Last night was such a fun evening spent watching Jenny work her magic on the closet of my dear friend, Brooke. Cookie, as I like to call her, is ready for a wardrobe update--so naturally Jenny jumped at the chance to help her! Don't you just love when your friends from different areas of life synch up and become friends themselves? Oh man it's one of my favorite things ever. Drea and I happily tagged along to ooh and ahh and drink wine :) I apologize for the crappy iPhone pics; they don't do justice to how cute Brooke looked! Let's get to the creations, shall we?! Here Jenny took a simple purple dress (that Cookie had yet to even wear! Tags still on and everything!) and fitted it with a neutral gray belt from her bag of tricks. This combines two of Jenny's main fashion rules/tips: 1. Gray is a neutral. 2. Belt it! Then she added a fun sweater (also from her bag) and Brooke's great brown boots to finish off the look. Wine glass accessory is optional :) I love this look. Brooke admitted to not usually being a fan of patterns, but this blouse was practically made for her. Jenny pointed out that most of her current pieces were solids and that if she's really looking to update and give a bit of flair to her look, she'd need to give patterns a shot. Sometimes half the battle is just giving a new piece a try--it almost always looks different on a body than hanging on a rack. Pairing it with a great fitted leather jacket (a piece that Drea and I drooled over all night) and great fitting jeggings (both of which Brooke already owned) brought the whole thing together! I call this the Jennifer Aniston; effortlessly casual and cute. The only piece not from Brooke's closet is the belt, which is one of the many reasons I love Jenny as a stylist-- she truly works with what you already own! No sense in wasting money when you can mix and match and bring new eyes to a wardrobe you already have. Nice little photo bomb by the meatball, too :) Hot! And yet also appropriate for Brooke's lawyer gig! Again the only piece not from her closet is the ADA wrap belt, which I myself own 2 of and can attest to how much they've improved my outfits. A simple green dress is instantly more fun when it has detailing like the soft ruffles you see along the neckline. If you're not a huge fan of patterns, this is a pretty good compromise (according to Jenny...and I completely agree!). This was a really pretty, simple dress that just needed a little bit of big-girling to steer it away from a younger feel. Jenny added the awesome leather jacket and Cookie's sassy black boots and voila! No girlie girls here, just one hot mama. Phew! All the fabulous fashion wore us out :) Jenny and Brooke have plans for a shopping date both in Jenny's store and around town (another great thing about Jenny as a stylist--she would never only pull looks from her own shop)....I can't wait to see what they whip up together!
Love and Light, Trish
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This is a re-post from my old blog that I found today titled "Things That Suggest I'm Not Actually 25". Since this was a pretty popular post the first time around, I figured I'd share it here with my new audience. Updates from 27 year old me in blue :)
1. Radio Disney is a preset on my Sirius Radio. I go to it frequently. I got choked up listening to the Miley Cyrus/Nick Jonas single “Before the Storm” when I heard it for the first time on Radio Disney and I also made Zach listen to it 3 times in a row in the car on my birthday. “Rewind it again, Zach, it’s my birthday”. Rumor has it that they are back together now and I am irrationally pulling for those two crazy kids....young love has me oddly emotional these days. I really want them to get married and have Disney babies that will make more music for me to listen to on my preset Radio Disney. Update: I no longer drive my car on a regular basis (city livin', baby!) so I never listen to Sirius. If I did, however, I would probably still tune into Radio Disney. I have a lot of music guilty pleasures...which is why I do not link my Spotify to my Facebook. Hello, embarrassing. Also, Miley and Nick never reunited. Boo hiss. 2. I saw the Hannah Montana Movie by myself. Yep...by.my.self. I have 2 nieces who are major fans so I tried to take them as an excuse to go see it, but when that didn’t work out I was left with no one to go with. After days of hemming and hawing I finally said ‘oh screw it’ and went to go see it alone. The theater was empty except for me, 3 moms with their kids, and a dad with his daughter. I’m pretty sure the parents eyed me the whole time to make sure I wasn’t a weirdo. I loved it and will probably buy the DVD. Update: I did not buy this on DVD, but I did recently force Drea to watch it with me on TV. I said "oh this part is so cute!" probably 5 or 6 times. Sometimes I wonder how I have friends... 