Food munchies for the week...

 I love days when I enjoy what I am eating.  It doesnt happen everyday around here.  But when it does, I sort of have an obsession photographing my food.  I rather enjoy food photography.  Maybe its because there are so many colors and textures going on.  Not sure, but I love it.  So on this weeks menu, I had...

A La Madeline's inspired meal... grilled cheese sandwiches on rosemary bread with manchego, white cheddar and pepper jack cheese, fresh garden basil & pesto basil spread.  pesto penne & bowtie pasta with cherry tomatoes.  tomato soup with parmesan cheese.  Maybe a bit heavy on the pesto and tomatoes, but in my opinion, you really cant have too much of either of those. 

 For lunch one day I had a grape leaf wrapped rice, hummus, stonewheat crackers, white cheddar cheese, watermelon & honeydew.  A yummy but a bit odd combination of foods...

For a snack, I had the world's largest strawberries with agave nectar!  Seriously these babies were huge, the photo is deceiving.  This is a normal size bowl, not a cup!

And while working one day I snacked on quinoa and cherry tomatoes.  The easiest little snack, love this stuff!

And one guilty pleasure you will see in my hands quite often is Annie's cheddar bunnies.  I could eat these everyday.  Their cuteness over rides the not-so-good-for-you-by-the-boxful-ness of them...

What are some of your favorite snacks to eat?  Im always looking for healthy easy things to fix myself.  I live with a boy who does not eat veggies at all.  Loves meat and bread and pasta.  So while he is at work, I usually like to eat light random snack foods throughout the day.

PEACE,

Laura

Roots and Feathers GIVEAWAY...

In celebration of my new shop, I am having a giveaway of $25 credit towards anything in the shop!  To enter please go to my shop, Roots and Feathers, and tell me your favorite item in the shop, or already sold.  Also, please link this giveaway on your twitter, facebook or blog. (or all three)... Thanks!  I will pick a winner at random on my birthday, June 25th.  

PEACE,

Laura

This weeks behind the scenes...

First of all, I want to say a big genuine thank you to everyone who left a comment on my last post for Violet.  The love was really felt.  She has been home since this morning, and is adjusting to being inside all day okay so far.  She has slept most of the day.  She doesnt seem to be acting like she is feeling really bad, so that made me feel better.  She was definitely happy to be home.  So thank you, and Ill keep you posted along the way!

We left our movie pallet on the floor from last weekend up all week.  Bella loves it.  There is a corner of the quilt that she just freaks out on out of nowhere, and gets all frisky.  Its so cute.  She was just looking way too adorable to not snap some photos of the other day.  Do you spy her daddy napping on the couch in the background?  he he.

Im kind of always snapping random photos around the house with my phone now.  Im a bit obsessed with my phone camera.  Ive collected a bunch of sticks for my dreamcatchers.  I love walking in the woods picking just the right ones.  And everytime I catch a glance at my mom's dreamcatcher, it makes me happy.  Its so big and beautiful.

We had to go back to the sprint store two more times this past week, so we went to our favorite coffee shop close by both times.  It was weird going there 3 times in less than 2 weeks b/c we usually only get to go every other month or so.  It was fun!  and yummy...  We are still in the middle of trying to figure our internet stuff out.  Our first bill was outrageous!  So we are debating, but not really getting anywhere with it.  So between that and little miss violet's vet bill, this month has been insanely expensive.  Not to mention, I think I broke our coffee maker this morning, and my car battery died again this morning.  This has not really been our week,  at all.

Fortunately, I had lots of things to package up and ship off.  I actually brought it over to the kitchen table so I could keep it organized.  I love having a nice clean space to ship from.  It drives me nuts when I have too much stuff going on and my desk is all messy and then I have to ship!  And I love my new feather stamp!  Im still waiting for my Roots and Feathers cards to get here, so for now everyone is getting Violet Bella cards :)

And, um.... I wore my Doors shirt again!  Can somebody please come over here and pry it off of me???  I could probably wear this shirt every day of my life and be happy.  And its made me realize how much I love grey.  And yep, Im wearing SAS shoes, no offense nanna, but they are old lady shoes, ha ha.  But i LOVE them!  They are so comfy!  And this necklace is about to be listed in my Roots and Feathers shop!

