bell jars and butterflies

nursery

2010-10-31T21:17:00.001-07:00

So we're getting closer to being done with our old walk-in closet turned Rowan's nursery... and its finally starting to feel like a cozy little space. Here is the entrance thus far. Eventually to the right will be the crib and to the left, a rocking chair... and that's about it :)

Oh the difference a year can make...

2010-10-27T09:35:00.000-07:00

Last year around this time... I was busy making my Halloween costume, fussing about how to best make my peacock mask and tail feathers, whether or not Mark was going to wear a wig or rock his actual long duds to be the most authentic Dog The Bounty Hunter possible, and where the most hoppin' place would be, out on the town, come Oct. 31st.

THIS YEAR... I am busy creating a nursery (in our tiny one bedroom condo... its been interesting), washing and folding baby clothes, and deciding on the best location for the birthing tub in our place, come Rowan's birth day (which may just be Oct. 31st... if we're lucky).
I absolutely LOVE this time of year... especially this year. We've had so much sun making all the fall colors stand out beautifully and with the anticipation of Rowan's arrival it just feels so electric and exciting.

Yesterday I met with one of my very best friends for coffee and a stroll around the streets of Hawthorne. In one of my favorite shops, while she was busy picking out ribbon for her beautiful bookmarks, I was in the card section picking out possible pictures for Rowan's wall above his crib. I haven't been terribly inspired by anything yet for his tiny room and yesterday while perusing the cards... I fell in love with a few that I just had to have. The cards depict Mark's love for architecture and my love for medicine in a whimsical way, so I thought they'd be fitting for over our little one's crib and not too babyish.

So, last night I put them into frames and am really pleased with how they turned out.... here's a little preview of a couple things we're working on... Hopefully we can get it all organized before he arrives... we'll see!

framed cards

some eclectic knobs for the three drawer dresser Mark is just finishing staining

and any guesses what my plans are for this??

knitted wishes

2010-10-22T16:59:00.000-07:00

As the due date approaches... I find myself wishing I had had more time to knit some goodies for Rowan... Luckily I have a crafty older sister who made me an amazing owl blanket, some adorable burp cloths and a fun stuffed owl, as well as an amazing friend who made some lovely bibs... so he'll have a few handmade items to cherish. Maybe someday I'll get brave and attempt a knitting project like one of these....

...an adorable scarf or a hat like these from Oeuf

or how about an awesome blanket, stool cover or hangers like these from wood & wool stool

I think I'll start with a hanger... seems doable no?

38 weeks and counting

2010-10-22T16:49:00.001-07:00

So, the pictures are slightly blurry, but its pretty clear that my tummy is growing at a rather rapid rate at this point! We are nesting to the n'th degree and feel like he's coming soon....

Bigger by the day...

2010-09-30T19:29:00.000-07:00

I officially have quite the belly now... I'm almost 35 weeks along and I can't really imagine Rowan (and I) will continue to grow for another month (or more)!! Its getting interesting! We're definitely in "nesting" mode these days... getting organized. We can't wait to see his little face!

15 wks

21 weeks

29 wks

34.5 wks

2010-09-24T17:43:00.000-07:00

This picture made my day... Licia Ronzulli, Italian MEP, attended the plenary session of the European Parliament in Strasbourg WITH her newborn baby girl this week. As she should :)

read about it here

first hiccups

2010-09-09T09:54:00.001-07:00

So, I woke up early this morning to what felt like little rhythmic kicks in my lower abdomen. I knew this is where Rowan's head and arms are so I was really curious as to why he was punching me in rhythm.... I then felt for his back (he is really easy for me to feel as I am totally carrying out front) which was also moving in rhythm... hmm. I got a little worried/confused... until I realized... could he have hiccups?! Apparently its actually a really common thing for babies to have hiccups in the womb... how cute is that... little baby hiccups?! I can't wait to actually see him hiccup and not just feel it!

photo

nursery inspirations....

2010-09-08T09:49:00.001-07:00

Love these wooden shelves and wall decals

these fun mobiles for above the bassinet/crib...

and this pillow for our bed or the rocking chair...

2010-09-07T14:43:00.000-07:00

I can hear his heartbeat for a thousand miles
And the heavens open every time he smiles
And when I come to him that's where I belong
Yet I'm running to him like a river's song

He give me love, love, love, love, crazy love
He give me love, love, love, love, crazy love

He's got a fine sense of humor when I'm feeling low down
And when I come to him when the sun goes down
Take away my trouble, take away my grief
Take away my heartache, in the night like a thief

Yes I need him in the daytime
Yes I need him in the night
Yes I want to throw my arms around him
Kiss him hug him kiss him hug him tight

And when I'm returning from so far away
He gives me some sweet lovin' brighten up my day
Yes it makes me righteous, yes it makes me feel whole
Yes it makes me mellow down in to my soul

He give me love, love, love, love, crazy love
He give me love, love, love, love, crazy love

Photos by Steve Schmidt

Time flies when you're having fun...

