Monday, May 30, 2011

my heart belongs to australia


A year ago, I took a holiday to Australia for two glorious weeks, and fell in love with a country.  I've always been a wanderluster, and have been lucky to visit several other countries over the past ten years.  I've spent time in France, Belgium, the Netherlands, Costa Rica, Jamaica, Mexico, the Bahamas, and Canada, and each has been an incredible adventure.  But I have to say, as far as countries go, Australia is my soul mate.  I've been daydreaming about this particular trip a lot recently, and conjuring up excuses in my mind for why I need to get back there soon.


If I could live in Australia, I'd likely move to Byron Bay.  This laid back beach town had the prettiest little boutiques, amazing art, beautiful surf, incredibly friendly people, and we saw a rainbow every single day.  Byron Bay is also the reason I got to visit Australia in the first place - my fiance's band played the annual musical festival there.


After the festival ended, Robbie and I traveled with another couple up to Queensland, to visit Kuranda and Palm Cove.  Kuranda was beyond gorgeous - a village in the rainforest.  There was a very bohemian vibe there, with lots of shops and stands full of handmade goodies.  My favorite part was the koala sanctuary.  I've always been slightly obsessed with koalas, and getting to be this close to them had been a life-long dream of mine.  Palm Cove was also absolutely lovely.  We stayed in a little eco-hotel a block from the ocean, and got up to watch the sun rise everyday.


In all honesty, it would be pointless for me to try to put into words the magnitude of this adventure.  Snorkeling the Great Barrier Reef was the most surreal, stunning experience of my life.


Our short stint in Sydney was a beautiful mistake.  Our flight from Cairns back to the U.S. included a brief layover in Sydney, but the first leg of the flight was canceled at the last minute.  So we were given a free night in Sydney, and Robbie's dream of visiting the Sydney Opera House came true.  We spent a few hours exploring the city too, and I hope to spend more time there one day.  It reminded me a lot San Francisco (my favorite city here in the U.S.)


These are just a tiny handful of the hundreds of photos we took (I've mentioned in past posts that photography is a huge part of my travels), but I wanted to share a glimpse into what proved to be the most creatively and spiritually inspiring trip of my life so far.  I hope this little picture show brings some inspiration to your day as well!

Happy Memorial Day!







Saturday, May 28, 2011

Saturday Morning Daydreams

milkmaid braids
It's possible that I just discovered my wedding hairstyle. (source)

I'm thinking that this mixed metal necklace from Ax + Apple is sort of amazing.  I especially love how it's paired here with a simple gray tshirt.  I have a feeling I'd wear that combo on a fairly regular basis. 

Anthropologie tote
This embroidered tote from Anthropologie would be my ideal carry-all bag for summertime.  LOVE the patterns, colors, braided handles and fringe detail.

braided barrettes
These ribbon barrettes ought to bring back some memories for those of you who are my fellow children of the '80s.  I may just channel my 5 year-old self this weekend and make a pair.  This time around, I'll likely skip the neon colorss of my youth and opt for some muted neutral tones, like the the pretty pair above by retro80s

braided rug
My hallway is just crying out for this handmade (and one-of-a-kind) runner rug by Mrs. Ginther.  I adore how the reds look so vibrant against the grays and blacks.  Did I mention that it was crafted from repurposed vintage wools?  Want. 

braided bread
I've been daydreaming about homemade bread a lot lately.  My mom used to make beautiful braided bread like this from scratch every weekend when I was growing up.  There isn't much that tastes (or smells) better than freshly bake bread.  Looks like I have a Sunday morning project!



On this lovely Saturday morning, I'm daydreaming of all kinds of intertwined strands of zigzagged, overlapping goodness.  It's sort of amazing, really, to think about just how many different things can be so beautifully constructed via such a simple process.  I'm feeling pretty inspired to braid all sorts of projects this weekend.






You can check out past editions of Saturday Morning Daydreams right HERE.





Friday, May 27, 2011

Update: Bubby Dog is a Rockstar!


