4 Things...Provocateurs

Happy Sunday everyone. I'm thrilled to finally take the time to sit down, take a breather, and write about what I've been up to this week. Mike's mom Mary and I have been exploring sunny San Diego this past week. We've found so many rad things to do. I even made a clay unicorn cat, which I am very proud of  by the way. He gets to be mounted on my wall for all to see. I also finally had waterslide day at Aquatica. The whole SheWanders intern crew spent the day being daring and trying out every slide. Even Mary joined us in the lazy river. I think it's safe to say that waterslide day was a success. Lastly, I leave for my trip to Iceland next week. Words cannot express how excited I am to be in Europe once again and continue my adventuring. The picture below is from a session with two adorable sisters. Here are 4 things I've been enjoying this past week...Learning: This week I watched videos on the Warsaw Uprising. Nazi Germany controlled Warsaw, Poland during WWII. Warsaw  fought to gain their freedom in a 63 day battle. Many sources claim this to be the biggest  adn most significant uprising in the rebellion against German rule during the war. Sadly, Germany prevailed. These black and white films are a still frame in time of a significant historical landmark. There is a powerful message to be seen in the documentary film reels. The desire for freedom and peace ring loud and clear. It's hard for me at times to grasp these difficult moments in history, but the message is amazing all the same. Fight for what you believe. You can check out the videos here.

Watching: I recently watched the movie Exit Through the Gift Shop. This movie is all about graffiti artists and the ephemeral idea of street art. The filmographer wanted to simply take videos of street artists. One street artist pushed him to make documentary from the videos to show the daily life of these artists. Graffiti artists must remain anonymous, therefore, their work is never truly appreciated. No matter how amazing their art may be.

Listening: I've been listening to Bjork to "get in the mood" for my Iceland trip. She's an insanely talented Icelandic singer and her videos are crazy artistic. Here is a link to her video for her song Mutual Core.

Dreaming: Right now I am dreaming of Iceland. I'm extremely curious to see puffins, Icelandic ponies ,and thermal baths. This trip is going to be rad.

xoxo,

Suzanne

4 Things...Inspiration

Happy weekend everyone, Sunday has rolled around once again. For the next two weeks Mike's mom Mary is in town.  It will be my mission to find new things to cross off her list. It's August so I don't think Palm Springs or Joshua Tree National Park is in the cards.  Any thoughts on a cool overnight trip? Mexico anyone? I feel like I always remember all the must see places of this amazing city after our guests leave. This week Mike and I have accomplished a lot. I've felt immensely inspired lately and feel like I can do anything I put my mind to. Below is a dreamy picture from a past trip to Laos. Here are a few things I've been loving this week and that have been adding to my inspiration...Inspiring: This week I've been loving the Inspire Me with Words Pinterest board. This page is the absolute best pick-me-up. When you need a few words of encouragement, or just to be reminded of how amazing you are, this page has just what you need. Sometimes we all need to take a step back and realize how rad we all are and how much we accomplish from day to day.

Loving: I had an art date with Ashley Bright. Ashley works at Promar Designs. I have always had an obsession with gold stars. You know the kind you get in elementary for being good in class? Gold stars are my Love Language.  Ashely fulfilled my inner kindergartener and created a magical poster to help me achieve my goals.  I will definitely share it once it's been printed. I am so thrilled to create the organized work life that I always dream of, yet often eludes me.  This is a beautiful step in the right direction for both me and my business.

Feeling: This week something my husband did made me feel extremely proud. As you know, Mike and I went to brunch with our friends Scott and Jenny of Quixotic Pictures at The Pearl. I was enjoying my Kentucky wake up call.  All of a sudden I see mike swimming extremely fast across the deep end of the pool.  A big smile of amazement spread across my face and I looked at our friend Scott and he was smiling too. I said "Hey Scott, do you know how awesome this is? I've never seen Mike swim so far!" Scott looked at me a little quizzically and I answered "Oh, he doesn't really know how to swim." Scott's face totally changed he looked back at Mike who had made it to the shallow end and finally lifted his head to breathe. Scott looked at me and said "I pushed him in". Ha ha well I guess Mike would never have known he could swim so far without his pal Scott.  I could tell Mike was pleased he rose the occasion and we all had a good laugh.  It made me wonder what else we can accomplish? What else is in us right below the surface?

