papers in order?

i hope you're all enjoying a restful and peaceful memorial day weekend.  it is hot here and i need a pool to go to!

here is a song for your weekend from my buddy django and his band the old ceremony.

a front porch in summertime

my husband and i moved into our new house in november and now that warm weather is here, our favorite thing to do is sit in the rocking chairs on our wrap-around front porch.  front porches have always been important in the South, as they provide a place to catch some shade and breeze during the summertime.  before air conditioning, the porch was often cooler than the house!

now, if we could only figure out how to keep the bugs away.

here are a few inviting front porches from around the web...

from new york times

from martha stewart

from the designer pad

from southern living

vintage style: athletics

we've come a long way, ladies...

1902 basketball (literally) team photo, via the society pages

1909 basketball practice, via buzzfeed

australian national swim team 1919, via sports girls play

may sutton, california tennis star, via world in sport

female giants pitcher 1913, via world in sport

is this you?

bookshelfporn

are you ultra organized?  do you color-code your bookshelves?  alphabetize, randomize? (that's me)

i do not have color-coded anything, but maybe one day i'll get around to it.  i do love the way it looks!

these beautiful colors are inspiring...

500 pencils

 

a city of air and light...

amococo by juli

tula mirth and i just made it into the last of the line to visit the touring amococo.  it is a touring labyrinthine luminarium by architects of air which is based in nottingham, england.  the luminarium consists of 86 triaxial domes and 71 pods that create a complex of pathways of light, air and music.  the piece was handmade of a thin pvc and is inflated much like a bouncy house. it is pretty unbelievable in scope and experience to both children and adults.  tula mirth could barely contain her running and jumps and at several points was "swimming" in the floor of some of the rooms alongside adults.  ha!  i would strongly recommend a visit if they pass through your town...and take your camera!

video courtesy of architects of air

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!