ARCHITECTURAL ELEMENTS: WOOD

Interiors (and exteriors for that matter) are warmed with wood features - whether it be a residential wood façade or an undulating mass of wood that begins to form the volume of a space. Get inspired!

Wood can create both rhythm and movement in a space.

(via arup)

A wood strand deck is striking against turquoise waters. This is the Paratay house located in Paratay, Brazil.

(via the contemporist)

Twelve West: A 2009 IIDA/Metropolis Smart Environments Awards winner. A project from ZGF Architects located in Portland, Oregon.

(via Metropolis)

Bar House Located in Colorado

(via Peter L. Gluck & Partners)

Alvar Aalto's (for Artek) Lounge Chair created for Tuberculosis Patients features Bent Laminated Birch and Solid Birch. The seat is bent plywood available in Black or White. The chair's angle allows for easier breathing allowing the patient to sit in the chair for longer periods of time. 

A Wood Sliced Walkway ... Inherently Organic ... Also organic in its random design.

(via Re-Nest)

Tree Trunk Garden House ... Again using the circular motif on two sides of the exterior while utilizing the full trunk of the tree at many locations. Very appropriate considering the application. Wood creates architectural as well as disguises them as we see with the Garden home's windows! Located in the Netherlands, the Garden House is designed by Piet Hein Eek.

(via designboom)

The Sugarloaf Project: Australia. SP features a timeless facade - while also being extremely modern. The wood volume warms up the exterior, creating a visual interest.

(via Abode)

LOVE IS...

A favorite "comic strip" of mine ... My sister introduced me to it. These are all drawings completed by Kim Casali.

APPRECIATING A HUMBLE DISH.

NEVER FEELING LIKE SAYING GOODBYE.

PASSING HER TISSUE PAPERS IF THE FILM IS TOO MOVING.

FORGIVING EVEN IF YOU ARE REALLY ANGRY.

DISCOVERING THE MEANING OF LIFE IN EACHOTHERS EYES.

SOMETIMES CRYING ON YOUR BEST FRIEND'S SHOULDER.

TAKING HER TO THE PLACE YOU LIVED BEFORE MARRYING.

HAPPINESS FOR TWO.

WRITING ON THE MIRROR IN HER BATHROOM.

ACCEPTING TO BE THE GUINEA PIG FOR HER NEW DISHES.

MOST IMPORTANTLY...

WHATEVER YOU MAKE IT.

RED ROCKS THRU MY EYES

A TRUE PHOTOGRAPH NEED NOT BE EXPLAINED, NOR CAN IT BE CONTAINED IN WORDS. - ANSEL ADAMS

MODERN BLOOMS!

Clean, Sophisticated Design, Green Stems Galore...

(via YankoDesigns)

(via Kim Vallee)

(via FSC)

(via Elizabeth)

(via Flickr)

IN 2010 - LET YOUR HEART WIN

Happy New Year!! A Happy, Happy 2010 to you all! 2009 was a good year, but it is time to look forward to all that is 2010. I wish you and yours an amazing year!

My Goals and Intentions for this year...

1) Marry my fiancé, the love of my life and my best friend ... "boyfriend" of 6 years on January 14, 2010.

2) Watch and enjoy a SUNSET at least once a week - thanking God for each day he has given me.

3) Run two or three half marathons and possibly a full marathon!

4) Keep in better touch with my friends and family across the nation.

5) Smile more.

6) Adopt a family during the 2010 Holiday Season and GIVE BACK.

7) Do more yoga on and off the mat; introduce others to the yoga I love so dearly.

8) Make every day mean the most and follow my bliss!!

Do not forget ... It is never too late to begin again. No choice is more able to change your life than the one you make today.

STEAMBOAT SPRINGS - ADVENTURE + RELAXATION

This year, I went on Holiday to Steamboat with my fiancé and his family: his father and mother, sister, and her boyfriend. We were excited to host my fiancé's family this year in our current home state of Colorado. We stayed at the Village at Steamboat for a full week and it was one of the best vacations ever.

Steamboat Springs was already white with snow upon arrival and we got about foot of snow total throughout the week. We hit the mountains (most of us snowboarding, the parents are skiiers) every day except travel days and Christmas... I look a refresher lesson as I hadn't been on the mountain in two years. Did I mention EVERY person who worked on the mountain or in town - they were all so laid back! It was absolutely refreshing.

Snowboarding and skiing the hills made up most of our vacation. We were also lucky enough to go NIGHT TUBING and hit the Strawberry Park HOT Springs. One of our most interesting activities occurred Christmas Eve. We took the gondola to the top of the mountain and from there took a SLEIGH RIDE to our Christmas Eve dinner. Ragnar's Snowcat Sleigh Ride Dinner was unforgettable, delicious, and different from anything else I had done on Christmas Eve!! The sleigh ride gave us fabulous views of the ski town at night and the dinner was awesome! That evening gave us a different taste of the city. The weather was in the negatives but we were in the company of loved ones and warm blankets... This all made the trip worth it!

We also happened to be in town during the Mogul and Aerial Olympic Trials. We attended both events on the mountain - you either had to hike up or snowboard/ski down to get there. It was breathtaking to see these athletes work their magic on the powder. Please visit this link for more information on these events!

How can one say no to a "no worries" Ski Town with miles and miles of Champagne Powder ?! We are so glad we said yes! Don't forget to hit up a hot tub to soothe your muscles after a long day on the slopes!  I will be adding more photos of our trip as I download them. Hope you enjoyed!

A YOGI ONCE SAID

During these crazy days... the holidays - the deadlines - the traveling... I have learned how essential "me" time is. I have found this time in yoga and in running... but moreso in yoga because of the crazy cold weather we are having! These are the times when I am able to reflect on my week and on my life. Yoga brings me to the present as it should, but it also allows me to just let go. It lifts the weight off my shoulders, and I just breathe in the present.

This practice brings clarity and awareness into my life... I follow my breath and weave it into my movement and the world melts away. My gaze is soft and my body is light yet grounded into the earth. I dedicate my practice to whoever I feel needs a prayer or a little faith in their life. I open up my heart and let it shine. As I gaze out I am really gazing into my own being.

Iparsva Bakasana (Side Crow) has become my favorite pose. When I get it - I am balanced to the point where I know everything is just right for a few moments. This balance is not just a literal form. This balance I am speaking of is "balancing life". Seek out balance in your life - whether it is through yoga or some other form... You will learn that anything is possible! Yoga uplifts me from this crazy depression I fall into during these cold winter days. If you experience this when things start to get dreary and chilly, you probably know what I mean.

I leave my practice out into the cold weather and my heart is warm and I am glowing. The snow can fall. The freezing wind may blow...but my heart is warm and I am glowing.