Faces...

Today the sky is crystal blue.

The air is crisp but the sun still warm, just like it was eleven years ago.

I remember driving to work that day and noticing how beautiful the weather was.

The morning was humming with sound and activity.

I remember starting the day like every other, unaware of the chaos that was about to unfold.

The rest of the day was anything but normal:

scrambling for a t.v. set to huddle around, 

desperate for any news,

Any signs of hope,

Jammed phone lines,
fear, 

relief and frustration 

as we tried to check on loved ones.

I remember driving home from work mid-morning in a silence that was eerie.

I remember feeling paralyzed with helplessness by the images I couldn't escape from. 

Perhaps of these, it's the faces of 9-11 that are seared into my memory so indelibly.

the faces of those

 who ran from the ominous cloud that chased them like a monster,

who stood watching in disbelief,

of my friends and family grappling with fear and sadness,

the faces of 

the missing and the lost 

the grieving loved ones 

left behind,

the faces of children and heroes.

While my heart is always heavy on this day, and I can't help but remember, I try really hard to look for hope too. It's not easy, but it's the only way I find any comfort.

I found it here in this little man today, who was posing as a superhero in our yard.

Somehow it seems a fitting way to honor the memory of those lost eleven years ago, and all of us who must carry on.

Take care of yourselves and those whom you hold closest to you.

Erin

If you're looking for more reflections on 9-11, hop over here to read what others are sharing.

Big girl clothes...

When my daughter was really little, like this, 

she loved to sift through my retired work clothes to play dress up.

(the shoes are my husband's, I swear)

She called them her "big girl clothes". 

Well, it's been years since I've worn these big girl clothes. 

It's safe to say that since leaving the classroom behind four and a half years ago, 

my wardrobe  has taken a bit of a hit. 

Tees and jeans have replaced most of my heels and skirts. 

My husband's shoe collection now outnumbers my own.

Last week though, I took myself to Macy's armed with coupons 

and a What Not To Wear inspired list of basics.

 I swore to stick to the list and stick to the list I did. 

Three hours and about that many fitting rooms later,  I had the beginnings of a new wardrobe. It's still the wardrobe of a mom, but one beyond the frazzled years of spit-up stains and endless diaper changes. 

Tomorrow, shortly before my kids head off to school, I'll do the same,

 except this time I'll be the student. 

Design school here I come. 

Let's hope my new big girl clothes survive a stain free trip to Starbucks.

 (no easy feat for me)

Anyone else out there in need of a wardrobe update? 

Have a great Monday.

Erin

School days...

Like many of you, my daughter started school this week.  First grade. 

Clearly, she was excited.

Last year? Not so much.

 It is also her first year riding the bus. 

Even more excitement.

Time seems to being going by at warped speed, but it is pretty amazing to watch her read and learn and to see her confidence start to soar as she does.

I hope all of your kiddos had a fantastic start to their new school year. Here's to one filled with great leaps and bounds and lots of good memories!

Erin

P.S. You may have spied this star burst pencil wreath I made last year in one of the shots above. Last week I linked it up to Hubby Made Me's Throwback Thursday Link Party. Stop by and check out Britni's blog and the other fantastic creations  fellow bloggers have whipped up.

Have a great weekend!

Goodbye summer...

Just dropping in to say hello. And goodbye. To summer that is.  

Just after my last post last month, this was the view from my front steps for a week:

A blissful stretch of the Chesapeake. 

All to ourselves.

More or less.

 

We cheated on Cedric with Jesper the Black Lab,

 

nabbed the best table at dinner,

relaxed, 

explored,

 

learned to swim,

 and  soaked up lots of local beauty on the bay.

 It's safe to say that we fell in love with the Eastern Shore of Virginia. Beyond the obvious, I also fell in love with my forced breakup with technology: no wifi, cell phone service, and little t.v. for us that week. It was hard to come back to the land of blogs and Facebook and email, so for the most part, I decided to give myself the rest of the summer off.

And it was heavenly.

Next week the school clothes come out, early mornings and longer days return and our routine will be restored to order. In the meantime, enjoy the last unofficial days of summer.  I hope yours was happy and full of relaxing moments. I look forward to catching up with you all next week.

See ya Summer!

 Erin

Summer time and the living is easy...

One of the things I love most about summer is how much slower the pace of our usual day-to-day seems. I know I am fortunate to be home with my kids right now and if I was working full-time, I might feel differently, but I do believe the ease of summer is a state of mind.

