happy friday lovelies.  happy valentines!  before anything else.  i have to know.  do you love or loathe it?  i told you here how my ritual used to be to wear all black and hand out photocopies of cupid with his arrow in his back (there might have even been a pool of blood).  ask my friends.  i’m somewhere in the middle.  we don’t usually make a big deal out of it.  usually, we are in tucson every february with some of our besties and i’d have to say those are some of my best valentines memories.  we’ve planned some fun times as a group and made some really funny memories.

however, yesterday might take the cake – – the mister came home with a kitty – – for real.  all of my pleading and instagramming and pinning kitties was not in vain.  seriously, this is one of the nicest things anyone has ever done for me.  total sacrificial giving, since the mister doesn’t “like” cats.  although, don’t tell him i said this, but i think he likes (no loves) the tat (as rocco calls him) more than any of his.  he held him all night and couldn’t wait to get him up.  tat came with the name theodore / theo and i’m just not sure i can change it.  i kind of love it (esp. after reading the goldfinch – my heart went out to theo).  and, i’m just going to apologize for the cat pictures, in advance.

he’s so cute, but all like tiger too . . .

as for this past week, i took a quick 48 hour trip to austin for if gathering.  i was tired, my kids had been sick all week and i really didn’t feel like going.  wah wah wah.  but, i went because i had a plane ticket, had a friend there waiting for me, and had a hunch that i was supposed to be there.  i think i was.  it was one of those crazy times that was busy but restful.  a lot of learning but a specific word.  how did i end up here and yet a definite dot on my map.  do you ever feel like you are on a journey that you didn’t even plan for?  that’s me right now.  it started in london last year, with stops in new york, and now austin.  austin, which held a piece, like the other places.   a piece i needed in my putting back together.  i’m not sure what stop will be next, but i think there will be more.  anyhow, i made new friends and was able to spend time with a dear friend.  it was good.  and i am grateful.

how was your week, lovelies?

looking for more love on this love day?  i shared my love story on how stephen and i met many moons ago (and how love changes over time) right here.

A FEW OF MY FAVES  THIS WEEK +

01 /  the downton cast not in character offering a chance to meet them in order to help a serious cause all done with the best possible british humor.  love.

02 /   i dreamt i was on my way to france last night.  this might be as close as i get this weekend.  

03 /  i love a good day in the life.  especially when it’s my fave handbag designer.

04 /  a DIY minimalist table for $90.  bet you never knew you wanted to make your own dining table.

05 /  this home has me totally swooning.

06 / my friends kitchen transformation on design sponge – a cookie cutter becomes anything but.

LOVELY  Pictures : INSTAGRAM / Inspiration : PINTEREST / Chatter : TWITTER / Conversation : FACEBOOK