Something DIY

I have a thing for Scherenschnitte, the art of paper cutting. And, I really really love silhouettes. I thought you might like this idea as much as I do. I'm going to try it. I'll post my finished version soon.

Happy Birthday, Sweet Boy

My love has a birthday today. This post is about him.

There are so many reasons why I love my husband. I have tried to write the perfect post about Jeffrey for several days now. I have found, once again, that words fail me. They always do when it comes to expressing this immense ocean of love that I dwell in. There are no words for all that I carry in my heart.

Instead, I offer a few images that I hope will reflect even the tiniest corner of love that fills my heart. With these pictures, maybe the reader will know even a little of why I smile, why I sing, why I am a woman full of joy. It is because God gave Jeffrey to me.

Jeffrey, I love you because....

After nearly 16 years of marriage, you still look at me with this much love in your eyes.

You are this kind of father to Sloane.

You know just how to make both of us laugh, and you know when we most need it.

Daydreaming about you still makes me feel like I am inside a kaleidoscope.

Just like in the movies, I saw stars when we first kissed. I still do.

Your love is constant, unchanging, and beautiful; even when I am moody, irritable, and crabby.

There is no one I would rather walk through this life hand in hand with. Wherever you go, I'll go there with you.

Happy birthday, my love!

I did not take all the pictures used in this post. My sincere thanks for the wonderful images and apologies to the photographer for not giving credit.

Carry On

My husband, Jeffrey, is always finding ways to please me, to make me smile. He actively looks for things that will bring me pleasure. He takes me for a drive to show me the unique iris he found. He buys me the first Cadbury Egg each spring because he knows I love them. He gets up early with Sloane every Saturday morning so I can sleep in. Jeffrey had a different kind of gift for me last Friday. It was the video below, which he knew I would love. Watching it raised goosebumps on my arms. It made my heart swell with joy that there was such great beauty in the world and I am alive to witness it. I wanted to share in the hope that you will enjoy it as much as I do.

Did you notice the part where it panned the audience and two women were crying? I had to laugh at that because I was crying, too. Andrew Johnston's voice is undoubtedly incredible, but it was more than that. I was so moved by the fact that even though this 13 year old boy was nervous and scared, he persevered. Even though he had been bullied for years, he sang. I love what he said when asked what he did in the face of all the bullying. He said, "I carry on singing."

I carry on singing. Yes.

Carry on.

The photos is by Eric Dryer.

What's So Great About Being Dry?

"I hate the rain!"

As I wait for the bus home,
I huddle under my umbrella.
But, Sophie turns hers upside down.

"You're all wet!" I say.

"What's so great about being dry?"
~ Margaret Park Bridges

May this weekend find you enjoying all the beauty our changing weather brings. Stormy weather or bright, sunshine or rain; I hope you spend some time outside. What's so great about being dry anyway?

The quote above comes from the wonderful, whimsical book I Love the Rain by Margaret Park Bridges, which you can preview or buy here. The image is from the National Geographic photograph series I mentioned here.

What's a Friday Without a YAWP?

"I sound my barbaric YAWP over the rooftops of the world."

~ Walt Whitman, Leaves of Grass

Perhaps you are asking yourself, "Just what exactly is a YAWP?" I'm so glad you asked.

YAWPing is simple. You just throw back your head and yell, "YAWP!" at the top of your lungs. Your mouth should be wide, wide open for most effective YAWPing. For Team Lawson, a YAWP is a way of affirming our joy at being alive. It is strange, and a little bit odd, and freakishly fun to do out the car window. Our YAWPing is one of those little family things; like a secret handshake. It draws us closer, gives us a giggle, confirms our status as a solid unit. We love to YAWP!

Like most things, YAWPing is better shared. A friend and I carpool twice a week to and from work. Our children are friends, and we always have a great time. Back in September, Sloane and I introduced our carpool buddies to YAWPing. We all love it! I wish you could see us some Friday: all the windows rolled down whatever the weather, five mouths stretched wide and hollering "YAWP" out every window. Then we laugh and laugh.

