Sunday in October: Little Bits of Magic

It is Sunday and football is on. We have nothing planned today and I am happy for it. We will take on a few house projects and hang out as a family. I will write and we will cook dinner together. Days like this are not as common as we would like but so nice when they occur.

This fall Emaline is getting into the season, seemingly collecting baby pumpkins, painting them, placing them on the steps, and repeating the process every time it rains and the paint runs off. I love sitting with her on the deck as she focuses on putting just the right amount of blob and swirl on each little pumpkin.

 

And my addiction to Netflix documentaries continues. My recent favorites are Maidentrip and Hungry for Change. The second, pushed me into a smoothie kick. I really enjoy stuffing handfuls of leafy greens, carrots, and fruit into our Big Boss blender. I know I am doing something good for myself and it really does taste great! 

All of this

Becomes this.

I am most of the way through Big Magic and love it! I knew I would. Elizabeth Gilbert is one of my all time favorites. I have written about her podcast, her TedTalk, and her books. She is wise and honest and her opinions on art and creativity are so refreshing.

This book could not have come at a better time. I have been met with a very special writing opportunity and have appreciated the encouragement as I begin a new adventure. I will be able to share details with the blog very soon!

**And speaking of creative living, my awesome SIL has opened up an etsy shop! You can check out Smudge Guest Books HERE. Babies, engagements, showers, weddings, little kid birthday, personalized art. Elise is offering a special offer for Write to Simplicity readers. If you order before the end of October and mention this post, you will receive 10% off your order!

Something Personal: Not That Kind of Girl

I have an odd talent. I have never met anybody else who does this. I have told only a few and every time I have shared, I've been met with silent glances and subtle confusion.

Often when I read a book, the voice of the author seeps inside my head. For a brief period, I have a hard time not thinking in the language of the story. It's much like getting a song stuck in your head. It lasts for hours, sometimes a day and I enjoy the time.

I choose what to read based on this, often books with beautiful language. It does not always happen and sometimes it's not until the story draws to a close. It does not pour into conversation, but rather it is my inner dialogue. I imagine it like somebody who speaks English as a second language, turning Spanish phrases inside their mind.

Right now, I am finishing up Lena Dunham's new book, Not That Kind of Girl. Which I love! But I am glad it is almost done because this book was absorbed much faster than normal. Likely, because I already know her voice. But now I am there and cannot shake it. If you have seen Girls and you have sat through one of their I-can't-watch-this-I'm-so-uncomfortable scenes, you know what I mean.

I love her work and I feel like I get her writing but she writes nonfiction. Lena's brilliant book is comprised of essays, her life until now. It is presented with wit and hindsight and the vulnerability that she has become known for her. My blog exists, in part as a challenge, to write about myself. Something I have never been particularly good at. And so instead of the words turning outwards to face the world, it is like having a spotlight into the corners of something more personal.

That is probably why I am sharing something today, an ode to her words, her truth.

Nice Day: Fall Schedule

Labor Day has just gone and taken with it, the unofficial end of summer. As a season, we have a few more weeks. But as soon as yellow buses start filling the streets, it feels time to empty the beaches. Not that I want to, at all. I am pleading with the sun to last a little longer this year. I want more time with sandy clothes, open windows, iced coffee, trips to the Cape, summer beer, food on the grill, baby swim lessons, sun-blocked skin, and long days.  

There is a chance that my wish could come true, at least somewhat. I am living in New England for the first time in almost a decade. Minnesota in the fall is lovely but blink and you might miss it. It lasts about five minutes. New England weather is more unpredictable but generally is a little gentler in the transition. 

Nick and Emaline on Long Sands Beach, York, ME.

I stopped writing on my blog and now that I am back, I write two paragraphs on the weather. Probably not what you were looking for. But like many conversations, you start with small comments and light pieces of notice. Sometimes you start with a proclamation. Spit out a statement and dive in. But not this time. I am wading in, one step at a time. It is rocky and I slowly work to find my footing. As the water gets higher, I will start to swim. But this is the gauge, the place where I figure it out.

