Lovelies Archives - Page 21 of 27

Finding some Zen…..

January 14, 2013

Zen is often hard to find in our daily routines.

As parents we rush from one activity to the next.

Last week between my drop off at school and on our therapy appointments,

I had a moment to escape to yoga.

{OM}

Yoga has been something that I view as a stress relief,

but now to me it has become a need and a way of life.

During one of these classes, my yoga instructor ended

our class with a spritz of lemon grass green tea spray

while we were relaxing in our corpse pose.

She sprayed this spray as she said to “open the mind and the senses”.

While lying there, I recalled the week.

It had been very hectic to say the least.

My son who has been progressing this school year,

but with the break {though well needed},

it has been a hard transition back.

{thank goodness for Occupational Therapy}

The spray that was spritzed over me while lost in my thoughts,

and search for peace really did open my mind and senses.

It was such a beautiful smell.

It made me realize when was the last time I wasn’t so lost

in my thoughts and worries that I actually used my senses.

Really stopped and “smelled the roses”.

As parents and caregivers to these wonderful children we get so focused

on our organized day and our to and fro that we have little time to

think about our thoughts and our needs.

When was the last time as a parent you truly listened

to the words of a song like you did back in high school,

when you believed some songs were written just for you?

Or watched the beauty of the day despite what is going on in your life?

I believe in finding small moments for yourself.

A place or time in the day where you can find time for

your own inner thoughts to just simply be.

After that class, I cried,

I cried for no reason at all except for the pure fact that

I smelt something like I did for the first time in years.

I took a moment to breathe and to focus on the moment at hand.

I actually took a moment for myself to recharge

and to know that I am doing the best that I can.

By doing so,

it allowed me to battle the rest of the week with some renewed energy.

What is your escape?

{weekend} lovelies

January 12, 2013

It’s the weekend again, how did that happen?

This week has gone by quickly due to school being back in session.

That being said, I did not prepare for it.

Nope, not in a single way.

I was trying to enjoy the last few moments I had

with my family over the break.

Of course that was enjoyable,

but I am paying the price with my lack of organization

especially in the food department.

I usually love love creating ideas for meals

for the week ahead,

so this {weekend} lovelies is an ode

to meals I love and meals I look forward to making,

not to mention the gadgets that are on my wish list…..

click on the pictures below for the recipes.

Yummy Chicken Picata,

I am a pasta lover and this pasta dish is a perfect weekend meal.

You will WOW the ones you love with this homey feel good meal.

Set it and forget it……

The crock pot can be your best friend,

I am going to make it work for me this upcoming week.

Baby its cold outside……

I am craving this Lasagna soup at this very moment!

This light ooey gooey soup is one of those meals you

make and it tastes even better the next day.

Thank goodness for PINTERST!!!

Or there are recipes that you come across that

kick start healthy motivation…….

I have been making this breakfast for the past couple years.

It is filling and it inspires me to DO Good for the rest of the day.

Of course I was hoping that Santa might have dropped

by a few gadgets to help in my kitchen.

Oh a girl can wish……..

Dreams of fresh pasta….

Oh the pasta I could create with this gadget.

The January Inspiration 2013 Crate and Barrel catalog is full of

beautiful inspiration for the home.

It made me happy to see such beautiful things after the

spark of the holidays has come to an end.

The spark has been lit,

Now that I have been visually inspired by gadgets and

recipes that I have made and loved.

I will start next week with a plan.

Organize with a Printable Meal Planner

Now its off to the grocery store.

Keep it simple and Enjoy this {lovely} weekend!

xo

Mid-Century Modern {love}

January 3, 2013

If I had more time, energy…

and perhaps a bigger bank account to fund my interests…

I would have loved to study architecture

{it’s funny, because I keep pushing the field on Husby

since he also shares the same love, and is the artist in the family.

I think it would be a fascinating field to explore once he retires from the fire service in 20 some years – –

looks like you’re never getting a break, Husby!!}.

As you may have seen from some of my previous posts,

I am infatuated with Scandinavian design.

My other love is mid-century modern – – which stems back to my parents.

*************************

My mom has been in real estate most of my life.

She got bored easily

{which she claims is a sign of intelligence – haha!}

and when it wasn’t time to move,

she redecorated or moved furniture around when my dad was on business trips.

We never stayed in a home longer than three years growing up.

My parents flipped houses before it became a popular thing to do.

