I Wear My Heart on My…Socks?

I’m a “heart person”. After chronicling my encounters with ordinary objects that form themselves into heart shapes (dish soap bubbles, gum, leaves – to name a few), I’ve been allowing some man-made hearts into my life too. Like the ones on these socks.

Oh, I almost forget to mention that there are crowns on them too. How very regal! After having these for several years, I’m sad to say they are starting to wear just a little too thin. I can see through the fabric now and they can barely get the job done these days. It just may be time to retire them, but they did have several years of exceptional service, and with every glance down at my sock-embraced feet, I felt a little heart-lifted.

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Wine Bars and Wooden Tables

Last week, we went out with friends to a French wine bar, Compagnie des Vins Surnaturels. The ambiance was warm, classy, and inviting. The company was fantastic, the wines were flowing, and the bread! Oh, the bread was good enough to be classified as dessert– on its own, with no butter or anything on it. That did not stop us, however, from anointing the pieces of bread with other delicious foodstuffs like cheese, raisins, and honey. What a wonderful night.

Also of note was the design within the wood grain of the tables. While I’m going to guess they were manufactured like this, I had a fun few minutes pretending that the heart-shaped designs in the wood were all-natural. Even still, I felt it worthy of being added to my “hearts” collection.

Solo “Artist Date”

I recently started “The Artist Way at Work” by Julia Cameron to help me fuel my creativity and passions. (Maybe you’ll be seeing a lot more blog posts from me as a result.) I also signed up for an in-person course led by Kaeshi Chai, Brad McDonald, and Arielle Adamy . I “jumped ahead” a bit because I also started the Audible version of the original, “The Artist’s Way” and became familiar with the idea of the “Artist Date” or “time out”, and decided to take the opportunity as soon as it came to me.

I was scheduled to have afternoon tea with some friends on Friday, an excursion that would bring me not far from the Princeton area. While searching for something else to do, I came upon two exhibits at the Princeton University Art Museum: Chigusa and the Art of Tea in Japan, and Kongo Across the Waters. While I didn’t have much time before our tea, I decided to take what was available to me and set out on a solo (albeit short) adventure.

The surrounding area is lovely and quaint, and the museum itself is lovely. I definitely plan to go back one day when I have more time. The exhibits were really interesting as well. Of course, there was was a heart for me to see within the museum:

From Chigusa and the Art of Tea in Japan exhibit

And I just loved being around artifacts and beautiful artistry. Neither exhibit disappointed. I felt a tingle run through me as I made my way through the exhibits. It was just wonderful! I recommend Artist Dates for everyone!