The divine pia jane bijkerk

{this is the photo that I first fell in love with}

This morning I came upon someone whom I know is going to be an inspiration to me.  She has me *very very* excited and I am quite certain, if you visit her site, you too will spend far too much time there just drooling (although granted, drooling isn't very ladylike, is it?).  Pia Jane Bijkerk is an Australian designer, living between Sydney, Amsterdam, and Paris.  She is an incredibly talented photographer and has a gifted eye for design.  She has a book that I am going to go looking for today, as if her blog is this fabulous, I am sure that her book is the perfect mother's day gift to moi!  

My favorite spots on her site, so far are...

The photos of her life on their houseboat in Amsterdam~

{can you imagine?}

Her incredible online portfolio~

And her section on Paris -  it makes me want to return right this very second!  (especially this post!)

Alright, I really need to start my day, so time to tear myself away from her site, but honestly, I feel the need to make a few changes...

xo

Make mine a {T}

Another fabulous give-away!

Yes, I am serious.  Layla over at The Lettered Cottage has a fabulous give-away today as well! As I adore natural fabrics, this is something I would love to have on my dining table.  You will also want to check out Grace's other fabulous items in her Etsy shop~  She has some wonderful personalized items there!

Creature Comforts give-away!

How gorgeous is this necklace by imogeneANDannie?  Yes, I realize that it would probably look even better on moi, and if I win, I promise to take lots and lots of photos to show you! However, I think it is only fair that I pass along this opportunity to you to *potentially* win my necklace.  Obviously if you do win, you are always welcome to just send it to me...  So head on over to miss ez at Creature Comforts and get your name into this draw - the perfect accessory for spring!

bon chance mes amies!

xo

a very stormy morning

Good morning from an incredibly wet, windy farm on a hill.  I have been up since 4:30 am with the rain and wind pounding on our roof and the side of our house.   It is absolutely pouring out there!  I can hear the birds waking up though, and maybe it will slow down later today.

Today my sweet leaves for Germany for the week.  I always dislike when he is away, so I tend to plan things to make it more fun and to keep my mind off the fact that he is away.  On these longer trips, I often do something big, but this time, I don't have anything on the agenda.  I am still working on it though...

As today is cinco de Mayo I thought, seeing as my love is away, I would do something fun with the boys.  Thus, what better way to celebrate than with food and virgin margaritas?  The boys will love it and it will be fun to prepare.  It will also give me something to do today.  I definitely need something to focus on that is fun~

Have a lovely Tuesday~

xo

This is what I wait for all year long...

I went outside today to take photos of what is currently in bloom.  I guess I hadn't realized how much was actually blooming!  I absolutely {love} this time of year in the gardens~

Three of my favorites~

Some of my collection of sedums~

Tulips~

And various other blooms~

Eventual edibles~

And a whole lot of these~

Kasey's photo challenge

Kasey over at Lola B has a photo challenge going and as I love my photography, I had to jump in on the action!

The challenge was to capture images that define you, whether they are of you or of those you love. As right now my life is defined by the loved ones around me, they are the ones who give me love as well as meaning.

{yes, this is old but I have a teenager who really dislikes his photo taken... }

It is amazing how blessed I feel when looking at these photos~

xo