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Tag Archive for 'Valentine’s Day'

Malibu Weekend

I LOVE MALIBU | COVET LIVING

I spent my Galentine’s Day weekend in my favorite place on earth: MALIBU.  I’m insanely lucky to have one of my dearest gal pals there with a place on the beach, which = a getaway whenever I need it.  I remember thinking before I had ever ventured to this magical, beachy, laid-back fairy wonderland that it would be pretentious and snooty (*cough* like a lot of LA), but to me it feels just the opposite. EVERYONE is cheerful and friendly; even chatty.  No one ever seems to be in a hurry. Pups splash around in the surf with no leashes in sight.  Sunlight dances on the water like diamonds.  EVERYTHING is beautiful.  Everyone’s feet are sandy.  The waves are louder than anywhere else I’ve ever been and lull you into a dazed state of relaxation during the day, then rock you to sleep at night.  Surfers are in silhouette at dawn and dusk.  It is heaven.  Here’s my weekend, in pics:

Gus, being a great house guest, waking up Aunt Katie.

Gus and Kate | Covet Living

High-larious #truth on Valentine’s Day morning.

Fat Jewish | Covet Living

Let’s go, woman!

Beach House | Malibu

Even Gus is in a zen place.

Gus | Covet Living

Sea glass hunting

Sea Glass | Covet Living

Trying to get a good pic with this monster before I went to meet another friend for lunch at Duke’s.

Gus and Me | Covet Living

Gus and Me 2 | Covet Living

It’s just not ugly here.

Private Beach, Malibu | Covet Living

He doesn’t think so either.  Slash that’s some amazing bed head.

Gus in Malibu | Covet Living

What my Saturday looked like… outside of lunch, a 6-mile beach walk, and my first time stand-up Paddle boarding – which scared the ever-living &#%$ out of me. Getting off shore past the monster crashing waves with that giant board was a real treat… I got beat the truck up and thrown down about 7 times, knocked in the head with the board, lost my suit a time or two, and scraped my whole self up – while Val Kilmer stood on his balcony and watched.  He’s DEFINITELY seen my boobs.  Finally, I got out there.  It was both peaceful and terrifying – being a hundred yards or so off the shore, not knowing what’s underneath you, and having a baby seal (aka shark snack) bobbing right next to your board… but hey.  I lived.

Malibu | Covet Living

A handfulla sea glass from our long walk, and a wee heart-shaped rock for good measure.

Sea Glass and Gus | Covet Living

The surf

Surf | Covet Living

Big pimpin in my big Golden Girls sunhat

Malibu Weekend | Covet Living

Kate and I did The Ranch at Solstice Canyon on Saturday night for dinner… we chanced it without rezzies, and just when I was ready to hover over some old people at the bar to pounce on their seats, Kate charmed the waiter into giving us the best seats in the house.  Flirting gets that girl the VIP treatment like no one I’ve ever seen.

Solstice Canyon | Covet Living

Solstice Canyon, Malibu | Covet Living

Posting up for sunset on Sunday.  I know, it’s Cat Lady status to the max with all the Gus pics, but he’s such a good soul and fulla personality I can’t help myself… plus lately, I’m keenly aware of his age and that my (years) with him are numbered. Anyhow – we parked it outside with a glass of vino to watch the sun go down.

Malibu | Covet Living

Going…

Malibu | Covet Living

Going…

Malibu | Covet Living

Gone.

Malibu | Covet Living

And then it just got prettier & prettier from there.

Malibu | Covet Living

Malibu | Covet Living
Malibu | Covet Living

And then KP came out to join us!  She was inside working.  Poor kid.

Malibu | Covet Living

It wasn’t a conventional Valentine’s Day, but hey.  What are you gonna do?  It was awesome.  And if you would’ve told me a little over a year ago a) that I would ever be single again, or b) that I would’ve quit my job, packed up my house, thrown Gus in the car and moved to other side of the country, I wouldn’t even have been able to get my brain around it.  Who knows why sh*t happens.  I’ve been busting out 90’s country at work for the past few weeks, and a few days ago an old Trace Adkins song called “Time Marches On” came on – the one that says: “The only thing that stays the same is everything changes, everything changes.”  And it almost took my breath away…  in part because I hadn’t heard that jam since high school, and when I did hear it again, it felt like I’d heard it yesterday… except it wasn’t yesterday; it had been 16 years.  Just like that.  (Do you feel a tangent coming on?  Cuz I do.  Get ready.)