As kids head back to school, I find myself wanting to recommit time to this platform, this little blog. I want to share our life on the Seacoast. I want to remember simplicity. And of course I want another venue to write. I am reluctant to state that now but Nick always says- you are more likely to follow through if it is in writing. So there you go.

I have been writing, though not here. And I have been reading voraciously, for someone with a 15 month old. But summer is ending and I want to step it up.

Cape Cod Canal

*If you are a regular reader and ever want to request a new post, I encourage you to let me know. I work well under pressure.

Boston Harbor from my sister's roof deck.

Practice: Peonies for Emaline

I have written the obligatory post about our move and everything that goes along with it. But I'm not ready to share. Because of the move and everything that goes along with it, I have not been writing. And the first few times writing after having not written, are a little bit like getting off crutches. I am weak and shaky and my muscles needs to build along with my confidence. So borrowing a little bit of inspiration from one of my favorite bloggers, I am writing a practice post. I will publish it as my warm-up, my opening act. Not to build expectations, please don't do that. But to get my fingers moving and my writer-brain slowly turning. So for the moment, I will pretend that I am not 1,200 miles from Nick's family, an hour from my family, and five minutes from the ocean.

A picture to pull you into a new topic. Emaline!

Emaline's first birthday is in less than a week! Nothing in the world messes with the passage of time more than a child. This year has flown by runs parallel in truth to that feels so long ago. Nick and I keep repeating these statements as we prepare to celebrate. We are having a party for her on Saturday and her actual birthday is on Tuesday. I have a Pinterest board of ideas. We will see what plans come to fruition. I know I want flowers, and balloons, and to decorate her highchair.

What I imagine. But this won't happen. 

I imagined peonies filling the house. When I announced that I was pregnant, I chose peonies as the image to accompany my words because they come into bloom at the same time that my baby was to be born. Yes, there was a lot of thought over that image. And since that time, I have associated those beautiful flowers with my littlest love.

Yesterday, I called the local flower shop and asked if they had any peonies. The lady excitedly told me they were coming in tomorrow. I almost ran for my credit card. This is perfect. I will buy so many. "They are $7.00 a stem." she said breaking through the daydream of my peony house.

"Like per flower? A stem is a flower?" I asked incredulously, realizing only now, how dumb I must have sounded.

After a few beats of silence she responded, "Yes. That's right."

So I am revising my floral plans. I will share some here and when we buy a house (which will be soon but we're not talking about that yet!) I will plant peonies. And every spring when they bloom, I will clip a bunch and put them in a vase for my little girl.

  

The Critic Does Not Count: Small Bursts

I never intended to stay away that long. I could offer a plethora of excuses. Emaline is the most obvious. She keeps me busy and is very distracting. She redirects my creativity and refocuses my attention, making it difficult to sit and write. But she is not the only reason. My computer stopped working around the same time that I finally got an iphone. I always thought that having a smartphone would make blogging easier. The tiny portal to the rest of the world is convenient for many things but I don't like it for writing.

Yesterday, Nick offered me his computer and so here I am.

Emaline just woke up from a nap and is cooing away in her swing.

And quickly her coos turned into fusses. So now it is a few hours later. She is taking her second nap and I am back to writing. I guess this speaks to not really owning my time. It has taken me awhile to realize that I can still accomplish the things that I want, but not always when I want.

I am on week three of the Artist's Way. The changes are small but noticeable. Cracks are forming and inspiration is starting to seep through. I have been having vivid and fantastic dreams. I am writing everyday. I have realized that writing does not have to be all or nothing. I can write in small bursts. I can write because I love it. I can create something new, not for critique but, as an expression of who I am. It is liberating to believe that my job is to put words on a page and what happens after that, is not for me to decide.

"It is not the critic who counts; not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles, or where the doer of deeds could have done them better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood; who strives valiantly; who errs, who comes short again and again, because there is no effort without error and shortcoming; but who does actually strive to do the deeds; who knows great enthusiasms, the great devotions; who spends himself in a worthy cause; who at the best knows in the end the triumph of high achievement, and who at the worst, if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who neither know victory nor defeat.” 

