where I want to be right now

Right now I really want to be. . .
somewhere with palm trees. . .

Los Angles, CA

somewhere with sandy beaches. . .

Manhattan Beach, CA

or you know I would just settle for being on this beach. . .

Near Auckland, NZ

i forgot about these. . .

I had forgotten that I took these pictures a couple weeks ago at my favorite coffeeshop. I love how the decor of this particular coffeeshop is very beachy. . .you know how much I love the beach. But I also love the sound of milk steaming and the relaxed atmosphere that a coffeeshop provides. This is literally one of my favorite places in the world. Now if only IT were by the beach. . .

tuesday: something to love

People from work are getting sick, so I have been called in already once this week, and am going in early again today. I just pray that I am not added among the numbers of the growing sickness. Winter seems to be coming back a little bit after giving us a short hiatus this last week or so. These things among others has just made me feel kind of blah on this Tuesday morning. It is good to remember things that I love and enjoy.

Champagne and national wine drinking day. . .lovely!

Dreaming of an island getaway. . .I wish.

where i want to be right now

Have I mentioned that I like the beach? It's warm, the sun is shining, the ocean is providing the background melody. And it's not cold or snowy or miserable. Yes, I wish to be on the beach. . .now where is my genie??

Near Auckland, New Zealand

And I love the texture of the shells on the beach in this pic!!

Monday: something to love (remix)

Well, as today is Tuesday, not Monday, and I am feeling the particular longing for warm weather, today's something to love also includes where I want to be right now. The Beach!

St. Pete Beach, Florida

This photo was taken on spring break of my junior year of college when a dear friend and I went to Florida for a week. It was so delightful!

where i really want to be right now

a view of Mt. Doom (for all the LOTR lovers out there) across Lake Taupo

Taupo, New Zealand

delightful

Near Auckland, NZ

This is the background on my computer right now, and I just wanted to share it with you because I love it and it makes me happy.

where i really want to be right now

Right now I really want to be any where that I can have my toes dug into the sand with warm waves crashing over them.

Monday: something to love

Hello Monday. I will enjoy you...despite soreness and sickness and Monday-ness. Here's a little something to love today...

I love the beach!

where i really want to be right now

The cold weather today has been making me want to be somewhere warm...so this is where I really want to be right now.

St. Croix, USVI

where i really want to be right now

It was kind of a rough day...so this is where I would really like to be right now if I could drop everything and go anywhere.

Near Auckland, New Zealand

collections

Sarah from on the brightside... is having a photo contest on collections. I thought about it for a long time, because I don't really have any collections...

but then I realized that I actually do. I have a scarf collection (from around the world). I have a shoe collection. I have a mug collection. I have a smile collection (yes, I collect people's smiles in my mind...please don't judge me).

The collection that I decided to photograph, though, is my shell collection. I have shells from all the beaches that I have visited, and I have this glass jar that a friend gave me a while back. So I decided to put the two together, and I now have a jar full of shells that bring back many memories for me.

There are shells in here from the gulf coast of Florida, from the Atlantic coast of Florida, from Manhattan Beach, California, from Auckland, New Zealand, from St. Croix, and a couple of rocks from the shore of Lake Taupo, New Zealand. Every time I go somewhere there is a beach, I pick up a few shells to take back and put in my jar. It's a free souvenir packed with memories...just the kind I like. So here you go...my shell collection.

TOMS love

TOMS at Manhattan Beach