Just Be | A Christmas Story

As I read this post from Shauna Niequist this morning I couldn't help but think about the Christmas brunch I had hosted just yesterday. It was a simple meal for six friends: french toast, bacon, spinach salad and egg bake. We enjoyed lots of laughter between bites (most at one very gracious friend's expense). After retiring to the living room, I couldn't escape the feeling that there was something else we should be doing. The conversation flowed, there was more hilarity, and yet a restlessness had struck me as well as at least one friend.

Should we play a game? Should we watch a movie? Should I have organized a craft project? In the end, the sunshine and forty degree December temperatures won and we headed out for a walk. Our destination ended up being a nearby playground. And so a simple meal led to a simple hour spent on the swings and slides recalling the recesses of our youth. The fresh air and clear skies were more needed than I knew. I love the little conversations that happen on a swing set and the hi-jinks that ensue when adults meet jungle gyms.

This season, when the desire for MORE of everything is tempting me, I hope I'll remember to seek the simple. To be okay with just chatting. To find the small joys. To just be. There is so much merry to be found when we accept where we are and stop searching for more.

note: these are all the photos i have of this day, thank goodness for words :)

the beginnings of a summer playlist.

As summer kicks off, I find myself embarking on the annual tradition of creating the summer playlist. All spring my ears have been perked, waiting to hear the perfect beach song. Honestly, I'm still waiting. The radio hits have been disappointing thus far. (Although I will say that Lasers from Lupe Fiasco is very beach ready)

With that in mind these are the first few songs I've found myself wanting to listen to again and again. Thus, the summer playlist begins.

Departure - Mt. Desolation

{Makes me want to get away from it all}

Keep Your Head Up - Andy Grammer

{my income feels like bread crumbs too, he gets me & reminds me that it's all going to be okay}

Good Life - OneRepublic

{The first totally windows down, sunglasses on, drive to the beach worthy song so far}

What's on your summer playlist? Let me know what I'm missing.

mornings.

mornings are for snuggling with the dog, granola, coffee and reading.

mornings are also for stopping by the post office and discovering new stamps.

don't you love a good morning?

best baby shower gift ever.

i need a baby (of a friend of course) to buy these for. stat. the cuteness is killing me.

hello from nashville.

tree in bloom - franklin, tennessee

i enjoyed blogging last week, but vacation has taken hold of me the past few days. hope we start to see some signs of spring up north soon!

back to the land of the long winter tomorrow. have a great weekend.

links i liked this week.

recipes

balsamic chicken

blood orange salad

an eggless breakfast

homemade rainbow chip cake (who knew?!?)

blogging 101

how to credit photos

peeps joining pinterest

weekend project

hex bracelet

tech news

iPad 2 announcement

inspiration

divine dairy

creative packaging

favorite habit

tripping over my awkwardness

a story about a dog.

today marked the first morning that jack (that cute pup up there) was back home after a vacation at the grandparents. at 5:45 we marched out the door for our really early walk. after some recent rumblings in the neighborhood i was trying extra hard to be aware of my surroundings. while i'm noticing a noise in the distance and remembering it's that one guy on that one street who we always see on his way to work, the dog starts to pull on the leash. usually this means that we're about to meet up with another dog. i'm not sure who else is up walking their dog this early but i pull back a little and look up.

it's a skunk! a skunk is about half a block ahead of us and walking toward us. i am now officially awake.

and so we very, very quickly start walking backwards (yes i literally walked backwards down the sidewalk) and the skunk turned around and walked back up someone's driveway (lucky them!). we turned down a different street and continued our walk skunk free.

let's just say the whole experience was quite a wake up call.

the top of my most wanted list.

via apple.com

what object resides at the top of my most wanted list? as of 1:30pm today, it's the iPad 2. i've thought of a million ways i could use it. i'm this close to being able to justify purchasing it. and then, and then... the smart cover?! it's perfection.

for those who didn't watch a live blog of the presentation, or have tickets to see it live, cnet.com has a nice summary of the new features.

if nothing else, new technology gives us something to dream about. and a good dream makes every afternoon a little brighter.

i need spring.

i need spring because i need hope. i cannot take the death of winter any longer. i need to know that life is around the corner, that spring will arrive.

i see it coming. yesterday it was sunshine and blue skies at 5:30. i remember the dark of night that used to mark that hour just a few weeks ago. slowly, spring is coming.

i believe that out of death comes new life. i can't wait to celebrate the HOPE of the resurrection once again this Easter. i want so badly to squelch the death that claws at my door every day. i will myself to hold on tightly to the light that calls me forward. spring, come soon.

who wants to make freezer paper stencils?

A new blog has entered the scene - Sally J Shim BLOG. Sally however, is not new to the blog scene. She's been blogging for years at Shim + Sons, but a desire to expand beyond the personal nature of that blog has brought her to this new space.

I'm really enjoying her freezer paper stencil t-shirt tutorial (that's a mouthful, isn't it?). My mind is running with ideas on how to use this technique. Monograms on aprons? Party logo on a tote bag? It seems like a fun and easy project, with possibilities applicable even to us single gals!

More than just a new blog, Sally has launched a whole site, featuring a portfolio of past projects, a link to other inspiring creatives and more.

Be sure to check out Sally's new blog and let her know how much you're enjoying this new venture.

obsessions

it's nearly march and there are a few things i can't get enough of today.
1 - scarlett johnasson's hair from the oscars. my hair is too curly to really do this style, but i think the length might be what i'm looking for. i just love it.

2 - i can't tell you how many times i've listened this to video. i'm not really a huge adele fan, but this song is beyond good. can't get enough.

3 - my current favorite cd is barton hallow, by the civil wars. and as luck would have it, it is one of amazon's $5 cds for march. i highly recommend you pick it up!

because sometimes we need to escape our own lives.

this list of my favorite blogs is dedicated to my friend elicia. who overzealously hacked her google reader and now needs some new reads.

these are some of my current favs, in no particular order.

- marta writes (who also recently hacked at her google reader)
- simple lovely... aka my all-time favorite blog.
- two ellie
- and kathleen
- dinner, a love story
- mackin ink
- green lemonade (ok, i just found this yesterday but i think it has great potential)
- b*spoke
- door sixteen
- for me, for you
- joy the baker

happy reading.