordinaire.  Her blog OhHappyDay inspires me, both in design, creativity, and guts... I really just feel happy when I read her posts.

CUP OF JOE:

An ultimate New Yorker, she manages to stay hip as a mom, and honestly I just want to be her friend.  She is utterly cool, and blogs about family, motherhood, fashion, art and design.  Somewhere in the mix are weddings, and wisdom that applies to life, love, goals and being happy.  It's sometimes therapeudic, and I want her life one day.

  

Post Vacation Blues

Now that we have been home from our trip to Hawaii for several days, I am experiencing the post-excitement let down.  The excitement of having something to look forward to has passed, but the silver lining here is that I have been spending hours pouring over all the pictures we took.

I could be a member of the paparazzi for the number of photos I ended up snapping.  Kris kept making fun of me, but years from now, we will look back with our kids on this fun impromptu trip, our great tans, and our the fabulous sunsets.  Seriously - everything was better in Hawaii - even the license plates had rainbows on them!

Nine days is the perfect amount of time to be in Hawaii.  We were able to split our time between the two islands, and while there is a ton to do, you don't have to do anything if you don't want.  We stayed close to Diamond Head on Oahu, and while we never ventured over to the beaches, or hiked to the top, it was so relaxing to be out of the hustle-bustle of the downtown in Waikiki.  We got up early each day, sat out on the deck, laid out on the beach, and soaked up the sun (and mai-tais).  The surf was great while we were there, and I even got to rent a board and take a private lesson... (private lesson with my honey bunny that is).  He was a great teacher - very patient, and of course very cute :-)

Maui on the other hand was pure relaxation... the sunsets were absolutely breathtaking, and this part of the trip was really about re-connecting, and re-charging.  Kris is not the type to sit on a beach (or by a pool) with a book, but we napped, relaxed, and ate... A LOT.  The main event for the evenings was watching the sunset with a cocktail, and listening to the live music in time to the waves.  Kaanapali is absolutely fabulous, and we'd walk along the promenade passing the main hotels and condos near Whalers Village, indulged in plenty of shave ice and frozen yogurt.  The snorkeling was extremely cool - we saw sting rays, sea turtles, and a plethora of tropical fish.  Luckily, I invested in a waterproof camera, and CANNOT WAIT to see if those photos came out!

Some favorite moments....

Paradise Found

Kris and I just got back from a much anticipated vacation, and after a much heated debate... we settled on Hawaii.  This is not to say that I did not want to go, or that I was against it.  I actually was gunning for it because from California, it's a 5 hour flight (not long in the scheme of things) and it was just easy.  No Mexican kidnappings to worry about... no Costa Rican drug charges to fret over.

Not only did I like Hawaii.... I LOVED it.  Honestly, I have nothing but great things to say about it.

More to come with a normal night's sleep......