my happy thought before i sleep

black and white Bruce Weber photographs
torn pages from Vanity Fair and Vogue
wallpapered my room
when I was a girl.
inspiring.

A beautiful use of time

Dreaming of Light

I love Peggy Sirota's photography and I think about this Vanity Fair shoot whenever I'm having a crap day. I close my eyes and imagine this light. Warm and golden and full of life. I put myself in this field and I exhale.

Marking 30

30 is coming up in 2 months. I want to celebrate big. I thought tattoo. Chris didn't. At that point I began to question my sudden desire to draw on my body. And then I started looking for images of beautiful tattoos. Here are some.


I feel the momentum of this bird in flight. I feel like I'm soaring.


This tattoo on Danish model Freja Beha makes me want to walk taller and lighter.


The loose script of this tattoo perfectly evokes the feeling of love. (lost link)


Magical, pretty and flattering.


Sexy and bold. This woman knows who she is.


Special and personal. The hand of a landscape architect?


Vivid.


A good reminder.

I truly appreciate body art, but have no graphics or images that I connect with that strongly. There would be no need to hesitate if I had something in mind. I don't.

Perhaps it's not a tattoo I'm seeking. I'm drawn to the quality of permanence. I want to commit to something fully and completely. I feel a desperate need to do something remarkable and important to commemorate the last 30 years.

I may just be looking to better define myself. I often wish I could be summed up by a word, an icon or illustration. I wish I fit in a tidy little package. Anal retentive perfectionist : ) ...woman, mother, wife, daughter, sister, cook, photographer, blogger... 30 years old and still getting to know who I am. Sounds about right.

Desperately Seeking Caitlin,
C.

Mantra

Though I already have my theme for the year ("Enjoy the Ride" - a forgiving motto to set the tone for my first year as a mama), I love love love this mantra found at Natural Family Living Blog:

Use it Up
Wear it Out
Make it Do
Or Do Without

This old school motto is a wonderful counter to our obsession with consumption and our misplaced feelings of entitlement. Try it - it works! I found a cozy bathrobe on sale last weekend and although I own a perfectly good one, I found myself justifying the purchase: "It's a new colour" ... "It's a slightly more luxurious material" ... "I've had this one for 10 years!"

When I recalled "Make it Do or Do Without" it conjured images of my grandmother's "tupperware" - a 1970s becel container that she used over and over until finally it cracked a few years back. So, while I continue to have a working solution, it just does not make sense to indulge in something new. Instead I'll use up what I've got and look forward to the day that my bathrobe wears out.

the brilliant atheist

Copied from The Independent:

If you died and arrived at the gates of Heaven, what would you say to God to justify your lifelong atheism? VALERIE JACKSON, Richmond

I'd quote Bertrand Russell: "Not enough evidence, God, not enough evidence." But why is God assumed to care so much about whether you believe in him? Maybe he wants you to be generous, kind, loving, and honest - and never mind what you believe. (Richard Dawkins)

inspiring independence

"I tell people I'm not blind," says Ben Underwood. "I just can't see."