Something in my head shifts when the weather gets warmer and really, when school ends.  Maybe it's the teacher in me (or the kid), but I flip a switch in my head and get into summer mode. Now that my kids are a little bigger, I really look forward to this shift and relaxed routine.

This mindset seems to  foster a lot more time to catch up with friends, to head out to the backyard daily and throw super last minute get-togethers with friends, family or neighbors.  This July 4th we did just that. We had no plans until the last minute and as I'm learning, these impromptu gatherings are just as fun (maybe even more) as the well-planned ones.

I literally pulled this together a half-an-hour before our friends arrived using knick-knacks from the basement, Eamon's Rarebits Easter basket, a runner from my kitchen and the Christmas linens I forgot to put away. It's nothing fancy, elaborate or stunning, but an example of going with the flow. When my brain is in summer mode, the filter that usually makes me over think lots of things kind of falls to the wayside.

I really love what summer does to me. Towards the end of August you might be reading a very different post, but I really hope I can tap into this summer brain a little more throughout the year.

Do you look forward to slowing down in the summer or do you prefer adventure seeking or finishing off winter's to-do list?

Whatever your pleasure, have a great day.

Erin

Linking up today's post to:

The Taylor House

Happy 4th!

via The Quillcards blog

There are many ways to celebrate the Land of the Free and the Home of the Brave.

via history.com

 

via Pinterest and fromme-toyou.tumblr.com

 Whether it's with a big crowd 

Boston Pops July 4th concert

or in your own backyard,

via Skip to My Lou

I hope you get to enjoy the very simple pleasures that quietly bind all Americans 

as we celebrate our freedom.

via Pinterest (could not reach original source)

via examiner.com

Happy 4th of July!

Erin

Etsy love...

Okay. Today's post is not terribly original. It's all about my love for Etsy, something lots of bloggers have and do talk about often, and for good reason. It's a treasure trove of all things handcrafted or vintage.

My love affair with Etsy began probably about two years ago when I purchased this sweet little milk bottle.

from Etsy seller maryscrochetnmore

The lighting is terrible, but it's a quart sized Sealtest milk bottle that I posted  a little bit about last summer. I bought it as a little reminder of my grandfather who worked  as a milkman for Sealtest in New York. He was a pretty cheeky old soul and used to try to teach me the various routes and roads leading from Manhattan to Montauk. My sense of direction is still pretty awful, so apparently it fell on deaf ears.

Since then, I browse Etsy often, usually more as a window shopper than purchaser. But below is a little showcase of some of the handcrafted and unique pieces I've picked up here and there.

I ordered this adorable vinyl decal for my son's room 

 (which has yet to be touched) from decalhappy.

Next up for Eamon's room were these cool map drawer pulls from

DaisyMae Design Shop. I chose custom pulls with maps of both Greenwich Village and Jones Beach, Long Island, favorite local destinations with sentimental attachments.

This spring, Eamon had a thing for bowties and begged me for about a month to get him two: one blue, one green. So, to Etsy seller the Little Gentlemen's closet I went.

Last month I ordered this beautiful, hand-stamped initial necklace from mfrancesjewelry for my niece's 6th grade graduation. I wanted something both age appropriate and somewhat timeless so she could wear it for many years without it being dated. This fit the bill and Mary was amazing to deal with.

Lastly, I ordered this vintage blank note card of Jones Beach from  BlueThistlePaperie just last week to frame for my bathroom. This local beach is full of nostlagia for us, so this cute promotional card is an affordable way to incorporate it as meaningful, whimsical artwork.  The seller, another Mary, was super speedy and a pleasure to work with.

What I love about a place like Etsy:

1. It's like shopping a "Mom and Pop" store: I like giving regular people who have great ideas or talent my money.
2. It's an often affordable way to buy items that have meaning to me and inject some personality and character into my home.
3. Let's face it, the first gifts we probably ever gave anyone were our childhood drawings and masterpieces. This is a way to give a handmade gift when time, means or talent are lacking.
4. Every seller I've dealt with was incredibly nice, helpful and excited about selling their product, I guess because they put so much of themselves into creating or finding it.

It's safe to say my love affair with Etsy will only continue to grow.  I have tons of new "favorites" added to my profile, full of artwork, pillows and well, more pillows.

Have you shopped Etsy? Do you have any favorite sites for gifts, artwork or home decor? Any gems we should know about?

Have a great Monday!

Erin