sunday's child

At 4 months old our Jess is a detergent ball playin', gift wrap helpin', window washer watchin', growlin', teethin', toilet trainin', foot lickin' dose of love.

I've been a forever dog person, long, long before we ever even owned one (I was around 13 when we got our first Westie, Peppy), I've always had an affinity with dogs. 

I think it's because they are capable of displaying and responding to affection and me being a very tactile person, I just adore the love they are capable of giving.

And one look into those deep liquid brown eyes and you can have a whole conversation with your pooch. There's a wealth of understanding in those eyes of theirs, sounds strange but fellow dog owners will agree!

My ultimate breed of choice would be a British bulldog. Named Buddha.

Not that I over-plan or anything ^.^

Yesterday we had some family over to celebrate my Aunt's 80th birthday~ I love this snap of me with my Pops. His belly laugh is one of the best sounds in the world ^.^

I made my speciality dessert; a boozy Bailey's chocolate cheesecake for the event, a sinful indulgence which is made only on special occasions.

  My Mom and I definitely do not orchestrate special occasions just so we can make the cheesecake. Oh no.

I was over the moon when Artful Blogging magazine asked if they could use my blog header in their 'Banners We Love' feature in their Summer issue.

Today I'm reading it curled up with leftover cheesecake and good strong chai tea.

I've been asked a few times about who designed my header, while I came up with the initial design I was helped by the lovely Savannah at Oh So Pretty to tweak it and bring it into fruition. I highly recommend her for anyone looking to design their own blog template~ she was wonderful to work with >.<

the sunday slowdown// happy feet

wooly socks + roaring fire

You could close your eyes and swear it was still December around these parts.

Wintry drafts and snowfall are doing battle with the sunshine which is doing it's best to peek through the clouds and warm us all up a bit.

A long, hot soak

I do love the coziness of a cold evening in a warm house though.

There have been two very happy feet wrapped up snug in woolen socks and treated to log fires, hot bubble baths and electric heated bed sheets.

Warm sheets, long socks and tea in bed

Maybe you can tarry a little longer Spring...a certain gal and her happy feet could get used to this 

♥

p.s~ in all the travelling back home hoopla last week I completely forgot to mention I was featured reviewing my favorite book on  I Believe in Story.
I absolutely love Maria's blog~ and if your somewhat of a bookish Matilda like myself you should definitely check her out.
You can read my review of Jeanette Winterson's 'Sexing the Cherry' here.

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the sunday slowdown

 Do you ever wish that Sunday mornings could just last forever?

Today's was the perfect, lazy, slow-wake-up kind of morning with cups of tea and bacon sandwiches and The Beach Boys and jumping in and out of bed till noon.

Later the sunshine (sunshine!) enticed me into the shower and out to the tracks to watch my buddy put me to shame by running 10k while I slouched on the stands, listening to Radiohead and messing around with photo apps on my phone.

She's a master deceiver, Madam Weather, especially when she is in transition and my fingers finally became numb enough by the wind chill for me to sneak off and hide out in a coffee shop with a book, a chocolate latte and the warmth of a sunny spot next to a window.

Because, really, what sunday is complete without a little coffee shop action?

the sunday slowdown

There's nothing a little tea and a sweet letter can't fix.

I love the peace and the quiet of a Sunday,

the way it bookends the week with a little pocket of solitude and wind-down time.

This day of the week keeps me sane and centered.

I dance to a slower melody.

Today I checked the mailbox and found the sweetest snail mail from a dear friend who knew exactly what I needed to lift me out of a little mood rut.

I made myself a hot cup of British tea to remind me of home, set out fresh roses and set aside an hour to slow sip, read over fond memories and just be.

I'm forever blessed to realize I have friendships that have survived time and distance and prolonged absence.

Swoony, cozy, cups of tea-filled Sundays are where it's at.

^^

the sunday slowdown

Is it almost Spring yet?

I have a hankering for flowering baby buds and warm window panes and

I'm tired of fending off colds that are coming for me left, front and back!

This morning I scooped up my book, pens and writing paper and escaped to the coziness of the coffee shop for a few hours of reading and writing therapy.

Works a charm on me every time.

My soul is craving some good outdoors time, but for now the snow and the frost have me running for cover every time I venture out of the apartment.

I have to remind myself the deeper we move in to February the closer we inch toward Spring and warm air and good changes.

When I think back to Spring last year, when I was home at my parents house in Ireland, taking long walks every day, spotting wild horses in the fields and taking photos of old churches, I realize now just how happy a time that was for me.

As much as there is a hermit in me (incidentally, The Hermit was one of the first cards I pulled at my Tarot reading) who loves the hibernation involved in Winter, there is another part of me that loves the freedom and call of the outdoors that Spring offers.

I hope that Old Man Winter is being sweet to you, he is a charming old wizard after all...but I am ready for a little bit of change ^^

the sunday slowdown

What to do on a cold and cloudy Sunday?

This morning we threw open the windows, pumped good psychedelic rock through our speakers and gave our little apartment a deep, hard clean.

It's such a good feeling to put your feet up at the end of a good soul-cleansing purge of dirt and dust bunnies!

Later at the hair salon I ended up cutting bangs on a whim.

Damn me and my whims, I always think bangs are a good idea at the time but I'm the worst at maintaining them and they inevitably end up being bobby-pinned to the side of my head.

This evening I blew the dust off my baking trays and made these sea salt chocolate chip cookies from Ambitious Kitchen.

Holy. Mama.

I want to track down whoever thought of pairing chocolate with sea salt and kiss them on the mouth and that's all I'm gonna say about that! 

I kind of got into my kitchen groove after that and decided to pull out the ginger and spice and everything nice and boil up a pot of spicy Indian Chai.

Right now the apartment is steeped in the rich smells of sweet and salty brown butter cookie dough and boiling cardamom.

Blissed.

I hope everyone had a warm, weird and wonderful weekend ^^