a reminder for the new year.

i've been thinking about the upcoming new year. i've broken out my new planner, made a few lists, but in the end, i'm a visual person, so photos win. i made this mini-inspiration board to remind myself of the little joys that i want next year to be filled with:

home-cooked meals

champagne with appetizers & wine with dinner

book club meetings

long conversations

journaling. lots of it.

reading in bed

the peace & simplicity of being home

scented candles

beauty. beauty. beauty.

rest

intellectual challenges

hard work

photographs

husband. winston. family.

this next year, i'm choosing to be more grounded. to look around me at what i already have.  to practice contentment and simplicity. to really take the time to enjoy a meal, a conversation, a book, a project. i'm choosing to make art, to give my full attention to things that matter to me, to read more, learn more. i'm choosing to appreciate beauty in small doses: a vase of fresh flowers, a campfire-scented candle, a stack of unread books. i'm choosing to spend less: less time, less money, less energy... on things that just aren't as important. i'm giving myself permission to decide when to hibernate, work, play. i'm giving myself permission to do my own thing. i'm choosing to value my time, my money, my energy, my resources. i'm choosing to make 2012 the best year yet.

[font]

merry christmas!

we're so happy to be celebrating our Savior's birth with family and friends. wishing you all the peace, joy and beauty that surrounds this season.

love,

david, ruth, and winston

[holiday card from minted]

the hoffmans.

we love the hoffmans. they're one of the coolest couples we know. steph & zach introduced us to bananagrams and cafe rio, and they are always game for hanging out, even when the activity is watching one of dave's notoriously and unintentionally awkward movie picks.

so when it came time to take christmas card pictures, we made a double date out of it. we took our cameras to a little place off the 133 and took turns taking pictures for each other. these are a few of my favorite snaps from the sesh.