"a beautiful, writerly home."

"I had created a beautiful, writerly home, full of paper and books..." 

- Anne Lamott, Real Simple, December 2013

I am a bad blogger.

You see, I have not yet posted one, single, solitary photo from our October 2012 honeymoon. I have drafted posts, yes. I have edited photos, yes. I have hemmed & I have definitely hawed. But something never felt quite right. 

Until today. 

But let's go back to a couple weeks ago, first. On a plane from Atlanta, Georgia, to Monroe, Louisiana, I sat nestled in my tiny chair, reading the December 2013 issue of Real Simple magazine. And when I read the quote above, by Anne Lamott, I stopped in my tracks, fished my highlighter out of my carry on, & proceeded to revel in this quote's majesty. It's a simple sentiment, I know, but one that I hope to be able to speak aloud one day, in regard to our own home. And though I was anxious to share this quote with you all, I had to wait, because I wanted a photo to accompany the quote, & I'm sure any bloggers out there will be able to relate. 

The photos you see above were taken in a filled-to-the-brim, books-scattered-all-over-the-floor bookshop in Portland, Maine. I still remember it like it was yesterday, which is lucky, since as I said, I have made practically no moves to document this trip as of yet. It was very chilly as we walked the quaint downtown, which actually has one of those flat buildings that New York City has [in which the Starbucks is located, no less], & we spied a book shop, the name of which is escaping me at the moment, & we went in. And as we made our way through the mountains upon mountains of books, one at the top of the pile in a back corner caught my eye.

It was The White Castle of Louisiana, by M. R. Ailenroc. A book written by one of the daughters of John Hampden Randolph, the man who built Nottoway Plantation. The very place we had just gotten married the week before. 

I couldn't believe what I was seeing. How had this book even gotten here? The only place I had ever seen it sold was the Nottoway gift shop. And now, many, many miles away - in Maine, for goodness sake - we happen to stumble upon a copy of this Louisiana born-and-bred book, written by someone who lived in the very house where we just got married? 

My mother bought this book on one of our many trips to Nottoway, & unless I'm remembering incorrectly, it was in the year 1997. I have since stolen this copy from her, always intending to read it [though I still haven't just yet]. Despite this fact, I quickly snatched that copy up in the Portland book shop, holding it close to my heart, exclaiming to Justin that I couldn't believe the treasure we had found. That book now sits on a bookshelf in our house, waiting to be read. Its presence is a reminder to me that nothing is done without meaning, that happy mistakes like that aren't random - there is a thread holding all of our lives together, breathing in purpose, familiarity, goodness, & truth.

a tiny piece of advice.

choose to forget about the past & move forward. 

this is your chance to live the best life you can. 

sidda just loves books.

I don't widely advertise the existence of my Tumblr*, mainly because I use it only to catalogue Instagram photos. Why do I need to catalogue Instagram photos, you ask? Because doesn't Instagram do that for you? Well, I suppose I do it just for the sake of having a Tumblr. Back in 2010, when Tumblr was the thing, I used to go on there & re-blog what I called inspiration photos. However, after Pinterest got going & the issue of proper sourcing came up, I ditched that form of blogging & hung tight with creating my own content, so I would know I was sourcing properly.

Now that we've gotten that little spiel out of the way,  I can get to the point of today's Blog Every Day In May prompt: a favorite quote. 

I mentioned my Tumblr page, because my Tumblr page happens to house one of my all-time favorite quotes in its header:

Sidda can't help herself. She just loves books. Loves the way they feel, the way they smell, loves the black letters marching across the white pages...

The quote comes from one of my all-time favorite books - Little Altars Everywhere - by one of my all-time favorite authors - Rebecca Wells.

And while you're reading this, you might be noticing some things. Like, for instance, that my blog is called siddathornton... & my Tumblr is called siddalee. And that the character in the quote is named Sidda. Obviously, these aren't mere coincidences. 

A couple of weeks ago, I was asked by a couple of my blog friends, why my blog is called siddathornton, & I felt that this was as appropriate a time as any - considering my sharing of this particular quote - to explain. And the explanation is simple, really: I am in complete & utter love with Rebecca Wells' books that focus on the relationship between Vivi & Sidda. Thus, when faced - years ago - with the problem of creating a Twitter handle I was certain no one would be able to decode as myself**, I quickly - almost subconsciously - typed out the word siddathornton. Sidda, for Siddalee, my favorite character in Wells' books; and Thornton, the Louisiana town where the story takes place.

And that's that. If you haven't read Wells' books, I suggest you give them a try. They aren't for everyone, as they do tend to be a little dark, but you may just find yourself falling into the sisterhood, devouring each of the little black letters, marching across the white pages.

*well, i guess now i do
**that went out the window a long time ago

 

a little piece of elliott smith.

justin & i were watching the texas a&m/alabama game while i was making this graphic. justin said, 'doesn't blue mean sad? why would you want to paint tomorrow sad?' it's funny, because i've always thought of 'paint tomorrow blue' as signifying hope, or beauty. kind of like painting a fresh canvas for the next day. but i can't ignore justin's question, because it makes sense. elliott smith is one of my all-time favorite artists, & he had a very tumultuous life. maybe he was painting tomorrow sad. are you an elliott fan? what do you think he meant?

photo: cross lake in shreveport, louisiana \ iphone

quote: from in the lost & found [honky bach] \ elliott smith

to begin the week.

 

an enlightening thursday thought.

but then the fog lifts & you remember every little wonderful thing that you had forgotten.

photo: my beloved veggie roll from tokyo \ instagram

weekend finds.

mondays tend to be a little bit difficult. 

saying goodbye to the weekend, trekking back to work, 

& a whole new slew of responsibilities & plans. 

but maybe just a little bit of inspiration 

will help you out of the back-to-the-grind funk...

- youtube beauty guru [emilynoel83] is one of the most informative makeup & beauty enthusiasts i've ever come across. she is informative, entertaining, and extremely knowledgable. 


- i am in love with the bridesmaids' necklaces from [this wedding]. perhaps providing inspiration for my girls on the big day? the hunt now begins...

- i came across a quote i really enjoyed while reading the [may real simple] the other day: 

"other people have windows overlooking a cityscape, the mountains, or the water, but the crab-apple tree is the 'view' we see from our bedroom window, the ever changing vista that my husband and i watch as we drink coffee in bed on the mornings when we have a little extra time." - francine prose


- justin bought me a [nook color] on saturday night! my excitement has been unrelenting. after i finish my paper copy of fifty shades darker, i will christen my nook with the final installment of the series, fifty shades freed. i have already begun reading dracula on my lovely e-reader - it's a book i've always wanted to read.

- the new editing capabilities on [photobucket] have kept my attention for the past few days; i feel they'll soon become an integral part of my blogging experience. plus, it's just plain fun!

- justin found an interesting article on [why law school is still worth it]. an interesting read.

- only recently have i discovered that some of my material has been [pinned on pinterest]. i wish you could have seen the massive grin that spread across my face upon this discovery.

here's to a productive week!

a quote that really takes me back.

quote: rascal flatts

photo: iphone

make something.

so often, i find myself in a state of limbo.

wanting to do something,

thinking of doing something,

dreaming of doing something.

but, almost just as often, i stop myself.

worrying about the tiniest of details.

worrying that what i create,

what i write,

what i try...

won't be perfect.

so, then what happens?

nothing is created.

nothing is written.

nothing is tried.

and, i find: 

that state of limbo is worse

than failure.

so, this is a project i challenge myself with:

create.

write.

try.

without fear.

a quote.