This week we had a staff meeting just before going home. My friend and I were yak-yak-yaking about all the concerns facing our school right now. Suddenly, a little voice pipes up from the back seat. Sloane says, "Momma? What's a Friday without a YAWP?" The adults immediately stopped worrying and commiserating, and we all rolled our windows right down. The five of us YAWPed and YAWPed and YAWPed. And, you know what? We never picked our troubles back up. Instead, we laughed all the way home.

Thank you, Sloane, for the reminder to YAWP. Sometimes it is just better to holler and laugh than worry over things that you can't change. Sometimes talking with a friend helps, but laughing with a friend always does. Thank God for children. They remind us to celebrate, to laugh, to live a YAWPing life.

And a very happy, YAWPful weekend to you all.

Sursum corda!

Miracles

from Leaves of Grass by Walt Whitman

Why, who makes much of a miracle?

As to me, I know of nothing else but miracles,
Whether I walk the streets of Manhattan, Or dart my sight over the roofs of houses toward the sky,Or wade with naked feet along the beach just in the edge of the water,Or stand under trees in the woods,
Or talk by day with anyone I love,
Or sleep in the bed at night with anyone I love,
Or sit at table at dinner with the rest,
Or look at strangers opposite me riding in the car,
Or watch honey bees busy around the hive of a summer forenoon,
Or animals feeding in the fields,
Or birds, or the wonderfulness of insects in the air,
Or the wonderfulness of the sundown,
Or of stars shining so quiet and bright,
Or the exquisite delicate thin curve of the new moon in spring;

These with the rest, one and all, are to me
miracles

This image of Uncle Walt is from Weekly Reader. The rooftops of the world photo is from Getty Images.

Good Things Thursday, Week 5

I don't know about you, but healthy eating is so difficult around the Lawson house. This week I offer a simple good thing that might assist you just a tiny bit with healthier noshing.

I really want to teach my daughter to make healthy food choices, especially about snacks. Yes, I know snacking is not good. But, the truth is that we all get hungry at odd times. When Sloane finally got sick of carrots and raisins I had to think of a portable, non-messy snack in a hurry. Hence, pickled carrots.

Claussen pickles really are the best ones for the job. Just polish off a jar and save all the juices. Add about half a bag of organic baby carrots to the juice and put the lid back on.

Label your lid for about 2 weeks from the date you "pickle" the carrots. They will be ready then. You might do a few taste tests. Your family might like the carrots slightly more or less pickled.

That's it. That's all there is to it. We usually have a few jars going at once because this treat is so tasty. We even serve them to guests in as an appetizer with a selection of other crudités. The pickled carrots are always gone first.

Note: I have tried this with cauliflower, too. The review was, "This is ok, Mom. May I please have more carrots?"

Happy snacking.

Something to Try

I loved this little idea. We could all post simple, unedited pictures of lunch for a week. It might be a fun way to give everyone a peek into our day. Care to join me?

Impossible Things, Part 2

I was recently describing my home to a friend who hasn't visited yet, and I remembered my Impossible Things post. I realized that I never did share my list with you. So, here it is. A little bit of eye candy and some

Improbable Things I Long For...

