And still I dream...

I dream of being far, far away from here. I dream of peace. And quiet. A stillness that lasts, stretching on for days. I dream of hearts and dear faces that light up over cups of coffee. I dream of time to myself. To do with as I please. I dream of a place of my own, a little nest I call The Bird House. I'll make one big meal on Sunday and eat it for days. By myself. Possibly in tube socks. I'll be able to pick up a book, snuggle in, and actually finish it. And then maybe after a good long nap, or a string of ten or twenty, my fingers will start to itch with stories... with characters that have been so wretchedly shooed to the back burner for the time being. And I'll have time to weave their tales together and take pride in the work I care about most. And I'll be free. Free to do what I want, when I want, how I want, with whoever  want. Free as a bird. Planning trips to France, popping champagne with friends, laughing with family, reading, writing, running, humming, and I'll be me again. And I hope I'll always be grateful and I hope I'll always show it and be quick to love when it's not easy and quick to help when things get hard. And I'm hoping and willing and dreaming it comes sooner rather than later. I know adversity is a good thing in the end. I get that this is essential and temporary. But man, oh man, I'm dreaming of better days. Days that seem so impossibly out of reach. And still I dream...

"Keep your head up, keep your heart strong." - Ben Howard

What's On My Nightstand

• Rifle Paper Company Notebook. I've been eyeing the botanical trio ever since I saw them online and lo and behold they popped up at my local Target. Splurge! No questions asked. I've just polished off another Moleskine and while I was a bit hesitant to switch it up after all these years, I'm absolutely loving it.
• The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry by Rachel Joyce. My dear friend Anna recommended this to me. And friends, when Anna suggests something, I count it as gold. So I didn't wait for my tiny library branch to get it. I just bought it. One chapter in and... I don't know if she's psychic or if we just rubbed off each other a lot back when we were living under the same roof in Edinburgh, but this is exactly the kind of read I need right now. 
• Crêpe Suzette OPI Nail Polish. Confession: I'm not actually wearing this right now. I just hope I get around to it this week. Because it looks like fall and I simply can't get enough of that.
• Mini Eiffel Tower. Snagged this trinket from my grandma (I think) way back and... I'm just France-asizing... *le sigh*
• Shells. Random, but I happened to empty out a purse the other day...
• Southern Ground Music & Food Festival Lineup. My little sister and I met up in Charleston for this this past weekend and it was amaaaaaaazing!!! Not just because it was my first weekend off since starting work here at the beginning of August, but because my sister's such fun, the food was incredible, and the music was stomp-tastic. The Wood Brothers and The Head and the Heart blew me away and gave me chills, but Zac Brown, the man himself, left me slack-jawed. So I'm just gonna leave this here and reminisce... 

And while I'm reminiscing, I might as well tell you I've had Zac Brown on a constant loop ever since I left. Just trying not to focus on themes like love, family, friends, and simplicity rather than getting overwhelmed by ALL THE THINGS awaiting me when I got back. "Jolene" is the song I'm playing into the ground, though, so we'll call it this week's lullaby.

What's on your nightstand these days?

Sweet dreams, moonbeams!

P.S. I promise- hold me to it, now- to post something other than my nightstand this week! Heavens to Betsy! This blog is accidentally monotonous!

What's On My Nightstand

• Apple Ale candle. This scent is maybe a little too sweet, but in small doses, a little too sweet is pretty nice.
• Swiss Miss Hot Chocolate. I used the no sugar added kind and then sprinkled the whipped cream with a little cayenne pepper. It's lazy meets Chocolat! *shrug*
• Mini pumpkin. Thanks, Mommy Moo! Come back and visit soon! Side note: I. LOVE. PUMPKINS.
• EOS Blueberry Acai Lip Balm. Yet another surprise from my mom. So sweet. Blueberries for Sal was one of my favorite books as a kid, so blueberries are kind of my thing. So thoughtful!
• Shall We Dance. Folks, I've been looking for this movie everywhere. Everywhere. For two years. Lo and behold my local Barnes & Noble just happened to be selling classics at half price this week! Fate!!! I first saw it on TCM last night and discovered it to be the source of classics like "Let's Call the Whole Thing Off" and "They Can't Take That Away From Me." The story has all the old Hollywood black-and-white charm you might expect, but "They Can't Take That Away From Me" makes the movie. It's why I bought it. Honestly. When Fred Astaire stands behind Ginger Rogers on the docks in New York City and sings, "The way you haunt my dreams. No, no, they can't take that away from me," and she just stops... and then when her eyes well up with tears and you know she's in love with him after he croons, "The way you've changed my liiiiife!" OH MY GOSH! *hands over heart* It's just one of my favorite movie scenes EVER! Also, I want to be Ginger Rogers. Just had to be said.

Well, of course, now that I've gone on and on about it, it should come as no surprise that this week's lullaby is Fred Astaire's timeless "They Can't Take That Away From Me." I've always loved this song (I have no less than eight different versions in my music library), especially Sinatra's (and I loooooove Sinatra), but this one takes the cake. Knowing the love story behind it, hearing Fred Astaire's voice just warms my heart like a good cup of lazy man's Chocolat hot chocolate.

Sweet dreams, moonbeams!

What's On My Nightstand

• Petit Écolier. When I eat these, I'm sitting at Mme Chauchat's dining room table. I need to be at her dining room table.
• Lady Grey Tea. Been drinking this with a splash of milk and sugar like my teacup is bottomless.
• Secondhand Lions. I need about a thousand comfort movies this week. This one's been a family favorite for ages, but I never had my own copy till I saw this peeking out of the $5 bin this weekend. Just the most endearing story there ever was or ever could be.
• My latest painting. I did this little canvas over at Ali's on Sunday. For an hour, I just got to switch my brain off... and it was glorious. This is the kingdom in a story she and I have been working on for years. So I was escaping in more ways than one! I'll do a closeup soon!
• Mexican Pumpkin Candle. When my sister Katy told me these were buy one get one at World Market this week, I was out the door immediately. Looks and smells like fall! Isn't the tin wonderful? 
• Letters from friends. With 'Happy Autumn!' written on the envelope? The loveliest!

And with that, I'm tucking in with this week's lullaby, "Know Me Well" by Roo Panes.

Sweet dreams, moonbeams!