30 November, 2009

some busts and a tree


i'll start with the negative stuff and move on to the positive.

overall, the last week was a bust...better yet, one bust followed by another.

i'm not going to candy coat them because they sucked, and i'm still a little upset about how things went.

last friday (not black friday - the friday before) was the first day of a suuuuper busy week for me. so what did i do?

i went ahead and got sick.

now when i do things, i do them. i go all out. this includes illness. i never get a little sick. i get really sick. this time was no exception. in fact, i'm still sick. levi got what i had on thanksgiving, and he's almost all the way better. but me? still hacking away over here.

anyway, even though i got sick on friday, book club was still a blast. i'll do an update post on that later.

sunday was levi's birthday. i had a fever and felt awful, so we spent most of the day inside. levi even ordered takeout for his birthday dinner. i felt so bad that i wasn't able to do nice things for him all day. in fact, he had to do stuff for me all day. it sucked.

monday was our disneyland day, and i was still really sick. fever and everything. we couldn't just go another day because someone was signing us in for free, and i really didn't want to miss out on seeing the christmas decorations for the second year in a row. we went for a couple hours in the morning and then came home in the middle of the day. i slept for a few hours, and we went back again. the only thing i wanted was to see the fireworks. i love fireworks, especially christmastime disneyland fireworks. they were going to be around 9:30. we got there around 7:00, and the park was PACKED. more crowded than i had ever seen it in my life, and i have been to disneyland a lot. i had an annual pass for five years. it was like every single person in southern california was there. it was totally miserable. you couldn't even walk. all you could do was shuffle and try to avoid getting run over by strollers. i couldn't handle it. i just felt like punching and kicking people. so we left. and i cried.

and now the biggest bust of all - san francisco.

very early wednesday morning, we flew to san francisco. i was still really sick, but we weren't going to skip the trip. the adrenaline of traveling got me through the flight, and when we landed, we were both really excited to be in san francisco.

until we got to baggage claim.

where our bag was not.

we brought one bag with both of our things in it and no carry on.

i can't even talk about it really. my blood pressure is rising as i type. this bag had everrrrything in it - makeup, underwear, clothes, coats, phone chargers, toothbrushes, contact lenses, glasses, socks, walking shoes. you get the picture - everything.

levi and i don't have that much stuff so all of our best clothes were in that bag. i couldn't stop panicking. my biggest fear wasn't that we would spend our vacation without it, but that we would never see our stuff again. i know it's just stuff, but i really like my stuff!

long story short - we wore the same exact clothes and shoes for the entire three days, not knowing whether or not we would ever see our things again. we got our bag at check out time on the last day of our trip...which meant that everything had to stay inside of that suitcase.

it was a nightmare. it totally ruined the trip. i'm not gonna lie - we still had fun. it was great spending time together, being with my family, and being in san francisco, one of the best cities on earth (btw, we are seriously discussing moving there...maybe in the next year or two. we are truly in love with that city). but the bag thing ruined the trip. we were totally stressed out - about our bag and about the money we had to spend buying necessities. (we're being reimbursed for the stuff we needed to buy, but we had to front the money. we won't see that check for at least two weeks, and we've got rent to pay.) we were cold without our coats. our feet hurt from wearing inadequate shoes. we had to waste tons of time on the phone with the airline and shopping for stuff to get us through the three days (i.e. face wash, toothpaste, and underwear). it sucked.

i'm not going to tell you what airline we flew yet. i'm calling them today and giving them a chance to redeem themselves - i'm asking them to give us a new trip to san francisco since they ruined this one - our first vacation together. my first vacation in years. probably levi's first vacation in ten years! if they do what we ask, they get the customer service of the year award, in my opinion. if they don't, i will have no problem telling the world about how badly they screwed up. i know mistakes happen, and people lose their bags, but i think consumers really need to hold businesses accountable. it's how you can tell the good ones from the bad ones.

anyway, i'm very relieved to be able to say that we have our things back and we got home safely.

now to end on a positive note!

we got our christmas tree!! it's beautiful, and i love it! i am so happy that the christmas season is upon us. there are so many terrific things to look forward to, and i know that this is going to be a great christmas.

