kaleidoscope

{via pinterest}

all the colors

of the rainbow

hidden 'neath my skin

::

hearts have colors

don't we all know?

red runs through our veins

::

feel the fire burning up

inspire me with blood

of blue and green

::

i have hope

inside is not a heart

but a kaleidoscope
::
{kaleidoscope heart // sara barielles}

this song has been the soundtrack to my soul since the moment it first passed from my Pandora station into my ears. 

it stuck with me, as things have been doing lately. is it the hormones? is this my soul's version of nesting, perhaps? is my spiritual self starting to line the nest with the softest and most beautiful of things to prepare for what is to come in a mere 13 weeks, if even that long? 

it's certainly become a kaleidoscope pathway for me, as though the granite blocks have suddenly been fitted with some sort of intricate scroll-work that i never noticed before, and all i want to do is stop and study every detail. 

this summer is captivating me. it just started, four days into June and i'm feeling like exploding into peony petals and white picket fences. i want to spend every single day possible barefoot in the grass and dancing down the creek despite my ever-growing belly.

and so i removed the design that i've had for almost a year now, and i made it new. i tweaked and changed and made it fit the changing me. the sacred feminine inside me that i've squished for so long, but am now allowed to peak out of the crevices.

it's become a kaleidoscope of His story, of His breath mixed with the light to swirl and create something ever beautiful and ever changing.

it's sacredness, and it's mine to inhale.

:: deep breath in ::

Reflétant

Did you ever stop to think, and forget to start again?  ~Winnie the Pooh

Tonight, I am taking the time to think.

I'm not sure what it is about tonight that is causing my mind to become lost in thought.

Perhaps it is the fact that the sky is finally calm...after almost three days of storm-churned clouds and pounding rain.

Or that I had my second dose of the final Harry Potter movie tonight, and was reminded yet again just how much my heart belongs in the stone corridors of Hogwarts.

Maybe it was the taste of the entire pack of strawberry Twizzlers I slowly nibbled through this evening until the wrapper was empty and the fruity taste of the only member of the licorice family that I enjoy lingered gently on my lips.

Might it have been the growing list of questions that have begun to collect on my blog...brimming with untouched inspiration, awaiting  my answers in the coming days?

Perhaps it was the way I spent my day...curled on the couch in the company of three other women whom I greatly admire, laughing and weeping and learning together amid plates of summer salads and fresh-cut fruit.

Whatever the cause, my mind is lost in itself tonight.

I'm not even sure what I'm thinking about, to be honest.

I'm simply overflowing with the beauty of life.

My thoughts dazzle me, as though the stars had melted with my dreams, calling me to waltz with them tonight.

There is much to be said for the beauty speaking...

...but there is much unsaid for the elegance of secret thoughts.

And then, when the Empress ran aground / And my eyes turned blue and green, / I heard a gorgeous sound, / And that's when it became a dream / When the sky fell in, / When the hurricanes came for me, / I could finally crash again, / And that's how I became the sea. ~Owl City, How I Became the Sea

Inspire

Creativity is allowing yourself to make mistakes.  Art is knowing which ones to keep.  ~Scott Adams


One thing that I get asked more than anything is how I get so much inspiration...how it seems like I have an endless pot of artistry, and it flows from me in a copious amount.


I will be honest...I really have no such thing.


I run out of inspiration on a regular basis. I start posts constantly that never find their way to being published onto the blog. 


I try to write pen-to-paper, or rather, fingers-to-keys...not letting my overly-analytical brain to get in the way of my dreamer's heart.


But, to my own deep regret, I turn my nose up at my own work and allow it to sit without ever seeing the light of day. 


There are so many things that inspire me, though...so many things that move my fingers to dart a new path across the keys. 

