Happy Birthday Helen!

My great friend Helen drove up to the beautiful Central Coast to visit me and my family, watch some football and to celebrate her birthday with some wine tasting. We went to my favorite vineyard/winery Bridlewood. I've taken my excellent friend Rebecca, as well, and I will take all of my friends because it's beautiful and they have fantastic wine! Here are some photos of that fun weekend. Enjoy!

Good morning

On days when I work late, I stay in bed a bit and read. The "boys" like to cuddle and stay in bed too but Oliver likes to sit on the window sill and watch the kids walk by as they head to school.
~Ciao, Steph~ Sent via BlackBerry by AT&T

I feel pretty...oh so pretty

So I had two people tell me I looked nice today. One was a guy who said I looked exceptionally pretty today with the little flower in my hair and what not. I felt my face flush but recovered rather nicely with a, "I bet you say that to all the girls.". He said he didn't. Still it was nice to hear.

The second was a co-worker but she always tells people they look nice. Regardless, its nice to hear when you don't hear it very often.
~Ciao, Steph~ Sent via BlackBerry by AT&T

Wedding #3

~Ciao, Steph~ Sent via BlackBerry by AT&T

Family Summer Wedding

By this weekend I will have attended 3 weddings this summer. I'm not sure if that's good for a 34 year old single gal with no prospects. My sister has been my date on the last two and she'll be my date at this 3rd wedding. I should just wear black and knee stockings for I am destined to be an old maid.

Sigh, enough bragging. Photos!!!! I love taking photos and I had such a good time at my cousin Christopher's wedding. The bride, Kristin, was beautiful and classy. Chris was Chris! The biggest grin one could ever give and he had it on his face the entire day. It was a beautiful wedding and everyone...I mean EVERYONE had a great time. enjoy, ST

Chris and mother of the groom Candy

Kristin and her dad walk down the aisle.

So Cute.
Kristin and Chris.

Joey and Jon, two of the 3 older brothers.

The knot has been tied!!! Congrats!!

flower girl and ring boy

Flower girl

Beautiful bride

The Happy Couple.

Sorry about the pixelation of the photos. I'm still learning.

2 and a half days and counting!!!!

It's nearly here! Can you smell it? For me the smell of football season is early mornings, coffee and tea brewing, the stench of beer on a stickly pub floor that closed only a few hours ago, the aroma of sausage cooking in the distance. God, I love football season. I only wish I had a pub near by I could call home for a few hours on Saturday mornings. I'm just gonna have to make due with the family room, dogs running to and fro and constant questions about the game from my Pops. At least it's football, right?

I'm very excited for Bolton this season. Kevin Davies (sigh, my precious little lamb) had a hell of a season and we acquired some new blood. Zat Knight from Aston Villa is just one. We now look like a proper English Football Club!!!

Every season you'll experience highs (I want many more photos like the above)

And there are always some lows. Sad times for Chelsea in the above photo. Can they win the league? Will they finally with the Champions League? Time will tell.

Every summer and winter there is the dreaded transfer window. It's a love/hate relationship, I believe, every football fan experiences. You never know if you're going to lose that one key player that seems to make your club tick. On the up side, you could end up with Michael Owen for free. The grass is always greener, I suppose.

I have to say, I never thought I'd see the day with Michael Owen wore the red of Manchester Utd but it's not bad on him. And if there is one manager in the Premier League that is going to bring out the best in Mr. Owen, who will snap him out of this "funk" he's been in, it had to be Sir Alex. The man IS football!

Beauty and the Beast?

But what the Hell is up with Man City? They have more money than Oprah and they know how to shop! I was under the impression that Hughes was going to be sacked but instead they gave him the checkbook to the Kingdom and he's been buying the players left and right.

Tevez. Naturally.

Santa Cruz. Well, he did play for Hughes for a bit at Blackburn.

BUT KOLO TOURE AND ADEBAYOR?

