TRUCK furniture

I stumbled upon TRUCK, from Japan, on BODIE and FOU, right here. If only I were burdened with the dilemma of a largish space designated for use as my ideal work studio, I could easily make use of some of TRUCK's furniture. Seems a reasonable fantasy, right?

Prairie Underground: cloak hoodie

I am not alone in my admiration of Prairie Underground's cloak hoodie. The long version is so flattering. If there is such as thing as universally flattering, I think the cloak hoodie comes very close. Perhaps it wouldn't be ideal for a very ample bosom'd woman. I haven't yet tried on the shorter, hip length cloak hoodie. Still, I'm confident I would get endless wear out either length.

There are certainly other gorgeous, highly functional pieces out there by Prairie Underground. Alas, they are not in my budget. But, I will keep watch for the right cloak hoodie (love it most in dior grey), gently worn perhaps, on ebay. Several other garments from P.U. suit me to a T so you can bet I'll make mention of their super wearable creations soon.

art collection addition: 'Blue'

My fascination with portraiture shows no signs of waning any time soon. This is my most recent addition to our Ruth Shively collection. Blue is an oil painting on wood panel. I'm not yet sure where she will reside.

Most likely a deep red wall background, or possibly a much more neutral, warm eggshell-hued wall. Wall color certainly impacts the overall feel. I only wish we had more space around the perimeter of our very modest sized home to prop paintings on the floor against the wall. I now stick with smaller pieces as the walls are filling up. Must build more walls!

Dropmark: This I like

I was just introduced to Dropmark, by way of Swiss Miss. Thanks for the tip Dan! More than a couple of times I've been on the verge of jumping onboard with Pinterest. The inevitable loss of countless hours devoted to creating pinboards keeps me from it. I don't tweet and am not on Facebook. Although I'm not a compulsive person, I like to dive in in a bigger way than meshes well with managing other life commitments for now. Honestly, Twitter and Facebook continue to hold little appeal for me. We'll see if that status changes.

Back to Dropmark. I like it. It's a cloud-based tool for organizing all types of files into collections. For now, I don't see myself using it as a collaboration tool, although that is what it's for. I think I could get carried away with this one. I've only messed around briefly - and only with pictures, but it appears to be just what I need. What appeals to me most is that, in addition to categorizing images, you can include web links, video, text and more. Check it out.

the beginnings of my first collection (images only).

sugar break

My sweet-tooth is severe. In recent weeks I've considered taking a wee break from sugar. I suppose I need some detox. I have made a little agreement with myself to attempt a week without sugary treats. Sharing my little commitment -- yikes, that's a strong term -- here just might help me along. A little accountability can't hurt.

It's nearly 8pm in Seattle, and I've managed the day sans sugar so far. Nights are the most challenging for me. Wish me strength!

image found here

paring down: a meaningful ritual

image found here

I have come to accept that I will likely always be in the process of paring down. It is a way of life for me. I dislike clutter, but I don't equate a 'lived in' state with clutter. Although it would not be evident upon visiting my home, I prefer tables, counters & desk surfaces to be spare. All of that stuff that interferes with function clutters my head, clouds my thinking and drives me nuts.

Periodically, I push for the nightly 5-minute sweep to make sure we all (the kids and I really) put our things where they belong and, thus, help keep our systems working. I seriously fall down in enforcing these sweeps.

My girls share a small room. They have sufficient storage for their clothing - the items they actually use - but they cram their drawers full to that point where simply opening or closing a drawer is difficult. Forget about finding a specific article of clothing. This is what they know. It's what they've always done. Empty space seems disquieting to them. My fault... I know.

The kids are home for mid-winter break this week. I snuck away mid-day to work on my own closet & drawers and add to the donation bag. I have avoided dealing with shoes for too long. I have a special fondness for footwear. I came up with one pair for donation and 4 to list on Ebay. Three pairs of these shoes and boots are particularly difficult to part with. I often tell the kids that if they have toys and clothing they are not using, someone else might put these items to good use. Or, they can take those in nice condition to our favorite consignment shop for trade in.

For me, paring down feels like a shedding of weight, a greater sense of freedom. I think the rest of my family experiences this as well but to a much lesser degree. Ultimately, this process of repeatedly evaluating which things we need is probably a fairly healthful exercise. Many of us strive to be more mindful of what matters and live our lives with intention. My recommendation: unload as often as you like.

These are one of my hard-to-part-with pairs of shoes. They're twenty year old saddle shoes that haven't been worn for the past fifteen. I put them in the shop instead of on Ebay as they fall into the category of vintage shoes, boots & objects I list on occasion just for fun. And they would pair nicely with a ruffle skirt!

what I'm watching: United States of Tara

I'm way late to the party when it comes to anything on cable t.v.. We don't have cable. Recently, however, I came across United States of Tara on Nextflix. It's among several I had hoped to see one day.

Season One had me hooked and eager for more from the first episode. I've been a fan of Toni Collette since Muriel's Wedding. She is spectacular in U.S. of Tara.

As an aside, this is the first show in which I have caught a direct reference to Etsy.