Thoughts For The Day

I'm overwhelmed.

Work too much.

Need some time to relax.

That being said...

I'm taking a blogation for a little while.

I miss you all and am reading, just not posting.

Hope everyone is doing well!

Blessings,

Nora

In The Future...

This will be a reality.

We will look back and be thankful for struggles.

What doesn't kill us, makes us stronger.

Blessings,

Nora

image via weheartit

Realness

image via weheartit

You don't always have to pretend to be strong,

There's no need to prove all the time that

Everything is going well

You shouldn't be concerned about

What other people are thinking,

Cry if you need to,

It's good to cry out all your tears

Because only then

Will you be able to smile again

Blessings,

Nora

Long Road

That my friends is a picture of cookies baking in MY oven.

I finally got an oven yesterday after 2 1/2 months without.

I can not wait to use it more.

What should I make for dinner?

Blessings,

Nora

Dream A Dream

I have dreams of peace

Peace not of this world

A life filled with happiness and contentment

Knowing that the battles are not mine to fight

They have already been won

Dreams of a world where it's okay to say "no"

Dreams of a life where others

opinions and thoughts don't matter

Where we all realize deep down in our souls

that we are PERFECTLY and WONDERFULLY made

*What are your dreams?*

Blessings,

Nora

image weheartit

Where The Heart Is

I read this article in the newspaper today about my hometown so I thought I would share it with you. I love my little Edmonds.

Do It In A Day

Spend a cozy, homey day in Edmonds

(Article from NWWeekend Lynn Thompson)

When I was growing up there circa 1960, Edmonds was a quintessential American small town. within about three blocks we had a bakery, a variety store, a soda fountain, a hardware store and the Princess movie theater, where a Saturday double bill cost 10 cents. One of the great pleasures of returning as an adult is how many of the historic buildings remain and how protective residents are of its now charming and largely intact downtown.




True, this place is a little more upscale than when I was a child. The Buster Brown shoe store where we dispose of our year-old keds and left with stiff new saddle shoes has been replaced by the decidedly chic Mu Shoe boutique on Main street, and dozens of other specialty shops selling everything from custom-designed jewelry to cookware to books to cheese.
Its not uncommon to see groups of women out to breakfast, exchanging gift bags and catching up on the news. Or grown daughters treating their mother to a lunch and then a leisurely poke through the downtown shops, most of them within a block or two of the central city fountain at Fifth Avenue and Main.
And where diversity in Edmonds once meant a choice at the bakery among bear claws, apple strudel or maple bars, the town is now truly a jumping-off point of the world. Native son Rick Steves founded his Europe-focused travel empire here and offers free seminars most Thursdays and Saturdays at his Europe Through the Back Door Travel Center, or in the remodeled Princess, now Edmonds Theatre. A block away, another globe-trotting business, The Savvy Traveler, offers introductions to destinations such as Bali and Bhutan.
Just a 20-minute drive from Seattle, Edmonds may be better known for its summer attractions: vibrant hanging flower baskets, corner gardens and lively Saturday market. But in the gray months, the downtown offers brightly lit shops, engaging merchants, more than a score of places to eat, and the chance to jet off, for an imagined hour or two, to a South Pacific Beach or a warm Parisian cafe.

Here's a timeline for how you could spend a day:
9am
We ate breakfast at Chanterelle, a light filled restaurant with wood wainscoting, high windows and freshly baked pastries. For a lighter breakfast, try Red Twig which also has a variety of fresh pastries, or Walnut Street Coffee Shop, south of downtown, where the local Sisters Baking Company supplies the treats.
10am
At the theater, we sat in on a free Rick Steves seminar on Paris, featuring slides of the grand city in a wintry light, as well as tips on where to stay and what to see.



11:30am
Almost all the shopping is concentrated in a three-block radius of Fifth and Main. Some of the nearby specialty stores include treasures and Teas with more than 150 loose-tea varieties as well as beach-house decor. The Wooden Spoon kitchen shop and the Savvy Traveler, where you'll find luggage, clothes and travel guides not carried at Rick Steves' shop.
Across Fifth Avenue is the inviting Edmonds Bookshop. Owner Mary Kay Sneeringer says she fills the store with titles "you really want to read." The shop also carries hand made journals, greeting cards, and calendars.




12:30pm
Hungry yet? we weren't after our big breakfast, but there are so many good restaurants downtown that it would have been a dereliction of reporterly duty not to have tried at least one place for lunch. We chose Olives Cafe and Wine Bar with a delicious selection of soups, salads, and sandwiches. Other good choices include The Loft with its Mediterranean-influenced plates, Thai Cottage.

1:30pm
Just across the street from Olives is the Edmonds Historical Museum. Housed in a former Carnegie Library, the handsome two-story brick and stucco building will celebrate its centennial next year. The museum has permanent displays of turn-of-the-19th century Edmonds including a Victorian parlor, a kitchen before and after the arrival of electricity, and a room from the once-grand and now demolished Olympic View Hotel.
for a dime, a replica model shingle mill lights up and tells the story of Edmonds' working waterfront around 1910. the docents, mostly retired residents who have lived much of the town's history, preside over the permanent and rotating exhibits with warmth and graciousness. the museum also has walking-tour map of down-town historic buildings and homes.

2:30pm

Time for a snack? Grab some gourmet cheese, salami and crackers from The Resident Cheesemonger, and head five blocks west to the ferry dock or find a picnic table along sunset Avenue, weather permitting.

3:00pm

We happen to love ferry rides across Puget Sound. If you've lucked into a sunny day, depart from the Edmonds ferry dock at the foot of Main Street.

If the weather is cold or socked in and you want to do a little more shopping, or sample some wine, head south again on Fifth Avenue. Arista Wine Cellars, hosts a free wine tasting on Saturdays from 1-4:30pm. Next door is the brightly colored C'est la Vie shop featuring unique clothing, gifts, and accessories. Just beyond these is Bluefish, where local jeweler Barbara McNaughton will redesign old pieces of jewelry or make a custom piece for a special occasion.

4:30pm

If you still don't want to go home, tiny Daphne's next to the Edmonds Theatre, serves wine and snacks until midnight daily. Sort through your purchases, rest your feet, and congratulate yourself that you chose to shop in downtown Edmonds and not one of those crowded malls.

Where do you live?

Blessings,
Nora

On The Prowl

I'm on a mission to find another vanity for my main bathroom.

I don't like any that are actually made to be real vanities so I've been scouring craigslist like crazy.

I found this beauty this morning.

I'm hoping it's still available.

Wish me luck!

Blessings,

Nora