My Birthday Wish List

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Guess what?  Well, obviously if you have read the title of this post, it's my birthday coming up on June 21st!  My birthday lands on the Summer Solstice every year except for leap years.  This year I don't think I'll get to really celebrate my birthday ON my birthday.  I'll most likely need to work the morning of my birthday, and in the afternoon Max and I are headed to some of our friends' wedding festivities   We have some friends getting married on the 22nd in lower Washington and there is a special bbq happening the night before along with camping at the woodsy venue with a bunch of people.  The crew of folks are super nice and fun but they're not my closest friends so I don't think I'll be doing any birthday celebrating that night, especially since we are celebrating our friends wedding!

I really suck at planning for my own birthday, haha.  And this year, most of my good friends live far away so I don't really have the crew to invite to a big birthday shin dig.  I'm more of a small gathering sort of person anyway though so having just a few close friends nearby works the best for my personality.  Hello introversion :)  Because I am also putting a ton of time and money into my BIG Secret Project, I don't have much money to spend on a birthday event.  So I'm currently trying to think of inexpensive funny, weird, one of a kind experiences that I can do for my birthday with maybe 4-10 friends.  The other problem is that I'll be gone for the weekend of my birthday and the weekend I'll be doing a big photo shoot for the Big Secret Project, so weekends are out for birthday shin digging.

Can you think of any fun, funny, weird experiences that you wouldn't normally do on a regular day that don't cost very much and can be done on a week night with a few friends?  Maybe an underground ghost tour of Seattle, maybe something really dorky like this medieval times place that is 40 mins outside of Seattle, maybe just a game night with yummy drinks.  Got any ideas?

The Perfect Textures

I love these rugs from Serena & Lily.  Perfect perfect textures.

Color Trend: Cobalt Blue

sunglasses  //  dress  //  bracelet  //  sweater  //  purse  //  shoes

I'm really digging the fresh bold color of Cobalt Blue for Summer 2013.  I rarely ever gravitate towards blues being that warm tones look best on my skin tone.  But I'm really liking the quiet trend of blue that I'm starting to see in various stores lately.  If I did buy something cobalt blue, I think I would go for an accessory like shoes, delicate bracelets, or a purse.  But if you are a cool toned sort of lady, which means you look better in brighter pink make-up tones rather than peachy orange make-up, you can totally pull off a bold blue dress, sweater, or sunglasses.  What do you think of cobalt blue.  Vote on some cobalt blue shoe options!

52 Lists: Week 21. We're Back!

I've been busy busy these past two weeks, trying to catch up on a lot of work.  So my apologies for not being able to post a 52 Lists Prompt last week.  I'll be posting two this week to make up for it :)  So expect the Week 22 list later this week!

Today the prompt is "List Your Favorite Songs."  For me, this list is much different than my favorite albums.  It takes a lot for me to fully love an entire album.  Truly loving an entire collection of songs contained in one album takes a different set of criticisms and observations than when I fall deeply in love with one specific song.  With albums, it's all about observing balance between the different songs and contemplating the variety of emotions that are brought up by the transitions within the song sets.  Well, that is a very analytical way of putting it but it's more intuitive for me than that sounds :)
With individual songs, I think I fall in love with them based on a few different things depending on the song:  unique background sounds and rhythms, the specific emotion that the song brings up for me, great lyricism, a memory sparked by a song, and how powerfully it sends me into a specific space within my soul like im entering an awake dream.  When a song really hits me, I feel like my chest swells with the sounds, my eyes no longer focus on what is in front of me and instead feel like they are seeing only blurred sound, color, and vibrations.  I can't help but sway to the beat of music and my toes automatically start moving to pattern of the melody.

"Golden Brown" by the Stranglers is by FAR my favorite song and has been since I was in high school.  Since I'm turning 27 in about a week, I guess it has been my favorite song for 10 years now, maybe longer!  It was released in 1981 and kind of had a revival because of being in the movie Snatch in 2000.  I never got into any other of the The Stranglers music because I just fell immediately in love with this song when I heard it and their other music sounds nothing like this song.

DOWNLOAD WEEK #21

Moorea's Favorite Songs from mooreaseal on 8tracks Radio.

Listen to my favorite songs on 8track, or just click the player above to start listening!  A few of the tracks from my list are missing from the player, but there are still 54 different songs for your to browse and check out. :)

What do you favorite songs represent for you?  For me, I just feel something magic about all of my favorite songs, even if some of them are a little funny.  Magic and something that speaks to all the facets of me, from contemplative and stoic to playful and fun.

As always, feel free to download the PDF list above or write down your list in a journal.  If you post about it on Twitter, Instagram, your blog, or Pinterest, then stop back here and link up your list so we can all visit each others lists and gain inspiration & insight from one another.

