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 We took some time to walk around after our architecture tour and visit this war memorial. Once you step inside, you see that the pillars are etched with names and letters from people that have died in WWI-present day. It's a really powerful experience.

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This was taken inside the library that was designed by I.M. Pei. The idea was to design with clean, simple lines and bring the outside in with large panes of glass. It's beautiful when you're standing inside looking out. If you choose to visit (it's a really nice road trip) take the architecture tour.

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When you think of cities with interesting architecture, I bet Columbus, Indiana never crossed your mind. They have a collection of buildings designed by some heavy hitters: Saarinen, Pei, Weese to name a few. I'll be featuring some photos since I recently spent a couple of days there.

This is a church that was designed by Saarinen and completed in 1964. Amazing.

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Seed experiment. I had some seeds left over from last year, so I tried to start them on a wet paper towel to see if they would still grow. This a photo of tiny bok choy sprouts. Stay tuned to see if they'll continue to thrive.

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We've had a really wet spring lately. I love a good afternoon storm followed by some sun that makes the raindrops sparkle.

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Sorry for missing two posts. I went away for the weekend (pictures coming soon) and had scheduled posts which obviously didn't work.

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I love the color palette in this photo: yellow greens, blue greens and an earthy neutral. I'll have to work that into my next project.

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I see leaf buds! Everyone in the midwest is probably seeing them too and breathing a collective sigh of relief that they made it through the winter without killing themselves. It was a rough one.

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Ok, so I'm cheating on my 365 a little by posting another photo from the conservatory's butterfly release. I am only doing so because there are some days when I can't leave the house because a certain little person doesn't want to. You'd think a three year old wouldn't keep you from doing things. But you'd be wrong. Super Nanny, if you are reading this, please HELP.

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We went to the conservatory to release butterflies and saw these show-stoppers on the way to the carnival (a great event if you have kids and can tolerate a mild crowd). Truly amazing. I might've gotten a great photo had my Nikon's battery not died. Stupid me for not charging it the night before.

*taken with Android phone, stock camera app

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Fun design. It's not high-brow, just fun.

I know mostly friends are reading this, so I think it's appropriate for me to explain: if you are out with me and ask me a simple question like "hey, what are you doing Monday? Want to go to the park?" My answer is always "...umm..." because I am so absorbed in soaking in the details around me I can't even focus on the question you just asked. I notice fonts, colors, patterns, you name it. It's slightly overwhelming at times. Just give me a minute if you ask me something important. :)

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I think this little ride-on toy is cool. It reminds me of the vintage Lotus race cars.

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Roar! One day we made a habitat for some dinosaurs. It was fun to sit at the table and play around with paper. Unfortunately for the dinosaurs, we didn't observe the correct scale.

The dinosaurs came from the arcade at a fun waterpark that's not too far away. Check it out if you have a free day and would like to go for a swim.

(Beware: the link is to a site that has music. I can't tell you how much I hate that).

*taken with android phone.

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Unexpected snowy night.

*taken with android phone.

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Unexpected warm, sunny day makes you feel like spring is just around the corner. We just need to see some green leaves to prove it.

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I went for a little winter walk one morning after a light snow. I think everyone was surprised by the snow since we'd begun to think that spring was here. It does sometimes snow into April though. Might as well find something pretty to look at.

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Today marks the day I would have been due with my second child if Trisomy 18 hadn't thrown a wrench into things. What an awful experience to have when you are just letting yourself think that it's ok to tell everyone that you're pregnant again. We had really wanted that second child but this happened after multiple miscarriages and I just couldn't stomach the thought of trying again. It was a horrible time for us but we got through it with the support of family and friends. So thank you, any of you that are reading, for the hugs, kind words and gifts of comfort food.

I'm only putting this out there in the hopes that anyone reading feels like they are not alone if they have been or are going through this. It's a tough process and one that not many people talk about.

