Pluots, Fruit & The Blahs

Lately I've been eating alot of fruit, I've been eating alot of EVERYTHING,but thats beside the point.

I've been going to the farmer's market and trying new things.
I recently had a pluot..... have you ever heard of a pluot??? (i hadn't)
It's part plum, part apricot; it was simply delicious.
A kiwi was eaten, skin & all!!
I'm looking foward to trying all kinds of different fruits, even ones with strange sounding names.

*On the topic of fruit, I am having a problem with cantaloupes. I don't know how to choose a good one. Every time i buy one i cut it open and it has no flavor. I end up buying it pre-cut because than i know it will be good,buuuttt that is super expensive. Do you have any cantoloupe buying tips?

Also, what kinds of fruit are your favorites?

I know this is not a very exciting post, but im going through one of my stages. The not so good stages. The one where i feel totally blah & start eating way too much. I'm sure it's obvious because i haven't blogged in about two months.

Sooo, i'm writing about fruit, It's what i came up with.....

please help fina cook!

pretty, pretty, pretty please

I am in desperate need of recipe suggestions.

I'd really like to start cooking dinner more often but i have trouble getting ideas.

I often look through the gazillion recipes on allrecipes.com but still come up empty handed.

I would LOVE it if any of you would be sweet enough to let me in on some of YOUR favorite recipes.

There is a shiny new slow cooker sitting in my kitchen that has yet to be used, any recipes for that would be greatly appreciated as well!

eagerly anticipating some kind responses

Lovies,

Fina

wishes

Do you wish on a fallen eyelash?

I do, every single time.

Sometimes it's a silly wish and sometimes it's something bigger.

I wonder where this little tradition started?

The Mrs.

I am officially a "MRS".

It's been almost two weeks and i don't feel any bit different, i guess i allready felt like we were married. We've been living together for a few years & we knew we were in it for keeps.

If you're married, did you feel different at all after the wedding?

I'm very ready to relax and focus on things other than wedding planning.

Ready for baking and possibly even cooking dinner once in a while.

Ready to settle into our new official family.

Squirrell has a real daddy now!!

My initials are GG, don't make fun! hehe

"pershpective"

curiosity never killed the cat

We keep moving forward, opening new doors,
and doing new things, because we're curious
and curiosity keeps leading us down new paths.
- Walt Disney

choose wisely

"The greatest weapon against stress is our ability to choose one thought over another."
- William James

*Arm yourself with good thoughts*

Tilt

This Thursaday Fina is GRATEFUL for.....

• My sore throat is all gone!



• The sweet ladies i work with



• Digiourno pizza and wine on Tuesday nights



• Getting a little farther along in the wedding planning (it's in less then two months!)



• The pretty gray color on my nails (i painted em myself!)



• Waking up calm



• Lattes from PEETS

What are you thankful for today???

Im thinking

This dress is quite gorgeous.

What do you think?

It's way out of my budget at the moment, but it's nice to dream :)

friends

The language of friendship is not words but meanings.
- Henry David Thoreau

Actions speak louder than words.

Be true to your word.

Be there for your friends.

The title of a "Best Friend" takes years and years to earn, it takes alot of love and alot of good deeds.

Distance can make things a little tougher but true friendships persevere.

Im sending all the lovies in my heart to my bestie Jen.

happeeeeeee food

Haggen Daz

Chocolate Chocolate Chip ice cream makes me very happy.

It is especially good eaten in bed feeling sorry for yourself because you have a sore throat and LOTS of aches and painies!!

What is your favorite comfort food when you're feeling under the weather?

everything

will be ok.

have it, give it

"Love is an act of faith,
and whoever is of little faith is also of little love. "
- Erich Fromm

have faith

have trust

have LOVE

silly kitty

picky and choosey

Every minute of every day we make choices, insignificant and more important choices. Each choice you make reveals a bit of who you are.

Make good choices and be true to yourself.

Don't fret if you've made poor ones in the past, each new choice can correct a less than good one.

lovies,

Fina

self sufficiency

I put air in my tire this afternoon.... all by myself. :)

adopt, nap, be happy

saturday thoughts

"One of the BEST actions we can take, with courage, is to relax."

-insight from the tag on my yogi green tea

Lately it seems like there is ALWAYS something that needs to be done. Ok it doesn't just seem that way, there really IS always something that needs doing.

I've got TONS of exciting stuff going on in the next few months.

Trips home, my bridal shower, my best friends wedding and then MY WEDDING!!!

Oh my.

Along with the excitement inevitably come some stress, and lets be honest, I'm prone to getting a teeeeny bit on the anxious side.

