Self Portrait: Green Cricket

Good morning! I'm so sorry I've been missing in action--I promise to catch up with you very, very soon. In the mean time, let me introduce to you today's Self Portrait. Beth from the Green Cricket blog and shop has been a tremendous inspiration to me. Her thoughtfulness and wisdom have bolstered me through some rough patches and I'm so, so pleased to share her self portrait with you today!

A map is my perfect canvas as it can take you anywhere you want to go. I consider myself a natural explorer/adventurer. Being confined or getting too comfortable in one thing is not fun for me. I joke that I will try anything once, but rarely the same thing twice.

Love : I met my husband in early Oct and when we exchanged numbers at a Chicago bar (matchbook seen here) I had told him my love for Halloween, so when picking me up for our first date a week later, he arrived with not a bunch of flowers, but a pumpkin. Although he has done many wonderful and thoughtful gestures since then, that took the cake, and I was hooked. This one is from a trip we took to Santa Barbara. We had fortune cookies at our wedding and used the sayings from actual fortunes we had received. I only believe the good ones and often turn to short little inspirational quotes to help bring things back into perspective.

Animals : Aside from my precious pup Abby, I have a deep love for dogs and all animals. There is a purity and 'living in the moment' they possess that really grounds me. I have been known to walk across the street just to greet a dog and can sit for hours watching the squirrels frolic in my backyard.

Nature : I am inspired by the wonder of nature and all its seasons. A fern, a stone, a sunrise... fallen bark from an old tree. We dubbed our outdoor wedding in '05 'woodland chic' as there was an abundance of moss and these sweet little Kermit the frog mums. I guess I have always been kind to my environment, but as the years pass, my love and great respect for the planet has grown 10 fold. I am always trying to be more conscious of my choices and how they effect the earth. I guess that is where my love of salvage stems from. Giving a discarded item a new life gives me great satisfaction.

Sustenance and libations : I am a bonafide foodie. I have been known to plan trips around certain eateries (often cupcake spots) and am addicted to cooking and travel food shows. Opening a bottle of wine, turning on some music and cooking with my hubby is bliss, even in my tiny galley kitchen. I am also I part time barista at a local coffee joint.

Art & inspiration : I have about 10 of these Moleskin journals filled with everything from sketches for projects to quotes and recipes to websites. I have come to embrace my "busy brain" and found as long as I have a place to jot it down, I can move on to something else. Color is my favorite color. Although I have no one medium, painting is what I do the most of, even if it is on an old chair. The vibrant lizard is a souvenir from a visit to Gaudi's Park Guell on our Honeymoon in Barcelona. It was like a wonderland for me. The juxtaposition of color and mosaics just made me smile and still does everytime at look at him.

Adventure : mountain biking is probably my favorite, but I also enjoy kayaking, hiking, snowshoeing...anything that lets you experience the world from a different view... and get a little adrenaline rush too. Surfing and scuba diving are next on my list.

And finally the cricket. It is a nickname my husband Nathan gave me years back when we were living in the city and seemed a great mascot for my business. (Crickets are good luck in many Asian cultures) I often having him sitting on this rock I borrowed from the Mediterranean Sea. It is a simple reminder of the solidness of love, passion and living authentically.