I’m really lucky to have two vacations early in 2012… both are to celebrate my 30th birthday, and just happened to be planned months ago to occur around the same time. (It feels a bit gluttonous, not gonna lie).

This trip I’m about to embark on is with eight of my high girl besties (nine of us total). We planned a Caribbean cruise together to celebrate all of us turning 30 this year.

I’m so excited to reconnect with all of them – it’s literally been since high school since we’ve all been together like this, in one place, without significant others. How fun! We also have theme nights packed for the cruise. (As you probably know, I refer to myself as a “Theme Party Whore” because I love them so much!) We’ll be doing an all-white party, neon night, nautical night and fancy dress night.

Right now I’m in South Beach, Miami – poolside – waiting for the other girls to arrive tonight. Tomorrow evening we’ll board the boat that will take us to Jamaica and St. Thomas! I’ve never been on a cruise boat, so this is all a very exciting adventure. Bon voyage!

Currently Feeling: Like a sunbathing queen – reading in the sun is my happy place.
Currently Anticipating: Seeing my best friends when they get in, and enjoying a dinner out in South Beach tonight.
Currently Loathing: That’s there’s a lot of smokers in Miami (smoking at my pool, no less!) Gross.

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I’ve been building this post on love in my head since the New Year, so I thought it appropriate to share it with you on Valentine’s Day – a day we’re all thinking about love. I always try to shape each year around goals, bucket lists and intentions (my three mantras in life). This year, I’ve selected and shared my goals and bucket list items with you, but I haven’t shared my intention. I put a lot of shower time, driving time, lying in bed time and general quiet time thoughts into what I wanted to shape my 2012 intention around, and that word for me is LOVE.

I haven’t talked about love and dating on my blog in awhile even though it used to be a large part of sharing my life online through writing. Part of it is me trying to keep that part of my life more personal, and another part of it is a lack of energy or focus on love in my life for a long time. But if I want love to permeate my life this year, it needs to come out. Come out from the dark corners and shadows and live in the forefront and in the light.

I’ve spent a lot of time thinking about love and what it means to me because I want my year to all-encompass love, not just romantically. I want to love strangers more and plan to do this through trying to smile at everyone I see in passing that I might not know. I want to love my friends and family from afar, and have thought about ways I can do this through handwritten letters instead of texts, phone calls instead of emails and random acts of kindess to surprise them. I want to love my body more – think positively about what I love about my body, fuel it with the love of healthy food and working out and treat it like it’s something I love and want around forever.

And yes, I want to find love again and someone to share this feeling with mutually in happiness and equality, perhaps for eternity.

I’ve only truly been in love once in my life. The twitterpated, glowing, dreamy in love that every girl hopes and wishes to have for the rest of her life (or at least at some point). It happened once, and it was fabulous. And it was painful. But out of it grew a great friendship and also who I am today: a strong, independent woman, but one who might also be a bit afraid to get hurt again and a bit picky because she knows what that love felt like in her past.

I’ve been thinking about that past love a bit more these days – the heart is a lonely hunter. I want to feel that love again.

Throughout my 20s, I’ve buried most of my thoughts about and desires for love. I’ve focused on only dating casually and getting to know myself. I’ve put love on the back burner to focus on friendships, health and the big one: my career. Love has been a past hobby I’d lost interest in, an argument I’ve forgotten about, a friend I’ve let pass out of my life… a phone call I haven’t wanted to return.

In my 30s, I want to let love back in. 2012 is the year I’m reenergizing, rekindling, forgiving and returning LOVE‘s phone call.

I plan on sharing with you my Project Love details here throughout 2012 (and beyond) … the ways I’m letting love back in, how I’m showing love, and most importantly how I’m finding it.

Don’t call it a comeback, I’ve been here for years.

