WEEKEND GET AWAY - SAN DIEGO

Happy first day of Summer. Living in AZ it has felt like summer for a least 6 weeks now. With the temperatures only rising travel plans are also on the rise. We have a few trips to San Diego planned this summer, because why not! 

Mid June in San Diego is perfect. You get the coastal cloudy morning that quickly burns off to a beautiful clear sky and by the evening time a light breeze is perfect for a jacket, bonfire, or snuggling. Having lived in AZ for 7 years now, any time I go back home I have to bring longs pants and sweaters. 

Our last trip was for my cousin's wedding (see previous post), but we also spent some time taking in a few San Diego sights to share! 

The San Diego County Fair, or the Del Mar Fair as I remember it was in full affect. It was not hard to convince Jose to get some fried food and watch some pig races. After calling up my best-friend of 25 years we loaded up the Santa Fe and drove up the I5. After stuffing our faces with Australian Beer Battered Potatoes, Fried Zucchini, Chicken and Waffles, Giant Pickles, Fudge, and Donuts we hit the promotional tents and got suckered into a garlic shredder. Finally the pig races! Swifty Swine International Race Way is the setting for the fastest pigs in the west. They race the track for an Oreo cookie! So would I! The state fair never gets old and always a favorite when visiting Cali in the Summer. 

Imperial Beach is the most Southwesterly city in the continental United States. It was my home for 21 years and still feels like home every-time I visit. A lot has changed, ask anyone, hotels and breweries, murals and landscaping, but its still my small little hometown tucked in America's Finest City. 

When the ocean is only 1 mile away from the parent's house the beach is constantly calling your name. Usually Jose and I wake up early and hit the sand for a beach run, but this trip we were ultimate vacationers and walked the beach in search for treasures. The water was freezing, as usual, but the the swells were hitting up to 10 feet so I can see why there were a few brave souls out there.

July in Diego is for Over the Line and if you dont know you need to Google this! We have been partying on the island for 10+ years upgrading from a Radio Flyer wagon to an RV. From 1 hungover day to 3 thought out prep planned days. From a party of 4 to party of 14. Mark your calendars for July 14 -1 5, and look forward to that blog post! 

QUICK Q & A

Maybe you have known us for 18+ years, maybe heard 18 episodes of the podcast, maybe you're on blog post #18, or maybe you've discovered us for all of 18 seconds. Whatever the case we are appreciative to have you a part of our journey. We want to share a quick Q & A for our #findingazengagement journey with all of you!

1. Where and when did we first meet?

J: We met at the office where we both worked at. Summer of 2015.

B: A co-working space on the West Side of Phoenix. I gave Jose a gift with the exact coordinates as anniversary gift one year. 

2. Where was our first date? 

J: My birthday that year was our date.

B: We celebrated his birthday at The Yard (in Tempe, so I must have really liked him), then we went back to my apartment to watch Anchorman.

3. What was your first impression of me?

J: I always thought you were bubbly and cute. But I also thought you were so much more of established professional than I was.

B: Tall, dark, and handsome. I also thought I was wrong in thinking your name was Jose and second guessed myself everytime we talked. 

4. Weird habit of each other?

J: Even though I think it's a little weird I understand it. You are not a fan of sea food. But I definitely sing about everything I do which is a little weird.

B: I am a perfectionist so I weirdly organize and clean things. Jose sings and I ask myself is that an actual song? 

5. What I often do in my free times?

J: In my free time I YouTube search, but Brittany definitely reads a book along with tan.

B: He is always on his phone and loves the Youtubes. I just wants to be in the sunshine, getting tan!

6. What I’m not good at?

J: Britt is not good with technology. All technology. 

B: I am not good with being patient- technology included. Jose is not good at baking. He can make great scrambled eggs, but otherwise keep it to heat-n-eat for him. 

7. What I’m good at?

J: She is definitely good at a lot of things. But my favorite thing she is good at is design and layout. She has a beautiful design "eye".

B: He is good at everything and if he is not great he strives everyday to get better. He is great at bettering himself and those around him everyday. He can have a conversation with a snail, he is so easy to talk to.

8. Favorite feature about each other?

J: One favorite feature about her is her butt ️. But I do love her smile along her laugh most of all. 

