Waiting for Ella

There is no words for how I feel about this girl. She is the one I want to have diving contests with; one goofy splash after the other. She is the one I want to share my comic book collection with late at night while reading in my purple room by a dim bedside lamp. She is the one I call first...good or bad. She is the one who has taught me strength and love in ways no other person ever could. She is the one that will never think it's stupid, always think it's funny, and would never let me leave the house looking like that....she is my best friend, my soul sister, and the mother of one of the most incredible little people I've ever had the pleasure of loving, Nicholas.

Come this fall, her family will grow, adding to it a precious baby girl, Elizabeth Rose...Ella for short. When baby Ella is older I will tell her a special story of how we dropped her big brother off at Grammy's and went to the hospital. I will share with her how we all waited the long hours; feeling the pain of her mommy's labor of love. How her daddy knew just what to do, and how auntie Lynney didn't. I will tell her how I hid my tears behind my camera, and that I was the first person to take her portrait. Mostly, I will tell her how much we all loved one another - and how it was this joy and love that her mommy and daddy had for one another that made her.

I can't wait to take this journey with you Bell. We may not be next door neighbors and share in weekend BBQ's, but this wish, we will share...the birth of your daughter. Love you to the moon friend, and I can't wait to see you all in the fall. xoxox

... a few of my favorite things...

My monogrammed coffee mug~
I was given this mug as a bridesmaid gift at my friend Elizabeth's wedding. I have several mugs, like any true coffee addict, but this one is my all time favorite. I save it for Monday mornings where I can enjoy its weight, and touch for hours while I work. I find myself glancing down at it from time to time, and smiling at it with a cheeky grin, " you are so cute L mug".

Little sparkly things~

I was most likely an undiagnosed hoarder when I was growing up. Among my favorite treasures to squirrel away, were 'gems', or, anything that caught light. When we moved into the house where I spent most of my childhood, the closets were stocked with things the previous owners had left behind. While my parents tore down walls, and remodeled the entire house - the crevasses and cracks left behind were ours to discover. My biggest prize was an old box full of vintage chandelier crystals. I kept the box in my underware drawer; taking it out when I was alone, and adorning my body with the heavy glass gems. After careful placement (using old warped paper clips), I'd lay still on my floor and pretend I was Cleopatra, asleep in her tomb. I wish so badly I still had them...wherever did they go?

Cooking, or in this case - tossing, with lemon~

I. Love. Lemon...

In the summer there are empty glasses all over the house with lemon rings sagging at the bottom, drained of their tart water. I got this delightful habit from my mother, who also shares my obsession for all things lemon. The dish above is a go-to when the house is just too hot for cooking: deconstructed caprese salad sammys...inspired by the movie Julia & Julia (there is a scene where she and her hubby are shoveling them into their mouths * slurp, *smack!). Hail to the citrus, my favorite of the fruits!

...make time.

Free time - a reward for good behavior in days past - a rare commodity today. I have always relished my time to myself (who doesn't!?) and lately I just can't ever manage to find the time to dig in. My kind of digging involves a mixture of art projects, threats to paint my office yet again, and cooking up a storm. My mother and grandmother breathe life into a home and nurture their free time in a way I've tried desperately to mimic in my own four walls. As of late, I've been feeling as though I've failed here. My meals are looking so sad and pathetic I gobble them down quickly as to not offend my eyes! My house is missing the 'Lyndsey piles' of projects I swear I'll get back to but don't. I am somehow comforted by their half baked presence and they make me feel full of possibility. Without them I feel a bit stale, and this just wont do!

So, last night, I pulled myself away from editing, and decided to make dinner. I LOVE to cook, and was quickly pulled into the familiar kitchen dance of chopping, tasting, sauteing and shakin' these hips to some jazz. Of course the light was gorgeous, of course I grabbed my camera, and of course I failed to turn work (all the way) off. Then, I had an Ah Ha! moment: I'm doing it, I'm doing it all...right now! The free time, the work, the love...all of it. Each of these things are here, waiting for me to pump the breaks and enjoy them...like a good 'Lyndsey pile'. Thank you mama and gama for inspiring me to stop and give my soul a big fat squeeze. I love you both so!