3. I don’t like to wear pants. I’m not throwing this out there as an ‘oooh picture Trish with no pants on’ ploy, but rather as a comparison to toddlers who love nothing more than being pants-less. They’re like little nudists and I applaud them for their courage of showing off their mini thunder thighs. Working from home really helps me with this clothing preference, as most days I sit at my desk with no pants on. Sometimes when I’m on a conference call that isn’t going well I get a real kick out of the fact that I’m not wearing pants. Update: I no longer work from home and instead work with all men. Suffice to say I wear pants daily. BUT, living alone perk #4589? I never have to wear pants. It's pretty much the first thing I do when I walk in the door--remove my pants. The other week there was an earthquake in SF and Drea mentioned that she went to bed wearing full pajamas in case she needed to be rescued in another earthquake. I had the opposite mindset: 27 year old girl wearing no pants = rescued first. I wanna live, folks. 4. I water down juices and cannot drink orange juice with pulp. The first is too strong without watering down, the latter makes me gag. I will specifically ask a waiter/waitress if the OJ has pulp and promptly scrunch my noise with an “eek, no thanks” if they say yes. Update: Yep, still water down my juice and yep, still completely despise pulp. My newest discovery is putting ice cubes in my pulp-free OJ. It's glorious. 5. I secretly wait for my acceptance letter to the Hogwart’s School of Witchcraft and Wizardry daily. If a bird flies by my window my heart will often skip a beat in thinking perhaps it is an owl delivering said letter. I also think that by not having a chimney this is really hurting the school’s ability to get the letter to me. I hope my next home has one. Update: My home still does not have a chimney. Fingers crossed, though...any day now.... 6. I use children’s detangling hair spray. I’ve tried fancy hair salon brands, and while I do enjoy a good Bumble and Bumble spray, my go to is still Suave Detangling Spray for Kids in Double Dutch Apple... “Tearfree”, of course, as no one likes to have burning eyes if you slip up. It smells so yummy and is super cheap. Plus, I like the apple green colored bottle with the happy octopus combing his nonexistent hair. Update: I don't use this anymore! Wow, I must really be maturing. 7. I push little kids out of the way at zoos and aquariums to get the best view (I consider it more of a gentle nudge, but some say otherwise). Once at the Monterey Bay Aquarium a short little girl tapped on my butt and said “excuse me, I can’t see” when I was standing with my face practically smushed against the glass watching the sea otters. I replied with “Sorry for ya.” and did not move. Update: This has extended to old Asians on the 30 bus. I think I've talked about this before--Normally I have no problem giving up my seat for my elders (and I genuinely do it on a regular basis) but I have a HUGE problem giving it up for the phony bologna's that push their way onto my bus (without paying, to boot). It's like, home girl, I just saw you SPRINTING for this bus...cane waving crazily in the air...I know you're not really disabled in any way! The jig is up. (Yes, mom, I still give up my seat...but I do it with a side of stink eye!!). 8. I consider the fact that I can cross one eye and not the other to be an actual talent that people want to see. Even though my parents have seen me do it 1000 times I still say “Dad, Dad! Look!” and expect a very praiseful response. Fortunately, my Dad usually comes through with a fairly sincere “oooh! look at that!” or “wow that’s talent!”. Thanks, Dad. Update: Still got it. Still think it's cool. 9. It’s not unusual for me to cry if I don’t get my way. It is just a few tears and they happen in private, but still....I have a very hard time understanding how I could *not* get my way. I’m adorable. Update: I pretty much get my way all the time now, so this is no longer an issue. ...just kidding. But I no longer cry thanks to my thicker skin and "don't take anything personally" mindset. Oh, and I'm still adorable. 