(sorry about the crummy photos...we still need a new camera. santa?)

alright, that's it. sorry for the insanely long post and for all the negativity, but sometimes things just get you down and you have to get them off your chest! i really shouldn't be surprised. i'm known for my bad luck. my mom wanted us to remake the out-of-towners on our vacation. :) if only we had a camera crew following us around at all times!

i hope you had better long weekends and better thanksgivings than we did!

p.s. levi and i are over at our.city.lights today. check it out!

p.p.s. i don't know what was going on with blogger last week, but i lost more than 50 comments (blogger wouldn't let me approve and publish them). so if you're wondering where your comments are - blogger ate them. i'm sorry.

25 November, 2009

fun with proust, thanksgiving edition #4 - ivy


here is the last of my family to introduce you to! i saved my sister, ivy, for last because she's the littlest.

ivy is a senior in high school this year, which completely freaks me out. i was 10 when she was born. i changed her diapers and rocked her to sleep. she's not supposed to be an almost legal adult. it's against nature!!

ivy is a budding photographer. she is soooo good. she took the picture you see to your left - the one of levi on my back. anyway, since ivy has a big interest in photography, she chose to answer the questions with photos. some of them are her own, and others are not. unfortunately, i don't have the photo sources. my apologies.

ivy ruth hunter:

1. what is your perfect idea of happiness?


2. what is your most treasured possession?


3. what is your greatest fear?


4. which talent would you most like to have?


5. who or what is the greatest love of your life?


6. what is the trait you most deplore in yourself?


7. what do you value most in your friends?


8. since it's thanksgiving, what are you grateful for in your life right now?
my glorious lord and savior, jesus christ

and here is ivy's favorite photo of herself:


alright, that's it! i hope you've enjoyed getting to know my family. enjoy your thanksgivings and your weeks! i will most likely be back next monday.

xoxo

fun with proust, thanksgiving edition #3 - chrystal


and now for my brother's wife, my beautiful sister-in-law, chrystal!

i am sooooo happy that zachary chose chrystal for his wife. now i get to have two sisters. he couldn't have chosen a better addition to our family. zachary and chrystal started dating when they were 14, so we've had plenty of time to get to fall in love with chrystal.

a photo from their wedding day:


chrystal {tito saint marie} hunter:

1. what is your perfect idea of happiness?
right now, i'm slightly baby crazy. when i picture perfect happiness, i envision my husband cradling me and our future child in his arms...writing this made me misty-eyed.

2. what is your most treasured possession?
that's an easy one: my blankie. well, it's actually my husband's blankie, but he gave it to me when we were sophomores in high school, so it's mine now. i'm pretty sure i've slept with it every night since then. if a fire were to break out in my apartment, it would be the first thing i grabbed.

3. what is your greatest fear?
it makes me nervous thinking about this question. i'd have to say losing my husband, mother, or grandparents. those people are such an integral part of my life. i cannot imagine any existence without them.

4. which talent would you most like to have?
i'd love to be able to create beautiful poetry. being an English major, i've written more than my fair share of essays. i wish i could train my mind to think creatively instead of analytically.

5. who or what is the greatest love of your life?
i was lucky. i met the love of my life when i was fourteen, and that love has matured and intensified with every passing year.

6. what is the trait you most deplore in yourself?
unfortunately, i'm too sensitive and wear my emotions on my sleeve. whenever i get angry, sad, stressed, embarrassed, scared, excited, nervous, etc. my face and chest turn the brightest, most unattractive shade of red. i can't hide any change in my emotions. my emotions are written on my face for the whole world to see. it is terribly annoying.

7. what do you value most in your friends?
i think loyalty is what i most value in friendship. i'm very protective over the ones i love, and i'd like to think that the feeling is reciprocated.

8. since it's thanksgiving, what are you grateful for in your life right now?
i'm grateful for so many things. God has blessed me with a beautiful family and life. i'm most grateful for His unyielding love and guidance. i know that i can overcome any challenge or hardship because He will help me through it all.

chrystal's favorite photo of herself:


so cute!

fun with proust, thanksgiving edition #2 - zachary


next up is my brov, zachary!

zachary is my favorite brother. i even took him to my high school's winter formal my senior year. see?


the month before, we had split an at-home dye kit. our hair turned out a really unattractive shade of very dark red...kinda magenta-ish. the hair color you see is what we ended up with after trying to fix our mistake.

anyway, here we go. introducing my little brother, zachariah scott hunter:

1. what is your perfect idea of happiness?
perfect happiness...laying on the beach with wife and friends. lots of food, lots of toys (i.e. cars, bikes, jet skis). add some fireworks and, bam, you get perfect happiness.

