New Birthday, New Page

Another year older today. Having a birthday just after all of the holidays is pretty chaotic most years. You have gratitude in November, Christmas blessings in December, followed by a whole lot of reflecting back on what changes to make for the New Year. There's the baking and gifting and familying and friending. Then, bam, it's my birthday. It's never really the New Year that propels me forward. It's my birthday. Turning the page over into a new age is always a huge time of reflection for me. But even more so, it's a huge time of action for me.

photography by J. Poling

A lot of changes have happened in my life since my birthday last year. Last year was a really difficult birthday for me. I had just moved to California by myself, but it was the fact that it was my first birthday since my mom died that made it tough to get through. I spent the day in Laguna Beach which brought some lightheartedness to the day as well as a whole lot of sunshine.

That year of my life was the best yet. I accomplished so many life-long dreams and goals I had set for myself and checked many big things off of my bucket list. Through the loss of my mom and the journey of independence I took, I learned how precious life is. I learned to take ownership for the results that I see day-to-day. I learned that only I can know and create the life that fulfills me, serves me, and lifts me higher every single day. So, I continued taking action.

Today, as I turn another year older, I feel so blessed to be working toward my passion and life purpose, as a life coach. It makes me glow just to say that. I spend my days working a job that brings me joy and spend evenings going to class to do what, to me, is the greatest blessing - learning the tools of deep life transformation. And now, as I reach this birthday, I will be starting yet another new chapter...

I found myself the most perfect hi-rise condo for where I am right now in life. Or, maybe I should say that it somehow found me. It was one of those things I've had on my "list" and knew it would come about when the time was right. So, at the end of this exciting birthday month of mine, I'll be making that move and writing another new page in my book.

And that will be the beginning of my year that's full of so much potential. I have high hopes and big goals for this year. I'm in different surroundings with different people in a different line of work and I'm happy. So happy. And knowing that this happiness is only going to increase as the days continue… now that's pretty awesome.

I'm reminded that it's not in the New Year or on our birthday that we should celebrate or set new goals or hold ourselves to a certain standard. That should happen everyday. Make every second count. Don't give up. Don't settle. Don't sell yourself short. Take your wildest dreams and make them a reality. Come on, I dare you :)

What dreams are you making a reality this year?

A Laguna Beach Birthday

This birthday was a different one. It was obviously the first birthday of mine since my mom passed away so I was rather apprehensive about January 7th approaching. Yet, the day arrived and I had some great plans ahead.

When I turned 20, my family was actually in San Diego, visiting my brother who lived here at the time. The Redskins were playing that day, so my brother and dad headed to watch the game at a local spot while the girls drove up for a daytrip to Laguna Beach. I decided I'd keep the tradition going and headed up there the morning of my birthday this year.

It was a perfect day. The temps were in the 60s, not a cloud in sight. The first stop was La Sirena Grill for lunch. I'm a pretty avid Yelper so I took the advice of the reviews and ordered the Calamari Burrito. It was one of the greatest meals I have ever had! It's a quaint little spot with all seating outside. I later spotted this place on the first episode ever of Laguna Beach. Even Kristin and Talan liked it...

After lunch, a walk over to Muse, a super cute boutique, was necessary. Although they were under a little construction at the time, all the ladies that worked there were so sweet and we had a good time chatting for a while. I got two new sets of earrings that I just adore :)

Next, was Heisler Park. It's another Laguna Beach favorite of mine; perfect for a leisurely walk and where I've taken some of my best pictures ;)

There's something incredibly special about this little spot. Especially on a Monday afternoon in January. It's tranquil, yet, you can look up and see all the beautiful homes nestled into the hills. It's peaceful, yet, you pass joggers, moms, tourists, couples cozied up on a park bench, and people just like you, yet with a different story.

You have all the perks of a small town - cute shops, dynamite eateries, winding streets, and all the quirks that come with a little place - yet, you're right there in the middle of it all. Standing in Heisler park, looking out at the blue Pacific, you have your back to one of the most beautiful places in the world [in my opinion, the most beautiful] yet you're still surrounded by pure and fresh nature everywhere you turn.

There are several different spots throughout Laguna that I love exploring and walking down to the tidepools is always a real treat. I took it all in. The sights, the sounds, the fact that I was one year older and hopefully wiser ;) But, wow, what a year. 

And to sit there and digest the fact that, here I was, only a short drive from my new HOME. My dreams were coming true. Right before my eyes.

I could have stayed there all day. However, the sun would be setting soon. There was one more stop before heading back down to SD. I needed cupcakes.

[Not pictured: One Cupcake]

So, off to Casey's Cupcakes we went! I'm thinking a review of this place is in order. Just so I can go into greater detail and make you all crave a cute cupcake. I mean, can ya get any cuter? After that, we cruised past my favorite Laguna home high up on a hill, and coasted down Highway 1 just in time for the sunset.