10. I can’t do a pull up, hold chopsticks, bake brownies (no lie, I’ve ruined every single batch attempt since childhood), parallel park, resist picking scabs and peeling sunburn, or name all 50 states. Update: - Still can't do a pull up. - Successfully use chopsticks! - Made one amazing batch about a year ago and decided to retire my browning baking days. Go out on top, you know? - Successfully parallel parked on numerous occasions in SF...though it still makes me sweat profusely and isn't always the smoothest or prettiest feat. - I just picked a scab from my boo-boo'd knee this morning. - Peeling sunburn is a dream. I will help you with yours any day. - Are there still 50 states? In Gratitude, Trish Explain to me again, how I could have ever lived anywhere else? This morning is a morning of "all things are exactly as they should be" and "this life is a beautiful one". Of stretching and deep breathing to my favorite guided meditation, followed by a dance party of one to new music from old friends. Of finalizing creative, exciting plans. Of taking steps to explore more of what makes my pulse race. Of pouring love and light into my hopes and visions, then patiently and faithfully releasing them because I know I will be guided. Of the feeling of cold feet on the hardwood being warmed in a hot shower (hello, Fall, you remind me constantly that I am alive). And of re-reading this piece of writing I stumbled upon this weekend that practically shocked me into one of my biggest Oprah "A ha" moments, ever. Since then, the past few days have been an effortless flow of love, patience, exploration, forgiveness and seeing things (and people) with new light. Areas of life that felt fuzzy and unknown are now fully embraced as exactly that--and suddenly they aren't so scary. If anything, they are now terribly exciting and enticing. What will be will be. The present moment is perfect as well as perfectly flawed because I make it so.
"...The fear that something is missing somewhere in you or in your life is the greatest illusion of all. It is a rogue thought that can wreak havoc with perception, creating much self-doubt, self-criticism, and self-attack. It is a dastardly magician that conjures up mental tricks of lack, loss, isolation, neediness, dependency, and much pain. The fear that something is missing in you is what leads you to search somewhere else for happiness. You overlook what is already “here” as you chase after “there”; you miss the “sacred now” as you ponder your “next step”; you forget to be grateful for what “is” as you prey after “more.” You search, struggle, and strive, but you never arrive because you can’t get past the thought that something is missing. Can you see that all your pain comes from the belief that your source of happiness is outside you? This single misperception—this little fear—is what feeds your mental junk, your learned unworthiness, and your “not good enough” stuff. Notice how all your thoughts of fear and lack are reversed the moment you accept that every piece of universal joy rests already in your heart. Feel this, now." Oh hey life. We're pretty in synch right now, don't ya think? So ready for what's next. In deep Gratitude, Trish I haven't played around with my fancy schmancy camera in a long time, but jumped at the chance to bring it along on a visit with my friend Megan. Her son Parker was quite the easy subject... Parker's big sis Addison is a pretty photogenic little bug, too :) I couldn't resist putting up this photo of Addy tripping and falling mid-sentence to Auntie Jenny....does this make me a horrible person? I'm excited to get back into the swing of photography! Hope you all had amazing weekends :) In Gratitude, Trish Thanksgiving is the best. End of story. What a treat to be invited to my dear friends Courtney and Jeff's faux-Thanksgiving on Friday; they are such a lovely couple whose company I have had the pleasure of enjoying immensely during the past few months of our SF co-inhabiting. These little loves are getting married in just a few weeks (yayyyy!! and also boooo that I can't make it...) and will be missing "real" Thanksgiving due to a honeymoon in paradise (jealous) so they decided to host a mini pre-Thanksgiving to make up for lost turkey. A free home cooked meal with some of my favorites? Twist my arm. We played a little gratitude game (hello, right up my alley!) that I think I may have to use with my own friends and family---basically instead of going around that table and saying what we are thankful for we each took a few moments to jot down our grateful thoughts prior to dinner on stickie notes, folded them up and then randomly selected one another's to read anonymously later in the evening. I think in an even bigger group this would be a really cool way to share the gratitude without feeling put on the spot to vocalize your feelings. Can you guess which is mine? :) Thank you so much, Court and Jeff, for your hospitality! I had an awesome time and wish I were eating all your delicious food again right now!! I LOVE THANKSGIVING.