And we finally had our movie night with friends!  We watched Pulp Fiction, had yummy adult beverages and ate caramel popcorn.  Pretty perfect.  Jen, Jonny & Tia are some of our best friends.  We always feel so at ease when we are around them, and James talks more than Ive ever heard him talk in my life when he is around them, its so cute.  They are always up for any kind of adventure and have just about the sweetest hearts Ive ever known.  Love them.

My birthday is in one week, I just realized!  It will be my last year in my 20's!!!  Time to start planning a party!

PEACE,

Laura

Pray for Violet Mae...

Today has been a total bummer of a day.  Yesterday we took the babies, Violet and Bella, in for their annual shots, and to get groomed.  Then I got the call from the vet that everyone dreads... Violet Mae has heart worms.  They did xrays this morning and found that its a bit advanced, so she has to do the two part treatment, which means she will be on heavy duty meds that will require her to be house bound for up to 8 weeks.  She cannot get excited or run b/c it could stop her heart.  It makes me so sad b/c she loves being outside so much.  It is going to be so hard to keep her locked up inside.  I even have to keep her on a leash to go to the bathroom.  Its going to be a big adjustment for all of us, mostly Violet.  I just hope she doesnt get depressed.  She had to spend last night at the vet, and again tonite.  Today we took up her hippo to sleep with, but we didnt go see her, so that she wouldnt get excited and then just see us leave her again.  I get to go pick her up in the morning.  It breaks my heart.  But the vet seemed hopeful that by going through this treatment she will be okay in the end.  I pray so.  The house has seemed so empty without her here.  We went grocery shopping today, and even leaving the house, I just couldnt shake this depressing mood.  Im thinking about calling an early night and resting up. 

Please send good loving vibes into the universe for my baby girl.  She is absolutely the sweetest pup Ive ever met in my life.  Tomorrow we will do alot of cuddling when she gets home, I cant wait to kiss her forehead.

PEACE,

Laura

Roots and Feathers shop...

I talked to my Nanna on the phone this morning and she let me know that I had not posted a link to my new etsy shop, so she has not been able to see the actual jewelry for sale!  um, duh laura....  Made me realize that only my facebook friends have actually seen the new shop, sorry guys!  I still only have about half of the items posted.  Ive been so happy with everyone's response to the new line.  It really makes my heart warm.  So nanna, please click here to see my new shop!

These are just a few items in the shop, and some are already gone.  Most of the items in this shop are one of a kind, with the exception of some earrings and rings.  I can do custom orders though on certain items. 

And if you have not already, please stop by and visit my lovely sponsors this month, they have some super adorable stuff!  Throughout the rest of the month I will be posting some features by them!  

PEACE,

Laura

Happy Birthday Mom...

Today is the day, in 1955, my mother was brought into this earth.  Im pretty sure that is the day that many lives changed.  Or should I say, many lives were going to be changed over the next 50 something years because she was born.  Today I celebrated her birthday by launching my new line.  It was a wonderful way for me to spend my morning, with this photo sitting next me.  I feel truly blessed by all of the lovely response I got from my new work I have poured myself into.  It has been a little journey I am truly proud of.  And I know my mom would just be over joyed with it all.  Too bad she's not around to do a lookbook with me, now that would be one hilarious lookbook!  She probably would have flashed her boobs or mooned the camera, I just know it.  Anyone who knew my mom knows Im right!  I love this photo of her.  I remember being sad that day myself, although I dont remember why now.  She had just got her hair cut short b/c she knew she was going to lose it in chemo therapy.  I never wanted her to cut her hair b/c it was so long and pretty, and then once she did, I loved it!  I know she was feeling very inward and thoughtful that day.  Once it got dark and we built a fire by the riverside, she did some funny fire yoga stretching stuff.  She was always busting out silly stuff like that...  Today we took some new peacock feathers up to her grave.  It had been needing some for a while.  I want to go back up there when the sunlight is pretty and take some nice photos of her site.  My dad put so much love into and it is just beautiful.  I found a squished pine cone on the way back to the car and took back to put on her grave.  I think she would have liked it.

