Mark it down.

Here we are, at the end of another year. Time to make resolutions. Time to clean out and start over. Time to buy calendars! I am quite fond of having a big wall calendar for keeping track of appointments and important dates. But what better way to brighten your year and remind you of what day it is than a little desk calendar from Etsy? There are tons of choices. Just search calendars and you will get some 200 pages of results! Here are a few of my favorites.
This one happens to be at the top of my list, both literally and figuratively. The magical world of The Nebulous Kingdom makes me smile. Such sweet, fantasy-like images. And the colors break my heart.

This gorgeous Parisian photography comes from Little Brown Pen. How pretty would this be sitting on a kitchen counter? The gelato shot? Yes, please.

It doesn't matter how old you are, or how tough you try to act, you cannot deny that joo joo has the goods to make you smile. And once used, these little prints would look so cute framed in a child's room. Okay, or yours. I won't tell anyone.

Leah Duncan has a very interesting style of artwork. Like a folksy, Aztec, tribal, block print batik. Lovely, muted colors and adorable animal kingdom characters make this calendar fit in just about anywhere.

Finally, if you have not seen the beautiful illustrations from Immortal Longings, you are in for a treat. Each print is a still from one of Shakespeare's plays. If you aren't into Shakespeare, don't worry. These art nouveau style depictions are breathtaking regardless.

I hope you have a great weekend. If you get a chance, please visit some of the shops above. They are all very talented artists. These desk calendars are a great, affordable way to sneak some new art into your home.

Luv ~Jo~

Thank You, Harper's Bazaar

After refusing to renew my subscription to Vogue, I decided to fill it's spot in my monthly lineup with an old friend of mine, Harper's Bazaar. I subscribed to Bazaar for years. Loved it dearly. But then, along with a new editor, the magazine got a new look. A look that I didn't particularly like. So I let my subscription run out.

But this past year, Harper's Bazaar has been grabbing my attention from the magazine stand almost every month. Stunning covers. Beautiful editorials (in a land of ever increasing unflattering, ugly, dark editorials). It has been looking fresher and cleaner than ever. I have grown quite smitten with the new look and easily made the decision to add my name to the list of subscribers once again.

So imagine my delight when I opened my mailbox yesterday and found the colorful glossy cover above staring back at me. Thrilled beyond words. Good decision. Good decision, indeed. I do believe that this is THE most gorgeous magazine cover that I have EVER seen. Truly, I do. And I am so excited to see what the coming year will bring to my mailbox.

Thank you, Harper's Bazaar, for being the bright spot in the American fashion magazine world. It's so nice to have you back.

*photo from the Bazaar website.

***Quiet***

I have been dreaming of this place ever since I spotted it on the Dress Design Decor blog yesterday. I fell asleep last night imagining that I was curled up there, all cozy and quiet, with a heavy blanket and peaceful thoughts.

medicate me

I have decided that I have Housecleaning A.D.D.. I know that I am not the only one who suffers from this condition. My grandmother has it, too.

I can start washing dishes, walk away to go put in a load of laundry and thirty minutes later remember that I have a sink of dishwater that is probably cold. It seems that the very reason that I cannot keep my house as clean as I would like is because I cannot stay on task. It's ridiculous. I have been known to start cleaning the bathroom and end up cleaning out closets, without finishing either! How does this happen?

Plus, for some reason, my brain is way more occupied with the "deep" cleaning of things than it is with the surface stuff. So I end up deciding that it isn't worth "picking up" here and there without doing a complete overhaul. What is my issue?

And now I am going to tell you a little story about Christmas trees.......

They are a pain in the ass. God forgive me. I love celebrating the birth of my Lord Jesus Christ. But why on earth can't we come up with something simpler than hauling in and setting up a seven foot tree in the midst of our homes, fluffing it to perfection and then trying to hang some doodad on every other limb? Why? And for anyone out there debating whether a real or an artificial Christmas tree is best, give it up. They are equals. Their pros and cons all balance out in the end. The idea of a romantic, sparkling, magical Christmas tree is only a reality when you can hire someone else to do all the work for you.

The End.

*sorry if I crushed your elf like spirit. please don't hate me.

sheeesh

I have the prettiest Christmas pics from magazines that I want to show you, but I can't find a scanner anywhere that works.

~*~*~*~have you heard~*~*~*~

Godiva now has baked goods. Yeah, I know. Shoot me now, right? Better ask for a treadmill for Christmas. ;)

*go to Godiva

Keep on keepin' on.

* by vol25

I will be grateful for this day. Even when I have to suck it up to get through it. Even when things go from bad to worse. Even when it seems impossible to be grateful.

It is supposed to be the season of magic. Brotherly love and good cheer all around. Laughter and music. Peace and goodwill. But it's not always.

Christmas will be here soon. And deep down in the bottom of my soul, what I really want this season is contentment. Not just for me, but for my family and friends, too. I'm not only talking about physical contentment; being happy with what we have. I also want to be content with myself, my relationships, and my own efforts. Am I doing enough to make my life a positive one? I want to know that even when things around me are faltering and everyone is confused and unsure, that I am fully content with what I stand for and believe. I want be able to look chaos in the face and rest assured that I am doing what I can to preserve my self. My morals. My faith. Other people can have a way of making you feel like you are crazy. I want to be able to distance myself from the crazy and see things for what they really are, even if it sometimes means that I have to give something up.

Life is constantly changing. We just have to keep on keeping on. This month, in the midst of the hustle and headaches, I hope we can all stand back for a moment and find the peace within ourselves. And be truly content with what is deep inside our hearts.

*I apologize if you spaced out half way through that rambling. One of those moments where putting my thoughts into words was not that easy.