Posts from the ‘Personal’ Category

Mar 17

Around Here: March

We have been enjoying warmer temperatures this month, thankfully! We also hope that spring officially arrives on time this weekend! Below are some items that have occurred around here in March!

-continuing to work steadily on my long-term photography project, and one portion of the deliverable remains to be completed; I have a few more months to go to finally finish this large endeavor!

-still working on a new design for my website, which I hope will be finished later this spring/summer.

-co-hosting, with my Mom, my sister’s baby shower in Ann Arbor, this weekend, at one of our favorite restaurants, Zingerman’s!

-burning spring scented candles in our house!

-opening our windows and letting fresh air into the house for the first time in months!

-enjoying fun date nights with Doug! We went to one of our favorite restaurants in Delaware last weekend!

-enjoying cooking with Doug and trying new dinner recipes. Here are a few of our recent favorites so far this month: chicken tortilla soup and lasagna.

-we are soon going to prep and clean our decks to get ready to use this spring and summer, including getting our windows cleaned!

-putting up our spring door wreaths.

-still enjoying my yoga class!

-enjoying the warmer temperatures with long walks around the neighborhood and dinners together outside!

-getting tickets for Pups in the Park, which we enjoyed for the first time last year!

-enjoying this podcast and this podcast.

-enjoyed this interview.

-I began reading Being Mortal by Atul Gawande — a really good read so far. Also, we heard Atul Gawande speak several times at previous New Yorker Festivals.

-if you haven’t read this book, you should — it is a really good book and it really puts life in perspective.

-watched the first season of Love — a fun television series.

-started the fourth season of House of Cards!

-we’re very excited and looking forward to going to Michigan to meet, hold, and photograph our soon-to-be nephew! We can’t wait to meet him!

-using my Fitbit and I’m hitting 10,000 steps per day most days.

-continuing to make incremental progress on our ever-growing to do list!

Happy Thursday! Have a wonderful weekend!

Mar 7

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For my birthday last summer, Doug had two tapered baguettes added to my engagement ring, in honor of Biscuit and Victory — our first furry family members. Doug originally designed the setting and picked out the stones for my engagement ring, on his own, several years ago, and I love it. (The only other person we have seen have a similar engagement ring, which we somewhat recently discovered, is Princess Mary of Denmark — Doug has elegant taste fit for a princess!) I like to think of my engagement ring representing: our past (left ruby), our present (center diamond), and our future (right ruby).

The top ring comprises small diamonds from Doug’s Grandma Rose’s wedding ring, and we added similarly sized rubys to this channel setting to coordinate with the engagement ring. Doug’s Mom was thoughtful to give us some of the stones from Grandma Rose’s wedding ring; and we had the ring made soon after. Grandma Rose was a very special lady and we miss her dearly — she was a very wise and strong woman. She was a large part of Doug’s life and she was also a very positive influence in Doug’s life. I am happy to have known Grandma Rose. Family rings are really neat, as you are always able to carry that special person with you, which you can continue to pass down to future generations.

Adding a stone(s) to a favorite piece of jewelry is a unique way to honor a family member and/or furry family member!

Happy Monday!

Mar 4

Characteristics: Interesting People

Food for thought: “Interesting people do things. They share what they know, what they’re curious about and what they worry about. They have interests and hobbies and causes and places and people they care about. ” Check out this interesting article by Jessica Hagy.

After reviewing the list below, I have to agree, that the most interesting people I know and admire, possess most of these characteristics!

Happy Friday! Have a great and interesting weekend!

The above image is courtesy of Jessica Hagy.

Feb 26

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Fun Gifts with Messages

I love quotes, sayings, and mantras. In fact, quotes are shown all over our house! I can’t live without them! I somewhat recently discovered mantras and saying on jewelry. I discovered Mantra Bands through a friend at the end of last year; and I discovered Dogeared a little over a year ago. These pieces are made in the USA and they make wonderful gifts for friends and family.

Mantra Bands are bracelets with uplifting mantras, which make great gifts. A few of my favorite mantra’s, including my word for the year, ‘present,’ are shown below.

Links: Be Present; Follow Your Bliss; Live in the Moment; Faith Hope Love; Brave; Fearless; Everything Happens for a Reason; Forever Family; and Never Give Up.

Dogeared is a line of jewelry that contains different types of jewelry pieces that are simple and versatile. Each piece tells a story of individuality, self-expression, love, and friendship. A few of my favorite necklaces are shown below.

Links: I am Brave; I am Fearless; Love Knot; Circle; Pearls of Happiness; Good Karma; Sisters; Happy Tails; In Dogs we Trust; Healing Gem; Going Places; and I Have Angels.

