grateful for the stillness

I can't lie. Things haven't been great lately. I've been sick and so has the boy. My affliction started with an afternoon of vertigo followed by four days of plain old dizziness. The doctor said it's an inner ear virus, whatever that means.

I'm not dizzy now but I am definitely still messed up. I'm learning a lot from this... appreciating stillness... learning patience.

just a tad bit insane

Now that we're waist-deep in the holiday shopping season, I have to spout off a little about shopping and prices. Please excuse the randomness of this post...

I have a monstrous crush on the items above. However, the prices are shocking. SHOCKING. I just want to know how other people might be able to afford a $1,700 chair. I mean, really...

When I look through catalogs, I drool over pretty much everything and I feel guilty about it. I can, however, make myself feel better by carefully crafting my inner dialogue. For example, I'm not "materialistic" I just have an eye for well-crafted or beautiful things. I'm not "living near poverty level" I'm just on a strict budget.

Anyway, I won't be buying the boots or the chair. This holiday season will be about appreciating my friends and family... it will be about keeping warm, working hard and maintaining my sanity.

(boots: $348, chair: $1,698 – courtesy of Anthropologie)

you should see the mess in the kitchen

random bits of truth

There's nothing quite like the smell of fresh basil.

It's easier to list the things I don't want to be when I grow up than it is to figure out what I should be.

I don't see my friends often enough.

Some people attract chaos, thrive on chaos and create chaos. I'm not one of those people. Thank goodness I'm blissfully dull.

nutty lady

On Sunday a woman parked in front of our house then spent a good hour picking up acorns in our yard.

Our gigantic oak tree spills acorns like a waterfall. The woman said she was gathering them to feed her fifteen squirrels. I still can't decide if this is cute or disturbing.

currently obsessed with...

Currently obsessed with this little bit of gastronomic perfection: thai miang kum.

spinach leaf + plum sauce + coconut flakes + lime + ginger + peanuts + hot peppers = all I can think about

{ photo by: ME }

the importance of unimportant things

Sometime in the early 90s my mother gave me a ring that she bought from a spectacularly funky clothing store in Pocatello, Idaho. The shop was called Julie's and it embodied everything that was opposite of my small hometown of X. Julie's was where I bought my first (and only) pair of Birkenstocks which I wore until they disintegrated eight years later.

The ring was delicate and sweet – hand-crafted with sterling silver, one perfect amethyst perched in a raised setting and two tiny diamond chips set on either side. I loved the ring for many reasons: it was understated, streamlined and, most importantly, it was from my mother.

About a year later, I lost the ring and was sick over it. I didn't tell my mom, not because I thought she would be mad but because I felt guilty for being irresponsible. Part of me thought I might find it someday. My rational side knew that the ring was gone for good since I vaguely remembered leaving it next to a sink in the ladies' room of the Olive Garden in Logan, Utah.

At some point during the past 15 years, I stopped feeling sick over it. I don't recall the exact point in which the loss of the ring ceased to be a worry. I wish I could pinpoint the exact moment because it seems like a rite of passage, the moment a coveted object becomes less important. Don't you think that's an important transition, when one realizes material items don't matter?

I could be making it all sound more significant than it needs to be. Maybe the forward motion of life overshadows the loss of treasured items – like moving away from home or turbulent relationships, college, the daily grind, growing older...

Of course, it would be nice if I still had the ring but I'm certainly not losing sleep over it now. I've lost many belongings since then, either by my own inattentiveness or by theft. I don't fret the way I used to over lost things (which seems way too adult).

want but don't need

I'll take one of everything shown above, thank you! Since I'm always wearing scrubs, I'm not sure where I'd actually wear any of these things... but I like them just the same. { images from boden }

in a pear tree

We're still new to this whole fruit tree thing. Sadly, most of the pears on our pear tree were eaten by bugs (and possibly birds, squirrels and raccoons). Quite a few of them fell to the ground in an over-ripe state and were quickly swarmed by yellow-jackets.

I was able to retrieve one perfect pear. I ate it today and it was THE BEST pear I've ever had. Next year I'd like to try some sort of environmentally safe insect spray. Any suggestions? It needs to be safe to use around dogs, of course.

