Spray-tanned and nowhere to go + Friday Faves
Hi friends! Happy happy Friday. Hope you’re having a wonderful morning and have some fun events ahead. What are you up to this weekend?
Sorry for disappearing on ya yesterday. I had a blog post pretty much ready to go, but my brain wasn’t able to edit it and get everything up. There was a lot going on around here!
If you follow me on Insta or Snapchat, then you know I was getting ready for an exciting Hawaii trip. I was SO PUMPED about the trip and had been looking forward to it for the past couple of months. (When the moving insanity was at its peak, I was like, “Just make it to Hawaii! You’ll be relaxing on the beach in no time.”)
(Pic from our trip to Maui. I could already picture the luau and taste the lava flow cocktails.)
We took off to LAX early Wednesday morning, and after about 30 minutes in the air, I felt the plane descending and knew it was too early for landing. I pressed the call attendant button to ask if we were landing early, and she told me that we were going back to Tucson. I knew something was definitely off, and before I knew it, the other flight attendant was on the intercom and telling us what do to if we were instructed to “brace.” Brace. Like, brace for impact. My original flight attendant friend was walking past me with a little black important-looking bag and I asked her if we were seriously going to have to brace or if we would make it back to the airport. She assured me that we would make it back.
Needless to say, I had closed my trashy magazine, taken out my headphones, and was white-knuckling the armrests while sweating through my clothes.
I was surprisingly determined and thought to myself, if we go down, I WILL survive it.
I also thought about Meg and Kyle, because Meg had gone into labor the previous day and had a grueling 24-hour + active labor. I stayed at the hospital until 12:30am before my 4:30 wakeup, and she still hadn’t had the baby when I left.
The pilot got on the intercom and said they had an indicator issue and we would go back to Tucson, but we had too much fuel to land. So after the whole “brace” pep talk, we circled in the air for 30 minutes above Tucson until we could land.
Needless to say, it was extremely stressful, and as someone who already hates flying, it definitely wasn’t my favorite experience. I was so thankful when we were on the ground and off the plane.
I got in the line of fellow passengers to get booked onto another flight, but because the gem show in Tucson was ending, all of the flights out of Tucson were completely booked. Many of us had to wait until the plane was fixed to get the next flight to LAX. (Turns out the door was broken and didn’t seal completely so they were worried about cabin air pressure. I don’t think that warrants a brace for anything chat, but maybe it was required. It just freaked everyone out. Also, we were closer to LAX than we were to Tucson!! #thingsthatdontreallymakesense) Our plane took forever to get fixed, so our flight was delayed, then delayed again, and delayed until there were no more connecting flights to Honolulu that day.
I could have taken another flight out the next day (yesterday), but wouldn’t have made it to Hawaii until late afternoon, and would have missed most of the events they had planned. The PR company was so amazing about the situation, and offered to extend my stay for a day, but with childcare and everything, I couldn’t swing it. I was really looking forward to exploring the beautiful Aulani resort and meeting the fellow bloggers and friends who would be there. Fingers crossed I’ll get the chance to make it back.
But for now, here I am.
I ended up getting to meet my niece, Everly Jane, on her birthday.
Kyle thought I was in Hawaii, and when I knocked on their hospital door with coffees for everyone, he hugged me so hard, and I cried because I was so happy and relieved. (And so.freaking.exhausted after a long day at the airport after a mess of a travel experience.)
Sometimes things work out the way they’re supposed to.
(My mom got me “You lived!” flowers. She’s the best.)
I took the day away from the computer yesterday, and enjoyed playing with the girls, and making coffee and food runs to the hospital. I got to hear the birth story details, have been able to snuggle with Everly, and watched two people I love so much become parents. They make an amazing team.
I’m hoping I got my one freak flight experience out of the way. Right?! And if you see me around Tucson this weekend, I’ll be rocking my new Hawaii tropical outfits and a spray tan because it’s like 80-something degrees.
(Need a reason to wear this hat now.)
And now, some faves from the week and around the web, because Friday.
My friends at Drybar sent me some of the new Double Standard to try, and it is amaaaazing. It’s shampoo and conditioner in one, which made me initially skeptical. My hair is a thick, unruly mane, and to think that something could clean and moisturize in one fell swoop sounded like pure wizardry. But, IT DOES. My hair feels clean and super soft afterwards, and it smells beautiful. I toss it in my gym bag and can take a quick shower before heading home.
All of the book recommendations in this post.
These goofballs playing the keyboard together. Our piano is in Georgia, but my mom had this keyboard from when I was in middle school and dropped it off.
Ordered the easy piano version of Hamilton and am plucking my way through “Dear Theodosia.”
