baby fever.

oh my goodness. between spending time with my friends' little ones and all the adorable baby things i see on the web... my heart is cooing.

here are a few favorites from my some-day-we'll-have-a-baby-and-i-want-all-these-things collection.


from left to right, top to bottom: vintage model airplane from trampoline, giraffe from anthropologie, norwegian village print from rachael anderson, handmade quilt from bonjour celine, felt hedgehog from sara carr, cloud pillow from lena corwin, solar system mobile from cox & cox, hedgehog baby blanket from pata pri, and book collection from lavender and limes.


xo.

the kindness of strangers.

i stumbled on this adorable note today, and just had to share it. :) if you weren't already in a good mood today, did this cheer you up? love it.

(photo credit: greer chicago)

little things i love.

(snapshot from a gorgeous hike this weekend)

• the smell of pine trees.

• waking up in the morning and immediately putting on soft, thick socks.

• picking simon up from the airport when he's been gone for a few days.

• graham cracker crusts.

• playing holiday music while i clean.

• this nail polish.

• the sound of soup bubbling on the stove.
  

• and last but not least, this inspiring video.
  

what little things made you happy today? i'd love to hear!

xo.

p.s. thank you all for your sweet comments on friday. sadly, the bakery job didn't work out. but i'm fine with it. i spent the weekend cooking, hiking, talking, eating, and lounging. i was also lucky enough to meet fellow blogger, tanya, for brunch. so much fun! in other words, i'm feeling better. :)

it's friday!

hm. the past few days have been... interesting. :) as it turns out, life is full of surprises.

last night, in honor of my terrible-horrible-no-good-very-bad-mood, i threw myself a little pity party. i curled up on the couch, wrapped myself in a big fuzzy white blanket, and cracked open a beer. and then i sat there for a while and just wallowed. it was good times.

here's the thing: one of the greatest lessons i took away from my yoga teacher training was to embrace emotion. often in life, when feelings start to bubble up, whether it's sadness, frustration, anger, whatever; we push the emotions away because it's temporarily easier. (unfortunately the feelings just come back to haunt us at a later stage.)

so... for better or for worse, when i'm in a crappy mood, i embrace it. and i was. luckily, later in the evening, simon came home and made me laugh hysterically. (is there a funnier word than poopsmith?)

so, tell me, what do you do when you're in a grumpy mood?

xo.


p.s. i may have also eaten a lot of cheese. :)

(photo credit: bubustudio)

on teaching.

this morning i taught yoga to four lovely ladies, and it was... delicious. they were warm and loving, and i felt calm, centered and knowledgeable. simply put, i found my groove and it worked.

but there are also days when i have so many doubts about myself as a teacher. i wonder if i'll ever "make it" (i know... what does that mean anyway?). i worry about whether i am using the correct language and providing enough breath cues. i worry about whether my students are content, enjoying themselves, and getting the most out of my class.

all of this being said, one of the things i love most about yoga is that what happens on the mat is often a reflection of what's happening in your life. for example, if you tend to push yourself too hard on your mat, you are probably pushing too hard in your career too.

as it turns out, the same is true in teaching yoga. i worry about my teaching skills, because i worry about where my career is going in general. go figure, eh?

but anyway, today, i'm going to celebrate. i'm going to let my successful morning seep into the rest of my day and my week. and i'm also going to try to remember that teaching yoga is a process of learning and growing just like anything else.

and even though it doesn't always feel like it... i'm probably doing just fine.

namaste.

(photo credit: keri)

calm in your heart.

it's a gray, rainy day in boston, and i'm sitting here with my mug of coffee, feeling very contemplative. so, instead of waxing poetically, i'm going to share this great quote with you:

peace: it does not mean to be in a place where there is no noise, trouble or hard work. in means to be in the midst of those things, and still be calm in your heart. -unknown

so, tell me, what's your mood today? peaceful? introspective? joyful?

(photo credit: clumsy bird)

squashed.

meet my new friend, the delicata squash.


i'll be honest, i'm not a great cook. but when i saw this heirloom squash at whole foods the other day i was determined to make something yummy out of it.


sometimes the delicata squash is used only for fall decorations; but it actually has a nice flavor, a little bit like a sweet potato.

i followed this recipe (with an additional dash of cayenne pepper for an extra kick) and it turned out dee-licious.

so, tell me... what's your favorite winter squash? and do you have a favorite recipe?

xo.

naturally nina etsy store!

friends,
i've finally set up a little etsy store featuring some of my photos. it's been a dream for a long time, so i've decided to just go for it. baby steps and all, right? :)

go have a look-see and let me know what you think. and as always, thanks for being such fabulous, supportive readers! happy hump day!

big 'ol hugs.

out and about.

lately, i spend my days getting things done. so, today, i decided to play hooky from all my responsibilities and have a solo adventure around boston. and it was... divine.


it started with a brief walk: hat on my head and camera in hand.


then i went and voted! (and somehow, mysteriously, ended up in a secure area and got escorted out. seriously, how do i get myself into these situations? ha.)


i spent the rest of the morning reading and sipping coffee at athans cafe. (i particularly enjoyed eavesdropping on a couple nearby who were loudly daydreaming about their next vacation.)


a brief stop into a consignment and thrift shop left me inspired, but empty handed. that's probably a good thing. :)


then, i went to the library. what a concept, eh? books i can borrow for free... oh, the possibilities! (i ended up choosing a couple of titles from your suggestions; thank you so much!)


last but not least, i poked around a new antique store in the neighborhood. it was conspicuously empty and quiet, so i just tip toed around and smelled the old furniture.

and now? well, now i am going to try a recipe from julia child's mastering the art of french cooking.

i know, i know, it's such a cliche for a blogger to even so much as open her cook book. (but we got it as a wedding gift, and i can't help myself. the salade a la d'argenson sounds delectable).

wish me luck!

in the quiet moments.

when all i can hear in our little house is the hum of the refrigerator, here are some of the things i think about:

• my yoga practice is like therapy.... only cheaper.

• being married has already exceeded my expectations. the fact that hubby and i are both ridiculously excited about our new vacuum, that's just icing. :) (p.s. how domesticated are we?! yikes.)

• pie-baking might be my new favorite hobby. does anyone have a favorite recipe? yesterday i was wondering if i could bake a pie with figs in it... hm.
  

• pursuing my dreams full-time is harder than i thought it would be. but i am still so lucky to have the chance.

so, what are you thinking about lately?

happy november, friends!

(photo credit: forest bound)