over here

print/poster available at behappy 

Loving :: The above quote from Anne Sexton. I might actually be a bit obsessed with it. Some poetry folks considered her work to be "too confessional" and "too personal." I wonder how that criticism shaped her. I wonder how that kind of criticism shapes us all when we are holding our hearts out into the world and inviting others in. Hear her read her poem "Her Kind" on poets.org.

Reading :: I am in love with the Inspector Gamache series by Louise Penny. So thankful that Kyeli recommended it. I love a good mystery because it actually forces my mind to concentrate on just one thing and not multitask. I'm on Book 6 and it is my favorite so far. Louise Penny is writing more than mysteries here. Her way of describing her characters, how they move through the world, well, some paragraphs take my breath away. I should probably write a whole post about this soon. (Oh and Kyeli and I are going to reread the Harry Potter series this fall. And we're inviting you along just for fun. More details coming soon!) Also soaking up Louise Glück’s Poems.

Watching :: Continuum (interesting and kind of intense sci-fi show) and The Newsroom (which is in the midst of an odd season but I still love it. Aaron Sorkin's dialogue is one of my favorite ways to take a break and it helps ease my deep missing of The West Wing) 

Thinking about :: The Butler. Go and see it. Seriously good. 

Enjoying :: Cuddling in bed with Ellie in the mornings almost every day last week. I was trying to savor it before school began today. We are having some intense toddler moments over here sometimes, so these minutes of cuddles and giggles have been super sweet.

Dreaming about making :: A quilt like this one. These homemade poptarts. And these bracelets.

Planning :: Meals for the week. Inspired by the way Meg uses Pinterest for meal planning, I'm trying the "make a plan, go to the store and get the ingredients, and pin the menu to the corkboard in the kitchen" on Sunday method. Doing the same thing with "lunch/snack ideas" for me now that we're starting the back-to-school routine around here and I'll just have myself to think about during the day. (My biggest challenges are having trouble remembering what we have in the house and grabbing what I see for my lunch or grabbing anything when I remember to eat. And working all the way to Ellie's pick up time, not thinking about dinner, and having Jon pick up take-out on his way home. Maybe you know variations on these problems too. I think the plan is the only way to go.) Started a pinboard of "let's make dinner (for reals)" to differentiate the doable recipes from "this looks good and wow I'd love to make it but let's be real" recipes I sometimes pin.

Thinking I might need :: This mug. This t-shirt. This necklace. And these big sticky notes.

Working on :: A new collection of jewelry. I'm actually going to be changing up the shop quite a bit this fall. Sneak peeks appearing soon on Instagram. 

Gathering :: Good things for the fall retreat. Can't. Wait. (And yes, we do have just a few spots left.)

And how about you? What are you up to in your corner of the world? I'd love to know.