All the pretty little things

"I love people. I love my family, my children . . . but inside myself is a place where I live all alone and that's where you renew your springs that never dry up." - Pearl S. Buck

This is my new favorite quote. And I definitely know what renews my springs: the gospel, reading, music, nature, dates/trips with Brian, time with girlfriends, craft projects and pretty things.

Lately, it's really been about the pretty things.

For me, pregnancy and early infancy are times when I find it nearly impossible to feel pretty. That whole pregnancy glow thing? Not me. Although I guess my face gets so incredibly round that it shines like the sun. But that's about it.

I find I have been on a pretty search lately: pretty clothes, pretty house stuff, and the like. It's like a pretty quest.

We've seen a number of pretty rainbows the past few weeks; during the monsoons, they were almost a daily occurrence-

A few weeks ago my friends Kristie and Paula and their kids came for a playdate; we spent more than 6 hours together, during which my friends and I gave my house an impromptu makeover, mainly involving stuff I already had, rearranging things, sprucing up old stuff, etc. I've since bought a few things to add. One area I love the most - which I used to hate - is my pretty new mantel. It gladdens my heart.
And that star that used to be there? I truly loathed it there, but it has found a new home in my room, and goes splendidly there! Love it when that happens.

My feet feel so very pretty in my new silver flower shoes-

I'm hoping my pretty new pink and silver Asics running shoes-
combined with a little (a lot) of this-
and sprinkled with some of this (trail around our local lake with pretty views)-
will make the rest of me feel pretty.

I would love to decorate a bathroom in pretty B&W damask with pops of apple green...

... wear a pretty embellished sweater every crisp day this Fall...
... and learn to make really pretty cupcakes, but only eat them sparingly...










One of my favorite pretty places is this-
the Japanese Tea Garden in Golden Gate Park in San Francisco, one of my favorite cities. I'm hoping it's one of the stops we make when Brian and I (and Mason) spend a weekend in San Francisco next month (squeal with delight!). I'm pretty excited about it!