Fresh New Look

If you usually read my blog with a reader* take a minute and click over to the real thing tonight so you can marvel at the talents of Erin at Designer Blogs. For the second year in a row, Erin gave my blog a makerover. About once a year I feel the need to shake things up around here so when I discovered Erin last year I found a person who can take my random ideas and turn it into something amazing.

I decided to really treat myself this year with a few little extras - a snazzy flavicon (next to the web address) and at long last a button - so if you want a splash of orange goodness on your blog, feel free to grab the code.

Many of you have the skills to create your "look" yourself, but for folks like me who need a little help, I can highly recommend Designer Blogs. They do amazing work, are reasonably priced and an all-around joy to work with. If only my home remodeling projects were going so smoothly!

*Note: if you are wondering just what a reader is, drop me a line and I'll give you the details. Google Reader makes my life so much better. I read a TON of blogs and it is so easy to have them all in one place.

Here's a little Brooke Waggoner - "Fresh Pair of Eyes" in honor of my the fresh new blog before my eyes.
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Back in the Groove

I hope you all had a wonderful Thanksgiving full of yummy pumpkin pie!

Mine didn't go quite as planned - that unplugged week I had in mind?  Turns out I spent much of the week plugged in for a work project that just will not end.  But I was still able to spend some good time with my parents and even managed to see the newest Harry Potter (loved it!)

With Thanksgiving behind us, my thoughts have started turning towards Christmas.  My list is made and I'm ready to start decorating and shopping - I avoided Black Friday - but did find some great deals online over the weekend.  Did you brave the stores this weekend?  Were you successful?  This may finally be the year where I do all of my shopping online - hitting the malls or any other store this time of year tries my patience.

I'm still struggling to get back into the groove today, don't know what happened to my motivation, but this song is helping me get there, doesn't it make you smile.  Ellie Goulding, "Your Song"
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November Cheap Music

I'm unplugging next week and spending the holiday week with my family.  But thanks to Amazon and their gigantic sale of album's $5 (or less) I'm leaving you with a long list of musical options.

First up - album's I've picked up this month from the sale:
   














Albums I already own and can vouch for:
     




























Albums still on my wish list:

   



























Lotta great music at amazing prices right now!  And don't forget to give your library a try - I've found some great stuff there lately.  Best thing I heard this week?  The new Adele "Rolling in the Deep" it feels like I've been waiting for years to hear something new from her.

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A Recommendation

A few weeks ago I won a gift certificate for a great etsy shop, I had a blast picking out a pair of earrings, and I'm thrilled to report they are even better in person.

Gaby didn't miss a trick - not only are the earrings well-made and beautiful, they were beautifully packaged.

If you are looking for some beautiful and unique jewelry for a Christmas gift, I can highly recommend dropping by her shop, Gaby Burger Designs.

I've been listening to a bit of Sia lately - I love here voice and the fact that her songs aren't the run of the mill pop songs.


Looking for some songs to get you in a Thanksgiving mood?  Check out my post at i-Studio today. Pin It

Maple Grove

One of my favorite places on earth is a small campground about 20 minutes from my parent's house.  When we were kids the family would go camping there quite often in the summer.  I have such amazing memories of the place.  All the time spent climbing "the big rock," the hikes to the "eye," the shows we produced at the amphitheater and walks we took on the trails that winded through the area.


I missed the beauty of fall there this year (and for about the last decade if I'm honest.)  But my SIL and I drove out one afternoon anyway - and even with most of the leaves on the ground it was a beautiful place.  It was fun to share a few stories of our adventures out there with her.  I'm actually a bit jealous that she gets to live close enough to visit whenever she wants and I don't.


I'm pretty sure this is the last of my autumn photos - which is a good thing since there is now snow on the ground.

I'm listening to this song as I edit photos and blog - it is so beautiful I just have to share.
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Little Sadie

One of the things I love about being home?  My little Sadie gets to live with me again.  Isn't she adorable all curled up?

She's a great companion, when she isn't barking at the neighbors, anyone who walks by the house, one of my paintings or her own reflection.  She's a funny little dog who loves nothing more than curling up on my lap.

I do admit I think she's a bit happier at my parent's house because she has their dog to hang out with, two people to shower her with love instead of one AND a backyard she can explore off the leash.  Still, I'm glad she's hanging out with me for a while and I'm very grateful of for my parents for caring for her while I travel.

Crooked Still - Little Sadie
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Perseverance

My wardrobe most of the year tends to be colorful, but come winter and I just can't get enough of black gray and navy.  So I couldn't help but be charmed by my mom's black-eyed susans which keep trying to add a bit of color to her hard even after most of the plant has turned black.

I couldn't help but think there was a message in there for me - even when the weather makes everything gloomy, it doesn't mean I can't keep trying to shine as long as possible.

Did you know Ingrid Michaelson has a new album coming out soon?  With songs like this I have a feeling I'm going to love it.
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Cemetery Mysteries

While in Aurora I took the dogs for a walk each morning - not only did it feel amazing to get out, it made the dogs so much easier to get along with.  My mom suggested that I walk laps around the cemetery with them so I wouldn't have to worry about cars or neighbor dogs (a challenge when you are walking two dogs.)


 a couple of days of this I started to notice the tombstones and found myself getting curious about a couple.  The first one is a single marker with the name:  Mexican Baby - no dates or any other identifiers.  This had me extremely curious, so I went to the information board to see if I could figure anything else out, but there is no other information on this plot.  And no one I asked knew anything more.  How sad.


