Love that song

Hello Loves!

I know. It has been awhile...I guess I just needed a break. I've been working through a few things. I have some of them figured out, others not so much, but that is okay. My to do list is long and I have been feeling a bit overwhelmed, but I am solving it when I can. Overwhelm = highly under-motivated to do anything = nothing gets done...but that little fit is behind me now and I am moving forward and I hope in big ways.

Moorea Seal is back with her 52 Lists Project and last week was...list your favorite songs!

Um, I didn't have enough paper for this list and not all of them are on there, because half the time it is not till I hear the song that I remember how much I love it. I don't know, but I think those might actually be the best ones! They come up just at the right time...right when you need them. There are also songs on this list that I might be a bit ashamed to love, but to be honest, I don't take this stuff seriously. Music is about fun and how it makes you feel! Right?

So here is my list...I actually downloaded the sheet for this week and wrote it out - I have to admit that it was kinda fun. You should check out Mindflight, she does all of her lists in calligraphy for practice...love it!

Week 21
my favorite songs.
anything from the beatles - "two of us"
anything from the black keys - "gold on the ceiling"
"here comes the sun" - george harrison (acoustic)
"mayonaise" - smashing pumpkins (acoustic)
"always love" - nada surf
"fly me to the moon" - sinatra (our song)
"wish you were here" - pink floyd
*I am a sucker for acoustic versions and tracks

What are your favorites? What did I miss? New music is always good! Hit me with what you got in the comments down below...so I can listen to it on repeat (and annoy the heck out Jimi)! ;)

xo,

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To be, or not to be, that is the question.

So this week's prompt for the 52 Lists Project is to list your favorite quotes. My first thought was well I just have so many...I couldn't possibly list them all. Honestly though, who can? We all have favorite quotes that literally mean the world to us. They hold a dear place in our hearts for all time, a few days, depending on the day or the time in your life, but they all find a little spot to resonate.

Words of wisdom, words passed down through generations, words of love, passages, poems, lyrics, and verses - they are all quotes and words we find comfort in. They are used to inspire, captivate, calm, express, and motivate to do something that is so much bigger than us - live life. Naturally, depending on how you wish to pursue life, you will find solace in different quotes than others, but you will also find like people, that find those same words special. Who knows, it could be a completely different reason as to why, but there is still a connection. Words set us apart, but they also bring us together.

Week 15  
favorite quotes. 

Life and Dreams

Mermaid by Biljana Kroll, via Behance

"I must be a mermaid. I have no fear of depths and a great fear of shallow living." 
- Anais Nin   

This defines me so well and how I feel about life...I am not afraid to feel, and I  so want for that depth, but I am afraid of never fulling achieving my own personal depth (we all have one), or living a shallow life. This quote helps me keep the focus of what I will always want out of life. I truly love this illustration by Biljana Kroll. She has some really artistic, typographic designs that are fresh and full of color. The line work and compositions are well thought out and the colors are like a dream. Her work resonates with me much like this quote she has picked for this particular illustration. You can see her portfolio here.

"Be thirsty heart, seek forever without a rest. Let this soundless longing hidden deep inside you be the source of every word you say."
- Rumi

"Be the heroine of your life, not the victim."
- Nora Ephron

"The cure for anything is salt water...sweat, tears and the sea." 
- Isak Dinesen 

“When you've seen beyond yourself, then you may find, peace of mind is waiting there.” 
- George Harrison
 

Love

"Dream without fear, love without limits."
- Glamour Kills

"If there ever comes a day we can't be together, keep me in your heart, I'll stay there forever."
- Winnie the Pooh

"In a sea of people, my eyes will always search for you."
- Unknown 

"Where there is love, there is life" 
- Gandhi


Art

Photo Credit

"I'm going to make everything around me beautiful - that will be my life."
- Elsie de Wolfe

Yes, is this not the life of a creative? Is this not what we all strive for in life, in general? To make beautiful things, beautiful people, beautiful words. I am not talking just about outer beauty...I am talking about things that are purely beautiful, inner beauty and outer beauty for the things they wonderfully have to offer the world.


"Everything you imagine is real." 
- Pablo Picasso

"Art is the only way to runaway without leaving home."
- Twyla Tharp

That and reading, I say.


