Tag Archives: love

{rose of a different colour}

6 Jun

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courtesy of the tony hillerman library…

 

{callee cat adventures}

15 May

i just love my kitty…

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i had never seen her do this, up until about 3 months ago…

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people-watchin’ with plants…

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Continue reading

{a personal post : bye bye 2014, my last blog for a little while, happy new year, 2015 – 8, new beginnings, cycles, the universe, etc etc…}

31 Dec

wow.

so i’m sitting here… alone… with my baba black lager. it’s new year’s eve. the last day of 2014. the final day in this calendar  year… 2014 was a numerology #7. 2015 will be a numerology #8. i could write a whole blog about the significance of numbers, etc. i just think cycles are so interesting… cycles of all kinds… the seasons, numbers, etc.

does anyone else get all weird on this day? like, it’s just another day really… but somehow i find the energy to be soooooo … intense. in many ways.

like, i woke up restless – what’s that about? and i slept for like, 9 hours last night.

oh yeah, it’s not just because it’s new year’s eve… it’s because things are changing… again. at least for me, personally… in my life, everything is changing… including where i live… i’m saying good-bye to the tiny home… with a bittersweet feeling in my heart.

you know they say that the only constant in life is change. how funny is that!? like, well – you can guarantee this – stuff’s gonna be different tomorrow. not everything will be different, but a lot of it will… because that’s how life rolls… it doesn’t care if we are ready for the change or not… it just keeps on changing. people change, astrology changes, rules change, the weather changes, laws change, … most things around us do NOT stay the same… including the people in our lives, and those we love.

so what’s my point? 

i dunno, maybe i don’t have one. maybe i just wanted to sit down in front of my computer and keep it real with you readers… and myself.  maybe i’m tired of trying to “keep it together” all the time… as in, always having the perfect thing to say and taking so much time to think about how to express myself… because i’m so scared of being misunderstood. maybe i just wanted to be spontaneous and sit down and write while i felt the desire, the thoughts flowing, the keys being struck with force and purpose… maybe i want to just say whatever i feel and not be worried about how everyone else is gonna perceive it…

maybe i’m just feeling the baba… 😉

so how do you feel about the idea that the only thing we can be sure of is that things change… how does that make you feel? is it comforting to know that with each moonset and each sunrise, that life can end and begin all over again?!  does that give you peace to know that tomorrow… tomorrow… the sun will come out?! or does it make you kinda crazy to know that you can’t ever really count on anything?! does it give you total anxiety to feel like as soon as you get comfortable with something or someone, there is damn good potential for it to morph into something else entirely and seem completely illusive?!

i feel like there is a balance… as with most things in life.

most days i’m so thankful to begin anew… to wipe clean the “yesterday” that never really exists in the first place… to wake feeling renewed and purposeful again. i learned a lot about the beauty in each new day when i lived in new york… it’s amazing how that city just doesn’t stop for anything… it doesn’t care if you didn’t get the memo, it doesn’t care if you aren’t walking fast enough, if you missed your subway stop, or if you aren’t feeling its embrace. when living there, i had to learn how to be so completely present that nothing seemed to really effect me to the point of not being able to continue to be in the moment.

my challenge this year is to get back to that space…

i’ve been practically beating my head against the wall trying to figure out where i went… what happened to the person that seemed to be able to really stay in the moment… to embrace it even when it was chaotic, unpredictable, and sometimes down-right scary.  where did that audrey go that i spent 29 years trying to find when i met her in new york?!

she didn’t go anywhere… it took me all of 2014 to realize that.

i mean, seriously. just this past week i had the total epiphany that nothing is “wrong” with me… and if there is in fact anything that i feel uncomfortable with – that I, personally, have the power to change it. i can and always do create change in my life when i am feeling a need for it. sometimes it’s not always clear to me, but it’s almost like i do things without even thinking sometimes… and then when i’m on the other side of it, i go, “oh yeah… i see why we did this.”

i guess that’s true with everything in life… hindsight is 20/20, right?!

well, all i know is… i’m feeling more comfortable with change… dare i say, i’m embracing it. i’m not saying i love “change” during every moment while i’m in it… but i’m okay with the idea that everything seems “fleeting…” because really… if it’s true that the only constant in life is change… well, then i wanna make sure to be so immersed in each passing moment, that i love it for what it is… recognizing that it will never again be the same… that each moment really is a gift. maybe it’s not a gift wrapped in colourful paper and bows, maybe it’s not a gift we asked for… maybe it’s a gift we didn’t realize we needed.

but it’s still a gift… if we can be open to receiving it…

personally, i’m feeling happy to be letting go something while completely surrendering to something new and exciting. for me, my personal changes happen to coincide with the calendar change… but i’ve always been a firm believer that you can choose to make a change at any given moment in your life. you don’t have to have anyone validate your decision to change, you don’t have to have a party or mark it on your calendar… hell, you don’t even have to invite anyone. you can choose to make changes in your life while washing your dishes… you can choose to create a new life while driving to work… there are no rules for that. you can live life on your terms, but in order to do so, you must live life on your terms.

does THAT give you comfort?!  it sure does me… 🙂

so, as i ring in the new year and celebrate new beginnings, my heart is filled with gratitude for all the loving people, places, and things i’ve experienced. i just want to continue to hold a space of gratitude… and to be open to new things as i step boldly out of the familiar and into the unknown…

happy new year! – to each and every one of you. thank you for following my blog, for engaging and for taking time to read and give this blog purpose… i’m truly grateful to each one of you.

 p.s. – i’m not gone forever… just a temporary hiatus while i adjust to some new things… i’ll be back to blogging in no time… 

{a holiday haiku}

24 Dec

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sometimes the best gift

can’t be put into a box…

unwrap love all year.