2010-08-27T19:32:00.000-07:00

Just about 30 weeks along and counting...

He's going to be here before we know it!!

summer reading

2010-07-07T08:59:00.000-07:00

I've decided I need to read some of Rainer Maria Rilke's work this summer. I've come across a few beautiful quotes by him lately and am needing to make a trip to Powell's to grab some of his books...

Be patient toward all that is unsolved in your heart and try to love the questions themselves, like locked rooms and like books that are now written in a very foreign tongue. Do not now seek the answers, which cannot be given you because you would not be able to live them. And the point is, to live everything. Live the questions now. Perhaps you will then gradually, without noticing it, live along some distant day into the answer.

Perhaps all the dragons in our lives are princesses who are only waiting to see us act, just once, with beauty and courage. Perhaps everything that frightens us is, in its deepest essence, something helpless that wants our love.

photos: hotairballoon and boy

music

2010-05-02T10:05:00.000-07:00

So, we all have that one song that is our all time favorite song... right? You never get sick of it no matter how many times you hear it... whatever emotional state you're in when it comes on, it simply amplifies it ten times over.
For me that song is "hallelujah" sung by jeff buckley (originally done by leonard cohen). My reason for bringing this up is that mark and I have recently been discussing what song we want to playing when I "walk down the aisle" and we actually both thought of this one... We have a string quartet playing the ceremony and are thinking about asking them to play a version of this... any thoughts?

or another option.... this song but done by the string quartet of course (although who doesn't love regina's version?)

registry fun

2010-04-06T15:29:00.000-07:00

so mark and I recently attempted to start our wedding registry... after many glass and sterling silver items later I'm starting to wish we could add a little more fun to it all. Granted its all things that we need and want, but wouldn't it be fun to also throw some items like this on there?

these adorable knobs from f is for frank

snout cups seen here

and these fun plates from sonnyboutique

a little inspiration

2010-04-03T15:55:00.000-07:00

I've been needing some positive reinforement lately... this one made me smile

from here

babies

2010-03-21T18:26:00.000-07:00

check out this new documentary... figured it was fitting :)

imagination realized

2010-03-14T07:10:00.000-07:00

how awesome is yeondoo jung?! he recreates childrens' art work and photographs it.... so
whimsical... I love it.

pretty

2010-03-06T07:44:00.000-08:00

images found via {ritzy bee blog}

stop motion... love it

2010-03-05T12:09:00.000-08:00

now... who wants to go see alice in wonderland? :)

2010-03-05T07:38:00.000-08:00

loving all the early blooms this year... its going to be sunny this weekend... time for a hike!

photo via flicker

engagement pics... round one

2010-03-02T15:38:00.000-08:00

last weekend mark and I went up to the nisqually national wildlife refuge where mark's brother, steve, took some pictures of us for our "save the date" postcard which we need to get in the mail asap... despite the rain and enormous gusts of wind we managed to have some fun out there...

so we're thinking this last one for our "save the date" postcards. stay tuned for round two... coming soon :)

all pictures taken by steve schmidt

2010-02-28T15:28:00.000-08:00

via: Jeannie Lynn Paske

shadows and rainbows

2010-02-08T10:22:00.000-08:00

this photographer's pictures are so much fun! mark and I are needing to get our engagement photos done soon... just takin some notes :)

(photos by Brion Hopkins)

study breaks...

2010-02-06T09:55:00.000-08:00

so although I have to study this weekend for midterms... I am looking at doing a few crafts when I need to take a break and exercise my right brain. here are two that I am excited about trying...

fabric garland (via oncewed)

and these gorgeous velvet headbands (via projectwedding)

books, books, books...

2010-02-05T16:54:00.000-08:00

so mark and I are talking about building ceiling to floor built-in bookshelves in the little "nook" we have that currently is a mini office/storage area... I've ALWAYS wanted a wall of books so can't wait for mark to design something :)

a modern look

rainbow books

diagonal lines

a staircase bookshelf!

words of wisdom

2010-02-02T17:35:00.000-08:00

Here is a relationship booster

that is guaranteed to
work:

Every time your spouse or lover says something stupid
make your eyes light up as if you

just heard something

brilliant.

-Rumi

Funny huh? Mark and I have been raising our eyebrows all day at one another after reading this poem... thought I'd share it since it gave us such a laugh.

flickr

sunday mornings

2010-01-31T09:21:00.000-08:00

sitting here this morning, studying with my cup of tea... there are glimpses of sunshine through the trees

goodbye january. hello february. t minus 48 days til spring!

teacup; flower

friday night fun...