This quote stopped me in my morning routine and made me think.

Even though there are tons of things to do, i don't ALWAYS have to be DOING something. If i give myself permission to relax more often I'll be better able to more effectively get things done.

So girlies, I have a question.

What is your favorite way to relax?

And while I'm asking for advice.... You could always throw some of your "time management" tips my way.

any words of WISDOM (or silliness) will be greatly appreciated!

Gina

mom

A mother is not a person to lean on,
but a person to make leaning unnecessary.
-Dorothy Canfield Fisher

I like this quote.

I don't agree with it COMPLETELY, i think you should always be able to lean on your mother when you need to.

My mama is always there when i need her.

What she did exceptionally well, was to raise her daughter to be strong and independent.

Which makes the need to lean happen less often.

Thank you Mom, for teaching me to be me.

Love,

Gina

"The best and most beautiful things in the world cannot be seen or even touched.They must be felt with the heart."
-Helen Kellar

* quote taken from a card my friendly Jennifer sent me. I love her!

P.S

On Saturday i was in NY, for the above mentioned friend's SURPRISE bridal shower. It was FABULESS!

How is everyones Wednesday going?

Saturday

Ohhhhh Happpiiiiieeeeee day!!!!

Love, Fina


p.s What are YOUR plans for the weekend?
I'll tell ya about mine later... if your interested!

i see lace........

Fina purchased a WEDDING DRESS today!

carry on

;)

wisdom

As we let our light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same. As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence actually liberates others.

- Marianne Williamson

link for this etsy treat*

Confidence and smiles are contagious.

Love Never Fails.

Help others while helping yourself.

Share your knowledge and opinions.

If you've got it, flaunt it. (hehe)

Don't hold back.

SHINE.

Care to give some advice of your own?

*Fina

Old & New

"Each friend represents a world in us, a world possibly not born until they arrive, and it is only by this meeting that a new world is born."
- Anaïs Nin

spring brings hope

"Legends say that hummingbirds float free of time, carrying our hopes for love, joy and celebration. The hummingbird's delicate grace reminds us that life is rich, beauty is everywhere, every personal connection has meaning and that laughter is life's sweetest creation."

* sweet words gleaned from the back of a papyrus greeting card. Aren't they (papyrus cards) the best? The priciest, but still... the best!

I had a beautiful weekend, it was productive and fun.

I applied for a job, shopped, volunteered(!), shopped, made appointments, had a luxurious manicure, dropped in on a last minute dinner and movie date w/ my cali "family" and best of all...

I had wonderful phone conversations with loved ones, i received a beautiful card in the mail.

Life is good, there is ALWAYS a reason to c-e-l-e-b-r-a-t-e.

How was YOUR weekend?

Please tell me what made you happiest...

where do you "live"?

"What we speak becomes the house we live in."
- Hafiz

Do you speak kind words?

If you do, i bet you live in a happy home.

What you give is often what you get.

Give kindness and love.

love,

Fina

photo

lovey dovie table love

I find this lil table.....

absolutely, positively, ADORABLE!

What do you think, do you like it?

I wish i had a spot for it.....

If you likey & have a spot for it, you can nab it here.

How About Today?

• one day i will... get a better (paying) job.

• one day i will... deal with "things".

• one day i'll... make all of the appointments i need to make.

• one day i'll... stay home doing fun housewifey stuff & BAKING instead of wandering mindlessly through random stores.

• one day i will..... start working out (there is a FREE gym in my apartment community!)

• one day i'll.... take a walk all by myself around the beautiful new town i live in.

• one day... i'll get serious about reading the books stacked neatly under my (lovely ikea) night stand.

• one day i will.... do yoga regularly.

Are You Interesting?

"What is interesting after all is the making of a self, an act of creation, like any other, That does imply a certain amount of conscious work"

-May Sarton

Tell me.......

Who are you?

Who do you wish you were?

Do you feel like you are your "true self"?

I don't think it's easy to "create" yourself, it takes work every day. What is easy, is sitting around, wondering about who you "could" be. Wondering will not get you very far. The only way to find or create yourself is to try new things, spend more time doing the things you love and especially the things you are most scared of .

Photo

wedding fun

We are off to wedding & a mini vacay.

V. excited

It's gonna be a fab 4 day weekend, and I'm soooo looking forward to dressing up for all of the festivities.

Annnd also to meet one of Rob's good childhood friends.

Not to mention, I'm gonna see my MAMA. My Auntie & Cousin will also make an appearance.

Woooooooooooooohooooooo.

