starstruck

little reminders to shine brightly.

five senses friday*

{see}

• rainbows everywhere
• winter sunrises
• the most perfect purple-red of passion tea

{hear}

• the happy chatter of the downtown work crowd at the new woolworth's-style lunch counter
• sawing and hammering and drilling and whistling coming from the workroom. I don't know what he's making in there but it's bound to be useful or beautiful.

{smell}

• baby head
• a whiff of a clove cigarette that launched me back to 1982

{touch}

• the soft thaw of chilly fingers once they are wrapped around a hot mug of goodness
• cashmere socks (how did I ever live without cashmere socks? it's a mystery.)
  

{taste}

• clementines (te quiero españa)
• darjeeling with almond milk & honey

this first full week of a new decade was filled with subtle and quiet sensory goodness. I hope yours was the same. happy weekend loves.

*thank you abby for fsf.

the trouble with lisa

it's all good to focus on moving forward, our strengths and all things positive. but I truly believe in order to get there, that place called who we want to be, we have to see (really see) and look at some of the things that may be holding us back. sometimes it's easier to do this in the third person (more objective); so here are some things that may be weighing lisa down:

1. her capacity for critical analysis is astounding: quick, incisive, accurate. this may serve her well if she were a physicist for NASA or serving a term on the supreme court. alas, in everyday life in virginia, it just makes her look like a bitch. a smart bitch, but a bitch nonetheless.
2. she curses like a sailor. one of those old-timey sailors with a really cool bluebird tattoo on his chest and an eyepatch and a love of good scotch.
3. she can't keep her mouth shut. couple that with often saying the things people don't want to hear and you've got yourself a winner. and a girl who's not invited to meetings.
4. she often fantasizes about being an heiress or a princess and then secretly resents her parents, her third-grade teacher and the fact that she was born on a thursday because she has to work for a living.
5. she blows off yoga for mexican food in a heartbeat.
6. she does not enjoy vegetables.
7. she has been known to throw a temper tantrum.
8. she loves (loves!) to plan and start; finish, not so much.
9. she is incredibly, mind-blowingly impatient.
10. her heart can be heavily defended at times. she sees and has seen much suffering in her little world, particularly in children. she knows there are really bad people out there. she gets protective. she gets defensive. she's challenged with leaving it at the office.

ok, there's more, but that's the gist. these are things I'm constantly working on. sometimes it feels like I don't make much progress. mostly because these characteristics are who I am. I'm working on moderation and containment.
are you ready to take a (careful, gentle, with humor) look at what may be holding you back from achieving all you want this year? I invite you to comment with one thing that may keep you from shining and then make a plan (plan!) to begin to change it.

word

I'm blown away by our words. each is so powerful; intimately personal but universal at the same time. can you just see them? swirling through the air like illuminated rainbow clouds? holding us up when we're worn down and floating up above our heads with an arrow pointing down when we embody their definition?

it's day five. I don't know about you, but I've already had to remind myself of my words a hundred times. yeah, that whole fearless choice is going to be a challenge...

happy tuesday loves.

rainbow clouds & other things

so I'm driving down the highway yesterday on my way to the architectural salvage store and look up to see this amazing sky. since I was totally clueless how clouds could make rainbows, I indulged a fleeting moment of pure narcissism and felt the sky was painted just for me (only later did the internet smash my glory to inform me that rainbow clouds are an atmospheric phenom that occur when the angle of the sun is just so to refract the ice crystals in the clouds....apparently very rare). stunning, no? you really never know when life is going gobsmack you with greatness.

in other news, I've happily succumbed to the new year "gotta have a word or a list" frenzy. this year, there is no grand list of 45 things, I've kept it pretty simple with things that I already know enrich my life beyond beyond and a few things to stretch a bit. so here it is: the somewhat-pared-down-but-still-super-duper list for the year. and the word, the word is beautiful. {actually there are two words because I couldn't decide; the other one is fearless.}

1. sunday supper: work my way through my cookbook collection one beautiful meal a week {yes, I finally saw julie & julia and was way inspired}
2. yoga+pilates+local+organic {because these things just work}
3. talk like a parisian
4. sew {a skirt, a duvet cover, a pouf}
5. discover new flea markets and vintage shops
6. drive north to montreal or south to new orleans {or both}
7. dress more like the quirky girl I am {even at work}
8. share sweet lingering kisses with my mister
9. explore classic diners and vintage movie theatres
10. see and share a little bit of beauty each and every day

do you have a word or words to inspire you for the year? I want to know!

happy + new

open your window and look upon all the kinds of alive you can be.

{the weepies, little bird}

here's to twentyten spent fully alive, eyes wide open.