The only rotten thing that happened today was someone anonymously leaving me a mean comment on my lookbook.  I really wish people wouldnt be so hurtful on the internet.  If you dont like my work or blog, or how I do anything, please dont read my blog or follow my work.  There is no need at all to leave mean comments on mine, or anyone elses blog.  Ive seen it often and it is really just so sad.  Makes me feel sorry for them.  

My internet has been super shady all day, so as it allows me to, Ill be uploading the rest of the new work.  I only got about half way done.  Thank you so much for everyone's love and support.  It means so much to me, truly.  I will be happily shipping some of my babies off tomorrow to some lovely new homes!!!  

PEACE,

Laura

Roots and Feathers Lookbook

I have decided to go ahead and post the lookbook for the new line as a preview of what you will see tomorrow!  I plan on beginning the uploading in the morning with my coffee.  I cant wait!  I had lots of fun making this lookbook, even if it is only a few pages long.  I was surprised I was able to style the whole thing out of my own closet too!  I look forward to creating more of these in the future.  Let me know what you think!  And I look forward to launching the new line in the am :)  p.s.  you can view this full screen by clicking the button in the middle...  and please feel free to share this on your blogs, facebooks and twitters!  You can even grab the embed code on this baby for your blogs!

PEACE,

Laura

When a shake is more than just a shake...

Here comes a very random ramble... As you know, I have been working lately on this new line of jewelry/home goods, Roots and Feathers, and I think the creative process of it is also doing some creative processing of my soul.  And honestly without me knowing until today.  Im sure this is true for everyone, but I know that I personally go through ebs and flows of times when I feel very connected to the earth, and times where I feel a bit more distant.  And it seems when I begin to stray too far away, the universe has a way of pulling me back in and reminding me of what lies beneath the surface.  Lately I have been missing my mother alot, with her birthday coming up... and with being in my new house that she cannot be here to see.  So my emotions are a bit on the fragile side right now b/c of that.  And usually during those times, I start yearning for something, and never quite know what it is that Im yearning for.  I start reminiscing of past times, friends gone bye, and times that my soul felt free.  *dont get me wrong, im very happy right now in life*  Its just an overall feeling I get quite often.  

I suppose where the new line comes in, is that it has got me thinking about my roots, and the whole reasoning behind this line.  So yesterday, I got a call from my dad inviting me to go to the folk festival with him.  I had been wanting to go this year, so my reaction completely dumbfounded me, but I got really funny and cried and totally emotional getting ready to go.  I felt like I didnt want to go and I couldnt figure out why.  It was the weirdest thing.  And James could not go, b/c he had to work the next morning, so I scared him too.  But now that I am thinking back on it, I think I know the reason why.  I have got myself into such a place where I am home all of the time working, and when Im not, Im with James.  If I go anywhere, we go together, which I adore.  But I think its made me a bit shy again about going out into the world, especially over crowded places without him.  But once I got there and settled in for a while, I was reminded why I love that place so much.  You can just be.  Walk around barefoot, wear anything you want and just relax.  People there are just there to love and enjoy themselves.  I watched girls hula hoop, which reminded me about my passion for it, which made me break it out again this morning.  Which made me feel good and in turn want to make a healthy shake.  That is why this post is about a shake, but not really about a shake at all.  which all brings me back to things in my heart that i love and feel passionate about, but somehow lost along the way...

I have been gently reminded again by the universe, that we are on a journey, to learn and open up to this world in our own ways, and sometimes we need a little guidance, and its always there if we listen and allow it to happen.  This may make no sense at all to anyone who is reading this, but it makes perfect sense to me.

And if you are curious, this shake includes: odwalla orange juice, mineral water, mangos, bananas, frozen acai juice, bluberries, dandelion, spinach, sunflower sprouts & a dash of milk.  And it is super yummy :)

PEACE,

Laura