Arielle Ford of La Jolla, aka the Fairy Godmother of Love, writes a new how-to

Arielle Ford

What brought you to La Jolla?
I had two great reasons to move to La Jolla in the Fall of 1994. My PR client, Deepak Chopra, had recently moved to La Jolla. I was constantly driving down from Los Angeles to work with him and he was the one who first suggested that I move here.  Also, my sister, Debbie Ford, was also new to the area and was pregnant with her son Beau and I wanted to be close to her. It was one of the easiest decisions I ever made and certainly one of the best!

What makes this area special to you?
Living in La Jolla is a dream come true.  It’s breathtakingly beautiful – the coastline, the vistas, the hills … it’s like living inside of an Impressionist painting. I also enjoy the people in my Bird Rock neighborhood, the restaurants, walking around the cove, hiking Torrey Pines, strolling the Village and walking along La Jolla Shores beach.

What might you add, subtract or improve in the area?
It would be great if we could have warmer temperatures in the evening! Additional parking in the Village would be most welcome, too.

Who or what inspires you?
That’s easy, my husband, Brian. He’s a giver, someone who is always looking for ways to make people feel loved and acknowledged.

If you hosted a dinner party for eight who (living or deceased) would you invite?
My husband Brian, Vivian Glyck, founder of www.justlikemychild.org, and her husband Mike Koenigs, two special guests for Vivian to connect with Bill Gates and Nicholas Kristof, my sister Debbie Ford and my mother Sheila Fuerst. Any chance you can make this happen?

What are your five favorite movies of all time?
I love movies and will watch just about anything that isn’t too violent and bloody.  I confess that I have a thing for stupid, funny movies. I have watched “Legally Blonde,” “Meet the Fockers,” “All of Me,” and “Beverly Hills Chihuahua” many, many times.  I am also a fan of “Shawshank Redemption” and “Somewhere In Time.”

What is your most-prized possession?
My passport.  I love to travel to exotic places. Especially India.

What do you do for fun?
Travel and fine dining are high on my list of fun activities along with tennis, reading a good murder mystery, playing solitaire on my iPad, hanging out with my husband and the cats, riding my awesome new Street Strider (a street legal elliptical bike).  Most of the time my work is a lot of fun. I love making stuff happen.

Describe your greatest accomplishment.
Co-creating my life into a life that has exceeded all my expectations. I spent a lot of my youth very depressed and I was a terrible student. I committed to many years of personal growth work to discover the keys to happiness and found them.

What is your motto?
“It’s a both/and world. It’s both the way you say it is and the way I say it is.”