dear thom, you make me swoon.. large swoon-y swoons.

 

thank you for always brightening my day and taking me to an emotionally magical place when i need it. you're rad as well as dreamy, dear sir.

xo, zara

all you need is love...

..said the beatles. i believe that is the world's greatest truth. the first time i meditated that message came to me with such clarity and it brought me peace in that moment. i used to be the worlds biggest worrier, i'd worry about things that have already happened, what could happen, what should happen.. it was exhausting. but in that moment of clarity and knowing that all we REALLY needed was love, that worry started to let go.

i love moments like that, where you'll receive a message unexpectantly and it speaks to you. everything falls into place and you know you were meant to receive that message.

so, today.. valentines day. a day to celebrate love. i say we celebrate love everyday. the love for ourselves, our family, friends, the love for life and living. being present in the moment, truly taking a good look around you and absorbing it. love is all around and it lives within. we're not alone, we're all in this together.

that's what we remember in the end. the love, not the box of chocolates or the over priced flowers. the love is what we take with us...

ha! that last line.. who am i patrick swayze in ghost? hehe :)

so lastnight the boys (meaning my middle two) and i made homemade valentine cards for their classmates :) we, meaning me :) cut out a bunch of hearts from construction paper and they filled them out. so sweet :))) they were pretty excited about it too. it was the way to go. the store was wiped out, it was either hello kitty or kai lan and for two fifth grade boys that selection would have never cut it. my oldest boy came home from work with flowers for his lady friend. it was pretty cute.. he asked me to help him spiff up the flower presentation so i took some ribbon and wrapped the stems all fancy-like.

my boys :) ava was just all about eating her chocolates, hehe.


 me & the mister..

wishing the world a happy valentines day!! i hope you feel loved. truly loved, because you are.

xo, zara

i'm sorry, it's been like ten years since my last blog post.

i've been majorly sidetracked. i finished my 365 project on flickr on new years eve and it has kind of thrown me off of my daily schedule. yes, a creature of habit, i'am. i have taken exactly 650 pictures since december 29th, for me that's scarce. i only know the exact number because i just now uploaded them :) in other news.. i just put together thirteen photos of mine to be shown in an art exhibition/art walk. they're being showcased (as well as for sale) for all of february and march at a friend's salon, b&g house of style in kennewick, WA. if you live in that area, please check out my photos AND of course their beautiful salon. and then my etsy.. i finally did it.

                  http://www.etsy.com/shop/thecarnivalbythesea
xo, zara

snow & star crowns..

it arrived!! and it was like christmas morning seeing in zeeee mailbox. also, snow arrived in large quantities.. school was canceled. the mister got stuck on the freeway for six hours. an hour commute turned into six : / yikes. so he played it safe and stayed home the following day... anyway, me & the crown.. like peas & carrots. 

                      i want to wear it alllll day, everyday.. it's love.

tomorrow's thanksgiving and i cannot wait! my most favorite dinner of the year.. and of course i'll be wearing my starlette crown :) happy thanksgiving!!!

xo, zara

a crown of stars upon my head..

i ordered this magically delicious 'starlette crown' from one of the most charming etsy shops, Giant Dwarf recently. it'll arrive so very soon and i cannot wait to wear it, yo. cannot.wait.

 the photo above is from the shop right here... http://www.etsy.com/people/giantdwarf

i first saw it on l.a. ink, kat von d was wearing it and i fell in love! i never in a million years thought i could track it down so i planned on trying to make one. and then that next week i was looking at the blog 'a beautiful mess' and could not believe my eyes. she was having a give-away and THIS was it! i entered the give-away and then an hour later i decided to just buy one, it had to be mine!! i was going to order one in gold but after reading that the silver tarnishes into a beautiful shade of gold, i bought the silver, fo sho.

i think i may need one in red too :)

xo, zara

bursting at the seams with inspiration.

i love it when every month like clockwork my magazines arrrive in the post. fashion moves me, oh how i longed to be a fashion designer as a teenager.. until i realized i can't sew. like at all. well, i can sew but all the figuring out to do, like measuring and math. ewww. anyway.. inspiration, yessss. the possiblities that an image provides my imagination. i love it.

these are all from W magazine...

i can't believe i'm going to say this but the snow photos are making me look forward to...snow. and i'm SO not a snow person. but now i see the possibilites and beauty of it, photographically speaking. hopefully the reality will ring true.

i had my first gingerbread latte this season and it was delightful.

xo, zara

there is nowhere else i belong, i want to live inside your song.

zaika by castledoor.

one of favorite groups. sadly they broke up earlier this year.. but the love still shines through their music. i had the honor of seeing them live when they played in seattle a couple of years ago. my sister and i were the first ones there :) it was pretty hilarious. we even stood around after the show to get a photo with them. i also geeked out wee bit and professed my love of their music to a couple of the band members. such nice and genuine folks.. their music has been apart of my family's daily soundtrack, my kids & husband know and sing their songs. thank you castledoor, your music has been a beautiful addition to my life.

us & castledoor (my sister is the first one on zeeee right)... i must say, this was a few months after i had my youngest child. i was a wee bit volumptious here, hehe..

xo, zara