2. what is your most treasured possession?
Canon Rebel T1I. just got it, and it is very pimp.

3. what is your greatest fear?
well, i don't like spiders.

4. which talent would you most like to have?
real or fictional? fictionally, i have always wanted to fly. in real life, i would like to fly.

5. who or what is the greatest love of your life?
tito saint marie
{that's his wife, chrystal. that's our nickname for her.}

6. what is the trait you most deplore in yourself?
anger. i am generally very happy and nice, but sometimes i get in a funk.

7. what do you value most in your friends?
love and kindness

8. since it's thanksgiving, what are you grateful for in your life right now?
God, wife, family, friends, food, home, Canon Rebel T1I

and here's zachary's favorite photo of himself. zachary might be a little vain. when i asked him to send me his favorite photo, he sent me eight. i narrowed it down to two for him:


fun with proust, thanksgiving edition #1 - mom


i thought i would start with my mom today because moms are the most important people there are.

my mom just turned 50 yesterday. she is such a beautiful, fun, amazing, hard working, smart woman. you would seriously never guess she was 50. in fact, maybe i shouldn't have told you. sorry, mom!

introducing, jill allyn hunter, mother extraordinaire:

1. what is your perfect idea of happiness?
chrystal, ivy, jasi, zachary, levi, and me making snowflakes in our living room, eating pizza, and watching Elf for the fourteenth time!

2. what is your most treasured possession?
although i do not possess them...jasmine, zachary, and ivy

3. what is your greatest fear?
being where i am not wanted and not knowing it.

4. which talent would you most like to have?
anytime i watch a very talented dancer, i feel i missed out. the grace, style, and strength of an accomplished dancer inspires and transports me to a place of beauty and excitement.
{jasmine here: for the record, my mom is a terrific dancer. she did miss out. if she had trained when she was younger, she would have been phenomenal. you would have all known her name.}

5. who or what is the greatest love of your life?
adventure. and not in the african safari way. adventure in terms of how you live each day.

6. what is the trait you most deplore in yourself?
saying things spontaneously without filtering them. you know that place in your head that asks, "should i really say that?" sometimes, i forget to use my filter.

7. what do you value most in your friends?
support, similarities, and differences

8. since it's thanksgiving, what are you grateful for in your life right now?
may sound corny, but good health.

and here is my mom's favorite photo of herself. this one cracks me up and is not what i was expecting when i asked her to send me her favorite photo:


and here's one of my favorite photos of my mom:


i'm off!


thanksgiving is (almost) upon us!

levi and i are boarding a plane as you read this (i scheduled the post).

we got up waaaay too early this morning, and now we're headed to san francisco for a thanksgiving family vacation.

i am exceptionally grateful for my family, so i want to introduce them all to you, individually, proust style.

i have all their questionnaires scheduled to post throughout the day.

i hope you enjoy getting to know them a little bit.

they are the best people in the entire world.

i'm not biased. it's a scientific fact.

happy thanksgiving to you all!

love,
jasmine
xo

23 November, 2009

guess where levi is taking me today??




disneyland!

it was my christmas wish to see the huge christmas tree, the parade, everything all decorated, and the fireworks with snow.

wish us luck. i'm probably too sick to go, but someone is signing us in for free so i don't want to lose the opportunity.

merry christmas!


(sorry to say merry christmas before thanksgiving. i can't help it.)

22 November, 2009

birthdays are a very close second to christmas


it's my baby's birthday today!

he is turning 29!

when did we get so old, levi?!

happy birthday to my very best friend. i love you. for your birthday, i won't complain once during football. you can watch for as long as you want, and you won't hear a peep out of me. i'll even cook anything you want while you watch. this is how much i love you.

(this is one of my favorite photos of levi. it's kind of a joke. he won the beer as a prize at a wedding shower, but he hates budweiser...hence the face. but even though he's making a grossed out face and holding crappy beer, he looks....hot.)

20 November, 2009

welcome to the mind of a crazy person



i went to bed before levi last night (a rare occurrence; we always go to bed together).

even though he was just in the other room, i sent him a text message when i was half asleep.

i read it in the morning, and this is what i said:

"i feel like invisible creatures are jumping out of my brain to tickle me."