• Summer days, complete with lemonade and fresh-picked orchard fruit
• Those people in my life who love me, comfort me, and reassure me...who bless me beyond compare. 
• Rainy afternoons, the chorus of raindrops beating against the windowpane, the percussion of thunder acting as the perfect accompaniment. 
• The melodic streams of Owl City and Imogene Heap flowing out from my rolled-down car window into the humid summertime air. 
• The sweetest scents of vanilla, white jasmine, and lilac...the kiss of fresh-baked chocolate chip cookies and cinnamony peach cobbler...the natural scents of damp soil and blossoming tea roses. 
• The words from my favorite book...reminders that there is more to life than facts and numbers...parchment letters from Hogwarts, back-of-wardrobe fancies that may just lead me to my long-chased Narnian home, and the floral gardens of Jane Austen romance.

These things are my bliss...rich and sweet, strong and deep

These are my inspiration...full of light, rich with power.  

These are the gifts of my loving King...the soft whisper of my Savior reminding me that He cares for me closely.

This world is hard and strange and can feel, oh, so empty. 

But there are gifts here. 

There is love here. 

There is glory here. 

There is inspiration here. 

Art is a collaboration between God and the artist, and the less the artist does the better.  ~André Gide

Yearner

Yearn–verb (used without object)

1.to have an earnest or strong desire; longing

2.to feel tenderness; be moved or attracted

I rarely follow Facebook status trends. 

I'm one of those people who posts Owl City song lyrics, random thoughts that interest me, my blog posts... miscellaneous things of that nature.

I don't generally follow the stream of "re-postings."

But today, I saw a fill-this-in status that I just couldn't resist passing along to my friends. It was something along the lines of picking one word that best described me using the third letter of your first name.

Cheesy? Cliche? 


Yes, perhaps...


...but it was worth it, for reasons you will soon understand. 

Friends posted words such as "blogger" and "elegant"...even some complimentary words that I would blush to post in my own praise. 

But the answer I got from my mother, Joyce, inspired me more than anything. 

The word she chose for me was "yearner." 

They say that your mother knows you better than any other person in the world. 

In this case, I would have to agree with whomever "they" are...which I do have yet to figure out.

My mother knows that, ever since I was a little girl, I have been a yearner...

...filled with passion for everything I undertake, hitting everything head-on and never letting go until I see my dreams through...

...a heart flooded with love and tenderness for others, one that breaks when people hurt or when I am the cause of their pain...unwilling to let go until their tears dry and their hearts begin to mend, regardless of the detriment to myself. 

 

This can be to my benefit...but it can also result in my own heartache. 

It's part of who I am, really. 

I hold on tightly, and I never let go. 

I love as hard as I can, and I refuse to let anyone suffer alone. 

Yes, my mama does know me best...

...because I am indeed a yearner.  

I thank my God in all my remembrance of you, always offering prayer with joy in my every prayer for you all, in view of your participation in the gospel from the first day until now. For I am confident of this very thing, that He who began a good work in you will perfect it until the day of Christ Jesus. ~Philippians 1:3-6

Squeezed

Cooking is like love. It should be entered into with abandon or not at all.  ~Harriet Van Horne


My entire kitchen smells like summer. 

That may have something to do with the fact that I spent almost two hours slicing, squeezing, and juicing 88 fresh key limes halves...

...resulting in one cup of fragrant, pale yellow-green juice. 

The final result should be two tart key lime pies, drizzled with a homemade sweet raspberry syrup, and topped with a fluffy mound of hand-beaten vanilla whipped cream...

...and maybe even some raspberry meringues with the left-over egg whites if I get extra ambitious.  

At least, that is the goal. 

We will have to see how things actually turn out when tomorrow comes...rest assured that a far-more detailed post will be written when the pies are completed 

This entire citrus-y adventure was inspired by Olivia at Of Horsefeathers and her key lime pie recipe. (You can read her post here and even watch her play-by-play video here.) 

Also, it doesn't hurt that key lime pie is one of my favorite summertime treats of all time. 

But as I stood at my kitchen counter, fingers busily draining every last drop of juice from the sparkling emerald fruits, I could not help but think about myself as a lime.

My key lime juicing set up.
Photo by DramaticElegance

I can be just a bit sour. Sharp. Almost intolerable at times.