Happy Friday! We hope that you have a lovely weekend. We are in store for some sun and warmer temperatures, that we hope to take advantage of with our freshly bathed fur girl, Victory!

Feb 19

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Around Here: February

Well, winter is truly here. We have had quite a bit snow, and it has been cold here, but it will be a warm weekend reaching near 60 degrees! Below are some items that have occurred around here in February!

-continuing to work steadily on my long-term photography project, and one portion of the deliverable remains to be completed; hopefully, I have a couple more months to go to finally finish!

-working on a new design for my website, which I hope will be finished later this spring/summer.

-my Mom and I have finished planning the final details for my sister’s baby shower next month!

-we are working on the final details of Victory’s portrait, which will be Audrey Hepburn inspired, to be painted this year, similar to Biscuit’s painting where they will hang side by side in our home!

-working on a color spot — one for Biscuit and one for Victory to hang in our home.

-we have planned our vacations for this year, and they will all, of course, include our fur girl, Victory! She is getting to be a well-traveled little sheltie! We are doing our vacations a little different this year than in past years. We are spending them with each of our families and taking a few shorter trips on our own. This year we are headed to Keeneland located in Lexington, Kentucky; Lake Michigan; Atlanta; and Charleston! And, for one of our trips, there will be three Ergos! It will be so much fun!

-burning candles in the house!

-enjoying date nights with Doug!

-enjoying a fun Valentine’s Day with my loves!

-enjoying cooking with Doug and trying new dinner recipes. Here are a few of our recent favorites so far this month: Louisiana Chicken Pasta and Chicken Di Pana.

-still enjoying my yoga class!

-I began reading When Breath Becomes Air by Paul Kalanithi — a really good read.

-watched the first and second seasons of Mozart in the Jungle — a good television series.

-started the second season of Better Call Saul — a good television series.

-excited and looking forward to going to Michigan to meet, hold, and photograph our soon-to-be nephew in several weeks! We can’t wait to spoil him!

-using my new Fitbit and I’m hitting 10,000 steps per day most days.

-continuing to make more progress on our ever-growing to do list!

Happy Friday! Have a wonderful weekend! We are hosting a dinner over the weekend, and it should be fun! We also will take our fur girl, Victory, for some outings to take advantage of this warmer weather as it has been quite cold here. Victory will also get a much needed bath this weekend, and thankfully it will be warm!

Feb 12

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Happy Valentine’s Day – Doug and Victory!

Happy Valentine’s Day to my two loves — you both make my life so much sweeter! (Biscuit is never forgotten and he will always be our first fur love).

We cannot believe that it is our third Valentine’s Day with little Victory, and for Doug and I it is our twelfth Valentine’s Day together! Where has the time gone! I can still vividly remember our first Valentine’s Day together. I have every Valentine’s Day card (and every other card) Doug has given me; and on our first Valentine’s Day, we gave each other the same card unbeknownst to each other, a good omen!

For Valentine’s Day, Victory is getting some fun valentine themed chew toys, and a couple of small bowls for her snacks/treats! We are excited for spring to come, in a little over a month, and we hope that it comes early, as we are in a deep freeze here! Doug and I are celebrating Valentine’s Day this weekend by going to dinner at one of our favorite restaurants in D.C. and then we will spend the evening together with our fur girl, Victory, likely watching a Netflix/Amazon marathon! My loves, Doug and Victory, are shown below!

Happy Valentine’s Day to all! I hope that you have a lovely long weekend!

“Keep love in your heart. A life without it is like a sunless garden when the flowers are dead.” –Oscar Wilde

Feb 10

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Good Read: Inspirational Books

I thought that I would share some inspirational books!

Savor: Living Abundantly Where You Are, As You Are by Shauna Niequist: Savor contains 365 daily readings, plus there are great recipes included throughout the book. Each daily reading is short and poignant, and designed to help you pause in your day, to consider your everyday life, to slow down, and notice the beauty right where you are. Each reading ends with a question or statement to ponder throughout your day. Below is an excerpt from this book.

“I want to arrive. I want to get to wherever I’m going and stay there. That’s why I used to be such a ferocious planner of my life. But I’ve learned to just keep moving, keep walking, keep taking teeny tiny steps. In those teeny tiny steps and moments I become who I am. We don’t arrive. But we can become. And that’s the most hopeful thing I can think of. In the passing moments of our lives, in the small steps we take, we are shaped into who we are becoming. What small steps have you taken recently? How have they shaped you? Who are you becoming?” –Shauna Niequist

Brave Enough by Cheryl Strayed: I love quotes, and this book is a collection of quotes and nuggets of advice and inspirational wisdom. This book makes a great gift for women. Below is one of my favorite quotes.

