it’s just around the bend… that wonderful feeling in the air, as summer transitions to autumn… this is, afterall, my favourite time of year… and i humbly and somewhat eagerly welcome the change of seasons {both literally – in nature, and figuratively – in my own life} as i toast with a yummy, beautiful brew — pumpkick, from new belgium… and goodness, they sure know what they’re doing when it comes to beer!
and i’m slowly learning what i’m doing when it comes to life…
SLAINTE!
it’s my mama’s birthday today… you may remember how i celebrated a couple years ago…
well, this year i am going to take myself out to do something special… and in honour of my mother {since i look just like her} and her birthday, i thought i would post these silly pics of myself… Continue reading
lots to love this summer!
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eatin’ baked brie with caramelized onions, grapes, and strawberries…
watchin’ silly movies and dressin’ for random weather…
servin’ farm-to-table meals…
margaritas… and sunglasses…
seein’ randomness… and plenty of beauty…
eatin’ dessert with beer and wearin’ new hats…
catchin’ rays and devourin’ tapas at happy hour…
random sunrises and… other things…
workin’ on puzzles… and completin’ them the same night 😉
eatin’ on the patio and watchin’ sunsets…
admirin’ the flowers and wearin’ them in my hair…
tryin’ new cocktails… and appetizers…
and balancin’ that with lots of fresh summer veggies…
and these!…
takin’ selfies… and stayin’ true to me…
havin’ friends who are chefs!!!!…
for real… i have some SUPER talented friends!!!!….
keepin’ an open eye…
red lobster’s crabfest!… and the boozie drink they served me… it came with a sidecar of gran marnier… which, i was lovin’… and which also totally made me buy dessert! {key lime pie!}
cloud-watchin’….
fresh beer and BLTs… and coffee!
and i’m lovin’ the fact that my hair is finally growin’!
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what are YOU lovin’ about summer?!?!
🙂
❤
cherries are so good for your heart, your muscles, your skin, and a myriad of ailments. they are in prime season right now – go out and grab some!
nom nom!
here’s a bunch of pics via the iphone, from recent days in the life of audrey michelle :
i made these yummy cookies in 2012 for the holiday, and it’s become a tradition ever since.
it’s no secret to those who know me well, that i am not a good baker. i can whip up things in the kitchen over a skillet pretty amazingly, but one can’t “wing it” when baking… it is a legit science! and i respect that… i just can’t seem to nail it.
but i did with these cookies! Continue reading
… “especially in the month of june…”
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my roommate brought these gorgeous flowers home from work recently and i gasped with glee when i laid eyes on them… then i immediately grabbed my camera, of course! actually, i waited until about 6:00 the next morning, then took them out on the balcony and sipped my iced americano while snapping images of these amazing beauties. i just love mornings… and i LOVE morning light… especially this time of year!
such pretty tulips, orchids, peonies, and greenery!
i am inspired by LIFE. not necessarily by the world, and the way we live, but by LIFE itself. these flowers are alive, just as we are. i was inspired by the stillness of these flowers, the stillness of nature… how nature just IS. the sole purpose of these flowers is to simply be. if anything, they just long for us to look at them, to bring awareness to them. and i believe when we “stop and smell the roses”, we can connect with them, with nature, in such a way that can offer stillness and peace to our own lives. after-all, i do believe we are just as much a part of nature as nature itself.
i love what eckhart tolle says about nature :
“Even a stone, and more easily a flower or a bird, could show you the way back to God, to the Source, to yourself. When you look at it or hold it & let it be without imposing a word of mental label on it, a sense of awe, of wonder, arises within you. Its essence silently communicates itself to you and reflects your own essence back to you.”
eckhart’s words resonated with me and i’ve carried them in my heart over the years. when i felt the glee i did upon seeing these flowers, i was reminded of that quote… and i thought i would post some pics of these gorgeous flowers along with some of my favourite quotes regarding stillness, spirituality, or love.
i hope you enjoy and i hope this brings some stillness to the mind and a warmth to the heart.
