sweet indigo life

Travelling feet & a happy heart *

It is a road trip of sorts.  My sister-in-law and me, in a Mustang. There are miles of rugged coastline to shoot.  Toes that beg for a dip in the water.  Characters lurk around every corner on Venice Beach (begging too, to be snapped).  We'll eat the cuisine.  Shop for treasures.  Soak up each ray of delectable sun in the convertible we rented. We may even see a movie star.  Or two.  Because that is the kind of luck we have.  It is the magnetic kind...attracting in all kinds of lovely things. 

Wish you were going too...!  Gone 'til Monday, kids.  California is calling my name. xoxo

P.S. OH how could I forget?  My DAD is blogging...his paintings and musings can be found at Experiments In ART.  Could you welcome him in to the fold?  Thanks everyone!

Journey to an exotic land~(you aren't daydreaming)

 

~daydreaming~ by gillian da silva

I want to tell you about an exciting journey.  Do you enjoy travel? Photography? Adventure? Then read on because this applies to you.

This journey is to a most exotic land with a dead sea, a vast Arabian desert, and souks loaded with ceramics, embroidery, jewellery and other handicrafts. 

A place almost as old as time itself.  An ancient place that you could journey to on a photographic safari! Yes YOU!! 

Journey to Jordan, is a photographic safari to Jordan happening March 1-March 8, 2010.  This event has been organized and facilitated in it's entirety by Tara Bradford (Paris Parfait) and Alessandra  de Sousa (Gypsy Girls Guide).

Journey to Jordan will take us on a magic carpet ride through the highlights of an ancient land, with photography instruction led by Jordan's premier photographer Zohrab.

Space is limited, therefore I recommend you sign up for this chance of a lifetime opportunity as soon as you can.  Please visit the Journey to Jordan website for sign up and all other pertinent information-and I'll see you in Jordan in the spring! (Note to self: must practice, practice, practice my landscape photography skills.)

Can you just imagine how very amazing and beautiful this land is going to be? (Insert back flips here.)

***A million *Thank you's* to Tara and Alex for putting together this trip of a lifetime. xoxo

Three happy stems :)

 

I put three happy stems (self bought flowers, why not?) into an old olive oil jar.

I love the way they catch the light-they make me so happy!  (I keep peeking at them.)  Do you do that when you buy yourself flowers? Do you catch yourself making special trips into their room just to gaze at them?

Pleased with myself today.  Last night I took advantage of Southwest Airlines seat sale.  Going to L.A. in November.  Life is good.  (Now to pay for it....hmmmm.) LOL! {I'll figure the logistics out later :)}

xo Happy Thursday xo

Little appreciations, an inspired post.

Christina at Soul Aperture wrote a post on "Simple Things in life".  I am following suit, as I believe in gratitude so deeply.  Little things do make our lives what they are.  We need to just pay attention.  So for my rendition, I'll walk you through Greenwich Village, the first of two posts I'll do on this trip.  Come along, and if you haven't already counted your own blessings, you may want to do your own post! According to Christina's rules, it's a list, some photos, or a post on the "simple things".  The first photo I've shown you here is a gorgeous apartment on Bleecker Street, a lovely place to hang your hat and read a book when you are done venturing out for wine and pizza.  So home is the first on my list.

 

A place to eat.  Be it a restaurant, your backyard BBQ or a dinner party hosted by a friend.  Where there is food, you've satisfied one of Maslow's hierarchies, and henceforth should be grateful no matter what.  Each day I hit the "click to give" button on the Hunger Site.  I can't imagine being in a place where my children couldn't eat. This sign represents food and also creativity, two things to feed our soul.  August is located in Greenwich.

 

Freedoms.  Liberties.  Let's not take them for granted.  Oh, and by the way...for my American readers....here we just call it "bacon".  LOL!

 

Adding a little "you" to your front stoop.  I am so excited about moving to my new home, because it already has a yellow front door!  It will save me from painting it yellow.  Oh it is a gorgeous, welcoming colour.  (I've had red doors for years! Still love red though.)

 

For any writer, photographer, or artist...a space in which to work can be completely sacred.  This is the desk space in the little apartment we rented.  Two talented people reside there.