It takes the hand of God on my heart, squeezing and pressing out all the goodness, tossing all the bitterness into the garbage, even turning me inside out and cleaning out every last bit of vileness from the inside...

...combining me with His pure love, the sweetness of His mercy, and a gentle spirit straight from His kingdom. 

It takes pain sometimes. Hardship. Even the heat of fire. 

But in the end, I will come forth...

...squeezed.

...beautiful.

...sweet. 

"And I will put this third into the fire, and refine them as one refines silver, and test them as gold is tested. They will call upon my name, and I will answer them. I will say, ‘They are my people’; and they will say, ‘The Lord is my God.’” ~ Zechariah 13:9


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Fresh

A table, a chair, a bowl of fruit and a violin; what else does a man need to be happy? ~Albert Einstein 


Turning me loose in a grocery store in midsummer is dangerous. 


The bushels, baskets, and various bins filled to the brim with fresh fruit is almost enough to send me into a whirl of delight. 


There is something about the kiss of fresh fruit juice against my tongue, flowing down my throat in a rush of fluid sweetness, that is just the epitome of summertime refreshment. 


Can you imagine a world without the tart sweetness of kiwis and raspberries...


...the acidic refreshment of pineapples and oranges...


...the pure lusciousness of cherries and strawberries...


...the overflowing juiciness of peaches and mangoes...


...what kind of world would this be to live in without the tantalizing refreshment of fruit?


So much joy can be found in wandering through the fragrant orchards, groves, and berry patches of spring and summertime...wicker basket in hand, surrounded by luscious freshness waiting to be picked.  


The gifts from Heaven are abundant in nature -- love and affection from friends, summery breezes and the softness of grass between my toes...the list goes on and on. 


But fruit?


This is a gift that was once our downfall and is now our delight. 


The shame that was brought on mankind by a sinful bite will be renewed in the Garden of the Lord. 


Fruit is more than a summertime pleasure.


It is a reminder of things to come in the Heavenly realms.


And this increases its delight tenfold. 


"Then the angel showed me the river of the water of life, as clear as crystal, flowing from the throne of God and of the Lamb down the middle of the great street of the city. On each side of the river stood the tree of life, bearing twelve crops of fruit, yielding its fruit every month. And the leaves of the tree are for the healing of the nations. No longer will there be any curse..." ~Revelation 22:1-3

Fleurs et du Thé (Flowers and Tea)

Flowers are the sweetest things God ever made, and forgot to put a soul into.  ~Henry Ward Beecher


The attributes of summer are endless.


I've probably written ten posts so far just on the glories of summertime, and each little wonder just waiting to be uncovered with each fluttering breeze...


...each one more hypnotizing and more beautiful than the next. 


Fireflies and fresh air...sunsets and dust motes captures in rays of brilliant sunlight...cotton sundresses and bare feet...Jane Austen novels and the tartness of lemonade...all set to the tune of Regina Spektor and Owl City.


Can it get any better than this?


Oh yes, I truly think so.


I honestly believe that any of these beautiful attributes of summer can be amplified with a steaming mug of tea and a wandering stroll through a floral-scented garden.


There is magic found in the bottom of a mug of tea. 


There is whispers of fairy dust and early morning mystery found in dew drops clinging to daisy petals. 


Whether it's curled up in a soft leather chair in a local coffee shop, Harry Potter between my fingertips and a flower tucked behind my ear...


...or standing in the middle of a wide open field, soft grass between my toes and a straw hat hanging down my back, my hair long and loose in the wind and a blanket spread and waiting beneath a maple tree...


...it's that fragrance of tea and rose petals that lingers...


...and that turns even the most commonplace of locations into a summertime fairyland. 

tea leaves

                                                                                                  tea loves

loves tea

lives tea

leaves tea?

never.

~Uniek Swain

Présent (The First Giveaway)

Item No. 1

Life is a great big canvas, and you should throw all the paint on it you can. ~Danny Kaye

THIS GIVEAWAY IS NOW CLOSED. 
To enter the August giveaway, go here.

The day has arrived.

