my favorite poem

Stream of Life - found in Gitanjali by Rabindranath Tagore

- - - - -

The same stream of life that runs through my veins night and day

runs through the world and dances in rhythmic measures.

It is the same life that shoots in joy through the dust of the earth

in numberless blades of grass

and breaks into tumultuous waves of leaves and flowers.

It is the same life that is rocked in the ocean-cradle of birth

and of death, in ebb and in flow.

I feel my limbs are made glorious by the touch of this world of life.

And my pride is from the life-throb of ages dancing in my blood this moment.

All things rush on, they stop not, they look not behind,

no power can hold them back, they rush on,

keeping steps with that restless, rapid music,

seasons come dancing and pass away,

colours, tunes and perfumes pour in endless cascades

in the abounding joy that scatters and gives up and dies every moment.

Image was created by Yours Truly, using recycled images from little tree press.

tea time

My little acorn tea steeper... love it!

When I was growing up, my mom and I had tea time nearly every day at 4 pm sharp. I secretly believe this was her way of combating the tomboyish qualities I was developing, but it was still a nice reprieve from the backyard mud fights with the neighborhood boys.

My grandmother always used to tell her too much tea would stunt my growth... but at 5'10" I highly doubt that. Unless I was destined to be 6'7", in which case I'm quite thankful for the tea. :)

Although I don't have tea time every day at 4 pm, and not even every day, I do still love a good cup now and then. I got this little acorn tea steeper for free at a yard sale... though I was more than willing to pay the 10 cent asking price.

It's funny how the small things, like a cup of tea and a little steeper, can bring back such fond memories and put a smile on my face. Ah, simplicity.

meet chuck

My favorite pair of All Stars in Kelly Green

It's time to introduce you all to my love affair with a shoe - the Chuck Taylor All Star. While many women speak of shoe fetishes consisting of the seasons latest and greatest stiletto, pump or wedge, my passion for fashion takes a slightly less flamboyant approach. A sneaker.

I can't quite put my finger on what is so appealing about these shoes. They just appeal to me. It doesn't hurt that they're in my favorite shade of my favorite color, or that their classic style can be paired with practically anything in my closet. Perhaps it's because when I wear these shoes, I feel completely and utterly comfortable in my own skin.

new print: lotus bloom

Meet the newest addition to ennaneve!

My friend Jillian recently got certified to teach yoga and inspired me to create these lotus bloom cards. I'm quite pleased with the way they turned out, especially since I hadn't done any previous flowers.

I was a little hesitant to create a flower because they can be so intricate, and ennaneve's designs are created to be simple. As you can see from my work, I prefer not to over-manipulate my block prints, instead letting the natural variations in the ink shine through. I think this adds to the unique nature of each piece, as well as making my designs feel a little more light and free. One of the main reasons I like this new design so much is that it retains the essence of simplicity even amid its numerous petals.

Thank you, Jillian, for being my yogi muse!

59 free things to do

Be a Smart Cookie

In this economy, the Almighty Dollar seems more elusive to obtain and even harder to hold on to. Here's a random list of things to do that won't cost you a dime.

1. Go for a walk (bring a friend!)
   


2. Walk a pooch at your local Humane Society.
   


3. Sew something out of some of that fabric you bought so long ago with all the best intentions...
   


4. Drink a cup of tea.


5. Read a book (remember when you were a kid and you went to the library? Yeah, it still exists. Or you can swap books with a friend!)


6. Write a letter to someone you love (if you don't have any stamps, a heart-felt email is always nice, too.)


7. Read Real Simple online... it's a great site full of fun tips!
   


8. Window shop on Etsy.


9. Pull out those old cans of paint and give some furniture, frames or walls a new coat.


10. Have a lunch swap with a friend: instead of going out to eat, do the Elementary school thing and swap your bag lunches.


11. Organize your photos (both on your computer and in that old shoebox in the closet...)
    


12. Rummage through your closet and find some clothes you hardly wear: if they still fit, try to encorporate them into your attire. If they don't fit, donate them to Goodwill or a friend.


13. Have a diy mani/pedi with a friend


14. Watch a free movie on Hulu.com


15. Go to allrecipes.com and find new dishes to make with ingredients you already have on hand.
    


16. Have a garage sale.


17. Volunteer.


18. Join Cut Out & Keep and find cheap and easy things to make, plus you can add your own tutorials.


19. Look up new uses for old items on realsimple.com.


20. Blog.


21. Start a journal: if you already have one, keep it up! It can be an amazing stress relief and fun read to look back on your life in later years!


22. Embrace your inner artist and draw, paint or sketch instead of sitting in front of the TV or spending countless hours online.
    