-Theodore Roosevelt 


Elizabeth Gilbert spoke about this in her Ted talk. Oprah has talked about this many times, most recently with the author of The War of Art. And this morning, the most eloquent blogger that I read daily, said this.

I have always been protective of my art. It was a big deal when I was younger to share my stories. It was a big deal in 2009 when I decided to start a blog. Putting yourself out there is scary. But I am also learning that vulnerability can be a good thing. And so I will try. I will try to be honest. I will try to be brave. I will try to share my voice.



She is starting to wiggle and coo. Her eyes are still closed but I know what comes next.

Around the House: Projects and Habits

A few weeks ago, Nick came home with a bunch of arugula for pizza. We knew it would take time to go through all of it so, as a bit of an experiment, he stuck it in a glass with water. It actually looked pretty and lasted much longer than it would have in the fridge. In the dreary winter months, any pops of green are welcome. 

Being around the house all day allows me to take on random projects. Cleaning is my favorite way to procrastinate. Yesterday, I cleaned all of the grout in the kitchen. It took a long time and was kind of a pain, but looks like a different floor.

Another project was to tidy up the basement. It is unfinished and used for laundry and storage. At some point, somebody started to put in a bathroom but never finished or put a door on the project. To close it off, I had the idea to hang a shower curtain over the door. I purchased a shower rod, circle hooks, and a simple blue curtain from Target. It actually worked really well. My only complaint is the packaging that target used to send the shower rods. Get it together Target. This is such a waste! See below:

 

Lastly, I have a confession to make. Last month, I read a post on Healthy Tipping Point about how she does not sort her silverware drawer. My confession is that I judged, a little. 

A few weeks later, I was sorting clothes when I realized my own oddity. I mentioned previously that I am bad at folding clothes. What I really mean is that I do not fold them. Clothes have assigned drawers but I take my pile of t-shirts and shove them into the drawer. 

With my limited clothing choices these days, I decided to sort everything. It was somewhere between jeans and long sleeves that I thought back to HTP's post. I guess we all have our own quirks. Sorry Caitlin!  

It has been two weeks since I have tackled my clothes and so far so good. It is nice being able to open my drawers and see my options. It has also helped me keep clothes off the floor. I know in a few months, I will have even more to keep neat so I'm hoping that by starting to change my habits now, it will be easier to maintain when I have tiny clothes stacking up.

After these messages: We'll be right back.

So much to catch up on. I want to try something new. I'm writing to say that I'm still here and I'll be writing on here again very soon. But hold on....
In the meantime, inspired by one of my favorite blogs, here are some fun links:

• I love this idea. One of the reasons for my the name writetosimplicity, came from wanting to follow some of these rules.
• These are great reminders
• An easy way to do some good and a fun and educational way to make the world a better place.
• My favorite TED talk. She speaks so well and her words are inspiring and fall very close to home.
• A coworker just started a fun new blog and I'm really liking her recipes and design idea.
• If you do not know Pentatonix, you should. My favorite is still probably this and here is the newest.
• Music is good for the soul and here is the proof.
• Wow. I will probably read this one hundred times. I get it.

I'll be back soon. Love.

Fall Friday: Short Day

If these walls came crumbling down

Fell so hard, to make us lose our faith

From what's left you'd figure it out

Still make lemonade taste like a sunny day

                       

  -Dave Matthews. American Baby

Listening to Grooveshark on a Friday afternoon. I can't get enough of this song right now. I keep pulling the arrow back to the start just to hear the opening lyrics again. I think Dave Matthews is an absolute poet in addition to being an incredible musician. My friend Julie introduced me to DMB in 9th grade and they are one of the few bands that I have always been proud to share as a favorite. The music is as relatable to me now as it was when I was fifteen and that's saying something.

I was just wondering if you'd come along

Hold up my head when my head won't hold on

I'll do the same if the same's what you want

-Dave matthews The Stone

I am leaving work a few hours early today and driving to North Dakota for the weekend. I am really excited for a roadtrip and to get out of the city for a few days.

Also, I have finally caved in and allowed myself to become addicted to pinterest. For awhile I did not see the point but now I am having so much fun with it as seen above and below.

Enjoy your weekend!!



