Free Bird...

"For I must be traveling on, now

'Cause there's too many places I've got to see...

'Cause I'm as free as a bird now"

(Image courtesy of LydiaElle)

Knowledge Equals Happiness...

Hope everyone has a weekend full of happiness and kisses!

xo xo xo

(Image courtesy of Karl'sKicks)

A Path For Those Who See...

Choices...life is about choices. We choose who we become. What we see. Where we lead and follow. When we live it. Why we see it. How we breathe it. We choose what path we take in life. This journey is about twist and turns, ups and downs and occasionally the straight and narrow. When we leave the path some of us get back on just in time and some of us get lost for good. What path will you choose...or what path will choose you? I choose the path less traveled...

Two roads diverged in a yellow wood,

And sorry I could not travel both

And be one traveler, long I stood

And looked down one as far as I could

To where it bent in the undergrowth.

Then took the other, as just as fair,

And having perhaps the better claim,

Because it was grassy and wanted wear;

Though as for that the passing there

Had worn them really about the same.

And both that morning equally lay

In leaves no step had trodden black.

Oh, I kept the first for another day!

Yet knowing how way leads on to way,

I doubted if I should ever come back.

I shall be telling this with a sigh

Somewhere ages and ages hence:

Two roads diverged in a wood, and I--

I took the one less traveled by,

And that has made all the difference.

- "The Road Not Taken", Robert Frost

(Image courtesy of asma)

Mamma Mia...

Happy Mother's Day to all the Moms out there!

(Image courtesy of TheGiftedPhotographer)

Uno, Dos, Tres, Cuatro...

Happy Cinco de Mayo everyone...it's interesting how we celebrate the victory of the Mexican military over the French army at The Battle of Puebla on May 5th in 1862 with margaritas and chips and salsa, but hey...who can complain? When I used to live in Arizona one of my favorite margaritas quickly became the Prickly Pear Margarita, in the picture above, which is made from the fruit of the prickly pear cactus (also called "cactus figs"). It brings just enough sweet to the sour of a margarita to make it perfect!

Today is also my Mother-in-Law's Birthday, so...

Happy Cinco de Mayo and Happy Birthday "Mother Love"!

(Image courtesy of voodootikitequila)

A Little Birdie Told Me...

...that it was Friday! This week went by SO fast, I can hardly believe it. Hope everyone has a great weekend!

(Image courtesy of miss tessmacher)

Earth Day 2010...

I'm taking an environmental ethics course this term and it has really opened my eyes to the sensuous world surrounding us that we tend to take for granted at times. Even if only for a second today, take a moment to stop and appreciate an aspect of nature that you normally wouldn't pay attention to. Go for a walk, explore a new hiking trail, have a meal outside, open the windows or just take a deep breath of fresh air. In honor of Earth Day, I thought I would post a few tips that could inspire changes (big or small) to benefit this beautiful planet we call home...

1. Reuse your water bottle/coffee mug - Avoid buying bottled water or single use coffee cups and purchase reusable BPA-free, stainless steel and porcelain drinkware. www.vesseldrinkware.com

2. Buy food locally - "Eat local, buy local, be local". Support your local farmers by visiting farmers markets, family farms or locally supported supermarkets. Eat seasonal and buy sustainable. www.localharvest.org

3. Buy compact fluorescent light bulbs - You'll use a quarter as much energy, they will last about 10,000 hours longer, they're safer and you'll save money in the long run...and don't forget to turn them off when not in use.

4. Recycle - Recycle garbage, books, newspapers, cardboard boxes, glass, plastic, old electronics, batteries, ink cartridges and practically anything you can think of. Get creative and make something new out of something old!

5. Use your own bags (grocery or shopping) - Reusable bags save trees, save water, help air pollution, help our oceans and can be fun to pick out. www.reusablebags.com

6. Consider natural and organic cleaning products - Some of the best non-toxic cleaning products I've ever used are vinegar, lemon, baking soda, olive oil and essential oils. www.eartheasy.com

7. Support companies that are cruelty free - There are many reasons why cruelty to animals is bad for the environment, but at the heart of things...it's just wrong. www.caringconsumer.com

8. Conserve water - Turn off the water when possible (brushing your teeth, etc.), take shorter showers, check for leaks and run your dishwasher and clothes washer with full loads. www.eartheasy.com

9. Teach children to love the environment - Lets teach our children at a young age to respect people, animals, nature and the environment. After all, how we treat the environment now, affects their world later. Environmental links for kids: www.nrdc.org

10. Educate ourselves - One of our greatest gifts is the gift of knowledge. If we take the time to do research and educate ourselves on what is really going on in our world, we'll never have to judge, question, or second-guess what we hear through the grapevine...we will know for ourselves.