The next mystery is much sweeter.  This pair of tombstones are new - within the past 5 years.  But no one knows anything about them - a last name for the couple or any dates.  It appears that they are newly marking an old grave, but none of the people asked have any idea who Jim and Ada are or how long they've been in the cemetery.  Even without knowing more of the story, I think these may be some of the sweetest tombstones I've ever seen.  So simple and yet so full of love.

I love this song - and it makes me think of the sweet love song Jim and Ada must have had.
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Autumn in Aurora

I recently spent a week in my hometown housesitting for my parents.  It was a bit surreal to be there without them, but I enjoyed getting reacquainted with this tiny town nestled in a valley surrounded my beloved mountains.  And I loved capturing photos of the town in all its fall glory.

I love my parent's back yard.  They've built an amazing koi pond in one corner that puts me in the most meditative of moods.


This year, the tree over the pond that typically turns from green to yellow to brown had the most beautiful red leaves.  A tiny gift from nature.


Even the view from their front porch is pretty amazing.  Nothing urban about this view, but it felt so right to be back where I belong as the seasons change.

I downloaded this song for free somewhere this this week and am loving it - Good Old War "That's Some Dream."  I keep singing the line - "it's alright, I'm okay," not a bad phrase to have going through my head.


Looking for a great workout mix? Checkout my post at Inspiration Studio, here's the LINK. Pin It

In Love Again

When I lived in Seattle I had a subscription to Netflix and loved it - but when I moved to Brazil I canceled it and have missed it ever since.

When I moved back to SLC, I knew I'd be around for at least a couple of months so I signed back up - and I've fallen in love with it all over again.  This time around I can't get enough of the instant play feature.  I love that I can turn on my Wii or computer and instantly watch hundreds of movies and TV shows.  So far I've watched 4 seasons of 30 Rock (how did I miss this hilarious show?)  And am now working my way through 3 seasons of the BBC's Robin Hood (in a word - AWESOME!)

I've enjoyed instant play so much the first physical dvd I received (3 weeks ago) is still sitting on my TV.

Are you a Netflix fan?  Any movies or TV shows I need to add to my queue?

Have you heard the new song by The Decemberists?  I like it.
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Snow? No Thanks

We had our first snow fall last week, it didn't last long (luckily) and we are now back to Indian summer weather.  But just after it snowed I noticed my mom's flowers were still standing strong - even covered in snow.  I hope I survive the snows this winter as well as this little flower did.  I also hope we don't see more snow for another month (I'm sure the skiers are hoping just the opposite, but I hate driving in the stuff.)

How do you feel about snow?  Love it?  Hate it?  Never see it?

All this talk about snow leads me to one thing - Snow Patrol!

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One Last Wish

While I was outside playing with my niece and nephew I noticed a lone dandelion in the lawn.  I got down on my stomach to get a photo of it.  I was hoping for a great macro shot with amazing detail.  I snapped one quick photo before starting my adjustments on the camera.  While the photo wasn't as sharp as I wanted, I thought it was decent.


Before I got a second photo off, this happened.  Somehow adding a model I love to the mix made the photo that much better and suddenly I didn't care about the details, I cared about the emotion and the lovely morning light shining on her face.  Miss M got the last wish of the season - hope it was a magical one.

I've fallen in love with this artist and song.
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Swapping Saturday - Jennifer of Gilding Lilies

I'm so happy to welcome my friend, the lovely and talented Jennifer today.  We've decided to swap blogs for the day to give you a little variety and to give us a change to work together.  I hope you enjoy her post today and it gives you some great ideas for holiday shopping.

Hi, I'm Jennifer aka Gilding Lilies. I'm so thrilled that Jamie invited me to share some Etsy Shopping ideas with you. For those of you that might be unfamiliar with Etsy, it's a site where talented artists and crafts people can sell their wares. As an artist, it's invaluable to easily have a way to show your artwork to people all over the world. As a buyer, it's a great way to find an amazing assortment of wonderful arts, crafts, supplies, and vintage items from far and wide. It's like the biggest and best craft fair ever! I'm warning you, it's addictive.

I invite you to stop by and visit my shop ( http://www.etsy.com/shop/gildinglilies). I have many gift items to offer including signed photographic prints, gift certificates, jewelry items, and greeting cards. I'm also happy to offer a 2011 Calender that features many of my photographs, which are suitable for framing after the month has passed.  

So, I recommend you go visit  Etsy, and show some talented artists some support. Doesn't that sound like a better idea than just helping out malls and big corporations? Trust me, the artist's will really appreciate it, and you will feel the special and personal attention. It's a great experience!

Here are some of my favorite Etsy gift ideas for the season.

 

'Creamy Winter White Gifts' by gildinglilies

Enjoy!

Cream knitted leg warmers Flutterbydaisy $47.00	rabbit girl and her good fri... zeng $11.00
amate top zelaya $76.00	Winter White Stretch Lace he... GarlandsOfGrac... $15.00
NEW - 8 Layered Big Champagn... milkysupplies $9.30	Gold Lip Dish upintheairsome... $34.00
Organic Vegan Oatmeal Comple... runicrhymesoap $4.00	Hot water bottle aran sweate... ACrookedSixpen... $36.00
wildflower earrings foundling $35.00	SALE Off White Lemongrass Sa... kerrirenee $8.95
Oatmeal Cup Cozy, Beige Mug ... natalya1905 $15.00	Soft Cream Ruffles- Swanky C... SwankyCameraCo... $35.00
a thousand whispers . five w... katescottage2 $24.00	Whites Shades - 3 x 11 Yards... PaperPhine $13.00
Ginger Peach . solid sugar s... DancingMooney $7.50	SALE - Deco Border Lace Tape... orientalflea $2.99

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