It’s that time of the year. The bright warm mornings of summer have been replaced almost instantly with cool crispness in the morning air. Summer produce has given way to pumpkins and apples. And green leafy trees are showing vibrant hues of red, orange, and yellow. I love the change in seasons. As much as I have enjoyed this spectacular, eventful, and beautiful summer, and I have thoroughly, I am excited to welcome the fall. Continue reading “Welcoming Fall”
I have always been enchanted by the night sky, not to use too flowery a word to describe it. I remember star gazing at different points in my life; from the foot well of the rear facing seat of a Buick as my parents moved us from Las Vegas to Portland when I was seven. They started in the middle of the night so they could eat up the miles while five kids slept, or stared out the window at the universe that seemed unchanged even as we transitioned from desert to rain forrest. From state parks on family camping trips, to the rare cloudless evening on the Oregon Coast as a college student, staring up at the stars has always been a refuge, a comfort, and a promise of infinite possibilities. A comfort because no matter how crazy life got, the night sky was always a beautiful reminder of the grandeur of life. It just is, and it is beautiful. A refuge because I could escape any stress by fantasizing – about life on other planets, how far away the characters in Star Wars would have lived, and who I would have been, had I lived there too. And infinite possibility because no matter how big my teenage problems felt, looking at the night sky reminded me that I am just a speck of dust in the grand scheme of things, that nothing in my priveledged life could be as terrible as the problem my mind was fueling, and most important, the stars would carry on, regardless.
The night sky has always offered me some perspective, but it’s easy to lose it through the normal comings and goings of the day. I was thrilled, however, to be reminded of this perspective with some beautiful images and a wonderfully educational blog post from my friend, a talented photographer and architect, Alene Davis. I hope you will enjoy her images and her blog as much as I have.
There is something magical about the night sky. If I am lucky enough to find myself far from city lights and can see the millions of visible stars and the amorphous Milky Way, I can’t help but be awed by the universe.
Shooting a dark night sky can be both a mystery and a challenge if you haven’t done it before (and even if you have!). This blog walks you through the process I use.
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A month ago, I got a chalkboard cling in a cool shape that (to me) looks awesome on my pantry door. My idea was to find a new inspiring quote that I could think about every week. I actually thought I would incorporate the quote, and move onto the next cool thought, but this is the first quote I’ve put up, it’s been up for a few weeks, every time I read it, it reminds me to think before I grouse. And until I can do that without needing the reminder, I’ll leave the quote where it is. I think it’s here to stay for a while.
As a disclaimer – this is not a paid blog. The opinions expressed are my own, and are not informed by any sort of compensation by any company mentioned. If I like it, I talk it up. And if it’s horrible, I try to warn you. So on with the show!
I’m having a love affair with the place that we live: Portland, Oregon. My family moved here from Las Vegas when I was seven, so I feel like it’s my hometown. If you aren’t familiar with the geography in the Northwest, we Continue reading “My Love Affair with the Oregon Coast”
We went to Utah on Thursday night for a family reunion. It was so great to see the family. My parents, two sisters, two brothers, two in-laws, and 172 nieces and nephews. Okay, it was really just fifteen kids, it just seemed like a lot. We hiked, swam, played board games, ate lots, did lots of dishes, stayed up too late, ate too much sugar, and loved every minute of being with each other. We stayed just the right amount of time; I was sad to Continue reading “A Bit of Karma, a Bit of Mindlessness”
I’ve been thinking a lot about mastery lately. I have a book idea that’s been on my mind for two years now, but it has yet to make it out of daydreams and incomplete outlines into pages, let alone chapters. With my new SAHM gig, I thought this would be a great opportunity to apply myself, and to write this book. I have had some progress in developing the Continue reading “Mastery and Cultivation”
I’m sitting at starbucks, cold brewed coffee at hand. The first time I’ve been to a coffee shop alone in probably three and a half months. It’s a treat and I’m going to use it to my fullest ability.
I have been off work since the end of March, and I somewhat naively assumed that when I left my stressful job and got to stay home every day Continue reading “My July Health Resolutions”
Well, here it is – my second furniture refinishing project.
While I thought I was buying a vanity that qualified as an antique, according to sources from The Oracle, it would have to be over 100 years old, and antique dealers would say 150 years old. More research reveals that if it has machine made dovetails in the drawers, it was made some Continue reading “Refab #2: The Child’s Victorian Vanity – (in progress)”
My husband (brilliantly) suggested I might enjoy restoring furniture and selling it as a way to fund luxuries like lunches out with my girlfriends. This stay at home mom gig is awesome, but our budget doesn’t include a mommy or daddy allowance. His suggestion was particularly cogent because I like a good hunt for a bargain and I love turning something ugly into something beautiful (or killing myself trying).
So I started looking around for furniture to refinish, and in 10 minutes of Continue reading “Refab #1 – Furniture Rehab to Fund my Fun”
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