Updates: Changing with the Times

I read the"About Me" today and realized how outdated it was. Major life changes have occurred this summer and therefore a blog makeover seems appropriate...

I spent my lunch hour messing with the layout. I have a tendency to over think the details. I love messing with fonts and colors until it fits me, until it settles onto the page as though it was meant to be there. At home, I shift vases and picture frames around on a regular basis. The details are easy to play with and can make a big difference. Let me know what you think. Do you miss the old look? Did you even notice? Stay with me as I figure this thing out. Blog design care of me and Cutest Blog on the Block.

Simple Inspiration: Eye Candy

Who is this girl with three posts in one week??? I guess that's what happens post-wedding when your friends leave town and your husband goes back to school. I just have some fun images to store. A little bit of eye candy and inspiration.

Am I a hypocrite if I follow that beautiful quote up with a page out of Anthropologie's fall catalog? I say not as we spend a third of our lives sleeping (probably more for me) so what better place to start finding elegance and refinement than in your own bedroom!




Oh Anthropologie, you have my heart and sometimes my wallet.

Speaking of bedroom the new husband and I are waiting on this to finish off our bedroom. We used our Macy's gift cards to purchase. Thanks friends and family. Also today I caved and bought this to wear to Nick's Dad's wedding in two weeks! I was debating what to wear and pulled up this dress for the umpteenth time to find it on sale. I took it as a sign and acted quickly. The thing that makes me nervous it is says that the model is wearing the same size dress that I ordered. That doesn't seem right. Online shopping always makes me a little nervous but that's what a good return policy is for. 





Nick, someday you and I must waste days together in this tropical paradise. Please??



TGIF: Stumbling Through 8 Days

I'm sure this comes as a shock but it is really hard to be at work today. My hope is that if I write a little bit and then make my zillionth to do list that it will shake off some of my nervous/excited/anxious energy.

I have not been as focused this week as maybe I should be. Not on the wedding, not on eating well, not on getting enough sleep. Wednesday we went to the Red Sox/Twins game and I accidentally got a little drunk. Yesterday I went to Sam's fringe show. It was hilarious! I didn't get home until almost 9pm and then I just read and went to sleep. But despite all of this, I still feel like we are on top of things. We do not have any plans this weekend, outside of my salon appointment, so we can finish our DIY place cards and wrap up some other details. We leave on Tuesday evening for Boston. I need to make sure I am staying ahead of my work.

Today I bought this and this. The dress is to wear on wedding day while I am getting ready and the pocket book is because I do not have one.

In the spirit of randomness let me share with you some other fun things that I found.

• This blog makes me want to spend time being girly.
• This should be read when you need to shake off a bad morning. 
• This dress makes me wish I found it three months ago.

Have you started stumbling yet?? Oh man it's addicting. As a friend said, "Once you think you've found the end of the internet, you start stumbling and you realize there is no end"

How cool are these sinks? c/o stumble upon.

This livingroom with the library would be a dream!

This Day: Too Many Updates.

It has been an eventful few weeks. I wish I was writing more, but that is a constant truth.

I am going to try to get it all out for my own sanity but I might get lost in the details so just bear with me.

Do you want good news or bad news first? I always think it's better to get the bad first so you can end with the good.

Do you remember the minor car accident that I told you about? Well... The shop fixed my car, good as new: new bumper, new paint, new shock absorber. When it was all fixed up, they offered to tow the car to a closer location... See where this is going?

They were almost to the shop when the tow truck was rear ended. We were told in the first phone call that there was "significant damage to just the corolla". Long story short, my car has an estimated three pages and $6,000 worth of damages. I do not even want it back at this point. That just does not seem safe. Luckily Nick and his Dad are helping me sort through this mess. More to come.

Now for some good news: Nick and I found a house!! (Hold on friends and family, we are not buying. It is a rental.) It is a one family home in South Minneapolis and it is oh so cute. Three bedrooms, two bathrooms, a fireplace, french windows, and a fenced in yard for the boys. It is not falling apart. It does not have 19-year-old potheads on the other side of the walls. And it is adorable! We are thrilled! We move in July 6th. Woo!!


