play a song for me.

My middle name, Ruth, came from my mom's dear friend who taught piano lessons to my older siblings. Later, when we lived in California, I remember listening in on their lessons and going to piano recitals. I also remember crying because I wanted lessons of my own (truth be told, I cried a lot as a child, and still do).

I only took formal piano lessons for about two years, but I've loved playing and teaching myself ever since. I could sit for hours at the piano and play to my heart's content. Part of it is my love for music and the other part is the way my hands feel across the keys, making something beautiful.

After years of being without a piano and searching for one I loved, we brought home an old upright piano this weekend. It's from 1905 and although it could definitely be in better shape, I think it's just perfect.

our endless numbered days.

I myself am made entirely of flaws, stitched together with good intentions. - Augusten Burroughs

Those words pretty much sum up my week (or life?). I'm so happy it's Friday.

they found their color.

The skies have been grey here a lot lately. (I've also been in a better mood lately. Coincidence? Doubtful.) But grey skies or not, I like to fill my life with color. In honor of these awesome vintage numbered glasses*, a few lists...

3 songs I'm listening to today:

Delta Spirit - Strange Vine
Bon Iver & St. Vincent - Roslyn
Andrew Bird - Tenuousness

5 things I should be doing right now that I'm not:

cleaning my house,
running,
photographing vintage finds (thank you for all the enthusiasm about it),
getting a pedicure, and
designing wedding invitations for my brother-n-law.

6 promises to myself for next week:

eat more vegetables,
hang up my clothes every day,
do not say "I have nothing to wear",
go to the gym atleast four times,
do not procrastinate major projects, and
do something nice and unexpected for a friend.

*Too bad I accidentally stepped on the number 5 glass and shattered it to a thousand little pieces. Why must I be so clumsy?

i'm feeling lost and found.

This red ruffled vintage dress was found while thrifting a few weeks ago (for one dollar and seventy-five cents...score). I can't decide if I should lose those extra ruffles and make it short-sleeved, or keep them and just embrace the feminine?

problem:
My closet, or rather the whole house, is filling up with all sorts of good finds I've rescued from antique/thrift stores.

solution:
Along with the other two SeeSaw ladies, I will soon be opening up an online vintage shop filled with clothing, accessories, home decor, and other goodies from bygone eras. Stay tuned.

fifteen years fly by.

We headed to downtown Mesa today for the historic homes tour, but then decided not to spend thirty bucks and drove past our favorite homes instead. It was nice spending a few hours together walking around in the beautiful cloudy weather, eating at our favorite local pizzeria, and discussing what our life might look like down the road.

In the interest of putting things out into the universe, here's a few aspects of our 5-10 year plan:

- a home downtown (we love the brick one I'm standing in front of)
- a couple of kids
- our own space on Main Street for a collaborative art & music studio
- teaching (art classes for little kids, letterpress workshops, etc.)
- Clint Hardison, writer & real estate mogul (kidding... kind of)

My heart feels full when I think about eventually living in a home/community we love, spending my days as a mother, and being involved in a creative environment.

the story is in the soil, keep your ear to the ground.

Pretty sure there's a tornado going on outside.

I love the rain and this crazy storm, but I was scared while driving home in so much wind today. Nine months after that car accident and anytime I feel slightly out of control while driving, my heart almost stops, I can't stop shaking, and my fists hurt from clenching the steering wheel so tight. Typically I'm a fast driver (unfortunately my photo radar speeding tickets can attest to this fact), so when I'm doing 40 on the freeway you know there's a problem.

Regardless, here's to inclement weather. Now I'm going to crawl under my covers with a new book and enjoy the sound of pouring rain.

standing on the shore.

"Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that." -Martin Luther King, Jr.

Today I've been thinking a lot about love, how it comes from so many places and manifests itself in so many ways. I heard something last week that stuck with me: being in the present moment IS love. I want to feel that every single day. Love, and peace within.

Speaking of peace and being present, I think it's time I get back to my yoga. And my client Spiritual Gangster just released an awesome new commercial that might convince you too.

confetti's in the air.

