conquering fear

 Next time you feel fearful or perceive limitations that keep you from achieving a goal or pursuing a passion, watch this video!  This girl is an inspiration.

lampshade love

I am in love (lust?) with this lampshade from Victorian Trading Co.   It would be perfection in my boudoir....

jewelry organizers

As a jewelry designer, I like to find creative ways to display and organize earrings and necklaces.  I just love these pretty displays from Tammnoony on Etsy.  She also makes jewelry boxes, clocks, and other cool stuff.

Cinnamon Roll Pancakes

So, The Fabulous Boyfriend got me a jug of fresh maple syrup (literally fresh, part of a friend's batch made last week), so I've been cruising the net looking for unique pancake recipes....and I stumbled upon this amazing goodness:

 Sure, you don't need the maple syrup with this cream cheese topping, but I bet a smidge drizzled over the top would be yum-o!
Find the recipe here.

Rethink Being Alone

Video from KarmaTube

Happy Birthday, Erica!

It's my daughter's 25th birthday today!  Yes, I know, I'm only 29, so I have no idea how that happened, but let's just go with it.  ;-)

Allow me a little "brag time"?

She's so amazing and has done incredible things with her life already.  An independent spirit since childhood, I knew she'd be off and running early - and she was, joining Americorps right after high school.  While in Americorps, she helped build homes for the needy, cleaned up after Hurricane Katrina in Louisiana and Mississippi, tutored inner city kids in South Carolina, and helped with trail maintenance in the Smoky Mountains National Forest in Tennessee.  She enjoys photography, writing poetry, cooking, making jewelry, hiking, skiing...the list goes on.  Though she's lived all over the country, she's now settled in Denver, Colorado, loving her job in social work, still trying to make the world a better place.  I miss her like crazy.

She'd (literally) give you the shirt off her back if you needed it.  I couldn't be more proud of her.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, MY SWEET AND WILD ERICA!

she's on the right

Americorps graduation

one of the children she tutored in Charleston, SC

Mardi Gras!

with her best friends in Denver

Absurd, or...?

"If at first, the idea is not absurd, there is no hope for it." ~Albert Einstein

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 Ever had a creative urge, an idea, or just a passing thought that seemed so outrageous that you never took it seriously?  Did you think, "Oh, I could never pull it off", or "What would people think if I pursued that?", or "Maybe later...".  

Ever regret not pursuing one of those "crazy" dreams?

As I look at my own journey - where I've been, where I am, where I want to be - I've begun to wonder if my life is lacking a good dose of absurdity.  It's too easy to get bogged down in minutiae and day-to-day mundane tasks.  Couldn't we all use a trip to the wild side more often?

How do we recapture a little crazy when the world teaches safe conformity?

Chocolate Guinness Cake

Well now, this sounds delicious!  I bet choco and guinness makes for a great cake marriage. And yep, perfect for St. Patrick's Day.  Find the recipe here.

Florence & The Machine ~ Shake It Out

purses & clutches ~ 1madwoman

Just love these gorgeous handmade purses from 1madwoman on Etsy.  I have a huge "Mary Poppins" bag that I carry around all winter (good to stash office shoes, hats & mittens), but I like to get something cute (and smaller!) for spring and summer. 

You like?

wow

As some of you already know, I used to be a ballet dancer, so please forgive the occasional excess of ballet posts - but this is so good I just had to share!  The editing is really superb.  Don't blink.  ;-)

rumi

"Stop acting so small.  You are the universe in ecstatic motion."  ~Rumi

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women game changers

Love to read books about inspirational women?  Legends would be a great choice.  Written by women writers, Legends talks about some of the most influential women in history, pulling from a wide spectrum - politicians, musicians, sports figures, writers, philanthropists, artists, etc.  Supplemented with wonderful portraits, Legends is one of those books you'll want to revisit often.

Paris in Color ~ Nichole Robertson

Are you as smitten with Paris as I am?  Then you'll want to check out Nichole Robertson's wonderful photography on her blog, Little Brown Pen.  Her images are soulful and unpretentious, and capture Paris (and her people, food, and light) at her most beautiful.  You can purchase prints, postcards, and calendars of her work, and she's releasing a book next month called Paris in Color (pre-order it here). 

All photos below are Nichole's.