Remember back before Pinterest, before Tumblr, when inspiration was tactile and we could circle it with sharpies and cut it out and tape it to notebooks and stack those piles of inspiration on our desks?
Before Pinterest, these are the images I would have torn from the Early Summer 2013 Serena & Lily catalogue.
I’ve been in a bit of creative slump, lately. Her nap times come and go, and the silhouettes of half-made fabric dolls stay untouched on the wooden dining table near the windows. Bits of felt and embroidery thread remain stashed in the basket, sketches with new ideas remain taped to the wall, and fabric remains uncut.
And these pages haven’t been so filled with words, not so very many words at all, because words seem just kind of flattened out and tired, these days. Nothing magical really comes from my pen.
Even us, well, we stay in the house. The thick and sticky air hugs the house and warms it beyond comfort, and clings to us when we step outside. It’s heavy, it pulls us downward and pours its moisture into us and we tire of it so quickly. There is no wind.
Inside, we turn up the music, we make forts out of pillows and sheets, we cut everything into bite size pieces, we rinse and repeat. And we drink tea.
Lots, and lots of tea.
And you know what? It’s the best, most delicious, invisible imaginary tea I’ve ever had.
I’m tired. I’d like to rest my heavy head tonight on a bed of California stars. But around here, lately, when we’re awake and not falling asleep standing up, we’ve been…
…taking advantage of our Sea World passes.
I’ve also been…
…blogging for Babiekins.
—Summer Style: 6 Must-Have Items for Boys
—Get the Look: When I was Young in the Mountains
—Get the Look: Inspired by ‘Waiting for Mama’
—Spring and High Summer: Noa Noa
—Get the Look: When Stella was Very Very Small
…fetching food from grocery stores, getting said food home amidst the rainy season downpours whilst attempting to maintain the toddler’s sanity as well as my own.
…somehow managing to cook food into edible, if not somewhat burnt, things. (Rinse and repeat.)
…running around in the sweltering humidity to take photos of Aveline (think of it as hot yoga + aerobics). She is a Mini Socialite at Mudpies & Fairytales this week!
…celebrating the launch of Missile Monkey, an iOS game/app designed and produced by Josiah and his dad (the excitement around here has been crazy! This is the culmination of more than a year and half’s worth of work! If you’ve already downloaded it, we’d love it if you’d rate it as well.)
…scheduling posts for Summer Vacation Tour, the virtual travel series which will launch here later this month. Paris, London & more!
…fixing a bridesmaid dress fiasco, in which a dress ordered months upon months ago never arrived.
…serving as a loungy-type piece of furniture for a certain small person. (You can find the sewing tutorial for her toddler harem shorts here.)
…not sleeping, courtesy of the same certain small person.
…rewashing clean laundry, again due to the same small person.
…supervising the multiple baths needed per day to keep small person acceptably tidy.
Now, if you’ll pardon me as I fall asleep to this beautiful song (a Wilco cover of a Willie Nelson number).
The new spring/summer line of Toast’s House & Home collection was released today! Here are my favorite images from the catalogue.
You might also like to read my other Toast UK round-ups:
We spent Saturday at the beach, and yes, I went a little picture crazy. But do you blame me? I mean, we’re talking about a day at the beach. Delicious picnic food, sunshine, Hannah — who is suspiciously absent from these photos, although she is the camera-girl behind the pictures of Josiah and I together — deliciously salty air, the water’s steady rhythm, and Aveline’s first time splashing in the waves.
Baby’s inaugural trip to the ocean was this spring, but as she wasn’t even three months old yet, she mostly slept. So, last Saturday was her first time really experiencing it. How great is it that Auntie Lauren was there this spring, and Auntie Hannah was here for this moment? Hannah even captured video of the moment Aveline walked into the water. I just wish you could have heard Aveline’s tiny giggles when the water touched her feet!
I was really surprised that she didn’t eat handfuls of sand. I mean, she’s the girl who puts everything in her mouth, so I just fully expected her to try to chow down on sand. (I’m so glad she didn’t.)
We walked alongside her, and let her crawl along in the wet sand next to the water’s edge. She was delighted, and kept making happy little sounds.
Our own little beach baby, our own darling girl. It’s such an unspeakable and overwhelming feeling to share these joyful moments with her. Thank you, Lord!
[Note: For those of you who’ve asked, Aveline is wearing a Raw Amber Teething Necklace c/o Hip Green Baby. It is designed especially for babies; the plastic clasp is designed to break, and there is a knot between each bead to keep them secured.]
P.S. Yes, yes, Josiah is getting a haircut this weekend. You can stop tsk tsk-ing now. ;-)
1. Thrifted Lands End tank top
2. Thrifted handmade crochet lace collar (pinned on with safety pins so I can remove it to wash the tank)
You too can have this outfit, if…what?! You mean you don’t have a mother who mails you boxes full of fun clothes and sewing notions? Oh.
My days are filled with coffee and sleepiness — with morning light, evening light, and the shadows in between. The baby is alternately hyper and tired, filling moments with giggling as well as sobbing. Her breath rises and falls, always a steady rythmn, always a constant hymn humming a reminder of the life which God has given.
These are captured moments, frozen still in time by the click of shutter. This is every day, painted in soft hues. I see these moments now like suspended drops of dew, reflecting what the sun has to say by casting diamond shadows on the ground.
She’s enraptured by everything, reaching out her tiny hand to take in the newness of every experience.
I hold her close, breathing in her perfect essence. She fits so perfectly in my arms. I love these moments more than I can tell you.
And yet, these are days of solitude. Josiah leaves each morning, working hard for us. Aveline plays with her basket of treasures while I make breakfast and start the day’s chores.
This is a different life than I’ve ever had before. Not just because this sweet little being has come to be a part of us, but because we have followed the Pillar of Fire to the edge of the continent, here to Florida, the opposite coast of the place we called home. And “the God who has been my shepherd all my life [is my shepherd] to this day.” (Genesis 48:15)
The One who was, and is, and is to come.
She is a happy little thing, so peaceful, so content. She looks to us for everything she needs. It does not even occur to her to become anxious or stressed that we will not care for her tomorrow or the next day.
She just looks to us, in this moment, and trusts.
I want to look to God this same way. Oh Lord, “guarda mi alma…porque en Ti me refugio.” (Psalm 25:20)
Hello again! Just popping in for a moment to repost this photo, which I originally shared back in June. Natalia over at Ma Nouvelle Mode is hosting a Summer Lovin’ Photo contest, and wouldn’t it be fun if Aveline’s happy summer face won? :-)
To vote for Aveline, go to the Summer Lovin’ Photo Contest page and then click on the thumbnail image which says “Aveline’s Summer Lovin’ Smile”.
Thank you, friends!
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