{words to live by}

27 Nov

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——–

I’M SORRY

I LOVE YOU

PLEASE FORGIVE ME

THANK YOU

———

today, and every day…

{sometimes you have to first take a leap of faith, then watch as the net appears…}

25 Oct

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{i’m lovin’ it…}

27 Sep

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…this random hash with onion, garlic, potatoes, bacon, tomatoes, and kale.

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…this. *giggle*

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…subtle reminders.

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…these $5 birks i scored at a thrift store in moab – never been worn!  

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…fresh halibut – worth the splurge!

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…fishin’ somewhere near paonia.

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…creating farm-to-table meals with elk meatballs, wild boletus mushrooms, sauteed swiss chard, fresh salad.

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…my new job.

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…a perfect tomato from a friend’s garden.

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…making wishes at the wishing tree.

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…a beehive, right by my house!

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…the fact that peach season is officially over… i enjoyed one final one for desert after the bronco game. 

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…my tomatoes are finally taking off.

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…tomato bounty!

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…glowing sopris… {and the fact that it’s still been nice enough to even wear sandals!}

enjoy your weekend!

{september bounty – eat the rainbow!}

19 Sep

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between farmer’s markets, my new job, and cool new people in my life – i’m one blessed {and grateful!} lady!  ❤

{the reason…}

17 Aug

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{happy earth day!}

22 Apr

New York City

and celebrate ALL WEEK!

 

 

 

{a personal post : something about a rainbow}

14 Apr

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thinkin’ about my mama today… can’t believe it’s been 21 years!

something about a rainbow gives me so much comfort… maybe they make me think of my mom, or maybe they remind me of that bible verse i liked when i was a kid, or maybe the scientist in me finds them truly fascinating… and maybe, they just provide a sense of peace somehow – a beautiful reminder that everything is going to be okay… a reminder that after the storm and after the rain, there’s always a

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{foto friday : this furry face…}

28 Mar

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…i can’t even handle it… SO CUTE!!!!!!!!

zuko is not my dog, but i get to play with him all the time ‘coz he belongs to my neighbour/landlord and he is always wandering over to my tiny home to play and be adorable.  like when he laid on my yoga mat the other day in the sun…

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downward-facing zuko.

😉

{happy anniversary, food & foto!}

25 Mar

celebrating two years of nom-noming and click-clicking!

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thank you – all one thousand and twenty-eight of you! {as it stands, as i write this…}

i am inspired by you, encouraged by you, and grateful for and to you. i am already doing a giveaway in honour of you… but in honour of food & foto’s anniversary, i’ve decided to up the ante.  i’ll be giving away TEN prints by the end of april!  stay tuned…

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this blog has been one of the healthiest things i could’ve done for myself.

i want to take this time to thank my friend michele for encouraging and inspiring me to start writing and posting about my passion{s}.  the simplest gesture like just saying, “you should start a food blog…” has taken me to places that i may not have ever dreamed of going.

🙂  xxoo

 

{“stray cats” – a special sunday post}

23 Mar

so – pretty much everyone knows that i used to live in new york city for about 3 years… part of me is {no doubt} still there, and always was and will be.  i miss it every day, but i have to trust my heart that i left when i was supposed to leave. the memories i made there were so special, so irreplaceable, and so life-changing that i reflect on my experiences often.  in fact, i know that i need to start writing more about them.

aside from being an old soul, i’ve always enjoyed the company of older people… even when i was young, most of my friends were older than me. when i was in manhattan, i lived with a spry, lively, hilarious sagittarius who was more than twice my age, and we were the best of friends.  don’t misunderstand – she could keep up with any 30-something i knew! i often don’t speak of her directly, nor do i of many of my friends, out of respect for their privacy.  however, this week i just had to post something in honour of the news i received from my former roommate in NYC.

