one needs a cute project list to finish up all those summer mini goals. am hoping my list gets all checked off by september. orange + blue is a favorite combo of mine; could be because i still have high school pride. go bengals.
wishing you a great weekend. am planning to have our last summer hurrah with family, help throw a green friendly baby shower, and take part in the first annual Cousin Bakeathon 2009. i'm pretty excited about the whole thing.
thank you for contributing so many great ideas for a picnic! am thinking i should pack a picnic lunch in the not-so-distant future. i loved reading all of your pack-along favorites. a big fabulous congratulations to karie whose favorite item to take on picnics is rice krispie treats! mmm. mm. couldn't agree more. enjoy your darling basket. and thanks to everyone who played along.
today marks the summer season giveaway finale. (more weekly giveaways will showcase near the holiday months, contact me if you have something fabulous to feature.) lady of many talents and owner of the paris house boutique, michele, emailed snapshots of this charming picnic basket & accessories to me a few weeks ago. i had to double check with her, all of this is included?! really, truly? it's such a darling set, am wishing i could keep it for myself. it would make the best wedding or anniversary gift too. pack a blanket, find a hillside and picnic with the stars.
the paris house boutique is offering one m.writes reader this lovely picnic set; complete with oversized tin, sectional basket, ruffly white porcelain dishes, a thermos, a tea towel and utensils. just add cheese & grapes! simply leave a comment to enter to win. list your favorite dish to take to a picnic. since i'm skipping town this weekend, comments are open only until tonight at midnight, mountain time. a random winner will be announced tomorrow. (the winning number will be chosen by anne, my darling niece who is coming to town for a slumber party. i can hardly wait.)
thank you, michele!
I'm Michele (aka Bunny) and am a party planner/designer. I work out of our 200 year old stone and clapboard house, where I live with my husband, three sons and a handful of pets. I have an online lifestyle magazine and blog that gets updated everyday with new recipes, party and craft ideas, garden tours, custom jewelry, travel and much more. Much of our designs and work are based on our travels around the world. Our philosophy is that we only have one life to live and we feel it is important to live it beautifully. I strive to surround myself with loving people, meaningful things and live each day to the fullest.
i have been commissioned to do a li'l art piece on a really big piece of paper. therefore my gigantic sketchbook made a showing this week. it has been collecting dust for an embarrassing eight years. turns out it doesn't even fit the dimensions i need, therefore a trip to the craft store to buy an even bigger sketchbook is penciled in.
a mere excuse to get back into art. to open up the big wide page of potential. i love that these sketchbooks hold drawings, collage, poetry and articles all on a single page. sometimes bigger is better. even if you have to tuck it some obscure place for safekeeping; it's worth it.
and once in a blue moon,
it is a very good idea to
stroll down memory lane.
yes, it's true. a spontaneous tuesday giveaway has arrived.
my dear friend jessica (whom i met in california over homemade tacos) is one of the sweetest gals i know (and is mama to two of the cutest boys on the planet). this weekend, i discovered, she'd packaged up a fabulous handmade headband from her new etsy shop, allora handmade, just for me. it is made with a stretchy thin headband and darling fun fabrics rolled into pretty flowers. and to be frank, i am thrilled with it. (even daring to shoot some self portraits).leave a comment to enter to win a headband of your own. so pretty in pink. i'll announce the winner by midnight tonight on this post. allora handmade is kindly offering 15% off to customers throughout the week, just mention m.writes in the notes to seller. (i am especially fond of her floral fashions, rose buds + pretties.)
m. review. am thinking the bright buds are lovely + lively (adding a much needed kick to my wardrobe of plain colored tees & jeans). am loving the fact that the headband stays put and yet still, no headband headache (which usually has me tossing the thing like a frisbee the second we get home from church). am also delighted the dainty accessory is unique, well-made and just the right size for my short hairstyle (am a simple girl; am slowly working up to sarah jessica parker type birdwear). oh, to have big bouncy curls like my friend jess.. still, you can't waste your days wishing your strands away, so you might as well embrace them and then get dolled up.
