daniella bella

so i have had a goal for about 5 years to be "the birthday girl" (that's what i call her in my head). i just really, really want to be that one gal that remembers everyone's birthday, always sends them a cute card, and goes the extra mile to help loved ones feel extra special on their day of birth. i've made about 5 birthday calendars and gotten all hyped up over and over about my plans to be the best birthday girl ever. i dunno, i just really wanna.

reality is that at about 11:25pm on the night of a dear one's birthday, i suddenly remember it is their birthday and i send them a loooong text, feel guilty for not doing more, and strengthen my resolve to be that dang awesome birthday girl.

i'll get there someday. tonight i realized by blog could help!

yesterday was my beloved dani's birthday - so here's my tribute to her!

she's one of the coolest people on the planet - will climb bridal veil falls in her sunday clothes and jerusalem sandals and turn back to strike her sexy pose - plays the uke and has a singing voice like a fairy - always has sparklers when i want them - makes exquisitely beautiful wedding cakes - is addicted to hummus - has devastatingly rad style - is the best hair-braider this side of the mississippi, and the other side too - is fiercely loyal to those she loves and to the gospel - gets really excited about really exciting things (and we can just look at each other with that excited face and know that there are no words) - loves people and the world so much, and it's contagious - is always up for an adventure - has a heart of gold - sleeps with an electric blanket - adores butterflies and handmade stuff - whips up the best salsa ever - is always interesting to talk to - makes the lives of those she spends time with so much better every day - is bright as the stars and absolutely beautiful inside and out - she's my adventure buddy and my soulmate!

the list could go on and on and on, and so could the pictures! as i browsed through some tonight to post i was overwhelmed. this girl and i have gotten around together! cheers for all the adventures, dani girl!

we first met at the jerusalem center and had so many good times all over israel, egypt and jordan

then started adventuring through utah...

one time we were in the provo 4th of july parade with red, white and blue hair extensions and holding 2 of the 30 strings that held up a giant yellow care-bear balloon...

later, we went to havasupai...

and found our mutual fiery love for the utah mountains...

and road tripped to colorado...

then dani came to visit me in boston...

and we went skiing when i came home...

while i was on the mission, dani lived in thailand and uganda and then we celebrated being in the same country with trips to bear lake and disneyland...

then we became roommates in provo and had adventures every day. one stop was kolob...

and on halloween we dressed up like tinkerbell and sleeping beauty...

and at christmastime we enjoyed the magic of the lights...

then we decided to have a week long layover in thailand on the way to india and we rented a scooter and cruised up to a mountain-top buddhist temple...

played with and taught some incredibly cute kids at rising star...

and stopped by to see the taj on the way home.

back to provo and truckbed canyon cruising...

and then we thought we stop by d.c. and new york...

now we are both starting new lives on opposite sides of the country. but dani couldn't move to connecticut without a quick trip to see me in san francisco...

see what i mean about lots of adventures? she and i were made for each other.

love you so so so daniella bella! happy happy happy birthday (a day late!)

weekend at home

jane got married! she and i have been best friends since forever, so we've both been dreaming of this day since we were little girls. it was perfect. isn't she a stunning bride?

the sealing in the salt lake temple was so beautiful - transcendent, celestial. as close to heaven as earth can get. i am so so so so happy that jane found her blake - they are so right for each other.

the reception was a grand party. it was so fun to celebrate with jane and to see many dear friends that i have hardly seen since high school!

i got to go to the ascent alliance annual international gala with mom and dad (who were stellar emcees). i brought dani as my guest - after four months we were reunited and it felt so so good!

on saturday we went to india fest at the hare krishna temple in spanish fork. it felt great to be back in utah county, to see good friends, to reflect on all that's happened since i went to india fest last year (including going to india) and to enjoy the beauty of "golden hour" and gorgeous landscape.

i hosted a party at my parents' house and invited all my friends in utah. it was fantastic to see everyone. we had sparklers and s'mores around the fire, homemade salsa, good tunes, and lots of catching up.

on sunday we took dani's truck up provo canyon and cruised along the alpine loop. there are no words to describe how devastatingly beautiful it was. we ended up at cascade springs. i wanted to burst out of my skin with love for the earth, my friends and being alive. autumn in the utah mountains is awe-some.

i'd say it was a good trip home. yeah.

most photos courtesy of dani shurtleff and her awesome new camera;

collages courtesy of me and i think they are pretty cool. right?

back in sf

after a fantastic weekend at home, i've returned to misty san francisco and today have delved back into the job search. after hours in front of the computer scouring over website upon website, i went to the kitchen for lunch.

an hour later i was still there, scrubbing down the microwave and stove and cupboards with all my might. it just felt good to do something where my progress was evident. i reveled in seeing the results of my work. there is something incredibly satisfying about that.

one day, the sparkling outcome of this months-long job hunt will show like the gleaming white of the scrubbed stove.

another thing with immediate results? blogging?

so let me share a quote from "a tree grows in brooklyn." i am really loving this book.