????

clearly, i am insane.


sooooo much going on!!




oh my gosh! this humongous christmas tree gets me soooo excited for the holidays! thanksgiving included!
that thing is tall.
this is what i had to do to get a picture of my brother and sister-in-law in front of it:



in the middle of south coast plaza...sometimes, i have no shame.

anyway, i'm so excited it's finally friday, 20 november! i have so much exciting stuff going on this weekend and next week. i have been waiting since august for our san francisco trip next week! and levi is surprising me with an all day special outing on monday (i'm pretty sure i know what it is - let's just say that it's likely mickey will be there)! and sunday is levi's 29th birthday! and tonight is our first book club meeting!

so much to do.

must not stress.

just keep looking at beautiful, giant christmas tree photo.

okay, pep talk to self complete.

hope you all have fantastic weekends!

p.s. i went to a fantastic tea party yesterday! check it out here.

19 November, 2009

brrrr!


it's finally starting to cool off around these parts!

at night, at least.

i've even had to zip up my coat all the way a couple times.


i love the dropping temperatures.

(they mean christmas is on its way. yippeeee!)

18 November, 2009

dinner dilemma


we had the hardest time figuring out dinner last night.

so we went our separate ways.

here's what i ended up with:

for my appetizer:


parmesan fishies
(in the official snack container levi surprised me with a couple months ago)

for my plat principal:


your eyes are not deceiving you. that is, indeed, grocery store sushi accompanied by garlic bread.

and for dessert?
buttermilk eggos and watermelon.

i am not pregnant.

16 November, 2009

a mind



a rational mind
a logical mind
a thoughtful mind
a perplexed mind
a confused mind
an analytical mind
a busy mind
a sensitive mind
a computing mind
a problem solving mind
a troubled mind
a conflicted mind
a panicked mind
a ceaseless mind
a mind that never sleeps, never rests.
always working, synapses always firing, always controlling, always maintaining, always functioning, always.

this brain of mine does a lot. it keeps me going physically, mentally, emotionally.
if it stopped working altogether, i'd be in trouble.
in a sense, my brain, my mind, controls me.
it enables me to do, to create, to breathe, to love, to problem solve, to live.
it does things i have no control over.

but if left completely to its own devices, i'd go insane.
my mind, my thoughts - they have the ability to run free and wild. they have the ability to get me into trouble, to hurt me, to make me unhappy and miserable.

this thing that keeps me going, this thing i have no on or off switch for, this thing that monitors and controls my body without a single word from me, has the ability to overrun me, to take over.
unless, i exhibit some control over it, over my mind, my brain, my control center.

how strange that there is something within us beyond a brain! something that can actually control the thoughts that come out of it.
what is that something?
is it a soul?
a conscience?
an ego?
superego?
our id?
is it just another segment of our brain?

how strange that we really can't say. we don't know. this thing that is the essence of who we are, the core of self, the thing that separates man from animal and men from each other, remains nameless.
mysterious.
unknown.
unclaimed.
and it's ours to do with as we wish.
it's ours to decide what that thing is, and no one can ever tell us we're wrong.
essentially, it's the only thing we can ever truly own or control.
what a great responsibility!
what a fantastic freedom!
what a source of joy! a gift!

in a world so full of outside influences, we have the ultimate say over who we are, what we do, and all that we become.

13 November, 2009

today is here!


(via ffffound)

it's friday!!!

and that means only ONE more week til thanksgiving is upon us! and then we get to go to san francisco. our very first real vacation together. holler back!

here's my top 5 from the week in no particular order:

1. levi forgot to pay the gas bill...since AUGUST. so we woke up to no gas on tuesday morning. we had to pay an extra $70 to get it turned back on and had to wait til THURSDAY til they could do it. we spent a lot of time avoiding sweating. i've never wanted a shower so bad. it wasn't terrible though...it was almost kinda fun. i microwaved water to wash my face with.

2. a girl at ivy's (my little sister who is a senior in HS) school asked her if her sister was "jasmine from an experiment in poverty." haha! i loved that! it cracked me up. it made ivy laugh too. and to the girl at my little sister's high school who reads my blog: thank you for reading!! you are so sweet!

3. one morning this week, levi told me that i should have dressed up as a snuggie for halloween because i'm always trying to drape myself all over him. sometimes i cuddle too much...