• trampoline and net for our backyard
• Louis Ghost Chair by Philippe Starck
• old white work French boutis (type of quilting)
• kitchen big enough for two grown ups and one child at the same time
• swing like the one in the gorgeous movie Secret Garden
• more flat surfaces in my house to create pretty vignettes
• a gorgeous, white mantle and generous hearth
• to have a cutting garden and grow Iceland poppies
• armfuls of fresh flowers every single Friday afternoon
• the perfect canvas messenger bag for Jeffrey
• many, many more vintage Japanese fishing floats for their gorgeous blue-green color
• three Endless Summer hydrangea bushes
• aged marble or terracotta bust of a very pretty girl with a flower in her hair. (I want to decorate her seasonally. You know, a Santa hat at Christmas and daisy wreath in the summer. The only ones I could ever afford are brand new. So, the first thing I would do is leave her outside for the summer. Get her nice and beat up and vintage-y looking.)
• a custom silhouette by Sharyn Sowell
• more big round mirrors (from old dressers) for my collection
• a window seat in a second floor window with a gorgeous view (a pile of favorite books, two pillows, and a cozy throw nearby)
• silver Cinni fan
• Airstream trailer
• huge, round patina-ed something - clockworks maybe - to go over my mantle
• hardwood floors throughout my house
• an Aubusson rug
• two tickets to Wicked when it travels to Kansas City

What do you long for?
Happy dreaming. Sursum corda.
The photographs here are from Toast.

Life is Good ~ Sing it Loud

Have you seen the meme asking for a six word autobiography yet?


What a cool idea. What a difficult task. How to sum up a life in a few words and not sound like a bumper sticker? My first thought when I saw the meme was relief that I was unlikely to ever be given such a task. It's funny that I remain untagged, but have written my perfect six word autobiography. I came up with it in less than a minute when I gave a title to this picture. At the time, I didn't have a clear idea for this post. I just knew I had to write about the picture that moved me so much. I thought titling it was a good place to start, even though I can't claim the honor of photographing it.


This picture is so me that when I described it, I realized I had described myself pretty well - autobiography well. Life is Good - Sing it Loud!

I'm a top-of-my-lungs-out-the-car-window kind of singer.

I'm a cry-at-Hallmark-commercials passionate woman.

I'm a want-to-hug-you-when-I-see-you-when-I-leave-you-and-any-time-you-make-me laugh kind of person.

I laugh often and loud.

I'm a roll-down-the-hill-in-my-Sunday-clothes kind of girl.

I say "Yes!" and "Why not?" more often than "No" or "We'll see."

I still ride on the merry-go-round every chance I get, and I race my daughter for the highest swing at the playground.

Life is Good - Sing it Loud! That's me.


What about you? If you like, consider yourself tagged.









The photo is from Gettyimages.com and was taken by Stephen H. Sheffield.

Carry It With You

"Though we travel the world over

to find the beautiful,

we must carry it with us or we find it not."

~ Ralph Waldon Emerson

Wishing you a weekend full of beautiful journeys; by train, by plane, or in a book. Carry your beauty with you as you go.



Sursum corda.

This photograph was taken by Sam Abell. It was published along with other amazing photographs in National Geographic's 100 Best Pictures, which you can buy here.

Spring Fever

I'm as restless as a willow in a windstorm.

I'm as jumpy as a puppet on a string.

I'm starry eyed and vaguely discontented,
like a nightingale without a song to sing.

I'm as busy as a spider spinning daydreams.

I'm as giggly as a baby on a swing.

I feel so gay in a meloncholy way. It might as well be spring.

Sursum corda!

Lyrics by Rogers & Hammerstein. All the black and white photographs are from the amazing gettyimages.com website. The color photograph is from National Geographic and is a part of a collection of cherry blossom photographs, all available to download as free wallpaper.

Good Things Thursday, Week 4

Isn't funny how we can amass a collection without realizing it? Sometimes I think pitchers hide in the corners of my closet and multiply when I am not looking. That must be true - surely I didn't buy that many? And candlesticks? Surely not.
I loved this idea from Everyday Comforts by Vickie Ingham. Don't all those hand mirrors look amazing? Alone, each of them are pretty simple, maybe even a bit boring. Viewed all together - WOW. Mass similar objects together and you go from a closet shelf of "stuff " to a design statement.
I especially like how this idea takes something simple and makes it amazing. You could do the same with vintage alarm clocks for your guest room. Pocket watches hung from ribbons on the small wall of your foyer. Vintage shaving brushes on simple glass shelves in your husband's bathroom. Old croquet balls in a weathered container to liven up an empty corner. Old thread spools in a small basket in your sewing room. Wooden spoons hung as art on the wall of your kitchen...
Do you have a collection multiplying in the corners of your closet? Yes? If you decide to display it, won't you tell me about it? (Send pictures, too.) No? Then try this. Next time you are at a flea market or garage sale, consider buying one the simple, everyday object that catches your eye. You may just end up with a design statement.
Happy collecting.