Adventure

Photo Credit

"Traveling - it leaves you speechless, and then turns you into a storyteller."
- Ibn Battuta
  
"The human spirit needs places where nature has not been rearranged by the hand of man."
- Unknown

I love this one, because for me it is so true. I get an itch, an angst, a thirst to get outside, get on the ocean, go camping or travel somewhere new, because I need these places to set my spirit free...even if for a few days, a few hours, a few minutes. A road trip is the most freeing thing in this world to me...nothing has compared...yet. 

via Instagram @maddiedierkes

 I have a few other quote posts that have some other favorites here and here. You can also see a whole lot of fun quotes I have pinned on My Famous Last Words board.


What are some of your favorite quotes? I would love to hear them.



xo,

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Falling For Friday // 4-5-13

Hello Friday, my good friend!

Spring Love Fest

What are your favorite things about Spring?

I am loving the warmer afternoons, my garden going off with flowers everywhere, the smell of jasmine, that it is lighter later, the smell of salt on the wind and that fresh feeling...you know what I am talking about!

1 // 2 // 3 // 4

 Here is a fun graphic for what I plan to do this spring and summer..anyone else?

by Maddie Dierkes

And now, I am going to leave you with this, one of my favorite quotes.

Photo Credit

"The cure for anything is salt water: sweat, tears and the sea." - Isak Dinesen

Enjoy your weekend!

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52 Lists // Week 12 // Home

This week in the 52 List project we are thinking about what it means to be home.

"Home is where ever I'm with you."
- Edward Sharpe & The Magnetic Zeroes

“I live in my own little world. But its ok, they know me here.”
- Lauren Myracle

“Nature is not a place to visit. It is home.”
- Gary Snyder

Home is a place of comfort, a safe haven from the world happening around us. It can be a person, a place, may places, and many people. I know I have more then one home. Then there are those wonderful things that feel like home and remind us of home, that are hard to live without, especially when we are away from that place. Here is a list of all the things that are home and feel like home.

Week 12
things that feel like home.

jimi hugs.  pets.
my bed.  memories.
my sister.
my parents.
NAC.  the ocean.
road trips.  my car.
a comfy sofa.  blankets.
my bed.  my pillow.
trees.  camping.
antiques.  photos.
art.  historic paintings.
the sound of cooking.
the smell of cinnamon.
the color white.  green.
christmas.  artichokes.
the sun on my skin.
a breathe of fresh air.
maple cabinets.
my creations.
flannel. cozy fires.
red.  enamelware.
the beach.  hot chocolate.
the smell of coffee in the morning.
pride and prejudice.
mammoth in the summer.
the california coast.

The kitchen always ends up being the heart of a home...I know ours is, we spend so much time there. Growing up in my parents house...it was all about the open downstairs living space...all center around the kitchen. So a lot of things that feel like home have to do with these two places...the colors, maple cabinets, antiques, cooking, food, sofas and big blankets to snuggle up to a fire with.

Nature has always felt far more like home then any building, besides my own house, that is where I want to be.  Whether I am on the water, in my car with all the windows down and sunroof open, or in the woods exploring...these places feel like home. But really none of these place would be the same without the people I have experienced them all with.

That is when people become home...my parents house will always be home because of the memories and relationships built there with my family. My sister will forever be my soul mate, because miles can never move those feelings of home with family. But then what about the new life we make for ourselves outside of our families...those become home too and eventually another family is created. Place like NAC for the community and escape it offers and then a new house, the one I have made with Jimi. This home took a little bit getting used...possibly about 2 years, but now it is my home, not only because it holds my bed, my pets and my creations, but it also holds my heart. This is not about a place, it is about a person. Jimi...one kiss to forget the world, one hug to send it all away and one look to know that this is what home looks like.

I found this list to be comforting and one that I can see growing over my lifetime as new people, places and things become familiar and eventually home. It is an ever present reminder of what is truly important in this life. So, what feels like home to you? I am looking forward to what everyone comes up with.

Enjoy home!

 

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Falling for Friday // 3-8-13

I love S'mores. 

We love to experiment with s'mores in this house.

Here are some of our favorites and some Pinerest finds. Yum!

The Thin Mint S'more.
*Substitute with Thin Mint for the chocolate. 

