Monday, December 31, 2012

Day 366...

It's kind of bittersweet to be at the last post. kind of odd. kind of thrilling.

A big thank you to all of you who followed and read, encouraged, commented, emailed or otherwise messaged me through TIL...and a special thank you to Stephan Cox, for your most amazing cheerleading and faith in me! I'm ready for my next project to begin.

2013...I think you're going to be a very creative year.  

to close the year...the 2012 version of the blog that really started it all...(Thank you, Tanya Geisler)

Things I Love in 400 words...the 2012 edition:

my wonderful baby boy, aged 16 years, who makes me smile, laugh and beam with absolute glee at his wit, brilliance and all-around awesomeness…glittering snow on the ground, as though sequins were thrown atop a pristine, white billowing blanket…shockingly bright, nearly blinding winter moon peeking through bare tree branches…gentle reminders of my strength and resilience; my ability to bounce back; land on my feet…a really awesome dream that bounces around in my head and lingers all day -  making me smile…Orange. the colour. the fruit. the blossom…my favourite pair of jeans. comfortable. perfectly worn out…the blissful look on my sweet Stella’s face when she turns her little kitty head up and leans against my arm to fall asleep…my wonderful handful of books I am content to read over and over again…reasons to celebrate…Honeycomb Calcite… the giant windows at my office, where I can watch the snow fall and swirl; makes me feel like I am standing inside a snow globe… Tazo vanilla apricot tea…Port Aransas, Texas…eggnog lattes…lemon zest cheesecake swirled with apricot puree…friends who “know” when I need a hug…Layer Cake Shiraz…a long-awaited sneeze…writing, photography, creativity…the scent of lilac…Moroccan Rose essential oil…spending the whole day in my pajamas (every now and then) just because I can, just because I have nothing I have to do, and just because, sometimes, a day in the pj’s is exactly what is needed to rejuvenate oneself… homemade vanilla made with Maker’s Mark, Madagascar vanilla beans – and patience…a long walk on a crispy cold day…black-eyed peas (I have a ridiculous, perhaps obsessive, love for them)…standing at the bow of a ferry, pushing across the Puget Sound, cold wind whipping past my ears, hair flying in all directions, eyes closed, breathing deep, until my ears hurt and I have to go inside (I will stay outside for longer than I can stand, simply because this is one of my favourite things in the whole big wide world!)…life-long friends…winter coats – I’m a wee bit fanatical, perhaps – I have too many, and not nearly enough…Zanna, my tattoo artist, who is so incredibly talented and amazing, and who is happy to put the needle to my skin when I am craving some needle therapy…Rice Crispies with bananas…wind farms; majestically beautiful ultramodern sentinels; graceful behemoths…every one of my precious, wonderful friends and family; I’m the luckiest girl in the world…the kind of bliss that seems to bubble up from inside…


 
Happy New Year, friends! Have a lovely 2013. Thank you. 

Sunday, December 30, 2012

Day 365...


I love making people laugh.  especially when laughter is far, far away and doesn't want to be seen.

It is one of my favourite things in the whole big wide world to be able to make someone smile, chuckle, guffaw...during a time when it's hard to find the funny.

...in a tense moment, a sad moment, or a feeling like crap moment...to me, those are the moments we most need a smile...

a joke...a pun...a ridiculous song...a hilarious dance...I'm not afraid to make a fool of myself if I know it's going to give someone a much needed giggle. 



The thing that's really awesome...there are a few people out there who are fantastic enough to do the same for me...and that just makes me feel supremely happy...and loved. 

Saturday, December 29, 2012

Day 364...

My Squish received this pendant as a gift several years ago...I have yet to find one like it. I absolutely love it and it appears to be completely original...Un-duplicated.


Friday, December 28, 2012

Day 363...

Bits of my Louisville...
4.6.11 - Louisville, KY - keg

2.16.11 - Louisville, KY - keg

4.6.11 - Louisville, KY - keg

Thursday, December 27, 2012

Day 362...

a couple more from winter 2011 in Minot, North Dakota...

January 30, 2011 - Minot, North Dakota - keg

January 30, 2011 - Minot, North Dakota - keg

and Louisville - 2011

March 19, 2011 - Louisville, Kentucky 2011 - keg


Wednesday, December 26, 2012

Day 361...

In honour of winter...

