I don’t often get manicures, but I think I am going for it the next time I splurge. “Go for it”, you ask? The glitter. I am going to go for the glitter.
It is something I can’t do myself [or at least not very easily] and it would be something totally out of my wheel house. Since emerald is the 2013 Pantone Color of the Year- green is all the rage.
Are you looking for a great read? I highly [HIGHLY] recommend Wild by Cheryl Strayed. It is a memoir documenting one woman’s journey on the Pacific Crest Trail. Her writing pulled me instantly. I honestly could not put it down. She was truthful, honest and raw. There were many things that astound me about this woman’s story. Cheryl Strayed had absolutely no hiking experience. She shares, “I had never gone backpacking. Not one night.” Yet, somehow, she had the courage or enough blissful ignorance to set off on a trek that would lasts months. She encountered the kindness of strangers over and over along the way. It was inspiring to read that there is, indeed, good in the world. Though she had numerous set backs, she persevered. Truly, this book is for everyone. It isn’t a book about the outdoors or hiking. It is a book about the human spirit.
Look what I found! I popped into my local floral shop and spotted this show stopper. I couldn’t get over the creamy colors and the softness of the pussy willow branches. Simple and gorgeous. Spring has now arrived in my living room!
I was inspired to gussy up the mantle a bit. I added a book from my book shelf {Its title is very seasonal, don’t you think?} and some of Little Man’s artwork that I cut out and framed.
While I was noising around the shop, I found a few other great home accessories! This mini- live topiary was calling my name. It works perfect in a small collection on my coffee table. I placed it in the lid of a fabric box I had in the closet – along with a prayer candle and my Hudson glassybaby. On the super plus side, I only have to spray the topiary once a month to keep it green. Even I can do that!
While serving no real purpose {other than looking awesome…} I couldn’t leave this crown behind. I love the gold and the heft of this piece. Where will end it up? I have a feeling it will move around a bit. For now, it sits atop a gardening book on the coffee table.
And last, but certainly not least, a GurglePot. A whimsical stoneware pitcher that gurgles when you fill a glass. They offer a rainbow of colors, but I went with simple white. Pop over to GurglePot to see all of the choices and hear the “gurgle”. {The striped tray is from Target last year. Target. Another great place for affordable seasonal accessories.}
Check out your local florist. You might be surprised what you will find! Have you ever discovered a favorite piece for your home in an unexpected place?
I have been away. Somehow it is already March and all signs point to Spring! So…. I decided to reboot with a new look. A new look for this space of mine, that is! Simple changes, with a few new features. I am learning, exploring, discussing and dreaming about how I can make it even better. Thanks so much for reading! Really. Thank you.
{Hopefully, more great things are just around the corner.}
It is no secret that I love blogs. The creativity of the women behind the blogs I read daily astounds me! I can’t help but feel inspired. [And simply want to live better!] Jen Ramos is the woman behind MadeByGirl. Not only does she pen MadeByGirl she also has an online shop. Her paper goods and typographical posters are to die for.
And now, just in time for Valentine’s Day, she has put together Cartas de Amor. A sort of online magazine that she created. It features love letters contributed by 18 bloggers, plus gifts, recipes, and
ideas for the love(s) in your life. It is stunning actually. Take a peek….. Cartas de Amor.
The game of Life. Remember it? The spinning wheel, cars, weddings, and babies. Check the cars from my boys’ recent match up. They decided to marry a boy and adopt their kids along the way. I am calling it the [modern] game of Life. Thing is, I was telling the truth when I said, “You can marry a girl or a boy. It’s your choice.” That’s life. [And it’s pretty damn awesome!]
Truth be told..they were pretty repulsed at the idea of getting married at all. Boy or girl? Who would want to get married and have kids? Plenty of giggles.
Little Man had a birthday. It happens to fall late in December, so we party with is friends in January. This year it was a full on LEGOpalooza! I would highly recommend Play-Well TEKnologies. The kids built a motorized LEGO mini-walker with the help of an extremely, patient instructor! For 90 minutes the kids built, played, laughed and created. It was dreamy! [All I did was take pictures. What is more dreamy than that??]
He also requested ice cream sundaes for his sweet treat. When it comes to a birthday dessert, it can’t get much easier [and fun] than a sundae. The more toppings…the better!!
[Additionally, in following my own party tradition, there were no goodie bags! We spent a little more on the party and got rid of the junk. Read more about my answer to the goodie bag dilemma.]
When was the last time you did something for the first time?
Yesterday, I set aside my total aversion to winter sports and strapped on a pair of snowshoes [for the first time]. And you know what? I am so glad I did! It helped that I had the good company of a dear friend who had never been before either. We thought of it as an adventure. She had two pairs of snowshoes sitting in her garage needing some attention, so we thought, “Why not?”
[a quiet, foggy start]
We really didn’t know where we were going, but had a vague idea where to start. Starting our walk, we followed a quiet lift line up to higher elevation. There may have been one major technical difficulty, which proved that wearing my new snow pants was a brilliant idea. Through a team effort we got my snowshoe back in working order. Being mid-week, to say it was quiet is an understatement of grand proportions. We saw only one other person. We trekked along groomed Nordic trails and for two hours we only heard the scraping of our shoes.
As middle age starts to sink in, I see how easy it is to just stay comfortable. You don’t get hurt or embarrassed or scared doing the same thing day in and day out. You stay safe, but you lose your spark! For trying something new yesterday, I was rewarded. Rewarded with a great workout, a long uninterrupted conversation with a friend, and [eventually] abundant SUNSHINE!
Try something new. Do something for the first time! Who knows, you might actually like it!
Mama got a new pair of shoes. Where will they take me?
In 2002, I trained and finished the Portland Marathon. 26.2 miles of determination. While the race itself was exhilarating, the training was arduous. Months and months of pounding the pavement and punishing my body. In the time leading up to the marathon I experienced chaffing, the wrong shoes, a horrible 18 miler spent hallucinating in sweltering temps on Spokane’s Centennial Trail, and stomach turning nourishment for long runs called goo. However, since I was determined to finish the run healthy [and with a little left in the tank to run strong across the finish line], the training had a purpose. I knew why I was pushing my body to the limit.
After finishing the marathon, I hung up my racing shoes. There isn’t a desire to train for another. There isn’t a desire to train for any END event. Being physically fit and active is the only objective. But there in lies the problem. When you don’t have an end goal-motivating yourself everyday is more challenging. It also is freeing. My new shoes can walk, they can run, they might be able to climb. Maybe I will wear them to a Crossfit gym and push myself through a WOD. I might possible wear them to a yoga studio, slip them off and find my zen. They could take me on a walk with a great friend or help me clock my fastest mile time since I was 16 years old. Who knows?!?
My shoes could take me just about anywhere…and they sure are cute!
