as i was walking along, reaching for the things that mean most to me- i saw dinner being placed just right, for buddha. amazing memories and traditions, filled me. it's from this part of my childhood, i seemed to have pulled most from, these past days.

a big thanks, to the wtsb blog for choosing my work. i dig you so much, i want to do a cartwheel! big time blushing; ) so many talented shooters, over there.

my friends, thank you for always stopping in, to say hello to me. your kindness, warms my heart.

have a wonderful week.

one love~

the walk has been a difficult one, this week. but i wouldn't change a thing, about this path, i am on.

a bit ago, i was speaking with a blogging friend. we we're emailing back and forth about a movie, we enjoyed. in one of the emails, my friend wrote, that she liked a character well enough, but wished this woman in the movie, had became stronger, earlier, in the movie.
i haven't forgot those words, she shared. i'd like to think, that conversation made me stronger.

i absolutely adore, the strength i gain from women. you all make me a better person.

i am going to unplug for a bit, to reach for some things, i truly want to achieve. see you soon.

have a most wonderful weekend.
; )

whoever started wordless wednesday... big up to ya! ; ) i have deadlines to meet, and i haven't gotten shit done. it's one of those day's, and i am losing. i am going to make my bed, in hopes that it will look like i have accomplished, something today. then i am gonna get in it, and hide. kidding... kind of. ; ) i still have a chance to turn this day around. ...be productive, go for it.
so much for wordless... still, big up to ya! ; )

one love~

weekending~

this weekend~
i slept in
had a shot of toffee in my coffee
smiled as i painted
was stopped in my tracks by the movie casablanca
ate a slice of pizza with my honey
blasted marc anthony as loud as i could on the radio
lost my glove
found my glove
made taco salad for the game
froze my woo hoo off as i photographed some old buildings
thought to myself, was it easier to be a parent, when our kids were little... umm, yeah. lol
bought a box of tangerines, which sucked... so i took photos of them. forgive me clementines ; )
saw hector at the store. "hey mami, christina, it's me hector... que pasa??
washed dishes
laughed until i cried
dirtied the dishes
put a dash of cinnamon in the brownies
washed the dishes
ordered film
knitted during the packer game. heh heh
read til i fell asleep

life is good~

i am participating in weekending over at amanda's place. join the fun!

enjoy your day~

on a sunday afternoon.

he brought me macaroons, and paint brushes today, for no special reason. ; ) i have yet to use the paint brushes, cause i am too busy, loving on these, macaroons ; ) i am still amazed, at how much, he gets me. you know... really understands me. i dig that.
today is
reading an old- australian living vogue. australia we are thinking of you.
onion rings
working on a sweet photo series
staying warm
xo

a bit of cafe love~
because it is dangerously cold here, i am planning a quick jaunt, to the market. there is a hot chocolate recipe, i found of my grandmothers, that calls for coffee beans and vanilla beans... i mean come on, how bad could that be??  i will share, once i get the ingredients ; ) and yes, of course, i will also share that blackberry bread, recipe. you will love it. soon come, nah.

thank you, for the peanut butter cookie, lovin. jess, sounds like a go. that's real. ; )

minestrone soup, from scratch, is on the menu today. even remembered to soak the beans, last night. ; )

a song ~ carlos, india and yo-yo... deep sigh. palms clasped, to the beatles.

i am so hooked/laugh until i cry, on this movie. bad boy, alec, lights my fire. definitely in rotation, over here. love love steve martin- and hearing such good things, about his book. i was long hooked, before shop girl. ; )

how are you? any plans this weekend?

prayers for all to be warm tonight, with food and shelter. you are not forgotten.

my friends, happy weekend.