4. yesterday morning, i got an email letting me know that my first class of the day was cancelled. i like french and everything, but who doesn't love a day off??

5. ummm, i had a number five. i really did. but it seems to have escaped me, so we'll just give it to levi. i love you, levi, even if you did forget to pay the gas bill for a ridiculously long time. it helps to even things out around here with all the stupid stuff i'm always doing. :)


have a terrific weekend everyone!

p.s. here's our giveaway winner:


congratulations shauna! send me your email address, and we'll get you'll all set up for your suzannemade gift certificate.

p.s. now i know who the girl at ivy's school is! this is her blog. :)

12 November, 2009

short and sweet


i'm a little bit tired of my computer today.

shocking, isn't it?

i think it's because i spent way too much time on it yesterday.

so i'll be brief:

1. nigel said "transmogrifier" on sytycd this week, and i loved it. i want nigel to be my dad. i love him.

2. i think russell is my favorite on afore-mentioned program.

3. i still haven't had a shower since monday night. i miss hot water and being clean.

4. i had a pumpkin cream cheese cupcake and a traditional cappuccino for dinner last night.

5. today is the last day to enter the suzannemade giveaway. get your entries in before 6:00 pm PST so that they count! the winner will be announced tomorrow.

6. i love you. have a great day.

xo



11 November, 2009

1994 was a very good year


over the weekend, levi and i were talking about music we liked in junior high.

we came up with a list of classics including boyz II men, all 4 one, coolio, lisa loeb, ace of base, jon secada, janet jackson, crash test dummies, salt n pepa, etc. we were on a roll.

so when we got home, we started looking up all this amazing music, and we discovered that 98% of the songs were from the billboard top 100 in 1994.

during the school year of 1993/1994, i was 11 and in the sixth grade. levi was 13 and in the seventh grade. 1994 was the year we came into musical awareness...you know the time when you start listening to music that you want to listen to, that isn't the lion king or pocahontas soundtrack. i love that we were in different states and we had never met each other, but this still happened for us at the same time with the same music.

i'm so lucky to have been a pre-teen/teenager during the 90s. you youngsters out there really missed out. the 90s were so original. they make me want to put on a slip dress, some combat boots, some mac spice lipliner, some clinique black honey semi-lipstick, and a spritz of sunflowers perfume...oh wait, that look has already come back. weird!

here's a little playlist i made of some 1994 classics. it's a little long, but i left sooooo much out. warning: salt n pepa can get a little raunchy, and warren g is pretty gangsta.


Get a playlist! Standalone player Get Ringtones


when did you come into "musical awareness?" who were some of your favorite musical artists and bands?

10 November, 2009

cameras, pumpkins, kitty fights, and fall


have you noticed a lack of photos on the blog lately?

that's 'cause my camera is really gone for good now. dropping it didn't work this time like it did last time.

and i officially hate the casio exilim that we got at a pawn shop. the quality cannot compare to my old camera.

the only feature i like on the casio is the old-timey, silent movie feature.

so i made a really silly fall video using that feature and a beautiful song by beirut.

i think the highlight of the video is the kitty fight toward the beginning. some bits are dark...my apologies.

this is a tribute to our fall:



p.s. if you haven't already, make sure to enter the suzannemade giveaway before it's too late.

09 November, 2009

giveaway from suzannemade!

i've got a giveaway for you today! woo!

my newest sponsor, suzannemade, is giving one of you a $20 gift certificate to her etsy shop.

here are some of the adorable items in her shop:

a darling camera necklace from her hobbies collection:

a sweet pinecone necklace from her autumn collection:

and my personal favorite, a beautiful gold locket:

of course, suzanne makes and sells more than just necklaces. her shop also features beautiful earrings, bracelets, keychains, and much more. i think any of the items in her shop would make fantastic christmas gifts. isn't it scary that we already have to start thinking about christmas gifts?? moving along...

all of her items are one, or two, of a kind, so if you see something you love, be sure to snatch it up!

it wouldn't be a giveaway without rules, so here they are:

the rules:

1. browse through the suzannemade etsy shop, then come back here to tell me something you would buy if you won the $20 gift certificate.

2. if you'd like a second chance to enter, feel free to tweet or blog about this giveaway, then come back here to let me know in a second comment.

