Miles To Go Before I Sleep

IMG_4998Photo taken March 2012 in Big Bear, California on top of a snowy hill

Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening

By: Robert Frost

Whose woods these are I think I know. His house is in the village, though;

he will not see me stopping here to watch his woods fill up with snow.

My little horse must think it queer.

To stop without a farmhouse near between the woods and frozen lake.

The darkest evening of the year.

He gives his harness bells a shake to ask if there is some mistake.

The only other sound’s the sweep of easy wind and downy flake.

The woods are lovely, dark and deep,

but I have promises to keep and miles to go before I sleep,

and miles to go before I sleep.

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If ever I feel stressed or just worn out from life, I’ll look up poems or start writing my own free writes. There is something calming about words and writing that are better written on paper than spoken.

The poem “Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening” is by one of my favorite poets, Robert Frost.  I apologize the poem is not typed in it’s correct format. It can be found in the book, “The Classic Hundred Poems of All Time Favorites,” edited by William Harmon.

For me, I interpreted this poem as a reminder to breathe. We sometimes forget to enjoy the simple pleasures of life, like the snow that is falling in Robert Frost’s poem.

Lately it seems I’ve been that person on the horse going and forgetting to stop.  My strength has been tested, questioned, and beaten down. I think the hardest thing to experience is when you start questioning your own strength. Luckily for me, I have a strong support team. Words and encouragement from others is always a good reminder to remember why you are doing what you are doing but even still then you will have to realize it yourself. That’s when you need to reposition yourself to stop and breathe.

Aside from poetry, another way I find time to breathe and to reposition myself is by watching the sunset.  It reminds me that everything stands still for just one moment.  As the day starts to end, a new one begins to form.

My message to you, don’t forget to breathe. Enjoy the snow falling or the sun setting, whatever it is that reminds you of why you do what you do.

–Tinted Gold

TG’s Guide to Gifting

IMG_9751December is here already?! My how time flies. Things have been a little hectic with lots of big events happening and the holidays approaching right around the corner.  Have you started your Christmas shopping yet? I’m sad to say that I will be one of the last minute shoppers this year.

Here are some of my tips for gift giving this year-

  • Give something that will serve as a reminder to a special memory you had with that person. Did you take a cooking class this year with your best friend? Maybe cookbooks from different parts of the world would be a great idea. This way you both benefit from the gift of learning how to cook different things together.
  • Giving the gift of giving.  Know someone that has everything? Or someone who is an advocate for an important cause? Why not make a donation to their favorite cause in honor of them.
  • Crunched for money? Try looking up DIY projects.  Gifts made from the heart give bigger sentimental value. One of my favorite DIY blogs is A Beautiful Mess.
  • Lastly, if you are still stumped about what to buy, try Cool Huntings website for the guide to gifting. There are a ton of unique gifts here like this one CLICK HERE What cat wouldn’t want that?

Here are some photos of Tanabe and I today at the mall. Best wishes to your gifting endeavors!
IMG_9471TG_VG1IMG_9757What I wore: Classic Adidas Sneakers, Mango’s grey scrunched dress, Forever 21 green jacket, and classic ray bans.

Handle With C.A.R.E Fundraiser Event

Recently I have been busy planning a fundraiser event for Project “Handle with C.A.R.E”, Cambodia 2013. HWC2013 is a project my family and I have put together for a mission trip to Cambodia.  The trip’s main goal is to provide the people of Cambodia with C.A.R.E (Compassion, Assistance, Resources, and Education). Please join us on Saturday December 15th, 2012 in Downtown San Diego to dance, drink, and donate the night a way as we end the year and start the new one for a great cause!

For further information check please visit us at  http://www.hwc2013.net for updates and ways to get involved!

Tea, Yes Please! Sarah’s Bridal Shower

Yesterday, I celebrated one of my best friends bridal shower.  She is the first out of our group of four girls to say the words “I do” and we could not be more excited to be part of such a wonderful event in her life.

