2014 Another Year to Welcome

Posted on January 1, 2014 by Gigi in My Life, Quotes, Thoughts, Well-Being Comments Off

Quote

I came across this quote and thought about how everyday could be the “beginning of anything you want”. Most of us end the year reflecting about the previous 12 months and then start the new year off with a host of resolutions, you know the usual suspects, exercise program, lose weight, eat better etc. and then come February, March the backsliding begins.

2014 will be a busy year for me, I’ll be celebrating 25 years of marriage in some manner, my son will be returning from Italy, starting his senior year, and the college application process. My business is starting the year with 3 sold out events, most of my waking moments are spent planning all the details I’m so excited, and of course I will be posting all the details here. On a lesser note, I will be on an emotional roller coaster, being the rock for a family member who is about to embark on the biggest battle of their life. With all of that going on, I still plan to post my musings here, inspired by things that bring me joy, things that inspire me, things that put a smile on my face in even the darkest moments.

gigi’s Black eyed peas

Today I made black eyed peas, a New Year tradition that is said to bring good luck. I modify a recipe from Samuelsson Marcus that I love, it is african/indian inspired preparation and if you like spice, it is simply delicious. All I do is saute in olive oil instead of butter, use veggie stock instead of chicken broth, and I use whatever fresh pepper I can find locally.

Marcus

I do have a few personal goals for 2014

1. Take as many beautiful portraits that I can-many I will be sharing here.

2. Look for that perfect little casita, maybe in the desert, or by the sea or up in the mountains…it is something we have always talked about, but this may be the year to start seriously searching and make it happen.

3. Do another triathlon- sprint of course.

4. Keep calm and carry on…

5. Give back and make a difference whenever I can…

6. Travel , Travel and Travel–Brazil, Turkey, Vietnam, Madagascar, and Bali are just a few on my long list of places I hope to see one day.

7. Lastly continue to work on being my authentic self. Remember my journey is just that- my journey, and sometimes my GPS gets twisted, but it always recalculates and gets me going in the right direction again.

Remember this is your BEGINNING…

XOXO,

Gigi

NYE EVE… And what I learned from the Italians

Posted on December 30, 2013 by Gigi in My Life, Thoughts, Travel 1 Comment

On this “NYE” eve, like most of us I can’t help but to reflect on the past year. There were highs; my son’s acceptance to SYA Italy, our family trip to Thailand, my annual girls ski trip to Colorado, my launch of 54 Couture Portraiture, and my collaboration with a fellow artist forming PS Couture. There were lows as well; my husband’s stroke, my brother-n-law’s untimely death, breast cancer attacked my family like a stealth bomber, absence of a close friendship, and the loss of an unborn child. My observation in all of this is that life is constantly changing and waits for no one. The good and the bad have to be embraced, cherish the good and try and make sense of the bad.

mi familia

The past week I was in Italy with my family, a first for us celebrating Christmas away, while there I did a lot of people watching and observed the italians zeal for life. They smoke and drink with abandonment, savor their meals, upon meeting men kiss one another, and all the women from baby girls to 80 plus year-olds are “dressed”. The women my age are not trying to emulate their daughters, they are sporting silver hair, wearing body conscious clothes and always so effortlessly chic. I loved seeing people riding bikes, fully dressed in street clothes, going about their day.

Spanish Steps

It was refreshing not to see Starbucks. Yes. I do love Starbucks and have been known on more than one occasion to even cruise through a drive-thru. Here you did not see people walking around with paper cups, if you have a coffee or tea your are sitting in a cafe with a “real” cup and saucer, and oh none of this “tall”, “grande” and “venti” business, everything is served in a regular cup. The culture does not seem driven by convenience, no taking food away in containers and meals with your family are important.

Cafe

What I learned from the Italians:

1. If I don’t have time to sit downn and drink my tea or coffee–I don’t need it.

2. No more wearing my “workout” clothes as street wear- finish working out and get dressed-enough said.

3. Prepare more meals at home, with the kids being away it is so easy to just pick something up.

4. Spend more time with family.

5. Continue to find joy in simple things ie. having fresh flowers just because…

flowers are everywhere in Italy…these were sold from the back of a truck

6. Having friends over just because–the art of home entertaining seems lost-

7. Make more rituals-make your bath like a spa-why not?

love my bathtub…

8. Ride your bike for transportation in your regular clothes-and put your groceries in the bike basket–get rid of the Costco card and stop buying thngs in bulk…

9. Laugh out loud often- even if for no reason

10. And lastly…Drink more red wine or juice or kumbucha…water–just drink

10.5 Yes…a bidet

11. Say “Ciao” “Grazie” and ” Allora”

Ciao,

XOXO,

GIGI

Gigi in Rome

50 Things to do to have more Romance in your life

Posted on October 31, 2013 by Gigi in Thoughts, Well-Being 2 Comments

Gigi & Reggie

1. wear pretty lingerie-get rid of ugly t-shirts or better yet sleep in the nude.

