May 13, 2018

My Everyday Life: Week 19

Here’s what this past week looked like: My Everyday Life Week 19

Happy Mother’s Day!! If you’re a Mom, I hope you get spoiled today!

A rainbow around the sun and a hawk. It felt like my mom was saying hello.

This week was full of adventures. I headed up to Petaluma for an event with In Good Company and Sophie James Wine.

It was a beautiful day spent with amazing women.

Lots of wine.

And good food!

We learned how to arrange flowers with Matilda’s Magnolias.

I hung out around this section… Can you understand why?

This woman made me smile. She told me that her daughter told her to wear that dress. I thought that was sweet.

A quiet moment.

Picturesque.

Another field trip this week included a private tour at Mrs. Grossman’s sticker factory!

(it’s open to the public for tours as well!)

I met new friends! Found out that we’re all kinda neighbors. It’s a small world, isn’t it?

LISTS

May 11, 2018

I LOVE LISTS

I LOVE LISTS!

Bartenders giving sage advice.
These murals make my brain spin (in a good way!)
How to save some money while grocery shopping- pay attention!
Now I want to go to New Mexico
I’d like to make this hanging planter sometime soon.
Some ways to be happier!
Kinda cool to see how an SNL sketch gets made.
Some new wallpapers for your tech
Speaking of wallpaper, this one is fun!
How to offer condolences without sounding like an ass.
We never stop touching our phone now.
100 ways to eat eggs. YUM.
How to be aggressively delightful!
I’ve learned that my husband is not an ASMR fan.
One of my favorite places to go- Hog Island Oyster Farm
My most attractive quality is Optimism— based on my Greek food choices!
Funny parenting hacks are my favorite.
Drones…UGH.
Cute earrings alert: one / two / three
My first Mother’s Day without my mom (my reality) This one is also a good read.
Speak your truth if you want to be happy!
How to overcome analysis paralysis of decision making.
An interview with Nigella Lawson (she was one of my heroes when I first started cooking on my own!)

Adding collagen to my turmeric lattes. I can see my skin improving and my nails and hair are growing fast!

Library checkouts: Inventing Joy / Foraged Flora / Market Cooking

Carrot Coconut Soup– I made this week and have been enjoying it for lunches!

recipes

May 9, 2018

Raspberry Frosé

Did you know that most of my dream life takes place at camp or at a grocery store? It’s true!

A few weeks ago I went on a spirit tour (not that kind but that would be fun too!) of the Nugget Markets for work and it really felt like I was living a dream.

If you’re not familiar with Nugget Markets and you live in the Bay Area…..WHAT??! You’ve got to go to one! Don’t pass up an experience to see a family owned and operated company dedicating to a beautifully rich shopping experience. They’re a real treat! They also have one of the most amazing beauty & wellness sections. I tend to spend most of my time there when I should really be gathering ingredients.

My assignment was to meet with Nugget Markets‘ Director of Adult Beverages, Mike Taylor. I was there to see Nugget Markets’ extensive spirit selection and use it as inspiration for a cocktail on my website. Mike was making his rounds at the Novato location when our schedules aligned.

Say hello to Mike!

LISTS

May 7, 2018

Intentions for the Week

Hello Monday! Another week in the game. How are we going to spend it this week?

Hustling. Focusing. Dreaming. Scheming.

This weekend was filled with photo editing, recipe testing, baseball and an open studio visit with my neighbor. As a result, I have a bunch of stuff swirling around in my brain. There’s a bunch of stuff to get on paper. Emails to write. Stuff to cram in and get done this last month before we have Summer…camps…LIFE. AHHHHH. Ok, Monday. Let’s take a deep breath.

We also have baseball and so many other little moving parts this week. I am so glad I have this Sunday night ritual of getting my head in the right space to tackle the week. Let’s spend a moment making a list! Here are my Intentions for the Week.

Intentions this Week:

return at Gap
laundry catch up
pay post office box renewal/trip to post office
clean out car (it looks like a closet right now!!)
clean out fridge
clean up files on computer- free up some space & backup!
do a Costco run- maybe use Instacart if I can’t make the trip
work on my painting practice #100daysartbeforebreakfast
charge my Fitbit! (I just bought myself a new charger and called it a day)
send out orders from The Handwriting Club (thank you!)
make a batch of kombucha
workout/go for a hike with Casey
clean out baseball bag/refill (I need to do this weekly now)
keep the kitchen clean- have a no dishes in sink daily challenge
continue to spring clean the pantry
work on package for Camden
post new recipe (it’s a cocktail!)
eat to NOURISH not to NUMB
wash out my water bottle & drink more water
make more family meals this week

Last Week’s Intentions:

~~prep for photoshoot~~
~~paint nails~~
~~make sure I have two eyebrows, not one~~
~~straighten up office~~
continue putting together care package for Camden
~~write the description for a photo retreat/email it~~
~~make a new recipe~~
keep up on laundry (took me 4 days to complete it)
~~pick up that clothes pile in my bedroom~~
~~clean out baseball bag/refill~~
~~refill snack bag~~
~~workout/go for a hike with Casey~~
~~drop off donations at Salvation Army~~
~~work on my painting practice #100daysartbeforebreakfast~~
~~find the charger for my Fitbit~~
~~send out orders from The Handwriting Club (thank you!)~~
~~make a batch of kombucha~~
~~write/post April’s Currently post~~ (check it out here!)
get enough rest (could have been better about that)
~~drink water~~
~~spend quality time with my family~~

Mantra for the Week:

Have a fantastic week! Remember to write out your intentions. It can help you be clear about what you put your energy into! And if you feel like typing it out and holding yourself accountable, leave a comment with your Intentions for the Week!

