lately you can find me...

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loving our slower summer pace

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marveling at childrens' boundless and beautiful creative souls

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exploring some pretty exciting new ideas for the Makerie in 2013

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packing for a beach vacation and will be leaving the computer behind (yay for a nice technology break!) 

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picking lots of pretties and making really yummy things with them

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excited about the thought of finally planting roots and finding a more permanent place to call home ~ it's been a long time coming! 

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peeking at our flickr photos from this year's Makerie ~ so many incredible images

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getting a good workout pulling my two little ones behind my bike in the chariot (it will probably be the last summer for this as these kiddos are getting heavy!)

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falling more in love with Boulder every single day

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adding many things to my ever growing 'must make' list 

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thinking how fun it would be to camp in one of these 

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pondering what makes a person take the leap to follow their dreams ~ when I find the answer, I will let you know right away! 

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listening to the Gifts of Imperfection audiobook over & over again (my goodness it's full of such wisdom)

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finding the courage to grow the Makerie in new directions (for tips on feeling vulnerable when you try anything new, see above :)

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knitting this blanket, in a soft, gorgeous, variegated green yarn from Fancy Tiger Crafts, for my soon-to-be-born nephew 

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putting the final touches on two upcoming print articles and feeling very honored to be in these fabulous publications ~ can't wait to share soon!

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planning a special collaboration with a much admired colleague 

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trying to slow down the pace of our life (as always) 

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thinking about how we have just this one life and all of the little dreams I still want to go after

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keeping special notes in my journal to put together a book proposal I was invited to do (am I ready? but really is there ever a perfect time?!?)

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wanting to make raw beet & goat cheese ravioli
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realizing how important it is to set limits in the kindest way possible

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not being able to do it all (but gosh I sure try!)

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searching for ways to simplify ~ everything

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counting down the days until this evening planned with friends 

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spending time in the kitchen preparing lots of fresh fruits and veggies for snacking and meals

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wanting to learn how to pickle

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staying true to myself in every way I can 

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happy to be back on this blog

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hoping your summer is off to a lovely start!

xo

a not so big life

Summer is in full swing over here and I've been spending a lot less time online. I miss the constant inspiration and feeling like I'm up-to-date on things, but honestly ~ it's been quite refreshing to just shut off the computer and slow down! It also has me thinking a lot (& frankly struggling!) about how to find the balance of being in the online world and the value of turning it off. I am the first to admit, I love what the internet offers ~ it's ability to connect like-minded people, the instantaneous resources available, the beautiful blogs, a source of new inspiration, the sharing of ideas and favorite finds, etc... But at the same time, hours go by in a flash. In an era where time is a most precious commodity, the internet can be quite a culprit in taking it away. It worries me how fast paced all of our lives seem to be these days and the enormous amount of information we are constantly being fed. How does one stay present with the never-ending flood of communication we both send and receive ~ emails, text messages, facebook, twitter, blog posts, etc...? Does anyone write a handwritten letter anymore,  just because? Are our children going to know how to have a conversation in person or make a friend not on facebook? This is what I've been contemplating ~ a lot ~ and I think a huge part of why I love making anything with my own two hands. It slows me down and always brings me back to the present moment.

It feels serendipitous that I stumbled upon this little book this summer, as finding the balance of the online and real world is constantly on my mind. I've only read the first few chapters ~ finding myself hanging onto practically every word Sarah Susanka says and wholeheartedly agreeing with the profound (yet simple) wisdom she has to share. I do confess, it had me at the cover and tagline ~ The Not So Big Life ~ Making Room for What Matters Most. Sarah's philosophy is "that anyone can wake up from an overstuffed life to make room for what we long to have time for. It's possible to start living a life of full, rich, vivid moments where everything that happens to us is experienced fully, and where spirit and connection have room to thrive." If this is what living a Not So Big Life means, well then sign me up because I couldn't think of a more beautiful way to be in this world.

summer is here!

And this is where you will find us all summer long! Happy Sunshine!

xo