2. wear dresses more often.

3. watch Casablanca

4. Light candles-just because, and always have a scented one too

5. walk around in these.

6. Listen to this.

http://youtu.be/0EeWOA1Engk

7. keep a fresh rose on your night stand.

8. make your bed with pretty linens

9. make something organic and raw.

10. love yourself and the skin you are in-forget about what you weigh

11. Take a cooking class and become passionate about preparing good food.

12. take a photography workshop and learn to see the world with your lens

13. visit South Africa and go on safari

14. Stay at Four Seasons Koh Samui

15. light a fire and snuggle up

16. write a love letter on pretty paper, scent it and mail it to your beloved

17. Go to Paris

18. Go to Italy

19. move to the beach

20. go to Brazil

21. Drive to Carmel

22. Go to Napa and stay at Auberge du Soleil

23. Take a long bath, listen to some music- keep adding warm water-and add a few candles for good measure

24. wear your favorite perfume to bed- my two favs are Tom Ford Black Orchid and Bond # 9 Nuits de Noho

25. have lunch in an outdoor cafe

26. go to the beach more often

27. go listen to some jazz in a small club

28. Go see live theater

29. Send a sexy text-maybe a picture too.

30. keep things fresh-it gets stale, only if you let it…

31. cut off all electronic devices for an evening

32. prepare a meal from scratch

33. go on a picnic with a basket and a blanket

34. Sleep in–really late

35. learn to love the sound of snoring

36. make your own floral arrangement

37. Take the scenic route

38. stop rushing

39. daydream

40.decide to embrace life and all its lushiness

41. get a massage together

42. go to Costa Rica and stay in the rainforest

43. laugh at funny you tubes

44. take a Sunday afternoon nap together

45. Write a list of all the things you love about your beloved

46. Take a dance class together

47. read love poems together

48. Always date…

49. don’t forget to smile…and always forgive.

50. remember Romance never goes out of style…

Happy Friday-make is a romantic one…

Xoxo,

Gigi

Gigi @ 54

Gigi’s Meandering Around the Web #13

Posted on October 24, 2013 by Gigi in Thoughts, Web Comments Off

Lately, I have found myself incredibly busy never enough hours in the day to complete my various tasks. I can’t blame it on my kids, since both of them are gone right now, but I wake up early, go to bed late and still have a host of unfinished projects. So I am writing that to say while I was researching tidbits for this post, I was especially interested in “time saving” strategies that I stumbled upon.

Busy

House Pad a new app that is coming out which will keep notes on what needs to be done in your home, and it will store images of closets etc. on how things should be arranged and help you keep track of your household stuff, there has been so many times I am looking for something and I don’t recall where I stored the item, so this would be like having a personal butler.

Interesting quote from Mark Zuckerberg sister’s book “Dot Complicated”--“Re-post unto others as you would have them re-post unto you.” I love this little piece of social media etiquette advice, it is so easy to repost something of our friends and family and share it, but be polite and ask first.

book

Opinion VS Confrontational

Sometimes your opinion can be viewed as confrontational, at my age or shall I say post “50” I have let the truth guide me along with honest opinions, which made me realize, based on some reactions, some people don’t want the truth and take offense. My first 40 or so years I was the queen of sugar coating advice, in fear of losing friendships, or upsetting someone. Now I find that I don’t have time anymore for that approach, and that in the long run honesty builds stronger relationships that don’t suffer from resentment that builds up when you have tap danced around issues.

Yes. I want a personal shopper…Thefind.com scours more than 1/2 million online merchants to help find your item at the best price. I’m going to try this out and will keep you posted.

The find

cute basket

love this from crate and barrel.

This is interesting, you too can have a personal chef like the celebrities, hire a food specialist from Kitchit.com for your next event. Menus start at 25 per person, you select the chef based on various profiles and come up with a menu, they accommodate different diets and you enjoy your time with your guests, perfect for the holidays.

rent a chef

While you’re at it, why not rent something fabulous to wear from renttherunway.com, and you are all set. This company rents designer items, the cost includes dry cleaning and the return shipping, perhaps for that next black tie event that you just want to look fab for a minute. Prices started at 25 on up with designer dresses such as Herve Leger 150 btw these sell for 1500 so for the right occasion this could be a nice option.

rent a dress…

nice…love herve leger

And lastly I love this storage closet system from Pottery barn: I can always use more shoe storage space…

shoe storage

So let me get back to my lists and get “busy”.