❤
“the earth laughs in flowers.” ~ ralph waldo emerson
“the intuitive mind is a sacred gift, the rational mind is a faithful servant. we have created a society that honours the servant and has forgotten the gift.” ~ albert einstein
“we need to find God, and he cannot be found in noise and restlessness. God is the friend of silence. see how nature – trees, flowers, grass – grows in silence; see the stars, the moon and the sun, how they move in silence… we need silence to be able to touch souls.” ~ mother teresa
“there is a voice that doesn’t use words… listen!” ~ rumi
“if we could see the miracle of a single flower clearly, our whole life would change.” ~ buddha
“after women, flowers are the most lovely thing God has given the world.” ~ christian dior
“the best teachers are those who show you where to look but don’t tell you what to see.” ~ alexandra k. trenfor
“yesterday i was clever, so i tried to change the world… today i am wise, so i am changing myself.” – rumi
“and when you gaze long into an abyss, the abyss gazes also into you.” – fredrich nietzsche
“be kind whenever possible. it is always possible.” – dalai lama
enjoy the weekend! ❤
brunch! – w/ salmon lox, bacon frittata, cherry almond scones, fresh fruit!
living butter lettuce!
nicoise salad!
danish cream-puff pastry!
bacon, mush, tomato scramble over arugula!
happy hour with fine ladies!
farm-fresh eggs!
oozing danish chocolate cream puff pastry!
tomato pesto turkey salad!
snacks!
vegan dinner! – w/ yucca fries, corn on the cob, quinoa, and garden salad!
classic cobb salad!
potato waffles! – w/ creme fresh and smoked salmon!
flank steak salad! – w/ red peppers, zucchini, mozzarella, and chimichurri!
i think these are so beautiful!!! i just love the interesting shapes they take on…
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and did you know red peppers are loaded with vitamin c?!?! 😀
…just kidding… kind of. it’s mostly a play-on-words… kind of.
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hey gang – hope all is well. i don’t know about you, but i am so beyond ready for spring. warmer days, open windows, sandals, tulips, etc… aren’t you?! i know i have readers from all over the world… and i often find myself wondering, “what is the weather like where YOU are?!” 😉
…does anyone else feel all wonky for like a good week or so after the time-change happens?! it doesn’t matter if it’s in the spring or fall, my being just tends to feel it one way or another. however, i so welcome the extra light with open arms!
anyway, here are some snaps from my haps in march –
the southwest has been sunny and warm during the past week or so… and you better believe i’ve been trying to take advantage of it!
and i’ve been stopping to smell the cherry blossoms, too! mmmm,mmmmmmmm!
rosemary chicken w/ fresh english peas, asparagus, & feta cheese over a bed of israeli cous cous
my awesome new boss recently took us out for lunch at a cool local spot, and i was recommended this amazing dish which was absolutely delicious! …and i completely i devoured the whole thing… with little effort!
i see lots of vines growing along walls where i walk… i find them to be beautiful.
oh, hey. Continue reading
hey gang – how’s winter treating you?
i really don’t wanna jinx it, but this time last year we had like double the amount of snow, if not triple, that we do now. we had a storm blow through this weekend, but nothing really accumulated or even fell from the clouds. i’ll probably get chastised for saying this, but i am perfectly fine without all that cold white stuff. {i do, however, like to see it flurrying down my screen from wordpress tech wonderland…}
i’m still in the holiday spirit, though. my tiny tree has been up in the tiny home since thanksgiving weekend and i’ve been watching tons of christmas movies and listening to christmas albums. i save “home alone” for christmas day – i wouldn’t say it’s my favourite, but it’s just one of those classics i have to watch every year. my favourite christmas movie ever is probably “love actually” ❤
what’s your favourite christmas movie?!
i also plan on pretty much not taking off this santa hat until december 26th. i have two cowlicks in my hair and when it’s short it’s fine, and when it’s long it’s fine… but i’m in the funky “growing out my hair” phase and sometimes throwing on a hat is the only way to get through my day and be happy about my hair. this time last year, it was about the same length, but i got impatient and cut it all off. this time, i will persevere! 😛
occasionally we get some really cool clouds up here. have you been looking up in wonder at the sky lately? …you should, and often.
LOVE : that wonderful feeling that can present itself in many forms. and sometimes the only place to find it is in a sticker plastered on a bench at a bus-stop… but it’s still there! ❤
a random salad i whipped up : brussel sprouts, cabbage, bacon, tart cherries, flax seeds, and parmesan cheese in a french vinaigrette. i admit i do not eat nearly as many cold salads in the winter… i just can’t get down with cold food in the cold months. but i do try to squeeze in some raw greens when the mood strikes me.
as a child of the 90’s, peace signs were kind of cool when i was growing up. we drew them on our notebooks, put pins on our backpacks, some of us even got tattoos of the peace sign! but it’s kind of weird to me that you don’t often see it anymore – at least not like we did when i was a kid. seeing this peace sign drawn in permanent cement made me smile – it’s there forever, dammit! 😛
something so simple as a wreath does so much for my holiday spirit. perhaps they remind me of my mom, in a way… i am pretty sure she would make them and we always had them on our doors, growing up. my neighbour thoughtfully bought me this wreath for the tiny house door… Continue reading
food & foto 