dear santa…

 

Donald Miller’s new book came out today.  I want it.

and I wouldn’t mind reading it on my very own Kindle

while playing monopoly, the beatles edition.

while drinking a latte made by this pretty machine

and then I could take a break to beat my husband in some

Wii bowling.

thanks and stay warm up there!

XOXO, Olivia

More exciting news…

Not only did I have my first etsy sale…. I sold some more greeting cards from my Red Bubble site.  This is like icing on top of a cake, the cherry on the sundae, you get the picture...    Here are some images of the cards that were purchased.
 

To see more and place your own order, visit my my site here.

on a friday…

Getting ready for the weekend, the baby is laying on the floor eating vanilla wafers, he’s silly.  I’m supposed to be having a yard sale tomorrow with some friends and the chances of rain are high.  So we’ll see.  I’m drinking a new coffee that I found in the grocery store, of all places, who knew you could buy good coffee there?  It’s made by New England Coffee, Blueberry Cobbler. It’s really delicious, I mean it.  Try it sometime.

Here’s a thought, I could make a career out of tasting and reviewing coffee, now if coffee companies would just start sending me samples… thanks.  I’ll start tomorrow.  Coffee + writing + sharing my opinions, what is not to love?

Some of you may know our lives are in the strange season of waiting and trusting and being content.  I used to think that being patient was the hardest thing, but I’m starting to think that being content is harder.  Would you agree?  About a month ago, I told the husband that I wanted to start running because I wanted to have actually control over something tangible that I could make happen.  Funny, right?  Well, I’ve been slacking the past few weeks, but I’m coming back.  Anyways, last night I told him again that since I haven’t even been doing that, I feel like there is nothing I am working towards or able to control at this moment.  He said, hmm, that is not true.  He then proceeded to give me a very lengthy list of all the things I have some/most of the say in…  I think he started out being funny but he was speaking truth.  Hmm perspective, what a boring word… I should probably adjust my thinking; it would make a huge difference.  Here are a few items out of his mouth:

• You have control over what Hudson wears and what he does all day.
• You have control over being the kind of parent, wife, and friend that you want to be
• You have control over the decorating of our home.
• You have control over the menu planning and grocery shopping.  {Does that mean that he has to eat more vegetables?}
• You have control over what you wear.
• You have control over what you do all day.
• You can be as creative as you want.
• You can watch the television shows that you want and if you hate something, I never make you watch it.
• You can drink as much coffee as you want {this does not mean necessarily trips to Starbucks.}

There was more, but that’s an overview,  I certainly made fun of a few of those items, but all in all, he’s right.  Yes, I said it, the husband was right.  I suppose my biggest frustration is not having control over what God is doing and I willing acknowledge that is neither my job, my responsibility,  my privilege, nor my right.

So I’m working on that whole perspective thing for today and finding contentment for right now.  I suppose it is easier when I start weighing all the good against the bad, one severely outweighs the other.  More good, less bad. More good, less bad.

I’ll leave you with this for the weekend. 

“Do not spoil what you have by desiring what you have not; remember that what you now have was once among the things you only hoped for.”- Epicurus.

and this…

{yes, they are mine.}

2010 is coming… where’s yours?

2010 calendars filled with images from my collection of all-time favorite paintings are available from Redbubble.  Yes, this could be yours.  And… for the next five days they are 15% off.

This would be a great way to have multiple prints for a fraction of the price of individual ones.  It’s marked at $22.61.  Also, a great Christmas gift for an art lover, yes? Or for one of my admiring fans, hmm, do I have any of those? I’m not sure.

Go here to view the entire calendar month by month to see if your favorite paintings are included, they are probably are… and you can also order your own copy right now…

Just think, one less thing to do in 2010.  You can mark that off your list, and who doesn’t love that??

mug shots #1- honeymoon mugs

As promised, here’s the debut of a new series of posts called Mug Shots.  What is mug shots, you ask?  Well, it’s a bit of a writing exercise/self-analysis/glimpse of a person through their coffee mugs.  I know you have that favorite mug that you reach for every time you enjoy a nice warm beverage.  You may not be a coffee drinker, tea or hot cocoa may be your drink of choice, and that’s alright, but if you let me, I’d convince you that you should be .  It’s a proven fact that both of my college roommates and the husband have become serious addicts, it’s probably my fault, and I’ll take the credit for that.