Not sure quite what it is, but this past week I've been feeling all out of sorts. One thing I do know is that I'm grateful for this guy who can always get a smile out of me, even when I'm a little grumpy.

And I'm also really grateful/excited/happy/relieved/proud/thrilled to say that he is now officially a college graduate. Congratulations, husband!

(photo of us by the lovely & talented kate lines )

tell me when my sigh is over.

I've been loving my breakfasts lately. Current favorites:

yogurt parfait
blackberries, blueberries, raspberries or strawberries
a spoonful of delicious Greek Gods honey yogurt
flax seed granola (I got mine at Sprouts)

green smoothie
kale (sometimes I add a handful of spinach too)
almond milk
avocado (just a little bit)
frozen mangos/papaya/pineapple mix

I've had either one of these every day for the past week and it's making me very happy. Thank you sister for recommending both.

sisters and soda.

One of my New Year's resolutions: no more soda.

So of course, on the very last day of 2009, I drank my share of Diet Coke and made a special trip with Clint and two of my sisters to Pop the Soda Shop in Scottsdale. 'Twas a nice farewell to fizzy drinks.

MMX.

We're pretty excited about the fact that a new year is upon us.
Here's to a brand new start for all...

and there you go.

I was pleasantly surprised with Pittsburgh. We loved getting to explore the place where Clint served on a mission for two years. Favorites included the Warhol museum, Hogwarts (aka the Cathedral of Learning where we took a rickety elevator up 40 floors and I got dizzy), all the bridges, incredible architecture, and amazing houses everywhere.




For the four nights we were in Pittsburgh, we stayed at this gorgeous English Manor bed & breakfast, and every morning the chef cooked us some amazing French toast and omelets. (The mansion originally belonged to a family in the printing press business; that and the fireplace in our bedroom made me extra happy.)








We spent a couple days in Erie to see Conor. I've heard about the guy for years and was thrilled to finally meet him. Clint baptized Conor while on his mission, and now he is heading on a mission to Brazil. It was so great to spend time with him, Jared & Sonya (other converts he baptized). We went up to Palmyra to visit a few Church history sites and go through the temple with Conor. What a beautiful, peaceful place... even though it was 5 degrees outside and I was wearing a skirt.









Niagara Falls was awesome. And freezing. I thought my toes were going to fall off, but they didn't.







The wintry beach at Lake Erie was lovely.





We woke up to a thick blanket of snow towards the end of our Pittsburgh stay. It was really pretty, but our hotel was at the top of a steep hill and we couldn't drive up or down because of the ice. The roads were pretty bad everywhere, and we had to cancel our trip to Fallingwater. (For about twelve years I've wanted to go there, and it's what I was looking forward to most. Maybe I shed a couple tears, okay?)

Despite that and the fact that my fingers were usually way too cold to take good photos, it was a successful trip. I'm looking forward to going back someday in the fall to see all the trees and leaves changing colors.

all swallowed in their coats.

Today we arrived home from a week-long trip to Pittsburgh. Now we're busy thawing out.

------- note --------
A small argument occurs nearly every time we ride in the car together, because Clint is always cold and I am always warm. I'll turn on the A/C and he'll turn it off... over and over and over. Our life struggle may very well be that I think I belong on the East coast, while he belongs right here under the sun (in a sweater).
---------------------

At least we were both in agreement throughout our trip that it was always cold. I'll admit, single-digit weather and snow blizzards sort of make it nice to come home to a 75-degree winter.

it has a nice ring when you laugh.

Sometimes, spending half an hour in a cozy corner of our house is all it takes to make me feel better. That and a messy bun high atop my head.

between the notes.

Today I spent six hours shopping. My feet hurt, but I love buying presents for people (almost all done). I've been very productive this week, crossing things off my list left and right.

Confession: we still have no Christmas tree up, even though we bought a real one and it's sitting in our yard waiting to come inside and be decorated. I decided I was sick of arguing with Clint about helping me get it done. Besides, there are more exciting things going on, like...

My husband is almost done with college!!!*



*I'm proud of you, Clint. Looking forward to spending more evenings together, taking more weekend trips, proofreading your books instead of final papers, etc. And yes, that absolutely deserves three exclamation points.