; )

this morning is~ sarabeth's hazelnut coffee
finishing the pages of "little women"
looking over proofs
stamping envelopes
toasting thick slices of blackberry bread

*can you recommend a datebook/calendar? not feeling the one i am using*
rocking the same bed head as Miles.
it's real.
happy day, my friends.
ps: are you playing along with any 365 projects? thinking of doing that, since i pretty much do it anyways. let me know.

soup is just logical. it's snowing again and a snowy day= soup.

i had shrimp in the fridge last night and a carton of mushrooms. i added shallots, butter and cajun spices. +crusty bread. a meal for a king, i tell ya. well, it did this fam, good.

i really would love to have a good, peanut butter cookie recipe. do you have one? i love the chewy ones, that call for smooth peanut butter. just haven't found one, that does the trick.

my name is christina, and i am addicted to vintage pyrex.

seems like january has sapped my mojo. i want to give something my all... anything my all. i want to dive in head first, and forget the kick in the ass january is giving me. i am again, taking chinese. i will give my homework, my all. my grandparents would be proud, to see me in this class. oh, i appear to be barely hanging on in this class, but i feel so at home. ; )

have a good week.
respect~

yesterday there was a snow storm
it snowed
snowed
and
snowed some more.

we reflected on the the celebrated day of MLK
i thought to myself, why don't i leave these photos out all year long? these photos, should inspire, be dusted, be conversation starters, dream boosters. i need to get these memories, out of handed down, boxes.
i mentioned once, that my husbands grandfather, worked beside Dr. King. although my husband wasn't around for the movement, these men molded him. he wants this heritage, to help mold our kids... others.  much respect to the elders.

i cooked food from the soul. oohh i wish you were here. hoppin john, okra, buttermilk cornbread...

eh i burned my pecan sandies

we lit
candles

read old letters, and ran my finger tips over pretty stamps, on the envelopes.

i read "letters to a young poet"

as it snowed

we ate almost a whole flat of clementines

the dog tried to bury his sweater in the snow.

we shared our life

as it snowed.

i am thinking of you, my friends.
stay warm.

a trip to the grocery store, is on the to do list. i am not good at this. i get cranky and hot and confused. just thinking about it, freaks me out. that's what i get for being a chef. i become a prima donna, when it comes to grocery shopping or doing dishes, for my family. eh naw, who dis on de high horse?! lol

i haven't made stuffed peppers in forever. those are is on the menu for this weekend, after i found myself with eight green peppers. what's a girl to do ; ) maybe i can stuff them with ground chicken, brown rice, onion, mushroom, spicy tomato sauce... a nice smoked cheese.

it's cold and i am so ready to hibernate, for the winter. i really am. ; ) this weather is wearing on me. i am ready for bed and it's like noon. lol

alright, one of these teenagers just tossed a clementine peel, at me. seriously, they don't want none. really they don't. lol my little angels.

ahh winter, you make us crazy, but we love ya.

happy weekend, my friends.

i am working on photos today. and while i work~ a song that is on repeat.  deep sigh, for beauty.

...january needs a little purple. don't you agree? or a big burst of purple power, in the form of petals. ; )
january we come in peace, with purple flowers.  big smile.

this past week, i took my 40D and donated it to mrs. dillards, 5th grade class. i dig that! enjoy! thank you for having me, and thank you to a.b. magazine- i love that i have met new people, through the feature. that's what it's ultimately about. to connect with others i might not have... love.

art should be present in schools. just sayin. ; )

thanks for having a laugh with me yesterday, about the fam and grandma. big smile. much respect to my elders. one love~

...alice walker once said "each soul is to be cherished, every flower is to bloom." i couldn't agree more.

thank you for the love, my new friend. hands clasped in gratefulness.

go auburn!

have a most beautiful week, my friends.

a snowy rooftop morning... it's so beautiful. im keeping warm, underneath blankets and books.

i have a new cell phone. i don't like cell phones at all. i can't remember to turn it on. and when it rings, i look at others like- what's that noise. sigh. i so need to step into the a.m.

last night, each time i tried to do something, one of the fam members needed me. mom where's this, where is that... babe can you help me with this?? then when they all went to sleep, i was too tired for me and the stuff i love. eh naw! i wanted to taser them all, even grandma. no lie.  taser is the electrical thingy, that they use on cop shows, right?  bad boys bad boys wha cha gwan do...  that's what i wanted to use on my family. not a lot, but just enough taser to keep em at bay, while i craft. bless their hearts. ; )

i ordered this book today.
and loved how she made time for herself
still drooling over this post. you rock my world, a.

