March 29, 2013

Stripey

Just a spattering of my new stripey start. Purple has to be in my top five favorite colors, so this makes me immensely happy. Wishing you a beautiful weekend! :D

March 27, 2013

Simplicity

I must admit, lately I'm consumed with simplicity. My library list is full of books on the subject. People have asked me why, why limit yourself. I watched Half the Sky last week. Beautiful stories. Women overcoming difficulties I can't even comprehend, to help others and give hope. They have nothing. Truly, nothing. And I have excess, even in my simplicity. I think that's a good why.
My kids will tell you, I'm obsessed with food. I ask them if they've eaten, what they've eaten, ask if they need a snack. If they say no, I take one anyway. I worry about being without food, which is strange because I've never been without food. I've never even been without a surplus of food. There's always food in my cabinets and fridge (although my kids will swear there's nothing). So where does my obsession stem? I can only surmise that it's a love of comfort, of not wanting to feel the ache of hunger, not wanting to be without; an entitlement of sorts.

I wish I could say I'm comfortable being uncomfortable. Maybe if I practice at it, I could be. Or maybe you're never supposed to be comfortable with it. I'm contemplating some reductions in my diet. This causes the very core of me to tremble which tells me I have a problem. I hope that peeling back the layers will reveal what's stuck down in the cracks of my soul.
 
I'll tell you what I am getting uncomfortable with, overeating when others have so little. Maybe if I go with less, I can do something. Perhaps if I experience hunger pains; then I'll be able to relate in a small way. Less food means saving money which means I might have funds to help someone. As a lady said in Half the Sky, even helping one person matters to that one. And this was in the midst of showing the story of a girl who's father never gave her a kind word (not even when they asked him on film) and yet who rose above her mother-abandoned-father-abusive situation because someone sent funds for her to go to school. I sobbed. Seriously, if you haven't watched Half the Sky, I'm begging you to. It's beautiful.

Photos://veggie lasagna//lemon tea//painting of a young friend//leftover paint chips//

March 22, 2013

Her Heart Did Whisper


I have been totally captured by the modernized version of Pride and Prejudice through the Youtube episodes of The Lizzie Bennet Diaries. They have done an amazing job of adapting the story to modern day. But this week *deep, heavenly sigh* was so unspeakably perfect I just have to take a moment and applaud them *standing ovation*. Oh my, it was SO good. Therefore, it should come as no surprise that this week's painting also holds a quote from Pride and Prejudice. {There may be quite of few of these coming through, so get ready; my love of Jane Austen knows no bounds!}

March 20, 2013

Love is Work, Not Magic

I used to think love was a feeling, or something you gave to someone. I adopted the princess definition thinking that love would find me and be constant forever. But love is so much more than that. It's showing kindness in ugly moments, hoping the best through rough patches and holding hands when you want to run. It's overriding offenses with understanding. It's being honest, even when it hurts to be so. It's giving so much of yourself that you feel you'll bleed. It's all the things I struggle to do.

My tendency is to love with conditions ~ wanting it to benefit me as much as others. Reaching out as long as it doesn't hurt; forgiving only when others admit their wrong. I give when it's easy. And this isn't love. Offensive. Conditional. With walls.

I don't want to be that way. I want love flowing off of me like sand off a dune. I want it moving freely without hesitation, full of grace and compassion. I want my love to wave in the wind of turmoil, signaling that this is a safe place to hide.

I'm not there yet. I have so far to go and sometimes get weary in the journey. But even self-pity is about me. I gave up self-condemnation for Lent, a strange thing to give up I suppose, but it's been utterly revealing. I never knew how circular my thoughts could be. But I'm walking step by step away from that path and onto one full of mercy.

I want my love to be a beautiful thing, like a flower in the field or a barren tree at the brink of Springtime.


March 18, 2013

Fairy Sightings: Chapel Window


She peers in with curious wonder through stained glass windows. It's a world she doesn't belong to, etched in mystery that intrigues her. There's magic within she doesn't understand. Someday she may enter, but for now, this is as close as she's comfortable getting.


{In case you're curious, here's the previous fairy sighting}

March 15, 2013

Follow Me on Bloglovin'


If you follow my blog on Google Reader, you can feel free to follow on Bloglovin' {now that Google Reader is closing in July}. There's an easy way to import all the blogs you follow from Google Reader to Bloglovin' here.

I rely heavily on my reader to browse a long list of lovely blogs. Switching all of those blogs over was easy and now I'm relieved to have them safe. :)

Wishing you a happy weekend!

March 13, 2013

Little Things Mean a Lot

When I was growing up, my parents had a pile of old records that my sister and I adopted as our own. There was a song on one that stood out to me called, Little Things Mean a Lot. I absolutely loved it! Her voice was strong, sultry and deep. The words described exactly how I imagined love should be, simple and sweet.


