Yes, that's me ...and yes, it's my Birthday ...on June 30th actually.
If you ask my close friends and family they will tell you that I usually celebrate my birthday for the whole month of June "Stef's Birthday Month" or else at least for the week before my actual Birthday!
I'm not sure why and when this all came about but for as long as I can remember by Birthday has been a very big deal to me. For many reasons I guess.
1 being that it's a celebration that I'm still here and I've made it another year. So why not celebrate!
2 being that I love to get Happy Birthday greetings, cards, gifts and whatever special attention I can get for this one week every year. It might be very selfish or self centered or whatever but I don't care. I love and cherish it. I think everyone should have it.
3 being I love a good party :)
So wherever you are and whatever you're doing on June 30th - please take a moment and say "Happy Birthday Stef!" - I'd appreciate it.
My Birthday wishes for the new year:
1- make it till next years birth-day
2- take dance classes
3- get an i-pod
4- get a new camera
5- to be surrounded by the people I love every birthday!!
Peace.
****
Happy Birthday to my cousin Jeremy who's Birthday is June 27th.
****
It's that time again....summer vacation...
Where we take a week off to jet back and visit our families in Wisconsin and Minnesota. We'll catch a plane to Chicago and then we'll pick up a car and start our road trip back where we came from. I'm hoping the weather will be nice and wonderful but if it's not we'll deal with that too.
I always have such high expectations for our trips home - seeing everyone, making the time for everyone and visiting our favorite spots.
I need to let the anxiety go and enjoy our time...back home with the people we love.
We'll enjoy a BBQ at Kristie's along with all the family...
We'll laugh with my mom's sisters
We'll ride roller coasters with Ashlee and Samantha
We'll lay by the pool with Ann and Rich
We'll hang out with Heather and Michael and the girls
We'll celebrate my Birthday!
We'll eat at Big Al's
We'll drive through small towns
We'll go to the Farmers Market in Madison
We'll see Jerilyn before she pops!
We'll play with Jarin and Jaden
and so much more.
I'm hoping for relaxation, inspiration, I spy car games, good music with the windows rolled down and lots of laughter!
See you soon....
The lovely and amazing Jen asks another great question on her website today...what are the wishes and dreams you've wished for that have come true?
Was life going so fast you didn't even notice...
I found myself thinking today of the article I had written on Berealmag.com and how I wanted to update it with all of the dreams that have come true since and all that I'm visualizing for the future.
I find it amazing how fast life passes me by and then all of sudden I'm reminded to slow down and see!
Dreams that have come true..
- Moving to San Francisco
- Moving to North Beach
- Getting a job that I don't have to wear a uniform at
- Working in creative environment with creative people
- Traveling
- Married to a man who I love and adore and who can make me laugh like no one else
- Creating art with my photography and writing
- Meeting beautiful women who are creative and inspiring
What I'm dreaming of now...
- To have a baby
- To make money doing what I truly want to do - own my own bookstore/giftstore/coffeeshop
- To write poetry
- To live in a cottage by the ocean
- To travel to Peru
- To travel to Italy
- To drive cross country in a VW bus
- To have a garden
- To have a yard
- To own a convertable
- To buy a bike
- To learn how to cook
Jen started this...then Keri kept it going..
All the fun things I'm going to do this summer.
I'm going to move to a new "fresh" place
I'm going home to visit family and friends
I'm going to meet Jen
I'm going to the farmer's market at the ferry building
I'm going to go to flea markets
I'm going to go camping
I'm going to walk more
I'm going to celebrate my birthday!!!
I'm going to go to Santa Cruz and ride the Giant Dipper
I'm going to celebrate our wedding anniversary - 6 years and going strong!
I'm going to go to cafes and write until Laurie's class starts again
I'm going to eat juicy ripe mangoes
I'm going to visit Tina in Atlanta
I'm going to kiss Tim goodbye on his first day of school
I'm going to hike on Angel Island
I'm going to explore more
I'm going to have french toast and chai at the Francisco Cafe!