Currently Feeling: Really excited to start a new professional project with a FUN event-based startup in SF. Details soon!
Currently Anticipating: A new weekly “health day” with some girl friends – walks and healthy dinners.
Currently Reading: The Art of Hearing Heartbeats by Jan-Philipp Sendker

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Our sexy wind-blown look with one of the San Francisco hearts in Union Square.
P.S. I'm wearing my fav new leopard-print flats from Lucky Brand.

This weekend I had some old coworkers come stay in San Francisco to visit me and embark on an ultimate splurge girls weekend. For me, it was just what the doctor ordered!

I’ve known Heidi and Kerry since 2008 when bonded while working together in a particularly unpleasant situation. The positive is – we’ve all prevailed and most importantly, remained friends. For each job I’ve had, I’ve been so grateful for the experiences, but also for the people who have touched my life and remained in it as new career opportunities have come my way.

To say that I was flattered and excited that Heidi and Kerry booked a weekend for the three of us to spend time together in San Francisco is an understatement. And of course, we had the very best time. We ate at many amazing restaurants, including Bluestem Brasserie, Franchino, my favorite “inside SF” breakfast spot with a private back garden patio (you’ll have to visit me to find out) and my second dim sum at Great Eastern in Chinatown. We enjoyed the Chinese New Year celebration in San Francisco, and did a lot of shopping in some of San Francisco’s beautiful boutiques on Sacramento and Fillmore Streets. I’ve found some consignment shop gems and came home with Joe’s Jeans for only $50 and brand new black platform pumps from Banana Republic for $22! The trip reminded me (yet again) about how great this city is, and each time I have visitors, it’s so fun to see the city through their eyes. I felt energized and happy after reconnecting with smart, caring women.

Top clockwise: Gorgeous $2,400 Christian Louboutin's we found while shopping;
The Chinese New Year in Chinatown; Fro-yo at Fraiche on Fillmore Street; Dinner
(and Lemoncino custard ice cream) at Franchino in North Beach.

I’m having a bit of a stressful month, and this weekend was just what I needed to take my mind of loop of anxious thoughts. When I feel stressed, it works for me to “get back to basics” – the basic things that keep me happy and stress free! Some of these in no particular order are: reading, working out, laughing, good meals, girl time and wine. Thank you, Kerry and Heidi, for helping me get back to my basics and visiting me in this fabulous new city of mine. I’m so grateful to have you both in my life!

How do you “get back to basics” when you’re stressed?

Currently Feeling: Loving a low-key Monday after a busy weekend. I might be the only person that actually really enjoys Mondays because they tend to be my quietest day of the week.
Currently Anticipating: The Bachelor tonight – the show that continues to be trashy yet oh-so-addicting and my favorite week day reality TV treat.
Currently Obsessed With: Real Housewives of Beverly Hills. GAH! I need an intervention after catching up on the show via Amazon On Demand. Mauricio – so hot. And I love, love the witty British beauty, Lisa!

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I’m back from Hawaii, and true to form, my fluff ball won’t leave my side. Every morning, I wake up to her purring on my chest. It’s the ultimate wake up call! I love it so much, actually, that it feels lonely when I’m on vacation without her, and I get so excited to see her when I come home.

I read a quote somewhere recently that said something along the lines of, “Your heart hasn’t really loved or felt love until you’ve owned a pet,” which to some extent is true. Whether a dog, cat or something else, the unconditional love from your pet is unakin to anything else…I couldn’t imagine coming home to an empty apartment without her.

I just totes wrote the definition for Crazy Cat Lady. Look it up in the dictionary, there’s my pic!

Currently Feeling: Glad to be back home – not sure I’m ready to fly six hours and be gone for a week again so soon. :/
Currently Anticipating: Some bad food and beer at my Super Bowl viewing spot of choice with my girls.
Currently Loving: A quiet apartment to myself and a good book on a Sunday.

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This trip is extra special to me because my family has never been to Hawaii, so I get to share one of my very favorite places with them. If you remember, I went to Maui for the first time last February and LOVED it. Also, this will be only our second time vacationing as a family. (We went to Mexico in 2008).

