Feeling Zen During Moving Times

Transition is hard on everyone! Change can be scary because you can’t see the other side. So I lean on faith to believe it will all be OK and it’s all happening for a reason. I love when I can actually visualize two forks in the road. Two starts to two different chapters. This has happened many times in my life. But it’s how you handle it, how you grow from it, how you push to see the light, jump through the hoop and not look back that changes you.

Moving can be very tough. Everything you’ve touched is turned upside down. I’ve moved so many times that the longest address I’ve ever had was 5 years in San Francisco. 5 years… can you imagine? I know many people who have moved twice in their life or their children live in the same house they once lived in.

What are the benefits of moving so many times…there are some I promise! I know how to build a home, I can put pictures up fast, how to learn from each move and appreciate where I settle. We loved our community in Marin, California. And then the call came about 9 months ago to get International work experience.

At first the talks were about Australia…this threw me on a loop of wow we can do this, what an incredible adventure, but so far away from everything we know. Since we had recently traveled to Singapore and Thailand, with our then 3-year-old, to visit our expat NorCal friends, we had an idea of what their experience had been like and they even learned to speak Thai.

Just as I was wrapping my brain around that move the words Canada and Toronto and Montreal came up. No way I thought! And of course, this job opportunity was back in my hometown.

And so, we all jumped…

We moved outside of Toronto a week ago and we’ve been working hard for about a month to make it happen. It still feels like a new country move, but also familiar as I was born here, but have been gone for so long. It keeps hitting me that I’ve missed the Canadian way, as they are friendly, wonderful, courteous, smart, people, and how my friends and family keep welcoming me home. And yet, I look over at my husband and daughter and I feel like things are new.

What an incredible opportunity for all of us. Saying goodbye to California was difficult and I questioned it many times, but then we jumped with both feet. Tell me Bella how are you at making big changes? Do you have any advice?

A Letter to My Younger Self

Dear past me…you can do this, love me. I have been writing in journals since I was 10. Writing always made me feel calmer, was a way to release my feelings and once it was down on paper I could let it go and close the book. There was something special about picking the perfect journal pen, finding the journal that spoke to me and completing the pages. And now I’d like to write a letter to my younger self.

Have you ever thought about what you would say or how tight you would hug yourself or try to show pictures of how your life would turn out? And then I remember, I might not have listened…even to me.

In my twenties, I wanted to figure it out by listening to my own heart and picking the right road. Bella, did you ever just jump in? I was cautious, caring and tried to lean on others for their experiences. Probably because I lost my mother at a young age. Which made me grow up really quickly AND have to find a different circle to bounce ideas off of. Because your Mother, no matter the relationship, is your person that guides you.

I was always looking to fill that huge hole left. Sometimes I got it right and other times wrong.

Which is why the advice I would give to my younger self is... Trust Yourself. Trust that the ups and the downs are a part of learning & growing. That not everyone you meet will become family and stay in your life, BUT you can learn from them and give back.

If you decide to leap off the cliff (I did by moving to San Francisco without knowing anyone at all) it will eventually be OK. Not without blood, sweat and tears, but without that it can’t pay off in a glorious way that you never saw coming. And that’s the point…you can never see the end of the tunnel because you aren’t in control of it.

Follow your heart as one day a little one will be following your every move.

Positive thinking, love and hard work is the only way to move through that tunnel. So, younger self take a deep breath, it will all be OK and different then the worries that are keeping up at night. Listen to your inner voice, surround yourself with amazing people and smile Bella. And one more thing... Ahi Poke is amazing, addictive and can be found in so many countries!

Retro Pink Blush Chic Pics

Happy May to you sweet Bella and boy did it come fast. May is one of my favorite months because of the flowers, stronger sunlight and it's young Bella's birthday and our anniversary. So let's get some May inspiration from these lovely retro pink blush pics.

Embroidered cap sleeve fall wedding dress...so beautiful I cannot breathe.

Kate Spade new york 52mm Retro sunglasses- Blush in Pink. I mean...amazing and for a good price.

Bentley Home Retro Bright Style Sofa- Blush & Teal

Blush Pink | Cupcakes for Breakfast (blog crush).

Converse One Star Suede Ox (Pink Blush) | Please hold as I order these!

Chic New Year Wedding Decor Ideas with edible glitter on cupcakes pop.

Pink Sunsets on Pinterest.

Oh la la that was a breath of fresh air. I am a sucker for a blush, soft, ballerina pink...are you Bella? Sometimes we get lucky to have incredible pink sunsets in Northern California. I promise to take a picture for you next time. Happy May lovelies!

Timeless Style Bella Fashion

Style has a way of being timeless and the people that wear it make it classic. I love how these fashion

pictorials capture how simplicity and fashion can go hand in hand. Plus there's something about a man that can wear a tailored suit.

I imagine that the couple in the car are wearing just black and white clothes to match this romantic picture. Their timeless style can be simply changed to retro by adding red shoes!

These fabulous Ray-Ban Jackie Ohh sunglasses are so timeless and chic. Don't you agree?

This Ann Wintour inspired picture shows that we can also pretend like we are the editor-in-chief running Vogue magazine.

Now I feel inspired to create my own timeless style. Which picture is your favorite Berlla and don't forget to tell me how it inspires you...

5 Must Have Beauty Products

Sugar Rose Tinted Lip Treatment with Sunscreen SPF 15
Here are my top 5 must have beauty products. This Sugar Rose Tinted Lip Treatment by Fresh is a lot of special rolled up into a rose pink tube. This has oils, moisturizers, color that builds and SPF. And I received this as a gift from Sephora, but it seems to plump my lips with the right amount of sheen. I'm pretty sure I've tried every kind of lip product and this lip treatment does it all. Do you want to be the envy of the other Mama's on the playground? Well, let's start by having you try this.

Are you always on the look out for the eye cream that will change your life, your eyes and make you look 10 years younger? Well, I'm not sure if this is that holy grail, but it works for me. The Clarins Super Restorative Total Eye Concentrate  smooths, brightens, takes away those pesky bags and make you look more rested. So, in my book this is a winner. Tip: add some Argan Oil after you apply the cream for a morning glow.

After you apply your lip treatment and eye cream, you deserve to pour a glass of wine and light a perfect smelling candle. Go on Bella you deserve it! This Botanique Candle from Urban Outfitters in  Mimosa Fruit smells so good. It's also a great deal at just $20. So now you don't have to feel bad for splurging on the Clarins eye cream.

Here's the trick to watch your poor little brows return to when you were a teenager (before you discovered tweezers).  It's called the BROWVO! Conditioning Primer by Benefit. I haven't seen Brooke Shields brows, but I have seen hair growth, healthier brows that look better alone or with a brow pencil. It's chock-full of vitamins and proteins. Plus the price is right...try it and let me know if you like it.

How do you get your little Bella to sit still for their first pedicure? Well, here's the answer and it works. Try 45 Second Top Coat with Kensington Caviar- NAILS INC. Your nails stay super shiny and you can touch things after 45 seconds, but I'd wait a couple of minutes before typing away. And I find my manicure lasts longer for 5 or 6 days. You can get this at Sephora or on Amazon.