In Gratitude, Trish I've felt a really strong pull to my home lately; my little corner of SF, my tiny nook of an apartment that's my safe space to be 100% me, always (including sloppy pig tail braids and un-matching pajamas). And I'm trying to honor this by enjoying my quiet, sleepy Saturday morning with; * Dunkin Donuts French Vanilla Coffee... * ...In my San Francisco mug. * Mindy Kaling's new (and giggles galore) book... * ...On my Kindle that has been one of the best purchases of 2011. * Window open... * ..Crisp Fall air blowing in. * Bundled in layers of blankets. * William Sonoma Spiced Chestnut candle burning in the kitchen. * Plans for laundry, Lucy sitting, pen pal and email catch ups this afternoon... * ...side by side with my morning photographer and sleepover buddy, Drea :) It feels so good sometimes to slow down in this city where right outside my window the bustle of life and activity is constantly tempting me to come out and play. Hoping you're honoring your pulls today :) In Gratitude, Trish Kim Kardashian is getting a divorce.
After just 72 days of marriage. Oy vey. (E! is probably having a reality show boner over the juiciness within upcoming episodes of the Kardashian klans plethora of programs...) So, it's just my humble opinion, but... Full disclosure, I have no room to judge. I myself got married at a young age to an incredible person and it simply was not meant to be. I'm certainly one of the "lucky ones" (huge understatement) in that we both managed to survive the separation without too many scars (and have moved on to find more appropriate love as very different individuals). I get it. Divorce is shitty and complicated, and it hurts to be in this sad, humbling scenario...but it happens. People in glass houses and whatnot. I fully recognize that relationships are very rarely exactly how they seem from the outside, and since people are truly complicated little beings, I strive not to judge others, or their partnerships. "Never make assumptions": It stings when people do towards me, and I have no desire to do it back. People sure are up in arms about her filing though, aren't they? Part of me can't help but roll my eyes and think who gives a crap. Do we really take anything the Kardashian family does seriously? Besides their advice on nail polish colors and embracing our curves, of course :) But the one piece of contention that keeps cropping up on all the various forms of social media which I wholeheartedly stand behind is folks disappointment in how this "news" reflects on the country's coo-coo bananas definition of the "sanctity of marriage"; Mainly the fact that someone like Kim, who made MILLIONS of monies off her nuptials, can get married and divorced in 72 days--can be celebrated and applauded and paid MILLIONS of monies to be married on national TV--but same sex couples remain deep in the trenches of today's modern civil rights battle, fighting to be recognized + accepted for their partnerships. What's up with that? Enter the God card. First, let me state I have a lot of admiration for a variety of religions and their teachings; I think faith can be a wonderful, healing, beautiful thing. And yes, I deeply believe in God & Spirit. But I also find it increasingly necessary to respectfully excuse myself from places where religion begins to dictate life in a fashion that is deeply unsettling to me. Particularly when it comes to love. Second, I want to tell a little story. Shockingly, I have been boy crazy my whole life. (Right, Marm?) Even as a kid I was constantly crushing and chasing after the boys in my classes, writing in my diary things like "I love Kevin! He is sooooo cute!" (what can I say? I have a way with words). I love the male species. I love the way they smell. I love when they make you feel tiny and safe (you can pick me up and spin me around? fireman carry me over your shoulder? yes, please). I love when they are playful and goofy and I love that they are often drama free sources of giggles galore. I love chivalry. I love watching the wheels spin in their problem solving brains. I love athletes. I love geeks. I love adventurers. Oh...you're an athletic geek who loves to adventure? How many babies can we have together? My sister, on the other hand, has always been as cool as a cucumber when it comes to guys. She hardly ever talked about them, swooned over them, or let them get under her skin. While she is currently in a fantastic relationship with her boyfriend of several years {update: husband! wahoo!