6/25/14

Pin Love

hello
I love this, and it is something I think we are losing out on. I've been thinking a lot about how technology separates us from our surroundings, including the people we are near. Whenever I feel awkward around a stranger, whether in an elevator, or waiting in line, I grab my iPhone and check my email. It isn't necessary for me to check it, sometimes I just hold my phone in my hands to look busy. Part of this is my self-consciousness and shyness, but I see everyone else doing it too, and it makes me sad. We have lost something about being in a community, being in a group, standing near a stranger. We have lost a sense of camaraderie. I'm trying to keep my phone in my bag, brave the silence and awkwardness, and say hello to strangers.

quote
I love this quote so much! This is something I am definitely learning.

display
This is such a good way to hang necklaces! I think I could make my own by attaching some cute fabric to a piece of cork board. Excited to make it! Since I have the fabric already, I think I could make it for under ten dollars. Love inexpensive DIYs!

artist
 
Oh my lord, this is so how I feel! I have become such a hide-a-bug the last year. My world has shrunk so small. I think I am starting to find my way out and realizing I have something to say. That's scary, but hiding is scary too. Either choice is hard and sort of shitty. But if I say something it might give me  something worthwhile.

how to
This is going to happen very soon! Love the illustrations with it! I have the perfect window for it too!

crown
This is so purdy! I want to make one so bad! I am going to start sharing outfit posts (if I ever get the braves) and I would love to wear cute little things like this in the photos.

home
Love how this cabinet doubles as storage and display. Oh, and white floors, and old oil paintings, and those bowls! Lovely!

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Are you on Pinterest? If so, leave a link to your page, I'd love to follow you!

6/24/14

currently


Joining Kim (awesome lady!) in this currently post thingie. You should do it too! If you do, link up! 
Watching: Orange is the New Black-season two Totally binge watching this show. So addicting! 
Reading: Inside of a Dog (Alexandra Horowitz), 11/22/63 (Stephen King), A Writer's Diary (Virginia Woolf), My Life in France (Julia Child). I picked up the book Inside of a Dog on a whim at the Orlando airport. It totally got me hooked on reading again! So yeah...I'm so happy to be a reader (the book is fascinating by the way!).
Listening to: Volcano Choir- Repave, Sibylle Baier- Colour Green, and Birdy...lots of Birdy.
Thinking about: Submitting my first piece of poetry to a magazine or website, and what I want to do with my entire goddamn life. :)
Making: Iced tea, green smoothies, frozen bananas for the pups, and a cake that turned out yuck.
Planning: home, how I can be self-employed, get more tattoos, a couch, a trip to Ikea, and more therapy.
Feeling: Excited. Energetic. Overwhelmed. Up and Down. Scared. Worried. Self-conscious. Okay. Lonely but not. Sometimes safe.
Loving: Ronald, who is freaking awesome. Isabelle, Amelia, and Cricket. Seriously, the best things in my life. Also the plants on our deck, my new blush, and coffee (always).
Looking forward to: Getting our house set up in a way that works best for our little family. Developing my creative life. Getting my first leg tattoos.

6/22/14

my allusive nemesis



So yeah...I've sort of lived thirty years without a schedule (god I'm old). Mind you, I buy a gorgeous exciting promising shiny new planner every year, but if I ever get to filling out even a week I end up forgetting to follow it, or get so discouraged about missing something the first day, that I give it up all together.

I do keep lists. I'm obsessive about lists, like a lot. I organize my shopping lists by the layout of the market or store I'm going to, if I make a typo I rewrite the entire list...that kind of crazy-ish. But I have found that I rely on lists more than ever. Depression and fibro wreak havoc on my memory, not to mention the insane level of stress dealing with my health causes me every day. Now when I'm at the market I have to check-off every item I buy with a pen because if I don't I will somehow skip over five things.

I also forget to respond to emails, and get back to people in general. I partly blame my current email system that doesn't allow me to put emails in folders (don't ask) so my inbox is constantly bursting at the seams, but it's also what happens when my brain is full to the brim. Luckily I don't forget bills or appointments, but maybe that is because I write myself an email every night with a very intense subject line of what I need to do...

Oh, And I never forget to buy flowers, broccoli, and seltzer water. Which is basically all I need to live on. ;)

Anyway. I'm going to really start keeping a schedule (really). I found this one on the most gorgeous/addictive/expensive little web-shop for anyone who really likes pencils and stationary (basically, this store is made especially for me). It wasn't cheap, but I love it and the format of it is brilliant. 