It's been a while since my last Bubby dog update, after the terrible night when he had a seizure.  For those who aren't aware, my sweet 15 year-old Lab/Chow mix doggy, Leary ("Bubby," and the inspiration behind Bubby and Bean), was diagnosed with terminal cancer April 22nd.  He was given a few days to a few weeks to live, and I'm so grateful to be able to say that today has officially been 5 weeks!  This doesn't mean that quantity is more important than quality, but we've been very lucky in that he's been doing really well.  In fact, the vets tell us that the problems that he has had - the seizure, some hind leg weakness, and a hefty case of separation anxiety when the fiance has to go on the road with the band - have no connection at all to the cancer itself. 

Bubby even got to go into the vet on Tuesday for an ear cleaning, quick check-up, and mani/pedi (he does not like it when we attempt to cut his nails, so we leave it to the experts).  This was kind of a big deal for us, since we were certain he would never be going back to the vet again for anything routine.  Everyone there was so excited to see him, and he was pretty excited too - to the point that he was panting so hard that they weren't able to check his heart with the stethoscope, and had to give him an EKG!  His heart, ears, teeth and ridiculously cute face were all in perfect health.

Things haven't been all sunshine and rainbows, of course.  In addition to the scares and random health issues, Leary really can't be left alone for any extended periods of time, and he is not a happy camper when his dad's gone.  So I've become slightly sleep deprived, and I've been working much longer days, since it's more difficult for me to get things accomplished in the daytime.  (I've heard lots of "welcome to my world!" from my friends who have young human children!).  But every sacrifice is more than worth the extra moments I've been able to spend with the sweetest creature I've ever known.  Bubby wins out over the missed social events and adequate sleep, hands down.


I can't thank you all enough for your amazing show of love and support for this special boy.  So many of you have emailed me or commented to ask how he's been, and it means a lot to us.  There are undoubtedly people who think I'm slightly crazy for being so attached to a dog, but there are also many others who completely understand the profound connection humans can have with animals.  I feel so lucky to have been blessed by the universe with one of these connections!  You are the best readers ever (Bubby thinks so too), and I'll be sure to continue to keep you updated.


See you tomorrow morning for this week's edition of Saturday Morning Daydreams!






P.S.
I have just a few sponsor spots left for June (including just 2 of the new small size for $10!).  If you have a blog, Etsy shop or small business that you'd like featured here next month, you can get more information and purchase an ad directly on the sponsor page. I'm so excited for the new layout/ad sizes and all of the amazing new (and return!) sponsors - hurry up June!



Thursday, May 26, 2011

My Fiance Takes Some Fine Pictures

The fiance left early this morning to head to Summer Camp, a music festival that his band does every Memorial Day weekend in central Illinois.  For the past 6 years, I've gone too, both for work (as I talked about in this post), and play.  With Bubby dog being sick (he's been doing really well; I'll post a full update tomorrow!), I had to pass this year, and I have to admit I'm feeling a little sad today. 

It's always hard to say goodbye to Robbie when he leaves for the road, but this time was especially difficult because I always look forward to our annual tradition of attending this fest together.  (We even officially became boyfriend and girlfriend there!). 

So I decided that since I'm feeling all sorry for myself and already missing Robbie, I'd share some photos that he's taken over the past year.  His photography work is just a hobby, but I happen to think that he's really, really good.


I plan on sharing lots more of his work in the future.

Happy Thursday darlings!  I hope you all have fun adventures planned for the three-day weekend.





All images © Robert Hunter Williams.



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Wednesday, May 25, 2011

Vintage Wedding Glamour (Oh, BLHDN)

BHLDN dress feathers
BHLDN vintage
BHLDN gown

A few months ago, I posted about my excitement regarding the (at the time) soon-to-be launch of BHLDN, Anthropologie's new wedding line. If you haven't seen their gorrrrgeous dresses yet, I highly recommend checking them out.  Today, I just had to share some truly stunning new images of a few of their gowns, aptly described as "harking back to an era when dressing for an occasion was considered an art."  I may have drooled on my keyboard a little when I first saw them.


BHLDN decor video
While you're at it, take a few seconds to watch this lovely short video that features almost every item from BHLDN's stunning decor collection.






All images courtesy of BHLDN.