Bopril

Ridiculously Adorable. Watch this on Repeat.

Wherein I Express Gratitude and Inundate You With Lovely Reads

I love writing this blog. It's at times therapeutic, stress-relieving, fun, stressful (for those times when I'm entirely uninspired) and a great way to file away our memories, write down our stories, share our footprint with a world beyond our immediate circle. I typically give no thought to actual readers, because I think of this site as mostly being read by immediate family and a handful of close friends.

Imagine my surprise---and DELIGHT---to discover that the lovely Jen of State of Jen bestowed praise on Bopril in the form of an award recognition. I smiled from ear to ear when I read her post, and if you don't know her blog, you should head over there immediately and give it a good, long read. Her posts are honest and heart-felt, and knowing her as I do from work, they are very indicative of her in-real-life compassion, diligence, and intellect. So, first and foremost, THANK YOU, Jenn. I am truly humbled and beyond thrilled. :)

And now, the official rules:

1. Thank and link back to the person who awarded you this award.
2. Share seven things about yourself.
3. Award 15 recently discovered great bloggers.
4. Contact the bloggers and tell them about the award!

Having soundly accomplished the first, here is my best attempt at the second item on the to-do list:

1. I am less than two weeks away from my first trip to Italy, and I am over-the-moon excited. There will be much documentation in word and in photo, so stay tuned.
2. My empathy for and obsession with animals is truly spectacular. At times, the force of it surprises even me. Dogs in particular are a huge part of my world, and my fur babies are an endless source of joy. I will always have fur children. ALWAYS.
3. I adore the study of and adventure to explore style---whether fashion or home decor, I'm enthralled. I don't always strike the right tones, but I never tire of trying.
4. I'm a life-long reader, and at some point in my childhood I taught myself to speed read. Getting lost in a delicious novel is still one of my greatest pleasures.
5. Photography grabbed me by the heart a few years ago, and refuses to let go. I love exploring all the ways you can make an image in your head come to life on the screen. Next up, an actual photography course to back up the obsession with a little technique.
6. I am an introvert with extroverted tendencies and habits. Or perhaps the exact inverse of this. I am always struggling to determine which.
7. Family is of critical importance to me---the center of my life---and I'm blessed to have a large, full immediate and extended family, including the best Husband in the world (no question).

Wow, it's not easy to come up with seven things about yourself, or should I say to edit down to only seven! It's the tip of the iceberg, clearly, but hopefully gives at least a glimpse into what makes me tick.

As for bloggers, I've said many times that my reader is constantly on the verge of exploding, and some of my very favorite blogs certainly don't need recognition from me (but you should click those links anyway, because they're fabulous) and not all of these are "new" (I've been reading blogs for awhile now, and I'm constantly adding more to the list), but here's a list of 15 to check out when you can (I should also note that I am leaving out Household Affairs and La La Land, because Jenn already covered them, but they are spectacular and I enjoy reading both of them very much):

1. Down Emery Lane --- my fabulous girlfriend who is expecting her second little one this summer, and who is creative and lovely and ten million kinds of wonderful.
2. The Greatest Marathon --- Robin's sister, who beautifully chronicles her journey to find her beautiful son Beck, and who is now embarking on the journey again. I can't wait to follow along as this lovely family finds the perfect sibling for little Bek.
3. Cityretreat --- a lovely documentation of a colleague's adorable kids and adventures in Mommy-hood. As a bonus, she sometimes also shares fun recipes, running and gardening tips and photos. And of course, she doesn't leave her fur-baby, Stella, out of the mix which always makes me happy.
4. Nothing But Bonfires --- I don't know Holly directly, but I'd certainly like to! She's long been a huge blog crush, and her wit and English charm jump through every single post. I especially love the poignant documentation of her six-month trek through Southeast Asia with her then boyfriend (now husband) Sean. It's beautiful and makes me want to grab my backpack and head out to see the world.
5. Camels and Chocolate --- her life is one grand adventure after another, and following along is pure joy. The life-like photos are reason enough to stalk this blog. It's gorgeous, and you feel like you're right alongside her as she journeys to lands foreign and familiar.
6. Whoorl --- another much adored from afar blog crush. Her hair is amazing, any product I've purchased at her recommendation has become an instant favorite, and seriously---have you seen more gorgeous kids anywhere?!
7. Foodmomiac --- I love everything about Danielle, from her fierce haircut to her insightful posts on everything from social media to travel to fitness to cooking. Oh, and her kids are stunning too. This must be some sort of theme among my most beloved bloggers? :)
8. Keep the Ball Rolling --- a beautifully curated collection of interesting, intellectual, inspiring, yummy finds. MC is fabulous, and contributes many new gems to my ever growing collection of must-read sites.
9. Cupcakes and  Cashmere---everything about this blog is delicious. It's inspirational and lovely and a great way to start any day.
10. Sweet Salty --- hands down, one of my all-time favorite writers. Kate's story isn't always sunshine and roses, but she tells it in the most stunning, honest, kick-you-in-the-gut way and when my reader shows that she's updated, I can't click over and devour her words fast enough.
11. Hyperbole and a Half---this one needs no recognition from me either, but I can't help but include it. It's genius, and you'll laugh out loud as you read every post.
12. A Cup of Jo --- dreamy, lovely things, the best finds on the internet, and always plenty of inspiration.
13. Shutter Sisters --- a lovely community of women photographers at varying levels of expertise. All they need is a love of pictures, and they pair them with even lovelier words.
14. To My Wife --- this is a recent discovery, and I'm in love with it. A single guy writes witty little notes to his someday wife, and so far they've made me laugh out loud, cry, and think---sometimes all at once.
15. A Girl and a Boy --- this one is fairly recent for me, and I adore the way she makes a story out of any mundane detail of her day. Anyone can write about show-stopping events, but when you can turn your every day normal into a must-read, talent has officially found you. She's also perhaps the best grammar ninja I've ever encountered.