B: His calves, more specifically his tattoo. Also he is so smart, funny and encouraging and that is so sexy!

9 Nicknames for each other?

J: BrittBritt aka B-love aka DJ BJ aka Lil shygirl aka beautiful.

B: Joe, Hosay, love, boo

10 What is my favorite restaurant?

J: For Britt: Breakfast- Norteno; Brunch- Famé ; Lunch- In&Out ; Dinner- Chilis.

B: For Jose: Breakfast- Bosa Donuts ; Brunch- Chicken & Waffles ; Lunch- Lenny's ; Dinner-Cheesecake Factory.

These are amazing photos shot by Brooklyn Photo! 

HAPPILY EVER LASS

Over the weekend we visited America's Finest City, San Diego, CA. We left late Thursday evening to make the 5.5 hour drive for a beautiful Friday morning wedding.  

My cousin Calle was marrying the love of her life Jonathan at my parent's house in Imperial Beach, CA. A ceremony commenced by my uncle and a reception held in the new patio set the stage for the beach style wedding.

It was casual. From the attire: khaki shorts and beach dresses to the schedule. The couple shared their first dance, smashed cake in eachother's faces and wiped the tears as riends and family shared their speeches, but my favorite part was how everything came together with love.

Patio tables draped with fine linens and a friend connected to blue tooth speakers playing all the party favorites felt like home. An adobado taco bar and the tequila shots from a water bottle tasted like home. And finally the intimacy of the close friends and family on the guest lists looked like home. 

Congrats Calle for a beautiful day, and I wish you and Jonahthan nothing but the best.  I thank you for the decor and inspo but most importantly reminding me that a wedding should be all about what matter most.... the love! 

RELATIONSHIP JOURNAL

Im not here to say we are perfect. We have our entire lives together to work everyday at being the best versions of ourselves for each other. Hopefully I can get real for a second and share with you what is working for us! 

The best parts of a relationship  are the easy times: when you and your partner are communicating and expressing your passions but it is  not always sunshine. You might not be on the same wave length all the time. What we have learned how to do well is effectively communicate when things get cloudy. 

Amazing photos from Brookklyn Photo

There is a time and a place for everything. Understanding timing is key. There are so many times (and I definitely learn the hard way) I want to just say what is on my mind. But ask yourself a few things? Is NOW a good time? Can it WAIT? 

Next be aware of your word choices. Pre-empt what you're about to say "this might come off as ... I don't know how else to say this ... this could be just me ..." This is key to separate emotion from facts. Perception is reality but is how you are perceiveing things differnt from others? 

Lastly write it out. It is always good to get things on paper. I used to write myself letters (to my intuition) and re-read to find answers or separate emotions from facts. Jose and I discovered a template for a relationship journal that helped us overcome a few obstacles in our relationship. Simple questions that don't require you to overthink any answers. We would each write our answer in private and read what the other wrote to really "hear" each other. Often times we didn't have to "talk" to be heard.         

Our story is one we learn lessons from everyday and we would love to hear about any lessons you have learned too. Comment them bellow and share this if it helps!  

ROYAL WEDDING

How many of you are staying up / waking up to watch The Royal Wedding 2018? Im not. Ill catch up tomorrow after I try and work towards better sleeping habbits but thats another blog post to come. However this Royal Wedding reminded me about the 2011 Royal Wedding and the coincidences both share.  

In April 2011 Prince William married Kate for a Royal Wedding and in July of 2011 my cousin married at my parent's home for a Royal IB Wedding. Seven lucky years later Prince Harry is marrying Meghan in May of 2018 and in June 2018 my cousin is marrying at my parent's new home for another Royal IB Wedding.   

Seven years ago I was transitioning from college life to real world and living back at home not even knowing that future Britt was to leave for Arizona end of that summer. 

We transformed my childhood home into a wedding of my cousin's dreams: minus the dog barking in the yard during the entire ceremony. (Note to future Britt: make sure neighbor's dogs are properly stowed inside a home during our ceremony.) The alley was the entrance as well as the reception and the backyard was ceremony. It was unique to be polite. But my Aunt Jan was apart of this day and may she rest in peace its beautiful to remember this moment with her. there.  

My cousin's wedding this summer which is following another Royal Wedding is set in a slightly new venue: my parent's new home. A bit larger and boujeeier than last I look forward to seeing how my cousin's dreams come to life for her special day.    

