image from Pinterest (click)

Love A La Carte features all the little things that make my life just a little more delicious.

Trader Joe’s Sesame Honey Almonds ♥ Fool’s Gold remix of Local Natives’ Eyes Wide (I think I’m in love) ♥ really hot showers ♥ romancing myself in the month of February ♥ assessing what I need right now and giving it to myself ♥ being sweet to as many people as I meet in the month of Love ♥ this documentary: Stephen Fry: The Secret Life of the Manic Depressive - mental health is so important! ♥ having a permanent job ♥ the RENT soundtrack ♥ the way Oneighty Creative unveils their creative process to their clients ♥ treating myself to an iced caramel macchiato from Starbucks because it’s Friday ♥ THIS awesome post from the Sassy Minx re: Fat vs. Thin and the effect of either label on actual awesomeness (NONE!) ♥ Chairlift’s new album Something ♥ learning to love what’s in the mirror ♥

image from weheartit (click)

In 2010, I chose three words as themes for the year: Learn, Create, Invest. This year, I am revisiting the idea of putting all my energy into three aspects of my life. This year, my three words are: Create, Celebrate, Simplify.

Create

• Goal word: CREATE
• Path 1 to the goal: write and continue personal blog
• Path 2 to the goal: scrapbook
• Path 3 to the goal: finish family cookbook and continue cooking blog
• Distractions: time management, lack of patience
• Steps to the path: blog at least once a week, finish a novel; build a scrapbook from scratch; collect and organize recipes for cookbook
• The finish line: write “The End.”, have sections of the cookbook mapped out
• What’s next: edit the novel, put together and edit cookbook in InDesign, continue blogging with new features and fresh ideas, move on to photography and other media

Celebrate

• Goal word: CELEBRATE
• Path 1 to the goal: celebrate with friends
• Path 2 to the goal: celebrate with family
• Path 3 to the goal: celebrate myself
• Distractions: money, time management, other priorities
• Steps to the path: remind myself that each day there is something to celebrate; rejoice in small victories; take every opportunity to socialize, treat myself, and appreciate others; in short, Celebrate Everything!
• The finish line: feeling great about myself and the world around me
• What’s next: Celebrate more!

Simplify

• Goal word: SIMPLIFY
• Path 1 to the goal: simplify self-care
• Path 2 to the goal: simplify my space at home and at work
• Path 3 to the goal: simplify online presence
• Distractions: work and home responsibilities, time restraints, lack of motivation
• Steps to the path: eat well (no nitrates, chemicals, preservatives, or hormones, eating a balanced diet, eating often but not lots at once); exercise (walking, biking, and getting out more); clean and organize often; get rid of clutter and unnecessary items; donate to charity; cut down on the number of social networks I’m involved in; step away from technology more often; take great care of myself, including a nightly and weekly beauty routine
• The finish line: feeling mentally and physically healthy, a clean and organized living space and working space
• What’s next: Keep it up!

Image credits: create – IHeart Organizing; celebrate – That Kind of Woman; simplify – The Container Store

Love A La Carte features all the little things that make my life just a little more delicious.

the smell of LUSH stores, particularly of their bath bombs – ahhhhh ♥ free cupcakes from Sprinkles Cupcakes (follow their Twitter feed for the secret word of the day) ♥ ♥ crumpets ♥ PsychologyToday asks and answers: Who Is Creative? ♥ Dana Tanamachi’s stunning chalk doodle cover of Oprah’s O magazine ♥ my friend Karen’s blog - she writes about life, love, friendship, and navigating today’s world with such eloquence ♥ Emergency Puppy! ♥ No Doubt’s Tragic Kingdom – after 17 years, it’s still one of my favorite albums ♥ the image above from purple buddha project ♥ Bonobo ♥ hanging out in Barnes & Noble and finding all kinds of books for my to-read list ♥ terrible diner food and great company ♥ being asked to help out a friend from Germany who is writing a dissertation in English (about the assessment of aesthetic appreciation for different types of visual art) ♥ e-mails from my mom “just because” ♥

I wouldn’t say these are goals so much as a brainstorm of what wonderful things I have to look forward to should the conditions be right:

Go to Singapore and Indonesia for my brother’s wedding

Start a new career

Start a scrapbook from scratch

Finish a novel

Write a personal mission statement

What exciting adventures do you have planned for this year?