2010-01-29T19:46:00.000-08:00

here's what I came up with this evening... managed to make a pretty cute pair of shoes clips with some vintage clip-on earrings I found at goodwill, a little piece of swiss dot tulle and feathers...

and without the tulle...

and a fun little silk flower clip...

queen anne's lace

2010-01-25T17:20:00.001-08:00

such a lovely "weed"...

queen anne's lace

hemp bag

clutch

felt bowl

a little project

2010-01-24T20:18:00.000-08:00

Not sure why... but I'm loving stripes lately

flickr

I really want this sweater from anthropologie...

but I refuse to spend that amount of money on one item of clothing... so I've decided to keep my eye out for a cute striped sweater... then I'll make my way to the craft store and buy some fancy buttons and lace to doctor it up and make it look like the one from anthro... think I can do it? Well... I'm gonna try :)

a few good movies...

2010-01-23T08:07:00.000-08:00

mark and I have watched a couple of good movies lately worth mentioning in case your on the lookout for a good rental:

500 Days of Summer: my kind of romantic comedy... it could be because mark and I have crushes on both the main actor and actress, or maybe it's their outfits throughout the film, or the awesome soundtrack... whatever the case its a good one.

Whatever works: Woody Allen directs and Larry David (writer for Seinfeld) stars in this hilarious dark(ish) comedy! Its definitely a Woody Allen film so it's almost more like watching a play than a movie, but I've come to love that about his films... and I can't help but chuckle to myself any time Larry David is onscreen... he doesn't even have to say anything, his mannerism say it all :)

Humpday: Now this one may not be for everyone... it is definitely an independent film, but not in a bad way... Again, I'm a sucker for the lead actor, Mark Duplass. I've loved all the movies I've seen of his. And this one did not disappoint! It seems so wrong in so many ways, but ends up being absolutely hysterical... if you're willing to put up with the lower budget camera shots, its totally worth it! Gives the term "bromance" a whole new meaning :)

And lastly... a documentary of course :) The White Diamond. Directed by the amazing Werner Herzog. This is a beautiful film in so many ways...

vintage tins and flowers

2010-01-22T06:16:00.000-08:00

I have recently been hitting up the Goodwill superstore by my house on a very regular basis, collecting antique silver containers to use as centerpieces at our wedding this summer... and in the process I've come across some awesome finds!

Last night I got a pair of like-new skinny black Paige jeans that fit like a glove for less than $20.00, a gorgeous strand of vintage Ralph Lauren pearls, a polaroid camera in perfect working condition and the list continues. I honestly have more fun in that store than I ever have in any department store... you just never know what treasure you will come across.

I actually found an old tea tin from the original campus of my school, NCNM, with the dandelion tea recipe and dosage information still attached to the top of the tin! I picked up the tin because it had a really cool pattern to it and when I read the faded label on the top... I couldn't believe what I had found. It has to be at least 40+ years old... I can't help but wonder who it came from and what all its seen.

Bringing me to my last point, I love the look of antique tins as vases... think I might be keeping my eye out for other tins in the future...

Treasure hunting... never gets old :)

tea tins

weekend plans...

2010-01-16T06:10:00.001-08:00

off for some much needed R & R at the rainy Oregon coast... lookin forward to it :)

image from flickr

fun little earrings from etsy

wedding planning

2010-01-12T13:00:00.000-08:00

location? check.
dress? check.
shoes? check...

they just arrived in the mail today and... are they rad or what?! So, I wanted something with a bit of sparkle, an overall vintage feel and have the look of a heel but not the added height... so, I found them and can now envy them for months to come until the big day :)

The other thing I love about these shoes is their art deco inspired style... which I know Mark will appreciate more than probably anyone realizes :) Love 'em :)

a kindled fire...

2010-01-12T10:09:00.000-08:00

Mark and I recently reorganized our front room (switching up the furniture and whatnot) and in the process, I realized that together we have way too many books... well actually you can never have too many books... but, rather we don't have enough space to store all our books. Someday I'd love to have a room with floor to ceiling book shelves, but that day is quite a ways off so I decided to go through them and choose some books to take to Powell's for buy back.

There were novels I've read and don't wish to read again, books I bought for a specific class and read the three required chapters only etc. And then there were books I had totally forgotten I'd read... it was like coming across an old friend or a memory of a specific time period in my life. Flipping through the book and rereading the underlined sections or dogeared pages was like looking back at a journal of my life... it was wonderful. Needless to say I didn't collect as many books as I would of liked to take to Powell's, but I cleared out a few piles.

This renewed appreciation of the books on my shelves brings me to this new trend of the electronic Kindle, which is essentially an electronic book. I guess you can get many different books on this one handheld device. I understand that this would be convenient during travel and ultimately saves valuable resources, but the thought of reading a book electronically seems so sterile and just sad to me.

