Perception

 I feel that most people don't know what really exists around them and that they are so focused on trying to keep up with people who don't matter to them. It is so easy to get trapped in this and very difficult to break. Sometimes it takes years to really understand that you have been trapped in a world that you never intended for yourself. Sometimes it takes a major life changing but not catastrophic event to get you to realize where you stand in your own life. What once was, isn't no more. This is scary, very scary especially if you feel that your values are being challenged by someone else. It makes your head spin, your stomache churn, and keeps you up at night. When times have been tough no one is there to give you the instruction manual as to how to proceed, this you have to figure out as you go. Too bad life didn't have a DIY page you could google to get the right way to handle situations. I think the best way to go about navigating your life is to hold onto your core values...values that are so pure to you that no one else knows what they are. This I consider your road map. At those vulnerable times this is where you retreat to...your road map. Maybe you are on a dead end, but you can always turn around and start over.

 I often associate life to nature (if you couldn't tell!). I try to fill my life with pretty things and good people but have to admit I am not always successful. I find it amazing that beautiful flowers so delicate and fragile can withstand downpouring rain, heavy winds, and even a trample or two by the next door neighbor's dog or oblivious toddler. They somehow always rebound! We are much tougher than these little gems, we were built to last longer and endure greater barriers.

 Color is all around us! Some more vibrant than others. Have you looked around the routine of your day to take notice of all the color? When you get in your car on your way to work or go for a walk, what is it that you see? Really see? Maybe you are focused on good conversation and could care less about what natural beauty has enveloped you.

 These photos I share in this post are just snapshots found along or on my property (again)! I do not live in a beautifully manicured piece of property like I stated in a previous post, but this is what I see. This is what I take notice of. What little treasured gems live outside your door? ...or along your walk? ....or on your drive?

 While we all love strawberries in some form or another...my two strawberry plants purchased two years ago from Walmart for $1.99 each, have now multiplied like rabbits and have overtaken my entire garden space. Now, the question is what do I do now? Do I keep the abundance of plants which I know will produce an abundance of strawberries or do I scale them back?

This is my newest natural treasure that has decided to take up residence at the corner of my garage. No, it was not planted there but has somehow found its way to its perfect place to grow and thrive. And, it makes the corner of my garage look pretty!

Happy Memorial Weekend

(Photo from http://www.examiner.com/)

Food is often a vehicle for how we Americans express ourselves. This image that I chose articulates feelings, thoughts, and stirs emotions in each of us and can have profound symbolism. The color combination tells a story without words. So on this day we categorize as Memorial Day, I hope that you are able to stop for a moment and articulate in your mind what this day means to you and why many people have this day off. To those who have sacrificed for the rest of us to live in the best country in the world, this day is yours!

Nubble Lighthouse

Nubble Lighthouse, York Beach, Maine

Maine is everything you think is should look like! It is a big state with relatively few people! This particular lighthouse is one that I grew up visiting all through my childhood. My grandparents, who have since passed, went on their honeymoon to York Beach, Maine and Nubble was a highlight of their travels. I have heard the rumor that it is the most photographed lighthouse in the United States but I can't find any data to prove this rumor correct! Either way, it is a beautiful place to visit and to capture your own photos of the place. This lighthouse is not accessible by anyone other than the caretakers of the property. It is not accessible because it sits on its own island just off the mainland by just a matter of feet. The only way to the island is by what looks like its own sky rail ride. At one point someone was living in the building but as of today I don't know if there is anyone living there now. I am sure there has to be someone there at all times to make sure everything is working properly but I don't know for sure.

If you were to look right from the first picture this is what you would see, the rocky Maine coast and nothing but 50 degree water. You may climb on the rocks but be careful because the black spots on the rocks are extremely slippery!

Right in front of the lighthouse, despite it looking like you can walk over to the island, you cannot. Water fills the valley so you cannot cross over and if you do, I suspect you might get a special visit from some nice people in nice uniforms. Actually, at one point there was a sign forbidding people to go over to the island when the tide was low, but I did not see that sign this past time I was there. Forwarning...

Looking more to the right of the lighthouse....If this looks peaceful to you now, it is incredibly peaceful in person!

This is a picture of a beach just in from the Nubble Lighthouse called Short Sands Beach. It is called Short Sands because there is another beach just a corner away that is called Long Sands Beach and it is over a mile long of beach that fully drains when the tide is low and fully fills when the tide is high. The treasures you can find at low tide are stunning. Maine is known for those beautiful shells called Sand Dollars. My grandmother collected so many in her early years of going to Maine that she filled glass jars. I was not lucky enough to find a fully intact shell but I found lots of broken shells. Either way whole or in pieces, I was able to get my hands on these little gems!