I think I've perhaps bent the rules somewhat in that I don't personally know all of these bloggers, but I'm still thrilled to share them here, and I hope that at least some of them will be inspiring new finds for you. It's literally the slightest sampling of amazing talent in the limitless blogosphere, and you can get lost in their archives and click to new finds via their blog-rolls for hours on end (I may or may not know this from personal experience). 

That was fun. Thanks again, Jenn, for the nod and the opportunity to pay it forward and shine the spotlight on amazing stories out there, all just waiting to be read (by you. and you, and you, and you).

Technostress! (The One About the Disappearing Blog)

It appears that a mix-up with the auto-renewal of this site's URL resulted in a period of time when ye old blog disappeared entirely.

Thanks, Mom, for alerting me right away (and to everyone else who emailed or tweeted)!

After a few hours of head scratching and consulting with the folks at Go Daddy, we appear to be back in business. And that makes us happy around here.

So, if you attempted to visit and got a rude error message, humblest apologies. And here are a few cute fur babe pictures, just because you're awesome, and just because they're also thrilled that Bopril didn't disappear into the cyber ether permanently.

Pummelled

Lately, I am pretty obsessed with video. I've been fooling around, looking for platforms, trying to bring photos and video footage to life in a compelling and fun way.

I started out with the goal of showing our 2010 year in review in photos compiled as video, but as you know from last week's post, I didn't quite succeed.

However, it is never too late for such a thing, right? Enter the oh so awesome Pummelvision, and voila---here you go---2010 in photos, stop-motion style so at times, it is almost as though you're watching video.

I sense a new obsession.

 

How Far Can I Go?

I stumbled upon this today, and was immediately struck by a few thoughts:

1. What the hell are they doing? It looks truly insane.
2. The scenery, and perhaps more importantly, the interpretation of the scenery as shot by these women, is stunning. Literally, it takes your breath away.
3. Each of these women share the same positive energy and beautiful spirit. It radiates right through their smiles, and it is inspiring. It makes me want to be their friend. It makes me want to find something that instills that level of passion in my own days.
4. I cannot understand their words, and yet I know exactly what they're saying.
5. These are seriously rad, bad-ass chicks. And I love rad, bad-ass chicks.
6. I really need to learn how to work iMovie or a similar platform and get more into video. It's a platform that really moves me, and I think it should move you too!

Take five minutes on this lovely Friday and get inspired---if not to balance across a flimsy rope between two cliffs---then just to find something in your own world that puts a smile this genuine, this affecting, on your face. I think to share that kind of energy with the world is the best gift we can give to one another---and to ourselves. 

Send it sistah ! from sébastien montaz-rosset on Vimeo.

Indeed!

At last, a rally I can get behind. Who's with me? And Jon Stewart? You're a genius. And I think I love you.

The Daily Show With Jon Stewart	Mon - Thurs 11p / 10c
Rally to Restore Sanity
www.thedailyshow.com
Daily Show Full Episodes Political Humor Tea Party

Storyblogs

I read a lot of blogs. My feed reader is always overflowing, and I spend countless hours lost in the words and lives and stories of others.

I laugh, I cry, I nod in agreement, I shake my head in opposition -- but mostly, I just appreciate the forum, the dialog -- the community.

The blogosphere has done amazing things in the last few years -- there have been scandals and controversy, sure -- but with any new thing, especially if it is great -- that is to be expected. At the end of the day though, when you know where to look -- you will find amongst the clever URL's and fancy web design and catchy titles -- mind-blowing talent, heartbreaking stories, uplifting and life changing experience -- all in a simple click - click - click.

I'm thinking tonight of one in particular -- I've been following this story for well over a year now and I'm constantly amazed at the sheer strength of this man -- his will to go on and his beautiful quest to make a life for his daughter in the wake of unspeakable tragedy.

