Wishful Thinking {guest post by melissa loves}

Hello lovely Reverie readers,

 

Melissa is the most lovely & warm person.....isn't she? So, I am honored to be over here, at her beautiful place, sharing my wishful thinking for today. My house.....let's just start there. I love my house....it is a 1898 Victorian that we bought 2 years ago. To say that I pour a lot of love & my personality into my home is an understatement ( ask any of my good friends) :) Though I love it and it's current incarnation, I can't help but, wish I had the resources to pour even more love into it. We didn't paint before we moved in and that is one of my favorite things to do. If I had my druthers...I would paint every room, all of our trim white and maybe even the floors if nobody stopped me! :) I also wish we could renovate our kitchen; a breakfast nook and french doors into the garden (if there was one). So, here are some inspiring photos....that I have cultivated. Things I would do, if I could. 

 

1. Wouldn't this be a beautiful color for a Victorian? With a bright yellow door  perhaps? 

2. A room in the gray on these shutters, I think...

3. and one in this beautiful lavender

4. a floor or two in this blue 

5. and our bedroom in this blue?

 

I am hoping someday to make these dreams come true. I will keep you posted! :) What would you do if you could do anything to your home? I would love to know. Thank you so much for having me and have a wonderful week! 

xo

Melis

 

Sweet as honey, a cheerleader for all, and an excellent cheap & chic personal shopper, Melis is one of those gals you want by your side because she always offers up honest encouragement and happy words to brighten your day.  Her blog, Melissa Loves, is an oasis of pretty that you don't want to miss! 

[Images via 1, 2, 3, 4, 5]

Trespassing ~

I'm not sure additional words should accompany this image, for the point is made loud and clear.  Although, when I stop to think about it, too few people are actually getting the point.  We need to wake up and restore sustainable, organic land practices to the Earth ~ the soil, the dirt, the very thing we are made of, we live from, we return to.  Is it that hard to do?  Or will the greedy forces of humanity continue to reign supreme when it comes to the use of chemicals, pesticides, genetically engineered seeds, and unethical 'farming' practices?  

I love this planet I call home, the dirt beneath my feet, the food that maintains and keeps my body healthy and alive, the water I drink, the air I breathe, the stunning vista visions which surround me, and I refuse to just accept the common food/farm/agriculture practices of today's society.  Instead of feeling overwhelmed and defeated by what I consider a personal trespassing upon me and my family, I choose to continue to educate myself and make a difference in every way I can. Obviously, I do not have millions of dollars to fight the aggressive conglomerates {aka chemical trespassers}, but I do believe there is power in numbers; people who wish to go back to the days when organic didn't seem to carry the weight of 'privileged and wealthy' but rather as it has always  meant to be ~ simple, pure, healthy living for all mankind.  

[Reverie-Daydream Image]

¡Olé!

The past few days have been hot and steamy here in the wine country.  I love it.

This sizzling trend will only add to the excitement of our weekend plans ~ a Catalan Festival at Gloria Ferrer Caves and Vineyards.  I've been giddy about this Spanish celebration all week long.  

Mi guapa will most definitely be taking center stage considering her love for Spanish guitar music and dancing.  It's bound to be a day to record in the  good-life memory books ~ bubbly, Flamenco dancers, and food seasoned with saffron and other make-your-taste-buds explode spices.

By the way, did I ever tell you that my nickname at a former job was Fuega?  

And with that I bid you all a muy bueno weekend. 

[painting by Pino] 

Wishful Thinking ~ {guest post by under a pink moon}

For as long as I can remember I have taken my wishes very seriously. Whether I was blowing out the candles on my birthday cake or tossing a penny into a fountain I would pause, close my eyes and imagine the very best possible outcome for whatever was weighing heavily on my heart. 

A decade ago I stood before the Western Wall and stuffed a note into a crevice of ancient Jerusalem stone and wished for my Great Grandmother to feel loved and less alone than I knew she felt. She lived a second lifetime without her husband, a man who died before I was born and I felt her heartbreak my entire life. 

As a young girl, I blew out candles on my birthday cakes year after year and wished for my mom to stumble across a pile of money so that her daily struggles might be lightened. 

And I will admit to many a coin being tossed in the hope of a certain boy to notice me so that we might live happily ever after. A sixth grade love story.

Now, when I catch myself wishing or even wanting, it is always for peace. Peace of mind for myself. Anxiety is my constant companion. A peaceful heart for my daughter. Frustration and intense emotions take her far away on too many days. A peaceful way for all of us. It's a profoundly better way than the alternative.

Estelle has become one of my very dearest friends.  Simply put, I adore her.  We get each other, and we both love champagne...so really, life is good under a pink moon.  And one of her many talents includes sewing, the girl turns a piece of fabric into a coveted fashion piece.  Trust me, I'm in line for one of her divine creations and hoping she opens a shop soon!

[image via Estelle]

Friends ~

On Saturday, we took a drive through the wine country to visit with our city friends who were enjoying a Healdsburg holiday in a very cool modern barn.  

A grand time was had by all; especially two very cute little girls who have been friends since 6 months of age when they 'met' in a mommy and me swim class.  I believe they need bracelets or something adorable that has BFF on it because these girls are definitely the best of the best, for no matter the time distance between their last fun and play, they pick up exactly where they left off: non-stop smiles and giggles.