23. Play FreeRice and increase your vocab while helping to end hunger via the UN World Food Program! Win-win situation!


24. Go through your overflowing file cabinet and sort what needs to stay, go and be re-filed.


25. Clip coupons online from coupons.com (or from your Sunday paper) and check your local grocery store's coupon policy- most offer double or even triple coupons during special promotions


26. Shop for free stuff online at craigslist.com in the free stuff section. You never know what you may find!


27. Offer to walk an elderly neighbor's dog, and think of other ways to help them out, too: such as cooking, cleaning, or just giving them your time


28. Think of ten things you love about someone and tell them. It'll make their week!


29. Have a craft party with friends: have everyone bring any projects they're working on, as well as supplies to swap and share.


30. Change your bed sheets to a different set for a fresh new feel: if you don't have another set, hang your sheets outside for a few hours on a sunny afternoon so they can soak up some sunkissed freshness.


31. Play Iron Chef with some friends and whatever random ingredients you have in your kitchen.


32. Forget the spa: pour a bath, light some candles and put on a face mask.


33. Make a list of things you're grateful for.


34. Instead of meeting a friend at Starbucks, go "out" for coffee at your local park: one of you can bring a thermos of coffee and the other can bring something tasty to snack on.


35. Make a household binder. Some useful things to include: emergency info & contacts, utility companies & contact info, landlord/mortgage company numbers, takeout menus & coupons to local restaurants, cleaning hints and tips from your favorite magazines and websites, monthly calendar with notes for bill due dates, cleaning schedules, grocery shopping, etc.


36. Make a list of things you love about yourself.


37. Start a cooking club.


38. Free babysitting: arrange to swap babysitting nights with a friend.


39. Forgo the pet salon and give Bingo a good ol' fashioned brush and bath at home.


40. Look up free outdoor movies in your area. Most cities have summer events featuring free movies, concerts or other forms of entertainment in local parks.


41. Attend a free poetry reading, open mic night or talent show.


42. Go through your sock drawer and try to match up those errant socks. Convert any loners into dust rags and free up some drawer space.


43. Play a team sport with friends.


44. Help out at a soup kitchen.


45. Make homemade candles out of leftover wax and stubs of old candles.


46. Rearrange your furniture to give your living space a free makeover.


47. Learn French with Coffee Break French (also available in other languages!)


48. Try to find homes for the mismatched debris in your junk drawer (you know you have one!)


49. Make a note of all your friends' birthdays (facebook is a great tool for doing this!)


50. Join the Cold Stone Creamery or Baskin Robbins birthday club and get free ice cream on your birthday! While you're at it, sign up at birthdayfreebies.com for even more free birthday goodies!


51. Change the pictures you have displayed in frames around your home to give it a fresh new feel. Or even just change the location of certain pictures - it's amazing what a small change can do!


52. Pick some flowers (not from your neighbor's yard!)


53. Download some awesome desktop wallpaper from design*sponge!


54. Write a poem.


55. Dance around in your undies when no one is around... it's surprisingly liberating!


56. Give something away.


57. Print out some free printable goodies from love.obsess.inspire!


58. Do some at-home yoga.


59. Start a book club.

pen & ink

I recently started using watercolors for the first time in my life. I've never taken an art class and so it's pretty cool to be exposed to all of these new things in the art world... well, new to me, of course. Anyway, I've been using watercolors to color some of my doodles and I absolutely love it! It's my new favorite pastime!

These little birds are part of a couple pictures that I did for my nieces in Chicago. I'm thinking about incorporating them into my etsy shop... let me know what you think!

naturally beautiful

My hands-down favorite flower is the peony. It is soft and elegant, yet bold and strong. I love how countless layers of paper-thin petals combine to create a large, handsome bloom. Plus, they smell divine!

A few of my other favorites are:

• dahlias
• hydrangea
• sweet peas
• poppies
• ranunculus

it's the little things

Me & Morgan

I recently returned from a trip to Chicago to visit my sister Emily and her family. My oldest niece, Morgan, is tall and beautiful. She's very artistic (this chalkboard sketch was waiting for me in my room!) and takes great care of her younger sister. She has a funny, dry sense of humor like her parents:

Emily (laughing): Morgan, isn't Aunt Becky funny?

Morgan (unimpressed): Not as funny as I thought.

Me & Morgan playing tic-tac-toe at the water fountain

She has a bubbly, talkative personality that I can definitely relate to:

Me: Morgan, are you looking forward to going to kindergarten?

Morgan: No. I hear you have to be so quiet there. Like, really, really quiet. All the time. Wanna see me be really, really quiet for like... *thinking* eleven seconds? I can be so quiet. Wanna see?

Me: Yes.

Emily & Morgan

My youngest niece, Eve, is a little doll. She's inquisitive and takes time to get to know the world around her. She's talkative, too, like her older sister (and Aunt!) and I can see Em and Dan have a not-so-silent future ahead of them. Eve gets the cutest little dimples when she smiles and her bright blue eyes light up and can literally melt your heart. I can also already see a sense of humor developing in her bubbly little laugh and happy baby talk.

Eve... or Evey Wonder as she's affectionately called