Serenity Prayer

There's A Feeling in the Air

Relief

This photo just felt good today.

Stargazing

My parents bought these lovely Stargazer Lilies for my living room this weekend and they're in full bloom for the week. Their striking blooms, vibrant colors and heavenly smell make them - hands down - tops on my favorite flower list. Thanks for these beauties and a really wonderful weekend visit!

A Family Sunday Drive and New Friends

Spent the 1st half of the day enjoying mom and dad's company over breakfast, bookstore browsing, and a leisurely Sunday drive around sunny White Rock Lake. After they headed home, Matt and I continued the day with service and spending time catching up with and getting to know some really great new friends over dinner.

Day Around Dallas

We actually started the weekend off with no need-to-fix lists (unusual ;o) but of course we found something. Half way through the day, Dad called me out on my thinning tire tread and the next thing I know, I'm the proud new owner of four brand new Bridgestones, a serpentine belt replacement, and hood lifts. Sigh. After playing car maintenance, the rents grilled up a rock star steak dinner and we all vegged out the rest of the evening. Productive, fun, and really relaxing actually.

Better Than It Started

Today was a doozey at work - just short of losing my mind over the challenges of a particular account I left feeling pretty defeated. Thank goodness mom and dad were coming in for a weekend visit as I really needed and enjoyed their company. We all caught up over dinner at a fav neighborhood joint, Fish City Grill, and relaxed over a some DVDs.

Feeling Feist's Fireworks

I heart the music video of "I Feel It All" by Leslie Feist

Discussions in the Desert

One of my favorite things about my job is being able to travel around the nation talking to different types of people on all kinds of topics. Today we're in Phoenix where our research facility sits within a 164 acre resort that is larger than some small towns at the base of the South Mountain Preserve. Productive and nice work enviro ;o)

Early to Rise

iHome sang to my dreams at 4:30 a.m. *yawn* Am in warm Phoenix today through Thursday for discussion groups and strat sessions.

Lululemon's Life Lessons

Lululemon Athletica's manifesto is simple, real, relatable and inspiring. Listed a few lovely tenants here:

• Your outlook on life is a direct reflection of how much you like yourself.
• Choose a positive thought. The conscious brain can only hold one thought at a time.
• That which matters the least should never give way to that which matters the most.
• Breathe deeply and appreciate the moment. Living in the moment could be the meaning of life.
• The world is changing at such a rapid rate that waiting to implement changes will leave you 2 steps behind. DO IT NOW, DO IT NOW, DO IT NOW!
• Observe a plant before and after watering and relate the benefits to your body and brain.

Just for fun, try one a week and see how you feel. :o)

What's Your Bucket List?

If you haven't already seen it, check out The Bucket List! While it's always a treat to get wrapped up in Morgan Freeman's emotiveness and Jack Nicholson's witty ways, this movie has sparked a pop culture flame that is igniting people to create their own Bucket Lists. A few that top my list are:

• Road trip the U.S.ofA. to fully taste "Americana" - take zillions of quirky photos along the way
• Continue experiencing new cultures and international travel


• Dine between the soil and the sky at the restaurant with no walls at an Outstanding in the Field event
• Learn to (and enjoy) the art of cooking - beyond my specialty of "take-out"


• Swim with dolphins


• Sail the world


• Design my dream home/santuary (could be floating ;o)


• Own a room with a view


• Share a hot air balloon ride with my sweetie


• Marry the man God has planned for me


• Become a mom


• Worry less and live more freely


• Overcome the fear of failure


• See the Northern Lights
• Chillax at The Blue Lagoon in Iceland


• Learn to speak Italian well


• Be able to send my parents on their dream vacation (for as long as they’d like)


• Send Casey to Egypt to see the pyramids and Greece to play in the Mediterranean


• Begin a family tradition and maintain the ones we have


• Read the entire Bible


• Consistently practice yoga


• Achieve and maintain financial freedom


• Find or create a job I love


• Witness something truly majestic


• Kick the bucket gracefully

And you?

Cinema Sunday

I heart movies ... I double heart romantic and inspiring movies with MLB and friends (great catching up with you Jason and Carrie!).

A Day Well Spent :o)

What a gem of a day. I got to spend it playing around Dallas with my awesome Auntie Cherie! We took in some really inspiring exhibits at the DMA (Phil Collins: the world won't listen is a must-see!), a bubble tea adventure at Tempest, lunch and chitty chat (including a silly brainstorm on our perfect 5-course menus) at DreamCafe and the demolition of the Hard Rock Cafe Dallas.

Mesmerized by Hard Rock's Fall

One of the most unexpected highlights of Aunt Cherie and I's day was to happen upon the demolition of the Hard Rock Cafe Dallas. We'd never seen close-up destruction of a century-old historic building like this, pulled over for road side seats and found it simply hypnotic to experience.