thank you, jess.
thank you to everyone who participated in this giveaway;
the lucky lady is melanie anne. congrats to you!
it's a good thing my wedding is all said + done. by the looks of the internet, i'd be a wreck with all the amazing options available. this wedding was a beauty. leave it to kristina who writes a wedding blog to have a most lovely event with every detail intact. i especially love the calligraphy throughout + the assortment of pretty stamps.
more details here + here.
hello world.
the weekend was fantastic. all warm weather and fresh berries. although our anticipated house guests had to cancel, we attempted to have some fun anyhow. which included: pancakes, twice (i swear this is the summer of the pancake for us), watching the end of the tour de lance thanks to versus.com, baby swim lessons, logo designing, a date night and movie, sunday naps, some reading, project clean the house and a lot of fresh fruit.
which all adds up to a very happy me. i relish the thought that the voluptuous blueberry is a super food (and am hoping it's nutritional value saves me from my super sugary cereal choices). i even opted out of a jell-o pudding pop last night for vanilla yogurt with a boatload of berries on the top. now when does that ever happen in my life; never. i feel so fancy to fill a ramekin with berries and dollop it with something white and whippy. in my eyes the ramekin is the beginning of a gourmet lifestyle. it's a little bit of elegant paris du jour in my regular idaho life. it's basically the prequel to buying yourself a one-way ticket to france.
onto blog business. the winner, oh how i wish i could pick more than one. beck, you are my random winner for last week's giveaway. congrats! please email me your choice of cute paper clock and shipping details. hooray. the weekly summer giveaways will be coming to an end this week, so tune in.
dear benji
my boy, my boy, my boy. eleven months today. oh how you've grown. i almost said changed, but it's not that you've changed really. you are simply turning into the you that was always there. and i love that. you are you. a child of God, someone so special. i love knowing the you that unfolds every day. from the moment you were born, others told us, it only gets better. and i thought, no way, this is the best. this is magic. this is it. and it was. yet it is. my heart is growing with you. we are entwined.
you seem to learn things at such a rapid pace. crawling on hands & knees, standing, pulling up, cruising from chair to ottoman and back. as i watch, i see you are practicing like a stalwart olympic athlete to complete each feat. a champion at pulling up and plopping down. your landings are solid. i love the wobbly way you stand, feet wide apart as though you are waterskiing for the first time, balancing more steady each day. you roam to a new adventure, attempting an obstacle like an avid climber. you make your attempts without rope or harness. you pull up on anything and everything. sometimes for a moment you let go of your wall as if to say, look, ma! no hands! and then you quickly fall back and start all over again. happy as can be.
you are my wild little monkey, laughing at funny things like the sound of the garbage disposal or the face i make when i yawn. you chat with dad in your high chair while he irons his shirt each day. you love your berries and cantaloupe. i love you in the mornings when you are bright eyed and bushy tailed and rearin' to go. i love you in the afternoon on long walks, in my arms cuddling or hustling all over the house. smiling at strangers in the post office. i love the way you crawl your way over to me and pull yourself up as though i am a hill to hike. your destination is usually my dangly earrings or the phone i'm talking in to or perhaps the camera i'm shooting. you want to take part of it all. little do you realize, you are my all. you are it.
i love you at nighttime when we blow bubbles for you to catch in the tub and read the same stories we've read all afternoon and wrap you up only for you to unwrap. i sing a song or two and lay you down and you stretch your arms out to take up your whole bed. maybe you got that from your pops. it's completely adorable. stretching out on the cool mattress, batting your eyelashes, letting yourself to sleep. you know the drill, you've come to count on our daily routine. and i have too. eleven months is enough time to become best of friends.
i love you benjamin.
thank you for turning my world upside down.
it's a better view from here.
and later, a few more heartfelt sayings came to me.
happy weekend everyone. (i'm suggesting a drive-in movie and a jell-o pudding pop. yes, you heard me, the creamy treat of our childhood has made a comeback. now i've got the whole family hooked. find it in your grocer's freezer and thank me later.)
