Happy to be Here

About three years ago I set a reminder in my phone, "Happiness is a Choice", at the time I really needed the bolster, I needed help every morning to point my day in the right direction.  Sometimes that little 'boop' from my iPhone meant, 'hey! take a big breath and face the day with positivity and strength'. It also meant, 'please try not to cry today', and sometimes it meant, 'will you please get your head out of your ass?'.

It is now several years later and I have found happiness again*.  "Complete and total happiness" I recently said to a friend.  But then I thought, can happiness actually be 'complete'?

I still have an iPhone and I've just updated the software to the most recent nine point something point something and the reminders look different now. Some software genius at Apple has changed the look so now when my phone reminds me that happiness is indeed a choice the two options to dismiss them from the screen are, 'Mark as Completed' or 'Later'.  

I don't choose 'Mark as Completed' because I don't want to send the reminder into oblivion.  I still want that smack on my ass every morning.  The 'you go girl!'  I want the reminder of how far I've come and the reminder to cherish what I have found.

To answer my own question above, the answer is a big fat, "No way!  My happiness is not completed!"

So, off I go to recognize my happy.  And find more ways to be happy.  And I'll share it here.  Because that makes me happy.  Could I have said happy one more time?  {eyeroll}

"Later"!

xoxo...

L

*details to follow...

My Weekend

My parents were out camping in Kananaskis Country, and my sister and I went out to meet them.

1. The most adorable puppy ever is Sophie, my sister's dog.  Although, she really is the family dog; we all just love her so much.  In the first photo you can see that she made herself comfortable on the console between the front seats of my sister's car.  What you can't really see is that she is lying right on top of our Starbucks coffees we bought for the road.
2. Entering Kananaskis Country.
3. We went for a walk, this is Lower Kananaskis Lake.
4. An Alberta Wild Rose.
5. Sangria!
6. Playing dominos on the picnic table under a warm afternoon sun.  I won't mention who won.  Yes I will.  I did!  I beat Dad by three little points!
7. My sister.  Love her jammie and socks combo.  I was calling her Pippy Longstockings.
8. Dad cooking sausages on the bbq and bacon on the griddle.
9. Cutest story of my parents.  Every morning my Mom makes my Dad coffee.  And my Dad makes my Mom tea.  Then the share a banana.  This is how Dad leaves the banana for Mom.  The teabag is in the mug and the kettle is on boil.  Adorable.
10-11-12. Dad made us pancakes for breakfast Sunday morning.  He likes to separate the egg whites, whips them and folds them back into the batter so the pancakes are really fluffy.  He does the "water bottle yolk separator trick" he found on the internet.  It works like a damn!  He tells me the tip for success is to wet the mouth of the bottle before you try.
13. Bye!  Mom + Dad beside their rig.  They're staying out for a few more days so they're going to keep Princess Sophie.
14. Jodi and I stopped for ice cream on our way home.  Maple Walnut!  Mmmm....
15. The road for home.

Decisions

Hi.

Hi. I've been away from this blog for a very long time.  I have good reason; but, I'm not going to share that story just yet.  I just want to start blogging again and we'll see where this goes. love, love, love... L

Hi.

It’s been a long time.

Hi.

You know that point in a friendship where you feel like it’s been so long since you spoke to a friend that it just might be too late to reconnect? You’re afraid to pick up the phone for fear that you’ll be rejected? Or berated? Or scolded, or criticized or told off?

I’ve missed my blog. I’ve missed her terribly actually. I don’t really want to get into all of the reasons why I went astray. Let’s just say that I felt it necessary to take pause.

And now, just like I was hoping, my desire to blog has returned. I can’t say I’ll be around all the time. I can’t say if the passion will return. I can’t say if things will change or stay the same. I can’t say what is going to happen.

I can say that I will blog for me. I can say that I will try to revive the motivation that led me to launch this blog in the first place. I can say that I’ll blog about pretty things and things that make me happy.

So… hi. Hi to my blog. Hi to anyone that still visits this blog.

And thank you.

Valentine's Gifts!

Just for fun I thought I would put together a list of things I'd like for Valentine's Day. I am not high maintenance. I just like pretty things. Pretty things that happen to be expensive. No pressure though.

Poppy Signature Wristlet in silver/melon/magenta from Coach; Miss Chacha in red silk by none other than Christian Louboutin; Sexy Little Things I Love You Corset courtesy of Victoria’s Secret; A big fat kiss*; My Unique Stack of Tiffany Celebration Rings from Tiffany & Co. {the Tiffany Swing Three-Row Ring, flanked by two channel set bands. Yay!}; Dark Chocolate Lace Heart Box from Ladureé {I would wish it be filled with their signature macarons please! For the flavours I would choose... chocolate, bitter chocolate, vanilla, coffee, pistachio, raspberry, another raspberry, caramel with salted butter, red fruits, coconut, mint, praline, chocolate with cherry, chocolate with passionfruit, blueberry, another chocolate. And another raspberry. I really, really loved the raspberry!}

*I know that this is a chick kiss but a guy’s kiss doesn’t make as pretty a picture. No offense.