I'm going to run
I'm going to take a drawing class
I'm going to enjoy ice cream sandwiches
I'm going to play hookie from work and enjoy the beach!
What are you going to do this summer?
I found this mural in New York ...I loved it.
I want to know what they were thinking when they painted it..
What was their inspiration?
What is your inspiration?
Remembering the times...
driving up north with you and paul for hunting season
taking the road trip up north on the motorcycle
sitting in the cabin with all the guys - thinking I was so cool
then freezing our butts off in the tree stand ...each taking a turn sleeping
and eating our hershey bars
going to all your softball games, eating all the candy from the concession stand
the road trip to north carolina
waking us up in the morning with the sound of your saxophone!
the road trip to south dakota to see Mt. Rushmore and the bad lands
you getting us up early christmas morning so we could drive up to grammas - in 4 hours!
walking me down the aisle at my wedding - us laughing to hard to do our jig!
taking us to the brewer games - getting bleacher seats and eating hot dogs!
letting me drive your 1969 corvette!
taking us to chicago and eating at ed debevic's
letting me sit at the bar at the horseshoe, playing music on the jukebox
the viking vs. bears football game in chicago
driving in the "luxury liner" to napa
listening to alabama in the car - me singing in the back seat. oh, how you loved that :)
good times.....
Happy Father's Day Pops!
I found myself thinking back on the many "moments" in my life
- the moment i found out my mom was pregnant with my lit'l sis
- the moment i drive down embarcadero and see coit tower - knowing i'm home
- the moment i quit my job at American Airlines
- that one moment before i walked down the aisle with my dad to get married
- that moment when Tim started his vows
- that moment when my friends Maria and Tina surprised me with a limo
- the moment i saw Tim the next morning with his black trench coat and white t-shirt on
- the moment i knew i found love
- the moment i knew i found true friends in Maria, Tina and Heather
- the moment i got in my car and drove up to grand-dads bluff
- the moment i knew things changed forever
- that one moment i knew i was about to lose my virginity
- the moment Jerilyn and I broke the barrier
- that moment when the music started and we ran down the aisle with "jazz hands"
- the moment i called Maria and Tina and told them Tim and I were getting married
- the moment i found my cosmic twin
- that moment when I open up the envelope and see really awesome photos
- the moment I get off a plane and see a loved one
- the moment Lorna and I had the blowout
- the moment i realized that things always work out
- the moment i realized not to open up that door
- the moment i saw my first nephew Jarin
- the moment Erin called me to tell me she was pregnant
- that moment when i bite into a brownie
- that moment when i first wake up and realize it's Saturday!
I had the pleasure the other night of listening and watching Tim and his band playing at a bar in San Francisco.
It's so amazing to see - Tim on stage. He changes; his voice, his personality, his whole persona. It's Rock Star Tim. You can see the happiness, the bliss, the passion in his eyes, his smile, the way he talks it up on stage.
I find it totally hilarious and beautiful at the same time.
He's living his dream, his passion.
There's nothing like it.
It's amazing to witness - all he wants to be doing is playing on stage with his band. To see that kind of passion in someone is a gift.
What are you passionate about?
I'm still searching....
I feel like PLAYING lately....
running
jumping
cartwheels in the park
skipping down the street
singing in public
no cares in the world
laughing hysterical about nothing
making up songs
drawing, painting, coloring
mixing up the routine of life
taking a trip to nowhere
getting up late
taking a bath
a long walk on the beach
skipping rocks
drinking cocktails at noon
playing with puppies
we need more play in our lives!
go out and play today.
SARK is an angel in my eyes...
I found SARK in 1992 in a tiny bookstore in LaCrosse, WI. It wasn't a particulary happy time in my life and I needed some kind of sign that things would work out.
I sat down in the SELF HELP section of the store with my friend Michelle and I remember thinking "I'm not leaving here until I get some kind of sign that everything will be ok" At that moment I looked up and saw this colorful book popping out - telling me to pick it up. I did.
