monday monday..

***

sometimes mondays start with a spark 

a flash an energy and excitement to start the new week

***

and sometimes they start with a whimper

a sigh and a little bit of hesitation.

***

today it started with a big yawn

and a realization that our sunny warm (ish) weekend

had given way somewhere during the night to

snow.

***

what??

this is serious news that calls for drastic measures..

as much as i wanted to dive back under the covers

and bury myself deep deep deep down inside

***

i decided the best way to arm myself for this snowy day

was to take 

a bath.

***

i love baths.

it's a serious addiciton.

(and a very healthy one, if you ask me)

it always has been.

i would spend hours in the tub as a little girl 

playing with bubbles and boats 

pretending i was a mermaid

***

but now i don't play in them as much

i luxuriate in them.

i meditate.  i dream.  i think about the day past, or the day to come.

baths are a place to just be.

they're nurturing, pampering, relaxing

even uplifting.

they help set your mind straight.

really.

they warm you to the bone

on cold nights

(or, ahem, mornings..)

***

and it's easy to pamper yourself

(an oh so neccessary, i think)

***

you can also transform a bath (and yourself)

by adding a cup of milk and a few drops of lavender oil..

or a handful of rose petals or slices of apple

or sweet herbs and flowers from the garden

***

a tablespoon of honey (the raw type is the best)

and a cup of oats..

***

and of course, yummy soaps.

***

handmade and natural are my favorites

especially from here, here, and here.

***

..and then a nice pot of hot tea off to the side

is wonderful too..

of course,

if you're like me and you eventually have to get out of the tub

and actually get a little work done..

a nice strong green tea with lots of caffeine is probably a good idea.

what do you do to take care of yourself?

wishing you a gorgeous monday.

xo

***please click on the stars to direct you to the photo credits.

time is flying by..i want to ride along

***

oh, happy happy friday everyone!

today was such a busy day.

i felt like i was flying around town, racing from here to there.

you know those days

when you have to consciously slow yourself down

to really breathe and enjoy the sunshine.

i had a beautiful story planned for you guys

and then life happened,

my projects today took twice as long as i had hoped,

things really changed..

(in happy and surprising ways, actually!)

so i decided to save the story for you

for next week.

for now, i'd like to share this image with you (above)

it's one i took this week

as part of a little film project i've started.

nothing big, but a new little creative exercise.

it grew out of a realization that's been dawning on me lately.

it's about coming to terms with

living in this small small town.

(after living in austin, houston and especially, los angeles)

you realize that at the end of the day,

you have to make your own fun.

(when did i forget this??!)

so i traipsed into the cemetery next to my house

(it's our little 'park' with huge beautiful trees)

and tried capturing the wind on film.

there were people nearby who i know must've thought

i was a lunatic.

hanging dresses in trees in a cemetery..i can only imagine how it looked!

hilarious now that i think about it.

but,

i was really having fun

and the trees are the only green in town at this moment..

and

the wind was just catching the fabric so gorgeously..

and i had promised myself to stay focused on the creativity

and not worry what people think.

so there it began.

and now it's a work in progress

and i look forward to showing you more as it develops.

in the meantime,

have a really inspiring and lovely weekend.

what are you going to do???

i'd really love to hear.

xo

dream a little dream..

{colie parks}

somedays, especially breezy days like today

things feel soft and mellow and slow and sweet

{missy pips}

we don't have to say much

the sunlight seems to speak

{colie parks}

it speaks in the prettiest tones

and i love what it says

{clumsy bird}

it sings

{colie parks}

it hums

{danske}

and whistles

{jennifer morris}

and whispers

{jennifer morris}

and it smiles.

*a little collection of dreamy polaroids i gathered for you

on this beautiful breezy wednesday..

xo

it's all about food..n'est-ce pas?

***

it's monday. (already??!)

and i'm thinking about food.

(didn't i do that all weekend too?)

while digging through my favorite food blogs this morning,

(my mouth completely watering..

and stomach growling..)

***

..looking for ideas for meals and introductions to new food to explore..

it hit me.

i wasn't just looking for food inspiration,

but for creative stimulation/inspiration too.