I love you SexyHusband! Thank you for being my everyday Valentine. And... don't worry if you don't buy me one of these gifts for Valentine's Day, my birthday is right around the corner.

:)

My 8 Year Old Self + Ms. Vera Wang

I love Vera Wang. Who doesn't really? But, today, I love her a bit more. That's because she's not only made me happy, but she's made the little girl inside me skip a little step and twirl my skirt!

You see, when I was young, the biggest passion in my life was playing Barbies with my sister. Hours and hours and hours of my childhood were devoted to adoring my Barbie dolls. (See proof of my early passion here.)

And now, the impeccable and revered Vera Wang has designed a special edition Barbie doll bride - The Romanticist Barbie. The 'doll captures the luxury, impeccable detailing, and superior workmanship that define Vera Wang.' ~Sigh~

She even has an engagement ring!



I wish I could see her shoes...

Um... honey? SexyHusband? My birthday is right around the corner...

Girly Weekend

After a very busy week I am taking off in a couple of hours on a girly excursion with my very best girlfriends to the town of Canmore at the base of the beautiful rocky mountains. Think pyjamas and mojitos, crisp morning walks, window shopping on Main Street, multiple trips to Starbucks, and a gourmet dinner at Quarry Bistro.



Sorry to leave you behind my SexyHusband! I miss you already.

Sources :: Twirly girly One Love Photo; Out for a walk + Shoe Shopping Pic Veer; Sidewalk fireplace Quarry Bistro

Anniversary Two

SexyHusband and I are celebrating our second wedding anniversary today. It's been an eventful year for us and I can say, with utmost sincerity and positivity, that I love him more and more every day we're together.

Happy Anniversary babe, you and I are everything that true love is meant to be.



If you're interested you can see more of our wedding photos on last year's post.

More.
xoxo

Source :: Anton Photo Group

Coach Me

Conversation between SexyHusband and I:
Me :: I’m so excited! I just heard that Coach has opened a store in town!
SH :: A ‘coach’ store?
Me :: Yes!
SH :: What do they sell? Whistles and clipboards? [insert chortle of a witty guy here]
Me :: You are a very funny guy.
SH :: Yep.



Selection from Coach's New Hamptons Collection

ps. SexyHusband, I'm quite fond of the Hamptons Leather Turnlock Wristlet in beet.

Blushing :: With Thanks

Today is the one-year anniversary of the Blush.alicious blog. I started this blog on a whim. I started it for me. I needed a creative outlet. I needed to do something with idle hands, idle ideas, idle imaginings. Never, never, never in my wildest dreams did I think that I would have found such success! By ‘success’ I mean visitors… repeat visitors… fans of this blog. I thought that most of my hits would come from a few friends and my husband maybe. But thanks to all of you, Blush.alicious has taken on a life of it’s own. It’s a place I love and I’m glad you love it too.

So, thank you! Thank you for visiting, thank you for bookmarking, thank you for linking, thank you for subscribing, thanks for recommending, and thanks for coming back time and time again.

I would also like to specifically thank my early blogging friends – your advice, links, and support helped launch Blush.alicious: Liene at Blue Orchid Designs, Kelly at Glamour This!, Lara from Ready 2 Spark, and Aletha from Pearls Events. I know that there are many more, so many more, that link to Blush and I thank you all from the bottom of my heart, but these ladies were the first and I’m indebted to them.

I would also like to specifically thank these wonderful sites for linking to Blush; the volume of traffic generated from each or your sites daily is generous and I’m beyond flattered.



Martha Stewart Living - Martha’s Circle, Abby at Style Me Pretty, Delightful Blogs, Real Simple Nearlywed Blog, Kathryn at Snippet & Ink, and, most recently, Alltop Weddings.

I would also like to thank my “Sexy Husband” – Babe, without your friendship, love, support, foot rubs, McKay’s Ice Cream emergency road trips, and caving when I suggest we go for Bellini’s at Joey’s or head to 4th for sushi, I wouldn’t be the person I am today. Thanks to you. I love you.

Thanks to my sis, for sending me ideas and being my number one. Thanks to my girl Coop for the arse kicking, and all my friends (St, B, K, V, Su, and Bear) for “chick outs” and for checking in and checking up. Thanks to Sophie for being so darn cute. And, thanks to my parents, who don’t read this blog or really understand what a blog is but – I thank them anyway!

