when it all stands still.

The longer days have been a gift. It is such a happy thing to be able to walk outside at 4:30 in the afternoon and not be met with total darkness. And the sun here has been a welcome change. Now I just ache for the warmer days. It’ll be such a relief when I no longer have to wear layer after layer just to feel remotely comfortable, or sink into a bathtub to try and take the chill away.

But I must admit that when I actively choose to have a positive attitude, it’s amazing how quickly the small things add up into big things, and my entire perspective can shift. A moment to acknowledge a bloom forcing its way through the packed earth. The sun streaming through the window. An unexpected latte from Jeffrey. Late night TV marathons and Thai food. A new plant for the house. Sitting here and giving myself the time to write about precisely nothing. It all feels so good.

Sometimes it feels good to have nothing of real note to write about. Sometimes it's enough just to talk about a shift in the weather and to share some pictures from a spontaneous trip to the coast. Sometimes it feels right that my only dream for the foreseeable future is to have a tan of some kind.

To be at peace is a special kind of feeling. To close my eyes and feel that my insides are still. That I am completely whole as I am right now. And even when I change tomorrow, I will still be whole. I had forgotten that the stillness can feel so incredibly good. My brain hardly ever allows for it, but this reprieve; I will soak it all in.

weekenders.

 

This weekend Jeffrey and I stayed a night at the Sou'wester. It was so much fun and even the drive was pleasant. It felt really nice just to know we were heading somewhere to relax. Jeffrey brought all the supplies we needed to make our favorite spaghetti for dinner. We walked around the neighborhood in the freezing cold. We drove(!) down onto the beach to watch the sunset. We read books for hours. We watched Amélie. We talked about lots of different things, serious and lighthearted and everything in between. It was the most restorative, lovely, relaxing little trip.

We had to cut our trip a little short due to a snowstorm that was heading toward Portland, so we packed up a little early and drove back to the city. At home, we lit candles and made curry and watched Superstore and today we made pancakes and cookies and spent the entire day in our pajamas. It was the perfect weekend and I'm so glad for that.

sundays.

In an effort to document more of my daily life, here's a new series all about Sundays. I'll never forget a conversation I had with a colleague of mine where we basically trashed Sundays (sorry, Sunday). If you are someone who has a Monday through Friday work week, you can probably relate to the Sunday blues, which for me would typically begin at around 4 PM. The thought of an impending work week and what that encompasses, was often enough to send me into an anxious tailspin.

It wasn't until recently that I really came around to appreciating Sundays. We typically like to try and do something a little more ambitious on Saturdays, so Sundays became the low key, relaxed, cozier day of the week. And at exactly the same time on a recent Sunday afternoon, Jeffrey and I both remarked on what a perfect day we were having.

So thanks, Sunday (and sorry for taking awhile to warm up to you). xo

weekenders.

This weekend was a Richard Gere movie marathon, lunch with my parents, Jeffrey's homecoming (after a week away), cooking decadent lunches, leisurely walks with Woody, staying up late, sleeping in, trips to the grocery store just for a fresh bunch of flowers, warm, hearty breakfasts, and dance parties in the living room.

P H O T O G R A P H S / /
( 1 || Woody in the evening sunspill, forever on-guard. )
( 2 || Warming oatmeal for late breakfast [recipe in this post]. )
( 3 || Fresh flowers, my favorite thing to buy just-for-me. )
( 4 || A deliciously satisfying lunch, made on a whim. )

weekenders.

As Thanksgiving approaches, I want to make a conscious effort to have a thankful heart. I'll start with weekends. These weekender posts have been a really wonderful exercise for me. I've never really had many hobbies and taking photographs has quickly become one of my favorite ways to pass the time. I love walking around our neighborhood and looking for simple moments to capture.

This weekend, we headed out of our little neighborhood and across the bridge. We explored parts of the city we've never paid much mind to and it was nice to get a fresh perspective on a familiar place. Ever since Jeffrey began his sign painting venture, I feel like I've taken note of so many beautiful signs that I may never have noticed in the past.

I've come to realize that sometimes things are hard and that's okay. The wrinkles will shake out when the time is right. This weekend, I took care to remember the wonderful pieces that make up my life. My heart is full.

P H O T O G R A P H S / /
( 1 || These sweet yellow blooms are everywhere and I adore them. )
( 2 || Late fall in Florida often means perfect outdoor-dining weather, which is just what we did in one of our favorite neighborhoods at one of our favorite restaurants. )
( 3 || Taking note. )
( 4 || Taking note, part II. )

P.S. More weekend posts here.

weekenders.

This weekend there was a big pot of soup, lazy mornings and ambling walks to our little coffee shop, chats with a sister who is geographically far but close at heart, walks around the neighborhood to take in the incredibly beautiful weather, open windows, devouring this book, and tabbing nearly every recipe in this delicious cookbook.

I caught my breath and reminded myself of the great fortune I have of living this life with these people in this time. And this week there will be a classroom filled with fall activities because this time of year must be celebrated and squeezed and loved and remembered because of its fleeting nature. A very happy Monday to you!