{ photos by: ME }

color crush

...experiencing a small case of creative block and am desperate to find some inspiration! A good place to start: the striking patterns and colors shown here from the folks at balanced design.

nice things from nice people

small, quiet moment

{ photo by: ME }

the best things in life

recurring characters

I see the same three people every morning on my way to work. I don't know them, they just happen to be engaged in their morning rituals on the same road that I happen to take for my short commute. I guess there's not much to do in a car on the way to work, so I people-watch. I have named them all – each one gets their very own uncreative name. The recurring characters in my little world are:

Smoker Lady – like clockwork, the smoker lady waits for her bus on the side of the road. When I'm driving to work in the winter when the mornings are still dark, I can see the glow of her cigarette long before I can actually see her. She takes up the exact same burly stance with the exact same expression on her face as if staring straight ahead and down the road will somehow cause her bus to arrive more quickly. She's the only person who is ever waiting at that particular bus stop. She guards her post. She waits inside a nicotine cloud.

Energy-Waster Guy – he backs into his parking spot every morning. Maybe he's perpetually in need of a speedy getaway. He is always sitting and waiting inside his parked car and he leaves his headlights on even if the sun is already up. I don't know if he leaves his engine running while waiting in that car. Something tells me he does. I judge him for wasting fuel and energy. And I want to know why he thinks it's necessary to leave his lights on.

The Running Lady – she is motivated and runs every morning. She reminds me that I am lazy. She runs as if she has a thirty pound weight attached to each foot (an observation, not a criticism). I have never seen anyone else run in this particular manner. It is unnerving. I should start running. But not at six in the morning.

{ photo by: ME }

current crush

{ moon vases from cb2.com }

old(er)

...silly little things that make me feel old(er):

1) I now get sweat on my upper lip. This never used to happen. Apparently I have finally reached the age where there is enough 'insulation' above my top lip to create an overheating situation. Mortifying.

2) It now costs 28 cents to mail a postcard (what?!). In the year I was born, a person could mail a postcard for 7 cents.

3) My feet are killing me... I'm actually considering buying Gold Bond Pain Relieving Foot Cream. Okay, people, Gold Bond makes me think of eighty-year-olds. I have nothing against senior citizens but I find that I now require a product that is probably geared toward an older demographic and that makes me feel sort of sad.

Too much information (over-share)?

fig series {one}

{ photos by: ME }

friends who are foodies

Thank goodness for friends who are foodies. It's so nice that they appreciate food (and talk about food) as much as I do.

Here are some random food notes about my friends:

N.C. – Would drive 12 hours to Montana in order to buy salad dressing from McKenzie River Pizza and bring it back to Oregon in a cooler. Okay, slight exaggeration. A visit to friends in Montana was the main purpose of the trip... the dressing was a bonus.

T.H. – Loves tomatoes so much that she would eat one like an apple, no knife needed.

A.L. – Loves healthy food. Hates cilantro.

K.H. – Coffee!!! Enough said.

L.Q. – Can always be counted on to mention a particular food craving RIGHT when my shift starts at work and then I have to think about food while my stomach gurgles in desperation until my shift is over. Hello? Spicy Street Noodles!

S.P. – Has been to every restaurant in the Portland Metro area (I've been to 2% of them). Currently consuming Greek food in order to satisfy 'pregger' cravings. { p.s. – thanks for the peas! }

K.R. – Is passionate about Dr. Pepper. Hates sandwiches.

{ photo by: ME }

oh. happy. day.

I'm so thrilled that Roberta Freymann has finally opened an online shop for her Roberta Roller Rabbit store!

In the past, I could never just skip off to New York (or to California) so there was never a way for me to purchase from her shop... but now, cha-ching! Oh, the beauty of online shopping.

I love the patterns of her current online offerings. The tea towels pictured above are my current faves. I wish she had tea towels made from her MONKEY fabric!

We're still on a strict budget but when the nights start to turn cold this fall, I just might have to treat myself to one of her quilts. I shall call it an early x-mas present.

bragging, a little

How do I announce this in a humble way? Um... my work is IN THIS BOOK! { 1,000 Handmade Greetings by Laura McFadden }

the places I love to visit {online}

I think I've told y'all before about how much I love blogging and how it has helped me to live and think more creatively. I also adore visiting other creative blogs and want to share a few of them with you (they inspire me daily)...

spaindaily.blogspot.com
hugoandelsa.blogspot.com
www.smosch.com
littlepheasant.blogspot.com
happymundane.blogspot.com
staceywinters.blogspot.com

