Leap Day!

I've been trying to make leaps and bounds this whole week! I leave tomorrow for a trip to Florida and couldn't be more excited. I probably won't be able to sleep tonight! I'll keep you updated on all my adventures! Now back to finishing packing!!

Month of Love: Day 23

Disneyland!
My parents are down in California right now enjoying the Happiest Place on Earth. I couldn't be more jealous. I mean happy for them. :) Since I was little I have adored the place. Our whole family does. The ones that do are those that are young at heart and still believe in magic. And I hope to keep these two qualities for the rest of my life. Hopefully I can head back to this wonderful place in the near future. Until then, I'll live vicariously through my parents (and the pictures they keep sending me of the rides!)



(PS: Yes, I missed a few days in my Month of Love! Life got in the way. Oops!)

Month of Love: Day 19

New Series on TV!

I've got some favorites this season. I watch them religiously at work during lunch on my computer. I'm not a big TV fan, but lately a few have captured me. My top 5?

Pan Am! I love this show! The fashions, the music, the sets! I'm in love!

Smash! Any show that involves musicals, I adore! Singing, dancing, costumes! Love it!

Modern Family! One of the most clever sitcoms on TV these days. After being spoiled by old shows like Friends, Seinfeld and Sex and the City, it's nice to have a new one that makes me laugh EVERY time!

The Voice! I did not think I'd get into this show, but I am fulling enjoying these amazing singers and the famous coaches.

Heartland! This is me and my sister's silly Sunday show. A show about a ranch in Canada, it's all about horses and rodeos and drama on the farm! Gotta love it. :)

Month of Love: Day 18

Magazines!

I'm obsessed with magazines. Between my novels I like to pick up a glossy copy of the latest edition on the shelves. Whether it's Victoria magazine (which came in the mail the other day), House Beautiful, or my fluffy Cosmos and Vogues, I love them all! I curl up on the sofa with the cat and page through. Bliss!

Month of Love: Day 17

The open road!
My work has me driving about 800 miles a week lately. It can be tiring, and stressful especially if the snow's fallen or the deer are moving. But I love. In a few weeks when our field season ends, I know I'll be wishing for the highway again. These February jaunts are some of my favorite. It's calving season and the herds are doubling again. Roads are dry and the sun is out. Smells fresh and new. Yesterday I drove to Seeley Lake at sunset, and returned home with twilight through the pines. The white fields sparkled and the stars were out in number. I love this place. :)

Month of Love: Day 16

I certainly love me some costume jewelry! I've got some fine jewelry pieces in my collection, but I've got some lovely (and gaudy) stuff too. One of my favorite pairs of earrings come out on Valentine's Day most years. Bright red, sparkly, (and weighing in at about 600 lbs a piece). I just grin while I wear them!

Month of Love: Day 15

I love...seafood?! Ok, I wouldn't go that far. But I have always disliked food from the sea (or lake or river or stream) since I was a kid. Yuck! But Valentine's Day changed all that! Dinner was made for me that evening and though I was more than excited about the steak and potatoes, I knew I wouldn't be partaking in the coconut shrimp. Well, I gave 'em a try anyway and.....loved them! My mother would be proud. (So many years spent at the ocean with my family, while they ate clam chowder and prawns and I had...a turkey sandwich.) I think they'd be happy that I finally like something from the water! I am mighty surprised, but looking forward to finding new things like that to enjoy. Mmm.

Month of Love: Day 14

I love Valentine's Day!

I always have, and always will. I like a day set aside to celebrate the ones we love. Family, friends, lovers, pets, neighbors, coworkers, your favorite barrista. You get the idea. This year, with my sister flying off to a foreign country today, we celebrated "Galentine's Day" last night. (Yes we stole it from the show Parks & Rec). LOL.

I bought bubbly, pink moscato champagne and a rose for her. I lit candles and cleaned the house. Bought her chocolates and made the home cozy. She came home late after a long day with a Valentine for me and lots of good conversation.

Today I will run around and deliver a few surprises.
I'll give candy to my folks at work with those little clay tags.
I'll run fun errands to make people smile.

Then I'll do my hair, swipe on some festive red lipstick
and head up to my friend's house for a home cooked meal.

Right now I'm enjoying my Valentine themed decor at home over a cup of hot coffee.
It'll be a good day. I hope you all have a wonderful holiday!

Month of Love: Day 13

My sister!

She's my best friend and is leaving for a trip tomorrow morning. I'll take her to the airport, hug her, cry and then head home to a lonely two weeks wondering what she's up to. She's heading out of the country, so communication will be sparse. It will be an amazing adventure for her, but I am going to miss her so much! I forget how often we talk, how much we see each other, and to not have that for the next couple weeks will be hard! She'll definitely come back with fun stories to tell though. Hopefully I can keep myself entertained while she's gone. (I'll at least get a lot of cleaning done!)


I'm linking to Mosaic Monday today at Little Red House! Go visit for other great mosaics!

Month of Love: Day 12

Vintage Valentines!

I think most folks like these! I just love all the old artwork, the sayings. Some are silly, some are sweet, and some are a bit creepy to be honest. Ha ha! A lot of our local antique sellers carry them in their shops and I love to page through (especially with the vintage hand-written messages you find on the back.) This holiday has been loved for many generations!

