I Lost My Head and Left My Heart In San Francisco

Hello!
I thought I'd give you an update on the last couple of weeks!  I took a much needed break from life and took a road trip with my family to California.  My Oma and Opa and several of my family members live right outside the San Francisco area and we decided to visit.  It was MARVELOUS.  There's something about the ocean that I could just be lost in forever.  It centers me in some weird way.  My sister was able to come down from Seattle and we had the best time.  I'm so grateful for my family and for the ties that bind me here on this funny place called Earth.

Here's some pictures of all the fun!

Day 1 San Francisco
San Francisco is my favorite city in the world and it did not disappoint! Ok....it kind of did.....I will now present you with the saddest story in the world.
The day was beautiful, sunny, perfect temperatures.  When we went to go see the Golden Gate Bridge it turned cloudy, rainy, and foggy.  You couldn't even see it at all which was so sad.  The End.
We did go to Golden Gate park though and see the Japanese tea garden which was gorgeous!

 Sea Lions on Fisherman's Wharf

 Golden Gate Bridge

 Alcatraz

 Sad Golden Gate Bridge that you can't even see :(

Loved the stairs at the Golden Gate Bridge though.  "Welcome" in all languages.

 Family fun in the Japanese tea garden

I've decided to cut down on how many pictures you have to scroll through at once (I don't want to turn into your grandparents making you watch slides of their vacation) I will separate this trip into 3 different posts.  

That way you have something to look forward too.....you're looking forward to it right?....RIGHT?!

I thought so.

xoxo

V

Happy Things

I'm feeling a little sappy today.  I'm not sure why but I just feel very lucky and blessed.  I think of all the amazing people I have in my life and I seriously almost weep.  I spent the weekend with my group of friends who I feel so lucky to have.  We're a rowdy bunch and we rag on each other but we laugh hysterically and when it all came down to it....I know they'd be there for me if I needed them.  I love our Tuesday night bowling nights and our Sunday "after hours" chats.  Bonfires, movies, games.....they're good eggs.

Friend dinner!

 Bonfires in the mountains....

Saturday lunch club

 Karyn made me a survival kit for gift....

 Conference watching, Facebook hacking, food making...we did a lot this weekend

We take better selfies than Ellen does

And NOW I get to spend the rest of the week with my family!  We're taking a vacation to California to visit more family and I'm so excited!!!!

Ahhhh life is good.

Who are you thankful for in your life.  Tell them.  

 I'm thankful for all of you too!  Your comments make my day so thank you thank you.

xoxo

V

Weekend Collage

weekend collage by vanessanelson featuring Clinique

Hello!!!  How was your weekend?  Mine was fantastic!  I had the weekend off and the weather was GORGEOUS so of course I went shopping ;)

Some of my FAVORITE things of the weekend were the new Lash Power Feathering mascara by Clinique especially paired with my all time favorite eyeshadow palette "Neutral Territory 2" and Cheek Pop blush in "Berry Pop" also by Clinique!  I went and visited my favorite former co-worker Natalie (y'all should check out her blog too....she and her husband are INSANELY talented musicians) who now works for Laura Mercier and picked up one of my all time favorite lip glosses "Opal" and a new one called "Azaela" that I'm OBSESSED with :)  

I listened to Miguel's song "Simplethings" pretty much on repeat all weekend.  I'm so glad the weather is warming up and we could drive with the windows down, break out the maxi skirts, and SANDALS.

I hope the weather is nice where you are too :)

Hopefully I have time to post this week.  We are going into gift at the Clinique counter which, as my long-time readers know,  is the time my brain starts to malfunction, I live on Diet Coke and crackers, and I self-medicate with NyQuil sooooo basically.....it's the Hunger Games.  

But I love these crazies I work with so it makes it worth it!

Leave me a happy little note about your weekend :)

xoxo 

V

A Night at the Jr. High Dance....

You know those nights that just take you back?  Back to times of barefoot summers playing in sprinklers, passing notes in class, and hoping that your crush notices you at the dance?  I have vivid memories of those Jr. high dances.  Everyone dancing hard and fast to "Tubthumbing" and then panicking when a slow jam comes on.  In my case the songs that created the most sheer horror and panic through my 13 year old body were....Boyz II Men.  Those soulful romantic songs...wishing my crush (I won't tell you his name....still too soon) would ask me to dance.
I got to relive those glory days as well as fulfill many a pre-teen fantasy by going to a BOYZ II MEN CONCERT.
Oh yes.  This happened and it was glorious.

 This little kid next to me was my favorite person on the planet.  

I don't think he liked me but I took at picture with him anyway.

We felt 13 again

Any moments that had you re-living your preteen days???

