Friday Favorites

I don't know what is up with the weather here lately but what the heck happened to spring? It showed up late and then hopped right back on the train, leaving us with way-too-cool temps and a cartload of clouds and rain. My flip flops are starting to lose their patience. 

Maybe Mother Nature is getting senile in her old age because she has clearly forgotten that this is the south. Bless her heart. I guess she'll figure it out eventually. Until then, my flip flops will just have to hold their horses. 

I hope y'all have had a good week. Mine has been pretty uneventful, aside from the two birds that took a notion to fly into my house Wednesday morning. 

The dogs have a very bad habit of pushing back in the house through the two sets of glass doors that lead into the sunroom and kitchen but I haven't been able to teach them to close them back behind them. Li'l Bit came to get me just as I stepped out of the shower Wednesday as if she was trying to tell me something.

So I followed her into the kitchen to see if she wanted out. She obviously didn't since the door was ajar. I closed the door only to turn and see a bird fly into it. A bird that was on my side of the door. I will never know why I'm always in a towel or in the process of getting dressed when things like this happen but this.is.my.life. 

I opened the door and got it to fly out pretty quickly and was on my way back to the bathroom when I heard one flying into the windows in the sunroom. Luckily, Brisco Darling was outside or that bird would have been toast.

Li'l Bit thought about it but backed off when I used my mean voice, and Lucky seemed completely oblivious to the whole ordeal. This one was a little trickier but I  managed to get it to fly out eventually, without losing my towel. Or my mind.  I can't say for sure it doesn't have slight brain damage from the number of times it flew into the window but it did seem to be flying straight when it left.

And I apologize but that's the best I've got for excitement this week. Woot! Now here (if I haven't bored you to sleep) are my favorites for today...

Big Dog, Little Car

This made me giggle.

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Squirrel Chair

I'm seriously considering doing this

on one of our backyard trees because

what with Brisco Darling of the Squirrel Patrol,

it would no doubt provide endless hours

of free entertainment. 

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Chick Flick?

This greatly amused me because

as many times as I've seen this movie

over the years, never once did I consider

this perspective.

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Anthropologie

I love every single thing about this.

Every.single.thing.

Home is where the heart is

This etsy seller customizes these

fun state prints. Very cool. 

Food for Thought

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Garden Door

I want to go in, don't you?

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Serenity

I'd never get out of bed.

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Split Image Top

If summer ever comes this year...

Anthropologie

42

Though I didn't think of it at the time, Devin went to

see this movie with his 8th grade class on an 

after school field trip

 on my 42nd birthday. Not that that has

a hill of beans to do with anything.

I just thought it was a cool coincidence after it

it hit me last weekend when we took

Dracen to see it.  

I did not know much about Jackie Robinson, other than

the fact that he was a great baseball player,

until Devin told us a little about him after the movie,

making me want to see it.

Very impressive man, he was. 

I highly recommend...

Any big plans for the weekend? I've got Silver Linings Playbook from Netflix since I never saw it in the theater and can't wait to watch it!

Happy Friday,

Wiener Wednesday...Italian Fashion

I recently discovered (via The Long and Short of it All) that there is a high end clothing company, Harmont and Blaine, founded in Italy in 1995, with a signature emblem of none other than the fearless Dachsie. Who knew? 

Best I can tell, they don't yet have any stores here in the U.S. but there is one "coming soon" to  Las Vegas.  I scrolled through most of the items on their website. They have a larger selection for men than women and kids although I highly doubt there is any way on God's green earth Charlie or the boys would ever be caught dead in anything of this nature...

I did find many items that I would love to have in my closet, however...

Would it kill that model to crack a smile? I'm just sayin'.

Happy May Day, Y'all!

Be Still Tuesday...Practicing Patience

I've never been the person who has trouble sitting down. I guess you could say that procrastinating chores is something that just comes naturally to me. When I set my mind on something I want with a passion, however, kindly step out of the way so I don't mow you over with my over-zealousness. In other words, it's all about what I really want to do. 

But I've noticed lately that even when I'm sitting still, I'm rarely allowing my mind to be still. Silence is important and I am always amazed at how relaxed and energized I feel when I take time to just be consciously in the moment...no scrolling the pinterest boards, checking facebook, twitter and instagram on my laptop or iphone but just.being.still...for a moment...or even a minute. ;) 

Tuesday is yoga day at the gym I go to and I always look forward to going to that class at noon because I know I'm going to be forced to put everything aside and practice patience and stillness for that one hour. 

And I always walk away feeling renewed and more at peace with my soul. 

One of my very favorite Bible verses (Psalm 46:10) is one most everyone has at least heard or seen written at some point and was also an inspirational force for my beginning this blog in March of 2010...

I don't know what it is about that simple verse that speaks so deeply to me but I can just about hear and envision God Himself speaking directly to me each time I see it written.  

So starting today, I am dedicating Tuesdays here on this blog to being still. I may share a "be still" moment or photo from my own life experiences or I may share another's piece of writing, video, photo or whatever else that I've found exceptionally uplifting or inspiring...

Dracen never gets up at first call on school mornings. In fact, he is quite the "patience tester". This morning, after he FINALLY got up, ate his breakfast and brushed his teeth, I yelled down the hallway that it was time to go but was forced to go back and fetch him. I found him sitting in my bathroom, slowly-slowly combing his hair (that was still sticking up all over his head) like he had all the time in the world. I grabbed the comb out of his hand, slapped some water on his head and combed it down in ten seconds flat and told him to "COME ON! It's time to GO!"

He slowly got up and went into his room to find another shirt because he decided he just could not live with the one he was wearing. I was tempted to LOSE IT and normally, I would have. 

But today, something (maybe the grace of God) came over me. I looked at the clock that read  7:19 (I try to pull out of the driveway by 7:20) and decided that I was going to stay calm, patient and peaceful, no matter what.

 So I propped myself up against the door frame, crossed my arms, and just watched him. He opened a dresser drawer and began fumbling through shirts, clearly looking for something in particular. I quietly and calmly asked him which shirt he was looking for and he said, "Umm...just one second, Mom" and then he promptly pulled one out and over his head and headed toward me and the door.

And we made it on time, just as we always do.

It was a sort of  'a-ha' moment for me...the realization that yelling, panicking and running around barking orders and idle threats into the wind like the sky is falling not only doesn't work but adds a ton of unnecessary stress and negative energy to the situation and to all within it. 

Patience really does pay off. 

Now if I can just remember that again tomorrow, and the next day, and the day after that...

Trying to be Still,