February 14, 2020

around here

Claudia according to my phone, around here Asheville, family, home, life, Winter 0 Comments

maybe it’s because mercury retrograde is around the corner

or maybe it’s because it rained almost all week long

whatever the reason (life lessons most likely), life kicked our asses a little harder this week

may we rise above it all

happy friday friends

a highlight. the broom challenge. did you try it? who knew?

a snow day

i do not know and do not want to know a world without art

sunday’s chefs

things i eat on my own

early bed times for the win

rainy dog walks

early morning school hustle

Lilian is all about marvel and black widow these days. here she is in the middle with her two besties

winter skies

i hadn’t showered or left the house in two days (winter) but, got invited to an oscars party so i pulled it together

and although i spend most of my days in loungewear (pajamas), i pulled it together this week (sorry closet full of clothes)

miami memories. still some of the best memories

February 7, 2020

around here

Claudia according to my phone, around here Asheville, home, life, Winter 0 Comments

it’s been a strange week

filled with sunshine and warm days

as well as two days filled with non stop rain

funnily enough my moods have been the same way

sometimes making me feel like they are controlled by the weather…

happy friday friends

color always brings happiness

st pete memories

superbowl ready

rainy day procrastination

yesterday

sunday

a saturday downtown

a sunrise

slowly making progress on this one

goofing around while cleaning out her drawers

miami days have been heavy on my mind and heart, especially since Lily cried over it on sunday

January 31, 2020

around here

Claudia according to my phone, around here Asheville, family, home, life, Winter 2 Comments

who else has started planning their spring and summer break?

it’s that time of year for me

not just because summer camp schedules are out and fill up fast but also because by the end of january, i need to start looking forward to warmth and sunshine

there are a few destinations being tossed around for both breaks

we might actually go on spring break as a family of three instead of just Lily and i but there is also a possibility of it just being Lily and i in miami like we have done for the past four years

and summer is a bit trickier this year with Lily wanting to do a month long summer intensive program at her ballet school in order to make it to a pre professional level (she really wants to get into those pointe shoes)

we will see how it all goes

plans are in the works so that is the important part

happy friday friends!

still learning how to play the guitar on her own

i’ve been trying to make art every day

sunday’s rainbows

there are have been a lot of gloomy days. but at least they start off with some sunshine

we have a big house. but this is where i spend most of my time/days. i could probably just live in this room

meal planning for the week on a sunday morning

speaking of sunday… she slept until 10:45

she also grew almost four inches again this year. third year in a row

st pete birthday memories

January 24, 2020

around here

Claudia according to my phone, around here Asheville, friends, home, life, Winter 0 Comments

nothing too eventful to report about life this past week

it was a really cold one (around 18 degrees every morning) so it was spent mostly in the house and in the car running errands

by thursday S.A.D. was definitely hitting me hard and winter had already gotten the best of me

same shit every year/winter, right?

happy friday friends

a visit to the asheville art museum since its big renovation/reopening

really cold but pretty sunrises

speaking of cold mornings…

rainbows

stitching, stitching, stitching…

said farewell to this one and sent her off to her new home

ronda memories

the most tropical yet completely unnatural breakfast for freezing weather

i’m going to continue to cheer for spring

a sunny corner

a reading corner

sunset

st. pete memories

January 17, 2020

around here

Claudia according to my phone, around here Asheville, family, friends, home, life, Winter 2 Comments

is it spring yet?

just kidding (not really)

although i can’t complain too much about winter due to the warm weather we had this week, i’m still going to because we are in the thick of it aren’t we?

and well, winter just depresses me

it’s cold, dark, the trees are bare, there are no flowers, no color… it’s the total opposite of who i am and what i love

but you all know this already

no need to rant about it

happy friday friends!

this past holiday season was a busy one. there was the nutcracker

a girls night out

a little party to put together the music list for new year’s eve

christmas in west virginia

sadly as of three years ago his passing is also part of christmas (and as of this past christmas, his sister’s passing as well)

a trip to st pete florida

new year’s eve

new year’s day

a playdate with an old friend

naps

a visit to winter lights at the arboretum and a farewell to the holiday season

we went to see the movie cats

new year cleansing

back to school

back to ballet

what our wednesdays look like post school, pre gymnastics

my high school friend sent me books he no longer wanted but knew i would love and cherish

new green baby hanging

where i spend most of my days

the beginning of a new art adventure and the sick chronicles

already cheering for spring (sorry not sorry winter)