I'd love to hear about them!  Comment below! :)

xoxo

V

BONUS VIDEO

My favorite Boyz II Men song ever

Hi Friends

That's kind of how I feel about this post today. You know those weeks that just get away from you because you're stressed or sick or anxious and getting over that is literally all you can think about?  That's the kind of week I had last week so I apologize for lack of posts.  I'm gonna keep it low key today and give you a playlist (which I'm actually super excited about because I've found some awesome new music lately) and do some more fun things later this week.  In the meantime I hope you're all doing well.  If you are share a happy story in the comments and if you aren't....you can share that too.  This is a circle of trust.
xoxo
V

• Miguel: Simplethings
• Boyz II Men: End Of The Road
• Lea Michele: Empty Handed
• Foster The People: Coming Of Age
• Mimi Knowles: In The Mood
• HAIM: Forever
• Mourning Ritual: Bad Moon Rising
• The Black Keys: Fever
• Cher Lloyd: Sirens
• Ray LaMontagne: Airwaves
• The Pretty Reckless: Heaven Knows
• Cam'ron: Hey Ma 
• Bryan Adams: Please Forgive Me
• New Found Glory: The Promise

• Arcade Fire - Reflektor
• John Mayer - Wildfire
• Phillip Phillips - Raging Fire
• Thirty Seconds To Mars - City Of Angels
• The Corrs - Summer Sunshine
• Garth Brooks - More Than A Memory
• Dean Martin - Someday (You'll Want Me To Want You)
• Beyonce - Best Thing I Never Had
• Sara Bareilles - 1000 Times
• Taylor Swift - I Almost Do
• Fleetwood Mac - Gold Dust Woman
• David Bowie - Heroes
• When In Rome - The Promise

Currently

I haven't done one of these for awhile so I think it's about time.  Besides I wanted something light and fun after my post yesterday....

Reading: "Where'd You Go, Bernadette" by Maria Semple.  I JUST started it and love it so far.  I'll keep you updated.

Obsessed With: PINK  I know I mentioned this already but seriously....it makes me feel like Spring really is coming...

Waiting For: Easter.  It's one of my very favorite holidays.  PLUS I'm looking forward to trying out some cool new things that I've pinned on Pinterest like these lovely Easter eggs.....

Loving: my new ring I just got.  It makes me feel way cooler than I actually am.

Watching: 90's action movies including: "Heat", "Independence Day" and "3 Ninjas".  I know guys...I know.  I just can't help it.  "Heat" with Al Pacino and Robert De Niro will always be one of my all time favorite movies.  

Excited About: The BOYZ II MEN CONCERT TICKETS I JUST BOUGHT.  Yes that's real!!!!

Wanting: These adorable Converse....I mean...could you just die?

Feeling: Wanderlust.  I want to go exploring....

Listening to: "Rock" music from the early '00s.  Takes me right back to high school including songs like "Addicted" by Simple Plan, "My Paper Heart" by All American Rejects, and "I Just Wanna Live" by Good Charlotte.  Makes me want to roll down the windows playing it at full blast after hanging out at Steak 'N Shake with my friends before we inevitably decide to do a drive by....ah memories.

Laughing About: This resolution as I was flipping through one of my notebooks.  I have no recollection of writing this.

What are you "currently"???  Let me know in the comments and if you do your own link me and I'd love to go check them out! 

xoxo

V

Let's Chat

So normally I do my weekend collage but due to the events of the weekend....I'm just not feeling up to that....so I'm going to do more of a chatty little post if you don't mind.  We're all friends here so I know you won't.
This weekend was a strange one.  I'll spare you the details but we had a bit of a family emergency and then I ended up fighting off a major migraine and just wrapped the weekend up with a panic attack.  Delightful right?
I haven't had a panic attack in quite some time so this one totally took me by surprise....well most panic attacks take me by surprise. All of a sudden I couldn't breathe and I was crying for no reason. That's just one of the many reasons why a panic attack is the queen of all mean girls.  She teases you, hurts you, makes you feel like you will never feel okay again and her timing is a bitch!  Tonight it happened right as I was about to go hang out with some friends.  I hate when that happens.  One of the reasons why is that when it happens like that, all of your friends who don't understand just chalk it up to you being "anti social" or "boring".  That's not it at all.  I wanted to be social.  I wanted to have fun.  Unfortunately I was a little busy remembering how to breathe.  You can't just tell people that either because they think you're seeking attention or being dramatic.
I'm quite an extroverted person....I just happen to be an extrovert with severe social anxiety.  And I don't know how to explain that to my friends or how to explain it to anyone really.  So I just pretend I'm tired and hope that no one thinks I'm lame.  I found this quote on the internet and while it's a little dramatic it's the closest I've ever found in explaining how this anxiety or how a panic attack feels

I don't suffer so much from the depression side of it although I know a lot of people do.  It's hard.  All of it is hard.  We're all just trying our best and we want to feel "normal".  So be kind to each other out there because you have no idea what anyone else is going through or why they do the things they do.

Other than all of that my weekend was great ;)

Tell me your happy weekend stories....or not so happy.  I don't mind listening to either.  

xoxo

V