Leonard

I went to bed with tears in my eyes and woke up with tears in my eyes. My heart is sad for this place, sad for my friends here, and, selfishly, sad for myself.


"You are right, Sahara. There are no mists, or veils, or distances. But the mist is surrounded by a mist; and the veil is hidden behind a veil; and the distance continually draws away from the distance. That is why there are no mists, or veils, or distances. That is why it is called The Great Distance of Mist and Veils. It is here that The Traveler becomes The Wanderer, and The Wanderer becomes The One Who Is Lost, and The One Who Is Lost becomes The Seeker, and The Seeker becomes The Passionate Lover, and The Passionate Lover becomes The Beggar, and The Beggar becomes The Wretch, and The Wretch becomes The One Who Must Be Sacrificed, and The One Who Must Be Sacrificed becomes The Resurrected One and The Resurrected One becomes The One Who has Transcended The Great Distance of Mist and Veils."

Breathless Expectation

Falling asleep at night has become a total joke this week. I find myself either giddy with excitement about my pending move or completely nervous, freaking out about the uncertainty of the future, making plans even though I have no idea what Austin holds for me the 3rd time around. Hoping it's a charm and an adventure full of new discoveries.

A little C.S. Lewis put things into perspective for me last week, and I'm working on embracing the gracious uncertainty, welcoming it even.

C'est tout simple

I used to pride myself on being one of those girls who was too busy and too post-modern to be domestic. I dated guys who did the cooking, wore motorcycle boots with my lace dresses, and killed plants with my black thumb and apathy. Well something has changed me, and while those boots are still one of my staples, I'm taking great pleasure is some of that dreaded domesticity.

After watching The Future of Food, a documentary about modern farming techniques that the lovely Gina posted on her blog, I felt even more compelled to take pride in my "simpler" life, as a step forward. In Tunis it's not too difficult to find organic fruits and vegetables, so I've made it a habit of stocking up and making fresh non-processed dishes. Today it was slow-roasted root vegetables with eucalyptus- infused local honey and homemade applesauce. When I get back to Austin I may even test out my black thumb and see if I can't grow a little herb and veggie garden...

Belvedere

I love these big, old, twisted trees. There are these strange, hair-like branches that dangle from them.I see them all over the city. In some places they look like these lonely, prehistoric beasts and in other parts of Tunis, there are children entwined in their long limbs.

I wish I knew their name...

words

Looking back at my journals from Paris. I don't know what was happening during that time in my life, but I was always writing little words and phrases in my journals. Full entries are interrupted by pages littered with things like, "I am a planet hugged by a rainbow." I went through this phase where I just loved the strange things people said, lines from songs, or graffiti strewn on the sides of metro cars.

tender
Cosmic wonder
Halogen spirit
Pace is the trick
Your face is the place
You're a wise and vulgar man
Plus frêles mais plus vivaces
The message sent was off this continent
If you stay in this hotel, they will definitely cut you in the night.

Wish List

Betsey Johnson "Swan Lake" bikini. Though I'm not typically into frills, I can't help but love the ruffled shoulders and the kitschy swan print. I'm a sucker for prints with animals.

Love, love, love the Vivienne Westwood for Melissa wing wedges. Enough said.

3.1 Phillip Lim blue-sequined trousers. I love the weight of anything sequined or beaded. Luxuriously heavy.

I'm not usually a big fan of white clothing or shoes. My clumsy self usually spills coffee, nail polish, or something else that I can't remove onto anything shiny and white. On that note, this summer I'm going to try to pull it together. I want to go a little white goddess, with gold and ethnic accessories, a good tan and some fresh highlights.

I love the white Jeff Campbell wedges for all seasons. For spring, I'd pair them with a gingham dress, and my vintage dot-net slip, with the ruffles peeking out from the bottom.

Could I love this Helmut Lang skirt anymore? No, probably not. High side-slit, ruching, asymmetry... These are a few of my favorite things. I would love to pair this with something backless, big earrings, a silk scarf as a head wrap, and bangles.

ابتغاه

Sea
Linen
Maasai
Jasmine
Wisteria
Bungalows
Nag Champa
Bougainvillea
Hand of Fatima

My summer dream - a bungalow by the sea. Open spaces, rustic wood furnishings, hammocks, breezes and incense, lanterns and candles, figs and pomegranates, saffron and rust tones.