seaside daydreams + some links.

Tomorrow night, we are joining friends for some fresh seafood (yay!).  It couldn't but MAKE me think of the day we spend in Puerto Morelos, Mexico ... a little fishing town just last month.  Though summer is finally getting closer to us up here, my thoughts are down in Mexico this evening.

Some of my other thoughts have landed me at these places recently:

Little Korboose - There are so many cute items at this little shop ... I think the little airplane would be cute in Judah's room.

Oana Befort - I like this lady's visual journey - illustrations documented.  Talent with a paintbrush.

Mon Tarte - I follow Jordana Claudia, a Nashville dweller, on instagram.  Her posts are light, quirky, fun and sometimes delicious.  If I lived in Nashville or ever visit there, by her recommendations, I'd know what hot-spots to hit.  *she's posted some good gluten-free recipes in the past too.

Oh Happy Day! - Love this lady's diys ... they're just fun and make my day happy.

For some reason, just like seeing people's homes, I LOVE to see what women carry in their purses. 1 | 2 | 3

See the Skyline - The way this mama shares about getting a (2hour) break from her littles, enjoying it, but loving more the moment when she gets back home to see them.  I also like her series: The Gospel in Her Home

Birch and Bird - It's always inspiring to see what this creative Abbotsford lady posts.  One of my go-tos for designing encouragement(!).  I follow her on Pinterest too.


Hope you're all having a great start to your weeks!


pic pix: boats on the shore, Puerto Morelos, MX, April.2013

colorboard / no.13

color: rich, velvet black

word of inspiration: foundation [the basis or groundwork of anything]

source of word: Commit your works to the Lord, and your thoughts will be established [on/with a foundation]. Proverbs 16:3

1. my kind of black dress /2. black dahlias, another personal favorite /3. pantone themed notebook?! /4. cute way to leave notes for my hubby /5. black wood chips - i think this makes garden beds look clean & classy /6. loving this chair!! /7. cute print /8. ahhh, my love of watercolor continues

ALSO ... the last colorboard (in case you missed it!) and another black & white themed board.

happy weekend.

"Only where children gather is there any real chance of fun."

~Mignon McLaughlin

pic pix: this little lion man making us laugh today - he's getting in all sorts of "fun" these days, today at home

life as a train.

Imagine.

A train moving quickly in an open desert.  You're riding horseback (or whatever vehicle you dream about!) alongside it, trying to catch up.  This train is your life.  You feel like you are always racing just to meet it by the time it reaches the next station because, you just don't want to miss a thing.  You can't follow another train, or leave this one.  Like I said, it's your life.  While you are living, this is you.

What's so funny, is that, seeing as it is your life, you are the one setting the pace.  No one but yourself is is making that train 1) go through the desert or 2) go that fast or 3) go to a specific destination but you.  The milestone/station you are running towards is your own expectation.  Life isn't moving your train, you are ... and usually at a speed much to fast for you to even be on it!

I've learnt aspects of it before, and I'm learning a new angle of it again - personal expectation.  Ever so "sneakily", it creeps into my thoughts and before I know it, I am discouraged because of little lies I am listening.  Thoughts I have created in my mind due to out-of-reach expectations.

I started thinking about it last week when an acquaintance shared with me a study about women who are on Pinterest...a lot!  I did not read the exact article so I am paraphrasing pieces of what I remember!  Basically, researchers were finding that some women were feeling inadequate and unproductive in their own lives/homes/family life.  'I wish my house looked like that...', 'How come I don't have time to do all that I want to do...', 'My kids need me to do this..." etc, etc.  The conclusion of the study: In theory, stimulating and inspiring ideas is an innocent action.  Getting caught up in comparing and pining for what we don't have can eat away at we DO have or what we DO.  Causing us to feel like we aren't doing or don't have enough ... inadequacy.

Personally, I'm not sure that Pinterest has done this in my life (I still love Pinterest & plan to still use it), but I know other distractions have led me to believe that I am just not "there" yet.

