beauty for good.

as we all struggle to wrap our minds around the terrifying effects of the catastrophic events that have and continue to occur in japan it is easy to feel helpless. while i was sitting here feeling stunned and heartbroken reading the news, my friend erika was putting together a way for all of us to help those who can provide some relief.

erika has a gathered a small collection of prints from a handful of photographers to be auctioned off with all proceeds to benefit the relief efforts of the ICRC (international committee of the red cross). each photograph is 8x12 with a borderless lustre finish and printed on archival paper. your purchase will ship directly from costco professional printers in order to cut down on shipping costs. there are 8 prints to choose from (see above) and at $20 each they make an affordable way for you to brighten someone's day (maybe even your own) and do a good deed all in one go. the prints will be on the auction block until saturday, march 19.

i feel fortunate to have friends with such giving hearts and am humbled that erika invited me to contribute to this project. i would be honored if you helped us in this effort to show some compassion and love for our fellow humans who are facing struggles and hardships that really are beyond my comprehension. it truly is a small world and every bit of kindness helps.

for more details you can visit here or go to the erika ray photography facebook page where you can get a larger view of the available prints.

10.

the lovely, and expectant sarah of bee house hives tagged me to make a list of 10.

10 things that make me happy to be specific.

so, these are 10 things that are making me happy right now.

1.

my littles love to be read to. bea loves word books, henry has been into nature/science.

2.

bea is almost done teething. at least i don't think any more teeth will fit in her mouth.

3.

my kitchen table, so much so that i have started a set on flickr for it.

4.

the flowers on my kitchen table.

5.

80's music . . . seriously.

6.

some long awaited books are in the mail and on their way here.

7.

quiet nights with matt.

8.

wild curiosities of a three year old boy.

for example, wondering if he is going to have hair on his chest when he grows up.

9.

that bea can not be still (or quiet) when she hears music. i love love love having a tiny dancer!

10.

spring is on its way.

if you have not played along yet, please do and leave a link in the comments if you do. i'd love to know what's making you happy these days!

favorite friday

the crafting community. because you people seriously rock and know how to open your hearts.


if you are like me and a little slow to the game then maybe you haven't heard about craft hope's etsy store - craft hope for haiti. if you haven't (i just learned about it over the weekend) you really should check it out. so many lovely and unique hand crafted items for sale with all proceeds going to doctors without borders. as of this morning they have had over 1000 sales and have raised over $20,000!!!

my donation at craft hope for haiti was posted early this evening and has already sold! ***thank you***

if you haven't made a donation they are taking a break from accepting donations for a couple weeks. they still have hundreds more to post! keep checking in with them though because the store IS still open and they may be accepting more donations at a later time. and don't forget that craft hope always has a donation project going. project 6 is still underway and there is plenty of time to knit that up by they february 14 deadline.

going coastal

this past weekend we had the pleasure of mixing business with pleasure and headed to the coast.
matt had a sculpture show (his first!) in summerville, sc. a town that appeared to be full of beautiful, restored, hundred + year old homes. the night before the set up we drove a little ways past summerville and stopped in charleston to visit with one of matt's old college buddies, jon. we actually lived with jon way back in 1995 when we moved to savannah and had no place to live yet. we had jobs, but no place to rent, so we drove back and forth over the state lines for a couple of weeks.
anyway, jon lives on a great piece of property right on a river that heads into the deep water. his house was a little ramshackle when he first moved in. i didn't see it then, but from what matt was telling me before we got there i was a bit nervous.

and then we get there. late. really late. midnight, maybe. and it is dark. very dark. the house sits at the end of a dirt road, no street lights, nothing. we know we are in the right place because jon told matt he bought an old city bus to revamp into an rv and it is the first thing we see. next we see the sweetest little greenhouse (made from found windows) all lit up. then jon comes strolling up. we tour the green house first. full of lemon tree seedlings, herbs, and tomatoes. it smelled so good in there!


we move on to the house and enter in through the kitchen. the first thing that greets us is the plants. they are everywhere. that and the orange walls.  

then you meet the most amazing found-in-the-woods sink (almost everything in jon's house was found/thrifted/salvaged). i actually miss the sink. it was a beauty.

   

up a few steps and you are in the living room. perfectly worn walls, more plants, found artifacts, a beautiful old piano, guitar after guitar, and just the most cozy room i've been in in a long time.

 

this room was the original room to the house. everything else was added on later. (not by jon, except for the 2 decks). in all there are 4 rooms, not counting the bathroom. this house exuded charm, coziness, and calm. mixed with the rest of the property, which included the greenhouse, a chicken coop, garden, outdoor sleeping tent, exercise area, hammock, and a fire pit, i felt like i was on vacation, it was so relaxing and peaceful. i was not surprised when jon's girlfriend amy said they rarely left their home. i don't think i would either.




come back later, and i'll give you more details about the trip and matt's show.

good things come from good people

a few weeks ago kristin at mainemomma had a little contest and lo and behold, i won!
the prize was my pick of one of kristin's beautiful photos. not an easy task to pick just one. her work is so lively and bright i practically favorite all of her pictures on flickr and i had to take a few days to make my pick.
then, to my surprise (again) kristin said i could pick two. that doesn't make the task any easier, by the way.
so today the envelope arrived. i don't remember if i contained my squeal of delight, but i do know i was showing a lot
of teeth. my neighbors probably thought i received a bailout check of some sort the way i was grinning.

i got a little extra cheeriness in my day when i opened up the envelope and found 2 bonus photos plus 2 cranes, one for bea and one for henry. those already have a home on the bookshelf in the dining room. in sight, but out of reach. now i just have to find the right home for those beautiful pictures. my mission for the weekend.

thank you again, kristin! i can't wait to give your work a place of honor in our home.