29 September 2009

pumpkin pie season

oh goodness gracious,
there is a zesty nip in the air here in the wv hills.

and it seems this morning it has shot right to the hearts of all of us here on
mockingbird drive...
invigorating us and putting some fiest in our step!
even the mini horses by our driveway are tromping and biting.

i can almost smell the warm buzz of the heater...
awaking from its long sleep...
being put to use for the first time this season.
 
it won't be long til the frost starts to blanket and sparkle...
and the smell of Christmas pine permeates our home.



isn't autumn grand?
so warm and crisp at the same time.
i think so.

28 September 2009

1984

Once upon a time
there was a girl.



she grew up on love,
and like a spring bud she sprang up tall and thirsty.

she lived on a farm
with hills of earth thrust up under her feet
and fields dotted with the deep purple of  iron weeds.

she lived with her very own heroes.
she played in the creek bed
and in the caves,
and on long walks she imagined and became.

and the girl grew up this way.
her faith grew strong,
and her heart grew wings...

 blessed with love and friendship
and forgiveness and dreams
and art and sunsets and trees.

one day she discovered her very own prince,
but she didn't need him to rescue her.
just to love her.
and he did.
and he does.

and now that this girl has grown up,
she realizes she isn't grown up at all.
just the same girl with an older soul.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

saturday was my 25th birthday...
and boy, oh boy...
it was a great one
thanks to my family and soulmates
and, especially, my hubby.

thee, ummmm, four day event included:

day one.
surprise dinner of stuffed shells
(which paul learned to make just for the occasion)

day two.
no flip breakfast with dear friends,
shopping with my momma and grandma (aka the skinny)
followed by olive garden dinner and chocolate cake

day three.
5k walk in the most wonderfully refreshing rain
(which actually ended up being only one mile....
happy birthday to me!),
lunch at greek fest
(gyros and baklava and kourambiethes, oh my!),
a visit from a bestest dropping off a handmade gift,
brief napping,
sushi and dessert and baltimore zoos and laughs
(and a glorious rainbow streaked sky)
with my soulmates

day four.
sunday worship,
yummy bbq from buddy's,
glazing pottery,
coldstone birthday cake in a cup
(cake batter + yellow cake + caramel + sprinkles+ whip cream = hello, treadmill!),
goofy golf, i mean, putt-putt (ps i won),
billy bob's wonderland games
(and then relinquishing the tickets to some kiddos),
starbucks spiced cider,
reflexology,
reflecting,
and a movie date with the hubbs...

eeeeek! did i really do all that?
no wonder i slept til noon :)







25 sure feels nice.

27 September 2009

forever young.


four years ago today was "the call"...
you know the one,
 or maybe you don't yet,
but the kind of call that changes you at your deepest core.
the call the leaves your soul in a knot right in your throat...
making the truth almost unbearable to swallow.
the call that spins the room into slow motion.

we met in anatomy class and became friends at an away game.
he was diagnosed with cancer our senior year.
they say he beat it.

Derek
a true blue-
like family-
no pretending-
best friend-
kind of friend.
the one i compare other friendships to.
one of my truest friends and greatest blessings.
i carry him with me deep in my heart,
tangled up in love,
tucked into some of the happiest places my memory leads me...
and some of the hardest.
i'm at peace, but it's amazing how fresh it can seem.
at times, i suppose it always will.

it's hard, too, you know...
knowing he'll never be older.
knowing he'll never hold his babies.
knowing he'll never meet paul,
especially because i know they'd be great friends.

but God is sovereign.

what i mean by all this is:
play.
love on your people.
love on them until your eyes are heavy...
then fall asleep holding them in your heart.
be a sponge of the soul...
soak them up, and saturate them with everything you have.
i know it's hard.
i am constantly reminding myself,
but life is short and love is abundant.
say your heart NOW.
forgive. forgive. forgive.
build them up.
tell them they are IRREPLACEABLE.
because they are.
and they need to know it.

have wrestling matches with him.
cry with him.
laugh with him everyday, because, let's face it,
he makes your heart light and your smile shine.
hold his hand when he is scared.
build a tent in your living room with him.
watch his favorite movies, even if they are terrible.
listen to what he is afraid of.
let him listen to you.
let him hold your head during your first migraine.
wear sombreros with him to dairy queen.
tell him you love him and that everything is okay.
tell him he's changed everything.

DKM
1984-2005
an entire life represented by the smallest dash.
what about your dash?
what will you remember?
what will you leave?
no regrets.

if you have the time,
these are worth your while:


TELL THEM.

22 September 2009

my new tats.



a portrait of paul and i...
from our 7 yr old friend MC.
lovely, eh?
:)


fly,
sb

ps. want a free piece of breath taking jewelry?
 check out the lovely jj's amazing giveaway on her blog:
click HERE to check her out...
{{it is unreal how talented she is!}}

17 September 2009

let me tell you bout my best friend...

i love Ricki Joy from the depths of my heart.
we met in high school and have since, quite literally,
woven our lives together in the most beautiful way.
art students.
happy campers.
lovers of all things fabulous...

we've shared hopes, dreams, secrets,
and sleeping bags...


and big days...


because i have to have her by my side...
always...


because we are soul mates.

in january, Ricki is leaving for 11 months
to do Christian missionary work in 11 countries
with The World Race.
{{ you can find out all about Ricki's trip
and The World Race by checking out their website:

Ricki has to raise a total of some $16,000 for her trip.
wowsa!
but it's more than worth it.

you may not know me.
you may not know Ricki...
but she could use your support.
please pray for my best friend.
you can follow her on her blog at:

if it is on your heart to donate,
you can do it there.
or
you can e-mail me and ask about
the bracelets she's selling to fundraise.

i love Ricki Joy from the depths of my heart.
and i think you would, too.
LUBNU :)

15 September 2009

i'm having a hard time feeling like i can...

