AP Inspired

gifts two & three

hello, friends.

a bit of housekeeping.

i am long overdue for a thousand thanks post.

 

most certainly, one is coming. this week.

and how about a few highlights from the weekend? along with a quick line right through take a family road trip from this list.

 

however.

i am recovering from what most certainly felt like the plague.

{boo}

so.

more from me tomorrow.

 

before i go, though.

as promised on thursday.

an announcement

of

our two winners...

 

j i l l   v o s b u r g

&

j e n n   of   t h e  h i l l s  l o v e  y o u!

 

drop me an email and your gift will take flight to you.

 

and, remember, we have 26 more gifts to go...

 

xo

 

 

 

on my mind this morning.

{1} a family road trip we are about to venture off on. flagrant smiles all aboard.

{2} this architecturally stimulating hotel in copenhagen. where i will be staying in 2 weeks!!!

now if only the food {pickled beetroot, anyone?} were as appealing...

 

{3} this poster. for the art wall i am curating.

{4} a painted pantry. finally. i am determined to mark this goal, ahem, off my list before fall.

 

{5} and a post from one year ago...

oh.

one more thing.

a giveaway.

and for your sweet patience, i have two.

deux winners. announced monday.

have a luminous weekend!

xo

 

on my mind this morning.

{1} happy endings. what began as a long Sunday run somehow developed into a "stray" dog galloping alongside me on the final stretch home.

so.

stray had a sleepover here...until we could find out if he was chipped. which, thankfully, he was. stray, we learned, is better known as churchill. and he has a home. while he was a most polite house guest, i am hugely grateful he has a nook of his own and some peeps who were really missing him. my relief, however, pales in comparison to our own four-legged lovely's relief.

{2} this memoir. i have read tremendously wonderful reviews. what's not to love about a clever + hilarious + rollicking good + fun book? i hope to spend a good part of my sunday with it.

{3} having new perspective, even if it doesn't seem like good news initially.

as a writer, i am always making notes. and i have relied on my iphone over the years when pen + paper are not nearby. the other night, my phone spontaneously dumped years worth of these notes. i cannot even begin to tell you how crestfallen i was. okay, still am.

but.

i realized this. i may be meticulous in my surroundings, but my mind can be a real mess. i collect ideas, words, phrases, stories...usually too many...and instead of acting on them -- like using them right now! -- i hoard. and that's what my phone notes had become. a gold mine of pretty good ideas...that i never did anything with...and now they are gone.

lesson learned. and even though it smarts like hell, it has somehow worked itself as a  b i g  sign to trust myself and the inspiration more. you know, live in the moment.

{4} breakfast this morning. we usually have 10 minutes left to all sit around our table before the day begins and share a meal. today we found ourselves with 15 whole minutes! one of our lovelies sat down, declaring she had a speech. our attention fell upon her. and she proceeded to tell each of us thank you. along with a personal note of what compelled her gratitude. it was a pretty stellar start to the day.

{5} your comments. throughout the last week and yesterday. i am giddy giddy every time i see a new comment or message from you. and i wear a smile most of the day because of them. which is pretty awesome.

and with that, our first winner...

K  R  I  S  T  I    M  O  R  G  A  N 

{i will message you and have this chocolate on its way!!!}

i have no idea what gift 2 will be yet, but keep the comments and messages coming. every peep i receive means an entry in the next drawing. okay?

now, go have yourself a lovely little weekend!

xo

gift one

wandering the streets of madrid in november,

i discovered a small passageway...

and nestled way back in there is a chocolateria.

but it is no ordinary chocolateria, my friends.

oh no.

this is the world famous -- established in 1894 -- open until 7 a.m. -- no menus needed

kind of place.

and it goes by the lovely roll-off-your-tongue name:

chocolateria san gines.

where warm chocolate and fresh churros await.

the chocolate is a bittersweet brew of thick, dark, dipping heaven.

and the only way to enjoy it is if you happen upon it while you are in madrid.

unless.

i have a box.

that i am gifting as my first giveaway.

oh, do you even know what an exquisite pick-me-up this chocolate is?

for a chance to win? leave a comment below, over on facebook, or send me a message...a winner will be chosen at random tomorrow!

and, remember, we have 28 more gifts to go...

xo

just go there

i am a runner.

i find it highly satisfying. i never regret it. and i enjoy it most days.

however.

there are days. my body just feels heavy. lumbersome. bored. which is precisely when i remind myself of this little law called inertia. you know it? once a body is in motion -- let's say mine, shall we? -- it stays in motion until an outside force slows or stops it. likewise, if that body stands still with laced shoes, nothing is going to move it until that first foot ventures in front of the other...and they begin jogging.

otherwise.

i would go weeks...even months...wondering if i should run today.

once i am out running, it eventually becomes easier. lighter. and even fun.

well.

the same law applies to our highest desires, burning wishes, biggest dreams. getting started at anything requires movement.

asking questions. exploring options and choosing one or a few. using everything within reach to just go there. and at one day's end, giving yourself a task for tomorrow. keeping the momentum so eventually, you have ritualized inertia into a way of living.

because movement begets momentum. no action? staying still has its mighty merits. but for too long, you are likely to have an idea with no results.

so. next time you are wondering {or, like me, overthinking} where to start, just do something. and do it often. because the first few laps are your smoke signal to the world. that the shoes are on and you are ready to run with your ideas.

and with that in mind...

our first winner will be announced tomorrow...

because 29 gifts is an excellent movement to get started.

 

 

striding into february

so way back whenever i started this blog. i thought i would use my ability to spot a trend ahead of its curve...and become a blogger who comments on all those things she loves.

except. the blog developed a voice of its own, and to the wayside went my trending.

in its place came my notes on intention and gratitude and finding ways to live well. it became more ambitious and thoughtful than i ever intended. but i like that {hopefully} it encourages thinking. in a sense, some kindle for your already roaring fire.

as i have penned said posts, an incredibly loyal audience has gathered. who share the kindest words from their hugely generous hearts. and it is oh-so-swell to know you are there!

so.

 i mentioned last week, i have a new spin on giving. well, it involves y-o-u.

hee!

and, without agenda or map, i am going to let whimsy inspire me throughout this circulation of energy.

here's what i'm talking about: i'm giving away 29 gifts to my blog readers throughout twenty-twelve. but to be eligible for a gift, an exchange is required. you must leave me a comment, ask me a question, request a possible post topic...simply find a way to me either on the blog, over on facebook, or through email. every time you do, your name will be entered into these random drawings. and as i have a gift to give, i will draw from this pool.

as for what the gifts might be? well, whatever strikes my fancy is what i shall give. but let me assure, you are in good hands.

it's my way of saying thank you.

sound fun?

it will be, i just know it!

 

*speaking of trend spotting, the first picture is of the uber gorgeous christina hendricks at this year's sundance film festival. the second picture is yours truly waaaaaaaay back in 2004. the wee lovely i am holding is barely 18 months old! notice anything similar? {wink wink.}