Royal Cuteness

I would simply be denying my childhood if I let this Royal Wedding go by without mention. I am flooded with memories of being a little girl, where Princess Diana was my definition of beauty and poise and Prince William was my husband to be...

Well, Will and I weren't meant to be for obviously reasons (thank goodness- I'm not cut out for all those flash photographs). And, even though I would love to watch the nuptials at 5am I have a big day tomorrow with some very important California business to take care of.

And anyway, we are so much cuter...

Leanne Shapton

 I have been loving the work of  Canadian artist Leanne Shapton. I just recently discovered her while reading Skippy Dies, and found myself oohing over the watercolor cover every time I picked it up. 

The classics revisited- found at the neo-traditionalist 

Then, I was so excited to find out that the NY Times has been doing a special in their op ed section called A Month of... By Leanne Shapton. Wahoo! There truly isn't anything better than being excited about an artist and then being able to dive head first into their work. My favorite "chapter" of this Month Of... is the Wednesday Patterns. I love how she takes a pattern she finds either on a towel that a house guest left or on a pillow case in a spare room to define the activities of her week. The colors are so rich and the patterns detailed and unique. I love it! 

Maybe I'll need to start making my own Wednesday Patterns? Today would look something like this one-

resembling the blisters on my feet from breaking in my spring time shoes...

                                                     

Thank you Leanna Shapton! Your inspiration is exactly what I needed this week. Here is some more stuff to ooh and ahh over...

                                                  

                          

               

Beautiful leaf illustrations from her book The Native Trees of Canada. To learn more check out The Paris Review.

Preparing for the infestation

I know I've been living in the future during my last couple of posts. How can I not???? There are so many changes on the horizon and quite frankly, it's IMPOSSIBLE not to think about them all the time. But yes, I know. Better to live in the present. Better to live and exist in the space that you are in.

Nashville, TN in the spring time...oh how I love the warm nights. My last month in Nashville is going to go by much quicker than I want it to. Garden parties and music shows. Dinners with friends and walks at my favorite lake. All must get done and I must do it all multiple times. Because even though it seems as though I just moved to this little town, those people and things that have touched me have touched me deep.

But then there are the bugs...BIG bugs. I just found out this week that there is this phenomenon that happens in Middle Tennessee every 13 years. A certain species of cicada's called Brood XIX infests the city of Nashville like nothing you've ever seen. Bugs in your hair, bugs plastered to your car, bugs hanging from the trees like Christmas ornaments. And of course, it happens only one month in Nashville, my last month...May. 

I guess the only thing to do is embrace the little critters. But, it's not helpful in the trying to live in the present department. Because apparently they just start crawling out from the ground...but the question is, when????

To read more about this crazy crazy event click here.

Art by Storm Fine Art

So spacious...

Dear Friends- Welcome to my new house...

...or at least the only tangible one I have on the horizon. With the big move approaching we don't quite know where we will be living once we leave our little Nashville duplex and head west. Although we keep tempting ourselves with craigslist in Topanga Canyon, we can't commit to a spot until  after we direct a camp in Northern Cali during June and July. Because honestly, LA rent makes you want to faint just looking at it, let alone paying for something that we aren't using.  

So... the only roof I have to rely on is this tent. This very large spacious tent that had two, count them 1-2- rooms (watch this amazing video to get the full experience- the accent will blow your mind)! In this tent we will live all summer amongst screaming camper, with our compact kitchen outside and our 45 lb. pup inside. The whole thing just arrived this week and we are so tempted to set it up in the backyard and test her out in the Tennessee wild. 

The pup says back room is all hers, and when she puts her DO NOT DISTURB sign up no one is allowed in. Oh, the teenage dog years can be so moody!

Home Part II: Premonition

Well, remember this? 

I must have been telling the future on that one because turns out, we're going California. To live for real. Our next Home.

Lovely prints to help me house hunt found here 

The boyfriend got the best job offer ever and the ocean is calling us. So we are packing up our classrooms and home to head for the Pacific Coast Highway, dog and plants in tow. Exit: Santa Monica.

We don't know where we'll live or where I'll work but the planning has begun. It's a big move with a lot of emotions. Mostly though, pure and uncensored excitement. It's hard to believe that Southern California will be the next stop on my timeline of "homes". I guess since it actually is home for the boyfriend, it feels less foreign. There is a community of love and warm meals waiting for us. Babies and chickens, avocado trees and fish tacos. Part of me is ready to go now. But I've got some lose ends to wrap up, a lot of hugs to give, and a couple of see you later's that will be especially hard. Have I mentioned how much I hate goodbyes?

But then I will be ready to head west once again. Pacific Standard Time.

What an awful mother I am...

...I forgot my blogs birthday!

April 1st passed by without even noticing and there went the one year birth of this little spot of rambling non-sense. In some ways though, it's appropriate that I remembered today. This 4th day of April is probably my biggest birthday day of the year. Carly, Meghann, Chas, my childhood dog Sophie, and more were all born today. SO, it's always been a favorite day for me. Happy Birthday friends, love you!

One year of blogging eh? There are a lot of things I've learned and done on this little url. and I am so thankful for all my dedicated readers.  I know most of you feel invested in it either because you birthed me (love you Mom and Dad) or you simply spent many years listening to my  ramblings and therefore want to know what's become of them. But either way, blogs would not be blogs if it's were not for you. So thanks...big time.

Tornadoes are fore casted for this afternoon. Makes me want to sit on my screened in porch and watch the lightening. I do love the month of April in the south- mysteriously turbulent.