Summer To Do List

Posted on June 22, 2016 by Gigi in My Life 2 Comments

Gigi

Every year my family and I have been fortunate to take a family vacation- a destination selected and planned by me without many restrictions, the only one being, that travel takes place in August. We usually alternate years with an exotic trip abroad with something in the states the following year. This year we will be going to Kauai and Maui.

Hawaii is a special place for me for 2 reasons: 1. Kauai is where Reggie and I got married way back in 1989.

Wedding Day july 23, 1989 1 week before 30

2. It is the first place I traveled alone as a child.

My girl scout troop went to Hawaii when I was in the 6th grade. I remember the trip vividly, my mom gave me $30.00 for spending money and I was going to be there for 7 days which was about 4.00 per day, by the way most of our meals were included, but I wanted to bring all my family members a souvenir back from this tropical paradise. So even back then 30.00 did not go far, so my 11 year old brain decided that I could shoplift the 5 gifts I needed for my family. There was no rhyme or reason to what I stole just the right opportunity, I just could not return empty handed, so hence my gifts were a collection of oddities but never the less a gift from Hawaii.

Now that summer is here, this is my

list that I would like to cross off by the time Labor Day arrives.

Take advantage of our Cali beaches
Host a couple of fun dinner parties.
Give a face lift to my back yard.
Create a studio space to “paint” some portraits.
Hollywood Bowl summer nights.
Scrubs at my favorite Korean spa.
Paddle boarding
Mermaid shoots.
A boudoir b-day celebration with some of my BFF’s
Fix and or get a new bike and start riding again
bump up my workouts so I’m not hiding behind a coverup on my Hawaii trip
Try some new outdoor brunch spots that are veggie friendly

What’s on your summer wish list? I’d love to know-

Xoxo Gigi

Gigi

NIGHT ON AN ISLAND

Posted on September 18, 2014 by Gigi in My Life 1 Comment

Those of you that are on facebook, know I am pretty active, I post often and enjoy keeping up with friends that I may not see or chat with via phone, but non the less it is nice to see their comings and goings. Today is “throw back Thursday” and I love digging in my pictures and pulling something up from the past to post, so I came across these pics from summer of 1988, the year before Reggie and I got married.

Gigi @ 29 pretend wife

Reggie @ 36 Pretend Husband

We had gone on an amazing 18 day trip to Hong Kong and Taipei, stopping off in Kauai on the way back. We were not engaged, that’s another story, but Reggie my BF at the time felt the need to tell people we were married. The interesting thing about that was that people we met wanted to know details about our wedding, I guess being a young couple traveling abroad together they assumed we were honeymooners. So the conversations would go something like this: “So when did you all get married?” “Did you have a big wedding?” “Where did you get married?” you get the gist…

I smiled and watched Reggie fumble as he told “stories” of our wedding and reception, and I just nodded and would say “Yes, uh hum…a big wedding- yept- Honey what was the name of the place???” or “When IS OUR anniversary?”…we still laugh about time I was a “pretend wife”.

A romantic I am, I came upon this poem, by Pablo Neruda, NIGHT ON THE ISLAND that speaks to that time…

NIGHT ON THE ISLAND
Pablo Neruda

I have his book of love poems, you should pick it up, the poems are in spanish and english.

favorite love poems

Happy Thursday,

XOXO,

Gigi

Kauai

Posted on August 25, 2014 by Gigi in Travel 2 Comments

Kauai

As much as I love packing my bags and catching a flight somewhere, I am always just as happy to come back home. We spent a week on the beautiful island of Kauai. 25 years ago we were married on this island and we have been coming back ever since then, always discovering something new.

Island fruit

Gigi & Hubby

While there I could not help but to fantasize about living on a island…What would I do, where would we go on Saturday nights, would I have a favorite tea spot? We met so many people that shared their stories of how they left the mainland and never looked back. It was nice to be in a place where the pace is so laid back and there are none of the usual interruptions.

Common Ground

We drove all over the island, showed Amani and Reggie the spot where we got married, discovered a few new restaurants and visited some of our favorites.

Chapel where we got married

Here’s a peak at some of the highlights of our week.

STAY

Westin Princeville- A couple years ago we got sucked into buying a timeshare here, the units a large 1 and 2 bedrooms, nicely appointed, with full kitchens, which was nice for preparing some of our meals, especially breakfast. The resort is set high on a cliff, so the closest beach is about a mile away at the St. Regis. Westin guests have excess to the beach there, and can also order stuff and charge it to your room. My kids are already trying to figure out when they can come without us…and of course bring their friends.

Beach at the St. Regis

EAT

Common Ground- farm to table menu, lots of salads, smoothies, wraps – very good. I was in awe of there garden.

Kauai Grill- at the St. Regis- expensive, but beautiful sunset- worth going for drinks just for the view.

Bar Acuda- one of our favorites-tapas style, interesting combinations.

Bar Acuda

Postcards Cafe-homey comfort food-everyone was so friendly and nice.

Josselin’s Tapas-sangria cart (I’m gonna copy) tapas were okay, not much selections for vegans.

Tortilla Republic- Mexican food, that was pretty good for the islands.

Mermaids Cafe-little beach place where you order from a window and sit at picnic tables- really good thai tea made with coconut milk and nice veggie wraps.

Mermaid Cafe

Java Kai-nice coffee, tea and fresh juice spot.

Rainbow Living Foods- fresh salads and really good smoothies

PLAY

Na’Pali Coast – did 4 miles of the 11 mile hike-most people do the 11 miles and camp and return the next day. One of the highlights of our trip.

Biking along the beach.

island biking

Paddle Boarding

Art Walk in Wamea

Driving around the island stopping at different beaches

Kauai

Relax, Chil-laxing and mo’ relaxing

Kauai

SHOP

Picked up a few Christmas ornaments (I collect them from my travels), and a cute sundress. Everything is so expensive here.

As soon as we got back from Kauai, 8 hours later we were on another flight to San Francisco to celebrate my in-laws 90th birthdays, more on that later on this week.

As I finish this post, I will be taking my son back to school, he will be starting his senior year. I’m excited for him and what this year will reveal for him, his life journey is just beginning.

Happy Monday

Xoxo,

GIGI

Gigi in Kauai

KAUAI

Posted on August 14, 2014 by Gigi in Travel 3 Comments

Kauai

We are going to KAUAI! Our first trip there was in 1988 and we fell in love with the island. Amani and Reggie will be going as well, I am cherishing these family vacations, and happy that they still want to travel with us. I’m looking forward to having no agenda.

I will be in touch from Aloha land.

XOXO,

GIGI

50’s Gigi

A Taste Of Thailand

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

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