}, for a long time boys just weren't really on her radar....besides maybe her best pal growing up, our neighbor Brian, whom she basically tortured on the regular. (Belle, remember that home movie of you forcing Bri to stand still, shivering and cringing, while you blasted freezing cold hose-water on him in our backyard? Classic.) Suffice to say there came a time in early high school when my mom and I had a little chat in the kitchen on the vast differences between Belle and my boy-craziness. After a few minutes I jokingly said "well, maybe she's gay?". I will never forget my mom's response: "If she's gay, she's gay. It doesn't matter. Gay, straight, black, white, disabled...it really doesn't matter. We would love her regardless. So long as you girls bring home a kind person who truly loves you, is good to you, then they are welcome here." High five for my mama, right? I am so grateful to have grown up in a home that was proactive in teaching their children to accept all walks of life--to show them compassion and acceptance, kindness and generosity. I guess you could say I was raised in the church of say please and thank you, be nice to people, and always give back. We attend service daily in our hearts and in our actions. Love is our one and only commandment. It is a choice we practice making, however imperfectly, and will continue to pass down to our children for generations to come. What it boils down to for me is this (and remember, it's just my humble opinion); Do we people of faith really believe in our heart of hearts that when our souls leave the planet and meet our maker, He/She/It will look at us and say "You should not have loved that person." ? Because I don't believe that. I believe with every cell of my being that God/The Universe/Buddah/Jesus will instead take our hands and say, "I am so happy you loved." Why make it more complicated than that? Love and light, Trish I bought this super rad old wooden barn ladder to mount on my wall and hang my scarves off of....except I don't know how to mount it without a) getting a zillion splinters and b) putting ginormous holes in my wall :-/ But it's still super rad and I love it and am excited to eventually figure out how the heck to hang it! (help?) My hair rocked yesterday. Even the sales lady at William Sonoma (jeez louise that store smells AMAZING during the holidays) said "I LOVE your hair!". It took me only about 5 minutes to whip up this quirky bun/twist/updo, to which the pics do not do justice. I promise, it rocked :) It even looked cool after a bunch came loose! (photo credit--bothering Adam at his desk. Please also note the Nerf gun laying on the table across from me...which they have officially figured out how to use to bounce shots off the wall to make it around the barrier between us, thus hitting me in the head while I type. Oh boys.) I love my sweet old friend, Ben. I woke up this morning to the new Florence and the Machine album sitting in my inbox. I love all of my friends, of course, but I tend to reserve a little extra lovin for the kittens who share music with me :) Thank you, Ben!! Flo is one of my absolute favorites! I realized on my walk to work that I was HAULING ass to this song down the Chinatown hills. Like, practically running. One misstep and I probably would have taken out several dozen tiny Asian women. I couldn't help myself! Her energy when she sings just instantly lifts my spirits and I'm so grateful for the heart pounding love of brisk walking, fresh air, my city and life she evokes from me. My darling cousin Courtney introduced me to these toogle brushes (sidenote: "toogles" is the term for "teeth" that my first college boyfriend used and it still makes me giggle to say it) a few months ago and I've been obsessed ever since. They're made of recycled yogurt cups and come in a prepaid return envelope that you can mail back for them to recycle!! Whaaaat?! Amazing. I usually buy mine at Trader Joe's but you can also snag them online :) LAST MINUTE ADDITION TO THIS POST!!: YES. I've been dyyyying to get this book on my Kindle! Woot!
