1. first & foremost: BRIDAL GOWN FITTING @ AMY KUSCHEL'S STUDIO
2. tend to a few other wedding details
3. love on, hug, and laugh with my li'l sis
4. love on, hug, and play with my niece
5. eat splendidly
(and any spontaneous dance party would be extra credit)
with missions #1 & 2 accomplished, sis & I were well on our way to success. we left the sf ferry building + head across the bay to pick up my niece for the park. just look at those big beautiful black eyes, soft + silky black hair, long legs, + athletic figure. maybe she'll model someday...for purina. she's so full of energy + was thrilled to see her friends at Cesar Chavez park near the Berkeley marina.
while gorgeous Mabel frolicked at the park, i took some fab photos. i mean, have you ever seen a more beautiful park? surrounded by water on 3 sides, both the bay bridge + golden gate bridge in the background, sailboats in the foreground, + vibrant colors against a stunning blue sky. these were taken with my iPhone--no enhancements. just think if I'd had a real one.
some message, huh?
sis + i grabbed a hilltop picnic table + broke out our picnic goods: acme baguettes, blackberry jam, + champagne in an aluminum sigg bottle (close enough to a mason jar, eh?). delicious way to spend a Saturday afternoon.
that night, we ordered in sushi + finished off a magnum of sake. yes, magnum. BUT...believe you me that a full-on living room dance party ensued. BONUS!!!!! sorry, no pics but we worked on the wedding song list. good times ahead this august 13.
we slept in, sis made me a yummy Cali breakfast sammich, + headed to college street in Berkeley for some shopping.
we found her a gorgeous freshwater pearl strand to wear with her gown for $20, though e were tempted by the $8,500 one with twisted strands and turquoise clasp. Maybe for an anniversary? After shopping we stopped at La Med for a snack. I couldn't resist the Mythos reminiscent of our Greek honeymoon.
post-snack, we headed home...but not without stopping at ici gourmet ice cream shop. the flavor boards alone make your mouth water. we tried a few samples + both settled on a rosemary pine nut praline cone. did I mention the handmade waffle cones have chocolate drizzled inside to stop the ice cream from dripping. GEEEENIUS!!!
we tried a new Italian place for dinner while we watched the oscars. the next day we laid around, stopped by Berkeley Bowl to pick up some of my favorite California-only staples: annie's (cashew pimento spread the consistency of hummus) and Mendocino mustard. We shopped a little, grabbed lunch at a little Mexican spot, and headed to the airport.
when we hugged good-bye, the emotion completely overcame me. i probably cried 4-6 times in the airport and on the plane, then again when I got to my car all the way home, then when I got to bed. Being across the country for so long has made it too easy to forget how much I miss my sisters. The trip reminded me with blazing clarity how much i HATE being so far away from them. LiviLa is moving closer this summer, but I doubt it'll be close enough. Now, to get Princess ManyWords out of Texas!
Despite the tears, the trip was a raving success. I'm ready to go back.
No comments:
Post a Comment