Everyday Contrast

I always love how these marigolds look against the darkness of night!

Compromises in OCD

DIY instructions here.

Healthometer

The plants in the house are turning out to be a good gauge of my own mental health.  I am inclined to be introspective in the backyard and find myself tending to the plants while I'm there, so when the plants don't look good I know that I haven't been taking enough time for myself.  It's not looking good for either of us at the moment.  Luckily I've had a bit of time to recover this weekend.  Hopefully over the next week the plants and I will make a full recovery.

Procrastination

It wasn't supposed to be this easy.

 

**************************************************************************

The sexiness of this song doesn't go with this post, but the tension of the music sure does. And the idea is the same...what has playing it "safe" gotten me?  (BTW, the song only repeats twice ;)

**************************************************************************

Bitter Sweet - Dirty Laundry from nigani on Vimeo.



P.S. If you haven't noticed, I'm in a strange place today!  It's been a weird weekend.

Grant Writing

Here's hoping a little playful creativity inspires professional creativity!  I'm not feeling overly inspired.

P.S.  I debated about the glare in this photo.  In the end, I decided I liked the effect it had on the paint.  That brush stroke is actually a deep purple!

It's All Relative

Perspective is a big deal.  Depending on your frame of reference being close to another can feel spacious and inviting or smothering. 

Night

Things always seem bigger and more ominous at night. 

Neglected...

...and abandoned; left to crack, peel, and rust.  But, with a little attention and polish we can see the potential in the cracks and the strength and vibrancy underneath.

Beauty in the Bramble

Personal growth is very similar to yard work for me.  The work that still needs to be done is so palpable you can see clearly all the places where you can and will get hurt or where things could go wrong.  Once you've taken a break it's really hard to pick up your momentum again.  Then one day you notice a glimmer of something lovely to be found in the work you have left to do.  

 Maybe feeling pain is better than feeling nothing?  Maybe feeling it all at once is better than never feeling any of it?

Stages of Life

Peeling off old layers, signs of new paint and development.  Hopefully that paint spill isn't a sign that your work isn't being done carefully and thoughtfully.

Wisdom?

The strength to peel off the artificial top layer of paint we've added to hide our true selves from the word, the courage to rust away the parts of us that are no longer necessary, and the knowledge to maintain the parts of us that hold our strength and integrity.  I strive for this.

Lonely

Always Looking

Hope can be found everywhere you look.. as long as you're looking.  :)

Uncomfortable Juxtaposition

Life is about perspective and what we choose to focus on.  Should we focus on the crooked drawer or all the beauty surrounding it?  I love the uncomfortableness of this picture while you have to decide where to focus.