January 10, 2020

#turning47instpete

Claudia according to my phone, around here auntie K, Florida, friends, life, st. pete 4 Comments

two years ago (now three years ago) i decided to spend my birthday in los angeles california with one of my oldest girlfriends Connie

this year (now last year) i decided to spend it in st pete florida with my other oldest girlfriend K

sometimes the mom guilt still tries to take over and keep me from doing and going places without my family but when it comes to birthday, spending it somewhere warm, tropical, in the sunshine, with palm trees and near the ocean is my preferred way to spend it

it’s not surprising

i was born in angola, luanda

a warm and tropical place by the sea

happy friday friends!

ps- i’ve been sick all week. sicker than i have been since i had the flu three years ago. so much so that i was convinced that i had the flu again. or pneumonia. so i went to the doctor yesterday. i have neither. i have a nasty virus that is going around that is taking forever to leave. stay healthy!

arrival cocktails

my kind of wall. and floors

the best breakfast i could have asked for on my last day as a 46 year old

a wonderful and unexpected beach day

that last dip of the decade

a pre birthday sunset

birthday breakfast. happy 47 to me

47

color. always color

until next time st pete. i kind of love you….

January 3, 2020

slay!

Claudia according to my phone, around here 2 Comments

HAPPY NEW YEAR FRIENDS!

wishing you all the happiest 2020

thank you for being here

December 20, 2019

around here

Claudia according to my phone, around here Asheville, family, life, Winter 0 Comments

tonight Lilian will perform in the nutcracker for the second night in a row and for the third year in a row

all the hard work she has put in is finally up on stage

today is also the last day of school for quite some time and for that we are thankful

it’s been a busy and long stretch and a long break is much needed

happy friday and happy holidays friends!!

a corner in our bedroom

a corner in Lilian’s bedroom

a corner in the kitchen with an unfinished painting i did in nineteen ninety six

winter mornings

a twenty six degree sunrise

a sunset

somewhere over the rainbow…. or under

stripes. always stripes

someone connected with her and bought her. it was hard letting her go but thankful for all the years she was with us

a lost cove studio visit

last sunday when it was sunny and warm enough to not wear a coat and William’s soccer team won the trophy

December 13, 2019

around here

Claudia according to my phone, around here Asheville, family, friends, home, Winter 2 Comments

it has felt like a really long week for some reason

maybe because we are all sort of under the weather just trying to push on through?

maybe because by this time we are all run down and need break?

maybe because it’s been extra cold and rainy?

yes, all of that

next week will be the last week of school for winter break and we are all ready for it

happy friday friends

mornings

morning dog walks in twenty degree weather

afternoon dog walks

the tree is up. now wake me up when it’s april

the big crafty was a success

shades of blue

fuel for a sick day home from school

george michael forever

Lily dropping off some merch at garden party

the end of the day

all i want for christmas is summer

the last full moon of the decade. hard to believe

December 6, 2019

around here

Claudia according to my phone, around here Asheville, family, friends, home, life, Winter 4 Comments

december

can you believe it?

we are so close to the end of twenty nineteen and the beginning of twenty twenty

twenty twenty

it seemed like a date that was so futuristic and so far to reach and now here we are

december has become a bit of a crazy month for us since Lily joined the nutcracker with her ballet school a few years ago

extra ballet classes (even on some weekends), nutcracker itself (two performances the week before christmas) and for the second year in a row, she will be participating in the big crafty (this saturday and sunday)

we are busy, busy, busy in december and before we know it, we are in west virginia and it is christmas

although i am always in awe (and complaining) of how quickly time goes by these days, once november comes, i always want to just fast forward to january when everything feels calm once again

everything just feels so overwhelming this time of year

maybe that’s another reason why i love summer so much

happy friday friends!