I’m most looking forward to drinking some Pineapple wine on our lanai overlooking the ocean, having some family game nights and many hot tub dips, eating spam musubi (YUM), reading on the beach, snorkeling with turtles, and hiking or other fun excursions to get my sweat on!

I’ll be back next Friday to share some pics and stories with you. Aloha! xoxo

Currently Feeling: Soaring on an impending week-long vacation high.
Currently Anticipating: Unplugging from work for a week. While I still like to stay connected to my friends online while on vacation, taking a mental break from being online for work 24-7 is much needed a couple times a year.
Currently Hoping: There’s some good “still in theaters” movies on my flight tomorrow morning!

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I’m getting close to finishing my Bohemian Swank Bedroom Makeover Project! This last weekend I *finally* received the wallpaper I ordered from UrbanOutfitters.com* after waiting weeks for it to arrive. I couldn’t be happier with it! I was super nervous about how the wallpaper was going to turn out because it’s “removable,” which in my mind had potential to look cheap. However, I really centered my entire vision for the room around this wallpaper and a painting I bought in Bali, so I was counting on this vibrant teal and gold accent wall being an integral part of my bedroom design.

This removable wallpaper, or renter’s wallpaper, is made by Tempaper who calls their product “self-adhesive, repositionable, temporary wallpaper.” It’s basically similar to a vinyl wall decal, if you’ve ever purchased one of those. It took me about three hours to focus on not rushing, lining up the pattern and cutting each piece correctly, and shaping it around the window and wall edges, but it turned out like a dream! Renter’s wallpaper is an easy way to add a pop of color without the mess of paint or committing to something you’re not sure is going to look okay (like a bright-colored wall). If you’re thinking of using temporary wallpaper in your home, here are a few links for you:

• Tempaper’s entire line of removable wallpaper (I’d recommend buying directly from them instead of UO). The pattern in my room is Honey Jade Marrakesh
• Sherwin Williams’ “Easy Change” wallpaper line
• Removable wall paper on Oh Happy Day (another San Francisco blog)

So that’s a sneak peek into my new Bohemian Swank bedroom. I’m still awaiting a few pieces, and need to install my chandelier, so I’ll share pics of the entire room when it’s all done!

*I had the worst experience ever ordering from UO and dealing with their customer service. While they have some of the best decorating items, I totally wouldn’t recommend them. 

Currently Feeling: Ready for all the exciting impending changes on my horizon – possibly a new job change coming my way… I’ve been frantically interviewing, (hence the silence on the blog last week) and am really excited. Hopefully I’ll have some good news to share with you soon.
Currently Anticipating: Leaving bright and early Thursday morning to meet my mom, dad and sis in Maui to celebrate my 30th and my dad’s 55th birthday!
Currently Loving: 600 thread count sheets – such a dream! I haven’t wanted to leave my bed lately.

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I was super worried about turning 30 away from all my (long-time) friends and family. Would I feel lonely? Would I have anyone to celebrate BIG with? It felt odd to be hitting such a milestone away from those who have spent my entire, or majority of my entire, life with me.

But my blog lovelies, I don’t know what I was so worried about. I felt the love. I felt it from afar, I felt it in San Francisco. I just simply.felt.loved. I guess that’s why birthdays have always been my favorite.

I had many, small celebrations this week with those close to me, which just felt better than the usual big hooplah I throw for myself each year, which ends up being stressful and a big blur. This year, I celebrated with one of my Seattle BFFs who flew in for a quick mid-week trip. She made reservations for us at an Indonesian restaurant I had on my SF Bucket List (smart cookie, she is) and we closed the restaurant down and drank two bottles of red wine with another friend of ours. She brought me the sweetest handmade card I’ve ever received from three of my girl friends who created a list of 30 things they loved about me. I die!

