Photo projects

I have been consistently taking the same types of pictures since I was a kid. I remember my mom gave me a little camera (110 film?) and I was hooked. Since then, I still shoot with a simple camera but I am still focused on taking pictures of my feet, pictures from over my head, pictures of me in mirrors, and pictures of me drinking coffee. Now, I have added to the list and I take photos of me in my favorite vintage finds or pictures while I am walking and, since I travel sometimes for work, I take photos of myself in hotel rooms.
What kinds of habits do you see in your picture taking? Care to share?

She said, "I've been killing zombies all night."

So, Shaun is home, on the couch, zoned out, playing a Wii video game in which she is killing zombies. Now, I am NOT a fan of video games to begin with, nor am I a fan of violence, but her comments while playing are cracking me up! Now, does she LOOK like a zombie killer?


I just got home from cutting my friend's hair. You know how sometimes you meet someone and then you think, "huh, how did I not have this person in my life before?" I think this often about many of my friends and it never ceases to amaze me that I am so lucky to be surrounded by so many strong and brilliant women. One thing that this particular friend has said to me many times is: "change your thinking." This small sentence has truly shifted the way in which I process things. It is so true...sometimes we just have to alter our thoughts and by doing this, we can create something positive from something troubling and/or painful.
Picture of Marsha and I at an art show last summer:


Every night I go to each of my favorite blogs...Here are some links. Enjoy!!! this one, this one, too, yup-love this one, and I'm a big fan of this, and this.

I am lucky to have a very creative friend, Kristin, who has this blog that I frequent for inspiration. Kristin is an artist, an art professor, a fabulous friend and a wonderful neighbor! She and I both bought our first (and probably forever) homes this past summer and we often get together and talk design, thrifting, art and our ever-crazy schedules and supporting each other in finding balance in all that we love to do.
Kristin and I...At Havana Hideouts, eating tacos and drinking triple berry sangria:

Say Something Sunday

My plan on this blog is to write about things I do, things I like, things I love, people I adore, things that make me tick, peep, squak and flap my wings.

On Sundays I will be posting "Say Something Sunday" which will be a weekly post where I will tell you things that you may or may not want to know, or may or may not be interested in, but they are things that I would like to share. :)

So....For my first "Say Something Sunday" I will tell you about my views on vegetarianism. I have been a strict vegetarian for over 16 years. I had decided when I was 14 yrs old that eating meat was something that I refused to do. It was something that I had started thinking about when I was a little kid. I used to love checking out books from my elementary school library and I checked out "What's Inside An Egg" numerous times. The book rocked my world...I never knew that CHICKENS lived inside of eggs...Eggs were full of baby chickens!" I'm sure that I knew that already on some level but the book nailed it all home and it was shocking.
When I was 14 and told my mom that I wanted to become a veggie, she said that I could once I read a book on how to be a teenager and still be healthy as a vegetarian. I read "A Teen's Guide To Going Vegetarian" and shared the info that I learned from the book with my mom. She then cooked meat-free, protein rich foods for our dinners every night.
Since becoming a vegetarian, I strongly believe in my decision for numerous reasons. One of which is that I believe that I make less of an impact on our environment (and there is research to prove this) and I also believe that I am not causing pain or discomfort on any living being in the world around me.

Leaving you with something to think about:
A vegetarian driving a hummer is better for the environment than a meat-eater on a bicycle.
Interesting, huh?

Street Painting Fest!

We went downtown this morning and had breakfast on the avenue at The Pelican and then walked around the Street Painting Festival for a while. We rode our bicycles from our house to downtown and it was LOVELY out. Perfect weather here today. I feel like I need another weekend day since I worked yesterday and Friday afternoon and evening. I am beat.
Shaun is taking a nap right now but I can't sleep. I have loads of laundry to do...I am thinking that I should make an ice coffee. mmmmmmm

How was your weekend? What did you do?

Gifts are good.

As a gift to myself, and Shaun, I have been buying fresh flowers for the house every week. I am actually surprised by how much seeing them everyday affects me. I smile every time I wash the dishes because I put one flower in a small vase by the sink and the rest in vases/pitchers on the dining room table. Some of the vases/pitchers are thrifted, some are from Ikea and some are from TJMaxx...a small investment towards your heart and home.
I suggest that if you need a odd bit of joy, but yourself flowers. Make it a habit!

To do: drink coffee and write

Good morning!
Working from home today, and then writing (revision of a short story due this weekend), and setting up for a conference that I am presenting at tomorrow. Oh, joy! So much to do. And then, this weekend is STREET PAINTING FESTIVAL!
I have gone to the festival every year for the past 15? years. I have pictures on my computer from last year's fest and I will try to post some later today. The handy man is on his way over to give me an estimate for installing the outdoor shower. Shaun thinks I am nuts to want to shower outdoors. Ha! It is bliss I tell you, pureeee bliss!!!!
Any one else like to shower outdoors?

