Then & Now

Have you ever wanted to go back to your childhood and relive a moment? The extraordinary photographer Irene Werning had an inspiration to capture her subjects doing just that. Check it out, the results are fascinating. We seem to change so much, yet, we seem to change so little.

Happy Valentine's Day!

Happy Valentine's Day friends! I hope it is day filled with happiness, wherever you are. I had a delightful time making Valentines yesterday. I always plan to make Valentines, then often run out of time before it's too late. What was special about making Valentines this year was in thinking of the people I was making them for. I tried to pick colors that reminded me of them, and I recalled good memories with these various friends I've had throughout my life.
A lot of my friends live far away, and we don't get to see each other that often. If we do have contact, it is often through Facebook or something, and over time, the bonds I had with many friends have sort of faded. Making these Valentines was a way for me of saying "I remember you. And I am thinking of you on this day, no matter how much time has passed."

Mail Magic

A few weeks back, I received a surprise package in the mail. I'd won a giveaway from Christine Mason Miller, the author of one of my favorite blogs in the universe. Although I'd been notified that I'd won the giveaway (I was ecstatic!), being the absent-minded person that I am, I completely forgot about it until this sweet little package arrived in the mail for me.
It was a set of postcards, designed by Christine herself (she also happens to be an incredible mixed-media artist.) Anyway, it completely made my day! I was definitely feeling the love. And to top it all off the messages were all the kinds of messages that we all need to hear, but rarely do.
Thank you Christine, you made one girl very happy! Thank you for sharing your gifts with the world, and for making my world a better place.

Citrus Galore

Citrus flavors are some of my favorite flavors in the world, and I am lucky because citrus season is in full swing in California right now. In December, I made a batch of limoncello with the help of my friend Julie, who taught me the ropes. It was delicious!
Now, thanks to my friend Meghan who dropped off a huge bag of Meyer lemons the other day, I am halfway through my second batch of limoncello. The lemon zest is marinating in the Everclear for another week, and then I'll finish it up.
Believe it or not, the same day that my friend Meghan dropped off the lemons, I was at my friend Stephanie's house, and she sent me home with a bag full of oranges. These are so sweet and refreshing, they're some of the best oranges I've ever had. We've been slicing them and keeping the orange slices in the fridge for healthy snacks.
With the surplus of oranges (and sadly, a few did go to waste,) I've been looking for some fun recipes with oranges. It's candied orange peels, and I think I'm going to try it!

It's from this lovely lady's blog, and has a plethora of other wonderful recipes too.

http://dianasaurdishes.com/02/how-to-make-candied-orange-peel/

Check it out, and I'll keep you posted on how those candied orange peels turn out too.

If you have any citrus infused recipe ideas to share, I'd love to hear about it!

Xo, Jeneka

Bodega Bay Weekend

The weather was perfect, we relaxed, swam in the pool, read, walked on the beach, drank wine, and made friends. Thank you so much to my parents for sending us there, we had the best time.

For the Love of Mermaids

Often in Sacramento, I am a little bit at a loss for inspiration. I'm sure it is my own lack of imagination, because, "wherever you go, there you are." Whereas at the coast, I am always inspired by ephemera I find at the beach, the crashing of the waves, the salty sea air, sunsets, and the sheer beauty of the sea, in Sac I have to look a little harder to find things that inspire me. Spring and Fall are beautiful in Sacramento because there's so many trees, and the new blossoms in Spring and changing colors in Fall are really lovely. However, in the day to day life here, it's often a challenge finding true bursts of overwhelming inspiration.
Last night, we experienced something out of the ordinary. We went to the Dive Bar on 10th & K and saw the mermaid. She was swimming in a tank above the bar. Before we went I was initially so excited at the prospect of seeing a mermaid! And then of course I thought, well, it's a girl in a mermaid suit, how cool could it be? But being there was something else. Watching the mermaid swim back and forth was truly enchanting. I would categorize it in the realm of performance art, like moving art/ life. It was truly incredible! Even Rob, the hard sell, ending up loving it. When the mermaid waved and blew kisses, he was sure it was just for HIM!
It brought me back to being 7 years old again, and being truly enchanted with everything. I love having those WOW moments in life. Last night was one of those nights. Long live the mermaids!

Small Blessings

We had planned to ride our bikes to the gym this morning. It sounded like a great idea last night. Then I woke up feeling really groggy and it was cold and gray outside. Then I decided to make some black tea to wake up and we were out of milk. I was bummed, and feeling like a grouch.
But then I saw the whipped cream, (the kind that comes out of the cannister, and you can top off ice-cream or pie or whatever.) So I got to have my black tea with tipped cream instead, which felt like a real treat.
Still, I was feeling too lazy to go to the gym. I was thinking of all of my excuses (work, comfort, errands, etc.) and then I thought, "If you always do what you've always done, then you're always going to get what you've always gotten." I think I heard this here: http://www.happiness-project.com/happiness_project/
So I decided to grin and bear it, and I got my act together, and got on my damn bike. I'm so glad I did. It was cold and crispy out, but right away it snapped me out of my morning grogginess. I loved riding through our neighborhood, still shrouded in fog, and seeing the day come to life. The mailman was just arriving at one corner, the bakery was baking yummy god-knows what, and people were taking their dogs for their morning walks. I loved it.
We got to the gym and worked out, and yes it was work, and no, it wasn't fun. But as I was on the elliptical I had an epiphany: when I'm moving (and I mean physically moving) I think of the moves I need to make in my life. And when I'm not moving, I don't. This may not sound profound to many, but it's profound to me. When I am sitting at home being lazy and working/playing on my laptop, I often have the thought: "I know there was something/many things I needed to do, people I needed to call, errands I needed to run, etc., but I can't remember any of them?"
Then all of a sudden I'm on the elliptical, and all of these things kept popping into my head!
Not only did it get the wheels turning, it helped to boost my energy to actually DO some of these things.
So I guess the moral of the story is this: Go out and DO things, go out and LIVE. Staying in guarantess the same old, same old. But every time you go out that front door, life promises to surprise you with blessings, however big or small they may be. And to get your life moving, get MOVING yourself!