P H O T O G R A P H S / /
( 1 || Something about a pink building always catches my eye. )
( 2 || Shadows and ferns and perfect, perfect weather. )
( 3 || Palms and clear, blue skies. )
( 4 || Making note of all the recipes I want to recreate in my own kitchen. Started this weekend with soup. )

P.S. More weekend posts here.

weekenders.

I woke up yesterday with an incredible craving for pumpkin pancakes. I like listening to the Andrews Sisters when I cook. On Saturday morning, we went to our farmers' market. Now that it's October, lots of our favorite vendors have returned to the market. It was hot, but there was still a crispness in the air. We spent Saturday evening at Jeffrey's parents house. We ordered Thai food and enjoyed my very favorite Publix cookies (sugar with sprinkles, thank you very much). It was the kind of weekend that you never want to end, even in its complete simplicity (which, to me, is the best kind of weekend). I love my life and I've heard plenty of musings about the dangers of living for the weekend, but when weekends are this pleasant, it's a bit hard not to.

P H O T O G R A P H S / /
( 1 || Pumpkin from my in-laws, makes my heart happy. )
( 2 || Incredibly thoughtful birthday card from my incredibly thoughtful parents [illustrated by my talented dad]. )
( 3 || Pumpkin pancakes for a slow Sunday morning. )
( 4 || Woody, looking a bit unamused. )
( 5 || My birthday banner, still hanging in our hallway. )



P.S. More weekend posts here.

weekenders.

The slightest crispness in the air can really create a change in the heart, can't it? This time of year always feels a bit stressful. While the beginning of the school year rush has begun to settle, the new task of readying students for all they need to know during the school year sets in and the pressure can feel a bit overwhelming. Somehow the cooling of the air creates a sense of peace and calmness within me and I am so grateful for it.

It can be difficult to separate myself from my work, even though I know that the separation is so important, for myself and my students. To me, the weekends are a sacred time. I don't allow work to creep into my mind. I don't let the worries and stressors of my job constantly ware on me. For two days I try and let all of that go and focus on living in the present moment. If this all sounds a bit overdramatic, it's probably because it is. In all truthfulness, I probably take myself too seriously during the work week. I don't leave enough room for life to happen outside of the four walls of my classroom. It's a work in progress, as are most things.

To make a long story short, this crisp weekend was nothing short of perfect. Thank you, thank you, thank you fall weather, for giving me hope and restoration and happiness in my heart.

P H O T O G R A P H S / /
( 1 || Backyard gems. )
( 2 || Mr. Guthrie waiting for Jeffrey to get home. )
( 3 || We got this succulent two years ago and it continues to grow wilder and wilder each day. )
( 4 || A friend suggested we pick these sea salt + dark chocolate almonds up at Trader Joe's and they are unbelievably delicious. )

weekenders.

This weekend was slow and quiet. Sometimes that's just how we like them around these parts. We took afternoon walks, had late night TV marathons, and ate sesame bagels on a mellow Sunday morning.

Lately I've been thinking about being more intentional with my time. I often feel like I have no free time and it's running me ragged at a fast pace. Last school year, I worked incredibly hard at having more of a work-life balance in order to keep both parts of myself happy and in harmony. It seems almost necessary to dive head first into the beginning of the school year, but I've found that in the middle of September I'm already feeling stretched thin and frazzled.

Working hard and giving my best at my job is important to me, but when the day's work is done, I'm finding more and more that it's equally important to relax, too.

date night, 003.

Over the weekend, Jeffrey and I celebrated our two-month wedding anniversary. I am nothing if not a celebrator of the little things. We went to our favorite restaurant and walked to get ice cream afterward.   Good company is such a treasure, my friends. I love when our date nights are filled with meaningful chats just as much as I love our date nights that are more quiet. I think I once heard somewhere that if you can enjoy one's company simply by sitting quietly across from one another and you both get something out of it, you have found yourself a kindred spirit. I think that's so true. On this particular evening, we had plenty to talk about, which I loved very much. We sat at a small table and felt like we were in a big city (this is Jeffrey's favorite way to enjoy a meal — at a table that feels like we're dining in a big city). We split a pizza and each got our favorite toppings on our halves. It was wonderful, just like it should be.

summer, watermelon, and burgers.

Summer days are here, my friends. They're still sharing with cool mornings and cool evenings, but midday belongs to summer. And while it's hot (and I have been known to join the chorus of sticky complaints) and humid and sweaty, there is something so special about summer. My parents came up this weekend. On the way back from the dog park, Jeffrey and I stopped at a roadside stand and picked up some watermelon. Jeffrey sliced it and stacked it in a big green bowl. We walked it down to my sister's house (where my parents were staying) and stuck it in the fridge so that it would get cool. When we ate it, it was a little piece of heaven. We didn't do much, which is sometimes the best way to spend a Saturday. We did make it to Bev's Better Burgers, which is the most delicious burger joint surrounding our little college town, of that I am sure. We went all out with fries and milkshakes. It was so delicious and the perfect way to spend a slow, summer day.