yesterday a friend sent me an encouraging email with the following sentiment tucked in. it stood out to me loud and clear. exactly what i needed at the moment. penpals are the best. am hoping to take this advice.. for the rest of my life.
decoylab is a favorite etsy shop of mine. being one who is charmed with swiss cuckoo clocks, i find their printed version quite clever. a modern twist on an old classic, in the best possible way. these unique clocks are printed on hefty paper in an array of pretty hues, sure to invite chit chat among visitors. artistic, handmade, unlike anything you've ever seen, tells time, and has major i really really want that appeal. tick tock, the perfect clock.
maiko of decoylab is a woman of many talents; illustrator/designer/artist/clockmaker and mom to name a few. she is generously offering one m.writes reader a paper clock from her colorful collection. simply leave a comment to enter to win. tell me what you would do if i could grant you one more hour in the day. comments are open until saturday / july 25 / midnight / mountain time. a random winner will be announced next week.
thank you, maiko
highlights from our roadtrip.
although widely famous for its winter ski season, i think july might be my favorite month to visit sun valley. laid back, sunny and all in bloom.
the first day of our trip dan led us on a day hike to a tall peak overlooking sun valley. dan is a very patient person. truth be told, i am not the world's happiest hiker. that is, until i get to the top and realize it's halfway over. then i start enjoying the surroundings, the wilderness, the bugs and the beauty. dan has taught me to even appreciate the sight of sagebrush. he pointed out its sweet fresh minty scent. seriously, i lucked out with a guy like him. on this trip, i couldn't help but sing tom petty's you belong among the wildflowers. it was my anthem of the vacation.
here is a look at the serene duck pond in sun valley. just beyond it there are gift shops, a deli, a pizza place, bike rentals and a candy store that line a brick path that lead to this lovely place. kids climb trees, swim in the pools, play frisbee, feed ducks and eat picnics on the lawn. heaven on earth, i tell you. there are colorful gardens all about. the building behind me is the Inn, adjacent to a fancy restaurant where i hope to someday dine with dan. there is also a movie theater that's been in business for years (my parents took us to Star Wars there), an ice skating rink, a lodge for stories around the fire, and a new amphitheater for concerts. basically you could live in the sun valley resort and never ever leave. (i love coming here because there is always plenty to do, yet still not too much to choose from, leaving you feeling content rather than overwhelmed. which is the definition of vacation.)
still, on the off chance you do leave the hot spot of sun valley, the walk to ketchum is only one mile away. take the path filled with happy bikers and ultra fit joggers. this is the type of place where people actually exercise on vacation. strange but true. it's something in the air. the incredibly fresh mountain air. you might spy kids feeding apple cores and carrot sticks to the horses with their bare hands. very tom sawyer of them. of course you might spy an anxious mother attempting to corral the kids away from such horsey germs. i wouldn't know anyone like that. for the most part, everyone is downright cheerful. mainly because they have all been promised one thing when they arrive in ketchum. ice cream.
leroy's ice cream shack is a nice addition to the middle of the town square. i tasted the paradoxical flavor hot chocolate complete with marshmallows, dan got classic vanilla. we are so predictable like that. (i love this photo, my boys look overjoyed. benji found plenty of dogs downtown to keep his excitement level three notches above over the moon.)
the kneadery is the best place for a homecooked mountain man breakfast. now that we have a babe to wake us up early, it's easy to get in before the tourist brunch rush. dan ordered the Grizzly Bear Breakfast, i opted for Mama Bear Cinnamon French Toast. i am a sucker for anything cinnamon + french. i consider coming here a new mighty fine tradition. someday i will be getting the Baby Bear Flapjacks for my own cublet.
another favorite shop around the corner. iconoclast books. what's not to love? a one of a kind bookshop featuring a plethora of rare books, a charming children section, stationery, maps, cookbooks, and a hip cafe complete with chalkboard topped tables and freshly squeezed lemonade. mmm. mm. (i purchased the august issue of Elle magazine with miley cyrus on the cover. just to add a few more pennies to her college fund.)
