what i'm loving wednesdays 12.15

This week's "what i'm loving wednesday" is dedicated to mom, and the memories I have.

She loved Key West, Florida. It's no wonder. She was a deeply thoughtful person and I can imagine her staring at the endless ocean for hours, much like I would do. I love to think of her surrounded by such peaceful beauty.

 

 

When I was a little girl and she was waitressing to bring home some extra money, she used to take me to work with her occasionally. She worked in a huge castle and I would run around hiding and playing and imagining until she called to me a table where there was a shirley temple waiting.

  We made the most elaborate dollhouses together. I remember one she made completely out of cardboard, tiny furniture and all. She would get wallpaper and carpet samples and painstakingly make sure that every detail was as realistic and perfect as possible.

 

 She was an artist. In more ways than one. Even in her struggle with cancer she had a dignity and grace that seems impossible to maintain in such conditions. She never complained once. She made sacrifices for us that one should never have to make. She epitomized selfless love.

It has been so long since I have seen her and the reality of knowing I will never see her again leaves a hole in my heart that will never be filled. I always thought I would.

But I will live my life the way she hoped for me and try to emulate her as much as possible.

Many things will get me through this time including the love of my wonderful friends and the most amazing man that I have ever been blessed to have in my life.

And art.

Our connection.

We will always be connected by the gift she passed on to me.

You'll always be in my heart. 

all images, except the one above, are courtesy of we heart it

what i'm loving wednesdays 12.9 (& some exciting news!)

Well, in the interest of being honest, the first thing I am loving this Wednesday (drumroll, please...) is that it is a snow day! One of the things that I love about my job is that (most of the time) the superintendent makes a good decision about calling the day off. I do not like to drive in bad weather so I am fortunate in this sense.

But on to the good stuff...

Have you visited the lovely site, We Heart It?
It is a collection of gorgeous photos that some extremely talented photographers upload some of their  favorite shots to, and you can either browse them, or search by keyword. It is perfect if you are looking for a little inspiration or just want to check out some really well taken photos. It is way too easy to get wrapped up in all of the gorgeousness and lose track of time perusing all of the lovely eye candy it offers for your viewing pleasure, so use caution when entering the site ;-).
Especially if you are a daydreamer.
Not that I know anyone like that...

I am loving this site, and in honor of all of the inspiration I have found on it, I am dedicating this "what i'm loving wednesday" to their impressive collection of beautiful photographs.
My 5 choices today are in honor of the New England winter weather that has finally arrived! Pour yourself a hot cup of tea (I recommend vanilla almond) and prepare to see some frosty beauty.
Enjoy :-)

 Yup, pretty much looks like this out here. 

{pic}

Yup, feel like this right now. I love snow.
{pic}

Sigh.

{pic}

 

Love this!

 {pic}

Thinking of my kiddos enjoying their snow day and remembering the magic of those days from when I was young!
{pic}

And speaking of the snow day, I plan on using it to get a few projects done. I can't tell you what they are right now, but be sure to check back for more information about an event I am a part of which is taking place this Saturday, 12/12. You'll want to see what some very talented ladies and I have been up to...

It promises to be filled with lots of holiday cheer & inspiration. More details soon!

what i'm loving wednesdays 12.2

Phew! Am I the only one who is swamped by holiday preparations? I doubt it. This year seems a little bit extra crazy because of length of the to-do list (how come every time I cross something off, two things get added in it's place??!!?) but hey, I love a challenge and I have some pretty specific goals in mind for this year :)

 But anyhow...

it's Wednesday, and here's what I am loving: Scrap Gadgets Edition.

Who doesn't love a fun new scrapbooking tool? In no particular order...

Cricut

{find me here}

When I used to lived in G-town there was the cutest little scrapbooking store (I miss that place, there is nothing out here like it :-(... hmmm, maybe I should do something about that...) I digress, well that cute little place was where I first used this sweet little machine. If you have never used one, check it out. It provides endless possibilities for titles and die cuts! It is on my list of things to buy, but before I do I'd like to hear from people who have used this vs. the...

 Slice 

{find me here}

 Which do you prefer, and why?


Personal Letterpress

{find me here}

How amazing is THIS?! I am happy just thinking of the gorgeous cards and layouts I could make if I had this beauty!

Zutter Bind-it-all

{find me here}
I've always been slightly intrigued by these, but after seeing the gorgeous journal my blog friend Sharyn made using this binding, I now have upgraded that intrigue to want.

12X12 inch printer

{find me here}
I am a Cannon girl. I adore my Rebel and would feel like I was cheating on it if I used any other printer than a Cannon. Ever since I went to Croptopia last year and got to use printer which prints on 12X12 paper I have wanted one. That being said, I definitely need to do some more research about which ones are best. Though I have to admit that our Pixma printer we have is pretty awesome and it will be very difficult to part with it, not only because of its functional value, but because it was one of my first Christmas gifts from mmb (oh, the gifts you get when you're in love with a computer dork ;-)...trust me, he had to put up with a lot of teasing from his family for that one, but the thought behind it really touched my heart)

So there it is! Five great scrappy tools for your viewing pleasure. I am always on the lookout for new scrapbooking gadgets (I blame it on my super savvy boyfriend, his love of all things technologically advanced has rubbed off on me) so if you've got one you love, or have used any of these I have listed, let me know about them, I'd love to hear your thoughts!

what i'm loving wednesdays 11.18

Apron Addiction, er...I mean, Edition.