One of the things I love most about books is the way they feel and smell. Not to mention the display of them can be a comfort and piece of art in itself. With everything else in the world converting to convenient electronic devices, I want books to be left alone.... what will happen to all the bookstores in the world? Or libraries?! Will they end up like the dwindling record and CD stores? No one buys CDs anymore, because its all accessible via our portable electronic devices. It may seem extreme, but when I heard about Kindle I couldn't help but have mental images of book burning and cencorship from Fahrenheit 451. Anyone else feel similarly?

Let books be your dining table
And you shall be full of delights
Let them be your mattress
And you shall sleep restful nights
-Author unknown

picture

too freakin cute

2009-12-30T11:27:00.001-08:00

I know these clothes are for five year olds, but I would totally rock any and all of these adorable outfits from talc...

yes it's monday...

2009-12-28T09:19:00.000-08:00

but a beautiful crisp and sunny winter day... saw this picture and it made me smile. Hope it does the same for you. Time to start posting again!

upon request...

2009-11-19T19:55:00.000-08:00

I forgot to post a picture of mark from halloween... you know as Dog the Bounty Hunter. Well, here he is in all his glory. Unfortunately, this picture doesn't show the sweet cowboy boots, and his badge hanging around his neck is a bit obscured by his feathers... but you get the idea right? He did win "best costume" at the kennedy school halloween party by the way... I'm just saying; it was a pretty good costume, eh bra?

Yep that's a tiger on his shirt... its on the back as well. Oh and YES that IS his real hair :) What a stud!

brave on the rocks...

2009-11-18T08:42:00.000-08:00

For years, I have absolutely loved Sabrina Ward Harrison's work... check out her site. Her books would make an awesome Christmas gift for anyone needing to nurture their creativity, and let's face it... that's pretty much all of us... with the exception of maybe you, Erin :)

new endeavors...

2009-11-17T13:55:00.000-08:00

so, I've recently started a new, naturopathically focused, blog that I'm excited to share with anyone who's interested. I've been wanting to start a "professional" blog of sorts that I can eventually refer patients to for resources etc. Its definitely a work in progress at this point, but I'm excited about it. Hope you all are enjoying the little bits of sunshine out there today :)

image via flickr

beauty

2009-11-13T12:53:00.000-08:00

its a been awhile since my last post... maybe its the rainy weather, my to do list or school work; whatever the case, I just haven't been inspired... and then I saw these pictures. The beautiful expressions captured here immediately force me out of my head and fully into my body... primates, apes in particular, have a way of doing that to me. They are often more human than the majority of us...

and my favorite...

images via flickr

going gluten-free

2009-10-28T08:33:00.000-07:00

so mark and I recently decided we wanted to try and go totally wheat/gluten free. There are many reasons for this, of which I'll probably discuss in a later post... Anyways yesterday was our first day of it and I don't think Mark even noticed a difference... he's in the middle of his midterm studio project, so I've been doing all the cooking and here's what we had:

Breakfast: apple gouda sausages, eggs and orange slices
Lunch: a salad with all the fixings
Dinner: beef enchiladas with organic teff tortillas... SO good!
Snacks: fruit and homemade gluten-free banana, walnut, chocolate chip cookies (made with Pamala's gluten-free baking mix which is awesome by the way)

Off to make some gluten-free oatmeal with apples and cinnamon :)

welcome distractions

2009-10-26T20:20:00.000-07:00

there's something about having a paper due and/or needing to study for a midterm that always seems to prompt a peruse through the bookshelf for a reading break that's "just for fun". I often find myself pulled to Annie Dillard when I'm feeling far too left-brained, but tonight I reached for The Dogs of Babel by Carolyn Parkhurst. Thought I'd share an excerpt that I had underlined...

The conclusion I have reached is that, above all, dogs are witnesses. They are allowed access to our most private moments. They are there when we think we are alone. Think of what they could tell us. They sit on the laps of presidents. They see acts of love and violence, quarrels and feuds, and the secret play of children. If they could tell us everything they have seen, all of the gaps of our lives would stitch themselves together.

