Thursday Thanks ::: 10 :::

It's thursday. And today I am so thankful for so many things:

• Having a fun convertible to drive up the coast anad have a lovely dinner in Malibu with my beau

• A girls weekend in Palm Springs riding horses and drinking vino

• Having two of my favorite people coming over for dinner at the new apartment

• A wonderful step father who helps me turn my old furniture into something shinny and new!

Thursday Thanks ::: 9 :::

So, it's official, I am a resident of Marina Del Rey. Gosh this whole moving apartment things really has thrown me for a loop. There's always so much mor to do than I realize. But Memorial Day weekend was a blast move or no move.

I am so thankful for:

• A wonderfully fun wedding with a truly happy couple and a wonderfully fun first time being a bridesmaid

• An amazing new apartment (pics above) and asome fun decorating to come

• Sunny and mildly hot weather to enjoy the new pool with on the long weekend

More regular posts to come now that we are getting settled. Promise. No, really.

Thursday Thanks ::: 7 :::

It's been a long couple of weeks burying my face in my own branding stuff. And I have been told I need to take a day and enjoy the weather and the fact that the beach is right outside my front door. So, today, if the clouds allow, I am planning to take a few hours and head out and lay in the sand. Sometimes just getting away for a bit helps solve a lot of questions when you get back.

This week I am so thankful for...

• having the time to knit

• a convertible for this nice sunny warm weather

• Every growing follower on my blog. It's such an inspiration! Thanks everyone! (let me know what you'd like to see more of)

What are you grateful for this week?

(source)

For Dad's Day

I know Mom's day was just last week. But in a short month (June 17th) it will be Dad's turn. So rather that shop last minute, I thought we'd get a head start. Just a few ideas to get you started... happy shopping.

Soap  //  tape  // flask  //  bag  //  beer  // gift basket  //  chocolate  // ceramic animals

Read On, Reader.

I've been doing a lot of reading lately, and thus have a pile of books that I am reading, want to read and need to read when they come out. Here's what's on my list this month. For the business side:

Since recently starting on the path to (graphic designer) freelance, I have been reading up on a lot of books for business. The first one I ever got when I was thinking about making the jump was, naturally, "Creative Inc." by Meg Ilasco and Joy Cho. It's my bible. Highly, highly recommend it to anyone starting out or veteran, there's stuff in there for everyone.

The next one I want to read, but have not yet is "Design is a Job" by Mike Monteiro. Anyone read it yet? Let me know what you think.

And "Start Something That Matters" by the founder of Toms shoes Blake Mycoskie. What an inspirational story for business.

And of course, we can't forget summer reading lists are coming out. I mean who doesn't need a good book for the beach. And since I live at the beach, literally, I have quite the pile starting.

My book club just finished reading "The Fault in our Stars" by John Greene this month. What a great inspirational story about a girl falling in love while being sick with cancer. A tear-jerker in the end, but worth every tear. A definitely must read this year, great for the beach. It's one of the fastest reads I have read in a while. I went through easy-breezy in a week, though some of the girls in book club said one day and they were done. It's that great.

"Feeling the Shoulder of the Lion", while not a light read, it supposed to help with the ego and open us up to the universe and our spiritual being. We all need to work on ourselves, all the time.

And after digesting all those books, light and not so, here's one you can really consume this summer. Mrs. Lilien is one of my favorite lifestyle blogs around. And it's only fitting that she came out with her first book, a "Cocktail Swatchbook" with delightful cocktails to flip through and make. It's not out until the end of May, but worth adding to the list. I know it's on mine.

What's on your summer reading list? Recommendations?