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this foto was taken in 2010 at our favourite spot, quigley’s, which is now closed. we frequented “quig’s” at least once a week, sometimes more – depending on fun events like mardis gras.  it was like our own personal “cheers” – everyone knew our name. the lady across from me in the foto is my lovely former roommate and still very close friend… we’ll call her “JG”.  the gentleman next to her is the quintessential new-yorker with the best sense of humour.  the gentleman behind me just lost his battle with cancer this week. his wife, behind him, recently had the same fate last year. i like to refer to them as the “IRISH” – because they are.

these people had a HOUSE in my heart.  not just a room, a house.  the couple that lost their lives to cancer were like family to me. quite literally – they invited JG and i over for every holiday dinner. most of JG’s family didn’t live in NYC, and obviously none of mine did either.  after a while, it became a running joke to call us “the stray cats” because we would just wander over for dinners, as they always invited us and made us feel like family.  the IRISH had a home business and they even hired me to take some fotos for their marketing.  these people were just so special to me.  when i found out about MISTER IRISH’s death, a part of my heart died, too.  that may sound morbid, but that’s how special these people were to me.  i never got sick of hearing stories about how they fell in love, or how much they remembered about the city changing, or how they knew about the “best little bakery in town” — or just their warm, kind, open, and loving spirits. it chokes me up to think about how special the IRISH’s are/were and just how blessed i am to have met them and been so immersed in their lives {and vice versa}.

things i miss most : morning paddle tennis games with a cup of coffee from the bodega downstairs, long chats in the living room with evening light drenching all the furniture, my endlessly-full wine glass, their amazing taste in art – particularly that italian painting above the kitchen table – i was obsessed with it!!!… what i’ll miss most is the way i felt whenever i left their presence… just so enriched!

so, in honour of the IRISH family, and my lovely former roommate JG – i bought these simple and gorgeous magenta carnations… they are JG’s favourite flowers.  i’d often buy them for her, since there are flower shops on every corner in new york. yesterday i bought them in honour of her, as well.  she stayed by IRISH’s side in his last days, and told him “the stray cats love you” — that meant a lot to me, since i couldn’t be there to say goodbye.  i also love carnations because they may be the ‘bottom of the totem pole” when it comes to flowers, but they last so long and they smell incredible and they will remind me of all the amazing memories i had in NYC with IRISH and JG.

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heaven has another angel… and i know he’s being greeted with endless amounts of love.

thank you for reading.  have a beautiful sunday – and just please go out and share a little love… with the ones you love, and even with the ones you don’t.  the world just needs more of it.

xxoo

{treehugger}

16 Mar

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go do it… NOW!  i promise it will help dissolve anything that is ailing you at the moment…

HAPPY SUNDAY! 😀

{saturday sun snoozin…}

8 Mar

isn’t it adorable/amazing how cats always find the ONE sunbeam in the house to lay and nap under?!

i just love my callee gurrrl….

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happy daylight savings!  and welcome more sunshine!!!  woohoo!

{whatever wednesday – foto love}

26 Feb

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nothing makes me happier than when i’m taking pictures.  nothing makes my soul shine brighter and vibrate higher than when i have a camera in my hand. i am at my absolute best when i am capturing the world around me, through these eyes, through fotography.  creating memorable images is what i do best. i am in love with fotography, and it is in love with me.

fotography is my absolute passion in life.

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snow, however – is not. but we are working on establishing a healthy symbiotic relationship…

😉

{new year’s eve 2013 – goodness, it sure has been an eventful 12-months!!}

31 Dec
sunrise - snowmass village, colorado © audrey michelle 2013

sunrise – snowmass village, colorado © audrey michelle 2013

it really has been a very very eventful year!  personally, i’m kind of glad to be saying good-bye to 2013.  i always say you can start over ANY time in your life, you don’t need an event like new year’s eve to make resolutions, start fresh, or even kiss a stranger 😉 but i’m still looking forward to wrapping up one year and starting a new one… i have been releasing a lot of old “stuff” over the last month… and i’m ready to welcome in the new!

i just really feel good about bringing in 2014 this year… things feel a little more peaceful in general, and that is great!

it’s been exactly 3 weeks

however, since my entire life changed in one single {terrifying} moment… i completely survived my car rolling twice on the icy highway roads on monday, december 2nd.  not a single person was harmed nor animal or lamppost involved… no semi-truck in the way, no major abrasions, pain, trauma, or overall inconvenience other than losing my awesome car, shelby the subaru. but like everyone said, “you can replace a car, you can’t replace YOU!”

i’m still shaking my head at how it even happened and most of all HOW i survived… walking away totally unscathed and mostly just in shock. the bizarre twist to all of this is that i have found many blessings come out on the other side of it all. i’m even going to write about the event, as it really did change my life. any event like that shakes up a person’s whole being… and when it’s “over”, it’s kind of impossible to claim to be the same person afterward. Continue reading

{merry christmas!}

25 Dec

wishing you all the love and happiness this season brings…  now and always.

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xxoo

am

{happy nom-nom-idays!}

21 Dec

nom nom… i just love this time of year.  the holidays are also all about eating, right?!  and sharing… 🙂

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like this homemade peanut brittle from a friend’s mama in michigan and homemade caramels from my wonderful neighbours -50 yards away.

my goodness they are both SO AMAZING! i completely savoured each one, and still am. it’s that kind of treat – when someone takes time to make something so incredibly delicious like this and then shares it… THAT is the true meaning of the holidays… or, the nom-nom-idays.  i think we should start making it more about food than “gifts”.  afterall, i believe food is one of THE BEST gifts you can give… and receive 😉 Continue reading