a picture of my lil witness, Aesop

a lil bit of nostalgia

2009-10-26T15:58:00.000-07:00

I recently was admiring these adorable vintage storybook tiles from theredthread, and thought it would be fun to make a couple of them myself... maybe as a christmas gift?
Anyways this got me to thinking about my favorite storybooks as a child. And, I remembered one that my little sister literally had memorized and insisted on "reading" to us (over and over again) before she could actually read. It was entitled Patrick Eats His Dinner by Geoffrey Hayes and was a cute story about a little koala or some kind of bear who didn't want to eat his peas so he made up a song, "little green balls of mushy poison.." etc. Mention it to anyone in my family and they'd be able to recite the whole thing, that's how many times we've all read the book (or had it "read" to us).
So anyways, I thought I'd see if I could find it on amazon.com for a couple bucks and make a tile or two for Cailin for christmas... fun gift right? HA! Can you believe that little book is going for $780+ on amazon?!! Apparently its out of print... but seriously?! I'm sure my mom still has a copy of it at home... little does she know she's sitting on a gold mine :)... maybe I could make some good quality photocopies and still make the tiles. Or maybe I'll have to find another kid favorite... jeeze, cailin and her expensive tastes ;)
What's one of your favorite storybooks from childhood? Amelia Bedelia? Flutterby? Frog and Toad?

movie night

2009-10-25T17:22:00.000-07:00

with this gloomier fall weather... all I want to do is curl up with a big bowl of homemade popcorn and watch movies. One movie that I've recently watched and loved is Dancer in the Dark. Its one of the most hauntingly beautiful films I've ever seen... honestly

beef... its whats for dinner

2009-10-25T10:42:00.001-07:00

so, I recently picked up 40 lbs of frozen organic grass-fed ground beef that I can't wait to make hamburgers, stuffed eggplant, chili, tacos etc. with... we got an awesome deal from wooden bridge farm and all the proceeds went directly to their daughter who is saving up for college. I am obviously going to divvy it up and give some to my sisters and parents, as mark and I probably won't devour all 40 lbs in a couple months time. But, I have to say as someone who used to be vegetarian for years... it feels really good to be able to buy local, organic, humanely raised beef directly from a great family. We are so lucky, in the northwest, to be surrounded by organic farms, home delivery services, farmers markets, and new seasons stores. Anyone have any good ground beef recipes? Anyone want to come over for dinner? Mark makes an AMAZING chili :)photo from flickr

crisis diverted

2009-10-24T09:58:00.000-07:00

so... after finding some inexpensive pheasant and peacock feathers at a fabric store, last night I went about making my peacock costume. I also made a mask for my costume which was way easy and cheap... I just used scrapbooking paper, some leftover gemstones I got for Em's bachelorette party decor and some ribbon. I used these awesome masks by ccaspia as inspiration.

stay tuned for mark's costume... a hawaiian style shirt with a large tiger on the front, fake black oakleys with long pieces of leather that I glued feathers to, black fingerless leather gloves, hand cuffs, a silver badge to be worn on a chain around his neck, cowboy boots (he already had these from last years costume), black jeans (his own), a tribal style bracelet for his bicep, a fake 9mm pistol strapped to his leg, and last and most importantly hairspray and a teasing comb (keep in mind he has long hair) Any ideas what he's going to be?? Oh how I LOVE Halloween!!

costume crisis

2009-10-22T14:53:00.000-07:00

so, the feathers for my peacock costume still have yet to come in the mail (even though I ordered them over three weeks ago) thus I'm left scrounging for a costume (as always) for a halloween party that I'm going to this weekend. If I had a little more time... I'd want to get all dolled up in marie antoinette style attire... then I'd have a reason to buy a pair of these...

adorable shoes

or this cute vintage slip dress

But instead I'm left with an entirely blue outfit with a fan attached to the butt (where the feathers were supposed to attach) and no peacock feathers to speak of... So, now what? Grab some drum sticks and go as a member of the blue man group?? Ah, or break down and try to find overpriced peacock feathers at a fabric store around town?? Tried that, and the one store I went to was out due to high demand... apparently the whole peacock idea isn't terribly original :)
The good news: I think mark has some drum sticks :) The bad news: I just looked up a picture of the blue man group and they wear all black with blue painted faces... well white sheet and two holes here I come!

need music to clean the house to?

2009-10-15T10:13:00.000-07:00

grab your feather duster... and turn on All is Love, from Where the Wild Things Are soundtrack or really any of the songs from Karen O and The Kids... they'll make anything more fun :)
Yay! it comes out tomorrow!

the invisible man

2009-10-15T09:55:00.000-07:00

so I recently stumbled across a picture of Liu Bolin, from Shandong, China and was totally amazed. He manages to camouflage into any surrounding by painting himself. Even more fascinating is that his art is a protest against the actions of the government, who apparently shut down his art studio in 2005 and continues to persecute artists. His photos are about not fitting into modern society...

my idea of a fun friday night

2009-10-09T21:11:00.001-07:00

okay so although I am still totally planning on having a tutu making get together (no worries Cass)... I had to give it a try tonight because I needed a gift for my friend, Amanda's, lil girl who's 1st birthday party is tomorrow. Here's how it turned out...I'm actually pretty proud of myself... not only is the tutu adorable, but this whole gift cost me less than $11.00 total!! Two sale items from old navy and the tutu, which cost a whopping $2.96 in tulle and about $0.50 in ribbon. Rad huh?! The tulle is on sale right now at Joann's for $0.74/yard. If anyone doesn't know what to be for Halloween yet, you may just want to incorporate a tutu into your ensemble... I think I might... I really need an excuse to make one for myself :)

who doesn't love a tutu?