3. the giveaway ends at 6:00 pm PST this thursday, so get your comments in before then. i'll be announcing the winner friday morning.

good luck!

p.s. suzanne also writes a cute, little blog called suzyville, in case you're looking for a new blog to read.

06 November, 2009

my brain's tired & took a little break


oh my gosh.

this week was unbelievable.

i did some of the stupidest things this week.

here are a few examples:

1. on wednesday, i bought a day pass to park at school (i don't usually drive to school so i don't have a regular permit). i forgot to put it in my dash. i got a $50 ticket...with my day parking pass sitting in my glove compartment box.

2. i thought i lost the book that i was supposed to have read for my class today (cosi fan tutte for those of you who care). i had bought it on amazon at the beginning of the semester. i tore the house apart searching for this book. i looked everywhere. finally, i decided that maybe the seller hadn't even sent me the book, so i emailed them to ask. turns out, my order had been cancelled because they were out of stock. the book was never even in my house. that's what i get for procrastinating....hopefully, none of my teachers ever discover this blog.

3. last night, i took a walk down to peet's to get a cup of coffee. when i got back, i discovered that i had locked myself out. of course! why not, right?? fortunately, i had left a window open and was able to get the screen off and climb in.

it was just one of those weeks. it was still a good one though! and now it is friday. oh blessed friday! hope you have a great weekend! don't lock yourself out of anything!

05 November, 2009

i have worn many hats


for the last month or so, i have been looking back at all the different things i have done & tried throughout my 27 years on this planet.

here's a list.

1. i was on the king koopa show in the first grade.
2. i played volleyball & tennis for my high school. i also hurdled & high jumped.
3. i had a career as a wedding coordinator from the age 0f 20-24 approximately.
4. i have babysat and nannied since i was 10.
5. i got my first job when i was 12 at a concession stand on the beach.
6. i taught preschool dance classes. one of my classes was a group of 8 two year olds. insanity!
7. i frequently stood up at conferences and voiced the position of my country on topics such as female genital mutilation, child hunger, oil, nuclear weapons, and other global issues in model united nations. my high school had a reputation as one of the top three schools in the nation.
8. i worked at a flower shop.
9. i used to serve genuine afternoon tea at a little french tea garden.
10. i sold time share units.
11. i've had jobs at a bike store, jamba juice, and a $15 clothing store...all within walking distance of my house.
12. i worked at a bathing suit store where i sometimes had to walk around in a bikini top and a sarong.
13. i sold makeup at macy's and beautiful clothes at anthropologie.
14. i went to esthetician school FORTY hours a week for 4 months, passed my state board exam, and received my esthetician's license last december.
15. i've worked in the following types of offices: cardiologist, gastroenterologist, optometrist, general practitioner, school district, construction, and web-based vitamin store.
16. i helped start a ministry.
17. i almost finished an education degree.
18. i've accumulated more than 140 college units...still no degree. my major? school.

and after all of this, what have i learned?

i'm not quite sure.

i've learned that i like to try new things and that i haven't really liked any of the hats i've worn enough to keep them on for very long...obviously.

i've learned that i'm kind of embarrassed by my lengthy resume. i feel like it shows a lack of commitment. i look at it and see that i'm restless and haven't really found satisfaction in anything i've tried. it makes me feel like a misfit. i'm like the little elf who wants to be a dentist...except that the little elf knows he wants to be a dentist. i don't really know what i want to be...besides a mom. but it would be nice to maybe make some money in the next two or three child-free years i have left.

right now, i don't have a plan. i don't like not having a plan. i'm a planner. i'm really really good at it...i mean my longest, most successful career to date was as a professional planner, for crying out loud! flying by the seat of my pants makes me really nervous. it makes me feel uneasy and unsettled. it makes me generate ideas for potential plans and goals at rapid speeds . i have honestly considered and researched six different majors this month. one of them was fitness. fitness?? yes, fitness. what would i do with that, you say? i have no idea.

so where does this leave me? it leaves me exactly where i started...which really isn't a very bad place to be. i enjoy my life. i love levi with all my heart. we share an adorable apartment and wake up next to each other every morning. i am going to have his beautiful babies one day, and he fully supports my plan and desire to stay home and raise them. i enjoy school. i get to dance four days a week. i am learning to speak a beautiful language. i'm reading and discussing books with my brilliant literature teacher. i'm working on my backhand. and as far as the finances go - we don't have a lot of money, but we certainly have enough for right now.