As our Royal Wedding plans continue (jk) I look for any an all inspiration to make our backyard wedding a beautiful memory to last forever.  

Congrats to Harry and Meghan. That reminds me I need to catch up on Suits. 

Catch the rest of the album on the Face Book!

BEHIND EVERY GREAT MAN

Last night we had the pleasure of attending The Ivy Event's Movers and Shakers: a panel of local entrepreneurs answering questions aspiring creatives in the valley all share. Jose earned to opportunity to be one of those guest speakers along with Samantha from Standard Wax , Brendan from Jar of Buttons , and Robert and Christina from New Darlings . Hosted by Leah and Matt from Tremaine Ranch , this event showcased the struggles and the triumphs of starting a business and opened the door of networking for creatives in the area.

I learned a bit of new info, but was reassured a lot. As a entrepreneur myself I share the same mentality and ideas the panelists do and found myself leaving re-inspired in so many ways. But my favorite moment(s) was watching Jose light up the room. 

Jose is a naturally extroverted person (believe it or not) so public speaking is a natural talent but what he was saying touched so many hearts. He not only educated the audience about the Finding Arizona Podcast but in his opportunity to flip the script and show the audience his passion, he killed it! 

I get to see his passion every day and his drive inspires me to be the best version of myself. This blog post is inspired by his ability to shine light onto others. Using the creative outlet of his podcast, other passionate individuals get to share, hear and see the growing community of Arizona. However, on and off the mic Jose's daily selflessness is one of the reasons I fall more and more in love with him everyday.

Last night during the question and answer segment he did mention the support and love I provide to the podcast and the encouragement to push through any boundaries and I appreciate all the words of affirmation. Jose is a great man and I am proud to stand behind him and strive for us to be the best versions of ourselves every day.

Behind every great man theres a great woman and together they will take on the world.

TACO BOUT LOVE

We hit our first 30 days in the house and as the weather started heating up we knew it was time to officially warm our house with friends and family. Cinco De Mayo fell on a Saturday, and even though we had to sacrifice sharing the date with an event half our friends would be at we decided to let the games begin! 

According to my DNA test im not a single bit hispanic, and with Jose's Puerto Rican and Native American background it was only fitting to theme in the most appropriate way! We didnt care if one person showed or a hundred we were excited to host this fiesta. 

I had been purchasing small decorations here and there for a few weeks but when I got home Friday after work and saw a BBQ being build in our living room I was ready to prepare for the preparations. Saturday morning I was up at 5 am to clean the pool and tackle a work meeting. And after dealing with a car sitch we were off the Ranch Market for carne. 

The final touch was cleaning the floors with Fabulosa and as I began to dash the Tajin on the fruit salad the first guest arrived. From there is was a whirlwind. No tour without a drink, no drink without a shot! House rules. Our guests kept cool by enjoying the pool and full by feasting on nachos, tamales and a taco bar! 

Proud wifey moment was seeing all my guests stuffing their faces with the delicious BBQing Jose did! WOW! Everyone ate too much and drank too much. And shout out to those who did the dishes before leaving you are the real house party guest MVP's! We look forward to manny more bashes in the new casa! 

THRIFTING

Stop what you're doing right now and mark Saturday April 21 in your calendar. Then mark every other Saturday after that. For this glorious day is Goodwill 50% off day and every store in the Valley of the Sun discounts everything in the store half off. (Except Christmas, Rugs, and Mattresses and snacks.)

This ritual was first for filling my closet with the most unique pieces to complement my Dead Lady Collection aka DLC. Next it was feeding my obsessive compulsive disorder to collect maps/globes and Monet prints. Now that I have have been blessed with a four bedroom house to fill this Saturday was nothing short of habit. 

By 9 am I was at my FIRST Goodwill of the day, Tempe (Rural and Guadalupe). Great for books. I bought a corner desk but after spending 20 minutes not being able to fit it in my car it was dead to me. Our next store was closer to home, Phoenix (7th Ave and Camelback). This is a newer location and I was in furniture heaven. We immediately found a vintage army green file cabinet and said sold. Then I saw out of the corner of my eye an old record table with cabinet. 

