Breakfast Wreath

AkeeweeGirl is all over the place at the moment .... but I just had to post this genius idea for breakfast....
http://www.realwomenofphiladelphia.com/user_recipe/view/40169/10601/1

Day One - The Joy of Love

Day One

What they do

Its the first day of the photo project with Willette Designs.  My brief was to take a photo of a loved one doing what they do.  Mr Big is plugged in 24/7 to his email.  In the evening he is usually tapping away at his laptop or on his i-phone so on the way home I knew what I would be shooting for day one. 

Wouldn't you know it, today was the first day in a loooong time he chose NOT to work, so this picture is staged but friends, check out the blur of his hand....its apparent he is in a fierce game of scrabble or the like.  Love this man. 

tomorrow my prompt is to capture my loved ones essense....till tomorrow sweet friend

Truth Notes

Im loving the daily truths that come through from The Brave Girls Club and I hope you dont mind if I share them with you - who knows, they might touch something in you like they do for me...

Dear Joyful Girl,

 

Joy is good. Did you know there is a difference between happiness and joy? This anonymous quote describes it perfectly: "Joy is untouched by circumstance."

 

You see, happiness is sometimes fleeting. Joy is a state of mind -- that no matter what happens, no matter how much we had planned on a different outcome, that we will always center our lives on what is RIGHT, rather than what is WRONG.  We will always focus on what is GOOD rather that what is HARD.  We will trust the moment and the unexpected gifts that the moment holds, even the strange, scary and unexpectedly difficult moments.  Especially those moments actually.

 

Go forward in Joy brave girl!

xxxx

 

Joy is untouched by circumstance - this is a great statement to ponder dont you think?

 

What a gorgeous start to the day

View from my place 7:21am this morning.  I decided to proceed with the day as it started and listened to my two favorite songs on the way to work....here they are for your listening pleasure in the hopes that your day will be blessed by these too!

Love of my life - Dave Matthews and Carlos
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BA266naCH_0&playnext=1&list=PL8BE9642A3D498350

Magnificent - U2 (love you Edge)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yi52HjJbwVQ

Enjoy!!

Anonymous

One of you lovely possums wrote a terrific comment on my bloggie following my post about not liking to be in front of the camera - I wish I could chat more with you about this comment Anonymous, but let me say, thank you for visiting with me, and for your lovely comments.  The comments mean SO MUCH to me! If you stop by another time please click the follow me button so I know who you are.

New Beginnings

The new year is full of us trying to make new years resolutions...and two of mine might be viewed as ridiculous but they are what they are.  I resolved to create a sanctuary out of our frat house bedroom AND to replace our rug in the dining room, which while lovely - wasnt really our cup of joe.  So this weekend was the weekend.  SHAKA-LAKA-BOOM - I give you a 90% finished boudair.

Thank you TJ Maxx.  I heart you, especially because you stocked the worlds most delicious linens.  Just look at this lovely detail:

you even had the co-ordinated pillows for us to stack on our lovely new bed (both Mr Big and I were a bit concerned with the sparkly pillow but I actually like it now)

and of course there is the new bed.  Initially when Mr Big put the bed together we stood back and thought it engulfed all the space in the room, but now that its been a couple of days I think its perfect

and of all places to get a rug Costco was the last LAST place I would think of.  But in true all-American style with roasted chicken in hand, case of water in cart we also schlepped a 10ft carpet.  No one was injured during this which was a minor miracle...and Im really pleased with the look of it in the room.  The chocolate brown brings a lovely warmth to the room and the detail is picked out with a buff color that is fairly similar to the walls

Course this is only 2 things knocked off the resolution list of 500 but its a start right??  Have a marvellous Monday friends!!

The Joy of Love

Hi friends!  Have you ever heard the wonderful saying that the universe is in a conspiracy for our greatest good and grandest success?  I forget this truth sometimes, then some sort of divine intervention happens at just the right time and puts me back on track with the knowing that all is well.

I've been having a challenging time lately and then today a couple of things happened.  One, I woke to find a "truth note" in my email from a new found favorite site http://www.bravegirlsclub.com/ :

Dear Spectacular Girl

Life is sometimes really funny....the way things happen.

Sometimes the harder we push....the more resistance we get.

Sometimes the more we obsess over something the further it seems to slip from our grasp.

Then sometimes...when we just let go...when we just choose "to be", everything just falls into place...everything works out beautifully and life just flows without all of that annoying resistance.

Which one would you choose brave girl?

This is the perfect weekend to try it out...just, be.  You made it through yesterday, you are making it through today, and sure enough, you will make it through tomorrow.

Do it joyfully and let yourself be free.

Pretty nice way to start the day huh!  Then I got a reminder of a class I signed up for in December, one I had forgotten about completely and I'm so excited about it.  I start the class on Monday so you will be seeing this little button every day through February all going well

Sigh.  I feel like I am slowly coming back to myself.  So looking forward to the Joy of Love washing over me and letting it be.

Wishing you a peaceful, love filled weekend.