Something Inspiring

The longer I blog, the more amazed I become at the sheer volume of talent that exists in our world. The author of designformankind is a wunderkind. She is also amazingly generous. Click here and see for yourself. I recently dowloaded all three of her eZines - free! Each eZine is incredible. Whether your style is retro funky, spare and modern, or cottage (that' s me), there is inspiration to spare.

Quiet and Serene

"I have seen the sea when it is stormy and wild;
when it is quiet and serene;

when it is dark and moody.
And in all these moods, I see myself."
~ Martin Buxbaum

Wishing you quiet moments this weekend. May you take the time to sit and reflect. Take the time to see your true and shining self.


Surusm corda.

The amazing photograph above is called Bow of Idem With Mooring Ball, and was taken by the amazing Michale Khan.
I find this music to be perfect for sitting and dreaming.

Good Things Thursday, Week 3

This week's Good Thing comes from a book by Dena called Embellish Your Home. Many of the designs in the book are too frou-frou for me, but I love this little Scottie dog. All of Dena's ideas are easy to create and even easier to adapt to simpler tastes. My favorite idea was the fleece hot-water bottle cover. I may have fallen in love with it because I discovered it while my daughter was terribly sick with the flu. Boy, she would have loved something so cozy to snuggle with. Below is the page of instructions, scanned directly from Dena's book. I made the pictures as large as I could, but I know the instructions are still too small to read. If you like, feel free to leave a comment and I will email the pages to you. Or, you can buy her book here.

I found another version of a hot-water bottle cover in a book by Jemima Mills. From a House to a Home is full of wonderful ideas and helpful advice creating a home and living with family. Jemima Mills makes me think of one of my favorite sayings, "The work of home is love made visible." I would love to know who said it; where I first heard it. Those words have resonated with me ever since I had a child of my own. The ideas in From a House to a Home make the homemaking seem less like drudgery and more like love. Her ideas give home life a little more sparkle and pizazz, and a lot more organization. I really loved her ideas for taking care of a sick child. Actually, I just love this book. You can buy it here. See below for her version of a hot-water bottle cover. This version is one even your son or husband might be willing to snuggle up with.

Sursum corda!

Lemonade, anyone?

I had a lousy day at work today. The kind of day that makes you rethink your entire career. The kind that makes you wonder why you even bother when nothing you do or give is ever enough. It was one of those Please-God-let-tomorrow-be-better-or-I-quit days. Just a flat out YUCKY day. Never mind the details, I already lived them once. Anyway, the details don't matter. You know the kind of day I mean. We all have them, though I wish that weren't true.

I absolutely could not spend my evening brooding on all that had gone wrong. Instead, I decided to find good things to think about. Things I enjoy. Things I am grateful for. Moments of goodness and inspiration right now - in spite of the day I've had. Here they are. From me to you for the next time you have a day when you wish you had just stayed in bed.

• These words.

• My friend, Katie's phrase, "When life hands you lemons... Go buy a purse."

• Flickr in general, and this view especially.

• This song, which is so very Jeffrey. (Please ignore the video and just listen to the song.)

• Cruising blogland; finding inspiration.

• A friend recently gave birth to a gorgeous, healthy, longed-for baby girl. Welcome, dear Ava.

• These springtime pictures.

• One perfect candy bar.

• This huge pile of books waiting for me. I've read a bit of each book, so I already know I will love them.

