Sunday, April 21, 2013

Taro Takes a Nibble






At first, Taro had no interest in helping me select a winner of the draw. I picked him up and put him close to the area where the names had been scattered, and he gave me a quick thump and turned his tail to me. But the pretty colours must have caught his eye, because he was back shortly after.

And he didn't hesitate to make a selection. He took a nibble, then grabbed the paper and hopped off with it. But he did pose for a moment so I could get an official shot. I then stole the paper away and replaced it with a piece of apple. He was happy and I was happy.

Actually, it's quite funny. As I type this, he is ripping around the room like a baby goat. He gets these little bursts of energy and he twists and flies across the room, almost as though he has no control of his body for brief flashes of time. It comforts me to see this, because he is almost 12 years old (quite geriatric for a bunny) and doesn't run around as much as he used to. He must sense this happy post in the making.

Congratulations, Elizabeth! I will have a little bit of Kinfolk loveliness in the mail shortly for you. I hope you enjoy it. Many thanks to everyone who took part in my little draw. Taro and I wish you a very happy spring!

Wednesday, April 10, 2013

Spring Giveaway


Speaking of sending a little paper love....

I've become a little bit of a Kinfolk addict. I wish I had known about this gorgeous magazine in its very beginnings, but lucky for me, they have only published seven volumes so far. Some I have, and some continue to elude me (volumes 1, 2 and 4, wherever can I find you? You seem to be out of print and in high demand!).

Anyway, I have an extra volume 7 that I would love to send to someone's mailbox. It is brimming with spring inspiration... ice cream, to be more precise... sea-salted lemon ice cream, and cones overflowing with floral loveliness. Oh, there is so much beauty to devour in this issue. I'm completely smitten.

Because I am sharing in a little spring-time celebration, I thought that my little easter bunny, Taro, could be included in the fun. Leave me a comment containing your favourite thing spring, by April 20th, and I will put your name in a draw. I will put each name on a pretty piece of paper and scatter them for Taro to find. If you've ever had a bunny, you know they love to chew things. The first paper to woo his taste buds will be the winner. I will share a photo of the nibbled up proof once he has made his selection.

Good luck and happy Spring!

Sunday, April 7, 2013

Letterbox Love xo


I didn't just want a photo of this lovely letterbox, all crooked and covered with lichen... what I really wanted to do was pry its rusty post out of the ground, take it home and replant it so I could open it daily and find sweet little surprises inside.

I imagine one day I would unhinge the creaky door and find fresh baked cookies from my neighbour. Or perhaps a feather and a smooth round stone from a fellow beach wanderer. Another day, I might find a jar of honeycomb from the beekeeper down the lane.

And best of all, I would open my little letterbox to find thoughtful little notes and hand written letters from my friends all over the globe. Oh, that would make my heart twirl.

There's nothing quite like a hand written letter, is there?

Would anyone like to be pen~friends? I may not have this box, but I do have a mailbox that is somewhat allergic to bills and craves the taste of pretty coloured envelopes and things.

Let me know... It would bring me such happiness to send you a little paper love.

Monday, April 1, 2013

Move over, Winter



It was one of those sublime long weekends that has taken me just beyond the realm of ordinary. I'm having a hard time resurfacing and accepting the reality of tomorrow.

It's not as though anything spectacular happened. It's just that as the sun finally made herself presentable, I felt the shift of seasons and found myself steeped in light and all things beautiful...

I saw sun sparkle and heavy fog over the ocean at the same time. Such an intensely dramatic juxtaposition. I was about to be devoured whole by that swift cloud of sea smoke, but then it collided with the sun and dissolved on impact.

Did you know that some dogs still wag their tails even when they are swimming? I was sitting upon a high rocky point, when a black lab on the beach below caught my eye. He was forever leaping into the water after his beloved stick, over and over again. And that tail never stopped moving... even in deep water! Why have I never noticed this before?

My dear friend invited me for breakfast. She created an exquisite piece of art on my plate... little crepe-like cups filled with berries, dusted with powered sugar, and adorned with tiny purple pansies. My heart broke a little when I had to disturb such beauty with a jagged metal fork.

The air was sucked clean out of my lungs when I set sight on the most incredible magnolia tree this afternoon. It was blooming in its most absolute prime. Not a speck of decay or wither. I think magnolias only look like this for a single day, and while I'm hopelessly charmed by flowers that have passed their prime, this tree had me completely under its spell.

I must remind myself that just because the weekend is over, that doesn't mean the beauty ends. It has no timeline or expiration date. It is a constant. And always available to the open hearted.