I've been posting a lot this winter about thriving, not just surviving. My inspiration came from Elise at Enjoy It who made an album to commemorate how she tried to thrive while her husband was deployed. Now I know winter does not equal spouse disployment, but it takes a lot for me to enjoy the long winter months, and I thought documenting my efforts to thrive in a photo album sounded like a fun idea. I decided to make an album with the Instagram photos I had taken from December to March. Yes, I am a dorky blogger who decided her winter Instagram photos deserved their own photo album (and no, I still have not made a photo album of our Europe vacation photos). I only added text on the first page, and I'm planning to go back through with a Shapie to add handwritten notes on some of the pages. I thought it would give a cooler finished look. Sometimes the text in computer made photo albums just looks awkward. I've just included my favorite pages here; the actual book is 8 x 8 and includes between thirty and forty pages. My favorite pictures got their own pages, others got grouped in three to four per page. I kept all the photos in their original square shape, and I love how cohesive it made the book feel. Even though this album is totally dorky (and arguably completely unnecessary), I absolutely love it. I felt a big sense of accomplishment going through all my photos and receiving my finished book in the mail. The best part of this book is that it showed that I really lived this winter - I didn't just survive. I painted, I baked, I knitted, I made ice cream, I went on dates with Paul, I started roller derby, I drank lots of tea, I cuddled with the pups, I bought beautiful flowers, and I travelled to St. Louis, Portland, and Richmond. This book will be a great reminder that winter isn't just a season to get through, it's a season to live and enjoy.
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Everybody, we did it. We made it through the epic winter 2014. Tomorrow is the first day of spring, and I don't care what the weather is, what it looks like outside, or how much snow is on the ground, it. will. be. spring. And I will be fully embracing that.
Since winter-esque weather doesn't always get the memo that its time is done for now, you might have to do a little extra to get in the spring frame of mind. Here's five tips for getting a jump start on spring when it still feels like winter. 1. Embrace bright colors: You don't have to wait for warm weather to add color to your wardrobe and your living space. In fact, if you wait for warm weather you might completely miss the chance to wear all your pretty pastel colored clothes (that happened to me last year). This time of year I still wear heavy pants and sweaters, but I usually only wear pastels or bright colors because I just can't take dark colors anymore. Switching out clothes, bed spreads, and painting my nails always helps me feel like I've got a new lease on life. 2. Plant something: Spring is all about new growth and new life. But sometimes that growth can be hard to see, especially when several inches of snow still cover the ground. Luckily you don't need warm weather to grow plants or seeds indoors. When I start getting antsy to start my garden in February and March, I order seeds and then immediately realize I'm already a few weeks late on starting my seeds indoors. It's the only time in spring when I want the warm weather to hold off a bit longer. And until everything starts sprouting, don't forget the beauty of grocery story tulips and flowers. They work wonders. 3. Spring cleaning: Have you had that moment on the first warm day of the season when you suddenly realize how disgusting your apartment/house has gotten over the winter? Maybe it's the increase in sunlight that helps me see all the dirt and salt that has accumulated all over my floors - and maybe that's why spring is associated with cleaning up and clearing out. This spring, I'm working on an Apartment Therapy home cure (that's been coming along verrrrry slowly), and I'm appreciating how having a nice living space can help distract me from whatever is happening outside. 4. Turn up the jams: Put away all your sad, slow winter albums (sorry Bon Iver), and put on some music that gets your toes tapping. I've got a Carla Bruni french singers Pandora station going right now that has the perfect touch of spring to it. I also love some good pop/dance music and anything that has the word spring or summer in the song or title. Good music does wonders for a dull mood. 5. Put together a spring/summer menu plan: Friends of mine created a binder that just included their go to meals, and I've been wanting to follow suit. In the height of summer, I'll sometimes waste the produce I was waiting all winter for simply because I can't think of what to do with it. It's lazy I know, but on a weekday night after derby or a long day at work I don't have any extra energy to menu plan....ugh. So why not use this time of year to dream about all the salads and stir fries and casseroles I can make when my favorite produce comes into season? It'll help me make the most of the crazy amounts of vegetables and herbs I want to grow this season. What helps you prepare for spring? This weekend I decided to have a "treat yo self" day. Paul was working all weekend, I had just finished a crummy week, and I needed a nice day all to myself. But even though I knew I needed some time to just indulge myself, I still felt like I needed permission to blow off housework and whatever else I "should" be doing. Do you ever have a hard time doing the things you know you need to do to be happy? I'm getting better about it, especially if the things I'm indulging in are experiences and don't cost much money. So I got over the shoulds and just had a happy day. I think I've mentioned a few (dozen) times how happy flowers make me. So naturally my treat yo self day included a trip to the Mitchell Domes, the large enclosed gardens in Milwaukee. A genius planner decided to have a farmer's market there every Saturday in winter, so I was able to walk around the Domes and take pictures to my heart's content - all for free! I arrived right at the end of the market so all the crowds were gone, but the admission price was still waved. Sha-wing!!! The tropical dome had flowers in bloom, running water, and real live birds. You have no idea how happy it made me to walk around without my coat on and feel almost-real-sunshine on my face. I felt more drawn to the desert dome than I usually do. I think it's because our extreme cold weather has me looking for some extreme heat. Plus those cactus and succulants...lovely. My treat yo self day also included a vanilla rooibos latte from Starbucks, retail therapy at Target, seed shopping, Jimmy John's and checking a few errands off my list. I know errands don't really seem like a treat, but checking big things off my to do list always makes me feel better and lighter. I ended my day relaxing in our living room watching TV and movies with Paul while painting my little heart out. What a fantastic, necessary day. What do your treat yo self days include?
