take a break!

i saw a quote recently that fairly summed up how i feel sometimes after looking at blogs and such.  often, they are a reminder of the clothes, decor, and trinkets that we can't afford, the recipes and crafts we don't have time to make, the books we must read, and on and on...

i try to keep perspective, but sometimes it is so overwhelming!  i try to avoid blogs and websites that make me feel inadequate.  we hope our blog leaves you feeling happy and inspired, not overwhelmed and inadequate.

how do you all stay sane?

shut down your computer for a little while and get out and enjoy life!  but please come back to us because we love it when you visit and share with us.

"she said she usually cried at least once each day, not because she was sad but because the world was so beautiful and life was so short." - brian andreas

a video from the lovely tift merritt to start your week...

chicken coop mania

it seems all the urban folks are raising backyard chickens these days.  and why not?  you have a low-maintenance, pseudo pet that produces eggs every day.  and, you get to build a cool chicken coop in your backyard.

my friends greg and lorraine have a beautiful coop and three two lovely chickens, penelope and lulu.  (regina died recently in a tragic accident.  r.i.p. regina)  the chickens have been surprisingly entertaining. we used to go over at sundown and watch their predictable bedtime routine.  the coop was built with leftover materials from their house and fits into their backyard nicely.



other great chicken coops from around the web...

from houzz.com

from moderncoops.com

from jetsongreen.com

do any of you raise chickens?  we'd love to hear about them! 

pig roast + rock show

saturday was a big day...breakfast with juli and tula, pig and pie party, and a rock show.  i won't share any gross photos of the pig roast, but i do like this photo taken by my friend chris clemmons.  that's me and my bandmate elizabeth talking shop.  she just moved to washington, dc and we miss her very much!

saturday night i went to a nearby rock club to see mt. moriah.  everyone around here is nuts about them and rightfully so.  this video will make you happy...

the first tooth...

first tooth, by juli

my wee girl lost her first tooth yesterday.  at age four, this was not quite an event i was ready for when she announced that it was wiggling over a month ago.  however, here we are with my baby growing more quickly than i anticipated.  i remember watching that small tooth pop up at a mere three-months-old and also thinking, this is too early!
it was so sweet to watch tula mirth carefully tuck her tiny tooth into the pocket of her tooth fairy puppet and clear all the books out from under her pillow in preparation for the tooth fairy's visit.  she woke up with her new smile and rushed out this morning to show me her coins, finger puppet and glittered letter from the tooth fairy.  "she writes so tiny.  she must have a very small pen," she remarked about the note.  tee hee.  

personalized pottery from mud pie studio

stacy shepanek of mud pie studio creates these super-cool, personalized works of art.  check out her etsy shop for more pottery goodness!



custom beer steins



custom pitcher set

coconut records

who doesn't love a good jason schwartzman movie?  did you know jason also puts out albums under the name coconut records?  he writes charming little pop songs that stick in your head like crazy.  check out this fun video for the single from his latest record, davy.

peculiar pets

these fancy little creatures are hand-made by michelle lyons from vintage bedspreads and the stuffing is made from recycled water bottles.  each one has its own endearing personality!  don't you wish you had one?

a few peculiar pets are for sale at uncommon goods.