if only I had a treehouse...

If I had a treehouse,

I'd store my books on this,

and I'd put my flowers in these.

*tree bookshelf by Shawn Soh*

*branch vases via Moco Loco*

Cheers to 2010!

2009 was a pretty self-reflecting year for me.  

I learned much about myself, some strengths I never knew I had, and some weakness I hope to improve on.  

The year in review... I started a new healthier lifestyle by running and becoming vegan,  I gave up a kidney, went on an emotional rollercoaster,  stepped in the Pacific Ocean for the first time, reunited with many friends from the past, and built stronger relationships with current friends.  

2010 I have high hopes for. 

Here's what I'd like to focus on this year (in no particular order)...

1.  Travel (on my list for this year are LA, Denver, Boston, Chicago, and San Francisco; along with my usual weekend trips to Philly & NYC)

2.  Continuation of vegan eating while supporting organic/local farmers.

3.  Start practicing Yoga on a regular basis

4.  Amp up my running and push my body to be as strong as possible.

5.  Put 110% into my jewelry design.  I've taken a break for a while, but I feel lost when I'm not creating something.  As silly as it sounds, I feel at home at my workbench.

6. Be in the moment and not over-think EVERYTHING.

7.  Find the positive in things and be grateful for what I have.

8.  RELAX

Cheers and Lots of Love in 2010!!!

what a difference a day makes...

Did anyone else happen to experience the magic act that occurred 

on the East Coast this past weekend???  

The first 2 pictures were taken on Christmas Day...

and the last 2 photos were taken the day after Christmas.  

Snow today, gone tomorrow.

A half day of rain completely melted away the two feet of snow 

that we accumulated the week prior.  

Was I the only one amazed by this???

*to be completely honest, I was pretty excited.  

I like the snow A LOT, 

but after awhile it just turns into a dirty muddy mess.*

SNOW DAY!!!

It's official, our little snow storm in Baltimore has now turned into a full fledged blizzard.

I can't remember the last time I've seen this much snow.

Last time I measured the snow was roughly 11 or 12 inches deep and it is predicted that we may see an additional 8-10 by tomorrow morning.

Work was canceled today and I know my boss is at home shaking in his boots.

Having to close the Saturday before Christmas is a huge deal in the jewelry world.

(or in any retail business I would suppose.)

But, there really is NO competing with Mother Nature; I'm pretty sure she will always win.

These are the days I wish my studio was in my home.

I could be getting SO much done today.

Oh well, I guess it is nice to sip some tea and relax with some old movies.

(right now I'm watching The Holiday, you can't beat snow + Jude Law).

my heart melts...

Can you think of anything more adorable?

I'm starting to think that I may need one of these little rascals.

found here (one of my favorite blogs)

pure sweetness

-found here-

Coulson Macleod

everyone deserves music

I've been thinking back on this year and I realized that it was a pretty great year for music.  I made a short playlist of some of my favorites.  A few are old songs, but they still remain in constant rotation.  Enjoy!

much thanks!

I am thankful for my wonderful family (despite all of their quirks)!

I am thankful that I was able to help my brother get his life back on track (and fingers crossed he remains healthy for a LONG time to come).

I am thankful for my extremely talented and amazingly supportive friends, who are just down right RAD.  (1,2,3...)

I am thankful for music. 

I am thankful for the little moments in life when everything seems just right.

I am thankful for my mocassins.  (I'm cold)

I am thankful for the 17 year old shirtless werewolves in the New Moon movie.  (just kidding... sort of)

I am thankful for my life.

Happy Thanksgiving to all!

XOXO

one step forward or two steps back?

As a kid people always ask you, "what do you want to be when you grow up?" Some kids know the answer at an early age; "I want to be a doctor or a fireman."

Well, for me it's been a little different. I've wanted to be a lab scientist, an optometrist, a pharmacist, a sign language interpreter, a painter, a jeweler, a vegan baker, a traveler of the world... etc. The problem (or maybe not) is that I have so many interests/loves that are completely different from each other.

Is there a perfect job for me? Who knows? In most instances I can't imagine doing the same thing for my entire life. However I still get anxious that I'm 28 and still can't answer the question, "What do you want to do with your life".

I've been told over and over, "life is a journey not a destination". It has taken me a while to understand the truth in this statement. Every step I take helps me realize what I want to include in my life and what is really not that important to me.

Well, I've been feeling like things in my life have been a little stale lately. So, I'm starting to make some changes. The first change seems like I'm taking 2 steps back, however I choose to look at it as 1 step forward.

Change #1... I've moved back to my hometown to save some money for a few months. Although it's only about 40 minutes from the city, I'm a little sad I can no longer walk down the street to visit my friends. :( But, I'm hoping the money I am saving in rent will help me move on to Life Change #2. :)

(image from Keri Smith)

can't get it out of my head

Negative Nancy

As my friends can attest, lately I have been somewhat of a Negative Nancy or Debbie Downer. I'm kind of at a cross roads where I'm trying to figure out what the hell to do with my life. (which, to say the least can be a little exhausting.) Anyway, I'm trying to stay postive and now I've found a new motto to live by. "Don't think about the negative things anymore than necessary to help you move away from them."

*found on one of my favorite food blogs- Carrot's N Cake*

Reactive vs. Creative

"Reactive vs. Creative.  

When you see things differently, you become creative rather than reactive."

I've been a HUGE fan of graffiti for years, but it is wall murals like this one that get me completely giddy.  I apologize that I forgot to write down the artists name, but I found this gem on a side street in Venice Beach a couple of weeks ago.  

Not only are the characters wonderfully animated, but the artist has also sporadically stenciled on these beautiful little messages.  

"Send love in response to hate" and "you can't until you say you can".