Thursday I did a small group dinner with my Seattle and San Francisco friends. We went to a cool restaurant called State Bird Provisions, which uses the dim sum concept for farm-to-table food (wish I would have thought of that). It was so fun! One of my girl friends made me a cool monogrammed etched glass from a wine bottle. It’s one of the best presents I’ve ever received! I love homemade gifts.

We ended Thursday with countdown-to-30 birthday shots at midnight (*gulp* I needed someone to hold my hand through that transition!) at Cha Cha Cha in the Mission.

By Friday, the snail mail love had rolled in. I received more presents and cards in the mail than I could have ever expected. It made me smile over and over again. (If you sent me something – thank you, deeply, from the bottom of my heart.) If you have a friend’s birthday coming up, mail them a card or small present! Snail mail gifts on your birthday are by far the best thing ever.

And finally, I topped off my birthday week with a fun, small girls night in Napa Valley with two of my San Francisco girl friends. Not only is it mid 60s in California for my January birthday, but it’s also Napa Valley Restaurant Month! So, we drove up for the night of my birthday and stayed at a cute little B&B called Lavender (with birthday balloons, a fireplace and a big jacuzzi tub in our room that we might or might not had a bathing suit, wine and bubble bath celebration in) and had dinner at an amazing restaurant called Cindy’s Backstreet Kitchen. My birthday cake was a giant marshmallow concoction (natch) called a “Campfire Pie.”

THAT is the definition of an uber fabulous birthday *week*, in my opinion.

And now… I have the rest of my birthday *month* celebrations to look forward to. I am leaving this decade with a bang, I tell you! In less than two weeks, I’ll be in Maui with my mom, dad and sister (the only thing I wanted for my 30th birthday) and in two weeks after that, I’ll be celebrating our 30th year with nine of my high school girl friends on a cruise of the Caribbean.

Is it possible for one person to overdose on birthday celebrations?

I think not!

Currently Feeling: Glad to have slowed down after a crazy week and enjoying a quiet rest of the weekend to myself!
Currently Anticipating: Another hike at Fort Funston tomorrow – a new Sunday routine.
Currently Loving: My new tradition! I’ll share it with you this week.

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Today is my 30th birthday!

A little weird – a lot exciting.

I’ve had some amazing 20s. They were all about being selfish, young and crazy – getting to know “single in the city” living; starting and cultivating my career; making new friends, learning what true friendship is, and losing a few friends; testing out relationships in an attempt to find what (and who) I like; discovering new hobbies; wasting money and not saving; yo-yo dieting and body image fluctuation; many insecurities coupled with insane growth in confidence; and slowly trying to change into the woman I wanted to be (and attempting to shred the traits I didn’t like about myself).

My goal for my 20s was to move away from Seattle, and while it took my nine years, I did it! (Also to stop socially smoking and stop tanning – and I did those too)! My future wrinkles will thank me later.

I squeezed a lot in from 20-29, and I will always only have the fondest memories about that decade of my life. Not everyone can say that, so I’m proud of doing the things I wanted to do to keep myself a happy, healthy and sane 20-something.

But, I’m really looking forward to what my 30s are going to bring me. While 20s were for me being selfish, young and crazy – my 30s are when I imagine I’ll grow into the “grownup” version of myself I thought about when I was little. And by that, I mean the property buying, babymaking, marrying, saving and spending responsibly type. (Yes mom, this decade will probably bring you GRANDCHILDREN). How crazy is all of that to think about! This will be the decade my career will really flourish, and I’ll become my most healthiest self. This will be the decade I will be most proud of the person I am. The decade I’ll be friends with those who make me feel best. The decade I travel more, discover more new hobbies, make even more amazing memories and possibly even more friends. I can only hope that all my loved ones (and little kitty) will still be by my side on this next 10-year ride.

