i've been inspired recently, by photos, stories, people, places, food, experiences....inspired to do something. i've been in a bit of a rut for a while, wishing for something bigger, something important, something new. it hasn't exactly come yet, but i'm less antsy recently, i think. i'm also catching up on blog and shopping backlog, which is giving me lots of new fashion, decorating and crafting ideas. something will come of it soon, i hope.

i think part of my restlessness is the result of the lack of a real vacation for a while. i've traveled, but none of it would i really call a vacation. if only i had a few more days free this year to take a swift little jaunt over to montreal or paris or mexico city. somewhere i can be anonymous and inspired. i'm tired of america. or probably just jealous and bitter that i couldn't accompany my husband on his recent week-long escape to london.

as two of my very good friends are nearing the end of their pregnancies, i'm finding myself obsessed with baby names and piggy banks. i've recently come up with not one but two baby boy names that i simply adore (after years of discussions and eliminations with the hubb), and i'm hoping they don't get used by anyone close to me before we get around to having children. i'm really into names that begin with vowels. so if you know me, and you're pregnant, and planning on using a boy's name that maybe begins with a vowel, please let me know so i can either exhale a big sigh of relief or grieve now and not after your precious baby boy arrives. because really, naming your child is first come, first served, in my opinion.

speaking of children, our first "child" (our cat, Eva) has been driving us crazy recently by going to whichever end of the house we are NOT in and crying. not just meowing but deep emotional painful to listen to crying. she does this when we're eating dinner, when we're watching tv, and every few nights at 3am when we're trying to sleep. i've found some advice online that tells me to ignore her, that even negative attention is the attention she is trying to get, but it's so hard when she goes on for 20 minutes at 3am. i've been trying to remember to shower her with affection every chance i get, but she reminds me that i neglect her every time i'm out too late or have a dinner party by waking me up with her cries in the middle of the night. i love her to death, but i'm nearing a breaking point here.

hey, today is our one year anniversary of homeownership! yay! we've been responsible homeowners for one full year. despite some flooding, mysterious noises in the walls, a sewage ejector issue and incomplete common areas, it's been great. and i think i might celebrate by painting or wallpapering something...

have a good weekend, friends.