A mom date.

I've said it before but I'll say it again. In this phase of my life, mother-daughter alone time is the single most precious thing to me. It's rare and usually brief, but time with my mom always brings me back to my center.

I'm selfish to enjoy the fact that my mom is currently located in Orange County and I get to see her quite frequently these days. But she's so busy and I'm so busy that it seems to be a rare occasion where I just get to have an 'outing' with her. We're usually caught up in more serious matters, like getting passports, dentist appointments, work, family affairs, etc.. 

But last month something marvelous happened. I had an appointment to get my hair done in Downtown LA and I think she was afraid of me getting lost, so she decided to come with me. Long story short, we got to the salon an hour early and found ourselves just jonesing for a cup of coffee.

It just so happened that Bottega Louis was around the corner from the salon and I got to have an outing with my mother. 

Also, I got a sick haircut/balayage. 

Friends, if you need your hair done and you live in LA... Lacey is your girl. Just ask me and I'll give you her number. She's a long time friend of my sister and well, she's a gem.

Birthday Princess

Birthday parties are on definitely on my top ten list of the greatest great things. I mean, birthdays really are just so silly... nothing tangible happens on a birthday. But there is something so sweet about celebrating life and the lives of people that we cherish.

With that being said, Tessa is just getting older! And again, we surprised her. This time though, she came to us! I had her friends come up to Westwood to help prep my apartment for a girls night in, and then we all waited in CPK to surprise her when she came to 'pick me up before heading home' from the airport on the night her flight got in from Portland.

Tessa's friends are so cool and sweet, they brought most adorable party hats and a scrumptious cake to add to the desert table. I also brought Lauren along, because Tess loves her and I basically look for any excuse to make my best friend come up to LA. Overall, I'd say the night was perfect.

The next day, Tess and I had a beautiful breakfast on the patio and then road tripped to the Malibu Sand Hill and to Venice Beach.

Sister time has a magic to it that can be just surreal. :)

A casual hike.

My family is very comfortable in the outdoors. We raft, surf, backpack, repel, climb, and in general function pretty normally without running water, toilets, or stationary shelter. But for some reason on this beautiful March morning, my brother Joel and I were just not up for anything that would require physical exertion. I was tired and ready to relax with some tea and maybe pampering with friends and Joel had gotten not more than an hour of sleep from his late hometown galavant the night before. (We were on spring break... let's be honest.)

But family time is just so precious.

And when a full carload of masons pulled up to Lauren's spa on PCH in Carona del Mar, I couldn't help but feel a tad bit giddy about just spending the day with them. When I got in the car I asked siri (my new friend, shout out to her because she's aweeesomeee!) to find me 'the top of the world in Laguna Beach' and before long we found ourselves embarking on what must be the most casual hike I've ever. 'Hiking' was pretty much an excuse to just hang out and sing silly songs and have silly conversations with the greatest people around.

After, we went to Udupi Palace in Little India. Not only did we feast, but we did a little sari and idli shopping too, naturally.

Hawaiian Summer Chronicles Part Three: Eating, Drinking, and just being Merry

With this many people in a house at once... meal time is bound to be an adventure. 

Fish, pepper, and greens for wrap stuffing, a musical dance party in the living room, the boys on the Lanai and a happily filled cooler for a good bonfire sesh at the beach.

I can't help but believe my family eats better than 99% of the world and I know we have just about the best time doing it.

Mom's secretly vegan chocolate cake (no one can tell it's vegan)  (HAPPY BIRTHDAY SISSY BIRD!), momma choppin' up some stuff,  pre-roasted veggie kabobs, some bug yummy salad, sissy bird flipping homecooked tortillas, and a family reunion classic: Longboarder Lager.

I've often been asked why I choose to restrict my diet of something as tasty and amazing as meat supposedly is, but growing up vegetarian never left me feeling restricted. Actually, I find my family's vegetarian diet is way more liberated and creative than most of my carnivorous friends!

Tofu spinach cheese quiche, chow mein and cabbage salad, laughing on the lanai, concocting another batch of margaritas, and my brother's fresh ceviche (the best on earth)! 

Every night a pair or people were assigned dinner duty, which at first was supposed to just be simple curries and pastas, but it turned into a serious gourmet showdown. The meals seemed to just get better and better!

Some non-photographed favorites included Pupusas and homemade Curtido, Thai Curry, Kale Salad, Quinoa Salad, Vegetarian Pot Pie, and Blackbean burgers with roasted rosemary olive oil spuds.

I almost regret taking pictures of all the meals but you know, you just have to put the camera down and enjoy the moment sometimes... 

Hawaiian Summer Chronicles Part Two: My Brothers and My Sisters and Me

By far, the best part about this specific trip home was spending time with these people:

It's hard to explain what a precious thing family time is to my family, and I'm happy we don't take it for granted. Though we are incredibly close at heart, it's mighty rare we get to actually spend time all together.

You see, Leah and Joel are a decade older than Tess and myself so by the time us younger siblings were settling into elementary school, Joel and Leah were flying the nest. 

And when I say flying the nest, I mean it... Joel left straight out of high school for what turned out to be a several year odyssey across the world and Leah landed here in Kauai when I was only eleven years old.. the rest is history!

Since then it's become kind of usual for Christmases to pass with someone missing and an empty space in our annual family photo. (The first year Joel wasn't home, we propped up his giant surfboard on the pier and my sisters and I stood smiling around it as if it was him!)

When we're lucky, three of us come together for an occasion, but man, when all of us are around... a part of me feels whole again and it's kind of one of the best feelings in the world.

The last time all four of us united was for Leah's wedding in Kauai two years ago

when this guy joined the family!

It's seriously really cool adding people to your family... especially when they are Oliver and are really good at finding cool things. (Do you SEE that sea urchin? I held it too!! )

We're incredibly different but intrinsically similar, which makes me proud.

Saying goodbye is always difficult when you don't know the next time you'll see each other, but we manage beautifully thanks to our parents who at least on my behalf make seeing my siblings possible ...and maybe a certain social media website.

It's like having three (plus mom and dad!) built in best friends, ones that you can make fun of, disagree with, call out on, cry on, tell on, and STILL love to death.