HAPPY EARTH DAY!

Smile Please...

Nothing like a little color and a few attacking clouds to brighten the day...

(Image courtesy of setev)

Things that make you go hmmm...

"A man is but the product of his thoughts...what he thinks, he becomes" - Mahatma Gandhi

(Image courtesy of h.koppdelaney)

Tick-Tock, Tick-Tock...

Have you ever had one of those days when you have a million things that you really HAVE to do, but somehow time just gets away from you? Then as the day goes on you keep staring at the clock, somehow thinking that time is going to start magically going backwards just for you. Then all of the sudden it starts haunting you and you keep running into a clock everywhere you go because it truly is trying to remind you that you are running out of that beautiful little mystery called time. Suddenly all you can hear is tick-tock, tick-tock, tick-tock and not only have you gotten nothing done that you were supposed to, but now you still have a million things to do in a much shorter period of time and you've gone a bit mad...

Yeah, I'm right about there. ;)

(Image courtesy of AaronH)

Bunnies, Chocolate and Eggs, Oh My...

Hope everyone has a beautiful, relaxing Easter weekend!

(Image courtesy of grahamblackall)

My Favorite Mistake...

Have you ever made what you believed to be a terrible mistake, only to find out it was the best thing to ever happen to you?...

[Some of the most common inventions today evolved from mistakes...chocolate chip cookies, ice cream cones, pacemakers, velcro, potato chips, post-it notes, coca-cola, silly putty, popsicles, frisbees and the one and only slinky]

I've always believed that everything happens for a reason, but sometimes it's easy to forget that when you're in the middle of those "moments". I'm so incredibly grateful for who I am and where I am in this life and I truly believe most of it is because of the "mistakes" I've made. The beauty is, we have choices...we can grow, we can learn, we can thrive and make so many discoveries from those mistakes and become the best we can on this journey. We may not always love this beautiful little life, but deep down...I'm pretty sure it always loves us (after all, it did give us chocolate chip cookies).

(Image courtesy of plindberg)

Feeling Lucky...

Just wanted to wish everyone a happy St. Patty's Day...the hubby and I are feeling lucky already because we're off to Cannon Beach, which is thankfully only a short hour away and the perfect getaway for some much need relaxation! Have fun, be safe and get lucky... ;)

HAPPY ST. PATRICK'S DAY!

"Why Oregon" Series (post 3)...

Portland Japanese Garden in Spring

The Portland Japanese Garden is beautiful any time of year, but I love the Spring when the gorgeous cherry (sakura 桜) trees come into bloom. The whole city is covered in cherry blooms this time of year and it's amazing to see. Portland seems to be having an early Spring 2010 and everything is so fragrant and colorful. I feel especially lucky to live less than 5 minutes away from these gardens. It's clearly one of my favorite places in Portland, and if you're ever here to visit...it's definitely worth the trip!

http://www.japanesegarden.com

(Images courtesy of Cedric Wiens and Michel Hersen)

Three. Three. O Three...

Seven years ago today I married my best friend

Arsenic and Old "Face"...

So, in reference to the title of this post, I know the classic 1944 film was "Arsenic and Old Lace", but here's an interesting tidbit...did you know that in the Victorian Era, arsenic was mixed with vinegar and chalk and eaten by women to improve the complexion of their skin??? They would also rub it directly into the skin on their faces and arms to pale their complexion. Now, there's a beauty tip I never heard in my 10 years of being a licensed aesthetician. (and ladies...please don't try this at home)

Why my sudden obsession with Arsenic? No need to be afraid, but I do feel somewhat of a "bond" with Arsenic now. Let me explain...at the beginning of my Chemistry class this term we got to choose one element off of the periodic chart to do a project on. Which one did I choose, you ask? ...well, good ole' Arsenic 33 of course! 9,000 hours later and I feel like I could tell you anything you want to know about this quintessential little poison. Oh, and by the way...you might not want to upset me anytime soon. ;)

Love and Marriage...

My dear friend, Trina, got married in gorgeous Sedona, AZ today and I wanted to do a special post to wish her (and her new hubby of course) a lifetime of love, laughter, and happiness! I'm SO happy for you goon...I hope you had a beautiful, special day and always continue to follow your heart!

"Love is all you need" - John Lennon

CONGRATULATIONS TRINA AND SETH!!!

❤

Let the Sunshine In...

Oops...I think my last post may have been a bit of a downer, so it's time to brighten things up! I was actually trying to be a bit humorous in my last writer's block post, but I don't think my "lovely" sense of humor came across very well, lol.

