just because

i kinda want to print this out and tape it to our grouchy neighbor's door.

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lillypad love

i'm having a busy bee day, but i thought i'd give you a pretty polaroid since my brain is low on words and thoughts right now.

taken last december, outside of my hometown in florida.
oh how i heart florida, friend times, lake days, and sunshine.

happy wednesday, my pretties. we're half way there!

irana douer

i recently came across the work of argentinean artist irana douer and can't get enough. i'm in love with her line work, her use of color and the moody tones of her drawings. they are so fantastic that choosing just a few to share here was ridiculously difficult.

check out her flickr to see lots more.

also, irana has an etsy shop, but it's currently closed while she travels around europe for two months. (awesome, huh?)

so, i guess i'll be waiting patiently for her return because my walls are in desperate need of one of these beauties.

teepee dreams

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how awesome is this dream fort teepee?

its another rainy monday here and i'm currently swamped with thesis proposal rewriting and editing madness. this weather makes me wish i could curl up with a juicy piece of fiction, and read and cat nap all afternoon. in a perfect world, i'd have a lovely teepee like this in the living room and countless hours to kill.

happy monday, my dears. i hope you're staying dry and have some time for a little cozy snuggling with a book this week. xo.

because weekends were made for fun

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yesterday was a crazy day and i never got the chance to wish you pretties a happy weekend.

so, happy happy weekend! i hope its a lovely one full of adventures.

i'll be doing lots of thesis proposal revisions and wishing i were outside, so soak up some fresh air for me, will you friends?

xo!

just because

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i needed a laugh. i bet you do too.

go ahead, you know you think its funny.

home sweet home

i like to dayream about secret hideouts.

how awesome is this lovely little 1965 constance caravan?

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a lyric a day

i'm not sure where i first came across this fantastic project by lukes beard called a lyric a day, but i've been totally smitten with it for a bit now. in short, hes creating a graphic for a different song lyric each day of 2010.

his designs are gorgeous and spot on.

i love the beautiful graphic designs he accomplishes by laying text over these dreamy photos.

that luke's got an eye.

a secret you and me house

so, you may or may not already know this, but i'm in love with treehouses.

when i think of the grown-up home i hope to live in one day, in addition to sensible things like wood floors and ample cabinet space, my daydream always includes a lovely treehouse all my own.

perhaps that makes it a not-so-grown-up house? yes? well, good.

anyways, a favorite way of procrastinating involves scouring the internets to look at other people's amazing tree houses.

and today i came across a fantastic blog devoted entirely to the love of tree houses,

appropriately named fuck yeah treehouses!

this lady is a blogger after my own heart. here are a few favorites of the jealousy inspiring hideouts she's posted.

so magical!

also, just for good measure, one of my favorite shel silverstein poems:

a tree house, a free house,

a secret you and me house,

a high up in the leafy branches

cozy as can be house

a street house, a neat house

be sure to wipe your feet house

is not my kind of house at all-

let's go live in a tree house.

lets, shall we?

wisdom

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i believe in god, only i spell it nature.

frank lloyd wright

eye contact

this amazing gadget is called the eyewriter and

it allows the wearer to draw with his or her eyes.

it was created by a group of artists and hackers for use by graffiti artist tony quan, whose every muscle is paralyzed due to lou gehrig's disease, except for his eyes.

human beings and the need to create are so inspiring, no?

read more here.

ghosts in the hollow

this multimedia project by photographer jim lo scalzo is the tale of abandoned appalachian coal mining towns composed of photographs set to music. its eerily beautiful.

read more about the artist here.

rainy monday

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its a grey and rainy monday morning here. i'm ok with this, however.

it rained all night, and as the sun came up the world appeared much greener. already soft little leaves have appeared on the trees. the grass is coming back. and hopefully the tulips will make their entrance soon.

spring rains feel restorative and fresh.

plus, we had a brilliantly beautiful weekend. blue skies, sunshine, and temperatures in the 70s. i was productive but also squeezed in lots of fun. saw alice in wonderland, went on a picnic, and attended a dance party.

all in all, it was a good one.

hope you were able to enjoy a bit of spring too. have a nice week, friends.

oh hello, spring.

