on the eleventh hour of the eleventh day of the eleventh month ...

92 years ago  today the armistice was signed, signaling the end to war on the western front. Today we remember the men & women who have sacrificed everything for freedom & hope. 

In Flanders fields the poppies blow
      Between the crosses, row on row,
   That mark our place; and in the sky
   The larks, still bravely singing, fly
Scarce heard amid the guns below.

We are the Dead. Short days ago
We lived, felt dawn, saw sunset glow,
   Loved and were loved, and now we lie,
         In Flanders fields.

Take up our quarrel with the foe:
To you from failing hands we throw
   The torch; be yours to hold it high.
   If ye break faith with us who die
We shall not sleep, though poppies grow
         In Flanders fields.

                                       - John McCrae, May 3rd 1915

overwhelming pretty ...

This stunning selection of images was put together by the ever fabulous {...a place for twiggs} & being that it was so incredible pretty i wanted to share. 

1. ★ flower, 2. Y a ti, ¿cómo te mira el otoño?, 3. Lo mejor de la vida son sus ilusiones!, 4. Today's word of the day is 'ethereal', 5. Untitled, 6. Ros, 7. Untitled, 8. "Donde hay un sueño, hay un camino" , 9. My dream

ps. mine is the middle picture! 

it's the simple things in life that make us happy ...

doing some major christmas shopping ...

so much cute baby stuff on etsy like this ... & this ... & this ... 

i know it's wrong but i totally want to read this ... 

making tacos for dinner ...

no work tomorrow & spending some time with the girls! 

Mrs Z's Designs ...

So i was asked last minute to help out a friend & photograph some of the gorgeous designs of one Mrs Z. Perfect for well anyone with an ounce of style (i'm a jeans & t-shirt kind girl but as you can see here Nelou my wonderful model is well stunning & has more style in her little finger than i have in my entire body)... & you know Christmas is just round the corner! Anyways back to the fabulous Mrs Z ... she is a fellow military wife & designs & crochets hats, cowls, mittens, tote bags & diaper hats, & the quality is exceptional. To view more of her work you can check out her website or her facebook. 

KSS Maternity ...

So i admit that i have done a little shopping ... now i'm into the 2nd trimester i feel a little more comfortable about the whole being pregnant thing. But with this has come the knowledge that i can no longer comfortable wear my jeans (proof there is a bump but still the female in me was sad at this happening) so to commiserate/celebrate i went & bought myself some super cute shirts from this gorgeous shop on etsy. I am so excited especially being the t-shirt junkie that i am. 

The shirts are designed especially with the bump in mind ... a little extra room all around to allow for your growing body & extra length at the bottom so not only does it cover your belly but it hides the hair band currently being used in place of my jeans button.

I can't wait for my shirts to arrive & i should also say that having conversed with Sarah of KSS Maternity,  she is super wonderful. I had one of my many pregnancy related first time Mum stupid questions & she was helpful & kind & all the rest which is one of those things that makes the shopping experience on etsy that little bit more special. Oh & right now they have an offer going ... buy 4 shirts get 1 free ... it was a no brainer for me. 

around the world with fPOE ... this week it's Ottawa, Ontario, Canada

So i know it's been a few weeks ... everything got a little crazy in my world & in the end i just decided with leave coming up to take a wee break. So whilst i'm back from my travels i figure it's time we head off somewhere new. So far we've checked out the fabulous work of FPoE artists Mary Vican, Mandy Bryant, Elle Moss, Myan Photography & Diane Miller (phew that's a lot of artists) ... across the US to England, back to the US & now we're off to Ottawa, Canada to check out the stunning photography of Caitlin Brookes & The Paper Butterfly. Now i've been known to capture the occasional butterfly picture, & i am learning to love nature more & more but this girl has it down to a fine art. Seriously Caitlin manages to photograph this stunning insects & much of natures finest in a story book, magical, dream like way oh & i adore her name "the paper butterfly". 

Oh & did i mention macro quality of this skill takes not only great skill but an imense patience that shows in her love & portrayal of the subject matter. When I look at Caitlin's work, it's like i'm drawn into this fairy tale world, like Alice when she fell down the hole. A land that so often passes us by since it's so small & inconsequential to our world but here it is the focus of everything fragile & delicate & beautiful. & the tones Caitlin uses in her work simple add to the magical quality of it. Even when she shifts to a black & white the subject matter be it insects, birds, animals flowers or whatever aspect of nature she chooses to focus on keeps that mythical quality. Like we're stepping into her own private land of Narnia. 

From the dragonfly shown in all it's glory ... 

... to tiny buds sitting in rows along a branch ... 

... Nature in Caitlin's hands comes alive. 

As usual all the images you see here are for sale on etsy, but you can also check out her work on her stunning blog & of course her flickr site. 

it's the simple things in life that make us happy ...

my first blog post in what feels like forever ... 

having a wonderful vacation with the family ...

getting my house back after the family leaves ... 

i read this ... & this ... & this ... 

the bump is growing!