inspired

Here's an idea... instead of beating myself up when I see someone who has an incredible idea or is amazingly talented, I'm going to acknowledge that they have been doing it every day!

It's not that they necessarily have some special gift from god (though that's totally possible). It's that they are putting their creative self out there every day and trying new things and living BIG. Good ideas do come from nowhere sometimes, but they come over and over when you give them the space to breathe. When you acknowledge that you are a creative being with something beautiful to share.

So raise your glass (or pint of Ben and Jerry's or whatever) to just doing it every day. Not waiting to figure it all out, or divine inspiration, or whatever is keeping you from moving forward. Just doing some small thing. Acknowledging that part of yourself. Jot down that idea. Give it air. Be beautiful.

New Orleans

Reading this post on Mighty Girl makes me want to go back to New Orleans in the worst way. Especially with one of my very best friends in the world, Joanne and her awesome hubby, Chuck. New Orleans must feel different when you live and work there, but in my mind it is green and muggy, tipsy and delicious.

enjoying beauty without intimidation...

Am I the only one who is torn between enjoying all the gorgeous design and art out there, and feeling totally intimidated by it? As I step out into the world, putting ME on display, sometimes it's hard to wonder "why bother?" Because so many people are doing so many beautiful and amazing things. And ME... well, I'm kind of messy and imperfect and often a little sensitive and moody. But maybe there is value in that. I realize that a lot of what I'm admiring has been painstakingly styled and created to be as perfect as possible. If I start out aiming for that as reality, then I'll ultimately be disappointed. And maybe there is value in reality. Maybe someone else needs a dose of that. Maybe vulnerable and imperfect is ok.

goodbye to the fro

After and before...

air guitar

I love this photo. Our friend Christi took it back before the holidays, and I think it totally captures our little family. The kids were really wild that afternoon and I thought none of the photos would be usable. Turns out that these are some of my favorite photos ever. In hindsight, we should have used this one on our Christmas cards.

Playing Hooky

Hooky? Hookie?

Today Rosemary's preschool class is taking a field trip to the local library. Normally, this would be a really fun trip. But today it's 30-something degrees with sleet/rain and wind AND they're traveling by the local city bus. Not just one bus, but changing buses once to get there (and again to get back). With exact change and dragging Hugh along. No thank you. We're staying home and I'm not even reminding Rosemary that it's a school day.

So now it's 9AM and we're all still in pajamas. I'm going to have blackberry crumble and coffee for breakfast before I start a leisurely morning of laundry and picking up around the house.

Ahh... this won't be so easy to do once they start "real" school, but for now I enjoy being able to take a break from the world every now and then.

Hugh. One more thing.

Another cute thing Hugh says... his version of "where are you?" sounds something like "wuh-ah-u?" and it just makes my heart melt. As in "Mama, wuh-ah-u?" while he's walking up and down the hall looking into the bedrooms.

Unrelated: fried sushi rolls are probably offensive to purists, but they make me so happy. Found a good one last night with friends at a place called "I Love Sushi" here in Denton. Yum.