Peace Out

You see this adorable little necklace? Yeah. I bought it. It's mine now. It's tiny and dainty and sweet..... and handmade, of course! From LA Valley Girly. Know what it's called? "Peace in Your Heart". How awesome is that? I love it.

Sunny Monday

Happy Monday to you. Most of you are enjoying a day off. I am at work today, but thankfully, the sun is shining and the temperature is up. It's so nice to see some blue sky. I know we have much more winter ahead of us, but I can't help daydreaming about warmer weather. That tends to happen when the sun shines through, doesn't it?

I ran across this gorgeous cabin the other day on the msn homepage. I can't tell you how to get back there. Sorry. I was so excited to save the pics that I forgot to write down a link.

I can just imagine spending a week here with friends. Hanging out. Sitting around the camp fire. I imagine there would be some great hiking and maybe even fishing close by. Very laid back. That would be the perfect vacation. With a view like that. And wide open sky as far as you can see. I wish I had a place like this.

Enjoy your day. I hope the sun is shining where you are, too.

*I found out that these pics originated from Sunset.com. And there are lots more gorgeous pics where these came from.

Bright and Beachy Thoughts

First of all, I would like to say thanks for all the great comments on my Mean Girls post. When you don't get quick feedback on a subject like that, you start to wonder if you offended someone. But you ladies came through with such beautiful thoughts on the matter. Of course, just another reason to love this blogging community so much. :)

Now, on to something sunny for your Friday musing. This cheery bright beach house is the 2009 Southern Living Idea House located in Texas. For those of us in the dead of winter right now, this house is fodder for many a mid afternoon daydream.

Notice the backsplash in this kitchen. It's made of antiqued mirror. It has a great reflective quality without being too perfect. Don't you think? Love it!

I have always adored the idea of a bunk room. There are lots of kids in my family and I guarantee that they would LOVE having a big open bunk room to play and sleep in together at the beach. (I also like how this one is open to the room below, so that you can keep an eye and an ear on those little boogers.)

How's this for a happy color? A bright goldenrod yellow in just the right dose. I'm loving everything about this place. I would be a very happy girl to be basking in the warm summer sun in a place like this. Ahhh. Summer. How I miss you.

Happy weekend darlings. I hope it's a good one.

~Jo~

Mean Girls

I've been thinking about the dynamics of female relationships lately. I have never had many close female friends, myself. And, to be honest with you, every once in a while I will wonder if maybe that is my own fault. But, the older I get and the more I see and hear, the more I believe that finding a good female friend is an almost impossible task. And such a shame that is.

Why is it that girls like to tear each other down? I know you have all seen it happen. You know what I'm talking about. Many women just love to talk bad about other women. It seems to me to be a jealousy issue for the most part. For instance, the girls who rip apart every little thing about their ex's new girlfriend. "She isn't even pretty." "I hear she's been around." "Boy, is he gonna regret that." Knowing good and well that she is pretty, she isn't a tramp, and he seems to like her very much.
Or the ones who trash talk the pretty girl in the mall. "Did you see that hideous thing she's wearing? Who does she think she is?" But you don't know her. She may be just as insecure as you under that tight skirt.

I have been guilty of throwing out some less than sensitive remarks about other females. I'm sure we all have, if we tell the truth. But I'm hearing it more and more it seems. And it bothers me. We live in a society that constantly judges women on all the wrong attributes. We get compared to models and airbrushed celebrities. Many men have always judged women by their sexual worth, but since when do women judge other women by those same standards (or lack thereof)? Helllloooo? We are women! We are bright and funny and interesting. We have feelings and ideas and morals. We should be building each other up instead of tearing each other down! Don't you agree?

What have you done this week to encourage and build up a female in your life? Or when was the last time you complimented a complete stranger on her haircut/sweater/earrings? Let's all try our best to not be mean girls. Let's, instead, do our best to bring a smile to the face of our fellow females. Let's be sunshine girls. That sounds good. Because Lord knows we could all use a little sunshine in our life.

Love to all of you wonderful, encouraging, positive, inspiring, funny, thoughtful and generous ladies out there. Here's to you.
~Jo~

*pic from Coco & Kelley.

Bright One

Seeing as it is Monday and I am on a serious color kick right now, I thought I would share with you one of my biggest art crushes of the moment. Yellena's art has been catching my eye on Etsy's front pages and in treasuries for quite some time now. It's hard not to be attracted to the beautiful floaty nature of these paintings.

I mean, look at those colors, would you.

Like magical, colorful sea life, they seem to be living and breathing. I am just itching to buy one of these lovelies to have as my own. The prints are a great price. I just can't seem to decide which one I want! Maybe I will decide by February and I can buy one for my Valentine's gift to myself.

Please visit Yellena. She was ever so kind enough to let me share her work with you. The least you could do is check out her shop. :)

Happy Monday, loves.

Wish Big

Have you ever wished that you had a little creativity fairy hovering over your shoulder? pushing you to try that new idea. whispering affirmations in your ear. sprinkling "anti-procrastination" fairy dust on you. Yes? Me too.

I would dare to say that everyone has some sort of creativity inside of them. Whether it's art or music, literature or cooking. Us humans are all born with a special little spark of imagination. But all too often, the burden of real life can dim that spark. Your big dreams and ideas get lost in a pile of laundry and bills. Sadly, some of us end up forgetting all about our creative side.

DON'T DO THAT!!!

Don't let life make you forget your good ideas. Don't let it kill your big imagination. Don't lose your creativity! Right now, on the Bright Side Project, you can enter to win a class with Mondo Beyondo. It's an online class that will help you foster and grow your ideas and dreams. How cool is that? Super cool, right? Just like having a creativity fairy flitting about your head. Go check it out and enter to win. And definitely check out the Mondo Beyondo website, too. Classes start Monday, the 11th, so hurry up.

tickled pink

So, it's Tuesday. It hasn't been over 20 degrees since I don't know when. I hate this weather. Cold, cold, cold. And just getting colder. We have to leave the water dripping at night to prevent it freezing up. There is a thick layer of ice on the ground where the foot of snow started melting and then froze solid. Every parking lot in town is fortressed with eight foot piles of dirty snow that probably won't melt until May. What a mess. Blasted global warming. (tee hee hee)

But, you know what can brighten even the most frigid of winter days for me? COLOR. And right now my color of choice is PINK. Lately, I have been drawn to every spot of pink that my eye catches. It's just so happy and friendly. It makes me smile.

I am fully aware of the fact that I have a color addiction and that pink is at the very heart of it. How do I know? Because I never wear lipstick or fingernail polish and yet I do not have the ability to pass either of the two up. Ooooh. Lip glosses! With all their shiny shades of pink and red and coral. I found myself the other day, hunched down in front of a huge display of fingernail polishes at Wal-Mart. The colors had me in a mad trance. I wanted to buy them all! Oh! Oh! And a new Hard Candy makeup display! Where on earth do these colors come from? I'm not sure I should carry on this year without a bright baby doll pink blush to brighten my face.

It is indeed a very rare occasion that I paint my nails, even though I have a collection of the prettiest colors. With these grey days weighing heavy, I have been considering slicking on a coat of hot pink. And thanks to my favorite mineral makeup mavens, Beauty by Saria, I have a makeup drawer full of bright new eye shadows to play with. It may be cold and bleak outside, but I'm determined that 2010 is going to be a colorful year!

*photo from Country Home.