I am afraid to fill it out. So this morning I wrote myself some schedule rules, and jotted down a few of the things I would like to regularly do each week. Here they are,

schedule rules:


actually write it down, use the damn planner! It’s okay if I don’t get it all/any of it done. It doesn’t mean I failed, wasted a page, ruined my week. Just keep going. I can move important things to the next day, or if they aren’t on a time crunch, forget them all together. Trying is the thing, not being perfect, but trying.


stretch/yoga

therapy

bills and responsibilities

market/errands

catherine date/adventure

write

creative projects

creative logistics (getting published, new blog project, Etsy shop, etc)

meditate

blog (posting, planning, photos, projects, etc)

walk/workout

home stuff (cleaning, gardening, organizing, etc)

emails/connection

rest/spa


pup care 

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Do you keep a schedule or planner? What about lists? Do you schedule time for yourself and things you enjoy, or just the 'must dos' like bills, appointments?

FYI- I'm going to start calling myself Miss Planner, or some other obnoxious title if I actually get the hang of this. ;)


6/21/14

oh, hello!


Hi Loverly,

Suddenly it's Saturday. Suddenly it's Summer. And the day will be so long, and I just want to see the stars tonight and imagine the worlds around them.

This week was kind of a busy blur. I snapped this picture on Monday when I took myself on a coffee date. I have only been to this cafe' a time or two, but have decided it's going to be 'my place'. It reminds me of Paris and the tables are made of marble. Oh and free refills on their enormous bowls of coffee (can it get any better?!?!). Yeah, I need to go to there once a week at least (oh Liz Lemon, I miss you!). All I did was read and drink coffee. It was so nice. And that is kind of all I want to do these days...and take bubble baths. Those are nice too.

6/16/14

flower gal (and puppy too)






So we got home safe Thursday night. I am so happy to be back! I missed home a lot and I am feeling really inspired and motivated. It is such a different feeling than I am used to,  so it's nice.

Since we've been home I have been making the bed every morning. For some reason the bedroom is the last part of the house I clean and so I often don't get to it. But making the bed really makes the day feel different. There are so many things I love about home. I especially love all the plants we have. Cricket does too (as you can see), she loves smelling flowers, especially roses...it's so cute! My herbs are growing enough to start being used. I think we are going to use the peppermint for some cocktails this week, and I am planning on making a Summer pasta dish, so the basil will be perfect! 

We have a mimosa tree growing (never planted it, but its there). I love it and constantly talk to Ronald about it. I tell him about how the leaves close in the mornings and then open to the sun, and about how much the hummingbirds love to visit the blooms, I worry about the tree too. It's sort of silly, but I'm garden obsessed!

I was tummy sick most of the night. The pups were (and are) so worried, it's cute. They have laid by me all morning and snuggled up close while I tried to sleep last night, I just adore them! I woke up at 4:30 this morning and am so tired now. I need more coffee. I guess I'll be going on a Starbucks run soon. ;)

This week I'm going to focus on organizing my craft projects, setting up a better schedule, and simplifying my beauty and skincare routine. Oh and I think a good walk is in order. 

What are you doing this week? I'd love to hear!

Talk soon!


6/12/14

Travel tipper



Hi Dear.

Leaving Florida and heading home today. I'm so tired I'm starting to doubt we will ever really be home again. Lots of bad sleep this trip, but we will be home tonight, whether I believe it or not. Ha!

I thought I would share a few travel tips I use, so here goes...

1. Stretch the night before you go and the morning of your trip. This helps me a ton. I usually do a floor sequence of yoga poses, as well as touching my toes for 30 seconds or more then slowly rolling up to standing.

2. Check your bags! I know you have to pay to check bags with several airlines, but sometimes it's worth it. No dragging luggage in the airport, or struggling to find room for it on the plane. Oh, and you can bring all the damn shampoo you want!

3. Bring a large flexible purse type bag that can be squished under the seat. I have a suede and leather bag that I use. I got it years ago for a pretty penny but it is my go-to bag for when I travel. It also doubles as my laptop bag at home. I can fit all I need for the flight, my DSLR, and even a small pillow! At the same time, it can also be used as an everyday purse as it doesn't have structure sides which makes it great for traveling. Invest in a nice bag if you can, but if you do make sure it's a classic style. You can also use a backpack.

