Monday, January 31, 2011

Handmade in Brooklyn


I've been down on Brooklyn these days.  And it's not fair.  It's really just the weather.  I can't take these weekly snowstorms & I end up blaming Brooklyn.  But one thing I will always love about living here, in snow or sun, is that motivated, creative, driven, & talented people are all around me.  Even hanging out at my favorite local coffee shop.  I met Dan of Handmade in Brooklyn over the weekend at Blue Sky Bakery when the owner introduced us.  I love his seemingly happenstance but deliberate style.  His Old Typewriter print immediately jumped out at me.  For something that produces something so linear, it's nice to see it looking a little wonky.  And I love the light & happy Pink Flowers print, below - the sweet sign of warm things to come:)


See more of Dan's work here.

Friday, January 28, 2011

Splendid Littles


I should have known that Splendid has a kids line.  But I didn't.  So when I was in Target yesterday looking for onesies (because Griffin seems to grow out of his clothes every two weeks!), I came across these cute boys clothes that felt exactly like my favorite Splendid tank top.  Turns out they're part of the limited collection Splendid Littles is doing with Target.  You don't come across cute boys clothes very often - so I was pretty excited & got the t-shirt above, the bodysuits below and a cute "2fer" shirt.  At this price, I kinda wish these came in my size.  Lucky little boy.


Check out the rest of the Splendid Littles Collection for Target here.

Wednesday, January 26, 2011

The Invitation

You know when words just sing to you?  A friend recently posted this poem & that's how it feels to me - like the words are singing - and then running through my veins.  Love.

The Invitation

It doesn’t interest me
what you do for a living.
I want to know
what you ache for
and if you dare to dream
of meeting your heart’s longing.

It doesn’t interest me
how old you are.
I want to know
if you will risk
looking like a fool
for love
for your dream
for the adventure of being alive.

It doesn’t interest me
what planets are
squaring your moon...
I want to know
if you have touched
the centre of your own sorrow
if you have been opened
by life’s betrayals
or have become shrivelled and closed
from fear of further pain.

I want to know
if you can sit with pain
mine or your own
without moving to hide it
or fade it
or fix it.

I want to know
if you can be with joy
mine or your own
if you can dance with wildness
and let the ecstasy fill you
to the tips of your fingers and toes
without cautioning us
to be careful
to be realistic
to remember the limitations
of being human.

It doesn’t interest me
if the story you are telling me
is true.
I want to know if you can
disappoint another
to be true to yourself.
If you can bear
the accusation of betrayal
and not betray your own soul.
If you can be faithless
and therefore trustworthy.

I want to know if you can see Beauty
even when it is not pretty
every day.
And if you can source your own life
from its presence.

I want to know
if you can live with failure
yours and mine
and still stand at the edge of the lake
and shout to the silver of the full moon,
“Yes.”

It doesn’t interest me
to know where you live
or how much money you have.
I want to know if you can get up
after the night of grief and despair
weary and bruised to the bone
and do what needs to be done
to feed the children.

It doesn’t interest me
who you know
or how you came to be here.
I want to know if you will stand
in the centre of the fire
with me
and not shrink back.

It doesn’t interest me
where or what or with whom
you have studied.
I want to know
what sustains you
from the inside
when all else falls away.

I want to know
if you can be alone
with yourself
and if you truly like
the company you keep
in the empty moments.

-Oriah Mountain Dreamer

Tuesday, January 25, 2011

Griffin


Oh, hello.

I'm 4 months old.

Monday, January 24, 2011

Hear your heart. Heart your health.


I am by NO means comparing myself to Matt Long, but this ad gave me chills - and I think it's worth sharing because he is the embodiment of "the tough get going," is nothing short of inspiring & apparently so is the doctor (and his family) who treated him. Plus, this is the hospital where Griffin was born & where I was recently treated in the ER.

I'm certainly not looking for any sympathy, but I've been gone for a long time, so let me just shout out some words to highlight the last four months of my post-birth recovery & to allow a little insight into the rocky start of my 2011: 

Fever, mastitis, lactation consultant, antibiotics, fever, mastitis #2, allergic reaction to antibiotics, breast specialist, fever, mastitis #3, breast specialist, abscess, antibiotics, C Diff, Emergency Room, antibiotics, C Diff #2, antibiotics, colonoscopy, probiotics, antibiotics.

Lots of ugly in this list.  Like a good sneeze, let's hope it's all out.  The good news is that I'm finally feeling better, Griffin is healthy, and I have a whole new appreciation for being healthy.  In fact, I think this experience warrants a What I've Learned List. 

So here we go - what I've learned in four short, amazing, rocky, and exciting months:

1) Never ever ever take my health for granted.
2) I gave birth.  I can do anything.
3) #2 doesn't mean I should put up with pain.
4) My gut is usually right.
5) Doctors aren't always right.
6) They really do grow up so fast.
7) Never ever take my family for granted.
8) It's okay to ask for help.
9) I'm still working on #8.
10) Giving birth was the easy part.

Thanks to everyone for hanging in there with me.  Here's to a healthy rest of 2011!

["Hear your heart. Heart your health."  - Faith Seehill]

Wednesday, January 5, 2011

Stay Tuned


A quick hello & Happy New Year from my sick bed.  It's been a rough start to 2011 for me.  Turns out that all those antibiotics I took a month ago have left my stomach without any "good bacteria" and a little devil of a virus.  I'm sloowly starting to feel better, but "better" is relative and not at all close to normal.  So hang in there with me while I get healthy.  In the meantime, a couple pretty pictures - because as a friend reminded me, they really can make you feel peaceful - even when the reality seems worlds away.


[top image Sledding on Hill (Dusk) by Joseph O. Holmes, courtesy of 20x200; bottom image by Kelley Stewart]