The Majesty of the Sea

I love the ocean best when it's cold and the beaches are barren.  I like how my boots sink into the sand and the way the wind rips through my hair, making it a salty, knotty mess.  The crash of the waves seem louder, too, when they don't have to compete with the noise of bathers, as do the eery calls of the gulls hovering above, riding the wind like surfers do the water.  Just as Maria runs to the hills when her heart is lonely, I escape to the ocean.  I want to feel small, know my problems are but a drop of water in the greatness of the sea.

Photos taken near Rye, UK in late October.  The model is my beautiful mother. 

Tuesday With Moi

Tuesday, November 13

Oh man, Rebecca.  I couldn't put it down!  I'd stayed up until 2:00 the previous evening and, as soon as I awoke in the morning, I picked it right up and continued on.
She's worse than a coke dealer, that Daphne Du Maurier! 

Though I knew I should put a bookmark in and get on with my day, I stayed in bed with my coffee and my book until almost 11:00.

At which point I went into my newly finished studio and started to get on with some work.

Prepare yourself for many snippets of my studio space.  I'm quite pleased with how the room has turned out and I'm overjoyed to finally have my own place to work.  My things are organized, my mind is clear, and my heart is happy!

Everything has a place again.

I cannot stop smiling! 

Though I have yet to find a place for this beautiful Jonathan Singer Sargent mirror.... I have a few ideas as to where I'll put it.  

New shoes seem to be a theme lately.  These Minnetonka Moccasins were a lovely birthday gift from one of my oldest and dearest friends, Christa.  I pad around the flat in them every day.  Until the warmer months come once again, they shall be my house slippers.  Very Minnesotan of me, don't you think?

Had a snack and realized how dark it was getting.

I miss the daylight so much this time of year.  

Another shelf scene from the studio.

I gave David the 'together' card around the time we got married in March.

It's by Yellow Owl Workshop and I really love it.  I love all their work, actually. 

Throughout the day, I took little reading breaks and eventually finished Rebecca (naughty of me, I know).  Next on my list is this book, Paper: An Elegy by Ian Sansom. 

This is the beginning of my inspiration wall in the studio.

These are things I like.  I can't wait to see how it grows.

Instead of a chair, I opted to use a fitness ball in the studio to help my posture.

So far, I'm quite pleased with the decision.

Finally, my favorite time of day: Wine Time!  

We've lately been enjoying this fairtrade, organic, blah blah blah Running Duck Shiraz.

It's a great price, easy to drink, and is sulfite free which means, like italian table wine, it doesn't get you drunk or leave you with a hang over.  We like that. 

SO SAPPY.

Deal with it.

David got a haircut yesterday.  He looks so handsome with his hair short.

Finally, time for bed.  This is how Le Chat says goodnight.  

All in all, a productive and comfortable Tuesday around Cox Quarters.

As always, thanks for reading.

xox

An Autumn Walk

Autumn is almost over.  A few leaves cling to the branches still, but before long they'll reach long and naked toward the sky and the wind will blow with a hallow whistle.  With the wind will come the cold and the winter will be dark and damp and will chill us to the bone.  Or that's what David says, anyway.

As always, I am sad to see the leaves change color and the autumn pass.  I don't know how I will like the English winter, but thoughts of sweaters and hot mint tea warm my mind and make me feel comfortable in spite of the forthcoming cold.  For now, anyway.

Along with the leaves, I saw this, too, on my walk yesterday.  I pass it often when I go into town and it always makes me happy.  The logo- I like it.  A lot.

H by Hudson: A Love Story

Back in college, I foolishly made the mistake of [somehow] mentioning that a new pair of shoes can truly change one's life during an in-class discussion on Madame Bovary.  A little hyperbolic?  Yes.  Off-topic?  Probably.  True?  Absolutely!  Nonetheless, my professor never let me live it down.  "How could anyone believe that shoes could inspire such a great change in someone's life?" he wondered.  Simple: When you're wearing great shoes you feel great, and when you feel great, great things are more likely to happen to you.  It's the truth.  Honest.  

Whilst touring through the ancient seaside town of Rye, I came across a terrific boutique called Bird.  What lured me into Bird was the fact that, upon a previous visit to Rye, a pair of fantastic leather lace-ups had been on display in the window and caught my eye.  Unfortunately, the store was closed at the time seeing as it was late in the evening but the image of those shoes stayed with me.  Thankfully, upon my second visit, Bird was open for business.  The shop is wonderfully curated and sells the loveliest clothes and accessories.  Everything from Jonathan Adler candles to cozy knits made my heart go pitter-patter with joy and then, and then, I laid eyes on these boots and within an instant was deeply and tragically in love.  

The boots are by a London-based company called Hudson.  They're simple, well made, and, after a damp and lengthy walk through London, prove to be incredibly comfortable, too.  Plus, they're totally changing my life.  Promise. 

Gettin' My Groove On

Last week, on Halloween, my parents took us to an intimate Colin Vearncombe concert at St. Pancras Old Church.  If you don't know who Colin Vearncombe is, let me enlighten you: he is an artist who is often referred to by his former stage name, Black.  If you still don't know who he is (and you won't, trust), he had a couple hits in the early 90s but his success was mostly in the UK and Europe.  Anyway, my parents are big fans of his.  His music is the music of my childhood and listening to it brings me right back to laying on our living room carpet, wearing a giant yellow plaid dress from The Children's Place (with a matching headband, mind you), listening to Everything's Coming Up Roses and literally imagining the world around me in bloom.  It was pretty trippy for being eight, but sometimes music makes you trip out.  You know? 

Anyway, Mr. Vearncombe had a lovely young woman named Liz Lawrence open for him.  She was genuine and sang nice songs.  I liked her voice and, from her overgrown bangs down to the tips of her Converse, she was pretty much adorable. Check her out.

And this, friends, is why I don't take pictures at concerts:

In other music news, I've been listening to Solange's Losing You on repeat for the last 12 hours.  More specifically, I've been watching it on repeat.  Her style is fantastic, the video is fantastic, it is all fantastic- especially her hair.  Her hair is fantastic to the extreme.  I cannot get enough. 

What are you listening to these days, dear reader?   Is there anything out there that you just can't get enough of?  I'm always looking for something new to groove to, especially now that my studio is almost complete (eeeeek!) and I need something to help me power through the creative-blocks that present themselves when I'm getting work done.  Alone.  In my studio! 

:)

@ Oxford

We spent a cold and rainy afternoon in Oxford last week.  While David ducked into a meeting, my parents and I visited some of the colleges.  The campuses were intimate, layered with tradition, and gorgeous.  It must be so delightfully surreal to go to school there; I'd have to wake every morning and pinch myself. 

The sun sets quickly these days and as the shadows grew, we found warmth from the cold in one of the city's many pubs, crowded with students and heavy with the smell of beer and cider.  While the city has a strong creative vibe and forward momentum, which is undoubtedly largely attributed to the number of young people that temporarily call the city home, there's also a palpably deep admiration for the customs of the past.  It's a good place, Oxford, and I'm looking forward to visiting again.