12 September 2009

9.12.09

see ya'll tuesday :)
<< click HERE for more info >>

fly,
sb

11 September 2009

the rest of the nest...

soooo....
you've seen our house...
our love shack if you will.
now here's a peek at our yard.
still a bit neglected,
but we have plans.
our love is not contained by the walls of our home.



here's our firepit that paul made.
he dreamed it up and built it with his own hands.
by himself.
can you tell i'm proud?
he wanted to be able to share fires at night with
friends and each other.
and we have.
i love the glow of his fire on my face.



my (empty) birdfeeder.
oops.
a Christmas gift.
you should see the flock of birds
that come in the winter.
cardinals, blue jays, and
little black heads (what i call them, anyway).
i'm a bit of a bird watcher, really.
anything that flies captures my attention.



our old swing.
it was left here by the previous owners.
not the best,
but still the best.
it reminds me of my neighbors growing up.
faye and melvin and their blue swing.
it's perfect for talking and thinking and relaxing...



the pool on the hill.
a summer gathering place if i've ever seen one.



i love the side of our garage.
old and scruffy, yes.
full of character, yes.
the site of many photo projects.



the pups...



the hen and chicks.
further proof i'm morphing into
my great grandmother, reba.
plus they are easy to take care of.



my favorite.
our driveway.
not the easiest on the tires,
not the easiest to drive up in the snow...
or the easiet to mow.
but i walk it almost every afternoon with the pups
to get the mail.
even mentioning the word "mail"
sends the dogs in a frenzy.
apparently so do the words
"fail", "tail" and "whale"
as we found out today.
but i love the little break in the day.
a mini tradition of sorts.
i love the idea of mail.
there's so much possibility from day to day
(and sometimes treasures!).
i love the sun on my face
and the flex in my legs.
i love being engaged in the neighborhood.



our marshall sign.
silly, huh?
but i got it for paul a few weeks
before our wedding last year.
i got it at the pumpkin festival,
the same place he asked my mom permission to marry me.
AND
paul loves marshall football.
and i love paul.
and i love marshall, too...
because that's where we met :)
and now we're the boekells.



i promise here in a few weeks new work will be featured
and listed in the shop.
i've started saving (sorta) for supplies
to create my jewelry.
and i've taken new photos for some illustrations.
so, bear with me.
it won't always be me blabbing about myself.

06 September 2009

happy labor day (almost)

eeep! wear alllllll your white before it's too late!!!
hope your weekend has been restful and full of "ahhhhh....."
we're off to summersville.
much love :)


04 September 2009

our nest (part one)

our home.
our nest.
my center.
where i find rest, inspiration, comfort,
& love.
i share my home with my best friend.
where there was a house,
we crafted a home.
these are some of my favorite places...

this is what i see when i wake up...
hungry green vines lapping up the light,
sheltering us from the reality of the day.
sunny yellow walls that make me feel warm and vibrant.
a haven.

my favorite rug...
fit for a magic carpet ride (kind of love).

our fridge...
usually not stocked with goodies, typically just the necessities.
but i'm learning.
what i love isn't on the inside...
it's the magnetic smörgåsbord of randomness i love.
reminders. souvenirs. smatterings.
chaos.
i think i got it from my great grandmother...& it makes me smile.

i think it's the rusty spice color mixed with the wood i like.
and the possibility of the window,
set up so perfectly for daydreaming during chores.

rag rugs and cacti and fun vintage containers...

"an apple a day"
my dad made this bowl,
so it makes me think of him.
it's made from blenko leftovers...
and now i work for blenko...
life's funny that way.

meet lovechild (the orchid) and legs.
legs lives in a cage (thanks ginger!).
lovechild is bare due to faulty air conditioning while we were away.
poor guy.

our guest bedroom...aka my mom's room.
quilts and pillows made by my great grandmothers...
nothing is softer than love.

my bench,
a lovebird vintage find...

she's feminine and ladylike.
she's been a model for photoshoots...
a placeholder for jewelry...
and an all-around good friend.

and she displays mysterious notes we find in our laundry room...

this is our camera collection...
most of them have seen their day
and now serve as a reminder to smile.
a lot of them were gifts.
so they remind us of those who think of us.
think of the moments captured by these cameras...
moments they cemented for someone, somewhere.

our lovely antique couch.
so glamorous.

ahhh....the fire place.
the first Christmas here, we drug the mattress off the bed
and put it right smack dab in front of the fireplace.
so we could hear the fire...
smell the fire...
feel the fire...
so we could cuddle up next to its warmth and glow.
so we could watch the Christmas tree lights dance
and play guitar hero until the wee hours.
then last winter we had a terrible storm.
we lost electric for a week.
that first night paul fixed me macaroni on the stove top.
and we snuggled on the couch...with blankets
and flashlights.
and the pups.
it's a good fireplace.

my "space"...

a gift to me...
"creative hands"
i love my friend.
i think i'll write her.

works of art...
a collection of gatherings.
and my real weakness is rings,
can you imagine!?

this is the art room.
that is my favorite chair.
draped with a blanket i made &
looked down upon by my steel doily
and a cluster of art.
this room is filled with quirks and art and supplies
and books and photos and fabric and imagination.
don't let this one corner fool you.
i'm a messy thinker.

a nursery?
one day?
:)
hope you enjoyed the tour.
stop in anytime.
we'd love to have YOU.

02 September 2009

first trade!

my first trade arrived in the mail the other day...

YAY!

it's nice for someone to be interested in my work!
i traded with the lovely Isaac
i traded for ...
well... you should look at his site:
ok, it's not a "sale"
but it's a start!

ANYONE ELSE WANT TO TRADE?
:)