Today I emailed my daughters photograph (digital only please) to go into the yearbook. I have never had to do that before, but then again she has never been a senior before. Time passes so quickly and it makes one wonder how your life moves from having that little dependant child hold your hand or want ‘up’ to being so independent and spreading wings. It seems to go in a blink.

The weather here has turned blustery and cold, we even had our first snow yesterday. I am feeling a bit pensive, so wrote a little haiku to sum up my thoughts. Lots going on with plans and preparations. We are undertaking more house renovations in hopes of the majority being completed by spring. I am also still deliberating as to the direction I would like this little blog to go…as pooh-bear would say…think-think-think. Wishing you a lovely cozy weekend. x

one jar classico four cheese pasta sauce…$2.26

one box vermicelli pasta…$1.08

four glasses of milk….$0.58

dinner and conversation with my lovely teenage daughter and three of her dear friends before rushing out the door to see a movie together tonight…

absolutely  priceless…

This haiku came to me in the middle of the night, I jotted it down on the back of an envelope and share it with you today… x

We all have a backstory; a series of events, choices and experiences that have led up to create the life we have now. Each completely unique and singular, but so often sharing highs and lows, victories and defeats, joys and sorrows that connect us inexplicably to the humanity of this world we live in.

Here are ten small pieces of my backstory that you may not know…

..I vividly remember a story being read aloud in class when I was in 2nd grade that made it very clear to me that I liked the idea of making spaces look and feel better…the beginnings of my love for interior design.

..At 16 I applied to be an AFS exchange student to Australia and was crushed when my application was not accepted. I still knew someday, somehow I would travel overseas.

..I used to know how to ride a unicycle, play the piccolo and juggle.

..In college I did travel abroad, as an exchange student to northern Wales and loved every minute of it.

..At 22 I spent a week in Ireland totally on my own exploring and traveling by train. It was after this I realized I never wanted to travel alone again as I had no one to share things with.

..I have been to the Ferrari factory in Maranello, Italy…I like Ferraris.

..I have bartered for hand-knotted rugs in a middle-eastern souk.

..There are 28 different teas in my tea drawer…I like tea.

.. One third of my life has been spent being a mom to my lovely daughter.

..I am an idealist and a dreamer that loves daisies, sunshine, peacefulness and lazy days.

There are many more pieces to my story, but thought I would share these with you today…

These words came to me early yesterday morning before I was fully awake. I used to have many thoughts and musings in the wee small hours of the morning, but for the last two years those glimpses have rarely been present…until very recently. They started again only last week and I am so glad they are with me again.

Nearly two years ago I wrote about these musings in a writing assignment titled ‘between the dark and the daylight’ for the writing group I belong to.

Here is part of what I wrote then…

“Toward early morning my dreams fade in and out and this is the time I am so often captured by some inventive or intuitive thought. The perfect way a letter should be started, or the best way something should be written. The most sensible solution to a design problem I may have been having. The perfect words to relate something to my daughter, that during daylight hours just does not become clear no matter how much I ponder it. This time of the morning is sublime. I revel in how clear all the answers seem to be. I so often wish I could somehow download my brain at that very moment and capture all the insight. Alas, this is never an option. If I am very fortunate I can capture one small part of all the creativity my mind has so generously laid out before me. It takes incredible concentration and fortitude to get my thought onto a piece of paper. Just like swirling wisps of the candles extinguished flame, so are my wonderful musings in my early morning dream state.”

That was just as it happened yesterday, I had to struggle to get the words onto a piece of paper before they escaped my mind. I am not exactly sure what they mean, but the words seemed so powerful in the dreamy consciousness I was in. I think they are words to reassure me… that at whatever pace things are going, wherever I am at or however I see things for the future, I am being enough at the moment.

Do you have these awakenings in your early morning hours? xx

“and the day came when the risk to remain tight in a bud was more painful than the risk it took to blossom” Anais Nin

Today is sunny and bright, the snow is melting and it is just a matter of time before everything is in bloom once again. Today is a contemplative day, I seem to have them quite often.  Life seldom unfolds in the exact manner we expect it to. Often there are great variances between our expected outcomes and the reality.

When I started my adventure into the blogging world nearly two years ago, I had certain notions, ideas and plans I imagined would take place in this small space, in the big arena of the world wide web. I imagined I would be able to devote my time consistently to tend and nurture it and grow it far beyond what it is at the present time.

Life created some distractions along the way and often it did not matter how much I thought I wanted to expand my thoughts and experiences on these pages, it rarely happened as I believed it would. I look back over the past two years and conclude that what was taking place is something akin to a metamorphosis. A shift from one place to the next. A time to reflect, refocus, get quiet and not rush things.