Here is a picture of Zenny in the guest room. The canopy is vintage and I bought it at Goodwill a few years ago, knowing that it would be lovely hung above the bed! Bed spread at foot of bed from Anthropolgie. Book case: Goodwill


Last night we had dinner at my mom's house. She made an incredible salad with kale (who knew?!) and mac and cheese from scratch with Coastal Cheddar cheese...omg, yum! I had cold Stella with a slice of honey-bell orange. Amazing! Thanks, mom!

Two beers equals a too-exhausted-to-link-to-the-resturant-kind-of-girl

Ah-hem....I know that last night I promised to link to the Havana Hideouts page on but I was so tired and full and chilly (50 degrees in SoFla!) and I immediately got in to bed and viola, dream land shortly arrived!

So, here is the link to Havana Hideout

p.s. it just took me 15 minutes to create that link above and now I am off for a POWER walk with my friend, K. I will attempt to create many more links later, b/c Buddha knows, I need the practice!
A picture from a few months ago of my friend, K and me, at Starbuckies, playing scrabble!!!

Tuesday is TACO NIGHT!

In the adorable little downtown that I live in, there is a little place called Havana Hideouts (The restaurant was on Diners, Drive-ins and Dives on Food Network-I'll link to the show when we get home from dinner). On Tuesday nights they serve tacos for ONE DOLLAR with the purchase of a drink. I usually order a glass of their homemade Berry-Basil Sangria with two black bean tacos. Yummmmm!

Yoga and french fries (and maybe a milkshake, too)

So, I went to yoga tonight, even though I really wanted to stay home and cuddle on the couch and watch TV or get in my chair and read, but I haven't been to yoga in over two weeks and I thought, "JUST GO!" so I did. And when I left yoga I wanted french fries and a strawberry/vanilla milkshake from Checkers. Now, I guess that I could feel guilty and gross, ok, well I do feel gross, but the guilt is not here. I believe that it is ok that I went and worked my arse off in yoga and left there craving greasy fries. I say, "listen to your body!" And I did. I listened to my body and now my body is telling me that I am feeling full and sleepy and achey and I think that I may have go lay down.
Good night!

A random picture that just made me laugh...mmmmmmmm, Starbuckies!

Introdustions-aka Time to meet the kids

Atwood-old man chihuahua...adopted last February 2009

Bela-5 year old chihuahua-quite the well trained kid-Shaun's kid

Shumi-ugh..he breaks my heart b/c of how cuddily and mushy he is. He just turned 3 on November 1st 2009

Bela and Atwood on a ride downtown

Three more kid introductions to come!

It was only a few months ago...

that I bought this cottage, my first home, the home I plan to own forever, adding to it's original charm and creating my dream home!
A picture from the day I closed on my own-SOLD! An amazing, yet surreal day!

Years ago I bought this chair for myself as a graduation present when I graduated from under grad. I wanted the "perfect reading chair" and searched for MONTHS for a chair. I finally found this gem at Goodwill and was so amazed that someone would have given this baby up! I love the way it looks in this corner....mushhhhhhy!

I am heading out to yoga class in a little bit, but much of me would rather snuggle up in this chair with a glass of wine and the book that I am currently reading, "How the Light Gets In" by M.J. Hyland. Ahhhhhhhhhh

Where in your home is your favorite place to read a book?

Thrifted!

I am a HUGE vintage fan- clothing, art, housewares, furniture, etc. Below is one of my new, well new to me, dresses from Goodwill- a simple cotton dress, great with flats or boots!

Welcome to my new blog!

Welcome to my new blog! This will be a place for me to link you to some of my favorite blogs that I read, posting pictures from decorating and renovating my 1925 house, writing about foods, thrifted finds and other things about my life. My goal is to post daily, some days more than once, but, we shall see!

Here is a few pictures from re-doing my library. Being a rather big book lover, I always knew that once I bought a home, I would have a library! The chairs, rug, pillow, table and throw blanket are from Ikea. The black, chipped paint desk is a vintage find from Goodwill, the knobs are from Anthropologie, the green vase on the floor is from Marshalls, the chandelier is from Lowes (I HATE wires! I made a wire cover for the wires coming down from the ceiling and ceiling medallion from thick black fabric from Jo-Ann Fabrics), the cabinetry was built by my handy-person, the paint is all Valspar in eggshell (I will write the color name next time) for the walls, and semi-gloss in Beluga for the inside of the shelving, the white is called Muslin white and it is used on all trim, including the wainscoting and the crown moulding.
A large round mirror will be hung later this week, as well as two amazzzzzing thrifted pieces of art.