Xoxo,

Gigi

Quote BE HAPPY!

Posted on October 23, 2013 by Gigi in Quotes, Thoughts, Well-Being Comments Off

quote

In my 54 years on the planet, I have let happiness guide me for the most part. Going over my life, the times when I have not let happiness guide me-those were my darkest moments. It is not the “grand” things that bring me joy, it is those little ones, the ones that we take for granted. Last week I adopted 2 adult siamese cats, I was not looking to adopt at all. It all began a about a month ago I met a woman named Jill who was in Paper Source (yes I have a paper fetish) with her lovely Roswell who was on a leash, I had never seen a cat on a leash that was as happy as this one. So of course I started chatting with Roswell’s mom Jill and she told me about an organization called Siamese Rescue that she was a member of, and how they are always looking for families to adopt and the rest is history. These two kitties bring me so much joy, I can’t even describe how these two fur balls along with my resident cat Tiny make me so happy.

Roswell

My Babies…

I am passionate about my photography. I was always the point and shoot camera person, always giving friends pictures in the “old” days, always documenting events. I started taking classes with my departed brother 14 years ago, but did not finish the course- it was not my time, my brother however finished the program and worked as a professional photographer until his untimely death. I knew I needed to pick up the baton and continue his legacy and pursue something that I always dreamed of doing. I have become a hunter of light, always noticing how light is landing on an object, wondering what that light would look illuminating someones hair or the curve of a body forming a pretty silhouette. Being “happy” doing my craft keeps me in a state of perfecting my work, always trying to be better each session, learning everything I can and shooting every day.

Gigi

When I go over my long life and I reflect on the moments when I was not happy, times when I was trying to be something I was not…trying to be what I thought others wanted me to be…those were dark moments. Moments not wasted necessarily, but times that contributed to the woman I am today. I remember feeling bad for dropping out of college, dating guys who would say crazy things like “If only you had a degree, you seem so smart” or “I really like you, but I envision myself being with a college graduate”. It took me a long time to realize that those same guys who were putting me down had their own insecurities and putting me down somehow made them feel better. Of course years later I returned to school and finished my degree, I realized I was still the same person, that the degree was just a piece a paper and it did not represent happiness or success.

Gigi’s Graduation 2006

Another key to happiness is finding some source of joy in life no matter what is going on, something that brings a smile on your face. Don’t focus on the negativity, shut it down, align yourself with positivity, it may be something as simple as escaping in a good book, or taking a walk, practicing yoga- just do something. Be true to yourself and learn to LOVE who you are and all your idiosyncrasies. Remember those you judge you based on your “truth” have their own demons. You can’t change where you come from, the color of your skin, choices you have made-but none of those things have to define you, the world is out there waiting for you to make your mark to make a difference. So start today or continue-to get your HAPPY on…Enjoy your Wednesday!

My Current (yes it changes) Top 10 HAPPY THINGS

1. Photography-speicifically shooting women 35+ and making them feel beautiful-like an A-lister

2. good gourmet vegan food-either at a restaurant or something I prepared & entertaining whether a friend for tea or a club meeting…

3. cut fragrant roses from my garden- have you noticed that store bought roses have no scent…

4. international fashion magazines & foreign films

5. korean spas-something about a strong lady wearing a black bra and panty scrubbing me until my skin is like a newborn baby

6. deeply discounted beautiful designer shoes- that can makes my heart skip a beat

7. my natural kinky curly hair – i have embraced it and all its wild ways and have never looked back to my creamy crack days

8. my 3 kitty children-their love is divine

9. travel- whether it is around the world, or to a new neighborhood

10. Friends-old and new-past and current- what would I do without my village?

YES!

Xoxo,

Gigi

24TH WEDDING ANNIVERSARY

Posted on July 31, 2013 by Gigi in My Life, Thoughts 10 Comments

Last week I celebrated my 24th wedding anniversary, unfortunately it was the same day of my brother-n-law Jimmy’s untimely passing. We flew up to Stanford Medical Center to join family in spending our last moments together, showering Jimmy with prayers and song. It was a sad day, one I will never forget, and I pray I never have to experience my own child dying before my eyes.