2009-10-09T10:22:00.001-07:00

so, I've decided to make tutus for my nieces this christmas. Cheap to make, light and easy to ship across the country, and come on every little girl needs a tutu or two :). So, Cassie wanna make one for Brooklynn with me? Come on Emily, I know you want to make one for yourself :) Anyone else? Let me know... it'll be fun!

photo by Jen Gagliardi

terrariums

2009-10-08T08:21:00.000-07:00

so, I found two awesome glass containers the other day at goodwill for a little over a buck a piece and am totally going to make a terrarium... I'm going to go looking for moss under the big trees around my house and then probably put a little buddha statue inside or something. My Dad's birthday is coming up so he may be getting a terrarium... seems fitting for an environmental lawyer don't ya think?

mushroom terrarium

and these two from weegreenspot

spontaneous sundays

2009-10-04T19:35:00.000-07:00

today was a great day of random findings... after a wonderfully long morning of lying in bed chatting with Mark, I went to a goodwill near our place and found the most beautiful antique lamp for our bedroom, an awesome colorful tin, a really cute teapot, and a pretty flowery blouse. Then Mark and I ventured out for a drive, randomly ending up at the Grotto which was gorgeous in the afternoon sun, and then wandered around on Hawthorne, eating at the Bridgeport ale house and stopping by the Buffalo exchange where we both came across some good finds. I finished the afternoon off with a big pot of tea and studied for my test tomorrow morning. I love lazy weekends :)

RozArt painting

shades of jade

2009-10-03T14:56:00.000-07:00

here's a new necklace I just made this afternoon from two different jade gemstones... if I had a harvest moon party to go to tonight this is what I'd wear :) hmm... maybe I'll have to plan something

something sweet...

2009-10-01T11:57:00.000-07:00

how cute is this?

who says?

2009-09-30T05:43:00.000-07:00

Have you seen that commercial for the birth control pill called Seasonique, which "allows" you to only have four periods a year? Their ad campaign going a little something like this, "Who says you have to have 12 periods a year... who says?" Really?! Really?!! I am constantly amazed at how out of touch we are, as a society, with our bodies, but this is more than I can handle.

These days, women seem to be so removed from what it is that makes us women. I am all for breaking through the glass ceiling, but there are certain things that we need to embrace as women, including our menstrual cycles. And who says? Well, mother nature for one, or how about the innate intelligence of our bodies, developed over millions of years of evolution? Our bodies' intelligence truly goes beyond what we can comprehend... and yet we continue to suppress its actions on a daily basis. We have drugs to take away the pain, and much of the experience, of childbirth, formulas so we don't have to breast feed our children, and now pills so we don't have to menstruate? Something isn't right here.

I recently had a conversation with a friend of mine who had a baby a few months ago and while on vacation in San Francisco, of all places, was scalded for breastfeeding her child in public. She was completely covered, and knowing her, being very tasteful about the whole process, but a woman decided it was rude of my friend to do something like that in front of her boyfriend and clearly stated her opinion. Is our culture so preoccupied with the sexual nature of breasts that we've completely forgotten their purpose; to give sustenance to our children?

I realize as women, we have long been fighting for equality, and I certainly do not take that for granted. But why must this entail losing everything that makes us women? We have spent decades suppressing our femininity, which in my opinion holds a great deal of power and wisdom. We cycle in sync with the moon, we bring human life into this world, our bodies producing the milk that sustains and nurtures that life... I am woman, hear me roar :)

art by Leah Piken Kolidas

thinking ahead...

2009-09-28T10:11:00.000-07:00

so, I know its early, but I've started thinking of ideas for christmas gifts this year. I have NO money this year due to cut backs on my student loans, so I'm thinking of making as many gifts as possible... here are a couple ideas that look like fun

wool wrapped bangles by mysticfibers

connect the dot pillows
needle felted goodies for my neices

gems

2009-09-27T19:27:00.000-07:00

so I recently perused through the gorgeous jewelry at Twist and decided I'm going to attempt to make a few necklaces myself... I seem to be on a necklace kick these days. Anyways, I bought some single gemstone briolettes on etsy and am using these as inspiration...

margaret solow

fatima maria

I'll keep ya updated on how they turn out...

a little something I had fun with today

2009-09-24T20:07:00.000-07:00

so I came home from a long day at school and felt the need to make something. I needed some right brain stimulation... and this is what I came up with; a crocheted necklace of sorts. It seriously took less than a half hour to make and it turned out pretty darn cute considering I wasn't exactly sure where I was going with it. I think I'll have to get some thinner yarn and make a few more...

tomorrow is the autumnal equinox...