I hope you all have a truly beautiful weekend.

Have fun, relax, read, shop or parteeeee, what ever floats your boat.

love,

fina

p.s don't forget naps, weekends were made for napping.

stained glass

People are like stained-glass windows.
They sparkle and shine when the sun is out,
but when the darkness sets in, their true beauty is revealed
only if there is a light from within.
- Elisabeth Kubler-Ross

Do you shine when it "matters"?

Does any particular person in your life *sparkle* beyond your expectations?

I feel lucky to have quite a few kind friends (old & new) who continually astonish me with their love and generosity.

Stained glass has always captured my eye.

Wooooo, i feel like a womaaaaaaaaaan

“A turned on woman turns on the world.”

-Dr. Christiane Northrup

*quote via

The Way Of The Happy Woman

Enjoy your weekend ladies!

The world is your's for the "taking".

Check out the link, hope you don't "mind" this post.

She's a very honest woman, i respect that immensely.

i like to give presents

Currently pondering my next giveaway....

Suggestions welcome!

food for thought

Could we see when and where we are to meet again, we would be more tender when we bid our friends goodbye.
- Ouida

try not to do things you will regret, think before speaking (or writing, or typing).

advice to myself & to all those close to me.

Sheeps Can Knit????

Happy Wednesday!!

HI!

Do the MUTTS comics make you smile?

I heart them. Obviously.

i like words

"curate"

fun word.

Do you enjoy this word?

it's kinda like cute and create all in one!

How's Tuesday treating ya?

I've allready made the bed, dusted and done laundry.

andddddddd made a list of things to do today.

this list does not include going to the California State DMV.

I'll go when i'm good and ready.

Gina

"naive-ness"

Appreciate again and again, freshly and naively, the basic goods of life, with awe, pleasure, wonder and even ecstasy, however stale these experiences may have become to others.
- Abraham Maslow

Dreamthisday.com

What are you still in awe of, even though you see it/feel it everyday?

i'm an open book

"The trouble with talking too fast is you may say something you haven't thought of yet."

-Ann Landers

i talk too fast & too much.

i miss all of my friendly's back in NY, they always let me blab on and on.

i kind of feel bad for my new co-workers and random people working at stores, they have unwittingly become my "best friends", which means they get the pleasure of listening to me babble..... Lucky, lucky them.

How are all of my bloggy friends doing on this lovely Wednesday?

p.s I miss all of the kitties back home too, they would listen to me talk ALLLLL DAY LONG! ;)

perhaps i should spend less time talking & more time thinking & doing.

There's this pesky thing called a "day job" i need to get.

skip your way to HAPPIES

Happiness walks on busy feet.

- Kitte Turmell

*skip, skip, skip to the loo my darling

** are those the right words to that little song we sang as kids??

*** Is this a song teachers sang when they thought their students had to pee really bad?

dear love

there's asparagus in it too!!!

Healthy Choice rocks my socks

or my cozy, cozy slipper moccasins i've been wearing everywhere, oh California, how i love thee!

p.s I'm sorry lean cuisine, you're just not up to snuff anymore.

pumpkin squash ravioli... YUMYUMYUMYUM

never fear; fina is here!!

"Life is a succession of lessons which must be lived to be understood."

- Helen Keller

I prefer to make mistakes.

I'd rather try something than be told it's "wrong", "hard" or "not likely".

Don't be afraid of the "new".

Don't lets others past mistakes cloud your goals.

Do it yourself.

P.S like that title?? hehehehehe

wish others well

"You get what you get and you don't get upset."

Who first said these words?

Perhaps a lovely kindergarden teacher?

I'm not sure, but, I heard them from my wise friend Melissa.

The phrase has been popping up in my head alot over the last few days.

I'm not quite sure why.

Regardless, it's good advice.

Do you agree?

lovies,

gina fina

don't use sad words

For all sad words of tongue and pen, The saddest are these, "It might have been".
- John Greenleaf Whittier

it might have been.........

what if, i wish i woulda, coulda, shoulda

no second guessing, no "maybe if", no "i wish i could go back"

"if i knew then what i knew now"

If you knew, you wouldn't have learned.

photo

What I Learned in Girl Scouts

Make new friends, but keep the old; one is silver and the other gold.

This is the best piece of advice i received during my years as a girl scout.

Yes, lil fina was a girl scout, all the way through sixth grade :)

What is the best/most useful piece of advice YOU received as a child?

p.s Where can i get me some girls scout cookies??

destiny

i see beauty all around me

snow capped mountains

smiling faces

"welcome" and " nice to meet yous" galore

i am home

-gina