Taking stock.

This post has graced many of my favorite blogs lately and I thought it only appropriate I play along!

making: always.
cooking: if constructing turkey sandwiches on whole grain bread thins is cooking, since that is all my time allows, then yes!
drinking: too too much coffee.
reading: my new book, Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn.
wanting: for a big house with ever stretching white walls and light, nooks and crannies, and wood floors.
looking: for a perfect thrift shop with perfect vintage furniture + trinkets for the wedding.
playing: Sia's most perfect new album.
wasting: too much time being plugged in.
sewing: if only I knew how.
wishing: for autumn and noel seasons.
enjoying: this day that seems to think it is fall when it's midsummer -- the rain and fog are magic.
waiting: for our apartment to be ready.
liking: that darling half up top knot trend.
wondering: what our children will look like.
loving: abundantly.
hoping: for strength.
marveling: over the literal color of the universe.
needing: a slow morning followed by a spontaneous, soul-filling day.
smelling: warm thunder and misting rain on quite the emblematic Seattle afternoon.
wearing: gym clothes, for always and always.
following: an intense 12-week workout plan (see above).
noticing: increasing feelings of fulfillment.
knowing: I need to photograph more.
thinking: about the sweetest, most vivid dreams I've been having.
bookmarking: a few pages in The Four Agreements, but very disappointed in the book as a whole.
opening: a new life chapter soon.
giggling: at silly commercial voice-overs, as such.
feeling: at the precipice of adventure.

Busy bee.

Goodness. It feels like it's been quite some time because it has been quite some time. How is the warmth of summer's grand entrance here already? How has the solstice come and gone without lingering long enough for me to say hello? These recent weekends have been filled to the brim with tiny road trips, venue scouring, more Starbucks trips than ideal, overplayed mix CDs, thrifting, and the world of diy bridal party invitations -- which are turning out lovely if I say so myself.

But! We have found our wedding venue! And it is perfectly stunning and we just knew. July 31, 2015 -- our official day becoming Mr. and Mrs. The date just sounds perfect. It looks perfect. We have decided to keep the location hush-hush because it's an exciting secret to keep with family and close friends for just a little while longer. No peeking my sweet friends. We'll announce it soon enough.

Oh and I musn't leave out the adventure that transpired this weekend. My dear friend Alyssa captured our engagement photos in a hand-holding, palm-sweating, stomach-churning experience atop the second highest railway arch in the states. 347 foot drop right off the edge. Wood pieces with suspicious give. I was barefoot and only made it halfway across. It was terrifying in all the best possible ways. We managed to get some gems there and then pulled over to any interesting place we could spot to shoot the rest. Thank you for risking your life with us Alyssa! We are very lucky to have her, indeed. Alyssa and I shared a couple of delicious cranberry ginger ale spritzers mid shoot, which sauced things up nicely for the rest of the day. That surely contributed to my silly charisma and flushed face during the last leg of the shoot and will undoubtedly show up on film.

Daniel, my darling, you are marrying quite the handful.

The night I ruined my back and Godzilla.

Some of my favorite flowers Daniel bought for me.

This damn month. Along with other health stuff, I took a fall last night down some stairs and destroyed my back. It was one of the scariest moments of my life. My hands were full so I wasn't holding on and had nothing to catch my fall. I hit my back on the edge of the stairs full force completely knocking the wind out of me. I freaked out thinking I did some serious damage and I couldn't breathe. Today I saw a spine doctor and physical therapist, got some gnarly pain meds and muscle relaxants too. I had to get an X-ray but luckily I didn't break anything, stuff is just inflamed, bruised, and strained. Basically everything hurts, especially my chest and upper back, it sucks to move and I feel like I'm 80. 

Every time things get hard, I start to make mini goals and lists. It's either that or I start to pace around my room and throw things away. This past month hasn't been the least bit forgiving and if I have to see the inside of another doctor's office I will surely lose it, man. But never mind that. Here are some things I have finally gotten around to do, before I so gracefully fell of course:

• Sent out a couple snail mail letters
• Finally got my glasses so I can see real life things now
• Caught up with a couple of good friends
• Made a good rough draft of the wedding list 
• Possibly decided on a wedding party 
• Started an appropriate eating regimen for my work and gym schedule

Oh and I guess I should mention we're going to see Godzilla this Friday (if my back is up for it) and I've haven't been as equally excited and terrified in a long time. Huge shit that mobs up from the depths of the ocean is just no. Bigness, vastness, too-large-to-comprehend type of stuff scares me. But the mystery of it makes me all giddy and I know I'll be fidgeting and squealing like I'm about to see Santa or something. It kind of feels like how I always dry heaved as a little girl when everyone sang me happy birthday and I was just ridiculously nervous. I'm weird ok.

Have a beautiful second full week of May, sweet readers. 

The Happs

Super green bowl at Lanikai Juice // Kaiula, HI.

Ugh. The days after a vacation are the worst. Especially one so physically and spiritually healing. Other than the fact I'm completely heartbroken I had to leave Hawaii, (vacation pics and video coming this week I promise! And you're welcome, Seattle, for bringing back the weekend of sunshine) here are some updates.

•  Art journaling is something I find myself doing more and more lately. There's something special about a human's tendency to preserve that extends so beyond just keeping things for aesthetic value. It's about saving a memory, holding on to a moment that's made me feel. Putting on soothing music and just zoning in for a couple hours with my art journal truly helps the soul. 
• I promise you won't see the #girlswholift hashtag from me because, just no, but I'm kind of getting the hang of lifting and I kind of like it. I'm usually compelled to exhaust myself at the end of any workout with tons of cardio to feel like I even did anything, but I'm starting to feel that same sense of accomplishment after lifting. It feels good.

• I'm looking for a body cleanse. I've been working on cleansing my mind by practicing mindfulness and relaxation techniques daily, and it's changing my life in a big way. But now I want my body in the same place. I'm thinking about a sugar detox after Easter and then transitioning into maybe a paleo based diet.

• I'm waiting to spill out my beautiful feelings and experiences from the Hawaii trip until I can get together the photos to represent them, but I just need to get this in somewhere. Probably because my mind is still on vacation, and I woke up late today for my first day back at work and couldn't even muster up the energy to even care and it takes ALOT to piss me off these days, but I'm really happy at this point in my life. I feel like the stars have finally decided to give me a break and align nicely at the perfect time. It could be the Hawaiian sun and h2o still in my skin, or the sand I keep finding everywhere, but things are rad.