one of my oldest girlfriends arrived yesterday and today we will get in the car and drive to nashville where we will be seeing Perry Farrell perform live tonight
going to see a favorite with a favorite
what more can a girl ask for?
happy friday and happy weekend friends!
spring. still winning
what father’s day looked like
cool slow mornings
hung up more art. you should too. it’s important
a sleepover with a good classmate
portugal memories from three years ago
pre father’s day parents night out
a visit to see a favorite friend/local jeweler
i bought new earrings and i am obsessed with them
a hair trim waiting to happen
Lily went to baking camp this week and not only did she love every minute of it but she also brought home the most delicious baked goods every day
day two of baking camp
day three of baking camp
the last time i saw Perry Farrell was in 2011 in miami during art basel with a then 1 year old Lily. see you soon Perry! can’t wait
although i am so ready for summer break, i kind of wish third grade could go on forever
it’s been the most wonderful school year so far
Lily had the most amazing teacher/class and my heart is breaking already for when she will have to say goodbye later today
there will be many tears for sure (there always are)
Lily has grown so much this school year
not just in height (4″) but emotionally, artistically, academically… all with such confidence
she has risen all year!
we are so very proud of her
now if only time could just take it a bit easier on me
happy friday and happy weekend friends!
spring is still winning
Lily season on our front yard
when little cousins come to visit
miami memories
spain memories
kitchen poetry sessions
last monday of third grade
last tuesday of third grade
last car pick up selfie of third grade
last thursday of third grade
homemade end of the school year teacher gifts
stronger every day
these three have been riding to school every morning since we moved here during Lily’s kindergarten year. Next year there will be less one because she will be in middle school. we now have a rising sixth grader, a rising fourth grader and a rising third grader. love these vibrant girls
i feel like it’s been quite some time since i have done one of these “around here” posts
life has been good
it’s spring
spring makes everything better (anything but winter, really)
after tomorrow Lily will have only one week left of school
it’s been a great school year for her
she has had the most wonderful teacher and i am expecting many tears from Lily on that last day (she LOVES her teacher)
summer plans were hard to agree upon and hard to come together but for the most part they are figured out and i am excited for them
that said, i need to figure out more beach and ocean time
this weekend we are expecting family and we are so looking forward to it
hope you are all having a great week so far
i am off on my walk with foxy and then coming back to do some youtube exercise video (been trying to be good and do that every day)
have a happy one friends!
spring is by far my favorite season here in asheville. hate winter, fall is ok, summer is too damn hot with no access to the ocean, but spring…. spring is glorious!
peonies from our garden. i loved peony season this year
our two hibiscus trees are like small daily miami offerings in asheville
what school mornings look like
what weekend mornings look like
a rainbow filled corner
Lily is still consistently creating amazing art
what mother’s day looked like this year
what memorial day looked like this year
a car selfie. William and Lily call me Elton with these glasses on but i don’t mind
what weekends sometimes look like
what after school looks like when there are no after school activities
this year’s ballet four will be next year’s ballet five
despite everything i still miss miami and the ocean every day
i have been anxiously waiting for this month for so long
not just because spring is usually in full bloom in april but also because our spring break will finally take place
which means miami
yes we are going back
forth year in a row
this time we are staying the whole week and i am so looking forward to beach time, pool time, sunshine, palm trees, old friends, old hang outs…. i am looking forward to going home
yes, home
after living in miami for almost fifteen years (the longest i have ever lived anywhere), i still consider miami my home
i cannot wait
just one more week…
happy friday friends!
february
all the pretty cardinals
i photographed a small intimate wedding and this was the super sweet bride
walks in the sunshine
these tiny blooms that Lily gave me lasted over a month
afternoon light
march
strawberry crepes in the making
glimpses of light
and rainbows
winter red
this guy we found on the streets of miami six years ago
mirror laughs
an owl by Lily
and an anime mona lisa also by Lily
i started painting a mural in our dining room wall
daffodils from our garden
sunshine
there are now fun things to do in our backyard
i have taken the rainbow makers onto necklace levels. the shop is now open
after school banana/strawberry smoothie, tiger straw and new reading glasses
i once heard that it takes half the time of a relationship to get over that said relationship once it’s over
if that’s true, which i sort of found it to be after my divorce to my first husband, i still have four more years left to get over our break up with miami
i am not going to lie, it has been a struggle
especially during this eternal winter (and the previous ones)
there is still not a lot that sparks joy for me in this town surrounded by mountains
there are days when i curse ever having moved here and i miss everything about miami (minus the humidity and the roaches)
since living in ashveille for the past three years, i have never felt so lonely and depressed (and angry)
sure there are good days
but it truly feels like they don’t outweigh the bad days
regardless, i try to push through and i function
i smile, i parent, i get house chores done…. i do like i’m supposed to and expected to
some days better than others (like all of us i suppose)
that sad feeling deep within me of not being where i want to be never leaves me though
sunny days help lift my mood
but i have realized that i am a tropical girl at heart (regardless of complaining about the humidity when living in miami)
i like tropical greens best
and tropical fruits and foods to go with it
i prefer summer layers to winter layers
i am inspired by (and more motivated by) bright colors rather than the sad browns and greys that surround me for far too long every single year living here
when i visit past miami posts, i am reminded of how full of color and friends our lives were there
family life aside, everything here takes so much effort for me
i am of course the only one who feels this way
both William and Lily are thriving here
and because they are thriving the way they are, it makes the thought of moving selfish and impossible
in the meanwhile i am going to keep trying to just do
and to look forward to those tropical greens and sunshine which are coming for spring break
happy friday friends
the first day of a new year
my favorite rainbow
a kitchen moment with ginger, her favorite red panda
there are many faces and moods to this wild nine year old
for some reason christmas feels like forever ago already
to tell you the truth, i had forgotten all about these pictures and the fact that i hadn’t written about it yet
Lily began her christmas break from school on wednesday the 19th and she and William drove straight to west virginia to go spend some days with family
because i was still working full time, i was originally supposed to be working during the holidays so they were to return on the 23rd and we were going to have a quiet family christmas at home here in asheville
however, my work schedule changed (i am no longer working full time) and because they were having such an amazing time with family in west virginia, i ended up driving there myself on the day they were supposed to leave
it must have been around november when Lily told us that she no longer believed in santa because all of her good girlfriends in school had told her he was not real
that she knew it was William and i who were the real santa
fair enough. she found us out
we told her that although papa and i help santa, his magic and the magic of christmas is indeed real
on christmas eve, surrounded by family, snow falling and with her smaller cousins believing and excited for santa, her views changed
out of the blue she felt excited about the magic of santa and just like all the previous years she could not wait to get home to her grandparents house, write santa a note and leave milk and cookies for him and carrots for the reindeer
i am not going to lie, it felt good to have her believe once again
it made me feel like she is still the child i see in her despite how big she seems these days
although i was less invested in celebrating the holidays this year, we had ourselves a magical white christmas in west virginia surrounded by family
let me just begin this post by saying that i cannot believe this day was already over a month ago but, what a wonderful way to start our summer adventures in spain
