daydream believer.

i am a daydreamer. i fantasize, wish and hope for things from the moment i wake up until my eyes close at night. i blame my overactive imagination, and the fact that i genuinely believe that we have the ability to create the life we want.

so, lately, i've been dreaming about loved ones being closer, trips to europe, writing opportunities, late night concerts, and chocolate peanut butter pies. (*some of which are coming true. yes!)
 
what are you dreaming about? i'd love to know.


(photo credit: sarita lolita)

happy weekend.

i stumbled on this picture the other day, and remembered that once upon a time, i walked the streets of this little town. it's called hallstatt and lies right near the border between austria and germany. on the weekend that i visited, it was covered in snow just like this photograph. pure magic.

tomorrow, i am going to enjoy my own little town and visit quincy market with a friend. clam chowder in a bread bowl here we come. :)

finally, thank you to everyone who entered the music giveaway! i was so touched to see so many comments. without further ado, the winners are: robyn, morgan, and laura. and since a few of you asked, below is the playlist. enjoy!

(photo credit: lexyman01)

cinnamon and snow.

boston has officially reached a whole new level of snowy. and i am apparently mastering the art of frumpiness by puttering around the house in a pair of faded, old yoga pants and a sad excuse for a ponytail.

i just wish people were skiing down the streets. (that would be awesome.)

in other news, if you're in the mood for a fun twist to your usual cup of coffee, try adding cinnamon to the coffee grounds. i'm sipping a soy-cinnamon-coffee concoction as we speak. and it's scrumptious!

(photo credit: enzo & lulu)

a special giveaway.

my dear friends,
i've been spending a lot of time in the car lately, driving to and from yoga classes. so, last night, i decided to entertain myself by making a new music mix. and well... it turned out so lovely, i've decided to share it with all of you!



the mix features some of my favorite new tunes, including songs from the amazing albums above.

all you have to do is leave a comment on this post by friday, january 28th, and i will randomly select three (yes, three!) winners. good luck!    

a green smoothie.

i'll admit it: i was initially very skeptical of green smoothies. how could they possibly taste good? friend after friend tried to reassure me that adding spinach to my daily smoothie would not affect the overall flavor, but i wasn't so sure. 

and then one day, i just did it. i added a few fresh spinach leaves to my otherwise ready-to-drink smoothie, and watched it swirl into a thick, green slush. oh crap, what have i done?

but before i knew it, i had slurped the whole thing down. the spinach flavor really does almost disappear when it's added in small amounts. and it's so healthy.

here is the basic recipe i used:

1 banana

5 or 6 fresh baby spinach leaves

2 handfuls of frozen mango chunks

1 spoonful of greek yogurt

soy milk (as needed)

so, what do you think? do you drink green smoothies? i'm a fan.

handmade bag.

i was so inspired by christine's holiday buckets, i decided that one of my new year's goals would be to sew a bag for my knitting needles and yarn.

i fell in love with this fabric at ikea almost five years ago, but had previously never figured out what to do with it. so, i got to work, and i am so pleased with the way it turned out.

i followed this simple tutorial, (although i made it a little bigger) and then just added the handles and two buttons for decoration. (the buttons aren't easy to see in these photos, but they are at the base of each handle).

the only thing i would do differently next time is to use some interfacing. i didn't have any, so the bag flops a little bit. but i love it anyway!

p.s. thank you to a special family member who provided indispensable moral support during the making of this bag.

when the going gets tough, i have two instincts: 1. hide under a blanket or 2. call my favorite people. the other day, i did both. and it turns out that chatting with loved ones from under a blanket is a lot like sharing secrets in a homemade fort. smiles will ensue.

p.s. found: an incredible article about growing pains, the cerebral ones.
p.p.s. my new favorite quote: "home is where your coffee maker is."

(photo credit: emma llensa)

unplugged.

my friends,
this week i'm taking a little break from city life. my bag is packed with knitting, books, magazines, an ipod filled with podcasts and lots of warm socks. i am escaping. 

i've decided to take a few days away from the web as well. as much as i love being connected to everyone through blogs, twitter, facebook and email... i also think it is important to take little breaks.  

so this is just my note to say i love you all, and see you soon. :) xo.

p.s. in the meantime, here are a few of my recent favorite posts from around the web; enjoy!

• this pie looks amazing.
• a beautiful comparison... then and now.
• genius, creative gift wrap.
• colorful yarn.

(photo credit: haust)

a little snow date.

single serving wine-boxes, an orange sky, a miniature snowman and my favorite person = a recipe for happiness.

on the mat.

yoga journal recently launched a 21 day challenge, and i am participating. as a teacher, i try to practice yoga every day, but i am taking this opportunity to move beyond my usual postures and attend more studio classes. so far, i'm loving it!

tonight, i practiced with a fellow soni yoga teacher, and he reminded us that we are always exactly where we need to be, both in life and in our asanas (postures). whew. if only i could remember that when i'm having a bad day. :)

is anyone else participating in the challenge, or wants to join?


