friendly greetings

a happy mat I love from here.

found this wall down the street driving around in the rain Saturday afternoon and loved the gray and red together.

GIVEAWAY! Fall Flags

 For someone who hates to procrastinate, I'm feeling pretty bad that it has taken me this long to show you my AWESOME pillow I won this summer on 6th Street Design School. 

When I got the exciting email from Kirsten I immediately went back to the Be Still site to make sure I picked the right pillow.  

Oh the fantastic choices! 

Sarah is so talented and picks great fabrics for her pillows.

 I decided to stick with my original choice and I'm glad I did.  I wanted to go crazy with color and pick one of my other favorites {shown above}, but I knew the zebra would be my kind of classic.

 Finding the right spot for it hasn't been as easy as I thought.  I knew I wanted it for my bench and I have the perfect pillows in mind to go with it but that project just hasn't happened yet.

In the mean time I'm sticking with neutrals and living it up for fall.

to continue the fun of a giveaway - I'm giving away the FALL flags hanging in the first photo of this post.

Become a follower, leave a comment with your contact info, and

I'll let you know who wins soon.

lined with sunshine

 Today was the kind of fall day that should go down on record as perfect.  Scattered rain, lots of sunshine, mountains blazing with changing leaves... gorgeous.

 I got home from a day full of fun just in time to enjoy my corner of the world lined with sunshine.

 My mouser.  

We've started a new game of catch and release.  Just now she brought me a tiny gray mouse.  Dropped it on a pile of fabric, looked over at me with a grin, then batted the scared little thing to get it to run.  She doesn't hurt it, she just brings it inside to play.  I whisked her into the bathroom, caught the mouse and put it back outside.  She is now playing a tireless game of cat and mouse.  Sans mouse.  {Is that mean?}

 Fall could go on for months for all I care.

happy sunny monday morning

It's hard to say what my favorite time of day is in my little corner of the world on B Street is because like it here so much all of the time.

Early morning is definitely awesome.  For a basement I have a ton of natural light.

A friend of mine thinks I'm crazy for living in a such a tiny place where I don't have a bedroom separate from my living room.  Until she said something I'd never even thought about it.

 To each her own and all that. 

I like using my tiny sofa as a bed much more than sitting on it so it is only up when I have friends over.

These sexy creatures are happy to stand in the corner out of the way.  Turns out to be a much safer spot than on top of the book case where they used to reside.  That was before they took turns breaking their ears of with some fancy diving skills.  Maybe a little ironic that I could carry them home safely from Africa without incident only to have them go buck wild once we got home.

My garden is loving all the great light as much as I am.  I've tried basil with just about every meal I can think of and don't think I'll ever make a dent in the lovely plant.  My tomato and squash plants seem to be having a contest to see who can get the biggest.  Lucky for me it's been a low maintenance garden.

This was my last successful attempt at water color.  There have been a few more than many tries after this, but so far nothing I wouldn't shred if I owned a shredder.  I'd like art to be a little less frustrating and a lot more fun. 

A bit of kiche in my bathroom with some wacky brass seagulls I picked up at an estate sale {+PLUS+ a cool cereal bowl, a serving knife & a spatula totaling a whopping $2} and

a bowl of apricots have been on my side table the last few days as a healthy substitute to a candy dish.

square inches

I've been in my new place just shy of a month and I absolutely love every square inch of it. It feels officially like home now that I've had family and friends over. AND, the perk of the night tonight was measuring the place and realizing it is almost the same dimensions as a 40' shipping container. If you read my blog at all you know how I feel about containers {ISBUs}.

My little place in the world is one of those things I just can't capture with my camera as many angles as I've tried. Maybe that says something about how much it feels like home to me? That, and I'd need a pro to figure out the lighting.

I'm ultra critical of putting my own place online for you to see. I want it to look like a glossy spread but the reality of the space is so much better lived in rather than styled so pristine isn't what I'm after. I've also made a promise to myself to only spend money on new things if I sale old things. I've sold a rug so I have some play money now.

Heaps of fresh peonies from Grandma's garden, treasures from my travels and photos of my family are some of my favorite details at the moment. The image I included above of my brother, my nephew and me was taken in Seoul a few years ago. We were in a park somewhere and bikes weren't allowed past a certain point as we rode around the lake. Ben is fluent but pretended not to be as we rode past the sign and laughed when the people we passed called us names.

It takes 12 steps to walk from my sofa/bed to the bath tub. Reading this entry probably took longer than it'd take to take it all in if you came to visit.

new views and old roads

A quick walk around my neighborhood Sunday evening had me excited for future walks full of great discoveries. Threatening rain kept me close to home so I decided to set out 2 blocks in each direction to see what was close to home. "I can see the Capital from my house." {Said like that one lady republican we all know from Alaska.}

I know I'm a geek to be excited about my new proximity to down town but I should tell you that I have ALWAYS wanted to live where I'm living right now so I guess 'living the dream' takes on new meaning these days.


This is not a view of my neighborhood. But it is a slice of heaven on earth in Southern Utah {Kolob Resv. off Scenic Route 9} I've mentioned this road before, it's a must if you are ever in the area. Elevation climbs about 3,500 feet along the backside of Zion Natl. Gorgeous.
A new friend. Dileen Marsh. Check out her site. She is an illustrator and has done some fantastic work over the years you will recognize if you read the New Era, Ensign, or any of those magazines. My mom set up a chat with her while I was visiting so we could visit about what it is really like illustrating since it skitters around the back of my mind as something I might like to try.

We both agreed on the point that being an artist is both a blessing and a curse. Talking about creating art, she said something that couldn't be more true. "If the work is going well, life couldn't be better, if it isn't, things couldn't be worse." I enjoy other creative types. She was an inspiration, her cats were perfectly lethargic and her home was the epitome of an artist's retreat.

new feature: Square Inches

I'm moving this week and I've signed a lease on a postage stamp! I haven't measured the exact square footage yet, or in this case, maybe I should measure in square inches as it'll make it seem bigger? It's the perfect postage stamp for me in the right neighborhood {The Aves} with just the right amount of extras to make me feel like I'm getting a deal.

I'll be a new avid reader of apartment therapy as they are the source for teeny tiny iddy biddy living.

Above: Futon - Direct Source / Below: Gate Leg Table - IKEA {perfect for outdoor summer fun as well as folding up out of the way inside}

I know it'll be fun to come up with ways to make use of every square inch. And I'm going to take you with me. Introducing another new feature: square inches. I'll share with you my finds as I turn this space into my own.

My first big debate: do I dare ask the sweet landlord if I can repaint the walls she just barely finished painting a beautiful yellow? I have nothing against the yellow. Only it doesn't go with the scheme I'm conjuring up re: the cover of this month's House Beautiful, which I just devoured sitting outside my parents home in the desert this evening listening to the doves do their thing. {Am I the only one who thinks they sound like owls?}