I've always been a water baby. A beach girl. The ocean is my home.

So, to return to this special spot on my birthday sure was a lovely treat. I feel so blessed to live within driving distance of Laguna Beach. It's the perfect little reminder of just how beautiful this world we live in is.

And as for you, California, I love you :)

Thanks for another amazing birthday.

After Christmas/Bday Favorites

I've been making note of a few favorites I want to share with you [hair products and kitchen trinkets] so be on the look-out for those. Today, I'm just sharing some random favorites!


Favorite Scent
I know I haven't even mentioned how my Christmas was or what Santa brought me but every year I like to ask for a new perfume [or a refill] and this year, Lola by Marc Jacobs was on the list! Lola was the runner-up last year so this Christmas was her year :) I am in love.

Favorite Food
Sushi. You guys, I may or may not sometimes eat sushi more than once a week. Let's just say that in the less than one month that I've lived in San Diego, I've had more sushi than I ever had in Virginia. And I lived there for over twenty years. Oops? I blame it on the West Coast...

Favorite Entertainment
Thanks to my sweet neighbors, I had free tickets to go see a wonderful play on its opening weekend here in San Diego. Not only do I love getting dressed up for the theatre but I love being surrounded by the arts. The show was called An American Story, written and performed by Hershey Felder. It's the true story of Dr. Charles Augustus Leale who was the doctor that tended to President Lincoln when he was shot. It was truly remarkable and a completely genius performance. It's playing at the Birch North Park Theatre until the start of February!

Favorite Fashion Line
LC Lauren Conrad for Kohl's is one of my go-to lines, especially since everything at Kohl's is on sale so often. I picked up this blouse in lime yellow a few weeks ago and finally chose to wear it on my birthday. I paired it with my teal skinnies because I can never get enough color.

I spent my birthday in Laguna Beach [more on that next week!] and while shopping in some of the boutiques, some of the girls complimented my outfit saying they would never have thought to pair two "greens" together like that but that they loved it! I never considered that my outfit consists of two "greens", but then I realized the yellow does have a hint of pale lime and yes, I guess teal is a blue-green :)

Favorite Home Goodie
Like that play on words there? I L-O-V-E Home Goods for anything and everything home-related. I also love Bath & Body Works and their semi-annual sale. Lucky for me, my gym is in the same shopping center as a little outdoor mall so I took it upon myself to walk around in my shorts and a t-shirt [jealous, yet?] and check out that sale.

I walked out with some goodies including the White Barn No. 2 Chestnut & Clove Wallflower. Currently on sale for $3. I think it's a great transition scent from Christmas into the remainder of the Winter season :)

Favorite Funny
Every time I see this, I can't stop laughing. Cat lovers unite! [Did I really just say that?]
The caption on Pinterest was, "Photo Bomb." :)

[via]

And, with that, I shall bid you farewell and happy weekending!

On This Birthday

27

27 years on this Earth.

27 years of:

Memories.

Dreams.

Love.

Mistakes.

Lessons.

Pictures.

Friends.

Tomorrows.

But, as you all know, on this day, 27 years ago, my sweet mom brought me into this world. And my sweet Mom is not here in this world anymore.

The only person I had known since my first heartbeat.

I won't hear her say, "Happy Birthday" this year.

Or have her tell me the story of how the nurse turned to her in the hospital and said, "Oh, you're gonna have trouble with that one!"

I just miss her.

Especially on this day. My birthday.

I know I wasn't easy to give birth to; or to raise for that matter ;)

But I will never forget the bond we had.

My only mother and, I, her only daughter.

My dad still tells me how badly my mom always wanted a little girl, after losing her own mother at such a young age.

And if there is one wish I can have come true in this world, I'd want it to be for a little girl of my own one day.

+To pass down all the lessons my mom taught me.

+To teach her to cross her legs.

+To dress her up in lacy socks, cute jumpers, with bows and barrettes always in her hair.

+To teach her to be an independent woman.

+To always make her bed.

+To wake up each day and be grateful to just be alive!

So, this birthday, I won't be celebrating "me."

I'll be celebrating my mom's legacy.

The gift of life that she gave me.

I love you, Mom.

This January 7th is for you.

Dupont & Occoquan Weekend

This past weekend was a great one! I really can't tell you how much I appreciate weekends. Work has been wearing on me and while I also worked most of the weekend [but on After Sunset jewelry!] I also had the chance to have a little fun :)

Saturday started off with a Metro trip into DC for the day. I used to take the Metro into work everyday for my first job out of college [and one of the best jobs I've had yet!] There's something about traveling alone in busy cities that I just love so much. The people watching, the chance to just chill out and listen to music...it's just nice for a change!

