Believe in the magic

A flicker of inspiration is twinkling in my brain. It must be the gorgeous weather we’re having. Some say it’s too hot but I am at my best when the weather is hot, wearing nothing more than a tank top and shorts, no shoes, no sleeves, nothing to confine me.

I have a million pictures and dozens of quotes traveling through my brain as a quiet breeze blows through my window.

“believe in the magic and your dreams will follow”

xo-jj

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Today’s cool hunt

I went on a little cool hunt this morning and found this…

A bedroom to die for. I love everything about it. If this was my bedroom I might never leave my bed. Okay your right I can’t sit still for more than 5 minutes but I’m just saying…

As the years pass I become more and more determined to own a cottage kitsch house. I love, love old architecture , mediterranean, country cottage,english cottage, french country, etc. We built a new house a little over six years ago and it is quite modern. The last few years I’ve been craving a little cottage with character. I don’t want to leave the beautiful setting I’m in, woods, meadow, pond, but the heart wants what the heart wants. That doesn’t mean it’s going to get, so for now I dream.

The pathway to this colorful cottage  sold me and the red door, well, let’s just say this would definately be an impulse buy. Good thing we’re only cyber shopping.

No new house for me just a cottage garden.

 

 

Join me in my garden of cottage dreams…

xo-jj

making love in the garden

 

Morning light graced my cheek, the clock read 6:15 and my body said no way as I slowly put one foot in front of the other in search of a steamy cup of coffee. My legs and back are sore from a weekend of pulling weeds and planting flowers. The pain is worth the feeling of accomplishment and the fact that the herb pots are once again alive with aromatic goodness makes me smile. There will be a few more mondays with sore muscles before my garden will flourish with love but I’m okay with that.

This day began in the mid-fifties but as I tip-toed across the dewy deck, admiring my work, I heard the weather man promise a high of eighty-five degrees before this day is done. I took a deep breath and another sip of hot coffee  as thoughts of bare feet and  long summer days in the garden crept in. 

xo-jj

Yes, you can

 

Someone once said,

“Your wings already exist.

All you have to do is fly.”

 

 

I’m soaring through the rain today

how about you?

xo-jj

A run through the garden

Had a great weekend up-north- came home to a garden full of surprises.

 Peony flowers are my fave and this yummy shade of red fades to a soft pink in the warm sun. Love, love…

 

Love the wispy stems that end with an explosion of pink. It doesn’t get much better than this…

 

 

chive, chive and more chives, they’ve taken over my garden with a vengeance. I love the fresh green stem topped with a bulging head filled with potential,  just waiting to explode.

This is the end of our tour and the start to a Monday full of potential.

BTW speaking of potential

she’s lovely and listed

 

 

xo-jj

Grandma’s attic

 

On my way home from work yesterday I felt a familiar calling. It whispered, more like nagged me to take a little diversion to a nearby town.  I pulled off the highway, drove through several stops lights, down a residential street, over the railroad tracks and into a little parking lot.  The sky was overcast and  grey after a full day of rain but no matter, the place I was going didn’t have any windows, just stuff, wall to wall stuff. 

A little town a few miles to the north-east of my home is over-run with tiny antique shops, where you can find almost anything your heart desires- if you’re willing to pay for it. I quite often go just to browse, live in the moment of yesterday and hope that something I can’t live without jumps out at me, for the right price, of course.

When I first entered the shop I didn’t feel anything , no nostalgia, no excitement, no lust. I thought this trip was going to be a bust so I turned toward the door in an attempt to make it home and have dinner made before my hubby arrived. I made it halfway before I was stopped dead in my tracks by a case of vintage jewels, my biggest weakness. It was then that I felt that feeling of nostalgia, want, lust. The memories of grandma and her dresser in the attic filled with sparkly brooches, vintage hats and scarves, things I covet today.

The sales girl came over and offered to open the case. I knew once she did that it was all over for me but that tiny voice that came from an eight year old girl dying to play with her grandma’s jewels said “yes please.” Well I guess there isn’t too much else to say except I love the cameo brooch, the millenary flowers and the salvaged rosary chain that I spent three hours assembling last night. It looks great and I think if I can find the strength to part with it I’ll put it up for sale in my Etsy shop next week.