So I have this little fascination. Yes I know it's one of many, but I just can't resist a good apron. I use them whenever I cook. There's just something about them that makes every day tasks seem more pleasant (& pretty!) :-) I am always on the lookout for new ones, and here are 5 of my current faves:

How perfect is this for the upcoming holiday parties? I am going to have to order this one for sure!

This one is just so sunny and bright! It reminds me of cooking in a country kitchen on a hot summer day while a soft breeze is blowing through the trees.

The two aprons above can be found at: {Jessie Steele}

Simply adorable! Can't you just picture baking up some holiday treats on a snowy day in this little cutie?

{Pamwares}

A must have for every day use. You can even attach a dishtowel via the snaps at the top. Cuteness and convenience...brilliant!

{Diaper Bag Wrangler}

 

So, so pretty! I just love the cut and design. 

{BellaBeeDesigns} 

So, I am ready to get my baking on...how about you?

(disclaimer: I used to be a horrible baker, but have come to enjoy it quite a bit...could it be the aprons?? hmmm...)

what i'm loving wednesdays

Welcome to another edition of "what i'm loving wednesdays". I am trying out something new and posting 5 things from one genre that have been catching my eye. Please be patient with me while I figure out just how to go about this :-)

This weeks topic: Good Eats.

(prepare to get hungry...very, very hungry)

Maple Pumpkin Pasta with Blue Cheese and Sage. Are you KIDDING me?!? Nothing says fall like this delicious dish. I found this over at {fresh365} which is an amazing cooking site that offers the most mouth watering and delectable vegetarian dishes I have ever seen. With tastebud awakening meals like this, not even my carnivorous boyfriend misses the meat.

and check out these delicious looking {Black Bean & Sweet Potato Quesadillas}, yet another fantastic find from {fresh365}.  Who doesn't love a good quesadilla? You better believe I will be using this site to help plan the weekly menu from now on!

Here's a delicious soup I am trying out this week (no kielbasa for me though, thanks). I think you could probably also sub out the chicken broth for veggie broth and it would still be yummy!

Check out {For the love of cooking} for this recipe and many, many other tempting treats you will want to try.

oh, oh, oh! I am not really a huge dessert person, but I do love a good treat once and a while and I have a feeling that if I made these fabulous looking {pumpkin spice whoopie pies} that I would be about 5 lbs heavier by the end of the week...unless I could reduce the recipe to only make a couple, but really....how irresistible do these look?

Do these cupcakes not look delish? I hardly ever drink soda (usually only on one of my late night crafting and/or studying binges), but if I do it is usually Cherry Coke or Dr. Pepper. Check out {Annie's Eats} for this recipe and many other scrumptious eats.

Hungry yet?

And just one more unrelated thing for this particular Wednesday. It's Veteran's Day here in the US, please take the time to remember the sacrifices that so many have made to fight for freedom and human rights. If you have the chance today, thank someone who has served or is now serving. They make sacrifices for us all that often get taken for granted. Remember those who have fought, the many have made the ultimate sacrifice and those who are fighting now.

You don't have to support the war, but please support the troops.

(you will need to press pause on the sidebar playlist to pause music in order to hear the video)

And just in case you might be having a hard time separating "the troops" from "the war" take a look at this link. It's a touching reminder of how we need to remember to step back from the way that the media has desensitized us from even the word "troops" and think of them as people. These people are human and are loved and missed by many. Today, think not only of the people who are serving, but also of those whose lives are directly touched by their absence and their work.

what i'm loving wednesdays

Welcome to the first edition of "what i'm loving wednesdays"! Every Wednesday I will post 5 things that have captured my eye, my heart or things that I am just plain old loving. Intrigued? I thought you might be... I love a pretty wide range of things and it doesn't take too much to inspire me, so you never what to expect here. Be sure to stop by and see what I'm loving, you just might end up loving it too!

Now on to this week's picks, in no particular order....

 

I am adoring this necklace from {Lisa Leonard Designs} . I love the grace of it.  The message is simple, but strong-yet vulnerable at the same time. No fuss, just beauty.

And while we're on the topic of beautiful things, how about this picture from {davina + daniel}?

I've been rocking the hair pins lately and just might have to order this one from {bazaar Latino's etsy shop}. This little beauty would perfectly complement my adorable new cardigan.

Well said, {Oh So Beautiful Paper}, and oh so true.

...and last, but not least: how amazing is this planner that Rachel from {Heart of Light} made as an ingenious solution to keep all of her crafty, etc... ideas organized? She wrote the directions {here} and you'd better believe I'll be making myself one of these sweet little things.

Well that's all for today's what i'm loving wednesdays. Hope you enjoyed them and maybe even found some inspiration from them. Stay tuned for the next 5 :-)