On a lighter, brighter note...the sun has been shining the last week or so here in Portland, OR and even though I'm a big fan of cozy, rainy days it has been kind of nice to experience fresh air, budding blooms, birds chirping, and an overall early spring. March is almost upon us and I thought I would celebrate with some new Spring arrivals from Anthropologie to get us in the mood...

I'm in love with the silhouette of this french-inspired cream organza Cherie dress

Always wanted a bright trench coat like this fun & flirty yellow Kensington Jacket

Cute chocolate and beige linen wedges

Colorful Lemongrass Tote

...and I simply adore the name of this "Just-Add-Water" necklace

Enjoy a taste of early Spring everyone!

("sunshine daises" image courtesy of tassiesim)

... ... ... ... ... ...

Soooooooo...I don't know what's been going on lately, but I have complete [blogger's] writer's block! It's a sad day when Rachel...aka Nolia is not sure what to say. Has anyone else in blogger world ever had this problem? I know I could just write nothing, but that just seems so boring (yeah, like this isn't boring lol). I don't like to be repetitive and I feel like my posts are beginning to sound like..."have a great weekend blah blah blah", "busy with school waa waa waa", "love oregon woo woo woo", and "here's a great recipe, inspirational quote, or happy holidays yada yada yada". ;)

Ok, maybe I'm being a bit silly because those are the things I read in other blogs that I love and it never gets old. I'm just feeling a bit "stuck" and need to find some new inspiration. Thanks to all you wonderful bloggers out there who keep things creative and interesting...this post is dedicated to you muah muah muah!

(Image courtesy of ° ρЯίтΛм ° [busy])

Go Get 'Em Tiger...

HAPPY VALENTINE'S DAY AND HAPPY LUNAR NEW YEAR!

❤

(it's the year of the tiger - the year of passion and adventure)

Vita d'Amore...

"The life and love we create is the life and love we live." - Leo F. Buscaglia

♥ HAPPY VALENTINE'S WEEKEND! ♥

(Image courtesy of marie-II)

Tooooooooo Cute...

Ok, I needed a dose of extreme cuteness today...isn't this little one just adorable!!!

(Image courtesy of its.magic)

Reach...

"Only from the heart can you touch the sky." - Rumi

(Image courtesy of Stivsky)

My Babies...

So, I found a new blog that I adore...PostGradHairCut...and just had to share this adorable kitty art that she posted a couple weeks ago by retro-inspired artist Jenn Ski. Actually, I should be very clear that her cat, Marty, was really the one in charge of posting that day. ;)

This just makes me smile from ear to ear! Not only is it an adorable piece of art, but it reminds me of my three little feline partners in crime. Hmmm, don't they look a bit familiar...

Bunnie (my beautiful angel)...AKA British Longhair

Bella (she wears white socks and is as sweet [and pudgy] as a cupcake)...AKA "short haired" Ragamuffin



and last but not least, Toffee (she looks mean, but she's really a cuddle bug, ok, and a little mean)...AKA Maine Coon.

So, these are my babies...my family. Along with one pretty darn cute husband to boot, but he doesn't match any of the drawings up there, so I'll save him for later. I don't think my kitties are actually any of those particular breeds, but they still look pretty darn close and I love them to pieces!

Hauntingly Beautiful...

There is nothing I love more than looking out the window and seeing the fog creep into the pine trees, creating a hauntingly beautiful silhouette...yet another answer to the question "Why Oregon?". It is so enchanting and so peaceful. Even though I'm stuck inside with all this homework, all I have to do is look outside to be reminded of how lucky I am. Especially when you can catch it at that perfect moment and watch the fog roll in until it silently blankets everything...

FOG

The fog comes
on little cat feet.

It sits looking
over harbor and city
on silent haunches
and then moves on.

~ Carl Sandburg

Hang On...

Whoa...it sure is a windy night out there! We're getting gusts of up to 50 Mph and it's howling. Hang on all you Portlanders...

(Image courtesy of Horst*hb19)

Rainy Day...

It's a beautiful, peaceful rainy day and I'm in love...

(Image courtesy of Special)

Vintage Discovery...

Ten minute break from homework and look what I found. I think my brain might explode (from all the Chemistry I've done today), but it's all worth it...I found this great picture of the vintage "How and Why Wonder Books" which came out in the 60's - early 70's. There were around 70 books in the series and I would love to get my hands on one. Thanks to this website link, I found so many more cover pics and some interesting info on the books. What a great vintage find on my ten minute break!

Ok, not only did I just blow my cover and admit to being a bit of a math and science geek, but sadly...playtime is over, it's back to work my friends!

(Image courtesy of Rocket Roberts)

Night Owl...

2:01 AM and all is well.

Note to self...this is why I'm not allowed to have coffee after 7 PM.

(Hoot! Night Owl! by Marco Angeles)