  

That's the wonderful thing about true friendships, they withstand the test of time and continue to grow stronger as the years go by.  Friends are definitely one of life's greatest investments because the yield is generally a happy return.

[Reverie-Daydream Images]

swimming in kisses ~

 

Our girl is swimming.  Her papa and I are quite stoked, and if you happen to walk past her swim lessons, you will know which one is Gaia Miette, or at least wish we were your biggest fans too.  We clap and cheer as if she won the Olympic gold medal.  In our eyes, she has conquered one of life's greatest freedoms ~ the ability to tread, float and glide without sinking {a foundation for survival in or out of water}.

An Aquarius, such as our crumb, flows with the seventy-plus percent of water that pumps through her veins.  She can't resist it, and we foster this ongoing tidal wave of energy.  We have set our sights high for waters beyond the community pool...you know, the Mediterranean Sea and so forth.  

But this community pool gig is rad.  Daily access, fun life-guards, and no maintenance on our part...I'm so down with this perk.  Mostly, we are enjoying meeting all the peeps in the town we consider new to us.  There's something about summer and pools, people don't really have anything to hide behind, so I believe it forces them to just be who they really are.  Cheers to swimsuits and petite swimmers!

Happy weekend lovelies!

 [A Kiss by Sir Lawrence Alma-Tadema]

Aiming High ~

I tend to be an overachiever.  

In most instances, this is a good thing, but when you have a list of goals that can fill a journal {or two}, your head begins to spin.  For me, it's not about just checking the items off my list, it's about taking my life {and my little family's lives} to new heights.  This is ridiculous major pressure I put upon myself for even the littlest of dreams...

As I become older wiser, I realize time is fleeting despite my daily pleas for it to stand still. So when the first signs of summer started to shimmer with warmth, I began to step back and focus on the elements of my life that mean the most and deserve to be tended to with gusto.  {Summer tends to always offer a fresh landscape for soul renewal, non?}  Reconnecting with nature, mind, and body versus a constant online connection was the recurring theme ~ discovering a healthy balance.  

So this overachiever is still aiming  high, but I'm taking a more leisure climb up the ladder of life and enjoying every moment as I reach for those shining stars.  

[Reverie-Daydream Image]

Coop Crush ~

I have a major coop crush.  

I cannot stop thinking about these adorable Bantam variety of chickens that have made The French Laundry garden their new home.  It is definitely the equivalent to a five-star resort in the world of chickens....umbrellas for shade, a customized coop with a tres chic blue door, their very own rows of napa cabbage to munch on, and hand-fed snacks of strawberries, carrots, purslane, and more from the chief gardener. 

While admiring our newest neighbors, we had the honor of chatting with their 'land-lord', Thomas Keller.  It was one of those surreal moments for a foodie like me ~ standing in an organic garden, crushing on chickens, and making small talk with one of the most talented chefs in the world.  

Sometimes life is so good you just have to pinch yourself.

[Reverie-Daydream Images]

Simple Little Pleasures ~

 

She likes fresh flowers beside the bed.  

She tells me they make her dreams sweeter.  I believe her.

And for this reason alone, I will continue to fill my great-grandmother's pitcher full of the most fragrant and beautiful blooms I can find because it makes  my crumb smile.  

Simple little pleasures are what life is all about, non?

[Reverie-Daydream Image] 

Wishful Thinking ~ {a guest post by Dustjacket Attic}

Wishful Thinking...

When Mel asked this question I thought of many things, I mean the sky is the limit.

But something I really wish I was better at, is being in the moment, seeing with clear and present eyes and appreciating the here and now. We are always looking ahead and thinking a whole bunch of things at once, so it's easy to miss the beauty of now.

Our life is short really when you think about it. I cannot get over how each year goes faster than the last...kind of scares me a little, I often say to my sisters "before we know it, we will be old ladies" (I'm hoping I'll be a stylish old lady though...he he). 

So I wish to make each moment count ... drink it in and really appreciate it. 

xxxDJ

Dustjacket Attic is a fashionista's dream world.  I'm not exactly sure how she does it, but DJ posts incredibly gorgeous images daily {sometimes twice}, and each stunning model draped in fabulous fashion set amongst jaw-dropping backgrounds leaves you breathless {and plotting to step-up your wardrobe}.  I'm not surprised by DJ's perfect wish...if I ask nicely, perhaps she will let me ride on its wings because life is worth living fully every. single. second.

  

[image via here]

Bees ~

 

"It is the peculiar nature of the world to go on spinning

no matter what sort of heartbreak is happening."

~ Sue Monk Kidd

This past weekend, we had a little documentary fest at our abode.  One of the  viewings was of Vanishing Of The Bees.  Eye, heart, and mind opening in every way.  Damn us humans for messing up nature's perfect harmony.  Newsflash, in case you didn't know it, BEES are essential to life.  They are vanishing because of pesticides.  I've always been enamored with these buzzing little beauties, but now it's time to BEE the change we need to be in this world to help keep these vital lifelines strong and happy.  

Watch this film and you will agree.  

DIRT! and Ayurveda, art of being were the other two films we enjoyed and highly recommend.  Important stuff that feeds good knowledge to your mind {and soul}.

[Reverie-Daydream Images]