Java June’s day off

I’m looking for a little inspiration before I paint my desk and decorative side table. I’m very inspired by the european feel of this room. It’s chic and finished but has  a rustic element that’s charming.  My decor is eclectically global, sometimes a little too eclectic. The pic above represents my more traditional side.

I can totally see myself in this room, Mr. Java not so much! I love every element in this room. What does that say about me- I don’t know. This pic represents my bold and rather impulsive side. 

This vintage shabby-chic look is also me. I’m not sure if I have a split personality or I’m just decoratively indecisive. This pic represents the homey, relaxed me.

 My office walls are red maple and my floor is indian slate (mixed earth tones), the curtains are off- white as well as the trim work. I’ve already refinished a little cottage dresser in creamy white with distressed blue details. This dresser fits the look above except for the fact that a buddha and indain goddess staue are perched on top. I’m having a little trougle defining my look. 

 I painted my antique chair that sits in the corner creamy white. A wrought iron dress form all decked out in pink sits on the back wall. I think I’ll use a creamy white to avoid udder chaos in the room. It’s not very adventurous but a little calm is in order, don’t ya think?

I have the day off  and the weather has been misty rain, comfortable temps but extremely high humidity, so gardening is out and indoor projects are in.

Have a lovely Monday.

xo-jj

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Pictorial meditation

 

Just finished my daily Yoga session. Feeling kind of spacey, no-words just a little pictorial meditation.

Enjoy!

xo-jj

Hippy chic

 

I leave a pair of garden boots on my porch, partly for looks but also for easy access. I wear them on dewy mornings and after a rain. I have on occasion wore them for a quick shopping trip. The princess leaves her boots right beside mine- I love that! 

I found myself in a hippy-chic kind of mood today and  spent the morning browsing my closet for just the right outfit to wear to work.

I love this image found on fashionista.com Wish I had that boho dress and  bright red shoes. It’s amazing what a fun and playful outfit can add to your day.

Add some fun to your day!

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

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

A very ordinary girl now middle-aged woman who thinks extraordinary thoughts in no particuliar order

A very ordinary girl now middle-aged woman who thinks extraordinary thoughts in no particular order. I’m thinking this may become a new feature on my blog. Perhaps I’ll touch on it once a week or twice a month or maybe even every other post. I can’t be pinned down right now or get caught up in the details, I have too much to say. I may start at the beginning, at the end or maybe even in the middle because I do things like that

 I thought my life was going to turn out differently, after all I have a destiny, a mission, a niche, but I haven’t found it just yet.   I know it’s out there, lurking in the shadows just waiting for the right moment to happen.

I couldn’t wait to grow up and find my purpose, that niche, my something but I had to get married to my high school sweet-heart, have kids and purchase my first house before I could pursue my dreams. Those things were too important to let get away and they had to get done before I was too set in my ways to get married, too old to have kids and before I had spent most of my adult life in a rented apartment.

While raising kids I knew that my something was out there but I was too busy, too fulfilled and way too brain-dead to go looking for it. It would have to wait and wait and wait.

How long should one wait? Should I start looking? Actually I think I’ve been looking all along but no niche.   I’ve always thought that when I was ready it would just happen.  All I had to do was wish for it and the answer would become, loud and clear, a flash of light, an epiphany, happiness.

I use to dream of a life in the big city. This life  included my loving family, the perfect house, a little fame and a lot of money. All made possible by my thriving career. I had my whole life ahead of me and plenty of time to achieve everything I’d hoped for. It was going to happen. I could feel it. I just had to get through the next few years of raising my family before it could happen. I raised my family and now when I look back I know that those were the most fulfilling years of my life. Perhaps thats why I put off the dream, my wish.

As the years passed my dreams and wishes got a lot smaller and a little closer to home.

I once wished for a beautiful white cat to fill my house with cozy charm, to make it feel homey and full. I envisioned her sitting in the front window when I arrived home in the evening, waiting for my company.

I wished and a couple of months later he showed up. He was different from what I envisioned, his fur was short with tan patches and he was absent a tail. I welcomed him into my home anyway but he didn’t like the indoors. he preferred the porch to my cozy office.  So now when I arrive home I find him waiting  not on my window sil but waiting all the same. By the way he brought friends-I feed them too.

 I wished for more children and I got a grandchild. Grandchildren are God’s greatest work and I never tire of their company. I’m not your typical grandma. I don’t bake. I can barely cook and I wear jeans with holes in the knees.

A few years ago I wished for more time with my family and something happened at work that made it justified for me to quit. I never looked back because I was sure this was a sign and my special talents were about to emerge. That was two and a half years ago. I’ve tried on a few hats since then but nothing fits. Someone once said, “I think you just don’t like to work” not true. I just want to feel passionate about what I’m doing, be good at it and make a living while doing it. 

Not all my wishes come true. I’ve wished for something I enjoyed, loved, something I was really good at.  It had to be a career where I could make a living while doing it. Something all my own. Nothing happened. I’m afraid it may take a little work on my part to find it, patience and focus, things I’m not very good at. I have the attention span of a three-year old child after she has consumed an entire box of cookies, chocolate chip of course.

I’m not whinning and I’m certainly not ungrateful for all the wonderful things in my life. I’m just wondering if maybe I’m going about this quest for success and completion all wrong. Perhaps…

This is just me thinking out loud  🙂

xo-jj

I love the journey

This is the little chapel by the sea on Captiva. There is something so serene about this place- I love it.