Little Things Mean a Lot by Kitty Kallen
Blow me a kiss from across the room. Say I look nice when I'm not. Touch my hair as you pass my chair. Little things mean a lot. Give me your arm as we cross the street. Call me at 6:00 on the dot. A line a day, when you're far away. Little things mean a lot.
Don't have to buy me diamonds and pearls, champagne, sables or such. I never cared much for diamonds and pearls, 'cause honestly honey, they just cost money.
Give me your hand when I've lost the way. Give me your shoulder to cry on. Whether the day is bright or gray, give me your heart to rely on. Send me the warmth of a secret smile, to show me you haven't forgot ~ that always and ever, now and forever ~ little things mean a lot.
Since childhood, this song has reverberated through my brain. It makes me aware of the things I take for granted that might actually mean a lot to someone else. Like helping my youngest daughter with her homework, listening to my eldest share her concerns, or letting my son play an extra fifteen minutes on xbox. Those things may not seem big to me, but it's important to them.

I think of this song when I come home to a kitchen my husband tidied, or when the kids say something funny and we exchange a secret smile. I'm grateful for those "little things" which are large to me. Life doesn't happen so much in the big, enormous scenes, but in the small, tender moments. I believe you got it right, Kitty, little things DO mean a lot.

PHOTOS: My daughter's lace TOMS that she pined for, for two years//Redbull's red bull {tab}//A well-worn and loved copy of Mother Goose//Dosidos ~ my favorite Girl Scout cookies.

March 11, 2013

Fairy Sightings: Daffodils


Her flowers have finally emerged and she hides among them. She cloaks herself, too timid to be seen; but her beauty shines in the faces of her flowers. She's nurtured them as tenderly as a mother with a babe and now they lift their necks into the wind showing the world her masterpiece. Even the sun cannot help but smile at the color of their pedals.


{In case you're curious, here's the previous fairy sighting}

March 8, 2013

My Courage Always Rises



"My courage always rises with every attempt to intimidate me." ~ Jane Austen, Pride and Prejudice

I have so many favorite quotes from Pride and Prejudice, but this is one of my ultimate favorites. If you can't tell, it's hidden in the background of this painting (look closely). I love Lizzy's strong nature and ability to speak the truth, even if she gets it wrong sometimes.

Hope you have a courage-full weekend!

March 6, 2013

Wardrobe Capsule March 2013

Wardrobe Capsule March 2013

Wardrobe Capsule March 2013 by wingedwriter featuring stretch skinny jeans

Today I'm going to share with you the fifteen items hanging in my closet. I made a visual from Polyvore (with clothes similar to my own), since I can't seem to make time to photograph my clothes in good daylight! My current wardrobe capsule consists of 7 tops, 4 bottoms and 4 jacket/cardigans:

Tops
  1. Navy button-down polka-dot
  2. Navy silk flowy
  3. Multi-color patterned
  4. White front-pleated
  5. Black decorative tee
  6. Purple silk (gray in photo)
  7. Black v-neck tee

Bottoms
  1. Denim pencil skirt
  2. Tan pencil skirt
  3. Skinny blue jeans
  4. Teal skinny jeans (coming soon)

Cardigans/Jackets
  1. Black striped
  2. Gray flyaway lace
  3. Purple (recent gift from my daughter)
  4. Tan decorative jacket (gift from my sister)

Over 140 outfits come from this small amount of clothes. I know that might be hard to believe, but just look:

All 7 tops with denim skirt
All 7 tops with tan skirt
All 7 tops with blue jeans
All 7 tops with teal jeans 

{28 OUTFITS so far! That's about a month's worth. Now to add a jacket/cardigan.}

All 7 tops with denim skirt and black striped cardigan
All 7 tops with tan skirt and black striped cardigan
All 7 tops with blue jeans and black striped cardigan
All 7 tops with teal jeans and black striped cardigan

All 7 tops with denim skirt and gray cardigan
All 7 tops with tan skirt and gray cardigan
All 7 tops with blue jeans and gray cardigan
All 7 tops with teal jeans and gray cardigan

All 7 tops with denim skirt and purple cardigan
All 7 tops with tan skirt and purple cardigan
All 7 tops with blue jeans and purple cardigan
All 7 tops with teal jeans and purple cardigan

All 7 tops with denim skirt and tan jacket
All 7 tops with tan skirt and tan jacket
All 7 tops with blue jeans and tan jacket
All 7 tops with teal jeans and tan jacket

TOTAL: 140 OUTFITS!!

P.S. You could use the button-down (polka dot) shirt as a jacket to add even more outfits!

Yes, I know that charting this out reveals my inner geek, but I'm okay with that; it was showing anyway. I'll share links on how to make a capsule wardrobe stretch further with scarves in a future post. "Ooooo, ahhhh."

If you'd like to see outfit combinations like these in photos, the blog Outfits Posts, does it really well.


March 4, 2013

Fairy Sightings: Upon a Tree



She tiptoes along the branches like a bee upon its flower. She whispers gently, reminding the tree of what it has been, and who it will become again. This is only a season, she says, and seasons change. There will be new foliage and beauty in the spring. Hold on. Nothing stays the same, not even the bareness of winter. The tree finds comfort in her words, for it knows she is wise.


{In case you're curious, here's the previous fairy sighting}

March 1, 2013

Patterned Painting: Part 2


I've been working on the patterned painting that I started last week. The stamping ink smeared quite a bit but I actually like the way it colored things as I painted. I may try stamping with paint next time just to cement the lines. But this time I enjoyed the lucidness of it moving and flowing as I painted. I'll be working on this for the next few days and hopefully be able to show you the completed painting next week.

Wishing you a delicious, peaceful weekend!