My interior design work lessened somewhat significantly over that time, perhaps due to world markets, but perhaps not.  My desire to write increased and I was introduced to a wonderful local writers group which I joined two years ago as well. My life at home changed too; having met a dear man, after being a single mom for fifteen years, we married within six months of our first outing, I must say it has been quite seamless. I am also planning to teach interior design classes through our local community education program this summer.

So there have been many things percolating over the last two years. To the outside world, just as with the dormancy of winter, it would appear little is taking place. But then the time comes for a rebirth of sorts, to realize that the waiting was not for naught, but to move forward in gratitude.

Part of my moving forward includes being part of an e-course presented by Susannah Conway called ‘Blogging from the Heart‘. It is a six week class geared toward creative personal bloggers who want to hone their skills and reflect more of themselves in their posts. It seemed to suit where I am now and I was most eager to join the class. It has been very insightful, clear and well laid out and we have only finished week one. Very much looking forward to what is planned for the upcoming weeks. I hope to share the impact and insights this class reveals.

Time has it’s own lessons and sometimes learning to wait is one of the most complex lessons to be learned. Understanding that the wait is part of the growing process.

With that I shall wish you a lovely weekend xx

As we come to the close of this past year, we can take a bit of time to reflect and ponder all that went into filling it…what we might have hoped would have been different and what we are grateful for that took place. We can also give some thought to our aspirations for the upcoming year…

As a writer I like to have a special place to put my thoughts on paper. I found this lovely ‘one line a day’ memory book this past November at one of my favorite stores in Stillwater, Rose Mille. It is always such a pleasure to have a peek at their offerings and get inspired to create something or just dream. This little gilt edge book allows a line a day to be written for five consecutive years, I thought it was so clever and had to get one for myself.

One of my hopes for this coming year is that I would like to do more hand crafting and enjoy the slowing down that this mode of creativity often requires. There are no plans for elaborate projects, but I would like to try small, useful, simple projects for myself and gift giving.

Never far from my reach is a favorite cup of tea, always welcome, soothing and uplifting at the same time. With the beautiful melodies of Enya in the background, what more could one want.

I am looking forward to my first entry in this lovely little book; such a great idea to have one special place to write a quote, thought or plan and see what is revealed over the five years. There is so much to inspire us, we just need to slow down a bit and see it. So as one chapter closes with the end of 2011, what do you aspire to for the new chapter of 2012?

dawn xo

Beauty is all around us, some more obvious and some more subtle. Thought you might enjoy these lovely flowers given to me by someone most special. Love, love, love pink!

seize the day…

enjoy all life has to offer…

and live each day with gratitude and love in your heart…

Have a lovely weekend xx

So, we are just over half way through 2011.

How does your year look so far? Is it unfolding the way you had hoped it would? Have there been more bumps in the road than you were expecting? Are you still contemplating your new years resolutions and perhaps modifying them somewhat?

we all need encouragement…

No matter how much we focus upon our chosen vision, are aware of the intention for our vision and embrace the clarity we need to undertake our vision; we all still need to feel a sense of encouragement. To feel as though we are not alone on our journey, to feel we have support for our dreams and desires, to feel that what matters to us also matters to those that we come in contact with. We all have the same desire to feel a sense of value and worth and this can be bolstered when we are given encouragement.

not discouragement…

We live in a wonderful world of beauty and blessings, but often what is portrayed on television, in movies and song lyrics is despair, destruction and desperation. Discouragement can drain our wells of enthusiasm very quickly. It can make us doubt ourselves, draw us into poor decisions and in some cases lead to depression. It can be a slow and incremental undermining that sneaks up to erode our sense of purpose and well-being.

We each look for bits of encouragement daily, whether it is someone saying ‘I love you’, a stranger smiling at us as we pass on the sidewalk, or a card in the mail to let us know someone is thinking of us. We all welcome the words ‘well done’ and ‘I appreciate your hard work’ in our day to day routine.

encouraging others…

So how can we encourage others, which in turn boosts our own outlook? Here are nine simple ways to make an impact on others and brighten their day. Try to do just one or two each day and see a difference.

E engage:
:: clear distractions, focus and give undivided attention, even for a short time

N nurture:
:: place your arm around a shoulder or give a hug to break down barriers

C connect:
:: smile at a stranger, compliment a store clerk, thank the postman

O offer:
:: hold the door, help carry something, let someone ahead of you in line

U uplift:
:: buy from a kids lemonade stand, send a card to someone special

R relate:
:: briefly tell your own story and listen to theirs

A attend:
:: show support by being at events important to those important to you

G give:
:: share time, knowledge and resources with others

E express:
:: life is short, don’t wait to say what is in your heart