Use the hashtag:  #52lists2013 if you post your list on twitter / instagram / pinterest.  And be sure to tag @mooreaseal so I can find your lists!
You're welcome to join in the 52 Lists project at anytime!  Visit the 52 Lists page to check out all the lists and jump in wherever you'd like :)  

PNW Blogger Spotlight: Phi-Style

Thanks for sticking with me as I took a little break from the blog the past 2 weeks.  Life has been an exciting whirlwind.  One of my favorite people who has entered my life in the last few weeks is this beautiful lady above, Tram from Phi-Style.  It's honestly a bit ridiculous that I get to say she is one of our interns.  Tram is one of the most stylish and hard working people I have met in quite some time.  We have so appreciated all she has done in our studio so far and good lord and I thankful she arrived at the time she did!

I didn't even know that Tram had a lifestyle blog until she had been working with us for a few weeks.  Her style is one I covet and because she always has the greatest outfits on every time she comes in to work, I feel like I need to get my style game face on much more seriously than I have been lately!  Because I've been working by and for myself alone for the last few years, I've definitely gotten lazy when it comes to getting dressed, wearing any make-up at all, and let's be real here, I avoid taking the time to wash my hair unless it's really desperately necessary.  So I'm taking some inspiration from Tram's impeccable minimalist style to try and get back into having a bit more style in my everyday outfits.  Her everyday outfits are perfection.

Visit Tram's blog Phi-Style.

Spring Sale! 35% off of Everything!

Hey everyone! Sorry I didn't have time to create a 52 Lists Prompt for today, I'm still catching up on a lot of work after traveling for a week and a half.  I'll have the project back up and running next Tuesday!  As thanks for your patience, I'm holding a Spring Sale in my Etsy store to make way for new products for Summer.  Some of the pieces that are in the store right now will be discontinued after Spring so grab your favorites while they are still available!

Use the code FRESHSPRING to get 35% off of anything in the store!  This will only be available for the next three days, Tuesday, June 4th - Thursday, June 6th, 2013.

Expanding Our Staff!

In the last three months, the behind the scenes of my business have expanded like crazy.  I've gone from a tiny business run just by me for 4 years to bringing in the perfect business partner to help our company expand.  I've hired my best friend Jenette to work with me and her support and hard work has been something even better than I could have asked for.  And now we have a full staff of four amazing interns!  I'm sorry I didn't get to catch one of our interns Emilee in the photo above, but I'll be introducing to her soon, she is such a sweetheart :)  Love you Emilee!  Above is Sara, Me, Tram, Jenette, and Aneta.  I'm feeling really lucky to have all of these incredible women supporting me and our company!

As my brand and business expands, I really want to share how grateful I am for our staff.  I always wonder with other bloggers who get bigger and bigger, or small brands that start to expand, who is helping out and are they getting good recognition for their work?  You can bet you will see lots of behind the scenes of what is going on in our studio in the coming months as we are all working hand in hand to make our BIG Secret Project a huge success.  I'm really excited to share more about each of these ladies and And I can't even express how thankful I am to have the staff that I do.  Each of these women is unique, kind, creative, driven, and wise.  And I hope that they can constantly see that I admire and appreciate them greatly.

Say hello to our team!

A Life & Travel Update

1.  I am visting home today and tomorrow, so yesterday night my family and I went out for sushi for my middle sister's birthday!
2.  THANK YOU to all of my blogger friends and real life friends who have sent cards to my mom while she is going through chemo.  She has kept all of them and feels so special knowing even people shoe doesn't know are sending her good, healing thoughts.
3.  My mom showing me all of the cards se has been given by her community of friends.
4.  My youngest sister shaved her head in solidarity with my mom!  Such a sweet gesture.  Last night they played with fun wigs :)

1.  My middle sister and her sweetie dog Newo.  She's a rescue dog and is most likely a lab/rotwieler mix and is the sweetest thing on earth.
2.  My sisters and I at sushi.  Ignore my wacky weird smile.
3.  My dad is trying out some Warby Parker glasses!  We decided that he looks coolest in somewhat round tortoise shell glasses.  So cute.  He will be ordering the pair on the left today!

Max and I have been planning to come down and visit our families and to go to Yosemite for quite a few months now.  His family and my family live about 20 mins from each other in the same county.  Have I mentioned that we went to the same high school in Northern California and had a lot of similar friends, but we didn't start dating until after college?  Cute.  Anyway, Max worked at a camp a few years ago in Yosemite and every summer before camp starts up again they have a volunteer work weekend.  So we are headed down there tomorrow to help clean up camp and to hang out with old friends.
I am SO glad we had planned this week of travel months ago.  I would have never expected in just February that I would have so much on my plate with my business expanding, we just hired our 4th intern 2 days ago!  I've ben working extremely hard lately and I am so looking forward to having 3 days in the woods with no cell phone reception or internet connection.  It will be a huge refresher after weeks and weeks of really intense work.  I basically need no internet and no cell phone reception to get me to stop working because I love my work so much and I'm obsessed with our whole staff of inspiring ladies.  I'll be introducing them on the blog soon!
I am so grateful that we were also able to visit our families on this trip.  I haven't been home since Christmas and the last time I saw my family was in March when we went to my grandfather's funeral in LA.  I hadn't seen my momma since she started chemo, so this has been so special to me so far in just 24 hours of being home.  My mom is doing really well.  She had to go to the ER a few days ago because she was really shaky and chemo brain had kicked in.  But right now she is doing well, is just as chipper as ever, and has a huge smile on her face.  She still looks perfectly beautiful even with her hair loss.  She has a really classic 40's glamour lady look so a fun head wrap or turban looks completely fitting on her.