Wedding Day july 23, 1989

We eloped to the island of Kauai and had a simple ceremony witnessed by my dear friend Blaine and her then husband Bob. The small chapel was filled with strangers that Reggie recruited from the hotel. I was worried that no one was going to be there, so this was his solution, run around the hotel inviting everyone to come to our wedding unbeknown to me of course. This was Reggie’s second marriage and at the time we felt it was best to have a low key ceremony, of course the inner bride is alive and well inside of me and is jones-ing for a 25th wedding vow renewal next year with all the trimmings.

Reggie & Gigi

Fast forward 24 years; we have been blessed with a daughter and a son, we have both lost siblings, survived bankruptcy, abuse from the IRS, stroke, acquired a new office 100 miles away, fishetarian, vegetarian, vegan, raw vegan, a kitchen remodel, plus or minus 15 pounds, reading glasses, interesting family dynamics, marathons, triathlons, the end of the long silky perm era, and oh I can’t forget menopause and we are STILL TOGETHER!

Reggie & Gigi

Our marriage is very similar to training for a triathlon. Swimming, biking, and running are the events you have to somewhat master in order to complete the triathlon, in marriage you also have to participate in all the parts, you can’t pick and choose , and expect to finish the race. There will be some parts you like and some you will loathe. You may at times get discouraged and want to quit, but you know just like that early morning ocean swim, once you get wet you are fine. When your training is consistent, you become stronger, just like in marriage when you are slacking in a few areas you have to work harder or else before you know it you will just settle for mediocracy accepting “whatever” as your norm.

Malibu Tri 2011

Crossing the triathlon finish line, you are overwhelmed with a sense of accomplishment, the excitement trickles through your entire body, you quickly forget about the hours you put in, the setbacks and injuries. In marriage you have to keep “training” for those peaks, and remember the “dating” phase and DO what you DID then, that made you want to close the deal. The “training” is a lifelong commitment that can be truly rewarding, so if you have been a little lack, dust off those running shoes and go for a spin around the track.

Reggie & Gigi

XOXO,

GIGI

Weekend Observations__sampsonville

INTERRUPTIONS

Posted on June 25, 2013 by Gigi in Thoughts Comments Off

Interruptions happen everyday, it is how we handle them, that matters. Last night about 4:30 AM my son came upstairs, very excited, he told me that there was a coyote outside by his window howling. My husband was already gone, another story he runs really early on Tuesday morning with a little group. So I get up and go out on the porch, and I whistle and then what appeared to be a large german shepherd comes out of nowhere barking like my yard is his yard. So he is obviously frightened so I know not to go out and confront him, so I wait for Reggie. He comes home and goes out, and the dog and he go around in circles and then the dog hides in the lower part of in our yard. Needless to say my sleep was interrupted, so I just stayed up and thought about how life is full of interruptions.

I decided I would finish a post I was working on only to discover my internet was down…another interruption. So I put on my robe and sat on the porch and waited for the dog to show, my husband left at 5:15 and could not play hide and seek with the dog any more. It was calming to watch the break of dawn, so I just relaxed and had a cup of tea, and took advantage of these moments of stillness. I could have called the pound, and made this a big ordeal, but I decided this is someones pet that got out and hopefully he would leave and go home.

break of dawn

Happy Tuesday–and welcome any interruptions you may have today!

XOXO,

Gigi

ONE YEAR ANNIVERSARY FOR GIGI’S MEANDERINGS

Posted on May 31, 2013 by Gigi in Thoughts 6 Comments

Gigi May 13′

Well it’s been 1 year since I started writing my blog. When I first started blogging I had no clue what I was doing and still don’t! When I set up my blog, I had no idea what I would be writing about, it has been a slow process and that’s okay. I don’t have an editorial calendar where I plan out my posts months in advance like a magazine, I literally write from moments in real time, or thoughts that come into my mind. I don’t have any sensational posts that have gone viral nor do I have thousands of followers, sometimes I’m not even sure if any one is reading my posts. Gigi’s Meanderings is a place I can retreat to a few hours a week, to share my thoughts, observations, and little nothings about my perspective on life.

A BIG THANK YOU to all of you who have stopped by to read my blog, even if you don’t leave a comment, I appreciate your few moments, support, and readership. In the past year I have shared challenges, celebrated events, provided advice, shared my heart, my fears and a lot of joy. I can’t imagine not coming here and “sharing” my thoughts on life with you all…I love opening the door wide open to ME, the door that most of us just peer out of the peep hole, only opening up for a select few.

This blog year I have a lot of exciting new features I am working on, and of course I am striving to provide as many gorgeous images as I can. Here’s to another year!