With the help of my amazing friends, Janelle and Melanie, we hosted a tea party-themed bridal shower for Ms. Sarah. This was the first time any of us ever put together a bridal shower so we had no idea where to begin. With a lot of brainstorming and yes and no’s, we finally came up with the idea of a tea party since we knew Sarah had a love for tea.

We held the shower at Tranquil Tea Lounge in Downtown Fullerton.  This cute little venue is definitely a great place for tea lovers to have a conversation while sipping on their array of teas. They also offer a private tea room with packages for your special events, which allowed us to host Sarah’s bridal shower. The staff was wonderful and helpful in making sure everything was perfect. Guest got to pick a tea to enjoy, a sandwich of choice, and two dessert options. I have to say, their sparkling white Jasmine tea was to-die-for!

Here are some photos from Sarah’s tea party and some helpful tips on hosting a tea party-themed bridal shower.

White & pink hydrangeas, yellow roses from Francos Flowers in Encinitas, CA; white teapots from Target; Teacups and fabric courtesy of my parents home.

Tranquil Tea Lounge‘s private tea room in Downtown Fullerton, CA

Coconut cream cake from Extraordinary Desserts in San Diego, CA.

Here is a list of Bridal Shower games we played to help you plan.

  • 2 Truths and a Lie- To help break the ice we each went around the table and told three things about us (one being a lie).  Guest had to guess which of the three things was a lie and which were the truth (make sure you let your guest know ahead of time so that they can think of things before you start).
  • Quiz the Bride- I asked Sarah’s future husband-to-be ten questions for example “If you could have any super power what would it be?”/ “What is your most memorable moment with Sarah?” and quizzed her to see how many she got right.
  • Quiz the Guest- I asked Sarah ten questions about herself that guest had to answer about the future bride-to-be.  Who ever knew Sarah the most won a prize!
  • Guess the Dress? I pulled photos of celebrities in their wedding gowns without revealing their face so that guest had to guess who the famous bride was. Some that I included were Kate Middleton’s memorable dress, Gwen Stefani’s dipped pink dress, and the classic dress of Jacqueline Kennedy.
  • What’s your flavor?- I took six different teas and placed them each into a container where guest had to match the correct tea with its name. Allow guest to pass the containers around and smell the fragrant tea. Try finding some herbal teas such as mandarin orange jasmine or a peach flavored tea.
  • Celebrity Hubby Match- Have guest write down a celebrity husband they would like to marry and drop it in a bag.  Have someone read the celebrity husband name (this way the bride doesn’t know who’s handwriting is who’s) and have the bride match the celebrity husband with the guest.

Overall the shower was a success, we shared tears of joy, laughter, and celebrated the most important thing, the bride. Congrats Sarah!

Thankful for Being Able to be Thankful

With so much to be thankful for this year, I don’t know where to begin! I’ve felt so blessed this year to have had so many great people and experiences in my life.

One person I am especially thankful for is my father. It hasn’t been an easy road for my father and I.  With the passing of my mother, my father had to suddenly learn how to raise a young teenage daughter by himself. Together we learned how to cope with my mother’s passing in the best way that we could. Sometimes that meant sharing stories we had about my mother or holding on to things that reminded us of her (my father still keeps my mother’s perfume on the side of his bed).

Despite everything we’ve been through, I’m thankful to have a father who has always been there for me, a father who stood up  the whole time recording my school plays, a father who would buy me a slurpee  just to cheer me up, and a father who worked hard everyday in his life to make sure he provided for his family.

As I’ve grown older, I look back at our relationship and feel a deep sense of appreciation for him and everything that he has done. I’m sure that if my mother was still here, she would say she was proud of him.

“We are all that we got. Just you and me.” — My Father

Happy Thanksgiving to everyone.  I hope the day not only brings you great food and company, but reminds you of all the things to be thankful for.

-Tinted Gold