a little of the bubbly for 2010

 http://www.flickr.com/photos/anjiejoon/4231218469/

a tidy little list of my resolutions for 2010:

*drink more champagne
*learn to converse in german
*finish the decor projects for alesia's bedroom
*meditate every week
*tango every week
*practice budo every week
*build the savings account
*go camping
*grow successful container gardens
*win my boyfriend at chess
*launch a fulfilling career
*make decisions from a place of gratitude, not fear
*above all else: love with my heart wide open, learn with my mind wide open, seek truth with my eyes wide open

please, dear friends of the blogiverse, oh please tell me what your resolutions are for 2010 ~ either list them in the comments section or just toss in a link to your own post of resolutions.

{where i really, really want to spend nye! taken by obni in besancon, franche-comte}

may blessings and joys abound for you & your families in the new year!

here's to a fairytale fall

happy to share an early autumn collection i gathered to get you in the mood.
so, tell me, who has already bought fairytale pumpkins this year?
i'm on my way this afternoon to find them. . . .

{image by rachel plowman}

p.s. welcome back to san francisco, jenni! you've been massively missed!

color crushes

feeling the love for color, and in the mood for sharing:

colors of summer

garden watered, baby fed, bicycle ridden, new sewing project started, and now it's time to pick some berries. . . . hope you're enjoying this glorious summertime day as much as i am!

time travels

having few words worth sharing right now, i offer you a visual story to contemplate:

to cheer you

i know some one who could use some cheering-up,
so i made a little photo montage to brighten your day and lighten your thoughts.
onward and upward!

polyvore amore

do you like to browse for interesting images? do you like to make collages? do like to research all types of products? do you like to share collections you make? if you answered "yes" to any of these questions then polyvore is for you. i can't even begin to tell you how elated i am to have found this website. i just spent 300 hours playing around on there and i could easily do 300 more if it wasn't time to go make some supper. basically it gives you the ability to search through thousands of images to create collage collections with any theme and subject you can dream up and then share them with others. plus it gives you exact product information on every single image in its database, so if you love something enough to want to buy it, you're good to go. just look at the fun i made in the last couple hours.....seriously folks this site rocks!

september allure

suddenly it feels like the seasons are starting to shift. september is a glorious month of harvest and learning and shifting gears. and with so much bounty to look forward to this fall i'm welcoming the new season with open arms. i collected some inspiration for this time of year from all around our fabulous internet to share with you {please click on collage to enlarge} . . . . . . a feather mobile made by caitlin keegan, an old timey kitchen found on for the love of country, a red bicycle bag made by kate durkin, the wandering waif outfit made {& given away for free} by grosgrain, some pretty books photographed by kay loves vintage, handmade honey bee soap by amethyst soap, gorgeous handmade pottery by christiane perrochon, a collection of bird cards from bird vs bird, peep toe pumps by prada, and a fall inspired photo by shining egg.
hope y'all have a sanguine september weekend!

magilicious day

today i'm celebrating my dear friend maggie ~ all gorgeous 6 feet of her! i celebrate her & our friendship more than she knows, but seeing as how today is her birthday and all, it deserves an extra special mention that she is a continual source of reasons to celebrate. her enthusiasm and beauty are so invigorating and her ability to listen and be supportive are so encouraging. she lights up rooms, brightens up lives, and illuminates the humorous in everything. i am so grateful for her friendship and can't wait to see what wonderful things the coming year will bring her. happy maggilicious day ~ she'd be so happy to know you did a little dance, played extra with your favorite pet, & hugged several people you care about today just because it's magilicious day. xo, maggie love!

{photo credits: sweetpea cupcakes, magdog, oscart, harmonie interieure, tommyc, dreamiurg, birds on the wire, lynny lu}

miss.ivy divine

earlier this week my dear friend ivy leapt into her 30's with her amazing natural beauty & grace glowing as usual. i haven't had time until now to give her the birthday collage card, so i hope even though this is belated, the heartfelt adoration is what shines through. because, it's beaming brightly for ivy now and always.

i admire her so much for so many things ~ her strength of character, her dedication of practice, her artistic genius, her wisdom, her compassion, her generostiy, her genuineness, her sense of adventure. she is a true great blessing in my life and she contributes so much to every thing she does, every where she goes ~ the world is a very lucky place to have her in it. happy 30 miss. ivy divine!

{photos ~ jtimblin, concept vessel, shelbob, es1123, tangobaby, *jenni}

voice of color

another grey cold foggy monday in july in san francisco. so this calls for some more color therapy. . . .

the useful website voice of color has a quick little color sense game you can play to find out what color schemes most suit you. mine are:

although in decor i like warmer & more neutral color shemes, i wasn't surprised by these two coming out on top because of my mood and what i predominantly wear. also since i had just made these collages this morning before taking the test, i thought "well isn't that a fun coincidence"!