Previously I shared that the husband and I started a tradition on our honeymoon of buying a pair of coffee mugs from Starbucks every year.  Maybe one day we’ll get them somewhere else, but so far, I don’t see that happening.  We’re big fans, which of course, you didn’t know.

|Card available from Palette theory via Red Bubble here|

Here’s a picture of our honeymoon mugs. They obviously are not identical but they were from the same line, just like Matt and I were two different people starting our lives together, but sharing the same purpose.  They are rather elegant as far as design goes, perhaps this speaks to all those notions of having all the nicest things and making the most perfect little house resembling something out of a catalogue, rather than the reality of having used furniture and some nights, you’ll eating cereal for dinner.  {But really, cereal can be just want you want for dinner sometimes, right?}  I love the combination of two different color schemes and patterns, but complimenting each other just the same. 

I love that besides these two mugs, the only other thing we purchased on our honeymoon was season two of The Office.  We had some seriously limited funds, but we loved every second of our  cabin escape to the Smokey’s.  Since that week of September 2007, we’ve used those mugs and watched that season more than we can remember, talk about quality investments.

So, there you have it.  As I share thoughts and pictures from years 1 and 2, you’ll see part of the development and growth of our marriage.  It’s so obvious and hilarious to us, maybe you’ll notice too.  Oh and incase you are wondering, we never, ever use each other’s mugs.  It’s just a his and hers kind of thing…. and truthfully, we only allow other people to use certain ones.  I’m not even lying.  We’re funny like that.

- - -

I’m still waiting to hear from you.  Send me a picture and a few paragraphs about you and your mugs.  Maybe you have more than one favorite, don’t worry, so do I. 

I’m off to make some coffee and restart Baby Einstein for the 100th time.

dream house, hands down.

I can’t deny it any longer. Every time I see it, I know that I’ve found my dream house, yes, dream house. I love everything about this, the cozy, family comfort that this house evokes and the beautiful landscapes surrounding it. Even if it is only a movie set? Is it, I don’t know.

It’s the house from Marley & Me, the big old stone farmhouse that the family calls home in the second half of the film. Isn’t it perfection? Now, if it was located near a coast of sorts and a great coffee shop, I’d want nothing else.

Look at those gorgeous trees and fall colors, hmmm, yes please.

And wouldn’t Christmas just be divine here. I doubt one would even notice the frigid temps.

|Photos found here|

Hmm, one day. ..

a little tiny exercise

I've successfully completed The Artist's Way for a little while now, but it is still something that I return to often, the process of unblocking your life + creativity is not a one time deal, but a constant process, constantly growing, analyzing, discovering, and creating. It's not an easy job, but someone has to do it.

I've been hoping to try and plan another inspire night with the girls, but I think some of you people need to stop being so busy, right now we could probably successfully plan something for the fall of 2014 :) Hmm, did I just say that? I believe it did. Anyways, I thought I'd share a little exercise with you, that can easily be completed at your leisure. If you want to share any of the answers or thoughts, please do. I'd love to hear them. Here goes, it's easy. I promise.

A little tiny, but awesome exercise that may direct you to doing more of the things you love.

1.List 20 things that you enjoy doing {it can be ANYTHING, I mean it.}

2. Next to each item, jot down when you last did this item. {This is the crazy part. It's been a while hasn't it?}

Now keep this list and try to do something from it on a regular basis. I believe these little actions will start making a huge difference in your creativity and how much you enjoy life.

Here's my list...

1. Painting- two weeks
2. Reading poetry out loud- over a week ago
3. Sewing- about a month ago
4. Enjoying a French film- last week
5. Baking bread- two weeks ago
6. Trying a new recipe- Sunday
7. Biking- I seriously can not remember, boo.
8. Kayaking- about two years ago
9. A picnic- three or four months
10. Reading magazines at Barnes & Noble- last week
11. A farmer's market on a Saturday morning- a few months
12. Writing an actual handwritten letter- last week
13. Camping- too long
14. Intentionally watching the stars- last month
15. A campfire- last month
16. Peruse antique stores- two weeks ago
17. A good quality road trip- last year
18. Tried a new restaurant- hmm, can't remember
19. Played soccer- a few months
20. Had a great conversation with good friends- a couple days

A sunday afternoon sort of list

1. a nice, long sunday afternoon, post-lunch nap during a football game.

2. Catching up on project runway episodes. Loved the newspaper challenge.

3. a calm, rainy day

4. coffee brewing in the french press

5. ginger pear crisp baking in the oven.

