{Sister lunch at Whole Foods}

“Once she stopped rushing through life, she was amazed how much more life she had time for.”

Lately I (Shannon) have realized that I simply move through life too quickly. I often find myself in one moment yet thinking about the ten other moments that will be happening later in the day, week, weekend…. and recently I have come to the understanding that this is simply crazy making. I’m not quite sure at which point it all came to a head, but I’ve been catching myself completely NOT present in so much of life recently. Maybe it’s from piling too much on my plate without thinking about the ultimate impact this will have  (is this a woman thing? You know, taking on extra work duties, offering to help friends, committing to every social occasion to not disappoint?). Whatever the cause, I found myself mid-lunch with Allison this past Friday and realized that I simply needed to SLOW down. I didn’t need to rush around the corners at the grocery store isle like a mad woman (no, literally…). If it took a little longer, it would be okay. If I didn’t get to all three grocery stores that would be okay too. And when I literally told myself to slow down, I realized I was able to allow myself more time to enjoy the little things. I allowed myself to get a manicure (and only looked at my watch once…). I almost fell asleep when I was getting my makeup done… and it felt good (I typically feel like I have to maintain conversation with the artist…)! I had a date night with TJ, al fresco at a favorite Greek spot, and I savored each sip of wine, tasted each bite of food, and settled into the ambiance of the evening by  literally sitting back and sinking into my chair. And you know what? Everything that needed to get done still got checked off the to-do-list… I just didn’t have a heart attack doing it 🙂

{Allison and I were like kids in a candy shop picking out our favorite KIND bar flavors…}

{Tinted lashes and dolled up eyes compliments of Blushington in Fashion Island}

{A beautiful baby shower at Fig & Olive to honor one of my dearest college friends}

{Pre-dinner wine at The Lost Vine}

{Enjoying al fresco dining at Christakis}

{Morning walk to Old Town Orange for a Pitaya Bowl}

{Mom’s beautiful white roses that line the sidewalk}

As always, be sure to try out the Women’s Health Weekend Challenge

I’ve been toying with the idea of making some changes to the bedroom. I have my eyes on this duvet cover, these throw pillows, rug, and this pouf!

I’m also still loving the boyfriend jeans look! Some of my favorites are here, here, and here!