Dreaming: With all the amazing things that we've accomplished this week as a SheWanders team, husband and wife, and as individuals; I feel like we need a hero soundtrack. I've been dreaming about finding one the last few days. Which brought me to my search on Songza. I was thinking maybe this will play me some Eye of the Tiger. While searching for my "hero soundtrack", a playlist popped up called:  "Saving the World". Of course I had to click on it, who wouldn't? This lead me to a page where the words "We’ll help you save the world from evil. You must choose a genre, but choose wisely." appeared. I was hooked. From here you can select "Intrepid Indie Rock", "Heroic Classic Rock", "Bold and Daring Film Scores", "Grandiose Glam Rock", and "Medieval Metal." Don't mind if I do. Upon clicking the "Heroic Classic Rock" button, what was the first song to pop up would be? That's right, Eye of the Tiger. Followed by none other than Final Countdown. I'm pretty intrigued to find out what's in the "Medieval Metal" playlist. Go on over and check this playlist out. Every hero needs a soundtrack to save the world.

xoxo,

Suzanne

4 Things...Relaxing Weekend

Happy weekend everyone. San Diego has been experiencing some crazy East Coast weather again this week. Hot and humid seems to be the new norm for SoCal. Fortunately for me, I've been experimenting with underwater photography lately. It's been rad to play with new ideas and come up with shoots that are outside the box. I enjoy treading on the wild side. The photograph below is from one of my recent sessions. These are 4 things that I've been enjoying this week...Watching: Into the Woods a the Old Globe Theatre.  This musical premiered at the Old Globe in 1986 and has returned this August. This play uses classic children stories to weave a story and lead your imagination into a dreamy, mythical world.

Thinking: I've been thinking about the movie we recently saw. It's called Wish I Was Here by Zach Braff. It is a fantastic movie about a 35 year old father who is a struggling actor and still trying to discover himself. I'd highly recommend seeing this movie.

Loving: Potato salad. On Kickstarter, a rad guy named Zack Danger Brown is raising money by selling....potato salad. If you donate $1, he will say your name out loud while making potato salad. What does $2 get you? A photo of him making the potato salad, and he will say your name out loud when making the salad. Now if you feel inclined to donate $20, you receive items such as a potato-salad haiku, your name carved into a potato to be used in the his salad, and an autographed jar of mayonnaise. Best part? Under "Risks and Challenges" he states: It might not be that good, it's my first potato salad."

Dreaming: I've been dreaming about today all week long. Today is Sunday funday at The Pearl with our friends. We are taking a much needed day off in the midst of wedding season and hanging out with great people by the pool. It's time for some relaxation.

xoxo,

Suzanne

4 Things...Endless Summer

With the heat wave that has been hovering over San Diego the last few days, we hope everyone has found a way to keep escape the heat. This weather is an excellent excuse to escape to the beach and swim in the cool water. The picture below is from a trip we took to Sydney, Australia, our sister city who also has one season. Summer. Endless Summer. Here are a few things I've been loving this last week...Discovering: I just recently heard about Smart Girls by Amy Poehler, Meredith Walker, and Amy Miles. This blog is meant to be an inspiring place for women of all ages to learn about their true selves. In their bio the women state that they hope the blog opens up resources and experiences for girls, teens, and adults to learn about . They even have camps and workshops for teens to teach them about their opportunities in life. They encourage women to explore and discover new ideas, learn about new topics, and most importantly...to discover themselves.

Reminiscing: A resource party with my friend Taylor McWethy. Taylor is a marketing and advertising specialist. I feel so immensely lucky to have such wonderful friends to collaborate with. We got the inspiration for this from Mighty Girl.

Reading: Year of No Sugar by Eve Schaub. Sugar is my weakness, which is why I decided to read this book. The author explains the hidden effects of consuming as much sugar as Americans do and why it should be cut out of our diets. She also exposes foods which I would never have guessed contain sugar hidden within. This book definitely puts healthy eating into perspective.

Dreaming: of waterslides.

Happy Weekend.

xoxo,

Suzanne