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tomorrow is the vernal equinox. the first day of spring.

my favorite season.

the fresh baby green leaves that appear on trees in spring are one of my favorite things in the world.

they make my heart flutter.

they're what this blog is named for, by the way.

theres nothing quite like seeing the world come to life after a long winter.

anyways, i'm looking forward to the first day of spring and enjoying the glorious weather we've been having.

i'll be celebrating with some some fun outdoors , including a picnic. yay!

well, happy spring, folks. and a happy weekend too.

two things

1. the stoic old man librarian smiled and said hello this morning.

it totally made my day.

2. can't stop listening to these fellas.

danger mouse + that dude from the shins = cupcakes for your ears.

(npr is streaming the full album. check it. )

happy friday, loves.

stop motion is almost as good as cupcakes

a friend sent me this, knowing it would cheer me up.

its pretty fantastic. i've watched it three times, and each time i find more beautiful little details.

it also doesn't hurt that its set to one of my favorite songs.

enjoy!

we deserve cupcakes

oh my. its been a long day. i've been feeling a bit stressed. it was a beautiful spring day and i spent too much of it staring longingly out the window. but. i was very diligent and worked all day on proposal writing. no playing outside. barely any catnaps.

and for some reason i can't stop i'm daydreaming about the delicious peanutbutter cup cupcake i had a crumbs bake shop in new york last may. those cupcakes are sinful. and the size of your head.

after all the hard work today. i think i deserve one.

(and so do you, i'm sure.)

too bad they don't deliver to virginia.

be still my heart

owls are my favorite and this is beautiful.

taken by a friend of a friend.

several thoughts of little consequence

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1. i'm not usually a big fan of pink. this is probably because wearing it makes me feel like a barbie doll. however, as my heart is currently smitten with all things spring, i've been finding myself oddly attracted to this lovely shade of coral. particularly when paired with my old friend turquoise.

2. on a related note, i painted my nails a color similar the one above and they're rocking my world. (hey, its the little things in life, right?) anyhow, the name on the bottle is pitifully uninspired, so i've taken to calling them spring break pink. alternate names could include boca raton coral blush, or art deco salmon.

3. i tried a blueberry bagel for the first time this morning and my loyalty to cinnamon raisin was immediately in question. i'm a bit of a bagel addict, by the way. though i'd prefer to call myself a bagel connoisseur.

4. i like a lot of the work this fella does over at 20x200 and i think this print would make a nice gift to a boyfriend or girlfriend. is that strange?

5. opening the windows after a long, cold winter is one of the best feelings on this lovely earth. my cat, billie jean, who is lounging on the sun drenched sill, seems to agree.

6. its a sinfully gorgeous day here in virginia. a perfect one for a bicycle ride. and there are only three days until spring.

that is all. happy wednesday.

tuesday wisdom

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i completely share his sentiments. and i suppose this means its not a bad thing?

music for an eternal springtime

i'm back from a magical weekend, folks. except for a little rain on friday, the weather in florida was glorious. so was the music, food, and friend times.

the trouble with a great vacation is how difficult it makes returning to reality. the time change, coupled with the grey and chilly weather here in virginia, made getting going that much more difficult this morning.

anyhow, the sun peeked out eventually. and i discovered that npr is streaming a preview of she & him's newest album, volume two. i love how their website describes its sound:

"music for an eternal springtime, when the temperature is warm enough to go riding with the top (or at least the windows) rolled down and the radio turned up."

i also found this funny video for the album's first single.

those two could brighten any cloudy day.

happy tuesday, friends. i hope you have some sunshine of your own.

i'm ready

setting out on a road trip this weekend for florida in search of sunshine, music, beaches and friend times. so excited!

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i'm also planning on breaking in my diana camera this weekend, so hopefully i'll have some pictures to share when we get back...

have a lovely weekend, friends! xoxo.

letters of note

i came across this fantastic gem, letters of note, and just may be head over heals in blog love. it satisfies an appetite for all things old and vintage, a love of history, and my adoration of handwriting. and of course, my general noisiness.

you must give it a look. and heres a little preview.

happiness is within you.

apparently jimi hendrix knew that lines like that would melt a girl.

hate gives you wrinkles

earlier today i was lucky to be able to attend a protest rally in opposition to this measure by virginia attorney general ken cuccinelli.

its been estimated that there were nearly 1,200 people in attendance.

i am a strong believer in political activism and civil rights, and i found it inspiring to see so many diverse members of our community united for a cause.

what happened to virginia being for lovers, folks?

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fyi

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10 days 'til spring.

eeeee!