 

You don't need anything but a pen and a notecard to make someone's day.  Christina mentioned loving opening her "snail mail".  There is nothing nicer than opening the mail and getting a brown paper parcel or a handwritten letter.  I can't go into a stationery store without leaving with lots of new crispy paper.  I'm a bit of a vintage postcard addict too.

Last on my list today...warm apple tarts and cool lemonade.  Why not???

See you next post for more little appreciations. Enjoy your week everyone! xo

We are all sweetly made of stars ✩✩✩!

Good morning sweet people.  EDIT: Just a quick mention that my link list is being redone.  If you aren't on there it's because I haven't added you back on yet.  I'm so challenged with this stuff.  I tried reorganizing it and lost most of the list.  I've had to go "fishing". LOL! Thanks xo)

 I was just thinking...there is a sweetness in prayer.  The same sweetness resides in celebration, meditation, attention, and love.  This morning is a call to gratitude.  I've spent a weekend in the sun, with loved ones, preparing meals (a prayer in itself), and examining my heart (it's nice to get to know oneself). 

So as I ponder the weeks agenda, I remind myself of this.  That every action is rippling outward to touch the lives of others, and so (with this thoughtfully in mind) I take cautious steps (prioritizing).  Everything I do will be a meditation in sweetness.

As the star factories churn out new and brilliant stars, as 800 billion suns circulate in a galaxy (the Sombrero Galaxy) so large it takes 50 million light years for light to cross it...I will simply exist sweetly. We are all made of stars after all, always have been, always will be.  Hafiz had it right! (My sugar withdrawals are coming through in this post.  Every other word is sweetness or sweetly. LOL!)

Also...I will keep my father (newly retired, yay!!!) in mind (will you, too?), as he enters the operating theater again this week, as his (oh so funny and kind) warrior spirit seeks to battle it out with the invading enemy cancer.  All thoughts and sweetness will be greatly appreciated. xo

One last thing (a little stat for your inner geek), but my husband-to-be explained something to me about the difference between a million, and a billion.  A million seconds is 12 days.  A billion seconds is 32 years.  (800 billion suns, now does that give you some scope to work with regarding that Sombrero Galaxy I mentioned?)

xo Happiest of Mondays to you...and Happy Birthday to Queen Victoria!

(feliz?) Dia del maestro!

 My daughter's legs.  A lovely idea plucked from this very fun flickr group.

Teachers come in all shapes and sizes.  Some you give a shiny red apple to.  Others you treat poorly, because they cause you anxiety or anger (often our greatest teachers).  I guess the lesson here is to learn.  At the very most basic level, we are all here to learn.  So take whatever it is you may have perceived as a slight, and work it to your advantage.  (After all, some folks out there may not have your best interest at heart.)

When the student is ready, the teacher will appear.  I've often found this to be true in my own life.  Let's learn from each other then.  Let's squeeze this orange of a life and see what we get, fear-free.  Be yourself.  Discover who you are.  Reach for what is rightfully yours.

Thank a teacher today!! Our language, our music, math, cooking, in fact ALL your skills came from a teacher.  We need them.  We all are them.  Let go, fly, and be free!!

(Life is either a daring adventure or nothing. Security is mostly a superstition. It does not exist in nature.” - Helen Keller, right Tara?)

Enjoy your long weekend everyone! I'm going to a rollerskating party, and then a huge fireworks party.  Basically the weekend is one big party.  (Why not? Back Monday!)

xo

East of the Sun and West of the Moon

 

Sunny days are perfect for walking through gardens with good friends, drinking hot coffee and reading Arabian fairy tales. (I just love how my friend brings chocolate chip cookies for my little one, and crouches down to her level to include her in everything.  Some adults just GET that kids are people too, I love that. She exudes kindness.)

Yes, the laundry has piled up.

Yes, the sink is full of dishes.

Alas, when I am no longer here, and I'm floating around with my harp I'll never say to another angel, "Gee, I should've done more laundry."

So this girl is full of forgiveness today.  Forgiveness is key.  Key to your OWN happiness, so yeah, a little selfish.  Whatever works.  :)

I'm going to eat some sugar today.  Shhh!  It's not on the "eat clean" list either.  Only a smidge.  Like a small handful of these.

xo