Love is a Wonderful Thing

The Greatest Commandment:

"Of all of the commandments, which is the most important?:

'The most important one' answered Jesus, is this: 'Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your sould and with all your mind and with all your strength.' The second is this: 'Love your neighbor as yourself.' There is no commandment greater than these."

Mark 12:28-31

Watch: A Hospital Comes to Downton

(That picture of Mary is from the first episode, but I just loved it so I'm using it here)

Dare I say last weeks episode was a little to much Downton - I found it hard to follow exactly where we were in time. This week it was much easier to follow. So lets see the highlights. Mr Bates! Couple of the week Anna and Mr. Bates for the win! Oh Branson I can't say that I'm sorry he will not be going off to war or jail, some how I have a feeling that he is going to make it work with Sybil. But the real surprise of the episode for me was Edith. Girl is really coming into her own and becoming almost lovable!

Watch: Moonrise Kingdom

I saw this trailer last night and just had to share it with you. Regardless of what you think of the plots or the crazy characters there is no denying that Wes Anderson creates some amazing worlds. In this trailer I love Suzy's dress and the cute camp tent. What is your favorite Wes Anderson movie?

The year of the kitchen

I think it is well established that I am a fan of the color yellow. And yellow in the kitchen is totally the cream in my coffee so when I received and email from Crate and Barrel with the above image I had a styling crush of the utmost kind. Between the amazing Italian appliances and the bright tea kettle I was sold. I had already declared to myself that 2012 would be The Year of The Kitchen over here at the little mouse house so I figured what better way to kick off my plotting than to share this wonderful bit of inspiration. I'm giving myself the rest of January to pull together ideas and then start the projects in February, I'll be sure to share what is going on each step of the way.

But now I want to know if you have any big house plans for 2012, are you going to repaint, add-on, or start fresh? I'd love to follow your progress so please let me know, there is nothing like DIYing vicariously through the blogs of others! Oh and you know if anyone asks you, yes I'd love that yellow toaster, my birthday is only five months away! If you'd like to see how my kitchen looks right now you can take a quick tour right here.

Clean slate

One of the things I love about putting away the Christmas decoration is all the clear surfaces left behind. Not because I like clean, empty surfaces, but because it is a fresh start to fill up! So this past weekend with all the Christmas things boxed away for another year I took on the major task of filling the top of my massive record player (left behind by the last owner of my house).
I thought some of my milk glass and the green depression glass from my Grandma would make a good combo. I think I was right, but I have something else in mind for the milk glass so on to the next idea.
My second thought was to gather a bunch of elephants from around the house. Believe it or not these aren't even all the elephants that I have. My Grandpa had a great big collection of elephants that resided on his mantel so this gave me a nice nostalgic feeling of glee. Needless to say I really liked this look and tried it a few ways, with all the elephants facing forward.
I also tied this look - but it was a little "elephants on parade".
And finally all mixed around, but I decided that all the elephants together might be to tempting for little hands and because I'd like to keep all my pachyderms I moved on to idea number thee.
In the end I when with this. I pulled out my trusty silver picture frames and a nomadic collection of vintage cameras that move around my house like they are trying to use up frequent flyer miles before the airline goes under. Have you been making any tiny changes around your home for the new year? Do you think I should have gone with the elephants? Do you like nice clean spaces or are you a filler like me?

Watch: Downton is Back!

I'm sure I'm not alone in my joy at the return of one of the best shows on television Downton Abbey. Last week my facebook was full of Downton chat so I thought it might be fun to post about with season's episodes. Episode one was long and I'm still a little unsure of how much time passed over the episode (and the time between the two seasons for that matter), so I thought I'd just throw out a few of my thoughts and beg you to join in on the conversation.

Did you notice how pretty everyone looked, either the actors have been spending some major time on their beauty treatments or they have some kind of make everyone gorgeous filter. And while we are on the topic of how things looked on the show and not on the actual plot, I loved Mary's walking dress and Isobel's chairs and matching curtains. Oh and how hansom is Matthew in his uniform?!? But what was with those horrid flesh colored gloves the ladies were wearing - yuck.

Okay on to the good stuff:

Loved Violet she was just as snappy as ever and in some ways she seems to be handling the changes that the war has brought better than anyone.

Ethel - at first I thought I would hate her, but she is actually kinda sweet and O'Brian's jokes while mean were funny.

Now Vera I actually hate her, end of story I think she is totally going to be the Thomas of this season. And Thomas, man what is going to happen with that guy?

Lots of good stuff with Sybil I think being a nurse will be good for her. I think she will end up marring Branson, don't you?

And while we are on the topic of marriage I can't even start to talk about Anna and Bates so up setting.

Well and talking about up setting topics, I don't know if I can handle another whole season of Mary-Matthew not being on the same page. I mean come on they are so in lurve.

It is getting late, but I wanted to say that Edith almost had me this episode, I think I liked her better than I ever did in the first season. Then she had to go and kiss that farmer, that girl really can't pick 'em can she?

So did anyone else watch last night (or online months ago)? What did you like? What did you hate? Do you think Matthew and Lavinia will actually say "I do"? Will William make it home from war? Will Daisy fall in love with him? Do you have a tiny bit of a crush on Mr. Carson? I know I do!

I heart Michigan and the Winter Blues

image

I've started at least half a dozen posts this week, posts about resolutions and goals, posts about the good the bad and the ugly of 2011, posts about hope and about being down, all fine, all true and all posts that will never see the light of day. The last few weeks I've had a hard time putting my thoughts in words and as a result I haven't had much to say here, in the one part of my life that is all words. Winter is here and it has made a little down and like hibernating for the next 3 to 4 months. So my first goal of the year is going to be to do something that makes me happy every day in an attempt to fight off those winter blues. Today I'm thinking about how much I love Michigan and listening to this song over and over and over (now tell me that doesn't lift your spirits, just a little bit)!

P.S. isn't that print the cutest? I gifted one to my Brother and Sister In-Law for Christmas, along with this TX (my SIL home state) one.