{top row: briscoe, jessica gonacha; middle row: javame, jennration, koreana, sakura*aya, jim heid; bottom row: asiunka, jessica gonacha, jeff andrews}

color therapy ~ orange crush

{polaroid from sean tubridy}

these grey cold days in san francisco have a way of depressing a sunshine girl like myself. being the pro-active type, i thought i'd try to combat the coldness by gathering some cheery orange images and beaming them out to you. i'm all about adding some brightness to an otherwise dull day ~ hope you enjoy these too!

{top row: room service, lara robby, jay jeffers ~ bottom row: weego home, victoria pearson, kenneth wingard }


{top row: jay jeffers, lara robby, west elm ~ bottom row: victoria pearson, west elm, scott sanders}


{top row: lara robby, scott sanders, lara robby ~ bottom row: west elm, jay jeffers}

33 sparkling lights in my sky today

light

will someday split you open

even if your life is now a cage

for a divine seed, the crown of destiny,

is hidden and sown on an ancient, fertile plain

you hold the title to.

love will surely bust you wide open

into an unfettered, blooming new galaxy

even if your mind is now

a spoiled mule.

a life-giving radiance will come....

{from the poem in a tree house by hafiz, from the book the subject tonight is love translated by daniel ladinsky}

.

i consider birthdays a very special time. for me, they're more like the new year than january 1st, with reflection and celebration abounding. and i have continued the habit my parents set for me from a very young age: to remember all the things you're happy about and declare all the things you wish for on your own special day of brith. {yes, i lucked-out and got some very good parents}

so, they say 33 is your jesus year. that's kind of a lot to live up to. but what with the fact that i will be called upon to perform several minor miracles this year i suppose it's a really good time to try to emulate the strengths & vitures of him, that christian symbol of compassion, connection to a higher power, and renewal.

the past year has been filled with some really amazing experiences that i am eternally grateful for ~ making new friends, making deeper commitments to shambhala, making new accomplishments in my career, making new places on this planet more familiar, making a baby, and making a new home to name just a few. and my wish for this coming year is to be blessed with the lessons i need to further deepen my practice and deepen my connection to that which is really most important: compassion, love and peace.

.

p.s. i share this special day with 2 of my fave boy bloggers: happy birthday to alex and bradford!

p.s.s. thank you with all my heart to jenni , teri & tangobaby for your incredible blog posts for me today. i swear i am the luckiest lady on the planet!

.

{photo credits ~ row 1: seed, crown, homing. row 2: time, love, caring, unfettered. row 3: tiptops, tango, tiptoes, music, dance}

let freedom ring

july is here and i'm in full celebration mode! this is my favorite month of the year; the one i look forward to the most. not just because it has my birthday in it. but also because it has fireworks {i am a huge fan}, and all the deliciousness of summer's bounty comes into full swing: warm summer nights, summer fruits, lounging on porch swings, playing on the beach, full bloom gardens, and outdoor tango {union square & goldengate park here i come with my dancing shoes ready}.

also, i enjoy celebrating being an american ~ for everything i dislike about this country there's plenty to appreciate too {made even more clear by living abroad}. even though our government does some horrific things, we as citizens of the good ol' u.s. of a. can make changes if we get off our lazy rears and actively fight for what we believe in. some fights take a long time {women's suffrage, civil rights, saving our national parks to name a few}, but history proves they are still worth fighting for and change can happen. if you haven't given any time or money to a national cause you believe in for quite some time, please consider the 4th of july an excellent time to do so. this country was created with our freedom to shape it and the remarkable concept of the "pursuit of happiness" as the cornerstones ~ so don't let them be in vain.

if you're not sure where to start, here are a few ideas to get you going:

american civil liberties union

national wildlife federation

native american rights fund

obama for america

american forests

save the children, usa

green for all

national endowment for the arts

and please let me know how you're spending your 4th of july weekend ~ i'd love to share in your stories and traditions!

me? i'm breaking all my traditions and going to that mecca of american excess: las vegas. i know, crazy right? well, i've never been and i think it's funny & fitting that i'm going for the 1st time when i'm pregnant. but it's for a good cause {and really the only reason i'd go}: to help a dear friend who's in dire need of my tlc. her well-being means so much to me i'm willing to go somewhere i never thought i'd go. but hey, i'll try {almost} anything once and no matter what it'll be an adventure. i won't be getting involved in all that debauchery but i'll hold my friend's hand as she does if that's what she wants, and i'll be the very best listener & cheerleader ever for the next 3 days. my goal is to be sure we both leave more light-hearted and balanced than when we arrived ~ yes these can be found in vegas and i intend to prove it. ;o)

where ever you are, whatever you do, i hope you have a very happy & healthy celebration of your freedom this weekend!