design by Fifi du Vie

Eat Like an Artist in 2012 ♥ my new Wonderland playlist on Spotify ♥ iCal ♥ the above image from Fifi du Vie ♥ Being Erica ♥ Jay Z and Kanye West’s Watch the Throne ♥ Move and the world will get the fuck out of your way. – <3 Hey Amber Rae ♥ Pinterest ♥ This post about a true adventurer and his 365 photography project (make sure to watch the fascinating and moving video). ♥ the complete works of Shakespeare free for iOS ♥ Shit DC Says ♥ letterpress business cards ♥ John Legend’s cover of Adele’s Rolling in the Deep (can you imagine if they collaborated? OMG.) ♥ Adobe Bridge ♥ mimosas ♥ President Obama singing Al Green’s Let’s Stay Together ♥

What adventures are you up to? I’m brainstorming my own for 2012…

image from pinterest (click for link)

This post is part of a weekly feature on this blog called a Simple Image, which is just an image with links to the photographer’s or artist’s own website or blog.  If you would like to have your artwork or photography featured, or if you have suggestions on who should be featured, please contact me via email.

origin: unknown (Is this yours? Let me know so I can credit you.)

Pantone and Sephora teaming up for a new beauty line!  ♥ SARK at TEDxFiDiWomen ”Succulence is Powerful” (YouTube video) ♥ friends who are always there no matter how many miles or days come between you ♥ Inbox: 1 (as close to zero as I can get realistically) ♥ teaching my mom how to use Flipboard and getting links from her as a result ♥ Janelle Monae ♥ handmade quilts ♥ warm and fuzzy sweaters ♥ The Definitive Color Wheel ♥ these 30 Things to Start Doing for Yourself ♥ light and fluffy snow falling ♥ laughing with my coworkers ♥ my brand new Nook (thanks, bro!) ♥ my new nightstand and lamp from IKEA ♥ starting the New Year off with a fantastic brunch shared with good friends in my new home ♥ having less than an hour commute ♥ using traveling as an excuse to buy my favorite magazines ♥ Rihanna’s You Da One ♥ reading through my old blog entries ♥ President Barack Obama sings Lady Gaga’s Born This Way (YouTube video) ♥ LUSH’s Stimulating Spice Shampoo ♥ Twelve Things You Were Not Taught in School About Creative Thinking (great article on creative thought processes) ♥ some wonderful inspiration from Louise Hay on how to love yourself and why you should start NOW! ♥ research and creative projects ♥ Hyperbole and a Half’s alot (must read: hilarious, especially for grammar nerds like me!) ♥ the fact that it’s Friday ♥ a Lord of the Rings (extended editions, of course) movie marathon with good friends ♥ my new Tumblr theme ♥

The Alot is Better Than You at Everything (image source: Hyperbole and a Half)

What are you loving right now?

landart | elmleafmeander by Walter Mason

If you’re taken with this image, please check out more of  Walter Mason’s work at his Flickr photostream.

This post is part of a weekly feature on this blog called a Simple Image, which is just an image with links to the photographer’s or artist’s own website or blog.  If you would like to have your artwork or photography featured, or if you have suggestions on who should be featured, please contact me via email.

1. ” Yellow Peppers “, 2. Yellow Leaves, 3. Yellow Rose, 4. Yellow Pom Poms again, 5. Yellow, 6. yellow pencils, 7. Yellow Hydrant, 8. yellow river, 9. Yellow balloons

For years, women used yellow ribbons to welcome home their men from war. Even today, they are used to embrace loved ones returning. Yellow is the color of creative and intellectual energy. Yellow symbolizes wisdom, joy and happiness. Yellow is representative of optimism and enlightenment. The color stimulates the long and medium wavelength cone cells in the retina. It stimulates the brain and nervous system, activates memory, and encourages communication. Yellow is often associated with food (see: McDonald’s Golden Arches).  Yellow is the color of the third chakra and is often associated with the South cardinal direction.

In design, yellow is used to add brightness, to evoke pleasant and cheerful feelings, and to generate muscle energy. Bright yellow is an attention-getter because it is the easiest color to see (even most colorblind people can see yellow). When used with black, yellow creates a warning sign.

As with red and orange, yellow is often used to emphasize elements of design that are most important. Yellow is best used sparingly, since it can easily overwhelm.

• For more about the benefits and effects of yellow in web design, read about the Anatomy of Colors in Web Design: Yellow and the Sunshine Feel.
• Look to pops of yellow to invigorate your interior design.
• Activate your Manipūra (मणिपूर) or yellow chakra to aid with dynamism, energy, willpower and achievement.
• About.com reveals How to Use Yellow in Feng Shui.

What emotions do you associate with yellow? Does it make you hungry? Angry? Mellow? Will you add it to presentations to emphasize import or will you use it to brighten a room? I’m looking forward to brightening up my room with daffodils this spring. Meanwhile, I’m enjoying the sight of the sun on clear, cold winter days.