Much love,

Tracy

my everyday life, Photography

May 6, 2018

My Everyday Life: Week 18

Here’s what this week looked like- My Everyday Life Week 18

Meal prep prep!!

This week I had a photoshoot for something coming out this Summer.

My friend Todd helped me shoot it!

Cooper was involved.

And there was makeup too! Thank you Salt Spell!

I also broke my camera this week. SIGH.

Ella loves to beg for food.

Continuing the #100daysartbeforebreakfast project

It’s helping me learn all the names of the flowers and plants I see.

Echinacea is my favorite.

LISTS

May 4, 2018

I LOVE LISTS

I LOVE LISTS:

Friday Night Lights! We’re re-watching it this week.

This scoop neck shirt in Tall. It’s so good for us long torso gals.

Peanut Butter Banana Bites I get at Thrive Market (here’s 25% off your first order)

Kai Shampoo & Conditioner. It smells amazing!!!

Inspiration

May 3, 2018

Currently: April 2018

Currently: April 2018

Goodbye April. Hello, May.

It feels like everyone is celebrating the new month. I think it’s all due to Justin Timberlake- It’s gonna be May meme. Totally understandable. JT is (always) bringing sexy back and he threw May in there too.

This month went by pretty fast. It started with a family vacation. Our first legit one without my Mom (even though I brought her ashes with us!). Our first Easter without her too. I went on a quick trip to Los Angeles for work. Hoping to make it back there soon to see my brother and possibly take Cooper to Disneyland (he’s never been).

I fell back in love with working out in April. I worked out on our trip 4 times with my Dad and it jumpstarted a good habit. I kept the momentum up this month and hope to continue the process. It’s been the last thing on my priority list the past few years because it’s the easiest thing to neglect. Working out also means that I have less time to do things I should be doing like writing letters to people and keeping on top of laundry AND FRIENDSHIPS. Life is such a struggle for balance, isn’t it?

Lots of planning for the future this month. I’m working on a course that brings travel (yay!) and also something that will be in print this Summer. I can’t wait to share more with you!

Let’s get into it!

Inspired By:

#100daysartbeforebreakfast has been keeping me inspired. I’ve been drawing & painting flowers/vegetables that I see in my life. I give myself about 20 minutes every day to do it. Some days are more challenging than others. There have only been a few days where I wasn’t able to do it before breakfast but I still did it. I’m about to hit 30 days soon! YAY. The best part of the project is that it is keeping me off my phone early in the morning and while I’m at it, I’m actively looking for things to be inspired to paint.

Watching:

Right now as I type this we have Friday Night Lights on in the background. Could I get back into this show? I totally could. I think we might be hooked again…

We’ve been watching Love on Netflix. I think we are on season 2?? It’s been a nice little routine. Working at night and then finishing up with a few episodes before bed. They’re snack-worthy.

Also into Billions. Kinda stressful. I’m really liking this season.

Silicon Valley is entertaining us too. I like it on a Sunday night because it doesn’t give me stress. We had to stop watching Homeland because I would never fall asleep Sunday nights. Be careful what you fill your brain with before you go to bed!

We shared one of my favorite movies with Cooper- Troop Beverly Hills. THAT MOVIE IS SO DANG GOOD. He loved it and that made me happy.

Reading:

I checked out so many library books this month and only have had time to put into one. The Light Between Us– given to me by Emily. (thanks, Emily!) I’m getting into it! My mom, brother and I had a very powerful psychic connection between the three of us and so I am fascinated by that aspect of what I am experiencing right now. I feel her presence constantly and sometimes I think she’s trying to give me signs. I want to learn more about that and this book is keeping my interest.

Thinking About:

Mother’s Day. It’s coming up. This will be my first one without my Mom. You don’t really notice how annoying all of the commercials and reminders you see re: Mother’s Day when you have a Mom. When your mom dies, it’s extra painful. Especially on the first Mother’s Day. It’s been hard to be online because it keeps bombarding me every time I sign on. My mom and I shared the holiday in our family. This will be the first one on my own. All I want for Mother’s Day is a plane ticket so I can get lost taking pictures in a new landscape.

Listening To:

The past few weeks I’ve been listening to Dorothy Ashby. Her music is the only thing that doesn’t get on my nerves lately. ]

I don’t even have the attention span to listen to a podcast right now.

I’ve also been putting together a good workout playlist. Maybe I’ll share that soon!

Favorite pump jams include:

Dream Life:

Dreaming of camp as per usual. I really want to go to camp I think.

Maybe I’ll try to find one I can teach at.

Eating/Drinking:

This month I started to get back into cooking. I was sitting at the dinner table the other night thinking about how I’m never going to get a home cooked meal from my Mom again. No one to tell me to eat the rest of the salad. My mom made the best salad. My mom was always so generous with the avocados!

How do you ever replace that? Someone have me over for dinner, please.

Hot dogs at the Oakland Coliseum.

Breakfast with one of my best friends, Riley in Los Angeles.

That was one amazing breakfast.

Peanut Butter Chocolate Oatmeal

That recipe made me like oatmeal again.

Chicken Enchiladas with Cumin Crema

That was goooooood.

All the fried calamari in Monterey.

Grateful For:

The orders that came in this month for The Handwriting Club!

I’m also grateful for health. I had a really annoying cold for a week this month. Sure does make you appreciate your health when you’re not sick anymore.