I did a fun and spontaneous search on etsy tonight for “summer” and this tote quickly caught my eye! La Lune Designs is based in Leavenworth, Kansas and their shop is stocked with a great assortment of bags, pendants and baby blankets.

Wondering why summer is on my mind? Well it was a beautiful sunny weekend here in Vancouver – and even though I was working the view from my window kept me smiling. But that’s not it! Both my husband and I are self-employed, meaning during our busy seasons (about 6-8 months of the year) we really put it into overdrive, so sometimes it’s tough to have time for ourselves, each other, and our friends. It’s tough but we’ve gotten used to it and for me anyways it helps me to enjoy the off-season even that much more.

Buuut I don’t think I’ve explained myself fully, and I think there’s more to this story!

Since it’s been more than a month now with no days off – we decided we should head up to Whistler (beautiful mountain town, 2 hours drive from where we live in Vancouver) in a couple weeks for a weekend getaway. Lots of relaxation, no computers, you know the drill! Now I love Whistler but we usually go there at least once or twice a year – so I figured maybe I could cook up something a bit more exciting… And I think I have!

I secretly booked us for a quick trip to La Jolla beach in California! My husband loves to surf so I think he’ll be pretty stoked when I tell him where we’re actually going. I’ve decided to let him know the day before and I know he’ll be surprised because I’m not exactly Mrs. Spontaneous! It’s a really quick trip but seeing as I have never been to California and have dreamed about it for years I’m feeling really lucky that we can go.

So lets talk surprises, I had so much fun planning this one that I think this is something I need to do for family and friends more often. I’d love to hear your stories – small and big ways you’ve surprised someone you care about!