6. cute baby boy saying, "mama bop. dadda bop." the bop is very important.

...

this is my life today, it's a good one.

fall is here, at least in my kitchen.

 

Remember the pumpkin that the kind farmer gave me a couple weeks ago?   Well, it has since been made into pumpkin pie and devoured by the husband and I.  Yes, two pies in one week, maybe the baby had a few bites too… he’s a fan.

I used this recipe.  It was delicious.  Now the pies were not as vivid orange as the one you see in the picture and find in bakeries.  Perhaps, it’s more natural?  I don’t know, but it was delicious, and a touch less sweet than store-bought pies, which I think is nice; they still had that stellar pumpkin flavor.  It was a lovely companion to the afternoon coffee and occasionally, our snack during Conan.  Who said you can only have pie once a day?

Now, I didn’t take pictures of my own pies, I forgot, plus the top rim of the crust got a little burnt because I felt it needed to cook a bit longer than the recipe suggested. {Who wants a picture of a seemingly burnt pie anyways?} But the rest of the crust was perfectly delicious.  I doubled the recipe, but it made enough for at least three pies.  I only made two, I froze the rest, not sure how that will survive in the freezer, but it seemed like the thing to do. Does anyone know if it will keep?

Conclusion, it’s super easy, only takes a little more time to make pumpkin pie from scratch, and ALSO, I did learn that the canned pumpkin sold in stores is actually a variety of squash, very similar to pumpkin.  Hmm, and you thought you didn’t like squash?  Whatever your preference, if it doesn’t quite feel like fall where you live… you can always welcome the lovely autumn season into your home via your kitchen.

Cheers!

mug shots

 

I’m starting a new series of posts here on The Saturated Palette, I think it’s going to be a lot of fun.  If you didn’t know, I love, love, love coffee mugs.  I’m a collector.  I don’t really do many souvenirs, but I do buy a new mug when the situation calls for it.  There are two reasons that I think mugs make the best gifts and souvenirs. 

1. I use them daily.  In the course of 24 hours, the husband and I usually go through 3 mugs apiece, per day.  Truth.

2.  I’m picky and if I get a mug, I know I’m going to like it and will want to look at it.  It’s not going to be something that I’ll shove in a box somewhere never to be seen again.

The husband and I started a tradition of buy a set of new mugs from Starbucks (We love our Starbucks/We’d love our Caribou Coffee too, if we lived anywhere near one), every year on our anniversary.  This started on our honeymoon and we have continued for the past two years.  They don’t always match, but they usually go together and the subconsciously say something about that season of our lives. 

Well,  moving along.  I have this theory, that you can get a glimpse of one’s personality from their favorite coffee mugs.  Or rather:  What does your favorite coffee mug say about you?  Have you ever thought about it?  Being the analyzer that I am, I do this often.  So, I’ll be starting a regular series here soon and I’m inviting you to join me.   E-mail me a short paragraph or two or three about you and your mug and don’t forget to include a picture and I’ll feature it on the SP.  Hurry and join the fun…

I’m not sure that I could effectively communicate my thoughts and feelings about this current state of existence, but be certain, there are many, many complex thoughts and feelings.

Upon entering month seven of this season of Matt being unemployed, trusting in God for everything from His timing to even the most necessary provisions, feeling the pull away from here towards something new and still very unknown, I’d like to punch anticipation in the face. 

Anticipation is exhausting me.

That’s all.

- - - - -

{Also in the category of things that are exhausting me, any and all clichés about things passing, timings, seasons, and  doors and windows closing  and opening, etc., etc.}

However, one case of anticipation that I am very much okay with, the season premiere of The Office and delicious homemade Hawaiian pizza for dinner—this I can handle.

in words #9

“The only time to eat diet food is while you’re waiting for the steak to cook.”

-Julia Child

forced.

I’m forcing myself out of this very un-creative attitude.  Yes, I mean forcing.  I demanded of myself that I cover this canvas with a calming shade of green paint, scour an antique book of British and American Verse for the perfect poem, and then put the fine tip marker to the canvas and inscribed those words.  I hung it above our bed for now, but it may not stay there.  Especially if I ever get that old wooden mantel turned headboard, that I visit frequently in my dreams.