such a fun place to visit.
more roadtrip photos
ala marta flickr.
benji must have packed a few new tricks in with our bags. suddenly and without any sort of dress rehearsal whatsoever, he has discovered the second shelf up. i am realizing that my dream home packed with pretty art books laying about in fashionable stacks will just have to wait. good thing this boy has a smile like sugar. yesterday i found him standing and rifling through the bookshelves, reorganizing my paperbacks like a miniature professor. (his daily task is emptying his books on level one. he prefers them abstractly strewn all over the rug.) apparently, he's interested in obtaining more real estate in this place.
after much wobbly standing efforts, my boy plopped down, ignoring his toys in order to skim the books he chose so carefully. seen here with my highlighted high school edition of harper lee's to kill a mockingbird.
ooh la la. am feeling much refreshed and encouraged and happy. we are home from vacation. all in one piece. but shh.. am not telling anyone yet. to have one more day of vacation to unpack, do laundry, listen to voicemail, answer emails, stock up on groceries, and let my boy play wildly among the luggage is essential in this house.
but i couldn't not tell you. i had to log on to say hello, i missed you and of course, to announce the winner of the mini chalkboards. classy drifter, you are my lucky random number. her mini goals: find the perfect summer skirt, read three more books, make a beautiful 3 layer cake. amen. i would love to make a beautiful 3 layer cake myself, benji boy is turning one in one month + five days. can hardly believe it.
am glad to be back. i think my heart grew fonder. i have lists to list and tales to tell. and more photos too (thought you might like this li'l peek). plus i unexpectedly met some fabulous blogland friends too. sun valley, idaho is magic. it was awesome. dreamy, in fact. more persuasive speeches later.
you had me at hello. people are so creative with their cuteness.
see more of this wedding set via studio on fire blog.
mary kate is an illustrator with a flair for originality and a witty take on making daily goals. she has created these mini goals chalkboards, perfect for thinking big in a small space. i think them quaint and clever. (i even sent one to my sis for her birthday last week.)
mary kate is kindly offering one m.writes reader a chalkboard from her mini collection. each board is hand painted by the artist herself. simply leave a comment to enter to win. list one of your mini goals this summer. comments are open until saturday / july 18 / midnight / mountain time. a random winner will be announced once i return from vacation.
thank you, mary kate, for making to do lists even more fun.
writing prompts | week 10.
describe what you see. snapshot a scene with words.
i know i dote on details. you already know this about me. you hopefully have done some doting yourselves. here is a new writing prompt that will hopefully have you honing your skills on delivering details. describe something in front of you. focus on something real, something you can envision clearly, it can be right here in your present, or perhaps something of your past. now paint it, picture it, take a mental snapshot and write everything down. choose a scene out your window, a landscape you love, a face of a friend. be objective. be thoughtful. try to present your photograph on your page without trite phrases or typical cliche words. use descriptive language and paint it as true as you possibly can. the truer your words, the more a reader will be able to see what you see and therefore know what you know.
01. describe a place. look into all the nooks and crannies, leave nothing out. snapshot your studio, your backyard, your dentist office, your bedroom, your closet, your cupboards, or your favorite place to write with only words.
02. describe a person. tell who they are on the inside and the out. how do they wear their hair, floppy over the ears or snipped short. do they have freckles or smile lines. what type of shoes do they wear. someone told me once that you can know 90% about a person by noticing what shoes they are wearing. detail someone you know; then detail the stranger sitting next to you on a bus. compare the two 'snapshots'.