2009-09-21T12:54:00.000-07:00

hydraheart

almostsunday

waysideviolet

black bird fly

2009-09-10T19:51:00.000-07:00

how awesome is this camera? and with a name like black bird fly?

image from Brian Hopkins

one more reason to go to france...

2009-09-09T08:18:00.000-07:00

...the lorraine mondial air balloon festival

pictures from here

"the balloon seems to stand still in the air while the earth flies past underneath." -Alberto Santos Dumont

which brings me to a photographer on etsy: ravencolours

and lastly a video, which similar to hot air balloons, makes me smile. (music by jose gonzalez)

diamonds are a girl's best friend?

2009-09-06T11:11:00.000-07:00

...hmm maybe. but, why not add a little color... or better yet raw diamonds? check out these stunning rings from one of my favorite stores twist. gorgeous.

the last two are from my favorite designer, todd reed, who works primarily with raw diamonds and recycled gold. ahhhh someday :)

welcoming the harvest moon

2009-09-06T09:29:00.000-07:00

earrings by alibli

picture by gogokorogiannou

 

ring by littlellama

If you cry because you miss the sun, your tears will not let you see the moon.
-african proverb

awesome local artist

2009-09-05T08:14:00.000-07:00

absolutely in love with this artist and photographer; Kelty

the little things

2009-09-05T07:21:00.000-07:00

do you ever have those moments where someone is talking to you, and all of a sudden you feel like you're looking at them as if it were the first time you had met? Its as if the many little things you take for granted day in and day out just, all at once, take your breath away. Well, that happened to me last night while laying in bed talking with Mark. Maybe its because he's been working a lot and we haven't hung out as much or because his hair was down, which he rarely does (and I love). Either way, as he was telling a story, I couldn't help but smile to myself thinking, "wow, how lucky am I?" And at that moment I interrupted him and told him to wait right where he was... I ran to grab the camera and capture what I was seeing/feeling. He thought I was a total goof, but I absolutely love the pictures I got...

I do not love you as if you were salt-rose, or topaz, or the arrow of carnations the fire shoots off. I love you as certain dark things are to be loved, in secret, between the shadow and the soul.

I love you as the plant that never blooms but carries in itself the light of hidden flowers; thanks to your love a certain solid fragrance, risen from the earth, lives darkly in my body.

I love you without knowing how, or when, or from where. I love you straightforwardly, without complexities or pride; so I love you because I know no other way than this

Where “I” does not exist, nor “You”, so close that your hand on my chest is my hand, so close that your eyes close as I fall asleep.
-Pablo Neruda

date night

2009-09-02T14:59:00.000-07:00

a checklist for this evening:

1) my new shirt and a little make up
2) an oversized purse filled with travel containers carrying a cheap bottle of wine and plenty of snacks
3) mark, of course
4) discount movie tickets to 500 days of summer at the Moreland theatre
5) an evening walk... while still a little tipsy... to our favorite frozen yogurt shop across the street, Tart

looking forward to it!

care of the soul

2009-09-02T13:24:00.000-07:00

So my summer is quickly (and regretfully) coming to a close.... I woke up nice and early this morning and began my "To Do" list, hoping to get as much done as possible today. I did really well this morning, running errands, going to the bank etc, and so decided to reward myself with a reading break. I picked up our new book club book, Care of The Soul, which I have been wanting to read for months now. A few pages in, I glanced over at my list and decided to write in capital letters, "CARE OF MY SOUL" with a wonderful empty box next to it just waiting to be checked. So, needless to say I am spending this afternoon, hard at work doing just that. I may or may not get it checked off by today :)

caring for my soul thus far consists of:
1. making myself a pot of my favorite loose leaf tea
2. listening to my "Bon Iver radio" station on pandor a.com
3. picking a few of my favorite reads from off the bookshelf and re-reading passages I marked. Some particular favorites; The Prophet, any and all of Annie Dillard's books, The Witch of Portobello, The Fourfold Path to Healing, The Dogs of Babel, Aesop's Fables, Chinese Philosophy.
4. browsing Etsy.com for fun finds
5. blogging

here's one of my absolute favorite artists on Etsy, Obsoleteworld:

Or how about these poetry dolls from The7thMagpie

Or these adorable tops from zelaya:

And this moonstone ring from Thepebblecollection:

And lastly, an excerpt I came across that I really like:

The Invitation by: Oriah Mountain Dreamer

It doesn’t interest me what you do for a living.
I want to know what you ache for
and if you dare to dream of meeting your heart’s longing.