4. Keep smaller bags in your carry-on purse. This way you can grab things without struggling. I have one small makeup bag that I use for my meds, a sleep mask, lotion, makeup, and little snacks or mints.

I also have a pencil pouch that I keep headphones, tissues, lip balm, and a pen. Before we take off I grab this pouch and put it in the chair-back in front of me. It's kind of my 'go bag', I have the basic things I will want for the flight, and don't have to dig in my purse for each little thing.

5. Bring slippers. It's nice to get out of my everyday shoes and into something more comfy. Mine have rubber soles so I can even walk through the airport with them (I have done this more than I'd like to admit).

6. If you are an ebook person, bring a paperback too. I use my iPad for most of my reading, but nothing beats a book that you can actually hold in your hand, and flick the pages. My eyes often get tired from staring at the screen of my iPad, so this way I can switch to something easier on my eyes.

7. Bring music. I usually make a compilation of songs I am liking at the moment. This trip I made a comp of French music. Listening to it now and it's the best!

8. Don't forget the tech stuff. Whatever gadgets you like, bring them. I get so bored on flights and can't focus on one thing for long, so having lots of options works best for me.

9. Layer your clothes and be comfy. My normal travel outfit is a dress and leggings, with comfy flats that are easy to take off. I always bring a scarf, and a hoodie or sweater. Lately I've been bringing fingerless gloves as I have swelling in the joints of my hands and sometimes the cold aggravates it. Whatever you do, think about being comfy first.

10. Notebooks are your friend. I always keep a notebook in my bag even at home, and flights are the perfect time to get my head/life a little organized. I always seem to figure out a new approach to a problem, get a craft or poem idea, or find a hairstyle I want to try. Steno books or the small Moleskines are my favorite.

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Ok. It's time to fly home! Hope these helped a pinch...talk soon!



6/11/14

storm drain










It's storming here in Florida. We were just outside about fifteen minutes ago having drinks and now it's raining cats and dogs and chickens, and there's thunder and lightning. It's fun, and kind of scary because we are wimps when it comes to weather (California does that to people).

We head home tomorrow. Not until the afternoon. I hope I can sleep tonight, our bed is tiny and I toss and turn. I can't wait to get home! At least there is alcohol...

Things will be back to normal quite soon, so hold tight!

6/10/14

Hi. I'm in Florida


So...it's been awhile. We have been in Orlando since Saturday. Ronald is here for a safety conference and I've either been going to the conference with him (yeah, I'm kind of a safety nerd), or hanging out at the hotel. We head home Thursday.

There is seriously nothing to do around here! Plus, it is so hot and humid, blah. I had planned on taking public transportation to a shopping mall, but we took it a few nights ago and missed our stop. The driver ended up telling us he couldn't take us any further because he was on break. So we were dropped off in the middle of a thunder storm several miles away from our hotel! We went to the nearest hotel and ordered a cab. Luckily, there is a bar downstairs and coffee shop, so I'm not stuck in the room all day.

Mainly I'm exhausted. The three hour time difference is so hard to deal with and I miss home. I feel totally flat creatively, and just want to nap or hide in the covers. The good thing is I've been surprisingly social. I am joining in on conversations and trying to act confident. I still feel self-conscious, but it's a step forward. Oh, and the people here are so nice it kind of freaks me out. 

Anyway, I'm still alive...more soon.

p.s. isn't this art print the best?!?!

6/3/14

"you belong to me, not swallowed in the sea"



Thirty and Broke


When it gets really bad. Like blackout bad.

Like Lock-up-pills bad. I look at beach houses 

For sale online (everyone needs some good self-


Torture). I want to be bought and to buy one.


I imagine myself. In front lead glassed sun room.

The floors full of sand. And a small place. My own 

Place. I never belonged anywhere. To anyone.

Married (for goddamn christ sake), but I still don’t feel him.

My heart has closed until I find my own way.

And guilt. And fear. And devastated. Because I’m 

Not his little girl, and never was. 

So I dream of that beach. A heavy ocean.

Take me away or set me tall. Just do something

To me. I whisper to him, and to life, and to salt-water.

It all means so much. I see it means, but I…

I keep house, keep home. This little shell I resent.

It keeps me here, just like my skin and sick brain.

Just like my swollen joints. I swell up, shell up, until I 

Break up. And this year I saw it. My own life.

It terrified me. Terrifies me. I cry for it. I would kill for it.

I don’t move. I don’t do. 


I just look at the beach house.