Read this. It will rock your world and blow your mind, just as it did for me. Just as it has done time and again -- post after post, all these months. 

Happy birthday, sweet Madeline -- and happy Love Thursday, one and all. Grab your loved ones and squeeze tight tonight, won't you?

Don't Want to Miss A Thing

I have always loved this song and I'm certainly digging their fun interpretation of the lyrics. These two make me want to pick up an instrument and just learn to play the hell out of it.

Pomplamoose strikes again, and I'm so happy they did:

To Haiti, With Love (and prayer)

Today, I was anxious. Almost the entire day. My thoughts were harried and inconsistent, my stomach tied in knots. I don't really know why. As always, there is a lot going on at work and various different things to manage, but I didn't feel overly stressed. I can't put my finger on precisely what it is - I just felt...anxious.

In the past few hours, I have caught up with the many new stories, blog posts, tweets, video footage and heartbreaking images that are pouring out of Haiti. And suddenly, nothing else matters. Not my anxiety. Not the silly little things that amount to stress in my daily life. Not anything, really. Perspective is hitting me on the head with the force of a hammer and I realize, once again, how blessed I truly am.

Tonight, more than anything, I wish I was one of those special souls who is able to come up with a brilliant way to offer hope in the face of such devastation and disaster.

For now, I will pray and donate and keep my eyes and ears open as additional needs are uncovered over the coming days and weeks. And I will point you to this post with a roundup of current ways you can lend a hand, if you're so inclined.

I wish I could do more. The men, women and children of Haiti are heavy in my heart tonight.

Weekendings

Last week was - well - just ugly. Long nights, anxiety, the works. So when Friday rolled around, I was beyond ready. I'm always more than willing to embrace a weekend, but this one in particular? Could not have arrived any sooner. It also got me thinking. It is dangerous when that happens.

I thought about stress and the physical, emotional and psychological havoc it can wreak. I thought about my dental woes over the last year and how much of it was attributed to stress. I thought of my ongoing battle to maintain a consistent level of fitness and how I'm always blaming my "lack of time" and "crazy schedule" for my failure to do just that. And then I thought of my family - my amazing Hubby and his never ending patience with my stress and meltdowns and dramatic declarations that I just. can't. do. this. anymore. And then I thought of my little fur-babes and how I often rush out the door in the mornings with just a mere glance in their direction and a hurried "bye boys - see you tonight, love you" shouted in their direction. And then I thought - very randomly and inexplicably - of my friend Chris and the tragedy of his loss - way too soon. I thought of his family and the millions of other families just like them. Families that would probably give just about anything to be able to deal with some of the stress I'm constantly allowing to control me. And then, Internet - I thought simply this: enough.

And I went about enjoying a fabulous fall weekend with the little family that makes my heart so full.

It went a little something like this:

The boys and I enjoyed a little mini Friday afternoon dance party (as is becoming our ritual) in our living room while we waited for Hubby to battle Friday traffic and rain to get home. Then it was date night and we spent it laughing our asses off at Vince Vaughan and Jason Bateman. Seriously, I'll watch anything with those 2 in it. Check out Couples Retreat if you get a chance - it has plenty of light hearted fun and breath taking scenery.

Woke up early on Saturday morning as I'm apt to do - left the boys and Hubby snuggled beneath the blanket and realized we were going to have to give in and kick on the heat. Our thermostat read 59 degrees - brrr!! I spent some time browsing the Interwebs and catching up with good reads and then, because I'm crazy, I started another blog. Don't worry - this one will still remain as is - the new spot is really about photography. And sharing images in real time with a new technology that blows my mind with its awesomeness.

Hubby and I tackled our closets - mine is now fully ready for fall and winter and is organized by color which brings me endless pleasure (nerd alert). We also cleared out a few garbage bags full of clothing for Goodwill and did not shove it into a corner or closet for a month before taking it to their offices. Yay us!

We wrapped things up with some time on the treadmill and a lovely Saturday night indoors after grabbing dinner at our new Whole Foods - aka The Coolest Place On Earth. No seriously - you should be really jealous. You drink wine. While You Shop. Please re-read that sentence. Thank you. I immediately told Twitter all about it, of course.

Sunday's biggest news...? Someone went to the groomer. And did NOT get kicked out. It is nothing short of a miracle - this is our 6th city groomer and finally, we had a successful experience. Naturally, he is cuter than ever:

Hubby and I also enjoyed lunch at a favorite spot and a brisk walk through our 'hood before grocery shopping (yep, at the coolest. place. on. earth. AGAIN) and a Yoga class that kicked our asses in the best way.

Next weekend, the boys and I are on our own and I think we'll finally grab our large pumpkin for the deck, look at costumes for Bow-Wow-Ween and maybe...just maybe...I'll try my hand at these gorgeous little devils from PDub:

Don't they look heavenly?

And you?