condiments.

they thought it would be fun to take a trip to the LA Colosseum for the "Superbowl of Motorcross"....they talked about it for weeks. If you have ever been to the Colesseum you would know that there are tunnels that you must go through to get to your seats. With any kind of event parking it is a hellacious process trying to exit with thousands of other people...just to sit in a lot full of parked cars. They decided to beat the crowd...when the checkered flag was raised all 4 of them would run out full speed through the tunnels headed for the parking lot. They had a plan. Sure enough...it worked...they went sprinting out of the tunnels screaming, but each of them had the same idea as they passed by the condiment cart. Following close behind them was a cloud of onions, relish and packets of mustard. When they realized what had happened they barely made it to their cars...bending over gasping for air, tears streaming down their face from laughter. Great minds think alike.

have you seen the bread?

it was a tradition for 3 weeks straight...

my friend and i took my mom's bread and made 8 grilled cheese sandwiches. we poured 2 tall glasses of ice cold milk and watched the Twilight Zone. I knew one day I would tell my kids about that.

cobras, photoshoot and design.

i love my job. This is our featured product for this week. i am taking a new approach to this part of the site...rather than just using the merch guide shots like I was told, I am going to be coming up with a concept for a photoshoot for each new product. Something that makes the product come to life and look more appealing to the consumer. Here is what I came up with...now go buy it:) It'll go live by the end of the day and you can see more pictures from the photoshoot.

too much coffee.

"michael, my heart feels like it just skipped three beats....but not in a good way, like a death way."

it's been a long week.

12 hour days?

product. woo. these are without post production.....spring 09. goodnight.

spoken words.

when she spoke she used her hands. they floated through the air as if she was conducting a symphony. people were willingly held captive by each word that formed, like art, in her brain. it was beautiful...it was raw, it was inspiring.

dear blog.

i have been fa fa away, in a different state, working, coffee, promotion, busy, photoshoot and distracted....good. GREAT actually. happy. i got a text today demanding a new blog...so here it is. I have nothing clever to say, my brain is elsewhere so i can't think of a funny story but i am sure when my fingers stop typing something weird will come out.

fun S words that popped into my head:
1. spoof
2. snafu
3. spicklemeyer (a girls last name in kindergarten)
4. scranton
5. shalom

today my coworker pulled me aside and said he needed to have a word with me. I stood there sipping my coffee as he got closer and closer to death with each puff. his hair was so huge, and the way his chest hair came out of his v-neck was fascinating....we call him super krav and he is amazing. He told me he was having a mattress predicament...he was searching endlessly for the perfect mattress because he left his old bed with his girlfriend when he left her. kind. He has been sleeping on the carpet in the closet. He then proceed to ask me if I had any "whorish friends" who have been in a lot of beds...he thought maybe they could be of assistance.

chicken nuggies & John Wayne.

I am sitting cross legged enjoying some chicken mcnuggies at the airport. I have positioned myself right in front of the window so I can watch the planes take off. The sun is setting now and I love the way the orange light reflects on my glasses. my face is warm as I watch the airplanes land one after the other, they make an eclipse when they block the sun and I quickly snap a mental picture. I am feeling good about this trip, I feel brand new and my brain feels at ease. I cannot believe that American airlines now charges to check on LUGGAGE! That's absurd but I can't complain since I am flying for 5 bucks. Next thing you know they're going to be charging us for use of the plane's restroom and they'll stop serving honey roasted peanuts. Oh wait...
I just saw a man knock over an entire trashcan and cause the biggest scene, but kept walking like nothing had happened and like no one was looking at him. Classic.

keep it loose...keep it tight.

Happy midnight hour friends and strangers!

Today I leave for the great state of Texas. It's been over 3 months since I've had good BBQ, sweet tea, honky tonk two steppin', and a rock my world thunderstorm. Plus, I really miss my friend's accents. It'll be good to visit again and tomorrow cannot go by fast enough. 5 day weekend...i love my job. Doubt I'll blog from there because the schedule is pretty packed...that's what happens when you type out a word document full of adventure. But there will be facebook mobile uploads, always. Thank you American Airlines for 5 dollar flights and for switching my flight for free...I love you.

2 amazing videos.

i wanted to share these, because i think i am a bit picky when it comes to what i like as far as photography and music videos. i love these two, hope you do too.

this video captures everything inside of me and holds my attention. i am a huge fan of white lights, hints of color, movements that compliment the beat of the music.


brilliant. just...brilliant, haha flying objects, contrast...love it.

my night.

sweatband. Short shorts. Hurley softball league. Team spirit. Only girl. Spitz.I love the thud of the ball hitting the bat and running like Phoebe to the bases. I'm at the airport waiting to pick up my parents. Guy at gas station looked at me with my outfit on and said "gorgeous" I laughed at him and said "rock on son" and spit out a sunflower seed. I hate getting a burnt seed but look forward to that one absolutely delicious seed. J thanks for the mit and the breakfast snickerdoodles.

a blog about time.

"sadness is a manifestation of memories which you cannot change, fear stems from trying to predict the future. that leaves... NOW as our only option for certain happiness."

