Quotes I Love

Quotes to inspire…

xoxo.

J.

Beatitudine

She sat with her eyes closed gently; the smell of the ocean water surrounding her. A gentle breeze slipping her light blanket off her right shoulder, and swirling the velvety blackberry flavours out of her wine glass of Shiraz and into the air.

The sun, starting to set in front of her, was reaching its rays outward to hit her face with their warmth then tingling through her body. The sound of Chris Botti softly playing from the kitchen as it’s mingling with the seals songs coming from just beyond the shoreline. The pages of her latest novel escaping her bookmark as it’s fluttering away from her and instead is dancing along the sandy beach.

Vacation at last.

I’ll be on that beach soon enough…writing, reading…and drinking every little ounce of it in.

xoxo

J.

Sometimes…

you just need a minute. A minute to breathe, a minute to reflect, a minute to re-discover what it is that gives you that push to keep moving forward. The day can be terrible; the week can suck beyond belief. People can tread lightly in and out of your life on their own terms, or can become one of the illusive few who shine through to be a pillar you never knew could exist.

If only people on the outside could understand; if only they knew who I really am and how I got to this place. If only this crazy world could slow down just long enough to make the time necessary to reach a little further. Maybe you can have a mid-twenties-crisis when you get to the point where you can’t remember what it was like to be a kid. Was I ever truly free? Is there another time when I will be?

Maybe I think too much; time to try harder to shut off all of the feelings inside. Life could be so much worse…so lately why do I feel so deprived?

That’s when I just need my minute. My minute to walk by the river. I drink in the smell of the wet wood, the sweet scent of flowers at my feet bursting through the dirt. I reach for the wooden railing and lean towards the water as I slam my eyes closed. I can feel the soft wind caressing my face and tangling my hair; the sun still shining down from above filling my body with warmth. In that moment everything is still…every part of my being is free. There’s no pressure here, no expectations, no need to slap on a fake smile, no need to worry how my personality is being misconstrued by those around me.

In this moment I feel peace. I gain strength to fight the days ahead. I realize what I have, and what I have to just let go of.

In this moment I can see my dreams; one day they will be my reality.

Sometimes…60 seconds is all I really need.

xoxo.
J.

I Love…

I’ve been clicking back and forth between a few food blogs today and when scrolling through I came accross this.

What a wonderful quote!

xoxo
J.

Sileo

Sileo: to be still, silent / (+ acc.) be silent about / rest.

Do you ever just hit mute? Turn down the tv, click off the radio…take those earbuds out and lay them to rest on the counter. What sounds are all around you?

I can hear the candles softly flickering on the counter. The bubbles slowly popping in the sink…there’s a plane overhead, a baby across the hall crying for attention. A couple is making their way through the lobby…their words from here are only hushed tones traveling down the hallway; that unmistakable buzz can only mean that the elevator is making its way to the lobby to take them home. Running water is flowing through the pipes in the wall…the cleanest people in the world, my upstairs neighbors, are filling their tub above me once again. The keys are clicking away beneath my fingers as I type to you….

There’s a calmness about tonight; a quiet peacefulness has enveloped the building. When do we ever take a moment out of our busy lives to just be silent. be still. rest. listen. Sound is amazing…the ability to hear everything around us at each and every moment is a gift…but when do we take the time to enjoy the simple sounds? Clear your mind. Take a breathe. Don’t be afraid to mute all of the busyness around you and just live in the moment. Sometimes a moment of silence is all you need.

xoxo.

J.

Sidney…

The smell of the fish market. Planes overhead.

Kids lined up for the eco-cruise to escape with their skim boards for the day.

Warm sun rays shining down; a soft sea breeze gently moving through my hair.

Kids arranging a game of tag on the field behind the bench I’ve made my home.

Boats in the distance slowly making their way out to the open sea.

Locals jogging along the boardwalk greeting everyone they pass.

Me.

 Sitting. Watching.

Listening.  Smelling.

Drinking it all in.

I found this scribbled in orange pen sitting inside a notebook I now use to brainstorm my grocery lists. I remember the day I wrote it, sitting on a wooden bench in Sidney on an absolutely georgous afternoon. I’ll be back there soon…only for a day or two, but I can’t wait! You always hear that what you say is what you get…so I’m putting it out there, one day the island will be my home.

Happy Tuesday…only 3 more days until the weekend. xoxo.

J.

It snowed all night…

and the view from my patio looks so awesome this morning! Fresh crisp white snow covers the ground everywhere and I’ve already spotted a few of the dogs from my apartment building running through it having a blast.

It’s just after 10am and I’ve already made my bed, thrown in a load of laundry, whipped up some breakfast, and walked to Shoppers to grab a few things I need for the week ahead; now that the coffee has just finished brewing my place smells like vanilla coffee mingled with clean laundry…is there really anything better than that??

I just downloaded Adele’s  newest album yesterday, 21, simply stated…it’s brilliant. Just what I was looking for at the exact moment I needed it. I’ll admit it was perfect in the background as I finally unpacked the rest of my clothes last night (this being my 3rd week here I figured it was about time)…and now this morning after all of my early morning activity I’m at a lack of what to get up to. I can still feel a bit of my cold hanging on, but thank goodness I feel nothing like I did yesterday…no sore throat, no fever and I cross my fingers that the all over body aches have gone away for good…can something that bad really be gone after one day of misery?? I guess we’ll see about that.

Well, I guess I should shuffle off of my bar stool to pour a nice warm cup of joe and maybe read one of the hundreds of books staring at me on my shelf from across the room…and continue my search for a tasty sounding cream of asparagus soup. I’ll leave you with what is my favourite song off of Adele’s albumn (well favourite so far).

xoxo.

J.

Sunday Morning with Vince Vaughn & Owen Wilson

There’s nothing better than whipping up a quick breakfast that turns out to be delicious, pressing start and letting the amazing aroma of fresh coffee fill the room, and then plopping yourself down on the couch in front of the tv on a Sunday morning.

“Wedding Crashers” is my movie of choice this morning as I enjoy my breakfast and whip up some pizza dough for later on today; seriously, is there anything better than a good Vince Vaughn or Owen Wilson flick?? Only if it’s one where they’re both in it together.

xoxo.

J.

Home…

Is where your kitchen is.

xoxo.

Stuck in the middle…

I’m not sure if it’s just me, but the past few days have felt like they’ve slowly crawled by. Thank goodness tomorrow’s Thursday and I have a mid-day escape in the form of a lunch date with two lovely ladies to look forward to. I’m sitting here watching one of my guilty pleasures, American Idol, trying to figure out if I can gather the strength and motivation to get off my bed and into the kitchen to whip up a batch of muffins for breakfast. Humm…

Well, I’ve got about 20 minutes to figure that out and 20 more minutes to surf the web for some cool things. I found out that the place I was waiting to here back about can’t be mine for April anymore; while it is upsetting, and I’m still looking around, there is a pretty great possibility that it can still be mine for  June 1st. That said, I’m still keeping my eyes peeled for a few cool things to have whenever I do finally have my own abode.

P.S. I’m kinda in love with this print from jenniferramos; her entire etsy shop is filled with beautiful things you must take a look at.

Have a good night.

xoxo.