11

time flies by. its been so beautiful outside that i have been finding pretty all week long and spending less time on my computer. my tan is looking pretty for sure. i have also been distraught and so interested in the whole G20 fiasco. i am dismayed at what i have seen...mostly with misguided spending and police bullying. an account by a female journalist who was detained during peaceful protesting has left me feeling sick to my stomach and concerned about the future of this country. so at this moment, i feel that a need for seeking out beauty is most important for me. i have no photo for today, no song, no poem.....i am going to sit in the sun in my backyard and have some nice, pretty, deep breaths and enjoy the pretty view of the sun setting over elephant mountain. peace out

Bon Iver - re: Stacks

10

I have a pretty song for you to hear. Bon Iver has followed me in my headphones through some pretty hard times and some pretty deep internal places. As I have said, pretty can be moving, it can be lovely and dark or sad. It can lift you up or allow you to dive into the depths of despair. I can listen to this album now and just feel happy, but always pensive. It has great meaning to me, so I share it with you. ...I think he named it for a lady friend...."For Emma"...sounds about right.
look above to listen.

9

Weekends are far too much fun to be blogging, so blogs will be on weekdays only for now. Anyhoo, Violet and I were walking down by the water when I saw this pretty little car. I personally am not a car person. I don't go nuts over the giant metal on wheels thing like so many others. I can, however, appreciate a pretty little retro car when I see one. Old bugs are so cute and this one was in my favorite car colour. Todays pretty is a very well maintained Volkswagon, which, I must say, I would look great in. Happy Summer Solstice everyone! I hope that sun comes back! Rascally fella.....

day 8

Yesterdays pretty is brought to you by the amazing properties of coffee. Better late than never? Yesterday was cool, clammy and crampy. My teenage son failed to come home the night before. He's never done that on a school night, so I spent parts of my designated sleep time lying awake in bed imagining him dead in a ditch, floating face down in the lake or beaten to a pulp in some remote and unreachable dark field. I also imagined the police showing up at my door with the bad news. I finally located my unfettered by anxiety darling at approximately 7:30 am when the mother of the friend woke him up to my lecture by phone. Little fucker. The rest of the day I suffered from cramps and a headache. Wah. After a cranky soak in the local pool with my youngest, who I must say was acting most uncharming by whacking me with pool noodles, dumping water over my head, and kicking me in the face while swimming, we had a mediocre dinner surrounded by old folks talking loudly about Dorris and her piano lessons and how deliciously wonderful the 1970's inspired salad bar was. I have to say it was one of the strangest days I have had in quite a while. At the end of this most "unpretty" blip in the history of my life, while lying in bed beside little Violet, I sighed a sigh of sweet relief when I realized that she was asleep. I looked over at her and saw her beautiful eyelashes on her beautiful little face and realized that life aint so bad. I would have liked to take a photo of those pretty lashes in all of their sleeping glory, but it was dark and I was cozy and the camera was downstairs. So there. I found yesterdays pretty. It was at the very end of the day when I thought all hope was lost, but better late than never.

Day 7

good bye summer. where oh where have you gone? i was outside for a while today in my sandals, with hopes of sunshine. I spent part of the day wishing my missing Uggs were still in my presence. (hear that PHAEDRA???) And yes Alice and Bruce, I know they are ugly, hence the name Uggs, but they feel so damn cozy. But still, overcast days make for the prettiest lighting. The greens of the trees and grass and the colours of the flowers were particularly brilliant today. I'm sure you all had at least a glimpse, if you didn't spend your day under the covers. Today's pretty comes from etsy.com, which I think everyone should know about by now. I plan to do the majority of this years Christmas shopping from Etsy to support all of the amazingly creative and talented folks out there who are going back to handmade, uniquely beautiful stuff. You may think what I have chosen is ridiculous, but I think it's so PRETTY. here's the link if you want to buy it for a pretty $270.
http://www.etsy.com/listing/49368560/the-exquisite-pa-pa-the-cage-is-too