I thoroughly enjoy traveling! Not to travel in the sense of spending a lot of money or getting on a plane to a faraway destination or exotic cultural experience (if I could I would) but really paying attention to what is close enough to get to in a car. Yes, the whole continental USA and Canada and South America are doable but I am talking about your backyard. What do you notice? What do you see? I love to explore and stumble upon new places, new destinations, and new experiences all of with the intention of keeping "free" in mind. Money did not buy me these pictures. Money did not buy me these experiences. My drive, interest, and passion for wanting to know and see what is around me brought me to these places. You have to find inspiration and passion around you where you can and if you are one of the lucky ones to see it in your life, you won't need much more than that to have peace, simplicity, and ultimately happiness with you at all times! ...PS-Don't forget your camera!!

Patience

So far this blog has been an interesting journey and I am amazed at who has peeked at my "under construction" site! I am having a great time trying to navigate this blog and how to do things in a way that looks put together and somewhat professional! So far I am pleased with most of the pages I have posted. As time goes on I intend to write longer posts and include more information so up until now it has been a "trial run". If you have taken 30 seconds of your day to pop in and visit please feel free to leave a constructive comment. I will take any constructive feedback with good intention and hope it will help me proceed forward with success! I have heard from several people through messaging and thank you for taking time to contact me! I am a newly gooly to this virtual blogging world and have thoroughly enjoyed the company you have given me!

Thank you visitors for stopping by and giving ME your 30 seconds! Now, if I can only fix my "Grab My Button" link and picture....sheesh!

Have a happy and wonderful evening friends!!

Drift Wood...

Drift Wood...

You just never ever know what treasures you will find at the beach! While it is easy enough to go to the local souvenir shop and buy a variety of shells and other natural sea items, they just don't measure up to finding your own bits and pieces of the ocean's treasures sitting along the shore. While I don't have a mantel to display my treasures here is my latest display of what was found along the Rhode Island shore....drift wood.

I didn't have a vase large enough to store all the wood so I stuffed them into my old-fashioned candy jar!

Happy treasure hunting!

Maine

Have you ever been to Maine? Or a better question would be have you been to Coastal Maine? If you haven't figured things out yet I love the coast! It is a place where I draw inspiration, peace, and inspiration. Every time we go to the beach, any beach, our minds clear of the clutter that litter our thoughts much of which is useless! Going to the beach is fairly easy for me. Most people think about the beach as a summertime destination only and can't possibly think outside the box and go off season! Well, I tell you, off season is the best time to go to the beach! You never have to deal with crowds, you almost never have to pay (and if you do the cost is minimal), parking is easy-smeezy, you have free reign of the beach, dogs are allowed (...I don't have a dog though!), the weather is still warm in the fall up here in the north, and there is an overall sense of calm. Don't get me wrong, I head to the beach during the summer to but it is either early morning for a couple hours of after 5 for a couple hours! Everything is so much more beautiful!

York Beach Surf, York, Maine

Anyway, I am taking a break from sharing my inspirational places in Rhode Island and taking you up to the southern Maine coast! I needed a break from the daily grind of life and its daily dealings so we headed north. Taking a few hours to catch our breath, take in the sights of the sand, sea and salty air, and to break the routine was exactly what I needed! A few days would have been nice but at this point not possible. When you think of Maine what really comes to mind? For me it is about me being a kid! I would spend a week ever summer as a kid exploring and staying at different outfits in the town of York Beach. Now it is highly desirable by the more wealthy people but growing up it was a small quaint fishing village, a place few people outside New England knew about. Not true any longer but none-the-less still utterly beautiful!

Kennebunkport, Maine

It is amazing how one day the weather is displeasing to the next when it was possible to walk in the 52 degree frigid water! I show here some photos I took that inspired me and brought me a sense of calm. I hope you enjoy these and find inspiration at a place you consider your very own playground!

Rocky Shore Ogunquit, Maine

We finally see the Sun!

It has been about a week since New Englanders and especially us southern New Englanders have seen the sun. So what did we do....we went exploring the coast of Rhode Island! Well, that is primarily all we do is go exploring! There is nothing better than free and so that is how we choose to use our time together. For those of you who have never seen the Atlantic from Rhode Island here are some photos to tempt your taste buds! Yes, we are the smallest state in the entire continental United States but there are some of the most beautiful beaches and hidden treasures to find here. Neither my husband nor I are native Rhode Islanders but we love it here! And these are the reasons why....

