Dream House

Good gracious alive, if I won the lottery I would buy this house tomorrow. Then you would have to come visit me in sunny Santa Cruz, California where you would have a lovely view of the ocean. Found on BeachBungalow8, you have to peek at the article to see all the gorgeous pictures.

Butterfly Gap

I received my Southern Living today (a little peeved I might add, because I saw it on the newsstand before it was in my mailbox....that drives me crazy), and there was an article about Butterfly Gap outside of Knoxville, Tennessee. It is a couples-only resort that looks heavenly. Exquisitely furnished cabins with homemade delivered breakfasts. Should I go any further? You must check out the website and drool over all the wonderful scenery.

Earth Day Project

The oldest lil' darlin' had to do an Earth Day recycling project where she found a new use for something that would have been thrown away. After much contemplation, we decided, I mean, she decided that we would make a pen holder/toothbrush holder out of a cashew can. This is how it turned out. She/we did a pretty good job and now it makes its home on my desk.

Going Global

Why is it that Rick Steves gets one of the best jobs in the world...why can't it be me?? I whole heartedly believe there should be a family oriented travel show because people definitely travel with their kids. I have several ideas of reality-based travel shows starring me and my family traveling the world and all the drama that would entail. Or, I would be fine exploring one place for an extended amount of time if that would be easier on production costs, say Paris or Prague. I am flexible. So, if you know someone important that I could pitch my idea to, please let me know. I even have a title: 'The G's Go Global'. No laughing!

Carolina Chocolate Drops

I stumpled upon this very segment on PBS a few weeks ago and fell in love with this group from North Carolina. I had heard of them before, but didn't really know their story. It's quite interesting. It is refreshing to see young artists have such a passion for the music of past generations.

Our State - The Carolina Chocolate Drops from Pete Bell on Vimeo.

Vavoom..

I finally did it! The chandelier went from dull to daring and it's much more fun to look at. It's bright and shiny and has a whole new personality. If it could, it would probably kiss me out of gratitude.

Unfortunately, I didn't take any good "before" pictures, so I had to crop an old picture taken in the kitchen.

My Experiment

Perhaps you recall my post a while back about gardening. My main dilemna was where to place my garden in order to get the most light because we have so many trees surrounding our back yard. Well, instead of tilling up a big spot in my back yard with no guarantee of success, I opted for the girls' old sand box. It's now home to a tomato plant, purple basil, regular basil and thyme. So, far it seems to like the spot. So, if all goes well maybe we'll have a permanent garden in that spot next year. I also have a hanging cucumber plant that is thriving and some squash plants that are doing o.k. Keep your fingers crossed for some small doses of freshness around here, I know I am.

Backyard Trampoline

Backyard Trampoline, originally uploaded by withflourish.

When I lived in Australia one of my friends had a trampoline just like this. I had never seen anything like it until now. Isn't it so much more pleasing to the eye??

Garden and Gun

I received my Garden and Gun magazine last week in the mail. It is a publication dedicated to the south with many interesting articles. Some are a bit too manly for me, but it is still a good magazine nonetheless. There was an article about Secret Supper Clubs that got my wheels spinning. You see, I love to entertain. I have countless ideas in my head of fun nights to host, decoration ideas, menus, etc. Sometimes I feel like I should be a party planner. That way I could utilize all of these ideas on someone else's dime. Anyway, the photos make me want to have a huge dinner party just like this one. I have the perfect lawn for a super-long table! Do you think if I do all the planning and decorating, someone else would cook for all the guests? Just kidding, maybe it could be a Fall Potluck chock full of hearty dishes....

Before Sunrise/Before Sunset

Both of these movies have such a fond place in my heart. I am such a geekess that I have even read the screenplays because the beautiful draw of the films are the honesty of the conversations. The great writing, the European scenery and the intimate connection between two strangers make me crazy in love with these movies, but there is also a different connection that I feel with the characters. (Note: the basis of the two films surrounds two people that meet on a train to Vienna and spend a night together and plan to meet again months later)



I suppose I will divulge my story....I was on a crowded train from a small town on the Eastern coast of Spain going to Barcelona and I locked eyes with a handsome brunette. There were no words exchanged, it was a simple moment of eyes meeting and that feeling of "I would like to know him". The moment passed and I did not see him again. I got off the train in Barcelona to explore the city and find a place to stay. Later that day, I was walking with my friends and came upon the same guy from the train. He stopped and gestured like he knew me and we spoke for a moment about previously being on the same train, what we were doing, where we were going, etc . Then we went our seperate ways once again. Yes, it may sound like a trite memory, but for years after that trip I thought about those moments. It was more than a quick gaze on the train and the fact that we came upon each other on the streets of Barcelona is crazy. Perhaps he was supposed to be in my life in some way. Maybe if I had insisted on talking to him at greater lengths we would still share a friendship today. Since that is not the case, I have a neat memory of sharing a few moments with a stranger that felt more than coincidental. I am positive that everyone has moments in their life that feel contrived by a higher power, showing us the beauty of human connection.

Post Script: In order to write honestly about myself, I have to include parts from my entire life...before husband, before kids, etc. So, please know that no human feelings were harmed in the writing of this, my husband knows that I wouldn't change our life for a second and he also understands the curiousness of human nature to ask , "What if?".

Happy Mother's Day

Happy Mother's Day to my mom! I love you so much and you deserve to be celebrated everyday!!

Silhouettes

On a whim I decided to try a silhouette today. I don't think it is so bad for my first one, but I still need lots of practice. This is one of the lil' darlins from last year, now on to the others.

Invisible Children

If you haven't heard of Invisible Children, you can check out their website here. It is amazing what these young people are doing to raise awareness and make change in Northern Uganda.

Social Media

P020109PS-0339, originally uploaded by The Official White House Photostream.

Facebook, Twitter, flickr, blogs, Wickipedia....you don't even have to own a computer to know about the surge in social media. President Obama has been twittering for awhile now, but now The White House has a photostream on flickr that is pretty amazing. I have always thought being the official White House photographer would be an awesome job, now I'm convinced. You can check it all out here: http://www.flickr.com/photos/whitehouse/.