Minot, North Dakota - January 23, 2011. keg

Minot, North Dakota - January 23, 2011. keg

Minot, North Dakota - January 23, 2011. keg

Minot, North Dakota - January 23, 2011. keg

Monday, December 24, 2012

Day 359...

It's hard not to miss my family right now.  My baby boy...out in Seattle. my mama, sister and beautiful nieces...in Texas. My youngest niece...in Utah. 

It's hard to be away from family this time of year.  Not only because of the holidays and traditions, blah blah blah...but because it is my mama's birthday on Christmas day, and it always feels a wee bit weird to not spend it with her, even though there have been several birthdays spent apart in the past many years since moving out, moving away, moving nearer, and far-er...away.

Tonight, my mother and most of my darling family is gathered in Amarillo for birthday/holiday celebration...and my mama just texted me to let me know that my niece is making Banoffee Pie. my recipe. for my mama's birthday. 

This made me smile. and cry. and feel a big wave of love wash over me...all the way from Texas.

Saturday, December 22, 2012

Day 357...

I found this the other day and laughed my arse right off...


Day 356...

oh my goodness...

swoon!

Evening Dress Jean-Philippe Worth, 1907-1910 The Metropolitan Museum of Art 


and swoon again...
Dress Callot Soeurs, 1907-1910 Les Arts Décoratifs


and once more...

Jeanne Paquin, 1911

Friday, December 21, 2012

Day 355...

Because it is nearly Christmas...and because I plan to make my sweetheart watch at least two (if not all) of the following on Christmas Eve or Christmas Day...a brief list (five, to be exact) of my favourite Christmas movies.

in no particular order:

1. Love Actually
2. The Family Stone
3. Elf
4. It's a Wonderful Life

and...

5. Home for the Holidays (which is actually a Thanksgiving movie, so I should have said "favourite Holiday films," but...we're going to fudge this one.




Wednesday, December 19, 2012

Day 353...

Grief sucks.

ridiculous. lingering. threatening.
tears surprise me; melancholy sweeps in and knocks the wind out of me when I least expect it.

goodbye makes me angry...



This has been a hard post for me. I've been writing bits and pieces and then mulling over them for a week now. Today I decided to just write and let it go where it wants to go.

In July I received a phone call from one of my dearest friends...that one of our dearest friends had passed away.



I'm not okay.

I miss my friend.

I miss him. his handwritten letters. phone calls. emails. texts. I miss the gentle cadence of his voice when he would read his poetry to me. I miss hours of conversation over coffee. I miss his vibrance. his zest. his love of humanity. his desire to learn everything.

He was an incredible human. He was flawed and perfect. he was rebellious. gifted. charming.

Like most of us, he hit rock bottom. a few times. and each time, he rose from the ashes of his past. made himself new...better. stronger.



Last Wednesday, I went to get a new tattoo.  It's something I've wanted for a long time, and now I had a reason. I got together with my tattoo artist and over the course of a couple weeks and several emails, conversations, and tweaks to the piece, she delivered!

My Phoenix. for my Christopher.

Day 352...

I have a box of handmade clothes from when I was a little girl. 

I was in grade school, first...second grade...and every birthday, every Christmas, and sometimes no occasion at all, I would receive a handmade dress with a card attached, signed "your secret friend."

My mother knew who it was the whole time, but I didn't find out until a few years later, when my secret friend learned she was sick with cancer, and her illness had progressed enough that making handmade items was no longer feasible.

The last gift was a store bought coat. one inch box-quilted down; fuscia.  I LOVED that coat! I called it my marshmallow coat. The attached card was signed "Mrs. Bayer."

She had been the secretary at my school, and we had bonded quickly. I loved her. She loved me. I was precious to her; the granddaughter she never had, and she had decided that she wanted to create a little magic for me, so she talked to my mother and worked out the "secret friend" gifting.

I was nine when she died. The same year both my grandmother's died, also of cancer. It was a tough year for a nine year old girl.

I still have all but one dress.  (If I remember correctly, I gave one to my cousin, Lisa.) The box they are kept in is small-ish, with bold, black lettering: CLOTHES FROM MRS. BAYER. Every now and then, I open it up, lift each dress out, smooth the fabric, admire the stitching, then carefully re-fold each one and put them back in the box. The elastics are shot, but the fabrics are solid and strong. There is also the coat, the fuscia marshmallow coat, which goes in last, piece of tissue paper on top, fold the box back over, re-tape...

