Right now.

Building a tent in my living because why not. Because adventure starts where you are. Because sometimes you gotta camp out in the living room with a bowl of Nutella popcorn and a movie on the iPad with your sweetheart.

Listening to Macklemore & Ryan Lewis. Specifically this. And this. Thanks for introducing me to them Monica!

Drinking coffee from our new Chemex. Which is actually old because it’s been sitting in it’s unopened box for the last few months waiting to become someone’s wedding gift. But when we lost our dripper (where is that thing?) I finally decided that Chemex is ours. And now I’m wondering why I waited so long?! It really is the best cup of coffee. Ever.

Enjoying the sounds of finches chirping outside in the early morning.

Hoping we find a place to move into this summer that is just as inexpensive and charming as our current place but in a more beautiful and rural neighborhood and also closer to the Berkshires. Fingers crossed.

Wearing pink pointy slippers with pom poms and tassels. I know. I know!

Looking forward to seeing my family in a few short weeks. California, I’ve missed you.

Itching to get going on my scrapbook and scratching my head wondering where I can fit in the time.

Studying French on duolingo.com. This site is perfect for second language learners. It’s become a part of my morning ritual and I couldn’t be happier about it. Bonjour, indeed!

Working my little tail off in a new creative role at my job. Needless to say, I’m thrilled. And so, so grateful.

Counting down the days until Simeon graduates and we can have mornings together again. 42…41…

Making Memorial Day plans. We’re going to be packing so much fun into three days…I’m still not really sure how were actually going to do everything. But, shoot for the moon, right?

Reading Woman Code by Alisa Vitti. If you’re a woman read this book. Don’t delay either. You need this information NOW.

Being inspired by the Instagram photos and blog of @waywardspark. She makes me want to keep bees, raise goats and bake a pie right this instant.

Fawning over the beginnings of what appears to be our first blossom on the Peace plant we bought last year. Grow baby grow!

Meditating. OOMMmmmmm……

Feeling grateful for spring and for blogging and for life. Thanks for being a part of it with me.

Summer Goals

Summer is nearly upon us. I want golden memories and cherished moments. I want a body lithe like the length of warm days. I want to extract this goodness and bottle it to battle winter’s chill.

This summer I’m on a mission to figure out some stuff that’s been tickling my brain. On my list…

Movement

Creation

Truth telling (capital T truth)

Play dates

Wellness

French

Time with my beloved

This year may be approaching it’s midpoint but I have a feeling I’m going to be able to pack in twice the goodness this summer.

 

Photo fun

I’ve been playing with the new iPhone app from the bloggers of the wildly popular A Beautiful Mess blog and it’s too much fun – I had to share. They’ve created a rather addictive little habit! #cantstop #wontstop

Here are some pics I edited with the app recently. Some of which I’ve shared on Instagram. Hey, are you following me on Instagram? If not, you can find me at @natanyahaviva. Let’s be friends.

#abeautifulmess

 

Horse magic.

Over the weekend I ended up taking a leisurely drive, alone, through upstate New York. Beside bright green hills and under tree branches laden with leaves the rough worn road snaked its way.

For a moment I was lost among the glittering light as it spotlighted my path and the clouds formed hands of mist that rapped at my windows. At some point I wasn’t even sure I knew where I was headed.

None of this mattered when I rounded a curve and saw a few horses grazing on a pasture.

I could have driven on but I had no where to be so instead I pulled over to enjoy the view, the horses and the beautiful afternoon.

This would have been enough. I could feel my body relaxing, my mind resting. Peace with a capital P enveloped me.

But there was one more horse. A white mare.

She noticed me then went back to grazing, seemingly uninterested in her visitor. I watched her. Time floated and was effortless. And slowly, she grazed her way towards me…

I saw again–as if for the first time–the magnificence of horses. It made me think of my mother–she has a passion for horses and has always loved to ride. It was her enthusiasm that had encouraged me to seek out horse-back riding lessons as a kid. Memories I adore.

While the white one pretended she didn’t care whether I was there (and inched her way closer still) I enjoyed watching the black and brown horses in the distance nuzzle and groom one another. I’ve never seen horses do this before but it wasn’t surprising. It reminded me of that story of the dinner tables in Heaven and Hell. In both places each person must use a fork so long that they cannot feed themselves from the bounty. In Hell, they starve for their selfishness. In Heaven, they feed one another and feast.

And then with a whisper, the mare approached me!

First she inspected my shoes and helped her self to a lick. Blue shoe lollipop anyone?

Then, I did the first thing that came to mind and grabbed some grass to feed the lady. Only as her lips were baring down on my flesh did I think of how quickly she could have bitten off my hand like a dandelion head! But those riding lessons came back quick and I remembered “feed palm flat!” And so I did.

She seemed to like her “treat.” Or rather, maybe she was hoping she could taste my iPhone next?

We spent some time together until it seemed I had fed her enough of what she could get on her own. And with that she turned and left. But not before flashing a grin goodbye.

Quite an afternoon! I’m so grateful for the inspiration to stop and enjoy what was so clearly a gifted moment. It was nothing short of magic.

