sperlygirl

a fairy dusting...

saturday morning we awoke to a fairy dusting of snow. just enough to add sparkle to everything outside. just enough to lightly carpet the grass, revealing only those magical footprints of the creatures who visited at dawn. just enough to make the wind bitter, to make hot tea and hot cocoa taste more special, just enough to enjoy the beauty of it. 

this weekend, i finished a couple paintings. one is for my friend and it hasn't been an easy one to paint as there is much to let go of within and around it, but the process has allowed some healing for my heart. i will post a photo...but not until it reaches its new home first. 

unfortunately this weather has also brought illness to our house, again. and we have a little one who is bravely fending off a virus strep. so i think today will be one of cartoons on the sofa with a cups of hot chamomile for my little guy. 

 

emerging...

thankfully, the espresso didn't completely take out my laptop and after a couple weeks 'off the grid', we are reunited, repaired (thx j), and catching up. although i could use it before, i was unable to type with the keyboard which simply made life difficult.

it was nice to step back a bit from the uncomfortable feeling we can experience these days of "needing" to connect on-line. this break allowed me to really examine this more clearly and chart a path of how i wish to approach connection in the future. i love being able to connect, don't misunderstand me. living overseas, that connection is often a lifeline to those we love who are spread out all over the globe. but i take issue with that feeling of "needing" to be on. there is so much inspiration out there and i do love spending time reading and checking it out, but i don't wish to become lost in it. i want to be very present here too - seeking out the beauty around me, savoring the moment and reality that is right here and now. although our lives have been improved greatly with the aid of technology, i think too, that they have become easily more complicated in the process. so this break has helped me to aim to seek more of a balance between the two. 

and today i am doing just this...soaking up a gift of a surprise snow day. making snowmen with my little people, sipping hot cocoa, and feeling grateful for all the connections in my world - those in real life and those made here. 

**a beautiful tune for a day like today **

summer, she lingers still...

she is having a hard time saying goodbye, even into october. although the evenings extinguish their lights earlier now, the days carry her presence on her sunbeams. my little guys cannot simply walk near the water, they still run right into her waves - hoping to hold onto one last swim in the salt water before it becomes too cold. i must say, her hesitation to leave, seems to muddy my thoughts a bit too. autumn has always brought a crisp refocus into my world, snapping me gently back into a reality with a warm cup of spicy tea, a layered scarf, and a cozy cardigan. but instead, i find myself drifting into daydreams against the warmth of the air. i think, i too, am finding it difficult to say farewell to her. 

a gift from september...

the sun was shining against a beautiful blue septembr sky. i stopped along the bridge to take it in. overhead, a group of birds swooped and danced against the few clouds that peppered the horizon.

gently, i leaned over the bridge to watch the water swirl past and thought of all the secrets she carried with her.

orbiting around my feet, my two little guys giggled - gelato in hands with voices excitedly pointing out all the details and possibilities they seem to find everywhere we go.

i lingered there, just a little longer, hoping to savor a bit more of the magic this day seemed to be sharing. 

*a happy tune to share *

a little quiet...

now is the time for some healing. i am trusting the doctors will work their magic on my knee this week and i'll do the same with therapy afterwards. in the meantime, i will breathe in all the summer sunshine that i can...and maybe put this tune on repeat in my ears.

season of the sagra...

this weekend we gathered with several good friends and went to a favorite sagra to celebrate the wonderful pinolo. it was an evening of good food, good wine, lively conversation, giggling babes, live music, bouncey slides, caffe, and a evening sky full of twinkling stars to wish upon as we drove home. 

sea, sun, salt...

summer is ruled by the sea in our house. we head down there every chance we get.

today the weather threatened and teased us a bit but we went anyway. a few hours spent in rolling waves. water not calm enough for swimming, but it didn't matter. we jumped over them, dove into them, and played in them. 

sailboats peppered the horizon. tiny shells glistened up like half buried treasures from the sand. little boys giggling at the shoreline. soft sand in between little toes. salty tasting skin and hair. gelato dripping onto fingers. babes tired out by sun and surf.

yes, it was the most glorious of afternoons. 

to market, to market...

early this morning, i walked down to the weekly market. vendors were still setting up their wares and displaying their goods when i arrived. i was accompanied by many older women, bags in hand, who where there to stock up on fresh produce or this or that. i didn't need anything. but just like to wander through the aisles and fill up on that early, fresh energy of the morning.

i filled my  bag with fresh pastries and flowers and inhaled the sweet aroma of both as i slowly strolled back home. just a few peaceful moments all to myself to walk slowly, inhale deeply, and witness my neighborhood quietly awaken to a beautiful sunny day.

~ a tune to stroll along to ~

 

congratulations to misti, who won the give away from last week.

may day...

a beautiful may day, sunny and bright, full of color, full of friendship and conversation, full of hope. we walked through the market taking in all of the colors, the foods, and the vibrancy that blooms bright this time of year.

(in celebration of spring, a coupon for the little shop 10% off all photos, simply use SPGPHOTO as the code)

dreams of italy...

she made her way onto my canvas this week - she was so determined. she has these dreams of a life in italy and nothing was going to stop her.

when we knew we were headed over here, my dear friend, gave me a rae dunn ceramic egg with one word printed on it, "begin". our life was completely chaotic and in a whirlwind when we received word of relocating to italy. i was several months pregnant and here we were diving in with both feet to a dream. the little egg with the word, "begin" stamped on it accompanied me - and has ever since. that little word, has grounded me, lifted me, and nudged me in more ways than i can speak of.

so you can see why this lovely silhouette, head full of wishes for italy, and the one little word that guides her - was so determined to follow her heart, give wings to her dreams, and find her way onto my canvas... nothing was going to stop her. (she hangs in my little shop now)

**i'd like to take a moment too to thank each of you for your thoughtful and kind words about my little black cat, jazz. truly, your comments have meant a lot. a heartfelt thank you...**