magic monday

I'm knitting again, a blanket out of scrap yarn to use up some of my stash. And while I'm happy it dwindles down some of my supply, I'm more thankful for the relief it brings to my soul. The repetitive motion of knitting row after row and having to concentrate so I don't mess it up and end up with holes all over the place calms my anxiety. It's been a rough week, and I'm so grateful to have knitting as a method of self care. 

magic monday

Friday night we got our first spring rain. I got out of work and felt tiny raindrops on my skin and took a deep breath. I forgot what rain smelled like. It smells like spring, like earthworms and dirt and new beginnings. It made me genuinely excited for this new season. I'm inspired to bring out my camera again, to play with film, to take self portraits.

I want to put the last three months behind me, because they have been hard. I have grown so much and that's not without a lot of growing pains. They haven't been without a lot of fumbling around, losing sight of myself and then refiguring out who I am inside. Spring gives me the hope that I can try again. I can fall and get back up, that I can be stronger than the self that I once was. 

Happy Monday, friends. I hope it's Magic for you. 

2 years

Dear Buddy,

Two years ago we lost you. You crossed over the rainbow bridge and none of us have ever been the same. You were only "my cat" for 5 months but God damn it I loved you so much. I miss you being a bed hog and snoring like a motorcycle. I miss you and Bubba competing for the last bite of my sandwich. I miss you meowing like crazy if you didn't get fed right at 5 o'clock. 

When I came home from California you started hanging out in my closet. I eventually had to pick you up so you would be able to climb on my bed. You chose my room as your solitude spot, where you knew you were probably going to die. Bruce told me you were basically "my cat" when it happened, even though Bruce and his mom took you in and raised you for 14 years before you made the move to Wisconsin. 

I miss you Buddykitty. I'd give anything to snuggle with you in the sunlight one more time. 

kiss the sky

I will always be in love with the sky. Some of my favourite sunrises & sunsets of 2015 so far. 

a day in the life

A day in the life, Sunday March 15, 2015. As told through Snapchat stories. 

4:08 AM — dragged myself out of bed in search of coffee. I open at work on Sunday's and Justin usually starts my coffee for me (bless his heart). 

8:39 AM — on break at work. Breakfast of champs, a loaded breakfast burrito with salsa & a cinnamon raisin biscuit. 

1:40 PM — home from work, in search of more coffee. I microwaved a cup left over from before I went to work. 

5:43 PM — went for a walk down by the beach. It was chilly but so peaceful. Exactly what I needed. 

6:00 PM — shadow selfies. I was walking back to my car and am always working to improve my puddle pictures. 

8:11 PM — stopped to see Whiskers at Justin's parents house on my way home. I sat in the kitchen and talked with Justin's mom for a couple of hours and 

spent some quality time with my cat. 

I love the idea of doing this maybe once a month or at least a few times a year. I also love the concept of using Snapchat to document it because it's so simple. 

magic monday

Yesterday I took a chilly walk down by the lake. I broke out the self timer on my phone and took selfies for the first time since September and it felt so good. Self portrait therapy is the best and I forgot good it is for my soul and my mental well being. I felt so much lighter after I was done, like all the stress and the weight of the last few months had melted away.

So this Monday I'm grateful for self portraits and photography because they always help me find my way back if I've been lost for a while. 

magic monday

Three cheers for daylight savings time, though if you had asked me yesterday all I would have done is yawned. 

Spring has sprung around here. It's 55 degrees today and it's supposed to stay this nice at least into next week. I'm excited to take pictures in puddles of melted snow and wear shoes that aren't boots again. Adrian's opens on Friday. I'm hauling all my spring and summer clothes out of the bins in my closet. I'm inspired to take pictures again. 

Spring, welcome back. Thank you for the sunshine. 

spring ahead

It's 43 degrees outside. It's supposed to get into the 50s later this week. Starting tomorrow we get an extra hour of sunlight every day. Spring is so close I can almost taste it and it feels so good. 

just for fun: weaving

Last week, in my no-phone-tv-watching black hole, I made a loom out of the end of a cardboard box and started weaving. 

One of my goals for February was to make 3 just for fun projects. This is the only one I completed (but I have a blanket & a painting in progress!). Weaving might become my new knitting once it (finally) warms up around here and it's too hot to be covered by yarn. I had a lot of fun going through my yarn stash and coming up with a color scheme. 

I'm excited to see what else I can come up with for "just for fun" projects, especially ones that I can complete in an afternoon. 

magic monday

I took a trip to Burlington on Saturday to see my family & attend a celebration of my great Aunt Betty's life after she passed away in the beginning of February. Every time I go home I appreciate getting to spend time with my family and friends, and this time was even more special because I got to see my extended family that I only see maybe once a year if I'm lucky. I ran around like a chicken with my head cut off, driving to and from my dad's house and stopping to see my best friend for 10 minutes before we went to the party.

This was also my first time going home since my dog died, and it was so weird. I kept expecting to hear barking every time I pulled in the driveway, and kept waiting for him to burst through the front door and run to meet me at my car. My mom and I talked a lot and it was so good to spend time with her and to see updates she's done to the house we both grew up in. I love my family and I always cherish time I get to spend with them.