"Dear Monday,

Thanks for having the word 'mon' in you. That's French for 'mine', in case you weren't aware, Monday, but it makes me think of you more as 'my day', and frankly, that sounds like a much more promising start to the week."

 –unknown

Thanks to the above quote, I've begun thinking of Mondays as "my day" instead of dwelling on all the unpleasant  tasks the day could contain. Because right now, sprawled on my cowhide rug, listening to the crash of thunder and pitter-patter of rain on the windows, "my day" is the perfect description. 

In addition to thinking of it as my day, most of my Mondays are spent reveling in the afterglow of the weekend.

We went to a May fest downtown, full of art, delicious treats, and people. While gazing up at old skyscrapers, I got a bit nostalgic, wishing for an era I've never known to return. Instead of offices, this part of town must have been copious with people, strolling from shop to shop.

MeMe, along with her ballet class, danced at the festival, the blanket of clouds parting to let the sun stream in as they twirled and leaped. 

Seeing MeMe with her friends, so happy to be dancing together, was heart warming. 

The top of my dresser got a bit of a mini-makeover. Rearranging and cleansing is so good for my soul. It's amazing what something like sweeping the floor and getting rid of unnecessary clutter can do.

The weather was dramatic, heaps of clouds piling on top of each other to form mountain-like shapes. And this weather also caused the devastation in Joplin, Missouri. To think that so many lives were lost in such a short amount of time, the utter chaos and destruction that occurred. I'm praying for everyone involved...I can't even fathom what those dear, sweet people must be going through.

My day indeed. I rather like Mondays now.

How was your day?

-carlotta

Citrus are some of the most beautiful fruits  – each half perfectly divided into sections, so colorful and juicy. Limes, along with lemons, are my favorite, especially in a cold fruity drink in the summer. Delicious. What's your favorite citrus?

The theme for the photo challenge this time is green...above are my entries (I couldn't limit myself to one ;)).

<a href="/www.pastorsgirlsponderings.com/storsgirlsponderings.com/2011/05/photo-challenge-green.html"><img src="http://i.imgur.com/X2tII.jpg" /></a>

Want to join? Just write a post containing a photo of  something green that you've taken, then come back here and link up! Feel free to grab the above button as well  – just make sure that you have some sort of link to me, allowing others to participate as well. One entry per person please  – if you have several photos in your post, please specify which one you are entering.  The challenge will end one week from today, Saturday, May 28th, at 9:59pm CST, and the winner will be chosen shortly afterwards.





Have fun – and don't forget to visit at least three other entries!

-carlotta

Some things, no matter how many times I see or experience them, never fail to bring a smile to my face. Like this video MeMe recorded of Lilly acting as piano teacher while I played the song I composed.

It's been watched over and over and over at our house, but still brings giggles and snorts of laughter each time. And it's moments like these that make me thankful for a video camera to record these candid moments, moments that are hard to capture with a photograph. 

When I spied telltale brown truck with the letters UPS emblazoned in gold, I giddily ran out to meet it. I fairly snatched the package out of the poor man's hands, eagerly ripped it open, and immediately fell in love. New shoes, especially oxfords, make me dreadfully happy.

Classes are done for the year. Finished. Over with. An impromptu dance to Rolling in the Deep ensued, me ecstatically waving my hands in the air. Y'all, summer is becoming a reality. The summer that I am beyond excited for, as I have lots of traveling planned – my favorite. Visiting new places, seeing different things and photographing along the way thrills me.
Now to deal with finals. It's safe to say the weekend will be spent cramming. Eek.

{via}

This illustration makes me wish I could draw. Perfection. It's technically a drawing of a magazine editor, but I'm going to say it's a blogger instead ;) Pinterest, how I love you for introducing me to so many gorgeous things.
(view other lovelies by Inslee on her blog and website)

Fresh flowers brighten any room. All the new life that's blooming makes me so happy, as it translates into sweet smelling blossoms scattered in vases throughout the house.

Thunderstorms late at night – the booming and crashing paired with the drumming of rain on the roof makes me feel so cozy and complacent in my bed. Add a good book to get lost in and it's one of the best things in the world.

I like to write silly things on my hand – if nothing else, it makes others laugh ;)

What has been making you happy this week?

-carlotta

In the midst of editing photographs and putting together posts, it's a question I often ask myself.

What is it about stringing words together with images like colorful beads on a ribbon that appeals to me so? Why do I think about it so often? Why do I blog?

When I clicked "create a blog" so long ago, I had no idea what I was getting myself into, no idea how great an impact blogging would have on my life. As I pondered myriad possibilities that could fit the question of why I blog, it was not easy to narrow it down to one specific thing. After many months sorting and organizing everything in my mind, I sat straight up when I realized what the answer was.

I blog because I am an artist. Not necessarily a paint splattered, beret wearing, brush wielding artist, but an artist whose canvas is a blank screen, whose brushes are keystrokes, and whose palette of paint is instead letters and a camera. As an artist, I blog to share my paintings made of text and photographs, expressing my creative side.

I confess there I times when I question myself, times when I wonder what the heck I'm doing in this world called blogging. There are times when I want to just walk away and quit. There are times when I feel insecure about my work, thinking it's not good enough.

But there are times when I'm so content to be blogging, so happy to do what I do. Despite the insecurities I have, the good always weighs out the bad. Every time I hit "publish post", I know that this is what I ultimately love doing, that being a blogger is the perfect fit for me.

And then there is the blogging community. It contains people like no other, people that I wouldn't have met otherwise.

This is why I blog.

Why do you blog, friend?

-carlotta