“The thing about rising is we have to continue upward; the thing about going beyond is we have to keep going.” — Cheryl Strayed

Outrageous Openness: Let the Divine Take the Lead by Tosha Silver: This book is about opening up to life, intuition, and divine guidance. Each chapter contains pearls of playful wisdom. Silver urges one to be open and provides examples of what happens when we practice from that place. This book focuses on putting one’s faith in the divine/Universe/God/life to bring us what we need, while bringing an attitude of curiosity, acceptance, and generosity towards ourselves and others.

A Year Without Fear by Tama Kieves: I first read this book, a collection of daily inspirational wisdom, last year, and I am rereading this book again this year. Each day’s reading provides inspiration. Below is one of my favorite quotes.

“Trust each moment to take you where you need to go. You won’t always have the same feelings or thoughts or perspective. One day you wake up and new opportunities become available. Opportunities are like a carousel ride with colorful horses that sail around and around. When it’s your time, you’ll see your horse. You’ll jump and fly through the air like a natural. You’re always a natural in the right time. Today I remember that in the right time, I’ll see my opportunity.” –Tama Kieves

Feb 8

Finding the Time…

“How do you find the time?” is a questions that I get asked I have been working away for three and a half years on my long-term photography project that is really important to me. I think the simplest answer to this question is that if you want something badly enough, you somehow find the time, and you find the time in the most unlikely places. There are many people who do not finish projects, let alone a long-term project that requires, a lot of work, effort, perseverance, and patience. Below are some ways to find more time to devote to a creative endeavor with our limited and constant 24 hours per day.

1. Stay Organized: Staying organized is key. The more organized you are, the more you are able to foresee space to carve out on your schedule and dedicate time to a project ahead of time. It is helpful to keep a running list of items you want to accomplish.

2. Identify your Most Productive Time: Everyone has a time of day where they are most productive and alert. Figure out what this time is for you, as it is best to carve out time during these optimal times and leverage these times accordingly. The mornings are my most productive times, and I utilize these times, and wake up earlier to utilize this time.

3. Set Aside Time: The more you are able to set aside time on your calendar and treat it like an important appointment, the less likely you are to waste this time.

4. Prioritize: Instead of watching television or surfing the web, social media, apps, etc., use this time to get constructive work completed. It is amazing how much time is needlessly wasted engaging in these activities, when this time could be used for more productive creative projects.

5. Avoid Interruptions: While you are working on your project/creative endeavor, to help maintain your focus, turn your phone off; turn your email off; and turn social media off to prevent distractions so that you are able to solely focus your attention on your project. It is amazing how small interruptions easily get you track from the task at hand.

6. Say “No.”: It is really easy to take on more work and commitments; and then you find that the time that you have carved out for your project is gone. It is best to not take on anymore commitments than necessary in order to guard and protect your creative work time.

Happy creating!

Feb 3

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Four Year Blogiversary!

Today is the four-year Blogiversary of www.biscuitsspace.com in conjunction with my photography website. It is really difficult to believe that four years have already passed by so quickly! The blog has, fortunately, come a ways since I started the blog four years ago! My favorite part about the blog is the header, featuring Biscuit and Victory!

If it were not for our beloved Biscuit, I am not sure I would have ever started blogging and I know that I would not have started my long-term photography project, for which Biscuit and Victory are my inspiration. Biscuit was such a blessing and gift to us. Biscuit permanently changed our lives in so many ways and Biscuit sent us our precious little rescue sheltie, Victory, who we adore and love, shown below! And, coincidentally, Victory is as old as the blog!

Thank you for reading this blog for however long or short you have been visiting! I truly enjoy creating content for the blog to share with all of you, and I hope that you continue to enjoy visiting and reading the blog!

Thank you so very much! xoxo

Feb 1

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2016 Happiness Jar

This post is a little late this year. However, starting at the beginning of 2014, I decided to make and keep a happiness jar throughout 2014. In 2015, I kept a larger happiness jar, which I filled up during 2015, pictured below, which I sifted through after the Holidays. It is nice to have the ability to reflect upon the past year through tiny pieces and snippets of paper.

This year, I bought an even larger mason jar for my happiness jar in 2016, shown below. At the beginning of January this year, I started to write down at least one happy/grateful sentiment/moment at the end of each day and place it in my new jar in order to create and cultivate a way to remember snippets from each day and to foster more gratitude this year. It is easy and it only takes a few minutes each day, and there is no simpler or less demanding spiritual practice. I highly recommend this practice. I am also still using my wish ball!

Happy Monday!