So, I put on my teal skinnies, grabbed my Metro SmarTrip card, and jumped on the train to meet up with Raquel! I just adore her and we always have a blast when we meet up! Delicious food and shopping are always involved. You can tell we are bloggers :)

We ended up on the same train and met up in Dupont Circle. Dupont is a fun little neighborhood in DC full of cute shops and eateries. The Metro station there also has the longest escalator. Note to tourists: If you are going to stand instead of walk, move to the right!

Yep, straight up into the sky!

We started off at Cosi for some yummy lunch outside. I got the turkey & brie sandwich... yum!

We chatted, caught up, and talked about Vampire Diaries. The usual :)

Then, we had to grab fro yo because that's just what Raquel and I do when we get together, ha. The place we went to was really not worth mentioning. They had more of a sorbet than fro yo and it kind of started to melt right away. It was tasty though, so it hit the spot.

We took our fro yo and headed across the street to one of Raquel's favorite little boutiques, Lou Lou.

DC ladies - if you love jewelry [like I do!] you must head on over to this adorable shop. It is filled to the brim with the cutest designs and organized by color. Perfect, right?

I scored these bad boys:

Do the pair on the right match my blog perfectly, or what? :) So sunsetty!

Raquel and I had a blast. Be sure to go say "hi" if you haven't already!

Here we are outside of Lou Lou:

Later, I took my dad out to dinner for his birthday [which was on Wednesday!]

There's an old, little town down the road from my house called Occoquan that's right on the Potomac River and they have a delicious restaurant on the water, Madigan's.

Fun moment for me: As our waitress walked up to greet us, before she even told us her name, she said, "I love your necklace!" It happened to be one of the new designs I've been working on for After Sunset and it pretty much just made my night. She was the sweetest and who knows... maybe she'll be rocking an After Sunset piece soon ;)

Our meal there was amazing. I had to go with the coconut crusted Mahi with a pina colada sauce and my dad got the Rib-eye.

'Twas amazing. So was the crab dip that we got as an appetizer. Go big or go home, right?

I'm grateful for all the dad/daughter dates we've been able to have since I've been back on the East Coast and since my Mom passed away. We sure miss her.

It was a productive weekend but there's always more to do so it will be a busy week!

I am getting really, really excited to share my new After Sunset designs with you all!

[If you follow me on Instagram, you already got a sneak peak! @chelseasunset]

What did you do this weekend? :)

Older and Wiser

Tomorrow, January 7th, marks a new year of my life. I’ll be another year older and wiser, that’s for sure. Having my birthday one week after the New Year certainly results in double the reflection for me. And, boy do I have a lot to reflect back on. This past year of my life has flown by. As I look back on my birthday last year, I literally cannot believe an entire year has passed. SO much has happened, it’s not even funny. {To take a look back at some of the main events this past year, check out this post.}

Here’s what my birthday looked like in 2011…

Last year, I was living in Utah and was taken out to eat at my favorite restaurant of all time – Joe’s Crab Shack :)

We then proceeded to go home where I partook of that delicious coconut cupcake above and posed with some of my favorite flowers. I’m silly, I know.

It was an amazing birthday. I was pretty darn happy, if you can’t tell. But, you know what? I didn’t know a bunch of the things I know now. The experiences I’ve gone through and lessons I’ve learned this past year have definitely changed me… for the better. But, everything happens for a reason. You’ve heard that phrase a time or two on here :)

I feel like I’m finally getting a tight grasp on the woman that I am. I know some people learn that when they’re 18 or when they’re graduating college but for me, it’s taken trials, tribulations, and a few falling-on-my-face moments to get to know the real me.

I read something yesterday that said that our goal here is not to do things perfectly, to get it right, or to not get hurt. Our goal is to become so strong, so rooted in our faith, so available for love that it doesn’t matter if we fall or get hurt because we accept every bit of it as an experience that was created uniquely for us; custom-built just for us in this moment in time. When we change, when we actually make the decision to change and make a new choice – life opens up.

Maybe now that I’m finally discovering my true self and I’m finally making decisions based on what I think, life will truly start to open up.

I recently made the decision to go spend my birthday and the next few days in Las Vegas. It was a decision that was made while I was in Boston but, you know what, sometimes my last-minute decisions have ended up being the best ones. They’re the ones that are made solely based upon what I want; what my heart is pulling towards.

Las Vegas is one of my favorite cities in the world. I’ve never gambled in Vegas nor had a sip of alcohol so my stays in Sin City are a bit different than what most people are used to :) However, the splendor of that city mixed with the beautiful desert surroundings are beautiful to me. The next few days will be spent there to think, talk, and do some more reflecting as I figure out the next phase of my life :) Oh, and don’t worry – pictures will be taken.

So, here’s to the last day of being this age. Tomorrow when I wake up, maybe I’ll feel different. Maybe not. Maybe it will just be the jet lag after catching my 6:25am flight and jetting off to the other side of the country. Either way, I’m excited for being another year older tomorrow :) Oh, birthdays…