imperfections i love: a list.

 :sun flare in a photo.

:smile lines.

:the faded fabrics of a well-loved quilt.

:writing without capitol letters.

:the phrases and pronunciations of young children. "up sleeves" and "pascetti."

:the collection of quirks that make up an individual's distinct handwriting.

:one wonky color thrown into a combination - to make you look twice and long. to give you a slow smile.

:cracked paint and worn corners on furniture.

:the catches and rasps of words spoken with heart.

inspiring me.

just a few links today, because i can't stand not to share. :) (really. it's true. i want someone to be here scheming over these things right along with me. even if it is through virtual means.)

two things:

these wool felt beauties. because they could go anywhere and do anything. and because the child in me squeals at the thought of a whole pile of them begging to be landed in.

this idea. the whole thing is totally doable, but the part that really gets me is those abstract watercolor stroke plays. break out the paints, baby. this is inspiring.

summer school: bittersweet.

i just got an email in my box entitled "for those suffering from raspberry ridge withdrawal." i'm glad it has an official name now. i am not sure, however, that i can quite say i suffer from it. raspberry ridge is a precious gift. i soak in every minute i experience there. yes, i am sad when i leave, when it seems that such a distance separates me from the free-flowing grace that abounds in raspberry ridge and the people there. i am sad, but it is a full kind of sad that smiles at the glowing memory of what was and gathers a few hanging strands of gold to twist between fingers and draw out into these next months.

i've been learning recently (among other things) about embracing the bittersweetness of life. i'd say this is about course 302 now, with many more terms to come. but if the sweet is anything like what i've experienced so far, i'll welcome the small twangs of bitter. He works through all things for good.

excuse the absence.

i've been enjoying a little bit of heaven on earth.

seeing things.

since i started taking a picture every single day, i've looked around for a variety of scenes to capture. something - somethings - different or unexpected. spiderwebs, shadows, feet. things i have not seen or shown before.

and then there are other things i keep coming back to. like my breakfast (there are five of them), and my desk (nine or more of these, depending on how you count them; but this is my favorite). i've watched these patterns emerge with something akin to wonder. i didn't know i valued a settled morning meal so, or that the simplicity of my desk gives me pause to smile and breathe. i might not have seen these things without the pictures.

seeing leads to nurturing in many things. now i know that if my day is full, just ten more minutes of quietness for breakfast will work wonders. or if my desk feels heavy and makes me want to turn away, all i have to do is sort a few things to feel a shot of rejuvenation. both are tiny things, but they hold such power.

the power of seeing intentionally.

summer school: girl + flip-flops + scraps.

i bought a pair of flip-flops a month or so ago. they were plain. for a while, i toyed with the idea of doing "something" to spruce up these plain flip-flops. "something" was rather vague. so i left them plain.

until today. today, i found this. immediately cogs in my brain that "something" had failed to set in motion began to turn. these turning cogs sent me to rummage through the bin of scrap fabric.

a little while later, things looked like this:

and then, they looked like this:

sweet success.

placeholder.

i am here. i really am. (also, do you notice a prevailing color in my vacation photography? hmmn.)

just a snippet before the dishwashing.

i see i disappeared again. do you think that's a super-power i have, or just something that happens when i get busy? because it might be the business thing - you know, "little" brothers graduating and all: parties, presents, the whole shebang...but super-powers make for a better story. i'm just saying.

so *vwhooosh* - here i am. thinking about things like summer evenings and the distinctive appearance of crisp black musical notes on copy paper and the throbbing rhythm of ceiling fans. "in the moment" things.

come to think of it, it's kind of hard for me to disappear when i'm fully immersed in each present moment of life. so i might have to go with that boring "busy" excuse, after all.

(some of) the flowers.

cleaning out my may pictures.

i figured we could either do one mammoth post of pictures or several smaller bursts. this way is easier on my editing eyes. (and i can hear you saying that you don't care if they're edited. but it makes me happy. and i'm glad to have an excuse to keep going through these pictures. you never know, i could turn a one week vacation into several months of bliss!)