hello summer

Summertime is here!

Well, maybe not officially but here in Southern California it has felt like it as of late. Even though my years of three-month summer vacations are long gone {wah!}, I still look forward to welcoming summer back into my life each year. 

My summer is already off to a great start. A few weeks ago I went on a horseback ride up to the Hollywood Sign {thanks to Sunset Ranch}

and took a quick vacation with my cousin Addie to visit my brother at Disney World!

Since it will be my last summer in California for a while, my summer activity wish-list is pretty long already {and growing daily} and filled with California specifics. Here is a little preview:

1. Go to a night Dodger game. Preferably one with a firework show afterwards :)

2. Make good use of my Disneyland annual pass (am I the only one who wishes the sign still looked like this?!)

3. Eat lots and lots of mexican food! And definitely make a trip to Tito's Tacos at least once

4. Visit the Getty Villa in Malibu

What's number one on your summer wishlist?

{1/2/3/4}

birthdays and fun facts

This blog is coming up on it's second birthday already. {seriously, where does the time go?}

Since it's inception, the main goal of this blog was to share parts of my life with family and friends who lived in far away lands.

Although I haven't always the most consistent blogger {I've been known to take a few impromptu blog-cations}, I have always been a faithful blog reader. I enjoy reading all sorts of blogs simply because I love the stories that people have to tell. One of my favorite stories to read about is why a blogger decides to blog – there are as many answers to that as there are stars in the sky BUT there is one common theme that I see pop up in almost every blog that I read: community.

From the outside looking in, the blogging community is friendly, fun and powerful. It looks inviting, like a sparkly-blue pool on a hot summer day and I have decided that I want to jump in! I'll be stepping out of my comfort zone and transitioning from pro blog-lurker to contributing member of the blog society!

SO! If you have found yourself visiting me for the first time and are asking yourself “who is this girl?”, here are ten fun facts about yours truly...

1. I am seriously lacking in the “I have lots of cute solo pictures of myself” department, which is why I used a random pre-wedding picture above
2. I love both my parents dearly but one of my favorite things to play-pretend when I was little was orphanage (that and Harriet the Spy)
3. I really dislike homemade cookies, but love to make them for my husband
4. I love taking pictures of our dog, Rocco. He's just so dang cute!
5. I really like Disney and spent the spring of 2011 working in Cinderella's Castle at Walt Disney World {dreams come true people!}
6. When I grow up, I want to be a sweet southern lady
7. In September I am moving to Hawaii with my husband and Rocco!
8. The UP of Michigan is one of my favorite places on earth
9. I am the slowest beer drinker ever
10. I am obsessed with nail polish 
    
    
    

    Care to share a fun fact about you? 

    
    

    xoxo, 

    natasha