In my mind, my house should be clean, my quiet time and personal time scheduled at the same time every day, I should have a creative project on the go, dinner made ahead of time, regular outings with friends planned, my garden already planned and seeded, a family routine set in place, blah blah blah.  The list seriously goes on.  I laugh out loud as I write this, because those things written on paper seem like I think I'm superwoman or something!

But, friends, do you see?  That is the train I am trying to keep up with.  A train moving so quickly to do-do-do ... I'm not savoring the moments (chew-chew-chew!!).  They are all nice and novel ideas, but it can all slip away too fast if all I want to do is reach the next benchmark on my to-do list.

I'll never stop striving to do better, but for now, I really just want to ride my own train and take in the scenery.  Enjoy my little family.  Breathe in each morning as a mercy.  Live satisfied with what I do/don't accomplish.

"This time, like all times, is a very good one, if we but know what to do with it."  

Ralph Waldo Emerson

pic pix: a cute little train station, Meiringen, Switzerland, May.2009

thoughts. things.

Mothers Day

It's not every weekend that we get to pamper our Mom and Gramma a little (or them let us do the pampering!).  On Saturday, my sis and I set up my Gramma's sunroom for a little pedicure & fondue fun.  Seeing as Brittany's the professional, I just followed her lead and things went pretty smoothly...except when Judah wanted to tickle his Gramma and Gigi's feet!

14.5 Week Bump

This is the first week I've thought baby is more looking like a bump and not just bloating.  Though, I'm sure, when I reach 30 weeks I'll look back on this picture and say it looked like I was bloated!

This Time of Year

When it comes around to the 2nd week of May, I always think of Texas.  My brothers were going to school down there, and they graduated their programs a year a part.  So naturally, I had to go down there(!).  Last year, my younger brother completed another year/program of school, but I couldn't go because the little lion man was due soon.  It was always nice to experience spring before we had a full-on, green spring up here ... all this to say, I missed Texas this last week.

My Mother's Day

 

Sunday was a day to celebrate our little family.  After church, we stopped for a quick tea at my mother-in-law's house to wish her a happy mother's day.  The rest of the afternoon, we cleaned up the yard together, planted some seeds, and went shopping for a new dishwasher(!!).  How grand it will be to have that delivered on Friday!  No more loads being put through 3 times plus a hand wash :)  I didn't really take a bunch of pictures, but the two above were my favorites - my guys, and the first gift of the day brought with breakfast.

Cousin Love

On our short trip up to Edmonton, Judah got the chance to play with some 2nd cousins (Ethan - 3, Connor - 9 months).  I love watching little people interact ... especially when they're special little boys like these ones!  Remember me posting about them 7 months ago?!

colorboard / no.12

color: cream & soft corals with a hint of gold

word of inspiration: clement [mild or temperate; pleasant. syn: gracious]

source of word: Courage is grace under pressure.  ~ Ernest Hemingway

1. clutch, for any summer occasion /2. love this lady's mixed media ... especially her detailed maps /3. watercolor inspired by Song of Solomon 5:13 /4. this fabric would make a nice tablecloth /5. i could wear this bling /6. cuuuuute skirt! /7. my mother-in-law makes these in our christmas stockings ... i may have to put in a request for these colors /8. how adorable for a lil lass?!

lil bit of fish 'n chips.

Because morning sickness has kept me void of getting anything productive done this week (ugh), we decided to head out for dinner tonight.  Earlier today, I heard from some friends about a mom and pop joint that made some pretty darn good fish 'n chips.  And that they were ... pretty darn good!  Just a little stop off of 17th avenue, Trawlers proved itself a worthy stop for a mid-week meal out of the house AND there is a fish market part of the same store (future dinners perhaps?!).  This is the kind of place I like - unassuming, mom-n-pop diner feel, and so delicious!


pic pix: tonight's fishy excursion, at Trawlers Seafood Kitchen, 08.May.2013