And then there is Gareth Barry. Honestly, I was surprised he stayed with Aston Villa the entire last season. I didn't think he's make the move to Manchester City though. But didn't Villa make Uefa or Champions League or something and last time I checked...City didn't?

Ah, football. Can you smell it? It's nearly here!!!

I love trains rides to Lompoc.
~Ciao, Steph~ Sent via BlackBerry by AT&T

Jalama Beach

Summer's Not Over Yet

Ah, summer breeze...makes me feel fine, blowing thru the jasmine in my mind.

(artwork by Dorthea Sharp)


So the summer isn't over yet and it has been jammed packed with fun times. I'm not gonna lie, sometimes I get down on myself for moving back home, for being 34 and not having a clue what to do with my life, for no savings, no security, no husband or kids but then I have to think of all the good times I have just being me, for having the family I have and for the Fucking Awesome friends I have. All those little things don't seem so bad. Life is good. The future doesn't always seem so bright but I have right now and right now I'm listening to A Brokedown Melody Soundtrack, drinking some coffee, no bra on, with a nice breeze coming in the door and my dogs and chilling on the tile. What the hell am I complaining about?

This past weekend I had the pleasure of spending time in my beloved LA with my friends for a fantabulous weekend full of good times, sun and beautiful art! Sunday was spent with my old roommate Scott, Mike and Alicia. We headed down to Laguna Beach for the Pageant of the Masters 2009. We spent the day checking out little shops, enjoying the weather, ate some yummy gelato and checked out the beach! It was the most fun I've had in a long time.

Me and Scott and my frizz curl. Real Cute!

Scott and Mike taking in the sea air!


Beautiful Laguna Beach!

Here is Scott and Alicia relaxing after our delicious gelato!!! That was some seriously good gelato.

Mike and Alicia look out into the sea. Ah, the ocean air.

Me and Alicia and my usual arm stretched out self portraits! They are the best.

Ciao for now,

S

Outta site...hopefully, not out of mind!

Hello Friends,

So I haven't really found the time to post much. You think I would have a ton of time since I'm only working part time and I really don't have much going on over here but alas, I don't post nearly as much as I would like.

Things are going ok. I won't complain because you can always be in a worse place. I love being with my family, even though, at times, it's hard to find alone time. Things I miss about living on my own, the quiet. No one asking who I'm on the phone with, where I'm at, why I'm chilling in my room, things like that. What I love is being with my family. I missed them so much when I was away and I missed out on so many things. Now I get to see my God-daughters all the time and my cousins and I get to bug my sister daily! For all the downsides I can think of for moving back home, not one of them compare to the good of being with my family. And seeing Oliver, my little puppy, is so happy with the boys also makes me smile!

Wow! I just cheered myself up! Yay me!

A birthday weekend in Cambria with my sister!

For my birthday weekend my sister and I decided to take a small trip up to Cambria to relax and take a couple of tours of Hearst Castle. We stayed at the cutest little place called The Cambria Pines Lodge. I highly recommend it. It may be not be 5 star but it's fun, it's cute, it's comfortable.

There are a ton of cute little gardens that surround the grounds. The best word for this place is "Darling". And it was...just darling.




We loved this little area. They have this bed of flowers, literally. There was a chair, dresser drawer and a lamp that have some beautiful plants and flowers growing into them. Too cute!


Here is one of the beautiful guest houses at Hearst Castle. Hello, Guest House!




Hi! This is my pool. Just gonna go for a dip. Sigh!




I loved this little sculpture. She or he looks like it has a secret.

Oh, this is backyard! Oh, I wish.

This pool is beautiful but inside pools freak me out.

Little boy pulling a thorn from his foot.

This sculpture was too cute for words.

I love lighthouses! (my sister took this while I was driving. I have to give her credit.)


Lazy seals lounging in the sun.

I love, love, love this shot! His little eyes closed in the sun and his whiskers.

So I have to admit, it was a lowkey birthday. No favors, no gifts, really. Just a nice time with family. 34 came and went with no fuss.