thursday=blue

wednesday=red

tuesday=white

monday=purple

it's color week!

yoga is beautiful

two hundred and fifty yogis met on a sunday in the park.

to reach for the sun.

and touch the earth.

and stir up their good mojo.

for the love of yoga.

strength.

rhythm.

connection.

joy.

lululemon's we do yoga festival:  awesomeness.

standing in pride

i can't imagine a life in which i was told who i can and cannot love.  the freedom to love genuinely and openly is simply taken for granted.  for most of us there are inherent risks that come with love and we all have to rally our inner warriors...courage and vulnerability and faith...in order to jump on for the exquisite wild ride.  if we're lucky, we do not know the added pressure of outside judgement, hatred, scorn and misunderstanding.

no person who graces this earth should have to love in secret because of who they love.  the more love that surrounds all of us makes this life glisten with hope and connection and promise.

love bravely.
love beautifully.

s u m m e r

you're here!

color week!

lovely annie of clarity and grey is hosting the annual summer color bash this year.  it starts next week and we hope you all join us to explore color in your everyday.  head on over to let annie know if you'll be participating.  it's always a fun week!

finding clarity

if you are seeking the ability to remain balanced when the confusion of the world swirls about you and people are pulling or intentionally blurring your focus, i recommend bikram yoga.  the biggest shift in me since i began this yoga six months ago has been the slow and steady development of an inner point of stillness and clarity.  i'm not all the way there yet, but i am amazed at the change in me. 

this is the thing that keeps me going to class when the outdoor temperature and humidity match the hot room.  this is the thing that i have been trying to cultivate my entire life.  now that i have a bit of it, it makes my throat seize with regret and sadness when i think of how the absence of it steered my life in directions i did not intend to go. 

composure, definition and the ability to quiet the monkey mind are all possible.  this is a very good thing.

outside the window

the sudden summer storm raged.  shoppers scrambled for shelter in the toy store, urban outfitters, whichever was closest.  we waited it out snuggled on a cozy sofa in the gelato shop.  just him and me with our little family of cameras.  and 23 other people.

{for bella's 52 photos project.  it's good to be back!}

meet virginia: look3

this weekend was the annual look3 festival of the photograph in charlottesville.

all of the photographs on display were beautiful and provocative.  for me, the vitali exhibit was the most stunning.

the downtown walking mall was festooned with giant photographs.

nothing goes better with art than gelato. 

him: mango, raspberry and pistachio. me: strawberry and pink peppercorn.

randomness

• it's really hot here this week.  like august hot.  spring was way too short.
• speaking of hot, i totally forgot to mention here that i finished my bikram yoga 30-day challenge.
• i'm addicted to raw pepitas.
• this summer will be the summer i sew something awesome.
• the other day i was flipping through channels and landed on my big fat gypsy wedding.  what the what?  while i was totally interested in the cultural perspective, it made me realize i've greatly romanticized the word gypsy.

happy friday sunshines!

meet virginia

while purging my closet a few weeks ago, i rediscovered my explorer hat.  i'll be staying close to home this summer but am experiencing a profound sense of wanderlust, so tiny road trips are in order.  i hope you come along as i peek into wee corners of my lovely state. 

imagine you and i tooling down the byway, cameras in hand, ready to halt our conversation and pull to the side of the road to experience virginia.  there will be a lot of traditional american countryside for sure, but we'll search beneath the surface to find the quirkiness and unexpected too.

first stop, harrisonburg: nestled in the amazing shenandoah valley and home to james madison university and lavender farms.

white oak lavender farm is in early bloom and will continue to flower through the summer.  the air is softly scented with the many varieties of lavender grown.  and it is indeed a farm:  there are horses, goats, chickens and ducks too.  it's set up for visitors, with relaxing seating vignettes throughout the property designed for resting with a cold glass of lavender lemonade and taking in the beauty of this space.

from the farm it's a five minute drive to harrisonburg's historic downtown. 

classes have let out for the summer, so it is pretty quiet.  the campus is right next door to downtown and there are a few lingering students riding about on their bikes.

i ate the best gyro i've ever had (and i've had a lot of gyros) at dave's taverna.

let's walk around a bit.

vintage signs, you make me so happy.

kline's dairy bar is way old school.  you will not find organic cardamom gelato here.  sweetness is served up soft and icy.  my peppermint milkshake was the most interesting color of coral red, but it was fantastic.

harrisonburg, i like you.

i ♥ honeysuckle

and weekends.

and gazpacho.

and these words (from my june horoscope):  "go to a place where your knowledge is valued."

happy weekend friends!  i hope you feel loved and valued.

hello joon

you with your bright blue dragonflies, golden sandals, paisley tunics, cantaloupes, summer reads and wanderlust.

you are my favorite story.