how are you? ya doin good?

stay warm, my friends. and have a good laugh today - a deep from the belly laugh.

one love~

peace and love~
a beautiful gray sunday we are having
i spent most of the day reading at the cafe and then time at an old cinema.

on reading~ i found the most enchanting book by mavis gallant.

i love reading books, i know nothing about. and short stories are brilliant.
"She did not spring up at once but lay in a wash of morning sunlight, surveying her tanned arms, stretched overhead, while her mind mind opened doors and went from room to room ..."
from the book, "the cost of living- early and uncollected stories.

and there was chocolate. of course ; )

and love

praise to the Most High.

happy sunday, my friends.

blush

petals, words, french desserts, shabby doors, new beginnings. blush.

real

looking back on some photos, from chicago. i love that town, i really do. i will be there in a few weeks to do some photo work. love love.

i have seen some of you posting your favorite photos, from the past year. oh, what a wonderful idea. i don't think i would know where to begin, finding my files would be a job, in itself.  i get nervous thinking of it. but i do appreciate seeing yours. you all are amazingly talented, behind the lens.

i want to say i've had it together, for the first five days of january, but i think i may still be lethargic, from the festivities of december. true. sigh.

and january arrives for me. hands clenched, hoping the struggles i tend to feel during this month, take a break from visiting me. but here it is. january. and we dance. we appear to be doing the same dance. but different. somehow i gather something, from this dance, this time.  could it be strength. might be.

there just comes a time and age where a woman gets tired of being afraid, shacking up with fear. it may be when she looks in the mirror... turns forty, turns twenty, sees her own face in her child's face, looks back and realizes she has lived for everyone, but herself.

my word for last year was sparkle. i loved that word. god knows i sparkled the brightest, during the darkest times.

this year my word is -real. Definition of real. a : not artificial, fraudulent, or illusory : genuine <realgold>; also : being precisely what the name implies realprofessional>
b (1) : occurring or existing in actuality


2010 had it's ups and downs.  but i'm still standing. and for that i am grateful. there are times this blog holds my down days, my struggles. at times i write about my eyes seeing too much, my heart not feeling enough. and you are there no matter what. shit, what else could a girl ask for. that's real. i dig that. and i thank you, from the bottom of my heart.

extra love, if you made it through this novel, i wrote. lol

today is filled with baking, homemade chocolate chip cookies. and that makes me so very happy.

one love~

clementines

yesterday it was clementines and walnuts. and i repeated the sweet and nutty taste this morning, for breakfast.

i miss the xmas tree lights. i have decided to leave a set of lights, along the mantel. so pretty.

yep, had to purchase more space from google, to continue loading pics here. say huh? yep.

dude, what's with this blog and the christmas header, still up? i will talk to management bout dis. not diggin that at all. ; ) big smile.
dearest blog fairy, can you come design me a new blog header? i'm kind of busy over here. 

for now need to wrap my mind around a lesson in barbarians to greeks. sigh.

just stopping in to say hi.
you are appreciated.

that's all.
; )

keeping warm

i hope he understands, knitting has become my obsession. i don't know how to make much, but everyone in the family, will soon have a scarf... somebody stop me ; )

... it's all of ten degrees or something like that, outside.
soups on the stove. coconut bread, has been baked, spines of books being broken in.

and football, there's always football.

this house is messy and lived in
the sunday paper is everywhere
the nyt crossword puzzle, is giving us all trouble, but keeping us busy.

the laundry is screaming to be done- not gonna happen today.

a mulled wine is on a slow, but continuous simmer.

new calendars are being filled in for a new semester, which beings tomorrow.

monday is approaching at rapid speed. i won't think of that yet...
there is more knitting to be done. ; )

stay warm, my friends.