Everything Comes Together

Everything is in its place finally. All the artwork I was collecting for my freshly painted grey walls is hung and my redo on a tight budget in my small place is complete. And a big shout-out to all the talented artists for creating all the amazing art that graces my walls and inspires me daily. 

same old dependable Ikea furniture & throw pillows

same old (perfect) pendant & Andy Warhol print

my son and I did lots of "free shopping" aka unpacking boxes

Yellena, Postal Press, Nicole Lombardo & Hijirik Studio

Keep Calm & Carry On

Night Owl & Hijirik Studio

A bit of artwork overflow into the dining room... the next room to get repainted. I'm still indecisive about the color. 

Rifle Paper Co. 

MadeByGirl
I blog and sip my cup o' joe at the dining table so this spot makes sense.

The Kate

I love our hive sweet hive. 

Reality Check

I've taken a hard long look at my realistic lifestyle and have decided to take the unfortunate leap back to vegetarianism. It's just too difficult living in a carnivorous household to forgo the occasional hint of cheese or yogurt. Especially trying to accommodate my dietary needs at family functions is just plain impossible. The simple truth is I don't know any other vegans. I am lost at sea in an ocean of "average eaters". Steering clear of meat is no problem because it repulses me (after knowing the truth about how it's processed, etc), but sometimes I like that slice of pizza. I still won't be enticed by those mayo-slathered (eewww) salads at the potluck, downing a glass of milk, or ever again eat scrambled eggs. I just don't want to agonize over eating pizza or a baked good or..... I don't know what else it's been so long. This most definitely may result in failure, but I'll never know unless I find out. I'm still making a change by not eating meat after all and I'll still be 80-90% vegan. I think it's okay to give myself a little break. We'll see how it goes...

Be The Change by eat.drink.bee merry.

Take The Scary Out Of Life

Now, who wouldn't like that? My son and I are loving this new commercial. So adorable!

Anon

Another chance siting of the popular Knappa pendant lamp on Whole Living. Anon na na!!!  (I don't know why, but it reminds me of this. Strange, I know.)

And mine... with a sneak peak of my new grey walls (more on that to come this week).

Easy as ABC

Check out these lovelies from Little White Dog's shop on Etsy. What a fabulous idea and find!  

(this one is tempting for my son, Kameron's room)

It's All in the Details

When I first saw Lauren Bradshaw's home on Design*Sponge I was captivated by all the vintage pieces and pops of color. Her husband, Joey, wanted the house to feel like a museum like in The Goonies. That's an approach that I can appreciate. It takes awhile to sift through the intricate details infused in each room. And then another once-over to comprehend their unique knack for building a decor scheme that moves seamlessly from room to room. A foundation constructed from black, white, and grey. The frame consists of the carefully collected neutral antiques and the it's all crowned with selective pops of colorful accessories.

See the whole tour here. 

Night Owl

julujoy

One of the perks of summer is the chance to stay up late.  I revel in the endless quiet permeating the house. Sigh, sweet silence.  This is a good time for reflection and lately those have revolved around unseen fears. Mostly self manifested, as fears often are, but nonetheless they loom. With practice, I'm beginning to realize dread and aversion can be overcome with insight and wisdom. Case in point, Daily OM sent another auspicious revelation that reinforces by journey toward the truth of being. 

Penetrating the Darkness
Wisdom of the Owl 

Owls are the holders of wisdom, capable of seeing the unseen. With keen eyesight they glance into the soul and are totems of truth.

For as long as humankind has recognized animals as teachers, wise men and women have recognized traits worthy of respect in both wild and domestic creatures. The cultural and spiritual significance of certain animals transcends geographical boundaries, unifying disparate peoples. Not so the majestic and mysterious owl, which has over many millennia served as the focal point of numerous contradictory beliefs. Though owls have been regarded with awe and fascination, they have also inadvertently served as agents of fear. Since owls are nocturnal, human-owl encounters tended to occur at night and likely when the bird was swooping silently down to earth to grapple with prey. Yet even as some shied away from the owl, calling it an agent of darkness, others recognized the depths of awareness in beautiful owl’s eyes.

In the classical Greek tradition, an owl could often be found perched on the shoulder of Athena, goddess of wisdom, while owls could ward off bad luck in Roman lore. It is in Native American mythos, however, that the owl attains its own unique identity. Owls are patient messengers, bringers of information and the holders of wisdom, and they are capable of seeing the unseen. With their keen eyesight, they can glance into the soul to discern meaning and motive, and they are totems of truth. Unlike our distant forebears, we may never encounter an owl in the wild, but we can nonetheless internalize the wisdom of the owl by attuning ourselves to its most venerable qualities. Fully integrating the medicine of the owl into spiritual existence is a matter of considering how we might open ourselves more fully to the wisdom that can be found in the larger universe.

Should you find your efforts blocked as you commune with the owl, remember that it was not always revered as an icon of wisdom. This denizen of the nighttime has overcome many prejudices in its long association with humankind. To reveal those hidden elements of the self that impact your life for better or for worse, you must often make your way through the darkest parts of your soul as if you yourself are the nocturnal hunter. There is indeed darkness both inside the self and outside the self, but like the owl you can transcend it by drawing nourishment from the insights you receive when you penetrate it. 

