Yearning for spring

I'm listening to sweet romantic music on Pandora today (Ella Fitzgerald, Doris Day, Patti Page, Etta Jones, Etta James, Eva Cassidy), and it's making me think of spring.  Budding trees, daffodils, the smell of wet earth, not having to wear boots or gloves, outside seating at cafes & restaurants, flowers.  While I always have been and continue to be a fan of winter weather, I am eagerly awaiting spring this year.  I just want to see things green up already! 

Red Butte Botanic Garden, Salt Lake City

my favorite scent - lilac - also at the Red Butte Botanic Garden

the Italian-themed garden at Hamilton Gardens in New Zealand

A year gone by

I started this blog one year ago today.  I had been toying with the idea for at least a year prior, primarily to participate in blog hops and write about what I like to do creatively.  Because my family and friends are at home all over the globe, I also hoped it would be a means to keep them informed of my wanderings.  The jewelry (and sewing and painting and mobile-making, etc) sort of took a back seat to the goings on of life, both in reality and on this blog.  Those who've read know the subjects have been focused more on personal stories.  All the same, it's been fun writing and posting photos.  

                

What a difference a year makes!

part of the view from our backyard in Montana

At this time last February, I was living solo in our house in Montana.  I had recently started a new job after spending three months in Austria with Tim.  I had an entire room dedicated to being creative that was organized, color-coded, cozy, painted a carefully chosen shade of yellow, and home to various pieces of art acquired on my travels.  Some of my closest friends were again within an hour's drive.   

my old craft room full of fabric, magazines, books, buttons, beads & findings, inspirational card holder and comfy IKEA chair

We're now living in a rented, drafty old farmhouse with a scurrying critter that lives in our walls and an endless supply of ladybugs that emerge, die and continue to appear daily in our bedroom and kitchen.  (Somehow it's still kind of charming, go figure!)   I've another new job that began a few months after we moved to New York.  I still have an entire room for creative pursuits, but it is neither cozy nor sporting fun artwork - things I hope to remedy soon.  As for friends, they are, as ever, scattered here and there - Antarctica, Austria, Thailand, New England, Montana, California, Utah and so on - but family is very nearby.  And that is pretty wonderful.  

the view of our backyard (and our neighbor's yard) in New York

At this point, I'm curious where I'll be come February 2016.  Life's a gamble as they say, but I'm not willing to place any bets on where or what I'll be calling home in a year's time!

Snowy days....

.....are made for baking, shoveling, cuddling with the kitten, reading, laundry, and watching Masterpiece Theater (Grantchester). 

homemade pretzels - super yummy

catnapping on her favorite chair cushion

what I'm currently reading and a cuppa English afternoon tea

Okay, I may have sneaked a nap in there too.  Isn't winter, in general, conducive to napping?  Not that I need an excuse, mind you.

Stunning.....just stunning.

A few new pairs of earrings

Somehow I managed to score a long weekend last week, and boy did I have plans!  I was going to catch up on paperwork, get some necessary shopping done, deep clean and rearrange my creative space, wash lots of laundry, do some baking and hopefully squeeze in some Netflix viewing.  What is it they say about best laid plans?!

On my first day off, I only managed to make a few pairs of earrings and leave a tremendous mess on my desk!  Well, I also squeezed in time for a blog post.  And I finished a novel.  And we watched Belle, a rather stirring period drama based on a true story.  Lots of beautiful people and gorgeous clothing in addition to an interesting story.  (Here's a link to the trailer, in case you're interested: Belle.)   

first pair of earrings:

Dusty rose peanut beads (Let's Bead), coral Czech glass rounds, faceted red aventurine stones (Fire Mt. Gems), polymer clay discs (Joni's Touch of Art) and carved garnet rounds.  The garnet rounds came from a friend who bought them while living in Japan.

second pair of earrings:

All of the beads, except for the seed beads, were bought from a flea market vendor.  I wish I knew the woman's name and whether or not she still sells vintage beads!  The thin gold-toned bead caps are from broken rosaries.  I don't wear yellow often, but these might make a cheerful addition to any outfit, especially come spring and summer.  The china is from my aunt who gifted me a cup & saucer for Christmas.