It was INSPIRATION SANDWICH by SARK. I couldn't believe my eyes - all the colors, the handwriting, the words, everything. They spoke to me on so many levels.
I thanked the gods and SARK. I got up, bought that book and the rest was history.
SARK has been doing that for me for years...every year her next book would speak to me more and more.
She has helped me through the long road of these last 12 years.
SARK's - MAKE YOUR CREATIVE DREAMS REAL - a plan for procrastinators, perfectionists, busy people, and people who really rather sleep all day
I recently had the opportunity to hear SARK speak and book sign at Cafe Gratitude. Her bright, creative spirit shines and her words inspire me to reach out and create the dreams I dream so hard for.
Thank you SARK - for giving me the inspiration to live the life I want.
I live in fear almost everyday over something...
the call i dread about a loved one being hurt or dead
the fear of not seeing my family and friends again
the fear of the last conversation
the fear that i won't ever have a baby
the fear that i will live in fear all my life
the fear that i won't see tomorrow
the fear i feel about talking in front of a group of people
the fear of saying the wrong thing
the feeling of being ignorant
the feeling of being laughed at
the fear of doing the wrong thing
the fear of making the wrong choices and decisions
the fear of moving forward
the fear of following someone else
the fear of following myself
the fear of the unknown.
then there are days that i conquer the fear
i get up in the morning
i fly on the flying trapeze
i move across the country
i quit a job i hated
i started a new job that I enjoy
i get on a plane like it's a bike
i drive in a big city
i cross the street before the light says go
i move forward
i launch a blog with my photography and words
i write about everything and anything and read it to others
i make plans for the future and act on them
i meet people i admire
what fears do you conquer?
I've been talking about my feelings of living in limbo and uncertainty lately and I finally see a light at the end of the tunnel.
I think we found a place to live and our car and money issues are working themselves out.
I realize that we're actually still in limbo but that everyday life is limbo.
We're in limbo all the time...
It's how we deal with that limbo that gets us through our day.
I now know that I need to stop, breathe and take that extra 5 minutes to calm myself.
Confide in good friends and really listen to my gut.
Be open with Tim and really communicate.
Know that everything always works out and that stressing and worrying won't do anything but make me sick.
I've also realized that I need to start taking care of ME - emotionally and physically. Life will go on, but I won't if I don't start taking care of myself.
This won't be easy but I'm going to try...
for me.
Here's to me and the miracles that follow.
NYC in May:
seeing Cynthia's beautiful smile for the first time in over a year
walking up 5 flights of stairs to Cynthia's home
coming across the famous Magnolia bakery - the best cupcakes ever!
yummy pizza at Arturo's along w/good chit chat
coming across "Cafe Wha?!" and the jokes that followed
roaming around the village
the songs we made up that would come out of everything that we did
our girlie day of shopping, roaming the street fair and ending up chatting in central park all afternoon
times square at midnight
the awesome "welcome to the johnson's" bar
the bartender from "los angeles" (Madonna accent)
the PBR in the fridge
burp castle and the monk with tennis shoes
sore feet
special guest Mike Birbigilia at the comedy cellar
the cool chalk board in Cynthia's kitchen!
grand central station
the statue of the woman in the men's bathroom in little italy
meeting stacey
celebrity sightings
beautiful weather
funny moments in the subway
seeing "the boy from oz" with Hugh Jackman -hottie!
watching the roller boogie people in the park - the awesome vibe
toys r us in times square
finding "funtomu(n)ch" - priceless
trying to bring the word "rad" back
ms. pacman everywhere
rain in soho
the angelikka
tim and cynthia in rain bonnets - priceless
the nyc skyline from the met
finding the special rocks outside of washington square park
many beautiful moments with a beautiful friend who I miss already!
Feeling so overwhelmed and scattered since getting back from our trip to New York...
We had such a wonderful time with our friend Cynthia and there are so many beautiful experiences to share....
Soon...
Trying to get back into the reality of life...
