la vita è bella

Yesterday, I brought home a pink Vespa. I've been daydreaming about crusing on my vintage-style scooter to a coffee shop on a lazy Sunday afternoon for years now. Today, I found out that riding a scooter to a coffee shop on a warm, sunny afternoon really is every bit as fun as I imagined- maybe even better. My dream didn't include the exhilaration of feeling the wind on my face or looking straight up and seeing clouds in a bright blue sky.

At some point in early 2010, I declared this the year to finally start replacing daydreaming with doing. It's so easy to think circumstances will be just right not now but someday, using logic to guide us through life. Rather than analyzing every decision from 20 different angles, I'm finally doing all these wonderful things I've always dreamed about- like getting my dream scooter.

still missing seattle

 

I took this photo in Pike Place Market last year when Brandon and I were in Seattle on our honeymoon. We stayed at a hotel within walking distance, and visited the market multiple times that week- mainly to swoon over the beautiful buckets of flowers.

true living

This past weekend, I attended an amazing Sabrina Ward Harrison True Living Project art journaling workshop in Seattle, hosted by Angela Ritchie Ace Camps. I've wanted to do something like this for many years, and my first art workshop certainly exceeded my expectations (and trust me when I say I knew in advance I'd have a wonderful time traveling to Seattle to spend a weekend creating).

It was amazing being surrounded with a group of kind, genuine, and interesting women who seem to share a love for so many of the things I appreciate: seeing beauty everywhere, having large and random collections of art supplies, thrift store shopping, Polaroid cameras. This has done so much to renew my spirit, in ways I can't even put into words right now.

Tomorrow, I head back to class where I'll be learning more about the nature of JavaScript code- but tonight, I will continue savoring the memory of poetry, pink blossoms, and paint on my hands.

happy.

I love how my sweet dog looks so content in this picture. A perfect picture for a day like today.

As soon as I finish typing up this week's paper (I'm about 40% finished and my ability to concentrate is quickly dwindling...), I'm packing my new purple plaid suitcase and getting ready to leave for a weekend trip to Seattle. I'll be participating in a workshop with one of my favorite artists, Sabrina Ward Harrison.

So excited.