Happy, happy birthday, my ever-so-handsome love!
[All images taken in Northern California.)
♥♥♥
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Monday’s Pretty Things :: Coffee
How is that I have not yet done a coffee edition of Monday’s Pretty Things? This essential needs no introduction, so without further ado…
This postcard makes me laugh, even though I see it every single morning — it’s taped onto our coffee jar. (Note that this is one of the very rare times I will post an image on my blog without a link back to the source. I’m a firm believer in properly crediting the artist, as explained in Design*Sponge’s informative piece, How to Credit.)
Keep Calm and Drink Coffee via the Keep Calm Shop on Etsy
Ah yes, an absolute classic.
Image of Christina Holm-Sandok of Style-Architects via Glitter Girl
(P.S. If that was me in the morning, the clothes would be Christmas flannel pants and a hoodie…and the dog would be a Papillon ;-)
Homemade Mocha Coconut Iced Coffee via How Sweet it Is
When you click on the link you have to scroll way, way, way down to get to the decadent recipe for that coconut mocha. Now, who’s making me one tomorrow morning?!
“A morning without coffee is like sleep”, a print via Jan Skácelík
I don’t understand people who don’t drink coffee.
“Do you know how I feel?” coffee comic via Exploding Dog
I burst out laughing every time I read this comic. Because it’s ludicrous? No, because it’s absolutely and completely true, Chaaa’lie (said in my Lola voice.)
“I measure my life in coffee spoons”, a T.S. Elliot quote print via Vol. 25
This quote always reminds me of a snippet of lyrics from “Seasons of Love”, the only Broadway song I like.
“Five hundred twenty-five thousand
Six hundred minutes
How do you measure, measure a year?
In daylights, in sunsets, in midnights
In cups of coffee…”
London Coffee via Green Kitchen Stories
Now, I’m off to bed so I can wake up and have my coffee!
Guest Post on The Organic Bird Blog – On Contentment, and Living in the Moment
Do you all read The Organic Bird? Andrea Levendusky’s treasure trove of poignant, honest writing has quickly become one of my favorite places on the web. It’s truly worth adding to your reading list.
I’ve been so blessed getting to know Andrea through Facebook and Twitter over the last few months, and was thrilled when she asked me to pen a guest post. So, you can find me on The Organic Bird today, talking a little about the ways God is using my daughter to teach me about being content.
Thank you, Andrea!
“I’m staring. It’s that time of the afternoon where all I want is another cup of coffee, but Aveline’s bedroom is right off the kitchen. She’s the world’s lightest sleeper; if I even think about that cup of coffee too loudly, I know she’ll hear me & wake up.
There is a pot of white beans simmering on the stove. I’ll add some sage and garlic in a bit. I’m not sure why I bought white beans. I nearly always cook black beans — black beans with onion, garlic, lime, jalapeño, and cilantro. Once upon a time, when I lived in my beautiful California, I added epazote, too. It grew wild around my front step.
But here, here in the land of my sojourn….” [continue reading my guest post on The Organic Bird blog]
//Comments are disabled here, so you can leave them on Andrea’s blog. :-)//
Aveline’s First Birthday – Handmade Felt Feather Birthday Crown, Stuffed Plush Toy Bunny, and Gluten-free Chocolate Cake
Aveline’s birthday yesterday was such a lot of fun! I can’t believe she’s a whole year old. We had a quiet little party for her, just Josiah and I, since our families are millions thousands of miles away — but it was joyous and beautiful and so full of laughter. (She even got to FaceTime and talk with both sets of grandparents!)
And can I just say I’m really happy with the way her feathered crown turned out? Even if the feathers did keep flopping over. I’m hoping to make a different birthday crown for her each year. My mom made us special birthday hats when we were little, and I thought it was the best thing ever.
What are your favorite birthday traditions — either from your childhood, or for your own children? I think it would be great to make a new handmade toy for her each birthday as well!
P.S. Here is the gluten-free chocolate cake recipe I used.