{several of the photos taken by me, a couple from flickr friends, & the rest from the depths of the internet}

birthday celebrations for my balance & bliss

i once read somewhere that a sister is a little bit of childhood that can never be lost. today my sister turns 31 and i'm beaming with celebratory pride that i am so tightly connected to such an incredible lady. growing up together teaches you a lot of things about each other, some good and some not so good {we're all human of course}, so it's no wonder some siblings don't remain close. but we're lucky ones. our friendship has always been there, and grew even tighter once we both left the nest. we know more about each other than any two other people. and now we're so close that rarely one day goes by without contacting each other.
we're almost two years apart, but when we were little people often asked if we were twins. we have the same nose, and some of the same gestures & manurisms, but she's definitely a unique gem all her own. she's the younger one, but the taller one {by 6 inches}. she's the darker one, and by far the prettier one {drop-dead gorgeous, actually}. she's steadfastly loyal, has a beautiful sentimental side, and a fantastically strong will. she's a perfect gemini goddess. she's very wise and the hardest worker i've ever known. she has a calm confidence and a fantastic sense of humor ~ she's a big flirt, and makes any activity more fun. she stayed closer to home, although she did venture far enough to live with me in seattle for a while after college. she has so many talents and skills and inner gifts i couldn't begin to name them all. i am so grateful for all the balance and bliss she has brought to my life. i admire her for every thing she does and is. and there's nothing i wouldn't do for her. a sister ~ she is your mirror, shining back at you with a world of possibilities. she is your witness, who sees you at your worst and best, and loves you anyway. she is your partner in crime, your midnight companion, someone who knows when you are smiling, even in the dark. she is your teacher, your defense attorney, your personal press agent, even your shrink. some days, she's the reason you wish you were an only child. ~barbara alpert {but that last part i haven't felt since we were pre-teens sharing the same bedroom} :o)
happy birthday, jessica grace, i love you more than words can tell!

happy birthday sofie star!

today i am celebrating my dear friend sofie ~ she's a very beautiful, incredibly wise, deeply loving, vivaciously generous woman who has so much positive light & energy glowing thru her that you can't help but feel warmed whenever you're near her. she's one of my best friends, and i couldn't be more grateful for all that she is! happy birthday, dear one, you are so very loved!

3 is a magic number

it's been a very busy week so even though the best highlight happened on monday evening, i'm just now getting a chance to tell you about it. . . . . i had the pleasure of meeting a blogging friend i've been admiring from afar for a long time. let me tell you that it was well worth the wait, and if you can create the magical chance of meeting blogging friends in person you should absolutely do so! all the anticipation was perfectly balanced by the reality i encountered, from the very first greeting hug to the gratitude filled goodbye hug. ms.paris-parfait was visiting san francisco from her fabulous home in paris and tangobaby joined us to create a perfectly inspiring triad for one enchanted evening. we three blogging friends dined on delicious tapas at iluna basque in north beach, and quickly learned that our long distance admiration was not only well founded, but further enhanced by getting to share so much more in person. i was pleasantly surprised to discover there is much more to our connections than we first thought. i was so thoroughly inspired and in awe of these wonderfully talented, inspiringly determined, deep souled women that i've been on cloud nine ever since. three is a magic, lucky number indeed!

tangobaby & ms.paris-parfait have already blogged their eloquent & touching versions of our evening together ~ so please do jump over to get a fuller picture.

fiesta time

happy cinco de mayo!

may you sip fine tequilas with a huge sombrero on your head while watching salsa dancers and listening to mariachi bands until you're delightfully dizzy. thank goodness san francisco offers about a million places to do just that, all day & all night. please tell us your tequila tales ~ i know you've got one hiding in there. ;o)

{many photos from around flickr & beyond, the one of me toasting a margarita to you was taken by jendita}

a brother's birthday

when your brainsister marries you know it's going to be good, but i had no idea how lucky i was truly going to be. seth has become so much more than just a best-friend-in-law. he's my teacher, my dear friend and the very best brother anyone could ask for. i admire him & honor him, today and always.

seattle report

the pictures really tell it all {click on the collage to see a larger view}. we explored intently, we dined exquisitely, we danced incredibly . . . . . it was a fabulous weekend. i got to spend quality time with dear old friends and met some lovely new ones {working artist blogger elizabeth & her wonderful husband alan, most notably}. tangobaby was a fabulous travel companion and i'm so glad we got to share these adventures together.