And the photo above doesn't really have anything to do with anything. It's a photo I took of snake grass that my mother gave me (thanks ma)! I just can't seem to post without using an image.

from my own yard

Our cherry tree seems to be producing a heck of a lot of cherries this year. Is it nerdy that I have the need to share that information with you? { photo by: ME }

wasted effort

Something, some creature, has eaten all of my sunflower starts except for one! Grrr! { photo by: ME }

bold

If the man in my life could tolerate bold patterns, these chairs would be in our home. { image: urbanoutfitters.com }

green is gold

"Nature's first green is gold. Her hardest hue to hold..." ~ Robert Frost

The weather is perfect. I wish our Summer could last longer.
{ photo by: ME }

brother of mine

Today is his day, my brother the architect. The artist, comedian, daredevil, fisherman, visionary, father, builder, philosopher... the man who is far from ordinary. Happy day to you, big brother.

homes and gardens northwest

I think it's fairly well-known that I'm a tad bit obsessed with interior design and home decor. So, imagine my delight when I found out that the condo belonging to a vivacious lady that I know (my lovely co-workers and I watch over her dog) has been featured in a local magazine! Check out the online version of the article here. Photos above: by Stephanie Yao Long

Ooo, I like it!

I approve of the Lauren Merkin website re-design... ya know, because my opinion truly matters, ha, ha, ha! And I most certainly approve of all of her bag and clutch designs, too.

dogwood blossoms

{ photos by: ME }

my current crush

...feeling overwhelmed by projects at the moment but wanted to pause and give my blog some attention!

I'm currently obsessing over this Vincent Van Gogh image. I wanted to do a photographic re-creation of this painting but all of the blossoms have fallen off of our trees, so I'm lacking the proper props. Argh! Maybe next year.

oxalis oxalis oxalis

I have this ongoing problem of calling certain plants by incorrect names – I'll chalk it up to a bad memory but, really, you have to admit that there are a lot of plant names out there... how are we supposed to keep them all straight?

Anyway, in my e-mail inbox today was a photo that solved a mystery for me (a photo featuring two of my fave things: a Jonathan Adler product and a COOL plant). For years, I've been incorrectly calling the plant cyclamen when it is actually oxalis. How did I mix that up?

I associate this plant with the beginning of my relationship with J. He had one of these plants when I first met him... so that's why I love oxalis. { photo: jonathanadler.com }

i heart ikat

I love ikat patterns! This green ikat bowl is the one and only thing on my birthday wish list. Hmm, that might not be the total truth: I wish for this bowl and one slice of banana coconut cream pie from PaPa Haydn. Yum. { image: anthropologie.com }

Oh, he makes me laugh.

Overheard in my house this morning... "Hello, feet!"

fantasy and reality

I pour over home decor magazines and salivate over images of perfectly styled interiors with perfect lighting. I would love it if my home could constantly match those professional images.

I definitely reside in a place called 'reality'. My funky plantation chair is usually a storage device for quilts, pillows and clothing. My floor is always littered with dog beds and with shoes.

I can't spend my days cleaning and organizing and putting fresh little floral arrangements on every available surface... but that doesn't change my absolute love of design and decor magazines. They are my happy place(s).

bursting

{ photo by: ME }

early spring, lenten rose

I want to surround myself (and my yard) with thousands of Hellebore plants. { photo by ME }

vessels

I would like one of each, please. (image: wisteria.com)

can't stop thinking about...

SUMMER

domicile

Sometime in the near future, my house numbers will look just like these stainless steel beauties! (image: chiasso.com)

my current crush

Oh, Swedish Stripe Love. I know, I know, this sofa doesn't exactly fall into the MODERN category, but I swear I could make it work in my house! { photo: wisteria.com }

thank you, thank you very much

I have a loyal supporter who is always so nice to bring attention to my little ol' blog – she's the lovely lady at The Ordinary Housewife. She was nice enough to give me a blog award last week and I thank her for thinking of me. I'm just so glad that she came back to the world of blogging after a bit of a sabbatical. Thanks girlie! ... and welcome back!

I find that lately I haven't been taking photos and I haven't been drawing and I haven't been doing much with my blog. Between being sick with the weirdest flu/cold/allergy thing and being really busy with work and freelance projects, I haven't had much time for my own creative stuff. I will be back eventually, I promise.

dearest