I’m extraordinarily aware lately that time moves SO, so quickly, and I’m even more aware that nothing is guaranteed… things I never thought would happen have happened: I still can’t believe that our best friend Mel’s little brother Ryan is really gone.  Or that friends with perfect lives and seemingly perfect relationships would walk in to find their significant others cheating and their lives changed forever.  I also keep thinking about a wedding M & I were gleefully seated at a few years ago, when we still had what we thought was a whole life together ahead of us… Fast forward 3 years, and no one ever could’ve conceived that one day, he would vanish in the most senseless of ways… or that the groom at that wedding would die tragically less than a year later.  Or that tragedy would befall any of the people around us.  My point isn’t to be a downer; it’s to put extra emphasis on: “HOLY SH*T, LIFE IS PRECIOUS.” And you never really know what’s around the next corner.  Another old friend told me about a year ago that life was always going to ebb and flow with joy and sorrow, and that the only thing you can really do to manage it all is to always be at peace, because all of it is going to come down the pike no matter what.  It’s maybe some of the best advice I’ve ever gotten, and I thought a lot about that this weekend… about being at peace, and about how change is the only constant in life, and about how things move so quickly that it’s all too short to spend doing anything but being fully present, wherever you are.  Even in the wake of things that tug (hard) at your heart. That’s what I’m working on doing a lot more these days… and this weekend was a good start.  Cuz if I had spent the weekend worrying about the life I thought I was going to have, then I wouldn’t have been able to appreciate the life that I actually do… and all of the wonderful things that are here now: like having an amazing friend in Kate… or a deliriously happy dog – who one day won’t be here anymore – and who traipses up and down the beach to greet (everyone) like it’s the best day of his life… And maybe I wouldn’t have been able to appreciate all the beauty that was around me, or how Kate & I both almost peed our pants when we got into the backseat of an old woman’s car parked outside her door on Saturday night who we THOUGHT was the Uber driver, but who then said to us: “What are you girls doing in my car?  Who are you?  What the hell is Uber?”  Etc etc.  Anyway – try not to blink, yo, or you’ll miss so much of the good stuff.  Imma tryda do the same.

Never Let the Things You Don't Have | Covet Living

Fist bump long distance,

Steph's Scanned Signature

aka Jack Handy

Galentine’s Day, aka Ovaries Before Brovaries

Girls! If you don’t know what Galentine’s Day, let me explain. According to Leslie Knope (nee Amy Poehler) on Parks and Rec, it’s the day before Valentine’s Day when you celebrate your favorite girls – your besties, your mom, your work ride-or-die who’s always got your back.

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This is the day to show just how much you freakin’ love each other, how much you appreciate each other, just cause!  Oh yeah, and you TREAT YO SELVES.

We love this idea ’cause Valentine’s Day, well… it can be fun and romantic and all that jazz, but it can also be a real pain in the ass. So this year, let’s do ourselves a favor and celebrate those absolutely fabulous women who’ve helped shape us. You know who you are. Below are a few ideas for what to get and do for your mom, your girlfriends, and DUH, for yourself – your truest Valentine:

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Love You To The Moon and Back! framed photo printAlso, see this photo art collage we rapped about in December. Both would be super sweet for the lady who never forgot your Russell Stover chocolates when you were a little thing. Hurry and order today!:

Minted I Love You To The Moon and Back print

She’ll love this company’s Plant of the Month gift, which is exactly what it sounds like: A different set of flowers delivered to her each and every month(!).  And they’re all potted, so they’ll (hopefully) continue to grow as the year goes on:

Peonies

A dozen (or two) order of Shari’s Berries ‘cause they’re just so d*mn delicious. Ignore the fact that those gigantic strawberries probably take up half of California’s water supply to grow.  It doesn’t matter, IT’S FOR MOM.

Sharis Berries

A gorgeous Amethyst Druzy Necklace she can wear until she loses it in a pile of clothes on her dresser (just kidding Mom, love you!):

Amethyst druzy necklace

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This vibrant oversized leather fold clutchwhich we LOVE cause it’s not only buttery soft, but it’s surprisingly versatile. It can be worn with your favorite LBD or even a cute little casual summer outfit.

Oversized leather fold clutch

A handmade subversive cross stitch cause they’re just so funnnnnn-y. Seriously, we can’t quit these.

Home Is Where No Pants Is

whatever bitch

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The perfect mug for your feminist or heartbreaker of a friend:

Male Tears

A custom framed “Heartstagram”.  Just print and frame your memories directly from Instagram. Voila!

Framebridge

A t-shirt that speaks your and your bestie’s language… because you’re both slobs:

If It Requires Pants Then Nah

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Ninja Professional Juicer – It’s time to treat yo’ self to super delish smoothies that have way more nutrients, thanks to the multiple blades of this bad boy. Oh yeah, and did I mention it’s HUNDREDS of dollars less than the Vitamix?

Ninja Professional Juicer

A print/poster to hang on your wall and light a fire under you when you need it:

Well Why The Hell Not

A vibrant, stunning, flawy dress that you can hang in your closet and gaze at like a beacon of hope, a beacon of hope to remind you that summer is only three months away:

Maaji Longchamp Maxi Dress

And lastly, this quote isn’t really a traditional gift per se, but it’s appropriate for this week when we’re meant to tell people how much we love them. I pinned it a while ago, and each time I come across it, it makes me catch my breath just a bit.

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Here’s to telling those you love them.  Here’s to telling your LADIES just how much they mean to you. Happy Galentine’s Day this week, lovelies!

Galentines Day

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Uteruses before duderuses,

karrie signature