Here are my plans for the next week and a half:

May 23,  Today:  Max & I in Nevada City, CA
May 24,  Friday:  Drive down to Yosemite, CA
May 25 & 26,  Sat/Sun:  Yosemite, CA
May 27,  Mon:  Drive back up to Nevada City, CA
May 28,  Tues:  Max & I fly back up to Seattle, WA
May 29,  Weds:  Jenette & I fly down to Long Beach, CA to see my business partner
May 30,  Thurs: in Long Beach, CA
May 31,  Fri:  Jenette & I fly back up to Seattle, WA
June 1,  Sat:  Photoshoot for the BIG Secret Project!
June 2,  Sun:  Photoshoot for the BIG Secret Project!

Basically, the week and a half ahead is crazy, crazy, crazy.  But also exciting, exciting, exciting.  My apologies ahead of time if I am unable to keep up with blog posts for the next 2 weeks but I'll try my best!  I'm so excited to tell you more about what I have been working on and how our team has been expanding.  Expect some behind the scenes sneak peeks of the photoshoot coming up!  And again, if any of you would like to send my mom a card or a care package, mail your cards to:

Moorea's Momma

PO Box 31686

Seattle, WA 98103

Thank you everyone for staying connected while I'm in a crazy busy season of life!

52 Lists // Week 20

I have so much to do this summer!  There are plenty of exciting and fun things happening in the next few months for me, but I'm very introverted and get most of my energy from having quite down time alone.  Because of this, I really need to schedule my life including scheduling my alone and quiet time.  Creating a list of all of the fun things I have lying ahead of me helps me to remember that just as much as I need fun, I also need down time.  I'm a planner, a go getter, and always thinking leaps and bounds ahead of where I am in the moment.  So, as lame as it sounds, scheduled down time is key for keeping me sane.

What do you have planned for the summer ahead?  Do you feel most at peace when you schedule and plan things out or do you feel most calm when you live impulsively in the moment?  I myself get pretty overwhelmed in the summer.  I feel like I need to take advantage of every event that is being held in Seattle during the warmer months, I need to go to the beach, I need to get a ton of work done.  I have a hard time reeling back and remembering that I need time scheduled in my life where I am not allowed to plan anything!  Haha.  Do you get overwhelmed when you feel like you have too many great opportunities in fromt of you?  I do!  So how will you prepare yourself ahead of time to make sure your summer is joyful and peaceful instead of busy busy and a little too filled with exhausting fun?

DOWNLOAD WEEK #20

I'm very very excited about the months ahead and all the fun and exciting work that I'll be involved in.  But I'm also trying to have a clear mindset this summer, remembering I can't do it all and I am allowed to chill out when I need to!  List your summer goals this week and think about how you can take advantage of the whole summer to balance fun, work, and relaxation.  Every element is important in sustaining yourself so don't forget that as the days get longer and warmer!  What are you most looking forward to this summer?

As always, feel free to download the PDF list above or write down your list in a journal.  If you post about it on Twitter, Instagram, your blog, or Pinterest, then stop back here and link up your list so we can all visit each others lists and gain inspiration & insight from one another.

Use the hashtag:  #52lists2013 if you post your list on twitter / instagram / pinterest.  And be sure to tag @mooreaseal so I can find your lists!
You're welcome to join in the 52 Lists project at anytime!  Visit the 52 Lists page to check out all the lists and jump in wherever you'd like :)  

PNW Blogger Spotlight: Missing Lovebirds

I met an extremely cute little lady this week when I spoke on the Alumni Panel for the art department at my alma mater.  Elanor from Missing Lovebirds is a freshman at Seattle Pacific University, the college I went to for undergrad, and she happened to recognize me from all of my adventures around the web.  I'm so glad she came up and said hello to me so we could chat a little about blogs and how you can pursue a career on the web through the avenue of blogging.  I think her blog is just adorable and I love her style.  I honestly have an impossible time of finding other Seattle bloggers, even just Washington bloggers in general.  So meeting Elanor sparked a fun idea for me.  I thought it would be awesome to start off a new series on my blog focused just on Pacific Northwest Bloggers!  And not just any bloggers, but bloggers I am personally really inspired by or who I really vibe with.  I know plenty of Portland Bloggers, but not many in Washington so I'll be on the hunt for more bloggers in my area.  Are you a Seattle or Washington blogger?  Let me know so I can check out your blog!

Elanor, here's a shout out to you.  You seem like a rad little lady and I'm sure we will see more of each other in Seattle.  Ps, you get bonus points for originally being from Northern California like me :)

Check out Elanor's blog Missing Lovebirds!