I'm so thankful...

I sit here as one thankful woman. I have clean water, a family who are alive and love me,  and friends that are beyond amazing, they are heaven sent. I also had the best turkey dinner ever...from dressing, squash casserole, broccoli salad to apple pie, sweet potato & pecan casserole, and homemade yeast rolls. I'm still full.

But one of my favorite things is creating a festive atmosphere to enjoy this holiday full of thanks...ck out my latest segment on Fox for festive ideas.

P.s. My Christmas tree is already up...yes it is.
Happy of all happy thanksgiving to you.


kjoy

Hog's Island to the Rescue

this logo is where its at

My good friend Gia decided to take me to Hogs Island for a leisure afternoon away from the berg (healdsburg, ca). Hog's Island is pretty much a shack, picnic tables, and glorified outhouses where guests can get a cafeteria tray of oysters to shuck while enjoying a bottle of bubbles and good company. Its a must on a visit to this area!

i heart picnics

I enjoyed a plethora of small oysters smothered in hot sauce, lemon & hogwash. What is hogwash? its amazingness in every bite of oyster.

fresh from the bay

Oh you mean whats in it, well, its a little bit of season rice vinegar and regular, with a couple jalapenos, a shallot & a healthy amount of cilantro...i will forever have my oysters with that and my favorite bottle of white, a kermit lynch sancerre. Its crisp and clean with all kinds of love in each bottle. If life couldn't get better, Hog's Island is smack dab next to Tomelas bay (why yes it is the breeding ground of Jaws/Great Whites...yikes!) where the view encaptures you into a world set far far away, in a land of scrumptious bites & snuggley weather.

Learn how to shuck these bad boys here. And if you can't get down to Tomales bay no fret they have one at the Ferry Bldg in San Francisco.

San Francisco location

Get 'er done cause thats how its done.

kjoy

another day in the life of a bridesmaid.

I'm not sure how many weddings you've been in but my count is officially in the double digits; each one unique, each one beautiful. Here is my latest wedding, andy & kateigh williams.

the bride & groom

the bridesmaid dress

the bridesmaid bouquet-a floral halo

flat gladiator sandles

MOH duty-recreate ceremony backdrop of ribbons

So when the long awaited day comes for me to get married I think my bridesmaids will wear variations from twobirds bridesmaid.

i like the subtle difference between the maid of honor & bridesmaids' dresses.

pick a color any color

Love is in the air...

kjoy

my first haircut

I woke up yesterday inspired to cut and color hair. So I volunteered my sweet and easy to persuade sister into being my first victim.

I found this great website http://www.scissorboy.com/ that gives you instruction video on hair, from colors & cuts to managing your own salon. I was sucked in for about 2 hours and decided to go to Sally's to purchase an all over color & highlight color for my sister.

stacey's all over color

stacey's highlight color

I began this little adventure by highlighting stacey's hair and folding in foil strips, kind of messy but i started to get the hang of it by the last 2 foils. Then while hair was processing I put the all over color on and let it do its thing.

TICK TOCK TICK TOCK TICK TOCK

Hair done and now for the cut. I put all my skills I learned from scissorboy.com to use.

And now for the unveiling of my first hair masterpiece....

My sister is so beautiful inside and out, through and through. I hope she likes it, cause I can't fuse her hair back...yet! i LOVE you stacey!

You never know what you can do unless you try...go try.


kjoy

beauty is in the eye of the beholder...

There's an age old saying that "beauty is in the eye of the beholder"... but what if you're your own beholder? I think sometimes when we look at ourselves in a mirror we see things that maybe we didn't ever think was wrong until we compare. comparison kills joy.

I know that I've struggled to see my bodily differences as being beautiful and unique but instead I see them as uniquely flawed. I look in the mirror and compare my flaws as failures to the successes of the "beautiful people" in media or in my own personal circle. I find that when my inner self is strong and I keep God's perspective of His creation (me) as my focus, the weight of my flaws slip away until the dark pit where it belongs.

My good friend caitlin crosby has spent years fighting against the media's skewed eyed view of beauty; so much so she made her debut album all about loving your flawz. It is full of talent, fight, love of people and true beauty. Go get your copy of FLAWZ HERE. I love, love love it!




We're all created different, beautiful in our on unique way. I think when we can embrace our specific and wonderful differences we will find freedom. I love the lyrics from Caitlin's song Freedom.

No, don't put me in a box.
I'm not just like a puzzle piece
I might not fit, I will not bend
No, I'm not the color red
I'm not the girl next door
I clinch my fists, I might stay home instead
Sick and tired of making faces
Nothing more than second places
I'm coming 'round the bend
But I am crawling slowly
When everyone around is rising
Raise your glass to compromising
Tell me now is this what we call freedom
This is freedom, this is freedom
So give me freedom
Give me freedom

Oh freedom, how i love thee.

More love from Caitlin. She has started a site called http://www.loveyourflawz.com/ where you can post yourself in a pic holding a sign saying how you love your freckles, gray hair, or even your cellulite! Its about embracing you for you. Go celebrate you and post a pic!

Lastly, Caitlin's song "Imperfect is the New Perfect" is so true and relevant, we need to hold on to that and make it our mantra. Here is a glimpse of its awesomeness...

Just dry your eyes, you're beautiful
I understand, it's logical
'Cause these images are everywhere
They're make believe, so don't compare
I will not compare
We're every shape and size
You know we're just perfect, just perfect
We love our hips, our thighs
Because they're just perfect, just perfect
I don't fit the mold, I am real
I'm too colorful to conceal
Imperfect is the new perfect
Imperfect is the new perfect

The line "They're make believe so don't compare" makes me want to put this video on our mental stereo and press repeat. Take a look below what I'm talking about...

Wow! Can you even believe!? Gotta love the exposure of truth...things are not what they seem to be.

Its time for us to enhance what we have been given, not destroy it with our mental torture and media driven disillusions. Embrace what we have, give it a beautiful name, You.

Concern your heart with what matters, the inner you. Because when you beautify your inner self your countenance will radiate brighter than any outer thing good or bad you might possess.

Do what ever you can to break free, get healed, be whole...fight for it, its worth it! I'm on the journey with you, better yet God is, you're never alone.

You are beautiful, I just know it!

kjoy

my favorite magazine

WHY DID THEY GET RID OF THIS MAGAZINE???

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they're great alternatives but they are no domino

research, research, research... find a magazine that you love & get inspired!

kjoy

pretty things, make girls feel pretty.

do i even have to say anything?...

....but i will say this....

pretty moms make pretty girls.

go get pretty ladies...it does a woman good.

kjoy