Good morning everyone! Wow do I feel better! Looks like the books did the trick yesterday and cheered me right up. Reading the books, watching a Miyazaki movie, making a pie, getting an amazing seed catalog in the mail, buying new flowers for our kitchen, and a twenty degree warm up. The little things really add up. One of my favorite holidays to celebrate in the winter is Pi(e) Day. March 14th - 3/14 - 3.14159....get it? Yes, it is awesomely nerdy. I made Tofu Peanut Butter Pie again this year. It's become my go to pie since it takes less than ten minutes to make. To make: add your block of tofu, cup of smooth peanut butter, 3/4 cup sugar, 2 tablespoons milk, and 2 teaspoons of vanilla to your food processor. Mix until smooth and creamy. Melt some chocolate and spread it on the bottom of your pie shell (graham cracker preferably, but mine cracked too much to use for the pie I was bringing to work). Spread your peanut butter filling into the now chocolate cover pie crust. Smooth out. Sprinkle chocolate chips on top. Devour. It's that simple! (And no, it tastes nothing like tofu.) Oh, and what's that you say? You want to see pictures of tulips? Ok! Who I am to deny the people what they want? Happy Friday!
Have the end of winter blues? I find that the last few weeks of winter can be the hardest to thrive in. One of my Milwaukee friends seems to handle this season better than most people I know. Laurel is always going on some type of outdoor adventure and has a great attitude about winter. I asked her to do a post, and she put together this list of four tips for surviving winter -- hope this brings you a bit of joy on this cold day. And I hope you enjoy her amazing Wisconsin winter photos. Those ice caves are breathtaking!! For me, finding joy in all things means living in a state of openness to the world, it means welcoming in the many small beauties and absurdities of life. This state of permeability is seriously compromised by the long winter months, when everything seems to shut down. I've spent years trying to work out the perfect way to survive a midwestern winter with a sound mind, and here is what I've come up with.
Spring is right around the corner but until it officially arrives, follow Laurel's advice and treat yourself to a hot toddy and get yourself moving! Thanks for sharing your tips Laurel!
Yesterday was nice enough to walk outside without a coat on. I literally danced around our house (singing "ra-ra-rasputan" because I'm that special). The beagles celebrated by eating ice off our front porch. I think this means that they're impatient for my urban garden oasis too. Here's Diego in action. I swear this dog does not know how to express his feelings in anything but an extremely loud howl. In this picture he is either a) happy about the weather b) confused by the remaining ice c) wants the porch all to himself d) saw a squirrel or e) all the above. I think we can all agree that our beagles are about as special as I am.
Happy melt down! homemade ice cream that makes everything better
fish fry season double date movie nights at beautiful movie theaters seeing Frozen with a good friend - and sneaking in with way too much candy support, hope, and remembering that everything will work out cuddling with my pups nap time my black and white striped dress - and how sassily awesome I feel when I wear it Daylight Savings Time and sunshine 60 degree days and the end of the Polar Vortex my husband who makes me fresh squeezed orange juice, holds my hand in the car, and shares a life with me I love a good road trip. Especially in winter, when the weeks and months are long, road trips help to break things up and add a bit of spice to life. I schedule road trips every couple of months and will even travel on my own since my hubby's work keeps him busy on some weekends. Last weekend I travelled to St. Louis to see the Missouri Botanical Garden orchid show with my mom, sister, aunt, and cousins. It's become a winter tradition for us; we soak up the beautiful colors and light, and then stop by the giftshop for seeds and orchid plants. And wouldn't you know it: this year I travelled all the way to St. Louis for the show and forgot my camera on my parents' kitchen table. So instead of pictures of orchids, I'm sharing some pictures of my drive from Milwaukee to St. Louis. Before leaving my apartment, I positioned my camera on the passenger seat so it would be handy if I saw a good potential shot. These photos were all taken by me by holding the camera towards the passenger side window and hoping for the best. I love how they turned out. They all have that accidentally-on-purpose rustic look. The Midwest scenery feels so homey and brings me a lot of peace. I can't get enough of those big open sky sunsets. The drive to St. Louis has become one of my go to spirit boosters - along with a couple of good books on tape and my pups in the back seat. I love the time to think and relax and just be.
At the beginning of the year, I shared some photos from a trip my mom and I took to a knitting store in St. Louis. I picked out some gorgeous yarn at the store, and I finally have photos from a finished knitting project to share! This is a cowl - the first project I've ever completed on round needles! Who's got two thumbs and is super proud of herself? This girl! (Though my skills still pale in comparison to my mom's knitting skills. She does amazing stuff!) I used a pattern my mom found on Ravelrie (are you on that site? apparently it's like pinterest for knitters). I plan on making one more cowl before I go onto a new type of project. And since this winter is so fierce and cold and never ending, I'll still have plenty of time to wear it. Don't know if that's a good thing or bad thing.... Have you been making any fun projects this winter?
the beauty of wintery details
my mom who instagrams her in progress knitting projects fish fries with community garden members new friendships that help break up long winter weeks butternut squash gnocci -- please get back in my belly right now planning for a friend's bachelorette party friends who offer to watch our pups so we can have a night away texts from my sister that tell me she is feeling so happy tea cups that brighten up cold days (see below) my husband who makes me nachos for dinner, mops the floors, and narrates our pups' thoughts |