The Sugar Cookie S'more.
*Substitute with Sugar cookies for the graham cracker.

The Pinterest S'more.
*Goodness.

1 // 2 // 3

Enjoy and Happy Friday!

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52 Lists Project // Week 8

For more info on the 52 Lists Project, head over to Moorea Seal.

Prompt: List your favorite albums.

I love classic rock and a good album is simply the best. There is nothing like the original idea of having a compilation of songs that are all meant for each other, that are actually enhanced as a group. It is hard to come by in popular music now, not like in the classic rock days, in my opinion. There is such a big focus on hit songs now in music. I find myself not liking many of the other songs on the album or the hit single is more catchy than anything. So for that reason I am really excited about this prompt...I am excited to see what albums others enjoy. I love finding new (to me) music.

This topic was also kind of hard. What constitutes a favorite album? Because, I have a lot of favorites, so I originally listed all of those. But, then Jimi asked me, do you really like every single song on the album? This is how Jimi justifies a favorite album to himself, he also says this might be a bit snobbish of him, but I can respect that. When I asked myself this, I did edit the list a bit, but there were some albums that I just couldn't leave off...so now I have this list...

*Note: That is not to say that every album on this list is pure gold, some are just fun, or spoke to me at one time, or another.

I needed a bigger notebook for this list!

Week 8
favorite albums.

The Beatles // Let it Be.
The Black Keys // El Camino.
The Who // Who's Next.
Smashing Pumpkins // Siamese Dream.
Eddie Vedder // Ukulele Songs.
Sublime // Sublime.
The Jimi Hendrix Experience // Are You Experienced.
Sara Evans // Stronger.
Neil Young // Harvest Moon.
The Cars // The Cars Complete Greatest Hits.
Jack Johnson // In Between Dreams.
Alabama Shakes // Boys & Girls.
Matt Costa // The Songs We Song.
Saves The Day // Stay What You Are.
The Doors // The Best of The Doors.
Sting // Fields of Gold.
Something Corporate // Leaving Through the Window.
Pink Floyd // The Dark Side of the Moon.
Slightly Stoopid // Closer to the Sun.
Taylor Swift // Red.
George Harrison // The Best of George Harrison.
Natasha Bedingfield // Strip Me.
Led Zeppelin // Led Zeppelin III.
The Beatles // Rubber Soul.
Enya // A Day Without Rain.
The Band Perry // The Band Perry.
Phantom Planet // The Guest.
The Black Keys // Brothers.
Rad Bones // What It Is.
Slightly Stoopid // Acoustic Roots.
Jet // Get Born.
The Beautiful Girls // We're Already Gone.
The Beatles // Abbey Road.
Imogen Heap // Speak For Yourself.
Cold Mountain Soundtrack.
Step Into Liquid Soundtrack.

Happy Listening!

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Falling For Friday // 2-22-13

Every Friday I will be posting my finds for the week here, along with other blogs. We will all be linking up, so come check it out for some of the latest finds and trends happening...from style, to crafts, to kids, to our favorite things...it will all be there! This is where we are all linking up:

Kelly Westover // Westover Manor
Dawnelle // Just Dawnelle
Casey // A Little Artsy

February 22nd, 2013

What I found myself channeling most this week was great women who have small businesses or are just simply inspiring. I am about to start up my Etsy shop in mid March, so I have been looking for the best of the best in the handmade business and in blogging for inspiration, motivation and adventure/risk taking. This is what I found:

Images c/o Moorea Seal (click for more info)

1. Moorea Seal // A few weeks ago I found Moorea Seal. Moorea blogs about inspirations, her jewelry, and is the creator of the 52 lists project, which I started to participate in a few weeks ago. You can see my lists here and here. She has an Etsy shop with amazing finds and her Pinterest is one of the most sought after, especially for jewelry...if you love Pinterest check her out!

Images c/o Design*Sponge (click for more info)

2. Design*Sponge // This post on Design*Sponge (who doesn't love this blog?), as a part of their Biz Ladies section (a great section to look through, btw), features Anna Bond of Rifle Paper Co. I am a huge fan of her work and merchandise, so I was excited to see her featured there! Check it out for a great design overload.