Right now is such a weird time. We are getting close to the wedding, summer is almost here, and the weather has been insane! There were tornadoes in Minneapolis this past weekend. My friend Nikki has a tree through her house! Tornadoes scare me so much. I may have cleared a path in my basement and scouted the best spots for hiding, just in case.

Yesterday was May 25th, the Oprah finale. The last show was so wonderful. I need to get a recording of it. She just talked honestly and lovingly to her audience. She shared her wisdom, her thoughts, and her hopes for her viewers. My friend Tara and I sat together on my couch, clutched glasses of champagne, and tried to carefully absorb every word. I want to watch over and over.

I held it together until the last segment. I knew it would be emotional, but I was surprised by how I felt. It was like saying goodbye to a friend who is moving far away. I know that show so well. I have known that show my whole life. But in the summer of 2005, when i moved to Minneapolis, the show became something more.

When I got here, I did not have friends, I did not have a job. I was starting a new chapter in my life and I needed reassurance, I needed something comfortable. Everyday I would make lists: Go to the gym, vacuum, go to the library, apply for five jobs.

But everyday at 4:00pm I was allowed to stop being active and I would sit on the couch and watch Oprah.

This blog has even seem my Oprah references and calls for support. I always tell Nick: Despite any obvious differences between Oprah and myself, I have no trouble imagining her and I as good friends. I love to think of her and I sitting down with a bottle of wine and just chatting about life. I feel like we have been doing this for years, it has just been more of a one-sided conversation. :)

There is one other situation i want to share with you, but taking a queue from my seasoned-blogger-friend, Leah, I will wait to share the details. The main point is last night, I had an awful scare that something happened to Nick and although everything turned out to be just fine, I feel different today. When Nick and I were finally able to communicate last night, he was trying to rationally describe his ordeal to me but my need to continuously tell him how much I love him, made it hard for him to say much.

Sorry to end to this confusing, long post with something so summarized and possibly cheesy but the mug I grabbed out of the work cabinet says, "There is nothing worth more than this day" and that is how I feel right now.

Hug your loved ones and I'll be back soon to write things that actually make sense.

Simple Inspiration: Countdown Inspired Quotes

There has been an absolute transition of time. It used to be that when people would ask when the wedding was, I would tell them, and they would respond: "Oh you have plenty of time!" And now all of a sudden the canned answer is, "Oh, that's coming up fast!"

117 days until the wedding. 89 days until the send off party.

Yikes when did that happen??

I have been collecting love quotes since we got engaged. I am not sure what, if anything, I will do with them but they are lovely.

Most of these have come from this blog.

Every house where love abides

And friendship is a guest,

Is surely home, and home sweet home

For there the heart can rest.

-- Henry Van Dyke

"When you're in love you never really know whether

your elation comes from the qualities of the one you love,

or if it attributes them to her;

whether the light which surrounds her like a halo

comes from you, from her,
or from the meeting of your sparks."
- Natalie Clifford Barney

"Open your life wide, and take me in forever.

I will never be tired-
I will never be noisy when you want
to be still...nobody else will see me, but you—
but that is enough—I shall not want any more."
—Emily Dickinson to an unknown recipient

 

"Love is everything it's cracked up to be …

It really is worth fighting for,

being brave for, risking everything for."

— Erica Jong

“Sometimes, when we’re lying together,
I look at her

and I feel dizzy with the realization

that here is another distinct person from me,

who has memories, origins, thoughts,

feelings that are different from my own.

That tension between familiarity
and mystery meshes

something strong between us.

Even if one builds a life together based on trust,

attentiveness and mutual support,
I think that it’s important
that a partner continues to surprise."
-Barack Obama

Daily Inspiration: Wedding Blogs

I have truly enjoyed being engaged. Planning our wedding has been a gift and I know I will look back at this year with joy. When we got engaged people kept tellnig me to make sure I appreciate this time as it is special and the only time in your life where you you be in this position. They are right and I even when I get stressed, I try to remind myself how lucky we are.