My travels south started out with traffic jams and a grumpy hubby who said we are never taking our vacation by car again-back to the sky next year. The drive was my idea. It had been a long time since I traveled afar by car, we always fly to our destinations but I had this romantic idea of the open road and little kitschy places tucked away off the beaten path just waiting to be discovered by me.

You know that dream of mine… hopping in a hippie van and traveling the us with my camera and a journal, documenting every ounce of cool and kitschy I can find.

The cool and the kitschy were not along the expressway and I didn’t take many pics, didn’t even write one sentence in my journal. I’m not sure why, it just didn’t happen.

The ride home was a little different. We were forced to get off the beaten path when the expressway was nearly closed down due to the insane amount of people heading north after spring break and the snow birds heading back to Michigan. This was a good thing!

Although I didn’t get a chance to take any pictures or jot things down in my journal, (hubby was driving like a mad man in an attempt to get out of Florida and get away from the people he claimed didn’t know how to drive, I was hanging on for dear life) I did see some things that were amazing and kind of surreal. I saw tiny shacks and mini log cabins that looked like something out of the 1930’s. They were full of life, clothes hanging on the line, junk scattered across the yard, children playing  out front and one with an alligator hook hanging over the pond, baited and ready to catch sunday’s dinner. It was hard to believe we were still in Florida or the U.S. for that matter.

Since I didn’t get a chance to take pics at rapid speed,( hubby wasn’t stopping for anything at that point) I borrowed this image of a Florida shack from sxc.hu.

We passed tiny houses that looked like they hadn’t been changed or updated in 80 years or more. Just as I felt like we had entered a time warp, we would pass a modern gas station or car dealership, out in the middle of nowhere. It was interesting and kind of amazing too. This was the old Florida drive I remember taking as a child, very rural and charming. I guess one could feel sad when looking at the dilapidated places along the road but it just wasn’t like that. They were full of life and seemed to be a lifestyle that was lived on purpose, simpler and uncomplicated, or so it seemed, maybe this was just my romantic side believing that these people had chosen a life that imitated a simpler and happier time for them . I can’t believe how much lives differ from one area to another.

This trip was restful and refreshing but it stirred up that wander-lust inside me. I’m just itching to hop that hippie bus to destinations unknown, journal in hand, camera ready.

xo-jj

What’s your secret to pretty feet

this pic was borrowed from prettybychoicefiles on wordpress

Spring is whispering softly from afar which means soon very soon my feet will be bare every chance they get. I love love to run around in bare feet or nearly bare, a pair of flip-flops or strappy sandals are heaven after a long winter of wool socks and barely breathable boots. With that being said there is one minor detail to consider. I think you know what I’m going to say.

It’s this image from womenshealthmag vs. that image from about beauty

You didn’t think I was going to post a pic of my feet did you? Well not until I get them all pretty which may take a week or two.

I’ll be bare-footen through the garden in no-time, 6 weeks, tops.

So here is where I need your help. Tell me your secret to pretty feet. What do you use, how do you do it and how long does it take to work. I can’t wait to hear what you have to say…

xo-jj

The love list

A little eye candy for a marvelous monday

love, love this turquoise turret pot from Anthropologie

A cozy little cottage for your feathered friends

Cute little sweater for spring, Anthropologie of course

Alice in Wonderland comes to theaters on friday, ohhh, I can’t wait!

Have a marvelous monday filled with  dreamy thoughts…

love, love… jj

A little chit chat on a slow Thursday

I’m thinking about making a change with a pallet of  seaside colors. My house is painted in Tuscan hues and it suits me well but lately I’ve contemplated  somthing a little more Zen for my master bedroom and bath, colors that resembles a spa-like atmosphere.  A hint of sand and a whisper of turquoise might do the trick but I don’t want it to stick out like a  chicken with lips. It has to blend with the rest of the house. That might be tricky.

The little vintage chair in the picture above is my inspiration for the room. I found it at a garage sale for 3 bucks. It has been partly stripped which left fabulous layers of ocean blues and sea greens over a base of sandy  brown. The shift in colors are subtle and light and just perfect. I bought it and left it as is. I’ve paired it with a creamy white vanity, accented with a green vase of peacock feathers. I love the look but not so sure I can fit it into my decor on a larger scale, any ideas?

If I were to go on a total splurge I’d buy a new bedroom set in creamy white and paint my walls in the lightest sky blue, new paintings, new duvet cover,etc. $$$  I don’t see that happening any time too soon.

No matter…. it’s the people and pets that make a house a home, right?

On that note I thought I would update you on the beautiful Manx cat I dreamt about before he showed up on my door step and adopted me. Ricky-Bobby has gone from a frequent visitor to a full-time resident. He still spends much of his time in the woods and meadow that surround the house but comes inside to eat and sleep and kill my Canary but that’s a whole other story. I needed a new pet like I needed a new hole in my head but I’m a sucker for a sad face and somebody out there knows it.

The other kitties (only 2 left)  that followed him here are still wild but we spent the time and money to capture and neuter them. Mr. Java has the bite marks to prove it. They peek in the windows and sneak through the doggy door to sleep in the garage when it gets too cold. Remember how Mr. Java had such a fit because I was feeding them? Guess who feeds them now, he caved.

Well, thats all for a slow thursday. Hey Deb guess what? The suns out. Thanks for sending it my way. Now how about those lemons? he hee…

xo-jj