well, helloooooo. sorry for the lapse, but I was out of town for a wee bit. Well, in light of the FIFA world cup, I thought I would send a little appreciation to the lovely men who work so hard to look so darn beautiful. I must say I have been a fan of world cup soccer for quite some time and seeing as pretty comes in all shapes, sizes and colours, this would be a perfect posting on a blog that is in the search for beauty. Here's some of Mama Natures finest. Keep your knickers on, ladies (and gents).....or not. Your choice. I must say this blog has definitely been keeping me cheerful, if not cheap. Enjoy the sun!

day 5

this is going to be short and sweet. Todays pretty is the beach....it just might have to be tomorrows as well. I am not posting a picture or anything, because I think we can all just shut are eyes and see ourselves lying in the warm sand, with our toesies in the sun and our sunglasses on. We in Nelson get the view of the amazing mountains to make it even more magical. OH YEAH! I freaking love the beach. I even brought a trashy magazine with me today. BLISS.......

we went walking today with a part of my intention being the search for pretty in my town. we (violet and I) took pictures of your typical pretty , you know, flowers and stuff. The thing that really stood out for me, in the sunshiney showery light, was a freshly painted fire hydrant at the top of my street. The brightness of the red against the green grass and momentarily blue sky was quite striking. I took a photo and here it is. Red is awesome, but newly painted red is even better. It made me happy. What a great day! I think this blog is actually working.
So, I tried to research the histroy of the red fire hydrant and it was all quite elusive and dull, apart from the fact that they are called Johnnies in NY city. The thing I did find that was most entertaining was the Urban dictionary definitions of fire hydrant :

1.Fire hydrant: multiple meanings; a) to use a penis enlarging pump to make your penis turn large, swollen and red to resemble a fire hydrant. b) peeing on a red headed girl
ex: "so I went to the sex store with Lindsey Lohan. needless to say, I had a double fire hydrant experience last night. freaky friday!"

2. Fire hydrant: a high-waisted midget with red pants and a big ass.
ex: New Yorks hottest club is "Twice". Don't be thrown off when you get greeted at the door by a rabbi that looks like Joquain Pheonix. Club owner Robert Blake has thought about everything. Carnival parkers, groups of guys with afros and graduation caps and fire hydrants."

Enough said? Weird I know. Anyway, the fire hydrant looked pretty. I just can't leave it at that, because I'm weird.
Cheers! Happy Friday night! xxxooo

Day 3

today was busy. i decided to get the undone done and was pretty successful. I was wondering what pretty thing to add for today and seeing as i spent all day doing the undone with my crazy kid, I have decided to make Violet todays pretty. Maybe sappy, mom sentiment, but anyhow, introducing pretty VIOLET.......
ok, now to get real. The nice thing about choosing to post a picture of my pretty girl is that there were definitely not nice moments in our "get stuff done day". Like when we were leaving the Co-op after me saying no to a popsicle...(after her having talked me into a lollipop, 2 rubber monkey finger puppets, and new tangerine coloured nail polish) and having her scream "I HATE YOU AND I"M NEVER TALKING TO YOU AGAIN!!!!" This unfortunately shortly there after empty sentiment was followed by wracking, sympathy getting from onlooker sobs. It's amazing how many people look like they are bleeding from their overflowing hearts when they see my sweet and pretty daughter throwing a full blown temper tantrum in a store, like I've just snuck off to the stores bathroom and beaten her.... So here's to finding the pretty in Violet after storming home from the co-op, groceries, rubber monkey puppets and screaming child in tow.

rainy day. day 2

It's quite rainy and cold today, which was unexpected. I had visions of walking the beach with the dog and the kid in tow. I'm still in my jammies and just finished coffee #2 and a load of much needed laundry (towels). The new Sunlight Green Clean liquid laundry soap in Citrus Fresh smells delicious. But then again I'm an absolute sucker for anything lemony. It's the small things, so I'm told. Little pleasures, little pleasures. My quest today has so far included scanning the internet for poetry. Wow, poets can be dismal. I guess the written word can be a powerful tool in working through life stuff, and pretty can be sad, low, lonely...... I managed to find this lovely poem by Elizabeth Barrett Browning. It's not depressing or anything and it's here for your reading pleasure. Enjoy.