Here is the poem that I chose…

Hymn to the Night, by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

I heard the trailing garments of the Night
Sweep through her marble halls!
I saw her sable skirts all fringed with light
From the celestial walls!
I felt her presence, by its spell of might,
Stoop o'er me from above;
The calm, majestic presence of the Night,
As of the one I love.
I heard the sounds of sorrow and delight,
The manifold, soft chimes,
That fill the haunted chambers of the Night
Like some old poet's rhymes.
From the cool cisterns of the midnight air
My spirit drank repose;
The fountain of perpetual peace flows there,--
From those deep cisterns flows.
O holy Night! from thee I learn to bear
What man has borne before!
Thou layest thy finger on the lips of Care,
And they complain no more.
Peace! Peace! Orestes-like I breathe this prayer!
Descend with broad-winged flight,
The welcome, the thrice-prayed for, the most fair,
The best-beloved Night!

a poetic treasure

I chanced upon this gem of a poem this evening.  I think every lady should have this printed and framed on her desk or bedside table, in a perfectly, vintage,  little frame.

 

Let Me Grow Lovely

Let me grow lovely, growing old—
So many fine things do:
Laces, and ivory, and gold,
And silks need not be new;
And there is healing in old trees,
Old streets a glamour hold;
Why may not I, as well as these,
Grow lovely, growing old?

-Karle Wilson Baker

a pleasant distraction

To be honest, I’ve had a less than desirable attitude the past couple weeks.  I’m working on it, I really am.  I probably could be doing a better job but… whatever.  So, there’s that.

This afternoon  {pre-shower and pre-lunch} I received a phone call from a friend, saying, “So I was thinking that I could pick you up in ten minutes and we could go to the antique store that is only open once a month and they close in another hour.”  I was about to say no, due to my current state of  not being ready to face the world, but the husband demanded that I say yes.  {I think he was trying to get rid of me, for a while.  He even said, stay out as long as you need, I’ll take care of the baby.”}

I’m glad I did.

• We visited four antique shops, dreaming and scheming about all that grand things we could do with a few dollars.
• We had a lovely chat with one shop owner, who was also an interior designer.  We talked about how she was possibly going to be renovating a house about five houses down from mine and turning it into a show house, open to the public during the holidays.  How fantastic would that be?
• We found a wonderful, treasure of a gift for a friend.
• We also check out this place that cures country hams, sells fresh produce and other canned goods.  We got to check out the room where the hams hang for months and months until they reach flavor perfection.  (It smelled incredible there.)  I almost bought a bag of locally roasted Country Maple coffee (sounds interesting, yes?)  but then realized that coffee was in abundance in my home, money in the bank, was not.  I definitely will be back there.  We learned about different varieties of squash and pumpkins, too.  When we were leaving, they told us to take a pumpkin home.  We both took pie pumpkins, the lighter ones, apparently are better for making pies.  Guess what I’ll be doing in the next few days?  We asked if they were a new business.  They’ve been there for 35 years.  They must be doing something right.  I can’t wait to try their hams.

I came home on the brink of being inspired and with a much better outlook on the world.  One of the shops we visited opens their warehouse on Saturdays almost flea-market style, only a few blocks away.  We’re going to visit tomorrow morning.

So thank God for pleasant and much needed distractions, and friends who love spontaneity as much as I do, a husband who tells me go out and do something , and free pumpkins, and antiques, and the smell of curing hams, and farmers.

I would like to have a farm and to try country maple coffee, but, I’d be happy with some sort of  development in the whole husband needs a  job/ what is the next step is for our lives.  For now, I’ll drink my Peruvian coffee and anticipate the warm banana bread that is in the oven.  That will be enough for right now.

{My pretty pumpkin}

in words #8

I will admit, I’m not feeling an ounce of creative at the moment.  It’s taking everything to do that whole “my whole being waits for the Lord,” thing {Psalm 130:5,6}.  More on that here…

But here’s a little something to help that process.

A little beauty and a little truth, in the madness.

Especially the whole, “sometimes you have to be changed,” bit.

Technorati Tags: Life,Growth,Art,Change

dear matt, you have stolen my heart.

Being married is my favorite thing in the world.

It’s probably because I’m married to you.  You amaze me everyday with your love, kindness, silliness, and patience.  You inspire me.  I used to be so independent, now I probably couldn’t function without you.

  If we celebrated every single anniversary for the rest of our lives by enjoying delicious “grown-up grilled cheese sandwiches and tomato soup,” that we love, that would be ok with me.

I love this crazy, unpredictable, and wonderful life with you.   Thanks for the best two years of my whole entire life… and here’s to 129 more.

PS.  I’d say yes all over again.  I most certainly would.