dog day afternoon

we took the pups to white rock dog park on sunday afternoon - it was so perfect. i love going to this one because of the beautiful scenery and also since it has separate parks for big dogs and small dogs. bowie LOVES the dog park...every dog is his best friend and he just raaaaan and raaaan around. roxy, however is always less than thrilled.  she's just not that into other dogs. she totally just stayed on the bench with us, and when i put her down to socialize, she rested her head on my foot and looked up at me as though i had thrown her in a shark tank.  she's such a little pansy ;)

photo from my instagram.  follow my photos @stephiejane!

music monday - junk of the heart (happy)

you can't not feel a little happiness listening to this :)

enjoy
xxoo

really?!?!

pretty much says it all!!

i just love amy poehler :)

"DON'T TELL ME WHAT TO DO!"

the loot

since i beamed about how i love to see what the kiddos got at school on valentine's day, i thought i'd show you the loot. here are my beautiful niece's madi & kate with all the goodies...

lots of cards and yummy candy...even a white chocolate-covered fortune cookie! who can frown at that? no one, i tell ya.

why yes i do love valentine's day

stephen and i haven't really celebrated valentine's day in a while.  since he was in school and working in the service industry, there was just never really time for it.  don't get me wrong, we've given each other chocolates and shmoopy cards and stuff, but the going all out thing just wasn't in the stars for us. but i never was like "oh god i haaaaaate valentine's day!" because i wasn't able to celebrate it with my love. maybe it's because no matter what, i always knew that he was my valentine on this and every other day. maybe it's because really, i am a sap! i like the cards and balloons and teddy bears and all that...down to the little debbie heart-shaped snack cakes. and i especially like that the kiddos do all the fun stuff like card swapping and little roses and secret admirers and such. i think it's adorable. i can't wait till my sister sends me a picture with my niece's loot from school today!

on the flip side, i can appreciate that if you're single or just in a bad relationship, that you could grow to hate this day. so have a night to yourself! there's nothing wrong with a little self-love, especially if it involves movies and ice cream...and wine...or whiskey, whatever you prefer. but for real, it's just one day that everything is red and pink and hearts all over. if you want, just crawl into a hole and ignore it till tomorrow, trust me, it will be gone. next thing you know, it will be mardi gras and we can drink and feast to our hearts content, and then st. paddy's day, and then memorial day and so on and so forth. and hopefully no one will rain on those parades for you. so here, i'm just gonna say it. please stop raining on my valentine's day parade! i fully plan on celebrating this day with stephen and we will be one of those mega-annoying couples going out to dinner tonight - for the first time in years! i will probably even wear something valentine-related. i'm that cheesy.

if you're in love, embrace it. if you're single and loving it (or not loving it) embrace it. it's all up to you. but, from me to you, happy valentine's day. xxoo

(post inspired after viewing the "worst thing about valentine's day"...along with some other hostile facebook posts)

music monday - hurry hurry

can't stop listening to jessie baylin's new album "little spark" - here is the first single. it's dreamy :)

"hey, i got something to say to you...man!"

"i break for birds, i rock a lot of polka dots! i have touched glitter in the last 24 hours! i spend my entire day talking to children...and i find it fundamentally strange that you're not a dessert person, that's just weird and it freaks me out! and i'm sorry i don't talk like murphy brown and i hate your pantsuit; i wish it had ribbons on it or something to make it just slightly cuter...and that doesn't mean that i'm not smart and tough and strong!"

amen, jess. new girl is definitely a new fave of mine, and this quote from tuesday's episode really struck me, because i feel that's really me (besides the talking to children all day part...). and i feel like saying those things sometimes... yes i carry an oldschool volkswagen metal lunchbox, and it's fun and awesome! i dance in my chair at work when i'm listening to happy music, i have an affinity for saying "woo hoo!" and yes i have a mustache tattoo (yes it's real), i think its hilarious! stop taking yourself so seriously!

(photo)

live in the present

this morning i started my day with a much needed sunrise yoga practice at my beloved studio with an awesome instructor.  in the beginning of class she talked about not holding on and harboring feelings about things in the past, not worrying about the future, but being here, now. living in the present.  i know it sometimes can be cliché, but i've really been struggling with this lately.  there is so much uncertainty in my future, and so many things in my past that i can never seem to let go of, that i forget that there is this beautiful day right at this moment. i really need to focus more on the things that are happening right now, instead of fretting over everything else.

it is so easy to get lost in the hustle and bustle of life and lose sight of everything around you at this very moment. i need to work on not stressing over the things i can't change or control, tensing up when trials come my way and instead just letting everything come to me, move through me like my breath.

own it, embrace the chaos that is the present, breathe and let go of all that anxiety and worry.  namaste.

(photo of my lovely friend alice, the mountain yogi)