House Of Clouds, The

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I would build a cloudy House For my thoughts to live in; When for earth too fancy-loose And too low for Heaven! Hush! I talk my dream aloud--- I build it bright to see,--- I build it on the moonlit cloud, To which I looked with thee. Cloud-walls of the morning's grey, Faced with amber column,--- Crowned with crimson cupola From a sunset solemn! May mists, for the casements, fetch, Pale and glimmering; With a sunbeam hid in each, And a smell of spring. Build the entrance high and proud, Darkening and then brightening,--- If a riven thunder-cloud, Veined by the lightning. Use one with an iris-stain, For the door within; Turning to a sound like rain, As I enter in. Build a spacious hall thereby: Boldly, never fearing. Use the blue place of the sky, Which the wind is clearing; Branched with corridors sublime, Flecked with winding stairs--- Such as children wish to climb, Following their own prayers. In the mutest of the house, I will have my chamber: Silence at the door shall use Evening's light of amber, Solemnising every mood, Softemng in degree,--- Turning sadness into good, As I turn the key. Be my chamber tapestried With the showers of summer, Close, but soundless,---glorified When the sunbeams come here; Wandering harpers, harping on Waters stringed for such,--- Drawing colours, for a tune, With a vibrant touch. Bring a shadow green and still From the chestnut forest, Bring a purple from the hill, When the heat is sorest; Spread them out from wall to wall, Carpet-wove around,--- Whereupon the foot shall fall In light instead of sound. Bring the fantasque cloudlets home From the noontide zenith Ranged, for sculptures, round the room,--- Named as Fancy weeneth: Some be Junos, without eyes; Naiads, without sources Some be birds of paradise,--- Some, Olympian horses. Bring the dews the birds shake off, Waking in the hedges,--- Those too, perfumed for a proof, From the lilies' edges: From our England's field and moor, Bring them calm and white in; Whence to form a mirror pure, For Love's self-delighting. Bring a grey cloud from the east, Where the lark is singing; Something of the song at least, Unlost in the bringing: That shall be a morning chair, Poet-dream may sit in, When it leans out on the air, Unrhymed and unwritten. Bring the red cloud from the sun While he sinketh, catch it. That shall be a couch,---with one Sidelong star to watch it,--- Fit for poet's finest Thought, At the curfew-sounding,--- ; Things unseen being nearer brought Than the seen, around him. Poet's thought,----not poet's sigh! 'Las, they come together! Cloudy walls divide and fly, As in April weather! Cupola and column proud, Structure bright to see--- Gone---except that moonlit cloud, To which I looked with thee! Let them! Wipe such visionings From the Fancy's cartel--- Love secures some fairer things Dowered with his immortal. The sun may darken,---heaven be bowed--- But still, unchanged shall be,--- Here in my soul,---that moonlit cloud, To which I looked with THEE! Elizabeth Barrett Browning

DAY 1

Sooo, hey. I came up with this idea in my head this morning. It's kind of for myself, kinda for my kids, and kinda for Bruce, but I'm open to sharing. The idea is for me to expand into a space where I can easily feel good and positive and at least for part of the day let go of all the shit that is going down in my life and the great world around me. The idea is to spend the next hopefully 365 days...we'll see how it goes....finding one thing of beauty each day and posting it to this blog. i will be using my camera, my hands, my brain, my computer, my eyes and anything else that pops up or out. So, here goes. Enjoy my quest for pretty. xo