• This face.

Even when the day is long. Even when your heart is heavy, your mind sore, your body weary. Even when your spirit feels bruised. Even then, life is good.
Sursum corda -lift up your heart.

Let's Take a Drive

A week or so ago I read a post that inspired me. Jerusalem of My Little Life took us on a walk around her neighborhood. After reading her post, I wanted take you on a walk of my own. Today a friend asked me to tell more about my daily life, and I had this project in mind. This post is for you, Tangobaby, and you, Jerusalem. Thanks for the inspiration.

I don't live in an interesting, pretty neighborhood like Jerusalem's. I live in the town section (and I use that word with a wink) of a tiny rural community. Our street has 16 ranch houses, the late 90s version. Our house is a little on the small side, but is just right for three. The outside is plain and simple, but I think the inside is charming. It makes me happy, anyway. The backyard is spacious with a pasture behind. Aside from my home and family, the beauty in my daily life is on my commute to and from work. I use that word with my tongue in my cheek. I know that most people would laugh at the thought of my 15 minute drive even being called a commute. Still... I love my time in the car each day. On the way to school Sloane and I talk about our hopes and plans for the day. We sing along to Veggie Tales and start our day with prayer time. On the way home we talk about school; what we each learned, interactions with friends, playground stories. I get to hear so much of my child's daily life by being with her immediately after school when everything if fresh. Our drive brings me much beauty and joy each day.

For fun, I took pictures last week on my drive home. As I drove. At between 45 and 55 miles per hour. Yes, I know. Jeffrey was cringing and wincing when I showed him the photos. But, I really didn't look at the camera even once. Well,only once. Here are some unedited pictures from the drive. I thought they turned out kind of cool. It's just a slice of my daily life.

I loved this little project! My mom also loved the idea and the picture. Our conversation and the fun of these pictures has remained with me. I am going to be sure to photograph daily life from now on. Not just the beauty. Not just special occasions. Not just people. (Which is what I usually do.) Also the mess of Barbies when Sloane has her weekly playdate with Lauren. The scary amount of dishes Jeffrey dirties to cook a meal. (No complaints, though. He does ALL the cooking, and it's always delicious.) Since my photo drive, I have taken so many pictures; most of them plain, ordinary, not beautiful. Our street sign. The view from the stop sign to the end of our cul de sac. The local library. The water tower. Jeffrey's school. My school. Just daily life. Sometime I'll take you on a tour of our dinky town. I sure have enough pictures of it.

Writing the paragraph above reminded me of an incredible book I found at Barnes and Noble a few months ago. It is called The Day-to-Day Life of Albert Hastings. As I think of it, I realize that the seed of this idea was planted then, but I didn't realize it. My favorite page from the book:
Or, maybe this one is:


I hope your enjoyed the mini-tour of my daily life. More, I hope this post inspires you to capture your own day-to-day life on film. If my post doesn't, Blue Yonder's might. Sursum corda.

The photographs from The Day-to-Day Life of Albert Hastings are by KayLynn Deveney. You can purchase the book here. The rest of the photographs were taken by me with a little digital point and shoot.

The View From My Hammock

I like writing about where I am, 
where I happen to be sitting,
the humidity or the clouds,
the scene outside the window -
a pink tree in bloom,
a neighbor walking his small, nervous dog.
And if I am drinking
a cup of tea at the time
or a small glass of whiskey,
I will find a line to put it on.

~ from In the Room of a Thousand Milesby Billy Collins

I first read those lines several years ago. Since then, I often begin my letters and journal entries with a description of where I am. At this moment I am sitting in a not-too-comfortable chair in front of the computer. Where I've been? Now, that's a better story. Thanks to a husband who always knows just what I need, I had a quiet moment to myself today. This is it.

Looking up.

Looking forward.

Best view of all.

May the coming week bring you moments of quiet contentment, perfect peace, and true joy - just when you need them. Sursum corda.