happy november, mr. caterpillar

sebastian found this caterpillar the other day while we were out enjoying the crisp autumn air. of course, i rescued the little guy before seb could implement any of his naughty,_ bug-torturing plans...

how miraculous that this little fella is going to curl up in a cozy cocoon and emerge as a beautiful butterfly! nature is amazing.

happy november!

simple + stunning :: lauren handler designs

for my mother's 60th birthday, my siblings and i wanted to get her something special. we decided on some opal jewelry and i volunteered to search etsy for something that she might like. that's where i found lauren handler designs ::

lauren's pieces are the kind of jewelry that anyone can wear. paired with a delicate gold or silver chain or wire, each of her designs embrace the raw beauty of each stone, whether clustered together or standing simply alone.

i quite like this piece :: black & gold, how dramatic!

how sweet is that pink jade?

turquoise is a classic.

this is the piece we purchased :: peruvian opal, isn't it lovely? lauren even lengthened the chain at my request- no charge! i was very happy with my purchase and, needless to say, mom loved it too.

visit lauren handler designs at www.laurenhandlerdesigns.etsy.com

music to make you swoon

if you haven't heard zee avi yet, get ready to experience some of the smoothest, sugar-coated vocals since ella fitzgerald. seriously, i'm in love. this is the kind of music I would listen to while baking a cake or sewing a dress. inspiring.

the sun + the river

last week i took a {long overdue} vacation with my mom + siblings to sunriver, oregon. it was beautiful. and quite fun to hang out with the family, like we did when we were kids.

my sister Annie + her husband Fred strolling towards the riverbank...

...pretending to be explorers

a family of deer crossed right in front of our bicycle caravan! i totally fumbled for my camera and snapped a few quick shots. {this would have been a good time for a zoom lens}

my adorable bear-cub nephew Gabriel was the highlight of the trip for all of us. what a funny little guy! i love family vacations.

coming soon...

more fishies arriving soon in the shop... stay tuned!

magical

photo by me

wildflower walk

i took these photos on my morning walk to the local coffee shop... some are varieties i've never seen before- so lovely!