Perfect for the nook

Sad face.  Mr Big and I broke our bed (Ikea, $100 made of plywood bed) several months ago - perhaps even close to 5 months ago and have been sleeping frat style on the bed since then because we could'nt find a bed we loved that was less than $7 bizzillion bucks, that was until Tuesday when we found "Bankrupt Inventory/Designer Warehouse" just down the street from us.  We are now the happy owner of a beautiful new bed OFF the ground. 

Course that means I am now focused to redecorate our passion pit and transform it from frat to fabulous.  With the new bed being so large we had to reconfigure the arrangement of furniture and surprise surprise, a little cozy nook has revealed its good self to us.  A perfect nook for chilling out on a comfy chair, legs tucked up, blankie over oneself, book in hand (perhaps wine in the other).   So I am on the lookout for the perfect chair to put in the nook....I found it, but I cant bear to spend a grand on this....but this is simply perfection

Me

Last year I started a tradition for Mr Big's birthday in which I make a retrospective photographic book full of snaps of our life the year prior.  His birthday is in January so its a perfect gift (at least in my mind). 

January 2010 I made the first book and it was received very well, as was the 2011 book, but you know what really struck me this year?  The book had only 2 pictures of me...and as I dramatically put it "I am dead in this family". 

Over the years I have resisted my image being recorded, I think this is due to my own insecurities and my own harsh judgement of my outward appearance, I ain't no supermodel people (and really I want to be).....but I'm thinking that this needs to change (not my appearance, well actually I am working on not being a fatty mcfatster but that's a story for another day) .. but the recording of me, living my life needs to start.  Perhaps this is a little late...I turn the princely age of 40 in a few months, but I am starting all the same.  Today.  It's starting.  The most recent picture was taken on New Years eve.  So deep breath readers, here I am.............

ok ok, this isn't me, its Penelope - this is who I would love to look like, but instead...this is me

and so it begins

Mt Rainier Splendor

Certainly, this is one for my gratitude journal.  Taken with the I-Phone mid-morning.  Its a pause picture, pause, breath, sigh, come back to yourself.  Funnily enough it was taken from the office - 5 of us were oohing and ahhhing at the window.  Thank goodness for Hailey who alerted me to this!

Question

Can we take a vote on the yay or nay of the new font.  You likey or you not?

Welcome new friends!

I was so thrilled when Miss Hailey hollered "you have more fans" - 18 of you are faithful readers and I love and adore each and every one of you THANK YOU for reading or looking or even just for adding your name as a "follower". 

Blogging is so incredibly satisfying for me and I hope that reading my stuff gives you a little giggle or dare I dream, a little inspiration from time to time.

May your day be filled with delight. 

A cup of Joe

As you have no doubt read, recently it was Mr Big's birthday.  One of the pressies I found for him was this fabulous teacup.  Fabulous because it has a tiny friend inside the cup, permanently.  Gary's is a fox, because that is his power animal :-)  I loved these so much I had to get myself a pressey too so mine is an owl.

You do feel slightly bad pouring molten hot liquid over the top of them, but I like to think a. They are impervious to the heat and infact actually revel in it and b. Have an underwater breathing device that works like a charm.

You should check out their website, they have alot of other tres chic goodies perfect for treating your loved ones, or for a gift for yourself.  You deserve it.

Mr Bigs Birthday

We waited to have a celebration till the kids were home - and so it was deemed this weekend would be Mr Big's Birthday time party -- wild west themed, which is perfect for a 45 year old don't you think?

Here are a couple of highlights....

Whats a party without candy?  Not a party I want to go to that's for sure.  Gary got Boston "baked beans" which are candy coated peanuts, "cow tails" which I misspelled cow tales... which are vanilla soft candy covered in caramel, quite scrumptious,...and also red vines (aka the US take on red liquorice) iccky

We also had loot bags filled with "gold" aka butter popcorn.  My girls Gen and Dot did a great job packing these and tying the sheriff badges on

Kirsten came up with the brilliant idea of making felt moustaches....

and Mr Big himself sourced the cowboy and Indian plasteek goodies

coffee filter pom poms - one of the stars

and I loved these signs!

Here is the man of the hour

the whippersnapper

the whippersnapper's side kick

and the whippersnappers whippersnappers sidekick

the table was set

and the family arrived, we missed you Dan, Elizabeth, Lindz and Laurie and send our well wishes for a speedy recovery.  Dang, the painting is crooked

course it isn't a partee without Mr Rick and Mollie

I think this is a suitable use of the moustaches...Clay Billy, you really should think about wearing one of this style all the time

Miss Betty - you are always wanted

Sophia, so stinkin cute

and Mr and Mrs Sharkboy also shared in the bration, yes dear reader, that is matching boat shoes you see on their toeseys.  I'm particularly in high admiration of Sharkboys color choice of rouge, he rocked it as he did his orange strap on his watch

a nice time was had by all.  Time to start the planning for the kids par tay.

Beach time

Friends - apologies.  Its been too long since i have tapped away at the keyboard.  Mostly this long hiatus has been due to us being away and off the grid for a few days.

