"Makes Me Smile" Monday

The view from my end of the couch . . .

Few things make me happier than cozying up on my end of the couch, covered in a fleece blanket, the fire burning behind me, a cat (or two !) curled up with me, book in hand and tea (and chocolate !) within reach . . . . PERFECTION !!!

Happy (cozy on the couch) Monday !!!

"Makes Me Smile" Monday

One of my favorite things about reading is the images my mind conjures up in response to a book's descriptions . . . . . descriptions of homes, especially. The clearer and more vivid things are in my mind's eye, the better !!

The following passage in Stephenie Meyer's "Breaking Dawn" is a new favorite, bringing to mind some of the images I've collected over the years (from Victoria and InStyle):

"There, nestled into a small clearing in the forest, was a tiny stone cottage, lavender gray in the light of the stars. It belonged here so absolutely that it seemed as if it must have grown from the rock, a natural formation. Honeysuckle climbed up one wall like a lattice, winding all the way up and over the thick wooden shingles. Late summer roses bloomed in a handkerchief-sized garden under the dark, deep-set windows. There was a little path of flat stones, amethyst in the night, that led up to the quaint arched wooden door . . . "


"The cottage room was something from a fairy tale. The floor was a crazy quilt of smooth, flat stones. The low ceiling had long exposed beams . . . The walls were warm wood in some places, stone mosaics in others. The beehive fireplace in the corner held the remains of a slow flickering fire."


"It was furnished with eclectic pieces, not one of them matching another, but harmonious just the same. One chair seemed vaguely medieval, while a low ottoman by the fire was more contemporary and the stocked bookshelf against the far window reminded me of movies set in Italy. Somehow each piece fit together with the others like a big three-dimensional puzzle."

"It was a place where anyone could

believe magic existed."

Where are your favorite descriptions found ??

Which reads excite your mind's eye ???

Happy Monday !!

"Makes Me Smile" Monday

"Beauty always delights

the senses and the spirit"

- Alexandra Stoddard, Daring to be Yourself -

Sometimes you step back and realize that you're in a bit of a funk . . . that you've let the moodiness and backbiting of the people around you get you down . . . that the grind of the daily routine has had a mind-numbing effect . . . that your own creative expectations and aspirations set you up for failure and immobility . . . that you just don't feel like yourself.

Then you pick up a book that's been sitting on your shelf for who knows how long, and take a glance . . . and read a little more, and a little more. And while it says nothing necessarily earth-shattering, it reminds you to focus on the simple and wholesome things, to dream and fantasize, to play, and to relish the creative choices you make everyday that reveal yourself. What a great and much-needed reminder !!

I'm realizing how easy it is to become trapped in the day-to-day rut, doing the same things in the same way everyday . . . not because they feed your soul, but because you're on autopilot. And with some small reminders along the way, I'm re-realizing how little choices and changes can have big impact . . . how listening to an old, favorite cd instead of the radio can make you smile . . . how stopping to notice that the fabric sample you left on the baker's rack looks beautiful next to your transferware . . . and how fun it can be to push your favorite magazine clippings around your craft room bulletin board, and make a new arrangement.

Happy (little choices, big changes !) Monday !!!