It's Ok

If you asked me about my approach to most aspects of life lately, my most probable response will include the words "over it." I'm not particularly stressed out or busy or overwhelmed; it's sort of the opposite. Waiting for my visa is literally going to kill me - right now it looks like I'm headed down the congestive heart failure route.

Between yesterday and today, I almost forgot that it was January. Sunny 55 degree weather (Farenheit, because I still don't know how to convert to Celsius) has tricked me into soaking up a little bit of the sun's rays - you know, before they completely disappear by 3pm.

I think I need a weekend doing something new, something out of the house, something in the sun to refresh me a little bit. Like a room that needs to have the windows opened so it can air out a bit, I'm a cramped up stuffy little piece of human these days. Let's see what this warm weather can bring, shall we?

Wood Nymph

I needed excuses to do two things today: to practice using Lightroom, and to wear my "new" hippie dress that I acquired this weekend. So I grabbed my camera and tripod and headed off into the woods, just off of a trail near the house where we like to walk the dog.

It's sort of sunny but cold today, and the sunlight was playing tricks as it filtered through the ever changing leaves in the soft morning breeze. Hues of gold and orange touched everything on the forest floor, and I felt like the floaty cotton dress was alive as I danced through the birches. It was a quiet way to clear my head today; a simple but effective practice in patience and self-love, as I set and reset the timer on my camera, running and skipping and repeating shots a dozen times each.

And now it's another piece of the puzzle in the learning process, as I gave Lightroom another go. I was going to separately edit in Photoshop and compare the two, but I think I'll keep pushing myself to learn if I don't allow myself another option. It is quicker, I have to say. And the lack of precision in the editing process forces me to think more about the composition while I'm taking the photo.
All in all, I loved the fairytale lighting in the trees today. It's one of those moments that I was genuinely happy to be by myself, alone with the sunshine and my thoughts.

A Good Day

What classifies a "good day"?

Working hard?

"Winning"?

I'd like to think it's contentment. That it's a balance of getting what you deserve and being ok with that. To not giving up, but giving in. Willingly. Gracefully.

That it's the simple things which we can interpret to be the bigger things. To see them in the light they were intended for. That a boring day can be a good day, because the air smelled like pine and roses. Because the morning fog was eerie. And the afternoon light was the color of honey.

A wise person once told me... "Age realigns priorities like that."

Confessions of a Blogaholic

I've got a lot on my plate these days, most of which is my own doing, and it's really exciting. But it's also exhausting, difficult, and sometimes I doubt myself and my abilities (I mean, who doesn't?).
Here are a few little facts & tidbits about me and what I've been up to lately:

1. I'm exhausted. Remember how I mentioned launching my food blog this week? I've been creating that thing for months. I've been watching/reading coding tutorials and trying like crazy to do it all by myself, because I really can't afford to hire anyone to help me at the moment. I even re-did the entire layout on this blog last week, and I'm really excited to be contributing on BlogHer now, as well. I might be "self-employed" but I am one slave driver of a boss. The minute Steve leaves for work at 8am, I'm on the clock until 5:30. Sometimes later, since I often photograph and write while making dinner (another beauty of having a food blog). I've worn myself out lately, and I need to rest more. But I won't, because I never really do until I come down with some kind of illness that forces me to take time off.

2. I've got 99 problems, and my bank account is all of them. I'm used to a steady weekly paycheck, auto pay bills, and just about everything being accounted for. Now I'm not the primary provider, it's a new concept for me to ask for money. For everything. It's not easy, especially since I was really proud of being (mostly) self-sufficient in the past. I've had to swallow that pride, because it's just not the important thing right now. Calling this journey a learning experience would be a vast understatement.

3. We're looking at apartments, and it's exciting. When I moved into my old one bedroom in Brooklyn, I had a suitcase and an air mattress for the first month. Everything else was acquired one-by-one, and more often than not out of necessity (Ikea) and not aesthetic choice. I'm really thrilled to be able to even conceptualize decorating my own place, start to finish, for the first time. I've never really had that opportunity, and I am all about vintage wallpapers and Pinterest right now. Plus, the town we're looking at apartments in (it's where Steve's office is located) is the most adorable picturesque place, and I've never really lived "on my own" anywhere that I wasn't afraid to go outside alone at night. So that's a brand new plus, too.

4. Fall wardrobe time (almost!). I couldn't wait to throw on this vintage sweatshirt today when it was too chilly to go without one. Boxes of boots and sweaters have arrived from America, and I'm really excited to start layering up my favorite autumn cozy outfits. It's my favorite season for clothes, and I am going to have to try really hard to suppress my urges to go shopping this year.

Things are happening, things are exciting, things are difficult, and the balance in between is life. Overall, it's a pretty good time.

Vintage Disney Sweatshirt (my own), Slip dress: Lerario Beatriz , Tights: H&M