My goal for my 30s is to write a memoir (here’s looking at 39 to get that done ) and to work on that whole “flirty” thing a bit more. Because, my *wish* for my 30s is to fall in love…

“I’m looking for love. Real love. Ridiculous, inconvenient, consuming, can’t-live-without-each-other love.” – Carrie Bradshaw

I can’t wait to see how it all turns out!

Currently Feeling: So loved after my birthday week visit from Katie, celebrations with my Seattle/San Francisco friends, and birthday surprises in the mail!
Currently Anticipating: Napa tonight for the big birthday-night celebration!
Currently Needing: To detox after this week of celebrating with too much wine and tons of good food.

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The cure for anything is salt water – sweat, tears, or the sea. – Isak Dinesen

You guys! Look at this view. I don’t think I need to tell you why this is one of the best places I’ve been to in San Francisco. I’m not religious, but this place is what I imagine heaven would look like.

Fort Funston is a state park located on the coast of California – the very western part of San Francisco. It’s about 20 minutes away from my house, and my new favorite place! Hiking trails twist through funky green plants overlooking the sea, San Franciscans walk their furry friends, eager for ocean air, and there are miles of beaches to stroll along.

After an hour spent hiking here, I was in the best mood all day. This place will be my “sea” saltwater cure here in San Francisco.

Currently Feeling: Anxious for my impending 30th birthday on Friday (the 13th, no less).
Currently Anticipating:  Picking up my BFF Katie from the airport tonight for some birthday week celebrations she has planned!
Currently  Loving: That I was able to find a couple bottle’s of Bachelor Ben’s wine in Sonoma to bring back for my birthday on Friday.

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1. Did you sing that song when you were little? (The one referenced in my blog post title). If you have no idea what I’m talking about, click here.
2. Have you noticed I never use punctuation in my post titles? My very favorite font doesn’t include any punctuation marks – even a period! Instead, a big weird star shows up. It drives me crazy, but I love the font too much to change it! If it were up to me, the real title of this post would be, “There’s a hole in your bucket, Dear Liza”

Anywhoozle, moving right along… the Bucket List wish list I created on NYE last year was hefty, to say the least. I ended up completing only seven out of the original 18. But I’m considering that a WIN anyway. Plus, I threw in a few more that weren’t on my list last NYE, ending the year with 13 completed (or almost finished bucket list tasks! Lucky number 13…

#4. Live in another city for at least one year
I moved to SF on 5/13/11, so my one year anniversary will
be 5/13/12, and I’ll be able to cross this off!

#10. Meditate in a Buddhist temple
I did this many times in Bali

#18. Teach myself to video edit
I’m not crossing this off yet, but technically I taught myself
with the 2011 video recap I did, I just want to get a little bit
better with editing real video – not just photos! 

#21. Make amends
There are a couple people I set up dinners or goodbyes with before I left Seattle,
in an attempt to “make amends,” and it feels so much better! 

#31. Visit Bali and wear flowers around my neck
Check and check! Best thing I’ve ever done in my life! Now that I’ve fully
processed the trip, I will be writing about it earlier this year.

#32. Squash grapes with my feet
Had so much fun doing this in November at Rosenblum Cellars! 

#38. Collect my friend’s addresses and send out holiday cards
The holiday cards I created this year and sent out were a huge hit.

#39. Take a yoga retreat
Yoga retreat in Bali! Two birds, one stone.

#79. Finish the last quarter of my Life List
Duh!

#84. Wine taste in Napa Valley
My parents and I took our first trip to Napa together
in August. Such great memories!

#90. Go to dim sum for breakfast
I attempted this in February ’11 and technically
completed this in ’12, but who’s counting?

#96 Fly somewhere every month, for a year, to get more comfortable with flying
I started this in August ’11 and will finish it this year!

#97. Make a wine cork board from bottles of wine I’ve actually drank myself
I started this two years ago (no joke) and because I want all
the bottles to be ones I’ve drank, it’s taken FOREVER. 

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