Have a wonderful weekend. I’m headed up-north to hunt for moral mushrooms-yum!

xo-jj

A river of words

The light filtered through my window in such a way that I became engaged, motivated, no, compelled to capture it’s essence. One click and it was done, the color, the moment, the magic only lasted for a minute or two before the morning light took on another position. It morphed itself into something benign. 

If you wait long enough anything will change. It happens when you’re not looking, at night when you are fast asleep but sometimes the transformation takes place right in front of your eyes.

One of my roles in the family is peacemaker or it maybe better defined as channel master. I listen, I talk and then I defuse the situation. It’s not as simple as all that and it doesn’t work half the time but I always give it my best shot. I’m comfortable in that role most days except a day like today, when all I want is to be my own guide, my own channel master. To have time to listen to me and then quickly change the channel if I don’t like the feature presentation.

The act of writing/typing this on-line diary is a revelation for me. I start out on one subject and then quickly change to something entirely different.  It’s a great opportunity to reveal my inner most thoughts. What starts out as a quick post becomes a river of words which are the deepest aspect of who I am at this very moment. I’m so glad I have someone to share them with.

xo-jj

A bowl of bohemian soup makes an ordinary girl feel creative and complete

Yesterday morning I awoke to the sound of black birds squabbling over the last of the winter berries and a cupboard completely devoid of anything edible. No matter how much I detest a trip down the isles of  my local grocery store it’s impossible to put it off for even one more day.

I don’t check the cupboards, make lists or have even the vaguest idea of what is on the menu for the up-coming week when I set out on my shopping trip. I wander through the isles with everything but cooking on my mind. I look at the young woman pushing the cart in front of me and wonder. Does she walk like that because her jeans are too tight or does she have a genuine disability? Is that guy with the cart full of beer and cookies having a party or does he eat like that on a regular basis? I sniff the laundry detergent in an attempt to find something that doesn’t make my clothes smell like wilted flowers or some other offensive aroma. I look down at my cart and notice that so far I’ve managed to toss a tube of mascara and a bottle of advil into my cart, no fixins for dinner or anything remotely edible has come close to this four-wheeled basket that’s in desperate need of a front end alignment. 

After another hour or so of wandering through the isles, noticing the loose tiles on the floor and savoring the smell of freshly ground coffee beans, I do manage to secure a few items worthy of consumption. This mix in my basket doesn’t resemble anything that would make a meal but it inspires me to go home and create something warm and fresh with a little spice.

A carton of organic chicken broth set to boil, a cup or so of chipotle bisque, ( I never measure anything) a quarter  box of frozen corn-the kind with both white and yellow kernels, stir-fried chicken strips, dance in the pot for a few minutes before I add some brown rice and  a handful of spices.  It smells okay, earthy but not quite finished-the toppers are the best part. A handful of cilantro, a half dozen chips, a few slices of avacado-soft and creamy but not too ripe and a large spoonful of fresh salsa… whala, I have a bowlful of the most delisc bohemian soup ever-tasted,well at least I think so. 

It’s earthy, spicey and more importantly, edible. I don’t like to cook unless I can experiment with whatever ingredients sound good to me at the time. I know what I need to eat in order to feel good for the day but the whole idea of going to the store and figuring out what to buy is painful. If only I would have thought beyond last nights dinner and bought something for breakfast this morning, this rainy day- hovering  just above 40 degrees wouldn’t be so challenging to maneuver, maybe next shopping trip.  😉

xo-jj

Happy Mother’s Day

 

Happy Mother’s Day to all my girlfriends out there…

 love ya-jj

A reoccuring dream and a visit with old friends

 

Tonight I will be revisiting my past. A dozen or so girls from my graduating class are getting together for a night of laughter and reminiscing,  a few I haven’t seen in twenty years, others I run into on occasion. I can’t wait to listen, hug and giggle the night away. We reconnected on facebook and decided it was time for a face to face.

As a teen I couldn’t wait to get out of school and move on with my life and now after more than twenty years I can’t wait to go back to those years and visit the friends I left behind. It’s funny how that works. You are always looking for the next best thing but can’t wait to go back to the good old days. I’m sure this meet-up has something to do with the reason I have been so preoccupied about where I’ve gone with my life.

Thank you Shell and Seawitch for your words of wisdom.

When I first started junior high I used to dream about walking down the long halls lost and late for class. Last night I revisited that dream. It’s funny how certain things never leave you.

Tonight I will be toasting to old friends and I’ll probably realize that life hasn’t really changed all that much.

 clink, clink to old friends and new

xo-jj