[Photos edited with the new #ABeautifulMess app!]

This day. A blessing.

Today is the day.

This one.

This dawn, this sunlight, this bird song.

This one.

What have you been waiting for? My dear, it is today that you have been waiting for. Arise, awaken, delight – the day is here.

Greet your morning with the fresh possibilities of your imagination.

Give thanks for your memories. Send love to the lessons that live in your history.

Treasure the promise that a new day brings – that yet another and another and another new dawn will beckon you from your slumber.

Each awakening a remembrance. Each bright light of dawn a call to come closer to your Source.

You are made of star dust and sunshine, this we know. So treasure your humble connection to this place and time. This is the one chance you’ve been waiting for.

This day. Praise it, be glorified in it, fill yourself with the Love of it’s magnificence. For a new day starts tomorrow.

Don’t wait any longer.

 

 

Spring mix-tape

   source

Spring is that funny time of year when one day the sun is bright, the weather is warm, and anything feels possible. And then faraway clouds get wind of the big party and want to join the fun. They can’t help but roll in with a storm of thunder and a show of lighting and shower us with their own special kind of seasonal love.

Of course I crave the clear sky and very much enjoy bathing in a sun ray. But like any 4, I totally adore spring’s moody weather too.*

Which brings me to the mix-tape. Because you just can’t play the same music at a picnic with a lemonade throwing a frisbee around that you do by a window with a mug of tea watching the rain pour. So, all you have to do now is choose the side that matches the weather and enjoy!

A-Side // Sunshine

B-Side // Rainy Day

Hudson in bloom

Finally. The cold chill in the air is gone for good. The sun is shining bright above a cobalt sky and that dull gray and brown has given way to verdant green and splashes of pink, purple and yellow.

Running errands are so much better when I can stop to appreciate the flowers on the walk home. And how often do we really pause to bring our awareness to the simple pleasures? The little things–the chirp of birds signaling a new day… the way the light looks in the early morning and at dusk… a midday text from your sweetheart… freshly washed clothes in neat stacks… perfectly poured latte art… What brings a lightness to your step? A flutter to your heart? Or joy to your smile?

Every time I find myself in front of something special, even if its just the color of the sky, I silently acknowledge what a considerable gift it was to experience. To be alive to enjoy that singular moment.

Maybe it doesn’t look like a prayer, maybe from the outside it doesn’t seem like I’ve made any conscious note of anything significant — but I have. And you can too. Bring awareness to your day and enjoy the little things. Because what is a life except a series of days? And what are days but a series of small moments?

Living Creed from Good Life Project

An afternoon scrolling through Twitter brought me to a link from Jonathan Fields, creator of the Good Life Project, a weekly web-based TV show focusing on creativity and the entrepreneurial stories of taste-makers and thought-leaders. (My boss Kris Carr was a recent guest!)

This ‘Living Creed’caught my eye so fast that before I had even read through the whole thing I was pinning it to save for later. And then I thought – why wait? I had to share it with you NOW. Read through the creed and go live your good life. xo

Like this? Get more here: Good Life Project.

Self care rituals.

With the harried days of working two jobs and long hours, sometimes self-care has taken the back burner in favor of say…sleep. Ok, and reading blogs. But mostly sleep.

But recently, my friend Jana invited me and a few other friends over for a fun evening and it was altogether kind of, well, amazingly soothing!

We got together to laugh, commiserate, share stories and plan futures. But most of all, to do facials! To get the process started we enjoyed a hot steam that included calendula, rose and other healing flowers.

Yes, that’s me waving. Ha.

We followed that up with a French green clay mask mixed with honey and rose water. Luscious.

While we waited for the clay to dry we enjoyed gluten-free cake I baked for the occasion. If your going to try this at home, don’t leave this step out. The cake is crucial.

When the clay dried, some of us enjoyed peeling off the pieces bit by bit. Perhaps a little too much…

After rinsing off the mask, we lathered on non-toxic lotion and admired each other’s glow.

It was such a great night – not least of all because of how relaxed and nourished I felt.  Later, Jana and I commented to each other about how important it is to take time to enjoy, honor and respect our bodies. Creating fun communal rituals like our recent facials night encourages us to keep it up even when we get busy.

Do you have any tried and true self care rituals?

Time together.

During the week Simeon is either at school, driving to/from school, or studying for school, and I’m usually at one or the other job. This leaves very little overlapping free time so when miraculously we do have an hour or two together we do what we can to make the most of it.

As the weather has warmed we’ve been antsy to spend more time outside among the new blossoms, the extra people milling about town, and the beautiful vistas nearby.

Last week we took a pleasant stroll down Warren Street to one of my favorite places in Hudson–The Spotty Dog Books & Ale. Spotty Dog is a bar/bookstore that sells both really great books and really delicious micro-brews (as the name implies). You can sit at the bar and chat up a friend or lounge in a comfy chair by the window while you browse a book. Whoever came up with this place was a genius. Absolutely.

We stopped in for a late afternoon brew and a little QT. ‘Twas divine.