We decided, with it being Mr Bigs birthday weekend and all, that we should head to the ocean.  Originally this was planned to be a visit to Ocean Village, Tofino in British Columbia

But sadly work took too long with a decision on whether to let me vacay or not...so we decided to venture to another ocean side paradise that we've never been to before....Ocean Shores Washington and the Oceanside condo complex of the Nautilus

This picture was not taken by me - and see that blue sky in the background, that did not make an appearance through out the 4 days we were there.  Note my notes on the picture.  Yes friends, not making it up.  If you decide to stay here (and its very reasonable, extremely clean and quiet)...just be aware that if you want to see the ocean you need to stay on the third floor AKA you have to schlep (or have your own Mr Big) your bags up not one, not two but 6 sets of stairs, its similar to the thousand steps to see Buddha but the difference is your mecca is actually a view of the ocean and a room filled to the brim with about 50 bazillion schmultzy ocean side nicky nacky noos.  I think that I counted (WITHOUT aide of leaving my blue velvet and skirted recliner) 7 lighthouses, a ship steering wheel, 3 gulls.  This was just in the living room.  Mr Big also pointed out that just to complete the retirement home feel...they had not one, but two stereo systems in the same shelving unit that held the worlds teensiest telly as can be seen below. 

One of my favs though was the stick on birds on the mirror....

Actually, scratch that - THIS is my favorite

yip - a fricken GRAVY BOAT as decoration right above the thunder box.  What the....?  I'm not certain who the interior designer was here, but hopefully the economy has set them into a more befitting career for them.  A GRAVY BOAT?  I ask you....

Ok, on to more pleasant things - look what Mr Big screeched to a halt for right by our temporary Castle Allen.  DEER, real, live deer.  They look unreal due to the tiltshift I was using on the camera but I can assure you they were real, and they seemed very unconcerned about us rolling up in Dora. 

Ocean Shores is like many west coast beaches ... you can drive on it.  On. The. Beach.  Though Mr Big relishes this, but maybe its because its where I'm from, but it just doesn't feel right to drive the rig down the shores...still, we did it...If you look through the drizzle you will see her there in the background

and though it was freezing with the rain and the wind and the sea spray there were a couple of nice pictures

While we were down on the coast we decided to drive to Ruby Beach, somewhere I discovered quite by accident when looking for perfect spots to visit on a road trip with a friend which we never ended up doing (sad face)..anyhoo, the drive up to Ruby is really beautiful.  You drive through a couple of forests including Quinault where there is an awesome lodge Mr and Mrs Allen will sometime stay - I give you Quinault Lodge

 so pretty around the lake and lodge - the lake even gave us a fleeting glimpse of a rainbow (look carefully)

OMG - the cottages, I heart

and the drippy moss all over the trees, just sensational

There was soooo much rain the right before so the river was really going for it, and the ferns, reminded me of NZ, making me all the more homesick for my country

so much water, that the access to the campground, in-pass-able, unless you have a canoe

ferns again, love em, and look how shinyyyyy

and who knew?  The worlds most giantist cedar tree..right here in this neck of the woods (pun intended).  Keep in mind.  My mister is 6 foot 5inches tall.

isn't this pretty, its a runner from the momma tree

We are standing under the big cedar in this next picture.  Though it might look like I'm standing on Mr Big's toe, he's actually laughing his a** off at something I cant remember at this time.  I'm unadorned with makeup sadly so this is moi, au naturel

oh wowwee - back on the road again and found an absolute stunning stunning lodge locale, smack bang in the middle of Quinault Forest and the Hoh Rainforest.  Kalaloch Lodge.  I REALLY wanted to take some pictures but it was pouring with rain again so thank you Internet...

http://www.muche-net.de/sea2002/pics/kalaloch_cabin.JPG

Its just a breathtaking view from this place straight onto the Pacific.  I can't wait to go back...but Ruby Beach was calling our name so on the road again....

and before we knew it, we were there.  Even the little hike down the path to the beach was delish

Majesty of nature in full effect, cue angels, part clouds...voila.  Ruby Beach all to ourselves (you cant really tell in this picture, but we are snogging.

Yes sir, sooo happy, even with the little bit of rain and wind we had

Stun-ning

I love that there are trees for driftwood, reminds me of Rarangi Beach in New Zealand - but with the large sea stacks its better

and as you walk along you see all kinds of beauty, even the simplest of things like a dip in the wood filled with rainwater

I honestly put alot of though into how the flippen heck to get over to this rock - there was no way over aside from using the zoom

I heart you Ruby Beach

We went to Forks.  A dismal disappointment.  For those non-yankies and non-Twilight fans this is the Northwest town where the Twilight saga was set and partially where it was filmed.  Sorry to anyone reading this from Forks originally or residing here now, but friends, what a dump...so.....hardly any pictures.  Two to be precise.  One must have, Bella's truck WITH smurfette on the hood:

We didn't stay in Forks long - mostly because everywhere we went I felt like someone was behind me

Anyway Ocean Shores, thanks for the memories.  It was nice to spend a few days in the company of my number one.  I wish it had been longer.