On the other hand, it's funny how people think nothing of asking if our son is an only child or if we'll have more. They have no idea how much that question hurts, and how much it hurts that he'll never have a sibling. I think we'll always feel like there's a little hole in our hearts where that baby would have been.

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I'm always finding new cookbooks to delve into when I don't have a magazine recipe to turn to. Here are some of my favorites. What are some of yours?

The Elements of Cooking, Michael Ruhlman
(not necessarily a must-have, but a fun read)

Ratios, Michael Rhlman
(LOVE this because it gave me the confidence to try making bread on my own)

Healthy Bread in Five Minutes a Day, Hertzberg and Francois
(highly recommend)

The Ultimate Rice Cooker Cookbook, Kaufmann

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Another little critter that we share a house with. I spend more time than I care to admit yelling at the animals for various reasons (don't scratch the couch! get off the counter/table!) yet I can't imagine living without them.

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One of our cats that I mentioned in the "about me"section but rarely talk about. He's a gentle giant that we adopted five years ago. He and my son are  best friends. The cat naps on my son's bed when it's vacant and I suspect it's only a matter of time before they share the bed at night.

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Sick day. I had a rare day when my son was with his grandparents, I didn't have to work and I was sick. I was really thankful for a day to spend in bed with a pile of magazines. My mom and grandma are thoughtful and hang on to theirs to pass on to me. I like to read and re-read, then tear out recipes, decorating ideas, whatever fun things I can find.

Which reminds me, if you like to hang on to ideas and fun things, try this free app. It's also available for iPhone and Android.

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I know, another doorknob. But this one's on our late 50's style ranch house and I'd never dream of getting rid of it because it's such a cool detail.

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Grungy type. It's everywhere and I love it.

work day - Big Lots

I chose to leave my full-time job at a design firm when I had my son. It was a really tough decision because I loved my job and love what I do. I just couldn't bear to think about leaving my baby with strangers while I was at work. And I realized that I had the potential to work and make money from home with the type of work that I do.

One of the projects I worked on was a brand for Big Lots' spices. They came to my firm to have us brand all of their "house" products and spices was one of them. The main challenge is that the Big Lots customer may not speak English or be able to read and needs to be able to recognize the product and/or ingredients without reading. I designed two concepts: one illustrative and one photographic, both depicting what was in the spice in question. They eventually chose the photographic route and a stylist, myself and a photographer used real, fresh ingredients for 28 different spice combinations.

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This is a view of my favorite home accessory as seen in my cup of tea. It was a splurge, but totally worth it in my mind. It's a timeless design that will always look classy.

*taken with my android phone

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They don't make 'em like they used to.

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I found these little guys on sale in the Target discount bin. We were going to give them away but decided they were too cute to not play with for a few minutes.

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I love a clean house but I really don't like to clean. That's where these cloths come in handy - just grab one and some water and go to town. Yeah, that's right, I said "water." No cleansers needed.

I thought this was a scam the first time I heard about it but now I'm a believer. I gave some cloths to my mom and grandma for Christmas and they were astonished at how awesome they are. You can order them here. Or come over and I'll show you how they work.

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I have wonderful in laws who take my son for one night and one day a week, allowing me to go to work for one full day. It also allows for a date night if I don't have freelance work to do, and this particular night we found ourselves in a warm restaurant on a snowy evening. We chose to sit at the counter facing the street so we could watch the huge snowflakes fall.

*taken with my android phone using Camera 360 app. It's a free app and well worth the download.

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I captured this while in an antique store. It looked just like a still life to me, and it makes me want to break out the watercolors. Which is something I am always itching to do but, like most people, I don't have the time. The truth is, I have time to do the things I want. I just might not be prioritizing correctly. I know that if I chose to avoid the computer for one or two evenings a week, that would be enough time to paint.

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I spend a good bit of time at a playground in our neighborhood. We didn't consider this a factor when choosing our home. But now that we have a child, I am glad it's there. I wouldn't have known anyone on our street if it wasn't for chance meetings here.