Winter Shape Up check-ins!! Newsletter friends: I’ll have Week 3 details to you today, and everything will be up on the blog this week. I’m excited that Nekter Juice Bar is on board as a sponsor, along with the other sponsors you can see on the main page.
Happy Friday, friends!
xoxo
Gina
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That sounds like a stressful flight. But so cool that you got to meet Everly! I also LOVE that name! Best wishes to their family.
Silver lining? The high today is 87. Poolside margaritas in February never tasted so good! Glad you landed safely!
Oh my goodness! This happened to me once on my way to Singapore and my boyfriend was meeting me there from China and because he was overseas, I had no way of communicating with him all the delays. Luckily, everything worked out a day later and I was able to get in touch with him but YEAH airports and traveling can be a real pain. I used to fly out of Tucson every week as a consultant, and I have to say that airport has more plane issues than any other I’ve flow in/out of.
yes! i’ve always had weird delays out of tucson
WOW!! How scary. I guess it wasn’t in the cards for you to go…. I’m glad you are safe and with your brother, wife & new niece.
xo
thank you <3
So sorry to hear about this, Gina! I know you were looking forward to that. But at least you had the spray tan for your first picture with your niece! What a scary flight experience too. 🙁 Hope your weekend is a good one, friend!
yeah i was pretty bummed to miss it.
thank you! she is amazing <3
hope you had a great weekend!
That is so scary, I’m glad you’re okay! I love the name Everly, what a beautiful baby 🙂
thank you! yes, i love her name so much!
OH MY GOD… that must have been extremely stressful. After something like that, I think I would’ve decided to just go back home.
Thank God you’re OK and nothing happened!
it was pretty gnarly.
thank you <3 so glad it's over!
Very happy for you that nothing crazier happened with the flight AND you got to cuddle a sweet newborn! Loved the bad yogi video, I admit I am guilty of some of those sayings haha! Terrible!
haha i say “the universe” ALL THE TIME
“Spray tanned and nowhere to go” is an amazing blog post title, lol. So glad you are okay!! xo
thank you <3
Oh. My. Gosh. I would have had a serious panic attack. I was on an international flight with serious turbulence once… I thought we were literally dropping out of the sky. My then 2 year old was next to me giggling like we were on a ride at Disney World. I know what you mean about sweating through your clothes! I about kissed the ground when we landed!
i seriously had to pep talk myself into staying calm.
So sorry that your trip fell thru & that you had such a miserable “travel” experience! 🙁 Way to turn lemons into lemonade though! Congrats on your new niece & congrats to Kyle & Meg! I bet that sucked having to leave the hospital before she arrived thinking you wouldn’t get to see her ’til you got back. Have a wonderful wknd!
thank you <3 you're so right. i probably would have cried at least once in hawaii thinking she was here and i didn't get to meet her yet
How frightening AND disappointing for you But I agree… everything works out the way it should and what a story you have for your sweet niece some day!
right?! that is so true <3
Oh no! How scary! I don’t blame you for being so nervous. Thank goodness everything was OK. Hopefully you get to go back to HI soon! That sounds like an amazing trip. Congrats to Kyle & Meg — she’s beautiful!
thank you! i was super bummed to miss the trip
OMG. Terrifying. I am such a nervous flyer. Every weird sound or turbulence and I am convince I am going to die. Not fun.
SAME. i was like why is this happening/!?!?!?!
So glad you are safe!! ??????Babies…congrats onyour beautiful new niece! Question do you two 1or 2 scoops of collagen me 1 or 2 times per day? Thanks so much!
Ava
i do 2 a day, either in my afternoon coffee or tea
How scary!! Glad you’re ok!!!
thank you! <3
your flight story is terrifying. i am so sorry that happened to you but so glad you are safe. biggest congrats to kyle and meg on that sweet baby girl! have a lovely weekend. xx
it was the worst, but everything worked out. thank you! hope you had a great weekend <3
Ahh shoot, sorry about your trip! I’m glad you all landed safely, and I agree the brace for impact comment was a bit unnecessary, lol. That would have scared the crap out of me!
thank you. and yes! it was so terrifying
Glad you are safe and that Everly arrived safely. Congrats to the new parents!!
This is beautiful! Hawaii will always be there! You are with your heart and that is where you are suppose to be! P.S. Glad you lived! lol
that is so true. hahah! i was like, “mom, you got me ‘you didn’t die’ flowers. i love them.”
Literally terrifying.
I was so confused wondering why your husband wasn’t calming your fears and why you didn’t mention the kids. I didn’t know you were going to Hawaii alone on some blog mission. I thought I missed a post but doesn’t look like it. I’m glad it wasn’t a whole family vacation spoiled! That’s pretty scary.