This weekend I plan to explore a bit of Hudson, NY with friends and spend time with family as my great nephew is about to turn three. I think there is a round of Ants in the Pants in my future.

Hope you have a great end to your week no matter where you are or what you do!

I left my heart in...Prague

Wait a minute.  That's not how the song goes!

But perhaps I did leave part of my heart in Prague when Tim and I visited last year around this time.  My little sister has just returned from a trip to the Virgin Islands so thoughts of travel are in my head.  I don't have any plans to step on a plane or train or take a long journey in a car any time soon so I thought I would reminisce about a trip to a beautiful city in Europe instead.

I think we may have been in the heart of Old Town for less than 15 minutes when I asked Tim to promise me we would return to Prague for a much longer visit.  Rent an apartment and eat in local restaurants.  Learn enough of the language to greet people on the street.  Go for a tour of the factories where the famous glass beads are made.  Attend a service at one of the many gorgeous churches in the city.  Explore the historic Jewish part of town and learn its history.  Watch the traditional glass carvers at work.  He agreed.  He may have forgotten by now, but he agreed!

Here are some photos:

The roof spires on the Church of Our Lady Before Týn, finished in the early 15th century

winding street off the Old Town square

how fun to imagine living in an attic apartment in one of these old buildings

the famous Prague astronomical clock, the oldest of its kind that still works

one of the many stunning windows of St. Vitus Cathedral

part of the gorgeous Gothic exterior of St. Vitus Cathedral

a romantic time of day to stroll the city streets

a glass carver working inside a shop at the Prague Castle complex

I don't recall what this shark was selling or advertising, but I remember he made us laugh.  Note the fake dismembered hand in his teeth.

view of the skyline from the Charles Bridge

nice vista from the top of The Petřín Lookout Tower

adorned in the Art Nouveau style, The Municipal House is a venue for concerts, balls & fashion shows and has at least one lovely restaurant we could see from the street

street performers headed to work

This scene is what I remember most about Prague's beauty.  The water, the gondola, the lighting, the Prague Castle and St. Vitus Cathedral - it was all so romantic.  This city oozes history and charm.  You can't help feeling the past here.

extraordinary metal work on a gate outside St. Vitus Cathedral

Happy New Year

At the start of a new calendar year, a lot of people start talking about change.  Exercise more, eat less.  Spend more time with family, work less.  Save more, spend less.  Cook more, eat out less.  Look on the bright side more often, eliminate cynical leanings.  It makes me think of the first time I heard the phrase "life lessons."  It came from the mouth of a manager above my manager, and if I'm recalling correctly it was in reference to the proverbial golden rule - treat others as you yourself would like to be treated.  She said something along the lines of "it's one of those life lessons, isn't it?  We know it, but we actually have to practice it."  How true of two-way kindness, self-care, finding the time for the most important people in our lives, living within our means and so on.

This is often the time of year when folks make resolutions to make those changes, right?  That list of things we want to acquire or become.  That list of idealized desires and goals.  This isn't something I've ever really practiced.  Instead, I choose to make two mental lists sometime between New Year's Eve and New Year's Day: what I like about myself and what I'm grateful for in my life.  As I've read in many Oprah magazine articles and self-help type books, gratitude is believed to be the true path to joy.  Perhaps you've kept a gratitude journal or simply count your blessings on a regular basis.  Many may believe it's a bunch of hokum, but perhaps joy is truly found in recognizing and appreciating the good in our lives, no matter how large or small.  

Some days, being grateful for my cat cuddling and purring on my lap brings me delight.  Experiencing a sunny day when I'm off work and have time to appreciate how the light filters to the forest floor brings gladness.  A good meal.  A conversation with an old friend.  A nice customer.  A belly laugh or even a quick giggle.  Jubilation isn't far away if we make the effort to simply see it and value it.  

With that, I've thought of a word that I plan to work into my existence during 2015.  

That word is PURPOSEFUL.