Month of Love: Day 11

Me time!
I get a fair amount of quiet time now that my sister does Ski Patrol. I relish this solitude that allows me to clean, or decorate, bake, or just relax. Lately you can find me sipping tea (out of my Great Grandmother's cup), reading a book (Agatha Christie has me enraptured) and eating yummy treats (Lorna Doones being my fave right now). The cats curl up around me, the light fades outside, and the cozy winter scares me not while I'm wrapped in fleece.

Month of Love: Day 10

My Mom! She surprised my sister and I with sweet surprises for Valentine's this week. A new fleece throw and pillow to decorate my room with. New knee-high holiday socks (I can't get enough of these!), decadent chocolates from my Dad, vintage style candy from my Mom. Even a little spending $$. No fail, my family comes through each holiday. I don't think I've ever received anything for Valentine's Day outside of the family. I can always count on them. And I like to surprise them right back!

Month of Love: Day 9

Crafting! In general, I enjoy hand made things, but especially around Valentine's Day! Hand-crafted Valentines to send in the mail. Home-made decor for my walls. And of course creating treats for my coworkers. This year they will be getting Lindt chocolates tied with a clay tag for each. I just love making these!

Month of Love: Day 8

Sequins! I've always been a sucker for anything that sparkles. I even love the word Sparkle. As a kid, you could park me in front of the jewelry counter and I'd stop fussing. I still love my baubles, but have really gotten into the more pocketbook-friendly sparkly alternative of sequins. :) I have a few tank tops that are sequined-out, but would love to add some more looks to the closet.

Month of Love: Day 7

Tropical vacations...though I've never really had one. Been to the ocean? Yes. Near the equator once? Yep. But the ocean is usually 50 degrees on the Oregon coast, and my only time near the center of the globe was in Peru (which was far from a tropical vacation). My sister and I intended to go to Cancun this last January but our plans fell through. Darn! I have been dreaming of a vacation ever since. I even dreamed of the Caribbean last night! Hopefully I can escape to one of these amazing places in the near future...

Month of Love: Day 6

Cake! No mystery there, I love cake. Always have, always will. It is as close as a human can get to the taste of heaven. :) That's why I like weddings so much: best cake ever! Do you folks have favorite types? I'll admit I'm not a fondant fan (too much sugar) though I love its look and clean lines. Chocolate is delicious but, now that I have braces, I avoid it in public. Classic white cake is delish especially with a whipped chocolate icing. Mmm...




I'm also teaming up with Little Red House for Mosaic Monday! Please go visit this wonderful blog and check out her photography. Gorgeous! And then take a look at all the other wonderful bloggers who are participating. :)

Month of Love: Day 5

Flowers! Very Valentine, isn't it? I do love them though. Growing them, tending to them in my yard, and cutting them for arrangements. I enjoy getting them for occasions and buying them for others. They're just so cheerful! I feel like such a girly girl when I get flowers. :)

Month of Love: Day 4

I am in love...with this dress. The Bonheur Shirt Dress from shabbyapple.com. I dream about it. I imagine it and everywhere I would wear it. It's classic, vintage, timeless. I want to wear it to the farmer's market on Saturdays. I want to stroll in it for First Friday's art walk each month. I want to sip wine and listen to jazz in it. *swoon* I need to save up a little fun money and just by the darn thing. :)

Month of Love: Day 3

Music! I could not function well without. My life would be void in its absence. And this month (like most) you can find me tuned into my Bobby Darin or "Beyond the Sea" radio stations on Pandora. I love a little crooning. Some Nat King Cole, or Sinatra. And you can't go wrong with Etta James. I smile when they sing of love, and dancing; romance and nightingales. Their lyrics are the language of Valentine's Day. *swoon*

The Way You Look Tonight--Frank Sinatra

At Last--Etta James

A Nightingale Sings in Berkeley Square--Nat King Cole

Beyond the Sea--Bobby Darin

Month of Love: Day 2

I adore...snow! We all should know this by now. I love to ski, and one of the best parts of skiing is going with my sister. We recently got to hit up her mountain (where she Ski Patrols) and she showed me around. All the powder stashes. All the beautiful views. I had a personal tour guide! And I got to meet all her fellow patrollers which was great. One of my goals/resolutions for this year is to ski all 12 months. In my neck of the woods there's always a little snow somewhere!

Month of Love: Day 1

February first! Rabbit Rabbit!

I adore this month. It means half of my world is still blanketed in snow (and the skiing is good) but that Spring is getting close too. I get to decorate for Valentine's Day and indulge others in fun surprises. February always makes me smile. I will be sharing something I love, cherish, adore or swoon over every day this month. (Or at least I'll try!) First up?

Romantic (period) movies.

Maybe this is because I just got done watching Midnight in Paris by Woody Allen. Featuring the 1920s (and a little of the 1890s) I just couldn't get over the fashion and the sensuality. The smoky eyes, crazy hair, fabulous clothing. How did they make loose dresses like that look so sexy??

Kate & Leopold. Another absolute favorite. Can't beat the mid 1800s for fashion and elegance. I love this quirky movie.

Jane Eyre. Classic! So mysterious and dark and beautiful. I get carried away by this story.

Dirty Dancing: Havana Nights? I'm including this one too! I adore this movie, and the vintage portrayal of Cuba. So exciting and on fire!

What are your fave movies this month?