Buoyant Wednesday + Update

Another beautiful day in the Pacific Northwest. Seattle, how do you do what you do to me?!  Blue skies, Herkimer coffee, golden foilage -- you're so good.

I feel like it's high time for an update. Today marks 5 months since Dan and I left New Zealand for an American homecoming. In that time we've industriously found gainful employment and a charming and affordable dwelling, connected with old friends and new and generally settled in incredibly well to this Emerald city. After a decade of cold-moving every two years or so, I'm grateful for this relatively easy transition.

I've also been given the gift of time to simultaneously develop some fun projects.

The book is plodding along. Two weeks ago I was overjoyed to turn out a narrative arc! If you've never heard of a narrative arc, consider yourself lucky. Such a labor of love but incredibly gratifying to fit four years of life in England onto four sheets of paper and try and make sense of the story I'm attempting to write.

The blog...Well, supposedly I was planning on going back to two posts a week come October, and now it's November. Yikes. To be honest, I know it's better to post more often, but for me right now, once a week is the perfect pace. It allows me to write the kind of posts I want to write and keeps the blog a joy rather than an obligation. So, until further notice, once a week it will continue to be.

One thing I have really enjoyed with this blog recently is having a central theme of Life to the Full. I have so many great ideas for developing this further, including columns and features, but for now, again, my slow and steady approach supersedes my enthusiasm -- there's just so much to do and I refuse to be "busy" when I could be savoring this great season of life.

Another exciting thing on my horizon is that I'm going to NYC next week for my work! I've been to New York twice and loved it and can't wait to raid it again. Does anyone have any must-see places/ restaurants/ cafes for me?

I'll leave you with some blogs and assorted beauty I've been loving lately to keep you buoyant on this hump day:

• Do what you love, love what you do http://aspecialjourneyofmyown.blogspot.com/ - a great blog from across the pond
• Modish http://www.modishblog.com/modish/ (I can't tell you how much I LOVE the mountainscape banners!)
• sf girl by bay http://www.sfgirlbybay.com/ - light and lovely design eye candy
• Just Bento http://justbento.com/ - you had me at soy sauce
• xo from Seattle http://xofromseattle.com/ local lovin' 
• oh joy! http://ohjoy.blogs.com/my_weblog/2010/11/a-technicolor-wedding-wedding-hair.html Great use of hot air balloon I must say!

What's inspiring you today? NYC tips pretty please?




{photos:
union jack by Kris Atomic via 1010 Project
forest by Pia Jane Bijkerk via 1010 Project
new york illustration by fritz buzze via missmoss
new york by Kate Miss via 1010 Project}