so all i can do right now is take my life and live it the best way i know how. i can live each moment with faith and love - faith in the fact that God has a plan for me and that sometimes it's okay for me to fly by the seat of my pants, and love for God, for levi, for myself, for my family, for gretel, for lily, for my neighbors, for my friends, for each and every one of you, for the people in my classes, the people i share a bus with, the people who serve me coffee, the people i see sleeping on the streets, the people going to bed without enough food, the people i see every day, and the people i will never meet, living in countries i will never visit.

i think that's a pretty good plan.

book club

here's an update on the book club!

our first meeting is going to be on friday, 20 november. we're going to have a little coffee shop picnic and discuss the geography of bliss by eric weiner. click this link if you're interested in the book.

feel free to read along. and if you'd like to sign up to join us, please email me:

jasmine.lael@gmail.com

p.s. i'm doing a special holiday rate for sponsor ads right now: november & december for the cost of one month. email me if you're interested.

p.p.s. i'm planning a little, bloggy christmas secret santa...i'll bet a lot of other bloggers have had the same idea, but i don't care! i'll update you with details when christmas gets a bit closer.

p.p.p.s. comments are disabled on this one.

04 November, 2009

fun with proust, take eight - stacey


i kinda forgot about my proust posts! oops!

i've been a little out of it lately.

anyway, this week we have the adorable stacey here to share her answers and favorite photo with us. stacey writes a cute blog called love and photographs. it's one of my daily reads. i'm also twitter friends with stacey. every time she tweets, i always want to respond to her with a big, giant "ME TOO!"

on to the questions:

1. what is your idea of perfect happiness?
being with my entire family, and husband of course, playing games, laughing at old memories and eating good food. Nothing makes me more happy than my family.

2. what is your most treasured possession?
my wedding ring. my journals. my pictures/cameras. and a lovely picture my nana painted for me.
If there was a fire these would be the items i would choose to save. (but lets hope that never happens)

3. what is your greatest fear?
losing my husband or someone in my family.

4. which talent would you most like to have?
oh a lot... to be a magical photographer, to be a better dancer, oh and to be able to sing...that would be amazing!

5. what or who is the greatest love of your life?
my wonderful husband, Christopher Michael Sargent. I feel so blessed and lucky to wake up next to him every morning. he is magnificent.

6. what is the trait you most deplore in yourself?
ahhh my jealousy. i would give my left arm to get rid of that side of me....im working really hard at it, but man is it difficult!

7. what do you value most in your friends?
that we can go months without seeing each other, but when we do it's like we were together yesterday. i love that about my friends, because i sometimes can get so caught up in my crazy busy life, that I don't see them much, but they love me anyways and never get mad!

ummm, stacey, me too, me too, me too, me too! especially number 7. jealousy is so hard to deal with!

here is stacey's favorite polaroid of herself, taken by her husband, chris:


thanks for playing, stacey!

03 November, 2009

help!


we are celebrating thanksgiving, with my family, in san francisco this year.

we're trying to find a good restaurant where we can celebrate thanksgiving.

it needs to be:
1.) $30 or less per person (i know, i know. practically impossible in sf)
2.) and in the city.

we don't really care if we eat "thanksgiving" food or not. honestly, i would love a good steak and some mashed potatoes.

any insider tips?

i kinda wish school was cancelled today too...


it's back to school for me today.

i really enjoyed my extra day off.

we spent it:

- finishing off that bag of kit kats that the trick or treaters left me with. stupid delicious kit kats.
- walking through ikea for over an hour and failing to buy anything
- eating see's candy. my favorite (at the moment; it's always changing) is the lemon truffle. yummy. what's your favorite?
- being a little freaked out by the christmas decorations that are already up at south coast plaza. i love christmas, but it seems a little premature. levi is just plain stressed out by this. christmas, in general, stresses him out. i'm not sure that he can take 2 months of it. i am making a silent vow to myself to not mention christmas to him til we get home from our thanksgiving trip to san francisco. but just between us, i've already got about a thousand things planned.
- playing dress up. i think we make pretty cute sharks.


- getting late night in & out vanilla chocolate milkshakes.


sounds like a pretty good day, doesn't it?
it was.

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