This post is coming a little late, just ten minutes before midnight local time. Greetings and love from Salzburg, I have much to share. I hope your holidays are beautiful!
WE: What has been the years greatest lesson?
This post is coming a little late, just ten minutes before midnight local time. Greetings and love from Salzburg, I have much to share. I hope your holidays are beautiful!
WE: What is your greatest gift this season?
To find out more about the Weekend Exposure Project visit here.
I would really love to see this project EXPLODE. I have now expanded onto Facebook. Each week the questions will be the same so you can participate in whichever place you wish.
Do you love WE as much as I do? If so I would love your support in spreading the word. Let anyone you think would have interest know about it. Thank you all for being a part of, and helping me create, this community.
*Updated*A little bit of my home for yours
I live in a really beautiful place. Really. Beautiful.
I am entering that period of reflection that always comes with the holidays and approach of a new year. I will save the "woo" and sappiness for a later post. But I have gone through my hundreds of photos that I have taken since April and have chosen a few to be featured in a printable calendar that I now want to share with you. I realize a calendar is no replacement for a roundtrip ticket to Germany, but it will just have to do for now.
*Update- December 16th*
The previous has a mistake. If you are wanting to actually know which day is truly which during February, then please download the calendar again.
I have also now included a German version for any one who wants that one.
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It's pretty simple really. Download the file, print the calendar on heavyweight cardstock (2 months per page), do a little cutting and hole punching and you have yourself a calendar. If you download I would love to hear from you... Thanks all.
A Song for You: Flume
I have been contemplating which song to feature next. As I hop around from site to site I am seeing Top 10 lists and 2008 in review lists pop up. It has made me think about what my favorite music from the year has been. That is always a hard question to answer because I love so much. But For Emma, Forever Ago by Bon Iver would absolutely top any list I attempted compiling. Most of the new music I have enjoyed this year has been calm, introspective, and simple, and this album is no exception. It is one I have come back to weekly, sometimes daily, since it's release. It speaks of both hope and despair. And I can't turn it off.
Flume
For Emma, Forever Ago
Bon Iver
Remembrance....
I often talk of missing home. Never do those feelings rise more strongly than in times of celebration and times of struggle. Times when I want more than anything to be close to the people I love and care about. December has turned into a month mixed with both celebration and struggle.
My entire immediate family celebrates their birthdays this month, as well as Ryan and some friends. The holidays are approaching as well, with them coming all the parties and opportunities to come together. Each year I love the holidays more and more as I find the way I want to celebrate it rather than getting caught up in the buying and excess that often accompanies the season. I am quite lucky this year to have my mom and brother visit for Christmas. They arrive in just over a week and we get to spend time in Salzburg. I really cannot contain my excitement to see them. My relationship with both of them has really evolved over the last few years, we are much closer than we were. I am so excited to see them and it's in just over a week!
Contrary to all this, death looms large at this time of year. One year ago my grandmother passed away unexpectedly and then brother of a dear friend. I received a package this afternoon from my mom with this star ornament. As a note:
To honor the first year of a loved ones dies, Japanese tradition is to give family members a small, simple gift to acknowledge the sadness of the day and to take comfort in the memories we have. It also signals the time for us to truly move forward with our own life. It makes sense to me. This star reminds me of mom. Simple, plain, and most of all, inexpensive. I think she would have liked it.
Thank you mom. I agree, she definitely would have liked it.
Most recently, my friend Natalie and her husband, Joe, made the decision this afternoon to take their baby off life support. I was not fortunate enough to meet Adrianna, she was just six weeks old. Natalie and Joe are two really amazing and loving people and I can only imagine the wonderful parents they have made. I have witnessed all that is happening from such a great distance, but even from here I am seeing the love and support they inspire, the sense of community and coming together.
For anyone wanting to find out more about Adrianna and the Reads there has been a site set up here. Their family is wanting love and support. That could look like keeping them in your thoughts, signing in to their guest book to let them know you are thinking of them, or donating to help cover costs so they don't have to stress about expenses. I have also included a link in my sidebar. Natalie and Joe, my love goes out to you now.
If you have a blog/website and want to spread the word about the Read's then feel free to copy and paste this code. It will post the tab I have designed in my sidebar and link back to the Adrianna Read website.
Copy and paste the code below to spread the word:
<a href="http://www.adriannaread.com" target="blank"><img border="1" width="140" src="http://i106.photobucket.com/albums/m267/tanzenchic/screen-capture-1-2.jpg"/></a>
WE: What have you allowed fear to overrun?
I would love to see this community continue to grow. To find out about my Weekend Exposure Project visit here.
Mutual admiration
Great news all! I just got word from a friend and owner of Fawn Boutique (in SLC) that she has received a box from yours truly. What does this mean? That there is a small selection of scarves, headbands and scarflettes just waiting to be snapped up in her shop. And, aside from supporting me you are supporting a wonderful local small business owner. If you haven't yet heard of her shop then this is the best time to stop in for a visit. Above are a few of the things included in said box.
Fawn is located on the east bench:
2343 E 3300 S #5
Across from Dans supermarket.
I also have to note a wonderful artist I just stumbled across who makes stunning jewelry out of polymer clay. I am usually not a fan of polymer but her work is truly an exception. Jibby and Juna's jewelry is modern and unique, and she often integrates mini watercolor artworks. And who wouldn't love that name? I am not one to generally gush over peoples creations on my blog, but I feel her work is well worth the spotlight. Plus, I am expecting a few things from her soon. Be sure to check out both her Etsy shop and blog.
Mittlealt
R & I spent the gray, chilly, muddy day at a Medieval Festival and I can think of nothing better I could have done with myself. It was complete with weaponry, bratwurst, goth kids, bagpipes and Gluhwein. Also, one tent offered "Meth" and Absinthe. No joke. Definitely my favorite sign of the day. Okay, so the "meth" was mulled mead.
Here are a few pictures and more can be found on my flickr page if you care to venture there.
R and I pick our Gluhwein booth based on the mug they serve it in. This was today's winner.
The bright yellow signs are really unnecessary, just follow the cloaked girl and you are sure to find the festival.
R and I pick our Gluhwein booth based on the mug they serve it in. This was today's winner.
The bright yellow signs are really unnecessary, just follow the cloaked girl and you are sure to find the festival.
More dressed up goodness. I wish I had gotten more photos, but it gets dark so early here so it just didn't happen.
Gettin' Crafty
(clicking on the photo is so worth it)Don't know why I thought of this just this year.....
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