Compassion :: Creativity

Found this sentiment resonating today (often actually). As an imperfect perfectionist, I struggle with even starting some creative endeavors, much less maintaining or finishing them, in fear that the creative output will be less than an idyllic image in my mind. This blog is one outlet where I practice tossing out what comes to me each day with compassion for what is being created. Taking these little leaps have been exhilerating and I'm quite enjoying being perfectly imperfect ;o)

Officially a Sailor

Matt bought his first sailboat today! While living aboard isn't quite comfortable enough today, this is an ideal starter to get out on the water and learn the ropes. Congratulations on the start of this sailor's adventure.

A New Love For The Frey!

Here's a pic of just one of the Swiss chocolate aisles in a Migros grocery store. I'm officially in love with a whole new Frey. Chocolat Frey: The True Swiss Chocolate! Enough said. I adore the Frione Nougat and Power-Malt, have just savored my last bite that we brought back, and am now on the quest to import ;o)

Loving the Connection

Came across this image today and felt its inspirational echo all day.

ThinkTank Treasury

Curious about consumer trends in the new year? Wondering how to easily set up your own blog or start social bookmarking? I've created a repository of brand planning and general resources over at ThinkTank Treasury. Is it missing anything? Wanna add to it? Let me know.

I Heart Bikes and Boats

Bike rides around White Rock Lake and dreaming of sailing are some of my favorite ways to spend a Sunday afternoon.

Sunny Saturday

It was an amazing weekend in the Big D! Started the day by catching up with Mel over brunch at Dream Cafe, balanced a little shopping with errands, and checked out the Big Bend photo exhibition over vino at Bar Belmont. Wrapped up the day with an Alaskan King Crab indoor picnic with my favorite guy :o)

Que Romantica

I walked in the front door from a pretty intense day at work today to a sweet surprise. A trail of post-it arrows lined the floor - from the door to the fridge (where my fav Jamba Juice sat waiting alongside a little note) - from the kitchen through to the living room where a thoughtful note and an "x" marks the spot to rest on the couch ;o) (Thanks, Mattie!) Later on, we checked out the new neighborhood restaurant, Fish City Grill, and Charlie Wilson's War at Angelika.

Swiss Memories

Stumbled onto this fun webtool that lets you upload pics and tunes, then magically creates a quick, unique slideshow. Create your own high-impact videos with effects and music at Animoto. (Give it a sec to load.)

Reconnection and New Friends

Spent the evening catching up with with a couple friends over vino at Hotel Palomar and sushi at Blue Fish. Exceptional evening with excellent company.

Long Day at Work

Okay, so maybe this pic is more reflective of my inner child but I pretty much spent the last two days getting back in the branding groove at work and felt like this was a great way to chillax.

Gorgeous 81° Globally Warmed Dallas Day

We biked in awe at how beautifully the sun set over White Rock Lake this evening.

Blissful First Week Weather

This weekend was temperally ideal in the Big D! Kelly, Jason and I celebrated their birthdays over lunch and the movie, Juno (sweetness!), this afternoon at West Village. Afterward, a rockstar 76° with cooling winds led to the most obvious outting ... kite flying at White Rock.

Pure Inspiration and Enlightenment

I've been reading the much-touted Eat, Pray, Love by Elizabeth Gilbert and have been inhaling every word as it's cast an incredible blanket of englightenment over me. (Thanks A. Cherie and Soums for encouraging the read.) Here are just a few reasons I adore this book so much ...

• The theory that every city in the world and each person can have a word that fully characterizes it (Rome's is "sex," The Vatican's is "power", NYC's is "achieve") ... I am feeling my word out for 2008 :o)
• Richard-from-Austin's explanation of what a soul mate really is (p. 149): "People think a soul mate is your perfect fit, and that's what everyone wants. But a true soul mate is a mirror, the person who shows you everything that's holding you back, the person who brings you to your own attention so you can change your life. A true soul mate is probably the most important person you'll ever meet, because they tear down your walls and smack you awake. But to live with a soul mate forever? Nah. Too painful. Soul mates, they come into your life just to reveal another layer of yourself to you, and then they leave. And thank God for it."
• The idea that "we do spiritual ceremonies as human beings in order to create a safe resting place for our most complicated feelings of joy and trauma..."
• The plumber/poet from New Zealand's 10 Instructions for Freedom gift (p.184)

... and there's so much more. I'm not quite finished yet and it looks as if I've lived with it for ages - cover tattered from traveling with me to Switzerland this past week, several dozen tabs peeking out from their inspired must-reread lines, and boarding passes tucked in pages for discussion topics among friends. :o)

Heading Home

We spent the day traveling back home. Two movies (Stardust and Charlotte's Web), half a book (Eat, Pray, Love), a couple in-flight meals, chats, and cat naps later, we arrive back in Dallas.

Luzern, Switzerland

As dusk falls on Luzern, we spent the entire day meandering through the streets of this lakeside city to breath in our final full day of this trip through Switzerland. What an amazing way to start the new year :o)

*~ 2008 ~*