stairway to...

via Design*Sponge

I imagine, if we had a staircase, it would be interesting...with fantastic colors and too much visual stimulation to handle in one trip...or 50 trips for that matter.  Someday, maybe, we'll have a house that has stairs.

Right now, we reside on the 3rd floor in our building.  It has an elevator, but I refuse to use it...makes me feel all kinds of lazy.  I prefer the stairs, despite the fact it is so ugly...and spider ridden....with giant dust bunny collections in the corners...it's actually kindof gross.  But I walk it anyway.  Today - I'm going to sweep it out - even though the building has a cleaning person - I don't think she likes cleaning the stairs...pretty sure she hasn't done it since we moved in.

indoor tent

Oh man.  I will so have to remember THIS project for the days where I don't want to read a book on the sofa, or in my chair.  You know, for the days when climbing into a homemade indoor tent/fort is the only way to enjoy it all. 

How rad is this?  Found at decor8

oufi bag

I haven't purchased a new bag since last fall - I think I may be overdue.  Good thing I spotted this lil beauty over at Style Obsesssion - now I know what I want!  Go try to win it!

the rog

As a "Welcome to Your New Town" gift, my mom sent us a year long pass to the local zoo.  Tommy's a huge fan of going to the zoo...it's really cute how excited he gets!  What's really awesome about this zoo pass is that it can be used at various zoos all over the northeast.  While we were in Rhode Island a couple weeks ago we hit up The Rog (the Roger Williams Park & Zoo).  It was fantastic!  A baby giraffe was born the day before...it was so precious!

I'm so excited to see what the zoos in our backyard have to offer!    What's your fave exhibit at the zoo?  I'm always smitten with the elephants...they just make me laugh.

lily pond

Upstate New York is breath taking.  A couple weekends ago we took a morning drive through the country and happened upon a lovely state park...so we took advantage of the perfect weather and set out on a lil hike.  Needless to say, I squealed at the beauty of it all...more than a couple times.  It was the lily's in the pond - I've never seen anything quite like it!!  They were blooming.  It was beautiful.

 

art walk

Took a little road trip to a nearby town a couple weeks ago...for their First Friday Art Walk.   I started going to art walks when I was an undergrad living in Flagstaff.  I spent almost every first Friday of my medical school career going to the downtown Phoenix art walks.  So in a way, this feels familiar.  Familiar is a good thing when you are 3000 miles away from home. 

fridge love

From Tommy...this one gave me goosebumps.

I bought a set of magnetic poetry for Valentine's day of 2009...but never even opened the box until we moved to NY this summer.  This turned out to be the best thing EVER!

While I'm out at the hospital all day (umm...and all night), Tommy will compose sweet sweet messages and poems for me to come home to (or wake up to.)   Sometimes I'll start a new one, and when I come home, he will have finished it in the most beautiful way.

I take pictures of them.  They are so lovely...and make my heart pitter patter for him only.

I love being a newlywed!

the backyard

This is the backyard my husband was a child in.  It's lovely in every way....with pretty flowers, wild forests, lots of lawn ornament friends, and great spaces for playing tag or running around.  I love the gardens my mother in law cultivates.  She hides little treasures in between her flowers and shrubs...little gnomes, fairies, ducks, tea cups...a random assortment of charm.  I need to spend more time back here....I'm always sad to leave.

carousel

Had one of those lazy summer weekends visiting family in Rhode Island.  We did the things that childhood dreams are made of.  Carousels, the zoo, homemade strawberry shortcake, grilled pineapples, and lots of fireflies.  I fell in love with my memories of riding the carousel at the fair.  I always liked to ride the pretty ponies with the wild hair.

wild air

found here.

I can't remember a summer like this...a few days of bright sunshine with the perfect warm temperature, followed by a day or two or slightly overcast skies and a trickle of rain.  It really is like I'm in a heaven here.  I don't miss the 112 degree Phoenix heat.  I don't miss the scorch of my skin as I walk across the parking lot. We BBQ barefoot...in the grass.  I can wear my sundresses...and need to slip on a cardigan when the sun goes down.  It's glorious.  Makes me remember how magical summer vacations are.  That's how it still is in my head... every day off from work is one more day of a magical summer vacation. 

Summer makes me feel alive.