The day to begin the first Inspired Monthly Giveaway.

Yes, technically, the plan was to wait until July1st to begin. However, as of yesterday morning, I hit 100 followers, and I simply got far too excited to wait another moment.

And so...here goes.

Our first fabulous giveaway is courtesy of the lovely Holly at Five Little Gems. 


Holly has generously donated three of her AMAZING pieces to this giveaway, and I could not be more delighted with her work. Her entire shop is flooded with stunningly beautiful necklaces, earrings, hair combs, wire work, and more. 


I can honestly say that I have the faintest twinges of envy for those who will be receiving her beautiful artistry through this giveaway...if only I could win... 

Item No. 2

The items to be won are shown in order throughout the post, and here they are: 

Item No. 1: Burgundy pearl bar necklace with antiqued gold

Item No. 2. Denim blue jade faded nugget bar necklace

Item No. 3: Pink crystal and grey pearl earrings

Here is how to enter in this giveaway (each entry number counts as +1, and each one must be left in a separate comment)!

Entry No. 1 (required entry): Comment on this post with your favorite lovely "simple" things that you enjoy in the spring and summer months. What little joys make you smile, the things that would normally be overlooked in daily life?

Entry No. 2 (required entry): Follow/be already following the blog, and post my BLOG button (not my 100 posts button!) somewhere on your blog.

Entry No. 3: Tweet/blog/both about the giveaway, and either leave the link to the post or your Twitter username in your comment.

Item No. 3 

Entry No. 4: Go to Holly's shop and pick a favorite item from her listings. Be sure to tell me what it is about that item that draws you in. Also, follow Holly on Twitter (hollynichols1) and add Five Little Gems  to your favorite shops, if you have an Etsy.  

There are three items to be won, and as such, three winners will be randomly chosen (using www. random.org) on July 31st. Winners will have 48 hours to contact me, or a new winner for each "abandoned" item will be chosen. 

I am incredibly excited, overwhelmed, overjoyed, and blessed by this entire process...I really hope that you are, too!

It's the simple things, the little things that illuminate my heart with joy. 

I cannot wait to see

that same joy

in you.

To live remains an art which everyone must learn, and which no one can teach.  ~Havelock Ellis  

Las Gotas de Lluvia (Drops of Rain)

Don't you fret, M'sieur Marius / I don't feel any pain / A little fall of rain / Can hardly hurt me now / You're here, that's all I need to know / And you will keep me safe / And you will keep me close / And rain / will make the flowers grow. ~Les Miserables, Little Fall of Rain

It's raining.

Again.

While I can't say that I don't love the soft kiss of rain on my face or on the pattering of moisture on my windowpane...

...I'm starting to be a bit fed up with all this rain.

The weather has been nothing but unusual in this part of the world...raining one moment, beautiful blue sky the next.

I think it's feeling as off-kilter and strange as I myself have felt recently.

One minute, my skies are grey...broken...tears flowing as steady as Midwestern rain.

The next, the clouds break and my soul is flooded with a strange sort of joy, as though the windshield wipers of my heart have been turned on, and my vision clears again.

It's odd, to be sure.

Maybe I should go to Narnia, as I've always planned...

...and ask Aslan to turn me into a nyad or a dryad, one of the tree or water nymphs.

It might be a nice change...

...to weave my hair with rose petals and ivy vines...

...or to wear water droplets like nature's diamonds about my neck...

...to clad myself in a gown of clouds...

...to wander barefoot through the softest grass that merges with my soul.

Perhaps I shouldn't complain about the weather so much.

Maybe I need to just embrace it.

Love it.

Wear it.

Take it into my soul and breathe it into my lungs.

I think I shall leap into puddles,

and make a necklace out of raindrops.

The best kind of rain, of course, is a cozy rain. This is the kind the anonymous medieval poet makes me remember, the rain that falls on a day when you'd just as soon stay in bed a little longer, write letters or read a good book by the fire, take early tea with hot scones and jam and look out the streaked window with complacency. ~Susan Allen Toth