It doesn’t interest me how old you are.
I want to know if you will risk looking like a fool
for love
for your dream
for the adventure of being alive.

It doesn’t interest me what planets are squaring your moon...
I want to know if you have touched the center of your own sorrow
if you have been opened by life’s betrayals
or have become shriveled and closed
from fear of further pain.

I want to know if you can sit with pain
mine or your own
without moving to hide it
or fade it
or fix it.

I want to know if you can be with joy
mine or your own
if you can dance with wildness
and let the ecstasy fill you to the tips of your fingers and toes
without cautioning us
to be careful
to be realistic
to remember the limitations of being human.

It doesn’t interest me if the story you are telling me
is true.
I want to know if you can
disappoint another
to be true to yourself.
If you can bear the accusation of betrayal
and not betray your own soul.
If you can be faithless
and therefore trustworthy.

I want to know if you can see Beauty
even when it is not pretty
every day.
And if you can source your own life
from its presence.

I want to know if you can live with failure
yours and mine
and still stand at the edge of the lake
and shout to the silver of the full moon,
“Yes.”

It doesn’t interest me
to know where you live or how much money you have.
I want to know if you can get up
after the night of grief and despair
weary and bruised to the bone
and do what needs to be done
to feed the children.

It doesn’t interest me who you know
or how you came to be here.
I want to know if you will stand
in the center of the fire
with me
and not shrink back.

It doesn’t interest me where or what or with whom
you have studied.
I want to know what sustains you
from the inside
when all else falls away.

I want to know if you can be alone
with yourself
and if you truly like the company you keep
in the empty moments.

projects

2009-08-13T14:01:00.000-07:00

so, as I mentioned before I tend to find little projects that I want to do either browsing through Etsy and thinking "hey I could totally do that", or picking up a craft book at New Seasons while waiting for my sandwich to be made and finding cute ideas to try out. Here are a few I'd like to at least attempt...

1. crocheted vases
2. needle felting

3. an oil painting... you never know unless you try right?

4. making kombucha and other fermented goodies

5. making an awesome peacock costume for halloween

fresh-picked blueberries, ice cold beer and free-roaming chickens

2009-08-07T22:19:00.000-07:00

...does it get any better than that? Not much. emily and I recently spent a scalding hot day on sauvie island, picking berries and lounging by the river... it was such a wonderful day that I wanted to take mark there to show him the little piece of heaven em and I had stumbled across. so, last weekend mark and I went to kruger farm for some local beer, produce and awesome scenery. here's some of the pictures mark took while there (two of which are featured on the captured by porches website... pretty cool huh?)

becoming...

2009-08-07T17:00:00.000-07:00

Today I was inspired... I'm not sure if it was the unexpectedly gloomy weather, my morning of sipping tea and reading Margery William's, The Velveteen Rabbit, or my afternoon spent shopping at my favorite stores with one of my favorite friends, but I have finally decided to set up a blog for myself. I'm also not completely sure where I will take it from here, but the possibilities make me smile.
I do hope this doesn't end up like my numerous diaries I so fervently started as a young girl, only to set aside after a week or two and reopen years later. I'm really great at starting new projects, crafts or whatnots and then quickly disposing of the evidence. Last winter, I bought myself a bunch of yarn, watched some knitting how-to videos on youtube and set to knitting scarves I intended to sell on etsy... I even set up an etsy account and proceeded to make about 6-7 scarves. Did I ever sell a single one of those? Or even try to? Of course not. And then, once the weather warmed up a bit I thought I'd make some jewelry instead... A couple pairs of earrings and three necklaces later I had decided they were actually not that cute and probably no one would want them anyways. Needless to say they are all still hanging with my other necklaces in the closet.
I think its the idea of creating that is so enticing to me, however, I seem to let myself down too easily when I realize I'm no Anne Frank or Sabrina Ward Harrison. Thus, the thought of starting a blog has always seemed a bit daunting to me as I've just assumed I'd be disappointed with the outcome, but I guess I've gotten to the point where I realize its really the act of doing that I get the most joy from, not the end result. So... I will use this blog as a place to create and if the end result isn't terribly impressive, or if I never write another entry, at least I enjoyed my afternoon writing this one and smiling about the idea of what it might become...

"What is REAL?" asked the Rabbit one day... "It doesn't happen all at once," said the Skin Horse. "You become. It takes a long time. That's why it doesn't often happen to people who break easily, or have sharp edges, or who have to be carefully kept. Generally, by the time you are real most of your hair has been loved off, and your eyes drop out and you get loose in the joints and very shabby. But these things don't matter at all because once you are real you can't be ugly, except to people who don't understand." -a little excerpt from The Velveteen Rabbit