It was a year ago today that I first met my baby girl, and…
…I thought that now, at one year later, I would finally have words for this.
Words for what it felt like to hold her, outside of my body, for the very first time.
Words for what it felt like to look at her living, breathing soul.
But I don’t.
I still have no words — only awe,
only wonder,
only joy.
So, so much joy.
To God be the glory, great things He has done!
The Bestest Job in the Whole Wide World
Today, this has mainly been my view — the back of a very quickly moving Aveline. It’s been a “part of” kind of day.
Part of the laundry folded.
Part of an article for Babiekins Magazine written.
Part of Aveline’s birthday crown made.
Part of the bathroom cleaned.
But that’s ok. It’s been a day full of life, full of laughter, full of joy, full of peace.
I wouldn’t trade my position now with any one.
I love being a mama. I couldn’t think of a better gift in the world than my little, hilarious, laughing miracle.
Spontaneous Hug
I was photographing Aveline this morning while we were waiting for the furnace repair-man, and she ran toward me to give me a big hug. I turned the camera toward us and snapped a couple of shots blindly. I love the resulting photo! Can you believe the little bug will be ONE on Thursday?
Monday’s Pretty Things :: Here’s to 2012
It’s been too long since I posted an edition of “Monday’s Pretty Things”. Let’s start this year off with a short list — just two photos. (It’s still a list if there are only two things, right?)
I love winter scenes like this one, which at first glace look as though they’ve been shot in black and white. Such an achingly beautiful stand of birch trees.
via Helt Enklet
The pure light in this next image is so clean and beautiful, a bright contrast to the cloudy, grey day above. Plus, I was especially attracted to this photograph because of the colors — mustard (of course!) against white.
Want to see more pretty things? I don’t blame you…two images barely whets your appetite for inspiration! ;)
Corners of our Home at the Start of 2012: Instagram Snapshots
I’ve been busy this month cleaning, sorting, and de-cluttering — a really great start to 2012! Here are a handful of snapshots from around the house, snagged from my Instagram feed.
This is the cozy view through our bedroom door, looking into the living room. I took this the first night we were back in Florida after Christmas break.
I think I’d like to keep these lights up forever. It always seems so sad and dark in January when the lights are packed away.
The top of my dresser –the amazing London grid art is from TexturedINK on Etsy (and I won it via a giveaway on the Happy Interior Blog!) I really need to pick up some frames. I’ll have to post some additional photos once I get the art hung properly.
I mean, really, is there anything better than salsa? I’ve been eating it with every meal lately.
I worked on this little Japanese-inspired creature over the weekend. Aveline will get this particular one for her first birthday (which is on the 19th. THIS MONTH. Ahhhhh!), and I’ll list subsequent ones in the Oaxacaborn shop. (Did you see the kawaii plush I made her for Christmas?)
This morning’s rare and heart-breakingly beautiful fog made me miss the California coast something awful. Someday, someday.
And oh yes, last by not least, my new Nakate Project beads. I love that purchasing these beautiful necklaces helps women in Uganda eat properly, put a roof over their heads, send their children to school, and start small businesses. (P.S. Right now the ENTIRE Nakate store is 50% off when you use the code NEWYEARSALE.)
Full disclosure: Yes, I am the Systems Administrator for Nakate, but I’m not being compensated in any way for my posts about them. I talk about Nakate often because it’s important to me, not because I have to. :)
Christmas in Upper Michigan
We’ve come back, on a jet plane, from our magical snowy Christmas in the north! And I do mean “north”. We spent the first part of Christmas vacation in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula, which is literally as far north as you can go without being in Canada. Purdy neat dere, eh?
My dad’s brother has an amazing cabin there, situated right on a river, which is where we stayed. My youngest brother and cousins got the tree out of the surrounding forest just before we arrived. The river had even frozen evenly enough to make a perfect skating rink. And did I mention it snowed every single day?
Oh, I wish I were sitting by the stone fireplace right now, drinking bottomless cups of coffee. I already miss my family terribly, and we’ve only been back in Florida for a couple days.