03. describe a thing. what does it mean to you? what does it look like in the sunshine, in the dark, in the rain. describe your wedding ring, the moon, your prom dress, your antique bookshelf, your grandmother's dishes. detail the chair you sit upon. or the stack of books next to you or the food in front of you or the salt & pepper shakers you bought on vacation. describe every inch.
detail your life and all the scenes that pass by. look out your window. look in your kitchen sink. look into your baby's eyes. then get out your notebook. pick up your pen. and write.
this gorgeous modern meets elegant invitation reminds me of the beauties we did for whitney's wedding last fall. oh how fun an rsvp postcard can be.
this is how my saturday felt idaho feels sometimes. still and simple.
saturday was full of goodness. dan biked a hundred miles. benj and i palled around. we all celebrated with shaved ice. mango + coconut to start the summer off. then we took a farmroad drive while the boy napped (was happy to have my camera along), nestled in for a good read, purchased pink polish (i can always find something else to buy at Target) and enjoyed a bowl of tortilla soup (am still loving everything with cilantro). i picked up a pile of new mags at barnes & noble and sifted through each one at a lovely little round table. i walked out empty handed with a brain full of mush. marvelous mush. ideas upon ideas galore. the nice thing about living in a small town is, there aren't too many options for a saturday night. which i am coming to appreciate. little did i know, these skies would well up and burst with a theatrical electrical storm late into the night, just to turn up the juice in said small town. it was quite a show.
other things on my mind.
01. first thing's first, the lucky winner of the pretty pouch is julia. congrats!! please email me your shipping address and such. i thoroughly enjoyed reading how so many of us are carrying burt's bees, lip gloss and regular ol' chapstick in our clutches. hooray for smoochable lips.
02. and a big thank you to those who purchased a li'l something at the sidewalk sale yesterday. your goodies will be shipped out today along with some sweet scalloped gift tags.
03. on another note, i am in the middle of three very good reads. each of them are highlighter worthy and poolside friendly. contentment by maria covey cole (uplifting and inspiring), daring to be yourself by alexandra stoddard (i devour her books, her love for loveliness reminds me of my mother), the recent issue of cookie magazine (an endless resource of great ideas) and i just checked out this book, have found it intriguing too. am hoping to finish it while in sun valley this weekend.
04. i like reading books for a lot of reasons. because reading opens my eyes to new things, it makes me realize i'm not so different, makes me feel like i belong, makes me feel like the world is a big, great place, makes me feel empathetic, makes me aware of situations i've never heard of before, all in all reading makes me want to be a newer, better, greater person. while simultaneously reminding me (ever so kindly) of words i should add to my blogging vocabulary. such as auspicious. or bemusing. or the phrase phonetically correct. lets just say when i read i realize there are a lot of ways i could be pushing myself more. a lot of things out there to do, to dream, to learn. which brings me to number five.
05. to make a long story short, i've been enrolled in this fantastic 8-week online e-course: unravelling by susannah conway, who lives in england. (what could be more charming than my new life guru living in the historic town of bath, england? i can only say her locale aloud with a british accent. because indeed, everything is more floral, more dewy, more dainty, so twee and full of lush hillsides and pretty words and pretty people and romanticness and subtle gestures and expressive characters and lacy charm in england. no wonder this woman is full of good ideas. i hope this wanderlust will rub off on me.) her course is all about seeking the self and finding out what's inside and what type of art, photographs, ideas, etc. come out while looking inwards. as fate would have it, i happened upon this workshop simply by winning a giveaway (talk about a big hip hip). auspicious signs all about. and now i'm enthralled and ultimately so happy to be a part of a creative group. i'll be sharing some of the things i work on as i trudge through and attempt to pull my heart out and pin it to my sleeve. and as of yesterday, you can take a peek at my current photos via my new flickr page which will be flooded with images these next 8 weeks.
06. am headed to pack and re-pack and then cross off my list of packed items. it's true, i'm really like that. i should have this process memorized by now. i ought to get a medal for all the times i've packed for a weekend getaway. am thanking heavens am only packing for one little one at the moment. sooner or later i'll be rolling dozens of socks and finding a billion shoes and three hundred toothbrushes. not really, but someday it might seem that way. therefore i'm enjoying the simplicity in taking one babe and one husband and running for the hills in one car with one trunk loaded with a billion things that we may or may not need.