Now that my "Oscar acceptance speech" is over, I would like to say one last thank you. Thanks to those who have emailed me with comments, suggestions or the like. I have been so busy lately that I haven't been able to get around to much Blush stuff. I have over 900 (!) emails to attend to so if you're waiting for a response - it's coming!

This last year has been so exciting and full of change - there can only be more. Someone once said that the only constant you can count on is change (or something like that) and I will tribute that statement. I'm hoping to make some changes to Blush in the next little while, format and content and such, so please bare with me.

xoxo,
Lisa

ps... if I missed anyone I'm sorry! And I thank you!

Crazy Buzy Hiatus

This photo has been up as my "Current Distraction" up for a while; a little too long for my liking, but it's fitting, and true, and timely. I've been so busy that this last week became a self-prescribed, accidental hiatus from my blog. But! I'm happy to say that I'm back. I missed it terribly, I missed the wedding blogging community, and I missed all of you and your wonderful comments.

Things may be a little slim around here for the next six weeks as I have some major projects to accomplish so please have patience with me!

xoxo,
Lisa

ps... please feel free to leave links to any fabulousness from other blogs that I may have missed in the last, oh,... 10 days or so!:?

Sk*rted

I know this isn't green but...

I would like to take a quick moment to thank Karey, who is the publisher of a great blog called Mackin Ink and a Design & Crafts Editor for sk*rt.

She saw the picture by evoke photography I posted last Thursday and it moved her enough to post it on sk*rt. This emotional moment when a father 'gives his daugter away' is currently in the lead for the most popular of the week!

So a big thank you to Karey and a great big hello and welcome to all those people that have been directed here via sk*rt.

Here's the picture again.

Snow Day

Should have been a snow day. The first picture is of my commute. I really wish you could see the stuck and abandoned vehicles that I was about to run into; it was like driving through an obstacle course to get up the hill. I love my vehicle!

The second is a picture a friend took when I got out of my suv. That's mine, right behind me, with the clear windshield. And that's me running through about 6-7 inches of snow (eep! my purse looks huge!).

When I left my house there wasn't one single flake falling.
Crazy, crazy weather.

My New Bike!

I just had to share, I'm so excited. SexyHusband had Friday off and went shopping, he called me and said, "I found you the perfect bike, it's for Lisa, you have to see this bike."

I didn't know what he meant until I saw it. Why is it perfect? Because she's pink! And her name is Four Lisa!! Can you believe it? Isn't she pretty? Now she's mine.



I couldn't wait for a road test so we took the bikes to the grocery store yesterday, through the snow (-8º C / 18º F). We froze, I thought my lungs were going to collapse, but it was worth it.

SexyHusband, I love you!

Blackberry and Blue

I forgot my Blackberry at home today.

Ski for Me!

SexyHusband and I are heading off for a fabulous and long-awaited intimate ski weekend away. We'll be on the road in a couple of hours and not back until Sunday night.

I can't seem to find evidence of WiFi at our accomodations (which is probably a good thing) so I think I'll be taking a blog break.

Enjoy your weekends! Swish, swish, swish...

Lisa

ps... because I'll be incommunicado the voting will remain open until Sunday night. So vote away!

Judith!

Happy birthday to my Mom. The most amazing, talented, wonderful, giving, thoughtful, engaging, selfless, hilarious, warm, brilliant, perfect, woman, friend, and mother. If I become half the woman you are I'll consider myself blessed.



I love you...

xoxo

Nearly Wed

Considering that I am absolutely addicted to wedding magazines I am eagerly awaiting the release of the first Real Simple Weddings issue. I know that you can pick them up in-store or online from Crate & Barrel but we don’t have one in our city as of yet (apparently coming soon!)

In trying to find out some more information on the release of the magazine I went on their website and then found my way to the Nearly Wed blog, authored by Margrit, an editor for RealSimple.com.

I was absolutely delighted and surprised to find Blushalicious listed as one of her favourite sites!

Thank you so much Margrit! I'm flattered. Giddy actually. All the best with your wedding planning!

P.S. I Love You

I am going on a date night with my sister this evening. I am super excited! We haven’t been very good at making time for each other so the fact that we’re having a chick night is seriously fantastic. I vow that tonight is only the first in a series of many.

I’m excited because we’re going to try a new restaurant. You see, it’s sister-chick-date-night-illegal to dine at a restaurant that one of us has been to before. We're allowed go to a restaurant that only one of us has frequented, but not both.

I’m excited because we’re going to a movie, which I hardly ever do. And it’s a chick movie, P.S. I Love You. I heard it’s a multi-tissue movie though?!?

I’m excited just to hang out with her.

Sisters rule.

My sister rules.



Photo Cred:
Movie Poster from Warner Brothers; tissues and sisters from Getty Images; Restaurant from Cilantro (which happens to be the last restaurant we tried.)

p.s. I love you -- Dodles!