Friday, April 29, 2011

say whaaaaaaaaaat....FRIDAY??!!



how did you show someone love today??

The most important thing in life is to learn
how to give out love, and to let it come in.

                                       - morrie schwartz

ox
kolleen

Monday, April 25, 2011

...monday music and things that make life a little sweeter

SOME THINGS I THINK THAT 
MAKE LIFE A LITTLE SWEETER...

'

PAINTED BUILDINGS

 TIME WITH FRIENDS (OLD AND NEW)

SPENDING TIME WITH A
DEAR FRIEND TO CELEBRATE HER
BIRTHDAY ON THE STREETS IN NASHVILLE


 COFFEE AND MIMOSAS 

 LIVE MUSIC

 BOOTS, BOOTS AND MORE BOOTS


BOOKS

PINK BUSES
(all photos from my recent trip to nasvhille)

and this song

Wednesday, April 20, 2011

say whaaaaaaaaaaaat wednesday?

another wednesday already here!

so today's question is fun...
a bit reminiscent

spring is in the air and that means
prom is right around the corner.

do you remember what your
prom theme or song were when you were 
a senior in high school??

if memory serves me right...
mine was "the flame" by cheap trick and
i am not really sure of the theme...???

anyway...
fun to stroll down memory lane sometimes...
hope you think so too!!

(now i am off to pack for nashville...
celebrating a dear friends birthday!!)

happy rest of the week friends!
ox
kolleen

Monday, April 18, 2011

monday music inspiration and a lesson

i've learned that unconditional love
does exist outside of a parent and child.
                             - me


i am heading to the santa barbara bowl
tonight to see these guys and can. not. wait.
outside venue, music, wine and my best friend = good stuff

happy monday my friends.
ox
kolleen


Wednesday, April 13, 2011

say whaaaaaaaaaaaat wednesday?


okay...i have a confession to make

"my name is kolleen and i am
a reality TV Junkie".

from The Bachelor to the Housewives 
to The Real World (on MTV...where it all began)...
i can't seem to get enough!!

i have watched nearly all of the "Housewive" episodes
and am completely addicted to Bethenny Ever After...
she makes me laugh and 
i just love the way her husband adores her!

so...tell me...

what is your favorite reality tv show??




Friday, April 8, 2011

I'm better for it Friday...VALERIE'S STORY

today i am so honored to have
my dear scarf sister Valerie share
her "I'm Better For It" story.  

her story is powerful and inspiring.
 i am so grateful to her for sharing it...
remember...there is healing power in our stories
and in our words.

*************************************************
I believe in the power of this moment.

One night when I was sixteen, 
I saw the most beautiful sight I had ever seen. 
Just moments before, my self imposed death 
had been accidentally interrupted by a stranger. 
Who am I to be here, 26 years later, 
recalling the still vivid memory of a 
purely joy-filled moment of seeing a 
school of dolphins swimming beneath the moon 
racing the cruise ship I was on, 
the very ship that moments earlier 
I had fully expected to watch leave me 
in the dark depths of the Atlantic Ocean without notice?

I believe in faith.

According to the Merriam Webster dictionary,  faith means:
1. a confident belief in the truth, value or 
trustworthiness of a person, idea or thing.
2. belief that does not rest on logical proof or material evidence
3. loyalty to a person or thing; allegiance

As a child I was sent to Sunday School, 
I went through the motions by learning the 
“important” passages and attending the
 significant ceremonies and rituals of various religions 
but none of them resonated with me 
enough to become mine. 
Yet in one night, when I was 16 years old, 
I found unwavering faith in something bigger than me.

Why was this younger, sadder self 
prepared to throw herself off of the railing 
she had climbed upon at the tail end of the ship? 
How did she become so resolute that she felt 
a soothing calm wash over her as she 
closed her eyes and breathed what she thought 
were her last breaths? 
The whys escape my older, braver self, 
though I know it was not a decision 
reached lightly or impulsively. 
But something greater than myself saved me that night. 
My savior came in the form of a Portuguese cruise employee 
who was attending to some job that 
put him in my path at that moment when, 
eyes closed, body poised, soul calmed 
I was saying my goodbyes to this life. 

I will never know what he said to me or 
what he thought seeing me 
but his words broke my reverie and brought me 
front and center in that moment. 

One night, when I was 16 years old, 
startled and scared 
I followed the railing away from 
the chosen moment of death toward the voice of people 
who were on deck pointing out into the sea. 
My head turned, and there, in the bright beautiful moonlight 
that I had neglected to notice before 
(what else had I failed to notice?), 
was a school of dolphins racing next to the ship. 
They were jumping in and out of the water, 
crossing paths with one another, 
frolicking with what I could only imagine 
as playful joy and in my hypersensitive 
awareness of the moment, 
I saw this gift as an offering. 
The dolphins’ joy felt like warm, knowing arms 
wrapping around some broken piece of me, 
reminding me that I had barely begun to live. 
In this moment it was revealed that 
individual moments happen and in them, 
circumstances and perspectives 
can change in an instant. 
I simply had to be brave enough to stick around 
and see what happened next.
Since that evening there have been several 
“chance” encounters that have occurred, 
other moments that have changed my life’s trajectory, 
always ultimately for the better. 
They have not been completely positive 
and I certainly would not have chosen some of those lessons 
for myself but when I stood 
front and center in those moments, 
took a deep breath and held steady to my faith, 
a meaning always emerged and 
I am always left feeling 
profound gratitude for the experience.

I believe I am part of something bigger 
than what I see before me and 
I believe my role in this life is to simply 
be present and mindful in all of the moments that I can. 
Since that day, when I was 16 years old, 
my faith has never left me and 
even when the lessons have been painful, 
my faith has always sought to protect me 
and help me to become the 
best person I can be… in this moment.
I have no doubt that I am better for it. 

you can visit the beautiful, brave Valerie 
at:  valerietookes.wordpress.com


i am so grateful for this beautiful soul
being in my life and i know i am better for that!
thank you Valerie.


ox
kolleen



Wednesday, April 6, 2011

say whaaaaaaaat wednesday???

happy wednesday friends!

i was born and raised in small 
town, illinois...when i was 23 years old
i ventured out west to phoenix, arizona and 
stayed there nearly 14 years.
now i live in california....
but i imagine myself living
in many different places...
i think there is a bit of gypsy dwelling
in this soul of mine!!

so...here is my question today:

if you could live anywhere in the world
where would you live?

ox
kolleen

Monday, April 4, 2011

monday music and a goodbye

Dear 38,
thank you for the love, the memories made, 
the lessons learned,
the laughter and the tears.

Hello 39,
it is nice to meet you.
Please be kind to me...i promise to be good!

ox
kolleen

here is my choice for today....this song makes me happy.  

"glow, i wanna see you glow
i wanna see your daylight shining all
around your heart."

enjoy my friends...hope it makes
you smile and glow!!

Friday, April 1, 2011

...GO BLUE!



as some of you may already know....
i have a beautiful, handsome boy 
who was diagnosed with autism at nearly 3 years old.  

he is my bonus son and i have learned so
much since he has come into my life...
and i continue to learn 
every.  single.  day.


the month of april is "autism awareness" month 
and to show your support we ask that
you "LIGHT IT UP BLUE" 
on April 1-2.

show your support please!
1 out of 150 children are diagnosed with autism
every year...
i pray that will change and someday
there will be a cure.

happy weekend
ox
kolleen

GO BLUE!!