say om

 

...for zen {or at least the aspiration of such}.  i tend to let anxiety and what-ifs get the best of me too often, and it's gotten to the point where falling asleep is seriously hampered by the monkey chatter in my mind.  so for the past few weeks, the husband and i have been meditating each night before bed.  we set the timer for ten minutes, situate ourselves on pillows and go.  and by go, i mean stop and pay mindful attention.  

i'll admit, most nights the monkey chatter wins.  i haven't quite found that place of peacefulness where the only thing i'm focused on is inhaling and exhaling.  in fact, i feel like julia roberts throughout the pray section of eat, pray, love when she's trying to do her hour long 4 am meditating in india.  trying being the operative word.

i'd like to build a regular meditation habit, even if it takes awhile to enter the zen zone.  it is super relaxing, though.  especially when i lie on the floor like i'm taking a nap.  i think buddha was more of a criss cross applesauce meditator.  but to each his om, er  own. 

  

craftermath

...for new vocabulary words.  i think it was glamour magazine which defined "craftermath" as the result of a frenzied creativity binge gone awry.  i don't really do glitter or paint {i totally failed as preschool teacher}, but i definitely do fabric and staple guns. 

this piece was the result of a shower curtain which could no longer fulfill its destiny, as our new house has glass doors.  i repurposed the material as a window covering and small bulletin board display for our honeymoon postcards, and i ended up with this large-ish leftover piece.  i figured i'd know exactly what to use this for after i was finished stapling him to the styrofoam. 

apparently, his purpose is to act as a shield if someone wanders in through our sliding glass door.  a cute, but highly ineffective, shield.  because alas, i've got nothing.  too small for a headboard, not really working for me as a large bulletin board, and vetoed by the husband as a strange wall panel hanging in our living room.

what a craftermath.

big wall o' stuff

...that we have an extra bedroom for me to practice arranging and rearranging and second guessing myself our future living room gallery wall without making a permanent commitment.  the top two rows {with the exception of our jamaica honeymoon print} are all my own craftiness, but the stars of the show are these photos taken by my brother in law.  i see them {esp. the middle one} and i'm right back at ucsb.

i ordered a map print online {code for free us travel map}, which may or may not make it into this display somewhere before it's finally hung.  but for now, it's  really brightening up the floor of our third bedroom.        

if you build it

...for my love of swedish furniture {and meatballs, but that's neither nor there}.  we've lived in our new place for six months or so, and i finally decided that our lack of dining room table was a deal breaker.  {insert husband's, "you just bought the table bc you had a friend coming over."  maybe.  not true at all}.  don't get me wrong.  i'm really proud of myself for putting the table and chairs together without anyone's help.  as soon as it's all stained, i'll post an after shot. 

but let's be honest.  the real accomplishment here was getting all five pieces from the high ikea shelf to the low shopping cart, then into my little corolla, and finally from the garage to the house.  seriously, i won before i even opened the boxes.    

birthday hammock

...for my in laws getting us a hammock in the middle of winter.  for the husband's birthday this year, they ordered us this beauty.  our waxing poetic subtle hints about how much we enjoyed the hammocks on the beach during our honeymoon did not fall on deaf ears.  notice the bathrobe and heavy blanket he's wearing.  we're not ones to let cold temps derail our lounging plans.  no, we just set up the hammock inside the house.  frankly, i'm not sure it will make it into the backyard once summer comes.  that's just how we {easily sunburned} kids roll.   

missing pieces

...that my anxiety over finishing a puzzle only to find that the final piece was nowhere to be found was short lived.  alas, i was sitting on it.  i can also appreciate the irony of this situation, since i in fact bought said puzzle because i'd read they can be relaxing.  #calmdownfail 

seriously sorted scarves

clearly this leaves room to buy new ones

...for sanity saving organization.  moving last weekend underscored my complete closet chaos (and love for alliteration) when it comes to scarves.  thanks to ikea, they are not stuffed into random drawers anymore.  i'm so ready for fall. 

fundamentals

source

...for well loved books.  my bookclub this month read man's search for meaning, and i was surprised to find my copy underlined and marginalia'd (it's a word?).  don't get me wrong, the goody two shoes in me would never ever mark up a library book.  i have trouble writing in/ underlining books i outright own.  but something in me loves to see what someone else found important or inspiring.  it adds another layer to reading. 

body talk

...for the posters in the nurse's office.  you learn something new everyday.

mmm...brain pudding.

an eggy, meaty, cheesy, beany mash-up that will give me big guns?  yes, please.

first impressions

...that when i am having a meltdown moment at work, i can look at the art wall so zen in blue.  i guess i'm really thankful to august renoir, for painting amazing pictures that inspire school children everywhere.

maria and snake

...for the newest additions to our family.  we may not be ready for kids yet, but we're ready for indoor plants.  mostly.  maybe i'll let the boy be in charge of these.