***

seriously, how can i look at a presentation of scrambled eggs , like this one

and not feel excited by it's originality?

and the cleverness doesn't stop there..

bea at the beautiful blog  la tartine gourmande

is filled with gorgeous ideas and honestly,

a gorgeous way of living life

(and avec petite lessons en francais)

 

her site is a place where you can (happily) get lost for hours

(and i have..willingly..many many times)

***

bea's warmth and charm are so entertaining.

her stories about each meal..testing new food on her husband (and new bebe)

will make you smile and laugh, not to mention very very hungry.

***

she offers endless amounts of *hope* 

for tasty eating

to gluten-free folk like me..

(and 'regular' people too!)

***

and oh the journeys you go on with her as they travel..

***

eating in her native france..

***

learning about olives and feta in crete..

***

cycling and picnicking on block island..

***

all the while bantering, cooking, photographing, and sharing

her beautiful life with us.

making me want to extend my creativity into all parts of my life.

***

her family, environment, and her food are all connected..

her personal anecdotes make you instant friends.

i especially love her story of making apple pie 

with apples from her brother's garden

while visiting her childhood home in france..

***

i think bea's appreciation of life and food is truly art.

and i am fully completely absolutely inspired.

et vous?

i hope you have a happy and inspiring monday.

i'm off to the market now...

xox

*all photos ©latartinegourmande

primavera palomas

***

it's here. 

oh yes,

it's the first day of spring.

we might not be able to feel it quite yet,

but i swear the sun is already shining brighter.

it's almost laughing in the sky

telling winter (along with me) good bye.

there are new little birds singing

all around the neighborhood.

it almost feels like a disney movie..

seriously.

it's a gorgeous day today

this first day of spring.

i thought it would be fun

to end my first week of blogging

with a preview of some spring inspired paloma pendants

that i've been working on.

palomas represent hope and new life

..good things that spring

brings..

they bring 

music, color, flowers..

and sunshine.

they remind us

to look at the small things..

to remember that things change and grow

and become beautiful again

in time.

that's why i love spring so much.

it reminds me to keep hoping.

and that's kindof nice.

***

you'll find 7 new palomas in my beadshop

this sunday around noon (eastern time).

i'm trying to get them in the shop early,

because we're going out hunting (with our cameras..not guns!) for migrating geese.

stories and pics to come next week...

in the meantime, enjoy your first weekend of spring

i hope it's full of good things.

xox

all photos ©jennifermorrisbeads

a quick hello

***

just stopping in to say hi! (i just can't stay away..this is too much fun..)

and

to let you know (in case you haven't heard)

that the lovely ladies over at studio violet are having a sale!

give them a visit

to see their sweet treats.

***

okay.

see you tomorrow to celebrate the first day of spring (!)

with peeks of my new palomas..

xo

flowers and friends

{blissful images}

i woke up this morning smiling.

nevermind the cold rain

crazy wind and big dark clouds.

no they didn't bother me or make me want to go back to sleep.

(i actually really do love rain)

it's just that i woke up 

with my head full with visions 

of all the things i'm plotting

and the adventures i'm planning

in the coming months

now that spring is almost here!

{sarah-seven}

oh yes.

so many plans.

and the first thing i'm going to do

is put on a yellow linen sundress the color of sunshine

(just exactly like this one

and the kerchief too, believe me)

and

i'm going to pack a big basket full of food and books 

(and cameras)

and head out

for a picnic.

{abby try again}

for this first little adventure,

i'm not thinking of the kind with lots of people and croquet and horse-shoes..

(those will come later..definitely)

today

i'm thinking of the sweet slow lazy sort

{cori kindred}

the kind with just a few friends

(such as my lovelies featured today..)

 

the kind where we don't really know where we're going

where we just go out and find 

the biggest field of wildflowers..

{serpentine}

and wade out to the very middle..

{abby try again}

spread out a big big blanket..

{cori kindred}

pull out our supplies 

(the most important things first, of course)..

{serpentine}

and just sit.

and

watch butterflies.

let the warm breeze blow

and let spring work its magic.

yep.

that's what i'm going to do.

what have you got planned..

would you like to come along too?

xo

***

*i have to say thank you so much to everyone who visited my new blog on monday!*

so many sweet and encouraging comments were left

and i am still smiling from it all!

this new adventure is really exciting and i hope to see you

again and again over the next weeks and months (and years!)

***

friday i'll be celebrating the first day of spring

with sneak peeks of *palomas* coming to my bead shop.

see you then!

xo