just another day 'round here.

the daily grind.

&

&

<< disclaimer: why, yes, i am aware that my fluffy dog is actually a small pig. i am also aware that barnabas slightly resembles a dinosaur, especially if you pay close attention to the giant ski slope of a bump between his ears >>

<< and, ps, i had to google dinosaur to make sure i spelled it right...it's been a deceivingly long time since i used it in a sentence >>

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.

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.