Monday's Quote

Dawn in the desert, originally uploaded by heat.haze.

Our lives are not determined by what happens to us but by how we react to what happens, not by what life brings to us, but by the attitude we bring to life. A positive attitude causes a chain reaction of positive thoughts, events and outcomes. It is a catalyst, a spark that creates extraordinary results. Anon.

Have an extraordinary Monday!!

Thinking of Spring

I know it is still winter, but we have had some warm weather lately and I start thinking of spring and different clothing. About this time, I get tired of winter clothing and long for lighter and more colorful outfits. I was messing around on http://www.style.com/ and found this line, Diesel Black Gold. This line was inspired by desert colors, and I really do like the edgier pants. The lace up closing reminds me of some of the old leather pants worn in some of the great old westerns.

Design Bloggers Conference

Entryway, originally uploaded by decorology.

I am so excited!! I am attending the design bloggers conference next week in Los Angeles. I hope to learn A LOT! You can tell by how infrequently I post that I am not adept at using this platform the way it needs to be used! On the first morning the key note speaker is a designer I really admire, Jan Showers.http://www.janshowers.com/ Her book is a staple on my coffee table. I am excited to hear her story. I plan on blogging about all the cool information I will learn. So stay tuned!

Are colors Regional?

Pantone 18-2120 Honeysuckle, originally uploaded by curbsidebandit.

I personally love this color!! It is not a wimpy pink, it has a healthy dose of red in it that makes this color luscious! But....how to use this color in our southwest homes? Last year's color of the year was a no brainer. Turquoise?! really? how easy was it to use this color with all of our browns, terra cottas and purples?

Honeysuckle will prove to be more difficult to add to our interiors. Can we in the sun drenched southwest integrate this color? What do you think?

From my back porch

Across the country, a lot of us are expecting really bad weather....tomorrow night we are expecting a low of 5 degrees!! I have lived here for 24 years, and the lowest I have seen is 14....it has been a long, cold, dry winter.

Peace




A few pictures from my back porch. The spectacular mountains are called the organs, because the granite peaks resemble that of a church organ.

Unsettling Week: Not the Best of the West

Coming Hot.jpg, originally uploaded by kinoshaman.

This has been an emotional week. Saturday's news of the Tragedy in Tucson has left me with many emotions. My father, who died last October, lived in Tucson. He attended The University of Arizona for graduate school in the late 1950's. I attended the University of Arizona as well as my mother, her brothers and now my two sons. In the midst of this unspeakable tragedy, Classes were supposed to resume today for my sons, but because of President Obama's speech, classes were delayed and will resume tomorrow. My youngest son is a Freshman, and my oldest has transferred to the University mid semester as a Junior. He went to Tucson yesterday to register for classes, find an apartment and get to know the campus. My father, was in terrible health the six months before he died. He spent a lot of time at UMC I know UMC very well because of all the time he spent in that hospital. It is a fine hospital with a fine staff. I pray for all the victum's of the shooting, their families and their friends. As a parent of twenty year old boys, I pray for the parents of the shooter. My most important mission in life as a mother is to raise boys that can live a healthy and productive life filled with joy. I can not imagine the pain of that failure.

I am Muddle headed, so I think I'll cook

Tortilla Soup, originally uploaded by SailBillabong.

I am muddle headed today. Its the New Year and I am excited about it, but I am stuck today. When I get stuck, I cook. I made stock from our Christmas Turkey, and it is a tradition in our family that we always make tortilla turkey soup with the leftovers, and that is what I am going to do. Its cold, I'm muddleheaded and I am going to cook....and then I'm going to eat.