Life is good, party people. It's alllllmost the weekend. Despite the sudden shift to cool weather (oh hello Fall boots and sweaters!) I'm feeling super inspired. I have 5...yep, 5!...blog posts almost completed so get ready for lots of new posts! Thanks for reading...I love your guts :) In Gratitude, Trish I've decided to start giving mini clues as to what my new life direction/decision/path (that I am soooo stoked about!) is. Today we'll start with a few quick stories on the beauty and power of love and light that I've taken as my own little clues (and nudges?) from the Universe :) Clue #1: A few months ago I was out on the town with a group of friends and coworkers celebrating the birthday of one of our favorites. The guy I was seeing at the time had promised to come and meet us out eventually, particularly to meet a close buddy of mine who was in town visiting. But, as was the pattern in this new relationship, the guy ended up bailing without even the courtesy of a heads up (i.e. he was simply a no-show). My disappointment kept growing as the night went on and eventually I desired to be anywhere but out in a crowded bar, pretending to be in a great mood. As I was making my way out of the bar to hail a cab and head home (where I planned to crawl into bed and try to sleep away the funk and frustration) one of my coworkers grabbed my arm and said "Trish! Where are you going?! Don't leave!" "Ugh, I'm just in a yucko mood now and I don't want to spoil all the fun for everyone else so I feel like I should probably just bow out", I replied. "What? Why? What happened? Are you OK?" "Yea, I'm fine, really...it's just the man slice...another round of frustrating broken promises. He was supposed to come out and meet {insert name of out of town visitor}, which I was so excited about and now he's MIA. I'm just sad, you know? It doesn't make me feel good." My coworker then looked me dead in the eyes and said; "No, don't let him make you feel that way. Don't be sad. You are such a light. You brighten the office and are always so positive to be around, it's awesome!...you're this little force...a great, happy person! Don't let him take that away from you, OK?" Whoa. Definitely was not expecting that. The thing is, I wouldn't say I'm very close with this particular person. I super care about and respect them, but we're not the type of buddies that will ever share heart to hearts on a regular basis. But hearing this come from him meant more to me than if I'd heard it from a best friend--I had no idea he saw me this way. 1) It was incredibly humbling and reassuring to know that my efforts to always remain positive at work weren't going unnoticed. 2) His kindness (and choice of words) is solid proof to me that sharing your light with others and choosing to be positive, to actively want others to be positive, is never a waste of time. Clue #2: A beautiful overseas relative of mine emailed me to say hello and fill me in on some struggles/heartache in her life the other day. She concluded her note (in her adorable English) with; I saw your photo...you are a real beauty and you look happy :)...Miss Sunshine.
Here's the truth: I don't always feel sunny. I don't always feel like a light. Some days, it is truly a fake it til you make it situation. But as annoying as it may be to outsiders that I keep a mostly sunny disposition, I've found that it always serves me better in the end. And the very best way to keep feeling sunny inside, is to share sunny sentiments with others. To vocalize kindness. To give out love and compassion. So part of my reply to her simply stated: You are truly a beautiful, smart, fun, caring woman. In America we have an expression for a girl like you: we call you a "catch". That means anyone who dates you is super lucky to have found you. With time your heart will heal. Somehow it always does, even when it feels like it will never feel better. One day you'll wake up and it simply won't hurt as bad. Remember to have patience with yourself and don't get angry if you feel sad--you are allowed to feel sad! But also try and remember that life can still be very beautiful and full of joy. Clue #3 (my favorite!!): I caught up with another beautiful friend of mine last month over dinner and I kid you not, the loving energy between us was electric. Don't you just love friend reunions like this? When it feels as if, no matter the time and distance between you, you haven't missed a beat? It's the most rad feeling ever! As she filled me in on the amazing space she is in--including recently finding the love of her life, woot!-- I felt compelled to reach across the table and touch her hand. Normally I would fight this kind of urge; I understand folks have varying degrees of personal space. But sitting across from her and welling up with genuine happiness for my friend I finally said, "I'm sorry, but I'm going to hold your hand for a minute while you keep talking. I am SO happy for you!" Then I held her hand while she smiled and said; "I had dinner with you at Cafe Gratitude right before I left on my trip {where she met said love of her life}...and I really feel that you sent me off with such good energy that it opened me up to meeting my love there." Can you think of a more amazing thing to hear someone say? Can you also guess what I want to be when I grow up? :) Love and Light, Trish |
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