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Tag Archives: life
{happy halloween from the callee, the “scaredy-cat”}
31 Oct
… and she is {ironically} not really a fan of having her picture taken.
😛
{thirsty thursday : new belgium’s pumpkick brew!}
17 Sep
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!
{a blue moon wedding!}
22 Augthere were such beautiful and intimate moments at this wedding, that at one point – i almost forgot to keep taking pictures! i was completely enamored, what can i say?! these two are such magnificent souls… and their love carries such an intense energy with it that EVERYONE could feel!
they decided to wed on the blue moon, just three weeks ago, this past july. it was just the most beautiful day and only 20 people were present for the ceremony… and so was blue moon, the yummy beer.
congratulations, a & a! ❤
{summer lovin’}
12 Auglots 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’!
———
what are YOU lovin’ about summer?!?!
🙂
❤
{storytelling}
10 Julhere’s a bunch of pics via the iphone, from recent days in the life of audrey michelle :
{red white and blue… cookies!}
2 Jul
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
{“you can learn a lot of things from the flowers…”}
27 Jun… “especially in the month of june…”
———
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! ❤
{callee cat adventures}
15 Mayi just love my kitty…
—
i had never seen her do this, up until about 3 months ago…
people-watchin’ with plants…
{march madness!}
18 Mar…just kidding… kind of. it’s mostly a play-on-words… kind of.
—
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
{my first post in 2015 – an overdue update… with tons of pics!}
6 Feblast day in the tiny house…
hey gang – how’s the new year treating you so far? did you make a bunch of resolutions? are you off to a healthier new you?! seems like many of us make those kind of promises in honour of the new year.
me?! i moved… again. and so i figured it was time to clue you all in.
i’ve missed blogging… but i have literally been living like a gypsy for the past month – and i simply didn’t have time to update as often as i had before. plus, my camera is still broken so i haven’t been fotographing as much. i’ve been relying on the trusty iphone to supplement in that regard… but this will all change very soon… it’s just life, i guess.
in my last post of 2014, i mentioned that i had to leave the tiny house… it was something i wanted to do but also something that was hard to do. it wasn’t so much that i wanted to leave the house, it was more that i wanted to leave the area. it’s a beautiful place, but i am simply not cut out for the cold weather or the culture. if i could have taken that tiny house and put it on wheels to travel with me, i so would have. but alas, it’s a stationed tiny home and that wasn’t an option. c’est le vie. it was an experience i will never forget, and one that changed me and molded me into who i am today.
anyway – i can’t go into the whole story because i could seriously write a book about the circumstances around my final decision to leave the valley. it was just a series of events, some unfortunate, that paved the road to open up new directions in my life. and i have no regrets about it. i feel content in my choices and in the things i’ve learned, and i am excited for a new beginning in my life.
i’ve always been one to change my surroundings if i feel the need… and this move was no exception. home is truly where the heart is… so as long as i have ME, i’m good.
and so without further ado, here are some snaps of the haps in january… enjoy! i look forward to reconnecting with you and hope you all are well!
this message really helped me as i made the final decision to leave colorado… the best word i can use to describe all the feelings… bittersweet.
i will miss seeing the deer in my front yard every morning… that’s for sure.
as i was packing and downsizing even more, i came across all these notebooks i saved from all my years working as a shift leader in NYC. i miss that job and that city so much, but it was an experience like no other and one i will cherish.
fracking is a big thing in colorado – i would see signs all the time and people in the town where i lived were not at all ashamed of expressing their opinions on it… do you see the hand-painted sign on the bottom? it reads : “fracking gassholes” — haha! i loved it.
i took myself to breakfast here on moving day… it’s called heidi’s deli. they make one of the best pastrami sammies i’ve had this side of the hudson… i will miss them.
… and their ham, swiss, egg, and avocado croissants!
i swear i wear this hat every day, lately…
i was nervous moving in january… it’s not something i tend to plan out, what with unpredictable weather and all. but i was so thankful that wedged in between all the snowy days, was sunny friday – the day i moved my things out of the tiny home.
i left this for the new tenants… cuz i’m like that.
i also “left my mark” under the kitchen sink… 😉
moving day lunch – cubano tacos. AH-mazing.
while in gypsy mode, i was staying with some friends out in the sticks… literally. i helped them chop and stack some wood for the winter… okay, mostly i stacked. 😛
i’m learning to incorporate more salads into my diet in winter… my dear friend miss M taught me about the simplicity of putting cooked veggies in with your greens to add more dimension and warmth during the cold months… so simple, so easy.
gettin’ artsy with a clementine…
… and some window light!
who wouldn’t love cooking your oatmeal on a wood stovetop?!
i was SO thankful to be able to spend plenty of time in the private hot springs near carbondale… it was so healing, so sacred.
doesn’t this look so bizarre and cool?! it looks like some kind of alien snow crop circle or something… but it’s really just an indentation from a cross-country ski pole…
the roaring fork…
this reminded me of new york…
never grow up…
moving day dinner… i will miss the local grass-fed burgers!
ran into a little weather on actual moving day…
i’m so grateful my chauffeur {kind of a joke – a good friend drove me the entire 8 hours to my destination!} was fully prepared with snow tires!
…and i’ve pretty much been eating a lot since i got here!
homemade vegan pizza…
with tons of fresh mushrooms, spinach, garlic, and jalapenos!
good wine, good friends…
and my goodness, is it warm here! and i love that!
❤
{some virtual holiday haps}
16 Dechey 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
{words to live by}
27 Nov
——–
I’M SORRY
I LOVE YOU
PLEASE FORGIVE ME
THANK YOU
———
today, and every day…
i am audrey michelle
i am a minimalist
food & foto 