two of a kind

Happy Friday!

I. Here is a picture of the dogs to start this weekend off right!

I've been a bit homesick lately, and looking at pictures of these two sweet dogs always makes me smile.  

II. And I've been thinking a lot about this quote recently:

"When I have a terrible reluctance to go near it...I generally know that something is badly wrong." -Alice Munro

I tend to not be able to multitask working on my craft, so I focus on writing or my stationery side project.  Can you guess which one I'm avoiding?

III. I've been making an effort to buy flowers more often, and I picked these up.  How pretty are they?

Tell us: What has been inspiring you recently?  Does the Munro quote resonate with you?

-SM

I've been thinking a lot about the quote in this picture, which has been my phone background for the last few weeks.  

Being on the cusp of change is a bit scary, but this reminds me of how to start transitioning.  

Another photo I love.  Puppiesforall is definitely an Instagram favorite.  

Though we were raised Catholic, I wouldn't say Jen or I are very religious, but we are spiritual. And though I am not practicing, I still give up something, each year, for Lent.  This small gesture still makes me feel like I'm connecting to a greater good/higher power.

So here is my Lenten sacrifice: no buying coffee out.

This is one of my favorite treats, as anyone and especially Jen can tell you, so it will be tough. I even have a Starbucks gold card (pictured above).  I also forsee this being a bit hard because I do most of my writing at coffeeshops, but I will adapt.  

I also want to not eat meat on Fridays; I'm thinking of it as a form of Meatless Mondays.  

Tell us: Do you participate in Lent or make any type of sacrifice during the year?

-SM

Here are a few things I've been coveting:

1. this print

2. this calligraphy class through istilllovecalligraphy.com. 

I posted about obsessing over calligraphy here and didn't really know much about the modern form of it that exists.  So pretty and elegant.

3. And these boots in narrow width.

Since I am doing my best to stick to the spending diet, I just have to look, and not buy, for right now. Hey a girl can dream, right?  Though I'm riding solo for this V-Day so I may treat myself to the Hemingway print.  

Tell us: What are you lusting over?

-SM

(first image, second image, third image)

Happy Friday!

This weekend, I made some prototypes of handmade notebooks.  Jen and I are planning a cool collaboration that I mentioned here.  I have some kinks to work out, but I'm excited about them.

I'm headed to the Poetry and Prose Getaway this weekend, so I'm sure I'll have some stories and drafts to share!

-SM

Tell us: What do you make by hand?  Are you working on any cool collaborations?  

On Sunday, I drove to Asbury Park, NJ to buy beer fest tickets. With incredible luck, I managed to get the last three tickets!

After, I walked onto the beach for the first time since summer.  I was surprised by the damage that is still being cleaned up from Hurricane Sandy.  Being at the beach, regardless of the time of year or where, makes me feel peaceful. 

I did get some good pictures, though.  Although it wasn’t sunny, this weekend’s weather was a welcome break from the New Jersey winter. 

Tell us: Where do you feel at home?

-SM