Point Judith Lighthouse, Rhode Island

Same location just looking down the cliff

The Point Judith Lighthouse

Homeland Security Naval Station at the Lighthouse

View from standing near the Lighthouse

Another view...

...and this is what made this all happen!

Who says you have to spend money to enjoy your days? Hope you enjoy this snippet of Rhode Island today as much as I did. Many more snapshots to share with you in the future!! ...and think about visiting; I am sure you won't be disappointed!

Simple Pleasures

The title Simple Pleasures is a catchy one! However, it is a fabulous gift shop in southern New England that I visited for the very first time today. I went there with the intention of getting some gifts but there was so much to puruse through that I left with nothing but some fantastic ideas to create on my own. This shop is located in what looks like an old wooden barn. I didn't know what to expect but anticipated a hollow place that was dusty, dark, and not well organized. A place you had to really rummage through to find your very own treasure. Pulling up in the dirt parking lot was a wonderful display of all kinds of pots and garden art, benches, watering cans, and stone bird baths!

I proceeded to the front door, opened the wooden door, and gasped! I was so wrong about my interpretation of what I thought the experience was going to be like. I walked in the door and was completely awe-stricken! The lighting, the displays, the items, the cleanliness! This place was so deceiving and knew right then and there it was a place that needed my time! I didn't know where to look...up, down, through...but followed the beautiful wooden floor aisle. I honestly didn't know where to look or what to touch! Everything was just magnificently displayed. Displayed in a way that grabbed your attention and a yearn to pick it up!

I didn't know where to go first! This place was a place I would dream of owning someday. They carried just about everything that you can imagine and the items were quality items! As you meandered through this barn you are brought into a multitude of different "rooms" that make up this huge space. It makes you feel like you are traveling through someone elses home and have free reign of all their stuff! There's a great mix of old vs new! I was especially attracted to all the old wonderful pieces of furniture dreaming of what I would like to restore for another person's home. Luckily, I own a very small car!

Some of what you can find here is beach related but it is not the tacky stuff! Nope, not here! You can find green glass star snack dishes, fish bowls, sea shells, silver sand dollars, star fish, and whimsical beachy signs!

Then I decided to retreat to the loft! Another spectacular place to explore!

So, this was my journey today! An adventure that ended much better than expected and I left empty handed because I just could not decide on what to buy! I hope you enjoyed this journey as much as I did today! Maybe if you are visiting southern New England you will stumble upon this place and have your own experience. And if not, you can always go next door for some chocolates and ice cream!  

Until next time....

Simplicity

I often wonder why we have long stretches of one kind of weather. There is a philosophy out there that states all things happen for a reason or some version of this saying. The message is often sprinkled through songs we hear on the radio.

So, all things happen for a reason, what are we to do with this information? I bring this up because here in southern New England the weather has been wet, rainy, and just plain depressing all week long. We were lucky enough to have a total of five minutes of sunshine since last weekend!

 When the sun came out today I stopped what I was doing and enjoyed it for the two minutes that it lasted. What followed was a pretty hefty downpour, lucky us! The pictures clearly represent the dreariness we have been blessed with this week. I can only imagine what will happen when the sun does decide to come out for more than five minutes next week! Hello, Summer! Hello, mosquitoes! Hello, May flies! Hopefully this stretch won't return for quite some time! So, I conclude that this weather happened to bring simplicity to our over crowded lives. For some reason rainy weather calms me down and brings a sense of peace to my life.

Favorite Designer of all Time!

Who doesn't have a favorite designer that they follow or a style that they just can't get enough of? Whether you know it or not we all do! There are certain characterists that attract us to that item. Maybe it is the color, maybe it promotes balance, maybe it is the front porch of a home, maybe it is the location, it could be just about anything! Likewise, we know what we don't like!

For the longest time I have been a huge fan of the Canadian designer Sarah Richardson and her side kick Tommy Smythe! Sarah's style is anything but stuffy! Her work and manipulation of space invokes peace and tranquility and always a sense of closeness. She is one of the most talented women who inspires me in many ways!

Recently, her new show Sarah's Cottage aired in my local area so, of course, I needed to watch it! (Well, I have never missed a show of hers, ever! I mean ever!)

Here are some pictures taken from her site of her cottage. Who wouldn't want to spend a weekend or two or three or the entire summer here...! Enjoy...

This cottage just makes me want to be a designer, work for a designer.....or maybe just dream!