I have countless memories of going to open houses with my parents

and listening to them talk about the pros and cons of each, while sipping their drink on the veranda.

I used to share in their excitement and grow eager to have a new bedroom to make my own

{I actually love change as an adult and get super bored being in the same house or area too long {thank you, mom, for that character trait}! We’ve stayed put since the kids have started school; however, I dream… {on a daily basis} of change… whether it’s new décor, a new home, or moving to Costa Rica… among other places}.

*************************

My parents were definitely more minimalistic in their sense of style and design.

I grew up with one of these chairs in our family room, which I hope to own at some point

{wishful thinking}.

{Eames Chair Image Via: Herman Miller}

My favorite house that we lived in, during the later part of my high school years, was in Fullerton, California.

Not only did it have an amazing ocean and city view

{which was always a must},

it also was a piece of mid-century modern architecture.

Dressed in floor to ceiling windows,

it was also adorned with a beautiful vintage pool on the side of the house.

This particular nest sparked my love of design from this time period.

*************************

Although there are many mid-century architects I adore,

Cliff May

is one of my favorites.

He is known as the father of the California ranch-style home.

Every room in the house has a connection to the outdoors,

erasing any lines of separation.

Floor to ceiling glass walls were a signature of his,

along with functional living and entertaining spaces.

*************************

I found a gem of a website {SoCal Modern}

a couple of years ago that has a photo gallery of mid-century homes,

lists current modern houses for sale {in the Southern California area},

and gives a valuable list of resources

{from brokers, architects, designers, magazines, furniture & accessories, preservation, and more}.

Here are several homes {all in Long Beach, California}, designed by Cliff May in the mid 1950’s

that I found on that particular site.

*************************

{images of the above house via: socal modern – house one}

{three images above via: socal modern – house two}

{two images above via: socal modern – house 3}

{three above images via: socal modern – house 4}

{three above images via: socal modern – house 5}

{four above images via: socal modern – house 6}

*************************

For those of you that share in my love for mid-century modern design and architecture,

I hope that you thoroughly enjoyed the photos above!

For those of you that fancy other design styles…

I hope that it ignited a new found appreciation for these vintage masterpieces!

Happy New Year, to You & Yours!

January 1, 2013

HAPPY NEW YEAR, TO YOU & YOUR LOVED ONES!

So…

I was hoping to prepare a post on New Year’s resolutions for you all today…

the history,

the most common,

why they tend to fail {right?!},

how to set realistic goals,

and one’s worth reaching for.

Unfortunately, we got a bit busy over here…

but not busy in a good way.

It happens….

life happens…

so I’m forced to compromise.

We had an interesting start to our New Year.

After a full day of errands and family visits,

Husby had to rush one of our son’s to the ER due to asthma issues at 2 a.m.

Needless-to-say…

there wasn’t a whole lot of sleeping going on in our house last night!

So, Husby went off to work a 48-hour shift,

and I am writing this piece,

in a state of fog…

eyes half-mast…

{but, on the upside}

our little man is doing a bit better this morning,

and I am sitting here

{as one content mama}

now that I have my much-needed salted soy caramel macchiato in hand!

In the spirit of “keeping things simple”

{as Nicole mentioned we are both trying to do in the coming year},

I will leave you with a beautiful poem

that I was fortunate enough to hear yesterday morning.

After an hour of rigorous hot yoga we ended in my favorite pose…

savasana {corpse pose}

and the yoga instructor recited these lovely words

{The Power of One – Author Unknown}:

One song can spark a moment

 One flower can wake the dream

One tree can start a forest

One bird can herald spring

One smile begins a friendship

One handclasp lifts a soul

One star can guide a ship at sea

One word can frame the goal

One vote can change a nation

One sunbeam lights a room

One candle wipes out darkness

One laugh will conquer doom

One step must start each journey

One word must start each prayer

One hope will raise our spirits

One touch can show you care

One voice can speak with wisdom

One heart can know what’s true

One life can make the difference

You see, it’s up to you!

Not only was the poem eloquently written, it resonated with me…

sparking a series of thoughts.

In the New Year, I hope to focus on what is in my control

and be the best person that I can be

{in any given moment or situation}.

I tend to be super hard on myself

{as many of us are}.

I am going to try to accept myself for whom I am…

and for where I am at

{both physically and emotionally},

as long as I am trying to be the best version of “me” each day.

We are not in control of what situations life throws at us,

but we do have control over how we react.

No one can make you feel any certain way.