Image c/o Maiedae (click image for more info)

3. Maiedae // This design studio is run by Savannah and Jenny, and boy are they the cutest business partners ever! Just this week, Savannah had her last day at her day job. She got to quit her day job, people! Talk about a dream come true! :) Congratulations Savannah, read more on that here!

Image c/o Between Dreams (click image for more info)

4. Between Dreams // this blog is so fun to wonder around on, so yeah, it has the perfect name.  Allie has great photography and imagery, along with fun, inspirational posts that we all love to soak up.  This post features Jenni from The Story of My Life (another blog I love). This is a great read for following your dreams!

Images c/o of Influence Network and Anne Bogel (click image for more info)

5. Influence Network // This group of women are so inspirational, and they just launched their latest project, The Influence Network. You can join for a small fee to partake in their (from what I hear) amazing classes and forums, or like me, you can just follow along on their blog. This post by Anne Bogel on planning for inspiration is great! Anne talks about planning ahead and how that can spur inspiration, and I could not agree more. Some of the concepts she talks about here, I have started to implement into my own blog, just this year, and I love the results!

Enjoy and Happy Friday!

 

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Brickyard Buffalo // #buffstuff

Have you heard of Brickyard Buffalo, yet?

If not, I say get over there and check out the deals they have flying this month.

Brickyard Buffalo

They feature all of our favorite artists in the handmade biz with deals on the most "to die for" items.  Lots of savings...but the deals only last so long! They have a countdown and only a limited run of each product, so get them while you can.

Each month they have an editor of the month that has picked out some of their favorite deals to feature on Brickyard. This month the lovely, Casey Wiegand is their guest editor. What a fun gig!

Casey Wiegand

I have decorated my office with some of my favorite Buff Stuffs. My latest purchase is this Love Tree print by Plum Street Prints. It is the perfect gift for someone you love too. Other Buff Stuff you will find in my office are the Dream Big print by Small Fry, the Remember print by River and Bridge, and the Navajo Pillow, in black, by Little Boston Print Shoppe. The Little Boston Print Shoppe's latest deal sold out in less than half a day! Not that it surprises me...I love her hand printed pillows!

Love Tree print

Dream Big print, Remember print, and Navajo pillow

I heart my new office!

If you like what you see here...definitely check out Brickyard Buffalo! A current deal that I am crushing on is this brass locket necklace by Brooklyn Rehab. Lots of fun designs to choose from like Abe, Lucky Horseshoe and my personal favorite, Aztec.

Aztec locket deal happening now!

Enjoy!

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Valentine's Day Goodness

Hello Loves,
 
Happy Valentine's Day! 

I hope it is filled with lots of love from your family, your loved one, or your cat! ;)

Paco getting some love!

 Exciting News

I am so happy to announce that Jimi and I have booked our venue and have a lovely day set for our wedding. We are getting married one year from today, on Valentine's Day, February 14th, 2014 (02.14.2014 -or- 2.14.14)! I am beyond excited and cannot wait to share our special day with all of our closest friends and family.

Valentine's Day Ideas for Everyone

I got this idea from Pinterest, and made it my own - all of our important dates in one pretty package. I think it is perfect for Valentine's Day, framed for a special someone. My Pinterest find was designed by Cindy of Inkstomp - check out her shop for some more great love prints!

Check out Sad Shop on Etsy for more!

With another Pinterest find, I started to think about Valentine's Day early this year and ordered my cards from Sad Shop on Etsy!! Katie's cards have great humor and are light hearted...but they still say I love you...which is what Valentine's Day is all about. I got one for all of my special someones, to send them a little note today.

Valentine's Day is not complete without Conversation Hearts, in my opinion! I love them, they are probably my favorite candy and thank goodness they are only around once a year (or else I would have a serious problem). I usually spend the first couple of days handing the ones I like to Jimi...to say I love you...I usually do this on Valentine's Day too. And then, of course, there is always chocolate...

I feel so lucky, because our garden is blooming roses...year round...so I always get to make a fun bouquet of roses (or two) at this time of year and place them around the house.  They smell amazing and they are so gorgeous with all of their different colors. Plus, they always remind me to love.

What are the fun things you are doing for Valentine's Day to say I love you? How do you celebrate? 

xo,

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