animal, vegetable, miracle

I absolutely adored this book. The story follows the life of the Kingsolver family as they attempt to spend a year growing their own food or procuring it locally from neighboring farms. Thanks to Barbara Kingsolver, I'm daydreaming of sweet summer squash and raising my own Bourbon Red turkeys. Definitely a must read if you're interested in the local food movement. Below, is one of my favorite quotes from the book...

"Here I stand in the consecrated presence of all they have wished for me, and cooked for me. Right here, canning tomatoes with Camille, making egg bread with Lily. Come back, I find myself begging every memory. Come back for a potholder hug."

discover your world

"One must work and dare if one really wants to live."
- Vincent van Gogh

"Real success is finding your lifework in the work that you love."
- David McCullough

"Your work is to discover your world and then with all your heart give yourself to it."

- Buddha

*This post is dedicated to my friend, the lovely Kathryn Butler, who is doing something very brave and exciting today! Please send her all your happiest thoughts and good wishes as she starts a new chapter in her life! Hooray for new adventures!

project 365: spring shots

{dainty daffodils}

{tulips for sale}

{take me out to the ball game}

{taste of phoenix culinary festival}

{mother's day bouquet}

Project 365 is moving right along! I can't believe it's May already... With summer fast approaching I thought I would share a few of my favorite spring shots with all of you. You can see the rest of my Project 365 photos here!

"Everything is blooming most recklessly; if it were voices instead of colors, there would be an unbelievable shrieking into the heart of the night."

-Rainer Maria Rilke

it's friday, i'm in love

(image via the lovely jen gotch, lyrics via the cure)

"monday you can hold your head

tuesday wednesday stay in bed

or thursday watch the walls instead

it's friday i'm in love."

happy happy weekend.

delicious autumn

delicious autumn! my very soul is wedded to it, and if i were a bird i would fly about the earth seeking the successive autumns.

-george eliot

*autumn, i heart you.

(quote shamelessly stolen from meg and george eliot, image found here)

happy happy labor day

(image via ffffound!)

I got the blues thinking of the future, so I left off and made some marmalade. It's amazing how it cheers one up to shred oranges and scrub the floor.

~D.H. Lawrence

school daze

today is my first day of dental hygiene school... i am super nervous but excited to be back in the classroom. i thought i was done with higher learning once i finished undergrad... silly me.

(image via ffffound!)

waiting on the world to change

it just hit me that my life is changing. rapidly. irrevocably.
i just turned 24. my roommate moved to boston this weekend. i'm training my replacement at work. we leave for south america in three weeks. the wedding is in five months. i start school in august. it's all happening so fast.

*whoa. deep breaths.

(image via ffffound!)

a wedding blessing

Now you will feel no rain

for each of you will be

shelter to the other.

Now you will feel no cold

for each of you will be

warmth for the other.

Now there is no more loneliness

for each of you will be

companion to the other.

Now you are two bodies

but there is only one life

before you.

Go now to your dwelling place

to enter into the days

of your togetherness.

And may your days be good

and long upon the earth.

*i want to read this at our wedding. so beautiful.

(apache wedding blessing via gangsta bride image via she hit pause)

sweet dreams

wouldn't it be wonderful to wake up to this every morning? a daily reminder of how much your husband loves you. swoon.
(via design sponge, naturally)

the happiness project

i first heard of the happiness project over at simple lovely... and i've been a huge fan ever since. i check in every few days and i'm always inspired. this latest post really struck a nerve with me. as someone who is soon to be married i always wonder how couples keep that adoration and spark throughout the years...

"If I’ve learned one thing from my happiness project, it’s that if I want my life to be a certain way, I must be that way myself. If I want my marriage to be tender and romantic, I must be tender and romantic."

oh i just love that. i think we get caught up in the everyday grind and forget to really treasure our loved ones. we get so busy that the time we spend together feels leftover, scraped together at the end of the week... after work and school and other responsibilities are fulfilled.

here's to being tender and romantic.

(image via le love)

the world is yours

*let's make the most of each brand new day. with all the crazy things happening all around us, i am still just pretty darn excited about life.

(via ffffound!)

life is pretty amazing

(via fffound!)

*try to remember this as you are scrambling to finish your taxes...

i believe

"i believe in love. i believe people make mistakes. i believe people are selfish and generous at the same time. i believe in happy endings."

*i read this quote in the february issue of vogue. i liked it so much, i tore it out and have been carrying it around in my wallet.

*for more wise words, check out simple lovely.

(image via le love)