Devotion

There are moments of complete clarity when all of life’s complexities are made simple…when we lay together, our legs tangled, our hands holding loosely and we talk about little things. All of my worries are soothed and I am at ease. And I know for certain that two people can fashion a religion out of love.

Anne Siems

Love, love, love this!
The top one especially. The subjects are ethereal but look at all of the life growing and thriving around them. And the detail in the dresses. Good- Ness!





Visit the Artists Site

Auld Lang Syne

It is bittersweet saying farewell to this decade. Looking back I can most readily agree that life has been good to me and mine.
In the beginning we welcomed our first precious little life into this world and our hearts.
In the middle we welcomed our second precious little life and it has been a wonderful and wild ride ever since! I also made some incredible self discoveries that have changed my life and allowed me to be a more free and open person and a better wife and mom as a result.
Now at the closing of this decade I look around, humbly filled with joy and awe at the beautiful friends and loved ones that surround me.
I am so thankful that I have eyes that can see all of the good and a heart that can hold all of the love.
By the time I see the end of the next decade my life will be completely different than it is now. My young sons will be men. This fills me with both sadness and eager anticipation.
Bring on the hours and months and years because I will relish every second.
Cheers to 2010!

A Twist on Pride and Prejudice: Lost in Austen

One of my favorite movies of all time is the 1995 BBC version of Pride and Prejudice. That being said I am a bit of a critic when it comes to other versions. For instance the 2005 version directed by Joe Wright, starring Keira Knightley was absolutely terrible in my opinion.
Well let me clarify…the filming was beautiful and I cannot complain about the dialogue, it was more specifically the casting of Keira Knightley. She failed to capture and portray Elizabeth Bennet completely, thus ruining what could have been a fantastic re-creation of a classic. On a side note, I did however enjoy Donald Sutherland as her father and most everything else about the film was fabulous. It just proves how casting can make or break a film.
All of this to say that last night I watched a fantastic "version" of Pride and Prejudice, called Lost in Austen (2008). Like my favorite version of Pride and Prejudice, it is a BBC TV mini-series.
It first takes to extreme the concept that every Pride and Prejudice fan can be “submerged” in the story…only in this instance, it is quite literally. It secondly and more importantly holds firmly to the feel of the legacy that is the classic love story and yet contains an obvious modernism, with the addition of a modern day character; enter our heroine, Amanda Price.
It was a treat to get to see more from each and every character than I had ever seen before and it was believable…if not unexpected and sometimes outrageous but yet certainly how things could have turned out if all the stars hadn’t aligned, or perhaps aligned in a slightly different pattern.
So if you are looking for more from you favorite book and movie, look no further than Lost in Austen. It is currently on Netflix for instant streaming.



Side-note:
I would give Lost in Austen a rating of PG-13 and 5 stars and also state that it is not for a conservative person.

The Aftermath

It's December 26th. The flurry of activity, flying wrapping paper, driving to and fro and the uncomfortably full tummy has ceased. My house looks like Lego Land at this moment, an impressive Pirate Ship that perfectly matches the box has laid anchor on my kitchen table in addition to piles of Lego's waiting to be built and more waiting in their boxes.
My back aches a little from bending over the tiny designs. As I make my way to the office I expertly dodge remote controlled cars, books, games, giant peppermint sticks and multiple Nerf guns with their ammunition.
I have spent the morning building the Drawbridge Defense along-side my much adored sons and I must heartily admit that all of the frenzied preparation lends itself to total satisfaction in the aftermath of this holiday called Christmas.

Christmas 2009

Fiery Flames

Taking a moment to cozy up and listen to the crackle of the flickery flames and let the pyromaniac in me be mesmerized. Merry Christmas to me indeed.