I've always been intrigued by owls and I was thrilled to stumble upon this cute little guy (photo). He will be the perfect totem to place on my mantle as a symbol of wisdom.  

Summer Sangria

On Father's Day we had a barbeque and I served this summer sangria. It was just what we needed to beat the heat. 

Summer Sangria


1 bottle pinot grigio
1/2 liter Fresca
2 oranges
1 peach
1 small lime
1 small lemon

Pour pinot grigio into a pitcher. Juice only one of the oranges and add the juice to the pitcher. Slice the rest of the fruit and add it to the pitcher. For the citrus I like to slice the ends off and then cut it into 1/6" rounds. Add the Fresca and stir all the ingredients together. Let the sangria chill in the refrigerator for at least an hour before serving so that the flavors have a change to blend. Cheers!

How pretty would it be displayed in this Beehive beverage dispenser? 

Scarlett O'Hara Syndrome

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I'm a list maker. I've been known to tear through my day as I cross off items from my "to-do" list with executed precision. I was accustomed to dealing with my Type A personality (curious which type you are? take this quiz.) mixed with a smidgen of ADD (never diagnosed... I'm just saying). However, lately there's change in the air. I've become the Scarlett O'Hara of summer. "After all, tomorrow is another day", I'll proclaim as I push my lists aside. Happy to partake in the indulgence of free time. My days now accommodate sleeping in, board games, baths (albeit baking soda baths), lazing in the backyard, StumbleUpon, and back-to-back Life episodes (amazing!!). There's many possible deterrents right now such as the stifling humidity and heat outside, no school, money or lack thereof, (oh!) and poison ivy... to name just a few. Too hot outside? We'll try to wander outdoors tomorrow. I heart central air. No agenda? Let's watch a movie in the middle of the day. Projects will still be there tomorrow. Zoo? Museum? Shopping? Nah, let's enjoy our staycation. Maybe tomorrow we'll attempt a trip. Anything?! My body is now being referred to as "the torture chamber" thanks to a mighty dose of poison ivy. My daily uniform has now reverted to loose pajama pants and tee sans bra. Not exactly "going out" attire. You get the idea. Slow but sure I've eased in to just being. Quieting "The Voice" (the mind's constant rambling as noted in my new book) and learning it's okay to be disrupted from the day-to-day chaos on occasion... "After all, tomorrow is another day."  

After All by eat.drink.bee merry.

Caught a Glimpse

It's hidden in plain sight. The open secret. Every day we are in touch with that which is not broken. But we are so busy paying attention to the million details of day-to-day life that we miss it. Whether we name it or not, it is still there. Whether we pay attention to it or not, it doesn't go away. Think about a time when you were transported beyond what you normally define as yourself. When time stopped. When you felt the edges of ordinary life dissolve and a door open to another dimension. Maybe it happened only once, when you were in the middle of a rain forest or gave birth to your child. Maybe it happened when you were twenty and on drugs. Maybe it happens whenever you are in nature or when, for no reason, you are suddenly happy. Five minutes ago you were dragging your feet. The sun was too hot. Your kids were screeching or your boss was yelling and you hated your life. And suddenly you caught a glimpse of beauty and it's as if someone opened the cage door and let you out of the iron vise of your mind. And not one thing  has changed from the moment before but everything looks and feels and is completely different. 

I caught Oprah's interview with Geneen Roth about her new book, Women Food and God: An Unexpected Path to Almost Everything awhile ago. It has proven to be an inspiring book with many essential life lessons to help anyone learn to be a better version of themselves. In my opinion it could be titled Women _____ and God. Fill in the blank. Every single person has something that they struggle with. Something that damages the connection between their body and spirit. In the hubbub of daily life it's all to easy to let these two drift apart. It's vital to remind ourselves of our own presence in the world. Most importantly...

Your body is the piece of the universe you've been given; as long as you have a pulse, it presents you with an ongoing shower of immediate sensate experiences. Red, salt, loneliness, heat. (...) Our minds are like politicians; they make stuff up, they twist the truth. Our minds are masters at blame, but our bodies... our bodies don't lie. Which is, of course, why so many of us learned to zip out of them at the first sign of trouble.

Her eloquent words provide the realization that quite possibly God is within. In practicing the connection to your body, albeit possibly hundreds of times a day, you can grasp more. Acknowledging your body is the first step in understanding a higher power. This book is most certainly a triumph in the realm of self awareness.

And you realize that torture isn't having these arms or these legs; it's being so convinced that God is out there, in another place, another realm that you miss the lavender slip of the moon, your own awakened presence. 

You can get your copy of this motivating book here. Happy reading!

Summer At Last

Welcome summer! I spent the first official day recovering from poison ivy. Ugh, the itching is unbearable. Thank goodness for calamine lotion.

I soaked in a baking soda bath for a loooong time which also helped a ton. A nice excuse to catch up on some reading (more on that to come tomorrow).

I also finally had a chance to sift through the new issue of Lonny. I was pleasantly surprised with it since the interior design was a tad disappointing in the last issue.

I'm really into rugs right now. Maybe that's why I'm so drawn to these rooms in particular. Brimming with inspiration. 

Check out the full June/July issue here. 

Happy Father's Day

Luckily I spent mine with two of the best dads I know. Thank you both for all you do! 

Niche

Some of my favorite nooks and crannies in my home.