After pinning re purposed cat litter boxes (see example here), I had imagined an antique record player that I could gut and make the most elegant poop box. Now my dream was coming to life. We loaded in each piece of furntature along with some nick nacks and headed home. 

You never know the treasure you find from one man's trash. After exploring the weird section of Craig's List aka the Free Section we received a flat screen tv and entertainment console. It took a bit of gas and elbow grease but well worth it. What we have been discovering lately are estate sales and as the Finding AZ Engagement turns into a Royal Wedding we hope to find unique treasure to share. 

TRADING SPACES

My favorite show from 20 years ago finally is back on the air! Trading Spaces! I remember running home from school because the episode was on at 3pm and I had a date with my mom to watch it. Climbing into her big water, I would lay next to my mom and we would comment about the crazy decor Hildi was putting in or the amazing ideas Genevieve comes up with. Even at 8 years old I was motivated to decorate. From copying an exact IKEA showroom for my childhood bedroom to redesigning the bathroom on my Spring Break, I have always been practicing for my forever home. 

After we bought our house in Phoenix we told ourselves to take it slow and only make purchase on things we need! So needless to say it took 15 days before an IKEA trip was needed. Over this past weekend we wanted to tackle 2 rooms and with all the materials in our hands all we needed was the motivation. That is what we have each other for!

We stuck together from the first coat of paint to the last throw pillow in place. No arguing, no half ass work, no unexpected purchases. Thankful for an Ace Hardware .5 miles down the road we got to work on our sanctuary room and the podcast studio! 

I came across an amazing article that the small world of Phoenix revealed to me was photographed here locally. The Mind Body Green Article you can read here focuses on the interior design of creating a peaceful space and that exactly what I wanted our den to feel. Grounding, gratitude, energy, motivation and joy are the 5 areas of focus. 

From our rainbowed bookshelves to our record player there is a wealth of knowledge to motivate and inspire. The yoga mats and floor pillow suggest connecting with yourself and the earth. We also call this space the cartography room and you can feel the joy that surround the travel memories. 

After the Saturday project we decided to double down and work on the Podcast Studio. This was a priority because after a guest and a few intros we needed more soundproofing and aesthetics for photos. We found a gallon of paint called "Silvery Moon" and took a dare. Ask me it looks blue ask Joe it looks grey, but either way its gorgeous. After loading in art piece by art piece for the gram all our local artist's work we were ready to shut the light off on this project too! 

Now, its time to catch up on another episode of the All New Trading Spaces and envision the next room! 

MOVE IN DAY

The alarm went off at 5 am on a Friday morning and I joked with Jose, "Should we just sleep in." He laughed. It was signing day and after a long learning experience we were ready to move on to the next chapter into our forever home. 

After meeting our team at the title agency and signing our life away we proceeded to a champagne toast at 7:30 am. I'm not sure if it was the bubbly or the experience but I was feeling great! 

The moment came: keys in hand, Jose swept me off my feet and carried me into our new home. It was a perfect moment that I will remember forever. (Watch it on the gram here) Once we were in it was time to clear it out! The previous owners had history in the home that we were aware of and wanted to clean the energy in the space. New beginnings, new juju. 

T.S.P. for the walls. Fabulosa for the Floors. Every fan blade, air vent, electrical outlet and cabinet was cleaned, fixed, replaced. Sage Smudging began at 11pm on that first move in day and we new everyday after this one was ours to create in our forever home.  

Saturday was moving day with both sides of the family on deck! We had our apartment cleared out in a matter of a few hours. By lunch time we were having Subway sammys at our kitchen table in our new home. 

After lunch it was time to put on the homeownership hats and learn about the electrical system in our house. Does your home have 2 prong outlets? Need to ground them? Were qualified now! After tackling the electricity side we learned about pool maintenance and HVAC. Many trips to Ace, Loews, HomeDepot and Costco (for more vodka) in 72 hours. Many phone calls to electrician friends. Late nights turned into early mornings and after day 5 it was time to say goodbye to the Fam from San Diego and spend our first night alone in our new home.  

The buying and moving process couldn't be talked about without saying THANK YOU to everyone who had a hand in it. Whether you made us smile, offered assistance or just send your good spirits our way we appreciate you and understand the importance of people helping people. Cheers to more of that and the pool parties to celebrate it!