happy new year

Eleanor Jane :: January 1, 2013

May your year unfold
with light,
peace,
joy,
and love love love.

2011 :: 2012

This little shirt is a bit of a tradition around here.

She insisted on wearing it all day even though a bit of her belly peeks out.

And of course she wanted to pair it with her new favorite purple velvet skirt.

Yes.

I adore her.

And I think today's photo will be the cover page of our 2013 Project Life album. 

yes

yes

to ruffles
to layers
to soft i could sleep in this clothes
to letting go of "what not to wear"
to colors that feel like home

to hats
to headbands
to oils that glide across my skin
to white after, before, and on labor day
to candles lit at dusk

to cozy
to cooking
to letting the shoulds be 
to listening
to choosing love 

today, i say yes
to ruffles
to layers
to me,
just me. 

***

I cleaned my closet Saturday and instead of the usual "you should keep this because it makes you look thinner" or "what if you need that white blouse for a meeting" or "do you know how much that cost" voice that I usually hear in my head when tackling the closet, I first heard the wisdom of my friend Hannah encouraging me. And then after the first shopping bag was full, I began to just hear my own. Yes. 

Slowly, I will go through it all...the closets, the drawers, the under the bed stuff...and I will gently gather only what I love to me.

here: deeply blessed

Ellie waiting for at the cardiologists on Wednesday. Wanting me to take her photo because "I look cu-ute!"

Today, I have the best news to share.

The best.

Ellie is off her of heart medication for good.

As in everything points to her heart being healed.

As in we don't have to go back to the cardiologist for a year!

(Although I don't really know how to be a parent who no longer takes her child to the doctor every few weeks/months.)

We are soaking up all this goodness over here and enjoying our time just the three of us as we settle in to watch the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade and then make a feast.

Sending you so much love and light today. Thank you for your support and kindness along the way and for all the support and stories you will continue to share. I adore you.

Blessings,
Liz

PS Kelly is sharing a beautiful free download of her art over on Chickadee Road through the weekend. Check it out here.

here

Over here, linen + thread + words are being joined together and each stitch feels like a prayer of hope, of trust, of choosing to stay open in the midst of whatever unfolds.

here

Yesterday we did something wacky...unusual...we took our two year old out to dinner and it was awesome. She is using so many words now and made it very clear that she wanted to go for "sushi" because she can have "ed-mama." 

The look on Jon's face when he came home and I said that I didn't make dinner but that Ellie and I had decided we were all going out for sushi and edamame...well...let's just say he looked a wee bit overwhelmed.

But I wanted to celebrate. It's been two years since I handed Ellie Jane to a nurse I had just met and down the hall she went where a surgeon would save her life. Two years.

So off we went.

And it was awesome. Edamame. Rice. She had quite the system going.

Followed by ice cream.

She smiled big almost the whole time. We did too.

Two years.

Yes.

Thank you for being part of our journey. I was looking for something in my archives on Facebook of all places and found all the notes sent while we were in the hospital and then looked through the comments here during that time. I felt the love then and am holding it close still now. Thank you.

this is me

this is me.

me wrapping trust around my wrist. me on the path. me finding my daughter's barrette on the floor and slipping it in my hair. me drinking tea, drinking life, choosing yes. me head bopping, mumford and sons singing, me.

me releasing the whispering, taunting ghosts. me resting between grace and fear. me holding out my hand. me creating space for joy. me needing a shower. me needing more space, white space. now. me.

me talking in circles. me getting off the train. me releasing me from what it has to be. me hearing you circle. me steeped in gratitude. me sloughing off the anger. me barefoot, heart sleeves, hammering, twirling, breathing it all in. me trusting. me.

right here. breath. light. love. me.

here

This was me standing in the family room Saturday evening as I was neck-deep in gratitude and exhaustion. We have a new studio over here. I can't wait to show it to you and share the amazing work my family did. But first, I am going to walk out there all by myself and sink into some music and organize the odds and ends and start playing with my huge inspiration board. It is a big day over here as Ellie started daycare part-time and Jon's school year has begun. More soon...

How are things over there in your corner?

something

I keep stoping by this blank page for a minute or two, but the words aren't coming. But I want to write something.

It is crazy + awesome + exhausting + exciting over here as the studio keeps coming together. Today brought two doors! Most of the ceiling! It is good good good. 

And there is chaos inside this little house as so much is just waiting to be moved into that new space. 

So we breathe. And we play. And we go to bed early. And we trust that soon the space will be ready and the school year will begin for Jon and Ellie will start a new adventure at daycare school for a couple of days a week and I will begin to find my way with new longer blocks of time for work + play...

Crazy + awesome + exhausting + exciting.

Yes.