It is all up to you…

YOU decide.

You have control over your emotions and can choose to let things internalize and fester in you – –

or process them, learn the lesson, and move forward.

I hope to stay more present,

soak up the moments that really matter,

give myself a break {as long as I am trying my best},

and focus on how I react to various situations…

hopefully with grace and light

{that can only come from above}.

As the poem states… “one life can make the difference,”

which in my opinion…

all starts with our inner most thoughts and personal perspective.

It can really be that simple.

A change in our thoughts…

results in a change of behavior…

which can positively affect those around us and even the world.

Wishing you all an abundance of peace, happiness and blessings in the New Year…

and let’s not forget, good health, for you and your loved ones!

Happy 2013!

{Image Via: Itsy Factory}

Happy {2013} New Year!!!

December 31, 2012

Sara and I would like to wish you all a

Happy and Safe New Years!

{Photo via Pinterest}

We hope to be able to focus on……

{Quote via Weddingphotography.com}

New Year’s is always a fun night to dress up a little….

{Quote via IFB}

New Year’s Can’t be complete without

a fabulous dessert/drink recipe.

This is one of our favorites from Bakersroyale.com…..

{Get the recipe here}

Or a little cotton candy can always help a celebration!

{Photo via Pinterest}

Of course Sara and I are always trying to live by this,

maybe 2013 will be the year……

We wish all of our readers, friends, and of course family a very

Happy and Healthy 2013!

We at Simply Happenstance are excited for the future,

Hope you continue to follow us along the way!

xo,

Simply Happenstance

« Previous Page

{OM}

Yummy Chicken Picata,

Set it and forget it……

Baby its cold outside……

Or there are recipes that you come across that

kick start healthy motivation…….

Oh a girl can wish……..

Dreams of fresh pasta….

Organize with a Printable Meal Planner

Now its off to the grocery store.

Keep it simple and Enjoy this {lovely} weekend!

xo

I have become a bit obsessed with aztec prints lately

& have found the most wonderful

bohemian & vintage

inspired clothing company that has some of these lovely pieces.

There were so many items I loved,

that I decided to create the dream board below

{on polyvore}

to represent a few of my favorites.

Check out {Spool No.72}…

I just know you will LOVE it!

Nicole & I had a coffee date one evening this past week

to discuss {simply}, of course!

While at our local {Starbucks},

we were able to sample their new Vanilla Spice Latte.

It was DELICIOUS!

They have combined espresso with steamed milk,

rich vanilla and hints of spice!

It is topped with crushed vanilla bean,

sugar & whipped cream {if you like}.

Since I can’t seem to break away from my usual Soy Caramel Macchiato,

the barista told me I could substitute the vanilla spice in my Macchiato

instead of the usual pump of vanilla.

It was AMAZING!

I don’t know that I will ever go back!

Winter Break is coming to an end

for most of us that have children in school.

Perhaps in an effort to get organized,

you have started to plan your menu for the week ahead.

For those of you that are not vegetarian or vegan,

have you ever thought of

“Meatless Monday?”

Many people are using high quality plant proteins

in place of the typical animal proteins.

I personally am a vegetarian

{although I flirt with vegan eating from time-to-time}.

My family does continue to eat small amounts of meat.

However, as a family we have adopted plant-based eating

a few days out of the week.

If this appeals to you, refer to this list of

{7 high quality, plant-based proteins}

to help you make this healthful change!

Your bodies and our planet will thank you!

{if you are interested in learning more about the health & environmental benefits, click here}

If you decide to try out “Meatless Monday’s”

here is a yummy recipe from Whole Living for

{Quinoa Salad with Roasted Almonds}.

If you like to throw things together, without bothering with recipes

then just do this:

* mix any vegetables that you have on hand

into your already prepared quinoa.

* Then, add salt & pepper to taste,

with a decent amount of fresh squeezed juice from a lemon.

* Chill & then eat!

Healthy & delicious!

I have always LOVED calligraphy.

Not to toot-my-own-horn,

but in the 3rd grade,

I was nominated to participate in a little competition

for having the best handwriting in my class {haha}!!

I have thought of taking classes when I have a bit more time,

although they are difficult to find!

There are a few online courses that look pretty reputable,

but why not give this a try?

Here is a tutorial from Jones Design Company on how to

{fake calligraphy}!

Wish I had come across this prior to addressing

all of my Christmas cards this year!

For Christmas this year,

 One flower can wake the dream