Part of the joy in planning has been the discovery of wedding blogs. I think I will keep reading them post nuptuals. They are bright and thoughtful. A few of my favorites are Ruffled, Green Wedding Shoes, Engaged and Inpired, and Beantown Bride Blog. I actually found my photographer through one of these but weirdly can't remember which one.

A real wedding posted on Engaged and Inspired.
This ceremony made me whisper a dragged out WOW at my desk at work.

 Do you have a wedding blog that I should know about??

Simple Inspiration: Photos

I have so much to say but I'm saving up my creative words for another outlet. Today, I need only to share photos, images that are cheering me during this stressful time.

Image courtesy of Engaged and Inspired. So lovely. This picture makes me want to have a photo session with NV when we are all dolled up.  

 

Reese Witherspoon at the Oscars this year was flawless. Classy and beautiful and makes it look easy. And I LOVE that hair. It's actually a half up half down, not a pony as it appears.



I may have just bought these for our July 22nd party! Badgley Mischka is my new favorite shoe designer. I dare you to go to amazon and look for a pair of shoes by Badgley Mischka that you don't want!

I've always liked James Franco but my like has turned into a serious celebrity crush upon finding out that he is currently pursuing his PhD at Yale and then stumbling upon this photo care of cute boys with cats.

I promise to be back soon with more than photos. Until then please pray to whomever your god may be that it warms up in Minnesota. This has been the l-o-n-g-e-s-t winter e-v-e-r!!

Scattered: So Let's Go!

My head is scattered today. There are so many things I want to do but most of them require either lots or money or at least a plane ticket. It is like when you are in your kitchen and you keep opening your refrigerator even though you know what is in there and you are not even hungry, you just keep looking anyway. I keep pulling up the same web pages over and over as if I might find something new, something that will calm my unsettled nerves.

So far today I have occupied myself with this, this, and this. They are not new articles to me. I saved them in my favorites months ago and go back and read them to revive myself.

The tricky thing with the decorating tips is that as much as I agree with his words, I want a new home so bad that I do not want to spend my days updating the crumbling duplex that we now inhabit.

The slackerology post makes me itch for adventure (so does the -22 windchill). It makes me want to travel so bad that I spent yesterday morning searching craigslist for apartments in Sydney. The one I fell in love with is this. It looks simple and sunny and the view! Wow! It is not realistic though because in case you missed it, that $700 is per week.

Something wonderful did happen yesterday! My family friend that I wrote about here sent me an email. He included a draft of his newest book that is going to be published and has not been read by anybody except his publisher and said:  What I’m trying to do here is get you back to writing, so let’s go. Check this out and then send me something fun to read.

I thought it was only a few pages but 30 pages in Nick asked me if I was coming to bed soon. I answered yes, I just want to finish reading first. I then looked and realized it is 243 pages.

So reading and writing is the task before me. Wish me luck. Writing here is different than what I send him. I write here as I used to write in my journal. I write in my voice. I write without worrying too much about language. It is good that I do this. It gets me typing, it gets me thinking about writing outside of professional emails but it is still a long walk back to fiction.

Photo: Jeffrey Westbrook/Studio D

Simple Dream Home: NOT a Design Blog

In contrast to the above picture, it is so cold here today! I stepped out of the house with plans to ride the bus but my leggings argued for the corolla and won.

To distract myself for the -35 that they are projecting for later tonight, I found pictures of homes that are beautiful, that feel warm, that are not in the upper Midwest.

They are the kinds of homes that I would like to find myself living in. Some of the pictures I have viewed on other blogs a long time ago and fell so in love, that I continue to go back and drool over the warm, simple life that I imagine the space would provide.

This kitchen is simple. Classic with a modern twist. Elegant yet comfortable. Love.

So calming. It would be such an escape to collapse into this bed. I want to nap there right now.

I adore this set up and I'm in love with the light fixture. It just looks so cozy.

Love love love this library. Classy and eclectic. Funky with timeless pieces.

Cutest little girl room I have ever seen. I actually saved this picture twice on two different locations from two different places. I am consistent in my taste.

Oprah's library. Enough said.

Oprah's library part II. I want to curl in in that chair and read/nap by the fire OR have a glass of wine with Oprah.

Oprah library part III. Love this room.