Handbag Dreams...

I saw this Ralph Lauren handbag in a magazine ad, and thought, "Ooooh..I love this! It looks like a great classic investment bag, and maybe it won't be too expensive" WRONG! I just looked it up online and discovered it to be a mere $14,000...see for yourself here. {Sigh}

All That Glitters...

I am addicted to hair accessories {or any accessories for that matter}, and my collection was starting to overtake my bathroom. So...what's a girl to do except make her own barrette board? I cut a piece from a foam board, covered it in some fabric I had laying around, then stapled 3 rows of ribbons, hung it on the inside of my bathroom linen closet and viola...an organizing distaster averted. Now, I'll actually be able to see what rhinestone clip to put with what outfit. {I love them so much...I even wear them to the gym}.

The above collection does not include the following...

{Headbands that hang from magnifying mirror}

{Elastic hair ties, clips and claws in wicker and china bowls}

{Headband organizer I made a few months ago when that collection was overwhelming me}

I guess I can hold off on buying any new hair accessories....at least for a little while.

Royal Experience.

J. and I spent our whole Saturday relaxing in the spa at the Royal Palms Resort. We decided that this Valentines Day, we really didn't need anything...we just needed relaxation. We started with the most amazing couples massage in a room with the door open to hear the outside fountain, then had lunch by an outdoor fireplace, spent time in an eucalyptus steam room, then had cocktails by the pool. It took us exactly 3 minutes to get there from our house and it was the shortest and best vacation we've had in a while.

{If you're an AZ local and have never been to the Royal Palms Resort...treat yourself. It's like going to a rustic european country retreat right in our backyard.}

Estate House.

Last night we had an amazing dinner at a new restaurant in Old Town called the Estate House. It was like being at a European seaside retreat and the food was wonderful. We sat in a back room called 'the den' and sat right next to a fireplace with navy blue walls and art work everywhere. The ambiance is european rustic with a french flair....we pretended we were on vacation the whole night. J. has dubbed it his new favorite restaurant, in line after RL in Chicago.

True Love.

My version of true love is....

1. Hanging on when you want to let go and walk away.


2. Admiring the character of the person you chose to be in "the trenches" with.


3. Building the other person up to be the best version of themselves.
   


4. Holding your loved one's hand when they're afraid.
   


5. Going to sit through a 2 hour movie that you don't want to see, but the other person does.
   


6. Listening when you want to talk.
   


7. Commitment...choosing integrity and fidelity at all costs.
   


8. Forgiving and moving on.
   


9. Looking at the other person at their grubbiest, and still thinking they're beautiful, because you can see their soul.
   


10. Acceptance...not trying to make someone what they're not.
    


11. Laughing in the middle of chaos.
    


12. Respecting one another.


13. Choosing to be nice over being right.


14. Sacrifice, Compromise, Cooperation, Negotiation...did I mention Sacrifice?

Happy Valentines Day.

Social Experiment...

Most of my neighbors belong to the local country club....we don't. When it was one of my neighbor's birthdays she chose to have a "ladies lunch" at the club and invited me. I have to be honest, I felt a little weird going to this exclusive establishment, and was feeling a little nervous having lunch with mostly strangers in tennis outfits. Everyone was certainly nice and pleasant...talking about their children, cleaning ladies, private schools, etc. {Honest...you can't make this stuff up} and made me feel welcome with their chatting. I just mostly listened and stared out the huge window at Camelback Mountain...dreaming of France.

The server broke up the bill individually, and when she handed my bill to me, I started to get out cash and a few of my neighbors at once said, "Oh! We have yours..." I was confused and asked my neighbor sitting next to me "Can't I pay with cash?" and she explained that "No, you have to be a member of the club to pay". It was sooo weird. I came home and told J. about the experience and we concluded that we are not country club people...we'd rather picnic in the grass.

Quote on Tuesday.

"Relationships are difficult, time-consuming, baffling, and sometimes heartbreaking. They're also what make life worth living."

--Martha Beck

{I love this quote...it's so true and beautiful.}