It's amazing to me, that each time I revisit those dresses, I can still feel the love of one sweet lady for the little girl she chose to cherish and shower with affection...and handmade dresses.

Tuesday, December 18, 2012

Sunday, December 16, 2012

Day 350...

I find it hard to believe that I haven't posted this photo before...but a quick review of the past year seems to indicate that, indeed, I have not shared this one.


this is one of my favourites.

April 13, 2008 - Near Loretto, KY - keg

Saturday, December 15, 2012

Day 349...

Minot, North Dakota - January 2011 - keg

Minot, North Dakota - January 2011 - keg





Day 348...

My Kacicita painted these a few years ago...and because I love them (and because she threatened to paint over them and lose them forever) I took them for me.

When I moved away from Texas a few years ago, with only a carload of my possessions, (leaving the rest of my things in storage,) these paintings came with me...journeying first to Washington, then North Dakota, before finally settling with me in Louisville.

Now, nearly two years later, after living in a hotel room for 5+ months, and then a stone-walled bug infested basement apartment for another 7 months, my current, wonderful, cozy little apartment with naked walls stared back and waited patiently until I was ready to "settle in."

A few weeks ago we put up some of my sweetheart's prints. and today, I think I will find a home for these, because they don't belong in the closet.


My favourite.




Thursday, December 13, 2012

Day 347...

And another something I'd love to see...I love the magic of Cirque du Soleil!

Worlds Away

Day 346...

My wonderful Theenie sent me this text on Tuesday...

...and you can tell the sun, in his jealous sky, that we walked in fields of gold...

she had heard it while listening to the radio and immediately thought of me.

This made me smile.  because, 1...I love my Theenie. and 2...I love Fields of Gold. especially this version.

Day 345...

ahhhh...so this is the place I think I should visit in Norway.

or...one of the places I should visit in Norway. :)

Tuesday, December 11, 2012

Day 344...

and this...because it is simply lovely.

Cee Lo Green - Mary Did You Know

Day 343...

And then there's Mikko Lagerstedt...stunning me with gorgeous photography again.




Day 342...

A couple of days ago my Polar Bear sent me this picture...


of my favourite pixie girl...reading MY book!

swoon.

melted heart.

I. Love. This.

Friday, December 7, 2012

Day 341...

And because I love anything NASA and astronomy related...there is this...

beautiful and tragic...our amazing planet.

Day 340...

I love Cirque du Soleil.

and this...Zarkana...this looks amazing! (it takes just a second or two to load to the correct show. have patience)

plus, bonus! There's a Maleficent-like character! and Maleficent is my favourite Disney villain.

Day 339...

I have a ridiculous sweet spot for adorably cute creatures...

this is what made me smile and "awwwwww" today.

Wednesday, December 5, 2012

Day 338...

Louisville is the top U.S. travel destination for 2013 according to Lonely Planet.

Lucky me. I'm already here.

Day 337...

I love this dress.
but it's currently out of stock.

if it doesn't come back "in" stock soon...I will have to get creative and make me one for me. because...I love this dress.

Tuesday, December 4, 2012

Day 336...

teeny frog.

Floyds Fork 9.15.12 - keg

Day 335...or...my mini bucket list

I hate that phrase..."bucket list"

I don't know why it irritates me, it just...does.

Wish list? Yah...we'll go with wish list.

My travel wish list...top ten style...in no particular order:

1. Patagonia
2. Madagascar (because I desperately want to walk among the baobabs)
3. Ireland - Giant's Causeway, Wicklow Mountains, Irish Sea, Isle of Man...and on and on and on
4. Scotland - Fingal's Cave, The Outer Hebrides
5. Coastal Maine
6. Savannah, Georgia
7. Finland, Norway, Sweden - to see the Northern Lights from Scandinavia!
8. Peru
9. Germany
10. Russia

Monday, December 3, 2012

Day 334...

hopefully soon...a weekend mini holiday to this...


Rock City, Tennessee

and this...


Ruby Falls

Sunday, December 2, 2012

Saturday, December 1, 2012

Day 331...

I'm super happy to finally have a few things hanging on our walls.  We've been bare-walled for about 7 months now, but tonight we took several of my sweetie's printed pieces and hung them in various spots about our home.

and now we're eager to print up a few more and get them on the walls, too!

Take a look at his work. Scornphoto.