there is something so calming about manual labor. i was reminded of this on sunday when i helped my cousin and her fiance paint their new place and scrub the remnants of wallpaper adhesive from the walls. perhaps it's simply exhaustion or a contact high from all of the industrial solvents, but it was nonetheless satisfying. when it was suggested that the former owner might have thought she was living in a doll house, based on the intense pink, purple, and blue paint choices (i won't even mention the hideous floral wallpaper), and that perhaps she dressed her cats up in doll clothes and threw tea parties for them, i also remembered that, no matter what work you're doing, it helps to be surrounded by fun and funny people.
seen tonight last night on my way to meet a friend for dinner, bees gathering above the entrance to l'occitane.
well, who can blame them? l'occitane products smell incredible.
more importantly, by the time i got to dinner i was all abuzz (forgive me), which led to an interesting discussion about the honey bee shortage and colony collapse disorder. nerdy conversation, perhaps, but interesting. and, in typical fashion, i had to do a little additional research when i got home. for more information about what you can do to help save the honey bee, click here. or here.
i am sure this little guy, and his friends, will thank you!
my dear san francisco friends were here this weekend, so saturday was spent catching up with them over glasses of wine, learning about the avengers from my favorite four-year old, "crashing" a family dinner, sipping mojitos, comparing manicures and sparkly headbands with a sweet six-year old girl, naming our if-you-could-go-anywhere-in-the-world travel destinations, reminiscing, philosophizing, and planning a visit to bay area before the summer is over.
on sunday, a shopping trip with another friend yielded the softest summer-weight sweater, new chinos two sizes too big -- for the perfect slouch -- and watch bands in bright summer colors, which i plan to customize with beads and wear as bracelets. and, because my eyes were bigger than my stomach at brunch, i took the remaining half of my chocolate almond croissant home and ate it for dinner. yep, i'm just crazy like that.
here's to a good week. happy monday!
