"I believe in pink. I believe that laughing is the best calorie burner. I believe in kissing, kissing a lot. I believe in being strong when everything seems to be going wrong. I believe that happy girls are the prettiest girls. I believe that tomorrow is another day and I believe in miracles."         

                                

"I'm an introvert... I love being by myself, love being outdoors, love taking a long walk with my dogs and looking at the trees, flowers, the sky."  
                                     

"I was asked to act when I couldn't act. I was asked to sing 'Funny Face' when I couldn't sing, and dance with Fred Astaire when I couldn't dance - and do all kinds of things I wasn't prepared for. Then I tried like mad to cope with it."    

                                     
 "Paris is always a good idea."     
                                                   

                                                 

-Audrey Hepburn.

 

 "You say goodbye and I say hello, hello, hello..."

          Turned my key in and officially called it quits at my first coffee shop job! I totally embraced the barista learning experience. My love and understanding of coffee has deepened. This job gave me the opportunity to develop an entire new skill! I'm incredibly grateful. It was kinda scary deciding to let go of something that had become such a big part of my life... but I started to get too comfortable. I was ready for new challenges. A complete re-shifting of my life. So, I updated and printed out tons of resumes. I was anticipating to be on the job hunt for at least a couple weeks. Surprisingly, within 2 days of serious searching, I found a cute cafe nearby who was interested in hiring me! We took a chance on each other and I began my trail period with them. Working 2 hourly jobs is DEFINITELY a situation I'd like to avoid in the future! Don't know how people can maintain sanity while trying to juggle a full, balanced, life. Turns me into an irritable, overwhelmed, deprived, state of being. Had a few days that ended in stressful tear shed. Including moments of feeling like I couldn't physically handle the strain. Then, you stop singing the "sorry for myself" tunes. Take a huge breath and look around. Take in reality. Rationally re- approach goals. Just gotta get through and realizes how good you really have it in the meantime... instead of being bitter. I've gained so much during this time of my life. That's why I had to take pictures on my last day of work. I left some sweet touches to remember me by.... like my signature bugged eyed, flower, doodle! When the labels peel away, my memories of this special place will stick forever!(Feeling so sentimental!) But "you say 'goodbye' and I say 'hello, hello, hello' " to a new chapter. I'm so excited to discover a new balance of working and performing. Find a routine that leaves room for exercise and a social life. I'm reclaiming my time! My flexible schedule will allow me to really focus on Martinez Girlz Productions. My GRACIOUS friend gave me her old computer so... TA DA new computer for me! Meaning, I can start editing again! Watch out world, here we come!!

 

I came across this footage from the fall and I thought why not post it!  Danielle and I LOVE Veggie Grill.  Extra positive vibes to Kevin Gill for introducing us to Veggie Grill.

Cafe Danielle Teaser

It's officially Spring meaning bikini season is right around the corner! Just in time for Cafe Danielle's fitness series! We're kicking it off with spin instructor, Ben Bruker. This afternoon we met at my favorite coffee shop, sat outside in the sun, and chatted fitness. I'm super excited to share this fun fitness episode... I just HAD TO upload a YouTube teaser until full episode is available on TheMartinezGirlz.com

Eat Pray Love: BALANCE

 

I'm totally going to girl out... so deal with it! ;) A few weeks back, Shelly and I were in the mood to watch, "Eat, Pray, Love" (the movie based off the true events of Elizabeth Gilbert's journey). I find this movie very inspiring and thought provoking. Balance. Happiness. Love. Spirituality. Peace. How do you attain and manage these things? For me, this story is a reminder that in order to maintain balance, you will loose balance at times. What is balance anyways? It's not about evenly dividing life... it's more about portioning your life in a way that inspires individual joy and peace. Everyone is so different. We're all headed different directions. We are pulled towards a direction and we choose which paths to take, sometimes we share the road. We prioritize our life based on our individual perceptions of "importance." For example, In this fabulous movie, the main character, "Liz Gilbert", is conflicted because she posses a career, marriage, friends yet was still unsatisfied. Something wasn't working. According to the perspective of her married friend, Delia Shiraz... Liz was accomplishing the model of a balanced modern woman. What's considered stable for one person may lead to instability for another. We have varying ideas on what's important and the extent we should focus on it... where do we find our balance?

 

 

The story continues to unfold, revealing a sincere journey. Where people come in your life to learn lessons from, grow, or simply make connections. Doesn't necessarily mean they stick around forever. There is a point where you let go and hold on to a few. Regardless the scenarios, these relationships leave our life with more meaning.

 

I can dissect this further but we haven't even touched on the subject of TRAVEL! Traveling is so healthy for the soul's growth. Expands your perspective. I'm itching to travel. Whether it's Bollywood flicks, tasty curry dishes, or just appreciating the stunning beauty dripping from the rich culture... for COUNTLESS years I've been magnetically drawn towards INDIA. I find their art and philosophy fascinating! I will find myself there one day. I also enjoyed the scenes in this movie where Liz goes to Italy. Who wouldn't love to share a huge pasta dinner with wine and hearty Italian locals? Until I  can afford that Euro-India trip... I will continue exploring outside my comfort zone NOW. Not being afraid of loosing balance or worrisome over how I portion my time. Instead, I will focus on seeking peace and finding some balance at whatever life throws at me. Ignite the creative part of my brain that molds my responses to situations. Focusing on response, when it happens it happens... deal with it. As opposed to focusing and fixating on things before they even happen. I'd rather use that energy to take in life and run with it! IMPROVISE. We all have the right to pursue what individually brings us joy and peace. We should be understanding, supportive, and sensitive to everyone's individual journey... So, let's go for it!

 

 

 

You cant force things. Timing is everything. In saying that, the past month I've been rolling with life. Allowing myself to loose balance so I can reprioritize my life. Things are becoming normalized. I'm ready to start a new routine, nurture a new relationship, and intergrade that with what brings me joy... finding a new peaceful balance. Life is constantly renewing itself, so why shouldn't I do the same? Café Danielle has taken a brief hiatus. I've been emailing back and forth with potential guests for weeks. Finally, we are starting to lock in dates! Lots of good things on the horizon! Keep an eye out! Meanwhile, if you haven't seen, "Eat, Pray, Love", go indulge yourself! ;)

Danielle begins her search for a theatre that produces musicals.

Birthday Princess in Cartoon!

Wanted to share this cute image courtesy of @Katidoodlesmuch