Quiet Corners

It's days like today, where the temperature is set to reach 111-degrees and I have so much work to finish, that I would love to find a quiet corner to settle in for the day.  There is something so inviting about a small space that is beautifully done-up and extra-cozy that makes me swoon.

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My ideal quiet corner must be stocked with comfy pillows, a sweet-smelling candle, ample reading light, and a stack of shelter magazines or a good book.  Oh, and a mug of coffee!

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What are your quiet corner necessities?

love,

maria

Pretty Summer Photography

August is here, which means there are only a few weeks left until the beginning of Fall.  For all of us in Arizona (and other parts of the world/country, too) the beginning of September does not necessarily mean cooler temperatures or layered clothing.  Usually by the beginning of October it is finally starting to feel nice outside, and I look forward to that first brisk day of Fall where a Pumpkin Spice Latte is a must-have (as my sister-in-law likes to say, the first "jacket-worthy" day; she is right!).

I have made great strives within myself to enjoy the months that do not have to do with Christmas trees and Holiday cheer...  I used to have a really terrible case of the after-Holiday blues once January 3rd rolled around, and those sad feelings would stay with me for a long time and only grow worse once the days began to get hotter.  This year, I promised myself I would find the beauty in each season... spending more time outside and feeling grateful to live in such a beautiful state with amazing weather and scenery for most of the year.

I can actually say now that I have begun a love affair with the summer months, and it feels amazing to be content and excited for what's to come, but not anxious.  I am looking forward to starting school in a few weeks -- a journey that I have wanted to continue for so many years but couldn't get up the courage to do so.  I thought that for today, I would gather up some summer inspirations, if you will; these pictures are a little snippet of what summer means to me.

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What does summer mean to you?

love,

maria

Wednesday Wishlist: A Porch, Please

These are the days in Arizona when it starts to get hot.  And by hot, I don't mean warm.  Oh, no.  I mean upwards of 110;  I mean no less than 95 degrees in the middle of the night.  Yeah -- like I said, hot.

While some people really love this heat that is coming straight for us, I have never loved it, never liked it, never been excited for summer.  Even when I was a little girl, while the rest of my friends would be out playing in the hotter-than-heck heat, I would be in my room playing with my dolls, or spending time indoors with my mom, or making my brother play school with me in the living room (he's awesome -- he always played along).  But these days, as the summer is finally here and the temperatures have reached the one-hundreds, I am happy.  Maybe it is the Vitamin D, maybe it is the fact that I am still reveling in my newlyweddedness (that should totally be a real word) and the reality that my husband is a total babe.  Ahem.  Anyway, regardless, I have consciously decided to make a true effort this summer to see and feel the beauty in the season, and enjoy these months rather than waste them away wishing for winter.  I have found that the majority of my former years have been spent pining away for December.  Imagine my disappointment when December is over...

When January came upon us and I was left in a decidedly blue state, I thought -- enough!  I promised myself that I would not waste another spring complaining about allergies and spend another summer mad at the weather while pouting indoors.  Allergies -- no problem!  They mean that things are blooming and there is growth and renewal all around us!  The heat -- whatever!  If I want to spend the day indoors, I'll spend it crafting, or reading, or connecting with all of you!  The point is, my goal is to enjoy each moment I get to live this life.  And so far, this goal has proven to be life-changing.  :-)

Now, all that being said, I do have a major design crush on porches, and I want to take a look today at some really beautiful examples.  If it were cooler out, and if I had a glass of lemonade in one hand and a fabulous beach read in the other, I think a day spent out on the porch would be just what the doctor ordered.  ;-)

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What's your favorite (or least favorite) thing about the beginning of summertime?

love, maria