Ostara Spring

Things that make me long for spring!

1) Beautifully tended, colorful, fragrant window boxes that make every house look like a cottage in the Lake District. With or without the traditional thatched roof :p

2)Tea parties. Whether they're inside or outside, simple or decadent, I can't get enough tea. No seriously. Every time I'm in the tea isle in Trader Joe's, or browsing through a loose tea shop I leave with at least two new brews. My latest find is a pomegranate white tea from TJ. I'm also trying new scone recipes and have been munching on delicate crumpets for breakfast. Even in this rainy new-spring weather, I love sitting at the window with a steaming cup of English Breakfast.

3) White row boats! I know this is sort of ridiculous, but it seems so romantic and magical to me. I want to rent a boat for the afternoon, whip out a parasol, and listen to the cool water noises as a strapping young fellow rows in the summer sun.

4) Tea cups! This really should go along with the tea parties, but I've been collecting tea cups of late and it's almost as fun as baking scones. The only thing better than drinking a cup of tea is drinking it in an aesthetically pleasing, delicate work of art.

5)Keira Knightley. No, just kidding. The dress! Summer dresses, light and cottony. Simple and lovely. None of these asymmetrical bag styles that we've got going on these days. How about some nice cuts and some flowing hems? hmm? call me old fashioned, but I'm a fan of elegance. I even really like the long sleeves. I get sunburned a lot and I think this would be an added benefit in summer. Especially because SF weather isn't as hot as in other parts of the country.

6) And finally, spring boots! Try white, or another even more colorful shade like teal or lavender. This particular picture is a "granny boot," but I prefer to call them "Victorian boots," which is really what they are. I'm really a fan of laces. Even though pixie boots are cute, I'd like to try out some mid-calf styles. To be worn with the summer dresses of course.

Hair waver curls

This morning I had a fun time doing both my mom's and my own hair during breaks from reading an article for class. I tried a fun new hair curling style that involved a three-barrel hairwaver and the tricky ability to weave hair in between the prongs. I got this idea from a youtube tutorial, but unlike the girl in the video I neglected to wear a woolen glove. BIG mistake. I stubbornly pushed through the burns until I finally gave up and fished through a box of old winter accessories. The glove is a must.

YOU CAN FIND THE TUTORIAL HERE

photo collages!

This is mostly a trial post to test out whether I can actually create image collages. I've seen a lot of blogs that display coordinated images to go along with the theme of the post, and I've always found that these images complement the writing very well. I'm excited to try it out myself XD It's been a troublesome attempt, however, because my photoshop decided to disappear off the face of the earth... and more annoyingly off of my computer's harddrive. I've had to look elsewhere for an editing program.

Lately I've found myself pouring over pictures of glorious, majestic houses, personalized bedrooms, and mysterious gardens. I've been paying attention to the kinds of things that catch my eye: Victorian architecture, ornate woodwork, light colorful wallpapers, BIG wide open kitchens (to fulfill all my baking needs of course!), high ceilings, secret staircases, reading nooks, interesting wall and roof angles... all of these things strike me as making a home particularly lovely, homey, and pleasing to the eye.

Love

Maybe Valentines day SHOULD be boycotted. For single people it's a slap in the face for the whole month of February. Every time they go into Walgreens or Saveway the shelves are stocked with red hearts and teddy bears. Every time they watch TV or listen to the radio there are endless ads for Shane Company's diamonds, "the gift as beautiful as she is," or "the gift that says forever." And if they want to leave the house on Valentines day, good luck avoiding those stampeding gooey-eyed couples. And for those of us who are in relationships, popular culture Valentines day implies that it is the one day of the year when your guy buys you flowers or shows you any affection. It's weird... designating a day for love. Doesn't that go against everything that love is supposed to be? It's supposed to be free, and uncontrollable. Irrational and surprising. It's complicated and difficult, even painful at. It's a new chapter in life where you're no longer the sole narrator. Your lover can weave an enchanting fairytale, or a heart-wrenching tragedy. And you never know which it will be. Love is taking that chance. It is not a rhyming Hallmark card.

The Grand Scheme of Things

It’s 1:30 in the morning. I cannot sleep so I will blog instead. I’m stretched out on the floor next to the heater typing, and hopefully my boyfriend cannot hear my incessant finger tapping.

This afternoon I packed two sandwiches to go and headed to the beach to meet up with my friend. Under one arm I carried my scuffed up skimboard as I rode the bus. I felt slightly awkward carrying the thing, but it’s San Francisco and I see people riding the bus with surfboards all the time.

Despite the awkward juggling of a few things I was so happy that I made the effort and dedicated myself to the day’s events. My friend and I had been planning a skimboarding afternoon for ages and we finally made it happen. I always feel so warm inside and brimming with pride when I actually make plans happen. They’re so easily talked about as a concept or a wish or an idea, but often those plans never evolve past the invention stage. I feel so accomplished when I can actually make ideas real and tangible, with genuine memories attached that can be shared with friends.

Given that life is so mysterious and the future is so unknown, I often get overwhelmed. Yet, I expect myself to attain impossible goals and know the answers to profound questions that I shouldn’t reasonably be able to answer at this point in my young life. Like, what is it that I want to do with the rest of my life? On one level I realize that this is a question that many people probably ponder even in their thirties. And I realize that what we want from life is constantly changing as we grow older and learn more about what it is that makes us happy.

Slowly, I’m beginning to allow myself to be in that uncomfortable realm of not knowing. It’s scary, yes. It’s terrifying even, but I think it’s a much better place to be. It’s an honest place, a calm place, a safe place that allows me to be forgiving of myself. If I can find this place of acceptance I will be much more patient and content with life’s confusing twists and turns. Instead of asking ‘why’ and demanding an answer to all of life’s questions, I’ll be able to just go with the flow and have faith that answers will come when they ready. And when I’m ready.

As my boyfriend says, “be in the moment,” and I think that is a beautifully simple way to accept the unknown. The present is now, and ‘now’ is much simpler place to be than the future. And I’m learning that it’s the little things like skimboarding, being outside in nature, making rituals with friends, laughing with loved ones, and acting on those beautiful, fleeting moments of inspiration that keep me centered in the ‘here and now.’

This is my goal. It’s not laying in bed, fuming over the fact that I cannot sleep. My goal is to sigh at the silliness of it all, move on, and enjoy my heater’s splendid warmth, the softness of the pillow I’m laying on, and embrace the urge to capture my thoughts. It’s not much in the grand scheme of things, but it’s that grand scheme that throws me off. What may seem trivial to one person is what makes my life worth living. It’s the little things that make me happy. They make every moment special. And although a night of insomnia may not be such a great thing come tomorrow morning, but right now, on this night, it’s making the moment meaningful. And even one special, meaningful moment means more to me then the ominous grand scheme.

Mandrake

On Clement there's this amazing aquarium slash orchid and plant store. In a huge bin I found jumbled narcissus bulbs, sprouting and ready to be planted. I couldn't resist so I brought some home and I've been watching them grow ever since. I cant wait for them to bloom and fill the house with their beautiful fragrance.

Here they are at day 1

and here they are 4 days later with roots!

And of course. I love them because they absolutely remind me of the mandrakes from Harry Potter :D