Farin' on the West Winds of Erin: March 2011

Thursday, March 31, 2011

10 Ware Ditties

Erins are allowed to beg, steal, and borrow from other Erins

as though we're all one and the same, right?

If it's one Erin's idea, the other Erins are entitled to it too, right?

Um...

Here I go copycatting another brilliant post from this lovely Erin.
Hope she don't mind ;)

10 little ditties about Mr. and Mrs. Ware...

1. When we first met (in a bar in Boulder), I thought he looked like James Blunt...

*image from squidoo.com

Running through my head were the lyrics "You're beautiful!"

Oh yeah, and I had short blonde hair.

2. I met his family a week after we started dating.

3. One, two, three squeezes is code for "I love you."

4. A's marriage proposal plans

--spending a night on the town--

involved buying me duplicate cosmetics

(hairspray, face wash, deodorant, my favorite perfume, powder, blush, mascara!)

so that I wouldn't notice anything missing or "packed."

5. We have wedding rings tattooed on our fingers...

6. We made up a voice for Bishop

and have conversations pretending we're him.

"Chicken, chicken, chicken..."

"Hey, Titooooo!"
(The poor dog doesn't know
how many laughs we get at his expense.)

7. We're homebodies--

we like to cook dinner,

open a bottle of wine,

watch our favorite TV shows,

and be in bed by 10PM.

(So what?)

8. A likes his feet tickled (WTF, right?!)
and I like my head scratched (Duh.)

9. We primarily call each other by the petname "Love."

10. Our song is "Breathe" by Angels & Airwaves.

(Who was also our first concert!

And the song we danced to at our wedding.)

"Did you know that I LOVE you?

Come and lay with me.

I LOVE you!

And on this day, I LOVE you!

You make me feel alive.

And I'll LOVE you

until the end of time."

Friday, March 25, 2011

More of the Same.

It's getting a little out of hand,

these dream home blog posts of mine...

My sincerest apologies, for here's yet another!

A buffalo in my living room!

http://unfollowmecunt.tumblr.com/page/9

JK obviously.

A divan!

http://smallrooms.tumblr.com/

Exposed beams!

http://blog.designpublic.com/

A secret cubby hole for reading!

http://beamish-alice.tumblr.com/

Huge canvas artworks!

http://www.etsy.com/listing/70728582/ribbon-20-x-20?ref=cat3_gallery_8

http://www.etsy.com/listing/70176291/champagne-horizon-36-x-24

A bathroom wallpapered in a bold geometric pattern!

http://www.etsy.com/listing/66161469/allover-stencil-scallop-reusable?

ref=sr_gallery_24&ga_search_query=wallpaper&ga_page=2&

ga_search_type=handmade&ga_facet=handmade

P.S. I actually adore the house we currently live in.
You'd never guess, would ya? ;)

Happy Friday, y'all. May the weekend bring you happy dreams!

Tuesday, March 22, 2011

Lean Manufacturing

"Life is really simple, but we insist on making it complicated."

--Confucius

That Confucius...a durn smurt man, no?

Maybe it's the recent happenings in my life (a minor mental breakdown (speaking of which--sorry, y'all, for those downer posts) and an ill grandmammy (she's better now, thank the little baby Jesus!)) or maybe I've just got the spring cleaning bug, but for one reason or another, I have an irresistible urge to clean house, declutter, move things around, and simplify...

...also known as lean manufacturing--a neato term I learned from my freelance writing projects. it means "optimizing flow; increasing efficiency, decreasing waste, and deciding what matters..." (Wikipedia).

http://pinterest.com/pin/6060230/

I've been humbled a few times already this year, with multiple events telling me to prioritize what really matters. So I'm starting the prioritization process at home!

As Dr. Ann Gatty says, "By keeping things in their places, there is a sense of order that can have a calming effect on a person. It also helps you develop a sense of control over your environment."

http://9gag.com/gag/89871/

As Tina Su of http://thinksimplenow.com/ says, "There is beauty in space, but we fail to recognize it because we can’t see through the stuff we own. When we open up physical space in our environment, a tremendous feeling of peace can dwell within us." Like opening a window! She continues, "Because everything carries energy, the mess in our environment can affect how we feel subconsciously. We might suddenly feel very irritable without knowing why. Your closet and the surface spaces of your home are good places to start this cleaning process. This will result in a deeply therapeutic and fulfilling experience." (Also check out Tina Su's suggestions on how to declutter our minds!)

It was therapeutic to clean out my closet and my jewelry! And it is a fulfilling experience, collecting unwanted household items/objects for donation! Not to mention, I've begun placing our favorite items front and center and the items we use everyday in better reach...

An efficient household, folks--let's hope it wears off on me ;-)

What practices keep your house (and mind!) in order???

Monday, March 7, 2011

Lent, Meaning "To Lengthen."

This Wednesday begins the Christian season of Lent.

"Lent" comes from the Old English word "lengthening,"
in reference to the season of Spring in which the daylight hours lengthen.

Instead of my usual giving up of sweets and pop and the like,

I'm hoping to give of myself this Lent,
to stretch myself,
to lengthen my soul till it catches Spring's extra daylight like a sheet on a clothesline.

And so I compiled a spiritually-minded Lenten "To Do List" of sorts

(whether or not you celebrate Lent,

I hope you find this To Do List worth your while)...

1) Take a walk outside--whether alone or with a loved one or with that doggone doggie of yours ;) Breathe in the fresh air. Feel your footsteps on the gound. Look up at the sky. Listen to that bird in a tree. Thank God for your life. For the beautiful outdoors. And for the present moment.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/funandfancyfree/4617960802/

2) Consider David Kuo's idea and write a letter to God: "Some of my most intimate times with God have come when I write prayers or thoughts to Him as if I were writing a friend or, perhaps, my Father. I also find it very hard to do, as everything else seems more important...and easier."

3) Whether at church or at home, light a candle and say a prayer for someone. Let the sight of the flame remind you that God is always listening.

http://smileandsayfromage.blogspot.com/

4) Have family dinner at the kitchen table. Without the TV on. Tell each other what you're grateful for.

5) Every day, make a point to say something nice to each person you come in contact with.

6) Put into practice Bryan Entzminger's suggestion: "Get to Know People - God is interested in fixing the relationship between all of humanity as individuals and Himself. Get to know somebody. Meet somebody new. Ask people about their struggles and triumphs. Invest your life in the lives of those around you."

7) Declutter your home. Then donate the excess to charity.

http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=128535550508150

8) Cook beans and rice for dinner one night. Eat in prayer for those who oftentimes don't even get this modest meal.

9) Memorize a joke and tell it to as many people as you can. Let the laughs buoy your soul.

10) Commit a random act of kindness--whether that means anonymously leaving homebaked cookies in the office break room or leaving a sweet message on your home's refrigerator with word magnets.

XOXOX and <3 to you these next 40 days :)