"the nolans just couldn't get enough of life. they lived their own lives up to the hilt but that wasn't enough. they had to fill in on the lives of all the people they made contact with."

i adore this - and i don't think the author is talking about nosiness or gossip but genuine interest in people. i really like it when i find a description of how i feel about life in a book.

and, another random thing to share today, a picture from the purpose of my trip to utah - my best friend's wedding.

more to come!

and here's to living life up to the hilt - even when tangled in a sometimes discouraging job search!

reading books

ever since i moved, i have for some reason realized a renewed hunger for reading. as it turns out, my thirst for well-crafted words and excellent storytelling has become insatiable. i have been late on several occasions because i've gotten lost in my book - transported to another world by the words and time has escaped me.

isn't that fantastic? ah, the joy of a good book.

here's what i've been thoroughly enjoying: (interesting that most of these feature a young heroine who adores reading...)

i completely, utterly, unequivocally loved this book. devastatingly beautiful. the characters won my heart and the lush, sensory writing captured my mind. probably became one of my top 5 favorites. i finished it in a starbuck's on market street in downtown sf with my cup of peppermint steamed milk. fat tears were rolling down my face and i got a few looks of concern from the people around me.

although this one was really hard to put down, i tried to avoid reading it before bed because it tended to invite vivid and scary dreams. it is a truly remarkable story and opened my mind and my heart at the seams. this woman has the most incredible faith and her example of forgiveness overwhelmed me.

i can't believe i've never read this book before. i remember loving the movie, but realized when i saw it on my roommate's shelf that i've never actually read the story on pages. so simply thought-provoking and moving. unassuming. i loved it. scout is a gem, but my favourite character is atticus, who in this book is the embodiment to me of unpretentious righteousness. i felt so much triumph and its opposite reading this book. loved it.

i was really looking forward to this read - loved the first two books. honestly, i was a bit disappointed by this conclusion to the hunger games trilogy - the pace was awkward and it seemed like the author was in a hurry to write it. however, i am so happy that katniss ended up with the boy i've loved since book one, and there were some times during my 3-day read that i could not put this one down. i like that the hunger games books have some interesting societal commentary.

this one was given to me by one of my contacts in the job search. i've only read the beginning but it is really interesting. this guy makes a good case for how things should change within philanthropy. i think he is pretty rad, and i hope this book will help me as i delve into the world of social entrepreneurship, non-profits, foundations, etc.

and this is what i am reading now. love it already. i really like francie - she reminds me of leisel from the book thief and scout of to kill a mockingbird. my favourite part so far is when she sees a dirty old man and thinks about him as a clean, pink baby dotted over by his parents. today as i interacted with all kind of people in the city i tried to think about their lives and relationships, where they've come from, where they dream of going. so often we interact with people without really realizing that they have a life. i adore that francie points that out.

books are good for the soul. any suggestions for something good to delve into once i've devoured a tree grows in brooklyn?

first visitor

there is something really fun about showing off a place you love to a friend you love. over labor day weekend, dear amy became my first visitor to sf - first of many, many to come i hope!

highlights -

we explored the haight,

 

and were enchanted by the marina in the evening fog.

then, we squealed over enormously delicious ice cream from bi-rite

after an exquisitely tasty dinner at burma superstar

with my new and dear friends katie and lizzy.

we biked across the golden gate bridge!

it was so foggy which made it super magical.

i was literally yelling with delight and pumping my fist at bikers passing on our left.

my wonderful new friend stephanie was our tour guide - in 2009 she biked the bridge every single month! how rad it that - and also how cool is it that we were twinners in our green jackets?

 

we loooooved our afternoon in devastatingly charming sausalito,

which included ginormous hamburgers and great ice cream.

and we took the ferry back to sf. glorious beyond glorious.

we biked through downtown to union square a did a little shopping.

we spend a sunny sunday morning in golden gate park,

enjoyed clear views from twin peaks after church,

blissfully watched the sunset at baker beach,

and reveled in the magic of watching the ggb light up

as the stars came out and the waves crashed.

labor day started off pretty awesome with 18 mini sweedish pancakes

and a trip to ghiradelli square!

we discovered this graffiti alley in the mission (so cool!) -

of course amy fish had to have a picture with the fish!

 

we had dinner at the very well-reviewed pizzeria delfina

with some girls from the ward and our dear friend missy

(missy and i went to high school together, and she and her hubby just moved to san fran!-

i am so excited they are here!)

what a great weekend - even the food smiled!