Toast

Salut Xoxo, Gigi

NOTES on FRIENDSHIPS and OTHER SITUATIONS

Posted on May 17, 2013 by Gigi in friendship, Thoughts, Uncategorized 1 Comment

Friends

I used to think commonality was the key to a lasting friendship. I believed that some how “like” interests were a sort of permabond adhesive that nothing could dissolve. Granted many times similar interests are what attract us to another person but being able to reveal your true self with no judgement is really important for longevity. Relationships are so complex and those that stand the test of time don’t happen magically.

In my many years on the planet I have had my ration of break ups, and they are never easy, especially if you are the break-up-ee as opposed to the break-up-or. All breakups are difficult whether it is a lover, husband, friend, or sometimes even a family member. No one likes to feel rejected, and most of the time regardless of the reason someone walks away feeling this way.

shoe friends…

I will soon celebrate 24 years of marriage on July 23, I have been married long enough to witness many divorces, engagements, marriages, long term dating situations, 2nd, 3rd, 4th marriages, a few “love at first sight”, online dating unions, some successful blind dates, and some awful breakups. For me time was always the best healer of a broken heart, moving forward and remembering the good experiences that brought you together, instead of focusing on the negative factors and trying to figure out the “why”. My marriage is constantly shifting, every 5 or so years our family dynamic changes, a child goes away to school, a child comes back home, career change, financial problems, extended family situations, health challenges, menopause, man-o-pause, any given period some challenge presents itself and we have to work together to find a solution.

GIGI FEED BODY & SOUL

I read this piece “Break Ups” on Cindy Fernandez’s blog. In the piece there is a passage by Oriah Mountain Dreamer that really spoke to me. The author says:

“I want to know if you have touched the center of your sorrow, if you have been opened by life’s betrayals or have become shriveled and closed from fear of further pain. I want to know if you can sit with pain, mine or your own, without moving to hide it or fade it, or fix it. “

Read the entire piece here.

I have so much admiration for Cindy, whom I met a couple of years ago, she changed my yoga “relationship”, transformed it from an occasional workout to a lifestyle. I was enlightnened, humbled, inspired and most of all challenged, all at the same time. I always left her class in a state of pure bliss, “open to infinite possibilities”. I miss her so much. My yoga journey is still in its infancy stage, I enjoy my tiny breakthroughs here and there.

She has since relocated to San Francisco, spreading her yoga love all over the bay area, check out her schedule here.

What’s your take on friendships? Breakups?

Xoxo,

Gigi

Why Friendships Are the New Marriage

WELCOME 2013!

Posted on January 2, 2013 by Gigi in Holiday, Party, Recipes, Thoughts Comments Off

Happy New Year, Everybody!

The past year had some exciting moments, as well as a few setbacks. I am welcoming 2013 with open arms. For many the New Year is a time for renewal, a chance to start over. I think about all the things that have happened this past year, my daughter graduated from college, the start of Gigi’s Meanderings, our family trip to South Africa, a few of the highlights. 2012 also had a few challenges, my breast cancer scare and helping my daughter relocate to New York City.

While I’m not a resolution kind of girl, I do like to embrace a theme for the New Year. My theme for 2013 is “Making each day count”. What this looks like to me: Taking time daily for simple rituals that enrich my life and the lives of my family and friends. We live in a society where everything is rushed, between texting, emails, facebook, instagram etc. we are getting away from traditional forms of communication. We have hundreds of facebook friends, but when was the last time you had tea with a friend, just because? Spent a few hours with a friend doing nothing? Pulled off the road to take advantage of watching a beautiful sunset? I will be sharing these moments with you and hopefully you will share with me and we can keep each other inspired and reminded to make each day count by doing something simple to enrich your day.

I celebrated NYE with good friends,lots of delectable tidbits and chilled flutes of bubbly. 9-ish my guests began arriving armed with beautiful desserts and savory appetizers, we had everything from black eyed pea soup to spinach balls. I made my favorite salad inspired from one I used to order from Marston’s in Pasadena. It is always a crowd favorite.

Gigi’s Marstons salad

spring mix salad greens, mandarin oranges, green apples cut into cubes, avocado cut into cubes, green onion, candied pecans, golden raisins, (optional feta cheese) toss with a poppy seed dressing.

I made tiares for all the ladies, should have took pictures of these, they were adorable. We toasted, listened to my mix and conversed and welcomed in the New Year. I love entertaining at home, and plan to do more little gatherings this year.

I look forward to blogging 2013 and sharing my thoughts and discoveries on living a rich fulfilling life.

Xoxo,

Gigi

As promised a few pics from NYE.

Gigi & Molly

The Ladies

Zapatos

The Fellows

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