This blog is raw. I haven't thought about what I want to type or even the point I am trying to make...actually a majority of my blogs are not thought out, not one bit. I sit down, put on music, and my fingers just go.

i stumbled upon that quote tonight...and I have mixed feelings about it. A love/hate relationship if you will. The reason for this said relationship is because I am not a fan of living in the moment....because every time I have "lived in the moment" I have known it to be a horrible decision on my part...I was not in a good place, I shook my head at myself....and longed for something real. Something that would eventually go somewhere. Something with passion and certainty, that i could hold onto with everything inside of me...a romance that was palpable. But if we do not act on something that might eventually work out...where does that leave us? "in the moment"...and how long do we remain in that moment before accepting it for what it is? Instead it leaves us worried...nervous, and fearful...of what might happen in the future, who we will hurt...who will hurt us. I was hoping after I typed my feelings out I would gain some sort of perspective in regards to this quote....but no, not really...i find myself still wondering what it is we are searching for. What we are scared of. Are we afraid of opening up... only to add to those distant memories that linger around like the Cranberries...

"fear stems from trying to predict the future" i think that is the part that i am hung up on. Maybe I will have an epiphany at some point this week, maybe I should drink some Smart Water...i hear it helps. I am a firm believer in the saying, "time reveals all" but until that "time" comes...i feel stuck in the moment. Interesting. They were the best of times...they were the best of times.

goodnight friends.

Hyperventilation...

She hung on each word...every last one of them. Even the ones she'd heard before, they sounded different somehow. Things they spoke of were good...true and rich in substance, something that had previously been sorely lacking. She embraced each conversation as if it were their last. In fear of losing a good thing...she took it all in at a rapid pace like a cloudy day on the coast of Maine, she breathed in deeply until her lungs were satisfied. Never wanting to let go of that breath. But she knew if she savored that breath for too long another one would surely pass her by. She found herself hyperventilating...in a good way.

that is definitely NOT what she said...

my cousin Ryan just moved down here from northern ca and I am excited about that. He is one of my very best friends and the only one who will...at the age of 25, still play "slappy hand war" with me. We have the best of times together because we were thankfully blessed with the same sense of humor...you know that one that's just a bit...off. People rarely understand what we are laughing at. We like it that way.

Well last night my parents and I picked him up and went to eat at olive garden. I feel like I would be robbing you of something if I chose not to share a few funny stories with you.

We are sitting at the dinner table eating pasta when Ryan looks up from his plate of food, admires my watch and says, "nice watch Steph". To which my mom blurts out as if she has been holding it in for months..."that's what she said!" I spit out a bit of tea and Ryan lost a noodle I'm sure of it. I don't think she quite understands.

One thing we always do at family gatherings is reminisce about the days of old. Ryan said, "hey Steph, Remember the time you picked me up from rite aide and I had that bucket and we got ice cream?" I swore on 5 cheese tortellini that he said he had a black kid and they got ice cream.

We ate pinkberry last night and my mom decides to sample the coffee flavoured yogurt and proceeds to tell Ryan and I never to try it in our lives because it.... "tastes like bacon and sausage." she is clearly not a fan of her yogurt tasting like breakfast meats. I also wonder how many people eat the top pointy part of the yogurt with their mouth before even getting a spoon. I'm guilty.

Speak your heart...silence your mind.

At what point did it become customary to test the water with your foot before getting into a swimming pool? As a child I was never concerned about assessing the situation prior to getting in, I just did what felt right in my heart…and that was getting into the pool quickly. With age comes skepticism I suppose, and over thinking. Somewhere over the years I decided hmmm…maybe I should see what I am getting myself into. Everyone eventually gets in anyway....and i've found that it’s not as cold if you just throw your entire body in all at once. Just get it over with. It’s more refreshing and less drawn out. Or you can choose to feel every inch of your body go in, shocking each part…when in the end, you end up in the same place... you just get there quicker. Don’t try to dissect this…you’ll never figure it out, my brain is a mystery.

brown sugar & cuddles vs. snuggles.

ever wonder what the difference is between cuddling and snuggling? Let me break it down for you...cuddles are what you do on the couch with a blanket... with your feet in socks playing footsies with other feet in socks. You enjoy the flicker of the tv lights on the other person's face. You want nothing more at that moment, but to have your arm around them...holding them close. keeping them safe.

Snuggles are what you do with someone in bed when you're getting cozy....you find the perfect spot to snuggle into. Where you feel warm and safe for the night. Sometimes you make little sounds, while adjusting...you want nothing more at that moment but to fall asleep skin to skin, with the warmth of being wrapped in love for an entire night.

So there you have it.

And brown sugar...always in oatmeal never in sweet tea.

hurricanes and tropical storms...

I want to meet the person whose job it is to name hurricanes and tropical storms. I wish it were me.

Today I woke up at 6am, and laid in bed counting sun rays and watching Chewy sleep. I love this day already...I wish I had a house with a wrap around porch, and porch swing. Every morning I would grab a pillow and blanket, turn on the record player, and a enjoy the sunrise. Maybe I will live in Vermont one day...and in the Fall i will die a little on the inside when I see bright orange leaves with dew droplets on them. I can't wait for the Fall!

happy tuesday friends!! :)
KEENE, NEW HAMPSHIRE...pumpkin fall festival.
it smelled like apple cider and pumpkin pie everywhere.

take it in...

there's something about fluffy, white clouds resting gently on top of a mountain that make my heart want to sing a quiet song. I close my eyes and wish you were here to see this view with me. There's an empty chair beside me and an extra mug for hot coffee. Bare feet and oversized hoodies - eyes soft with happiness and leftover thoughts from the night before. Mornings like these make me want to share my heart, have meaningful conversation...and hold hands- not just hold but caress the softest part of the hand with my thumb. So, I went for a walk early this morning but something was missing. It's great hearing my heart beat but what would be even better is hearing someone elses beat in sync with mine. But for now, the only thing burning in my chest is Canadian grown coffee. Happy first day of September! :)