(photo credit: j-seven)

on my bookshelf.

since i've become quite the bookworm in the last few months, i've decided to start a new series on the blog called on my bookshelf.  here i'll be able to share some of my recent favorites, and also get recommendations in return. :) yay! 

i'll start with the secrets to happiness by sarah dunn. this novel is reminiscent of chick lit, but it's better, and hilarious. i read the whole thing over the course of one plane ride, and i'd recommend it to anyone in the mood for a light and refreshingly honest story. 

so, tell me, what have you been reading lately? 

snow day.

this morning, i bundled up and took a little walk around our neighborhood. the snow came up to my knees!

all the whiteness and stillness made me realize i could never live somewhere where it doesn't snow. i am addicted to making foot prints on untouched sidewalks.

now i'm back inside, wrapped up in a wool blanket, and watching british television. later, hot chocolate.

p.s. it snowed the day i was born, and i'm pretty sure i made an appearance that day because i wanted a peek.

baking and making.

good morning, my friends! happy 1/11/11. :)

did you know, we're expecting a huge snow storm in boston tomorrow? my plan is to sit on my couch and eat sea salt brownies all day. (in fact, they're so good, i had one for breakfast with my coffee. shhh.)

yesterday, this idea came to me in the middle of making dinner. so, naturally, i stopped chopping vegetables and just made these little bunting cards instead. the vegetables waited patiently.

last night, i also made this birthday banner for a very special sister. please ignore the fact that the colors look like i'm throwing a baby shower. oops.

finally, i have a question for all of you: what are your favorite slow-cooker recipes? we got one for our wedding, and i am so excited to play around with this genius contraption. thank you. happy tuesday! xo.

monday morning.

lesson learned: a cup of coffee tastes even better when served in a vintage county fair drinking jar, accompanied by a tiny candle, and while watching the street scene outside my window.

today is going to be a good day.

i'm still in my pajamas.

this morning i woke up in a terrible mood. does that ever happen to you?

luckily, simon went out in the snow and came home with breakfast crepes! he also got us a s'more dessert crepe. heaven.

my plan for the rest of the day = not showering. drinking tea. watching comedy. reading. knitting. and putting together a puzzle.

yes, we're pretending that we're snowed in. even though we're not. :) happy weekend!

(photo credit: broken skyline)

dreaming of a craft room.

january can often feel like a blah month, so let's indulge in some good, old-fashioned daydreaming, shall we? :)

i would love to have a craft room/office some day... a place to sew, knit, write, wrap presents, and store all of my craft supplies in adorable containers. as of this moment, i do all creative things in our living room, as it's the only space big enough! but someday, my friends... some day. and then i will invite you all over for tea and crafting projects.

here are some of my favorite, inspirational images:

so, now i'm curious, do you have a craft room or a designated space to get your creative juices flowing? i'd love to see pictures! xo.

(photo credits: pinterest)

time to celebrate.

i've been thinking a lot lately about my life's accomplishments, and how they have all happened s-l-o-w-l-y. little by little, day by day, i've worked that extra hour, listened to a friend or loved one in need, or just simply made the effort, over and over again, to build the life of my dreams.

unfortunately i tend to forget this... and then i see people getting promotions, thriving in relationships, starting new careers, and making it all look so easy. i forget that i too, worked hard to become a yoga teacher. i too, spent hours in the library pulling my hair out before getting my masters degree. i too, spent many moments soul-searching, learning, making mistakes, and then trying all over again, before finding true love.

but it all seems so "easy" when all we see are each others' end results. we don't see the moments when we first taught warrior poses without stumbling; the day we first opened up to our loves about our insecurities; the day we called our best friends and they really needed to talk; or the day we made the decision to skip a latte and save our pennies instead.

so i've decided we should really start celebrating the littlest of little things, don't you think? we should celebrate not just the first client we get... but the second. and we should celebrate the time we stayed up in headstand for half a minute... or the time we made really great pancakes.

because really, isn't that what it's all about anyway? xo.

my week, in photos.

hello! can you believe that the holiday season is over (sad face.) and that 2011 is here?! i don't know about you, but i'm already feeling like the new year is off to an impressive start (minus, of course, the fact that i spent the evening of january 1st eating a bag of doritos). but otherwise, it feels like it's going to be a big year. :)

the week leading into new year's i taught yoga at the studio three times, and also made time for my own practice at a great studio in colorado. i quickly noticed a theme emerge, both as a teacher and as a student. i really need to start taking better care of myself, (see above mention of doritos as an example). i'm having visions of fresh fruit smoothies for breakfast, and calming tea at night. and maybe, just maybe, i'll start eating a real dinner every day. ;)

i spent a lot of time in airports over the past week, so this is a snapshot of how i entertained myself. (p.s. secrets to happiness is a fun book.)

my sister and i baked a fantastic kransekake and i couldn't help but love the fact that it ended up looking a little like the leaning tower of pisa. perfection in imperfection, as they say.

we also decided in the eleventh hour that my mother needed new centerpieces for a big dinner party, (sorry, mom)... so we threw some dried juniper berries into a vase. i love how sweet and simple they turned out.

and last but not least, here i am with a lucky napkin on my head.

the story: dating back almost twenty years, we have a tradition in my family that as a participant of a board or card game, any of us can place a napkin on our head for good luck. (in this particular case, i was so beyond losing, the napkin didn't work. it was hopeless.)

here's to a fantastic year! xo.