beauty beyond the blizzard

February 19 gave us a bit more snow. It's not hard to tell that everyone is done with winter.

But since it is still here and steadfast, I will continue (try!) to find the beauty in it. This wasn't hard when I saw the little church-turned-museum in Africville shining through the snow

storm stayed stay

There is something so lovely about being storm-stayed.

As children we long for storm days (only on school days of course) and even as adults we find ourselves saying that little wish before we go to bed the night before.

It provides that permission we don't often afford ourselves, that allowance to just do nothing. Or at least, not be held to any obligations. An official No Pants Day.  

Since before this day saw light, the Atlantic region has been getting the weather that was promised. A winter storm with icy breath sharing its snow and rain in many different forms. 

We Maritimers take our weather seriously.

The day before a storm always sees line ups at grocery and liquor stores. Many times the storms don't amount to much as the ocean can cause the forecast to change, but no one wants to take the risk of being storm-stayed without the essentials. 

I am cozy.

I'm sitting in a cottage by the ocean watching the storm hit the sea and the sea throw it back. Inside, the smell of the wood fire mixes with the aroma of simmering corn chowder and freshly ground coffee. CBC fills the air with classical music in the day and jazz in the night. 

Not a bad way to spend a stormy weekend. It was my hope to get stranded here, to use this as a writer's retreat. 

Sure I have solitude in my city apartment, but for some reason I feel more like a writer out here. I am definitely more inspired. At home there are always distractions- I should clean this, rearrange that.

But here, inspired by nature's ocean and elements, I find I can get more done.
Don't get me wrong, I love my little desk in the city, overlooking the downtown street, but a change of scenery is always good to reboost the creative process. 

craving colour

February 12 started with a beautiful blood orange.

I was so enthralled with the colours when I cut it open, that I brought it outside to the balcony and lay the halves on the snow to take a photograph. The contrast was so striking and beautiful.




Winter is heavy now. I feel it in my body- in the weight of clothing that has to be layered, in the burden of boots; the heat and the cold of indoors and outside.




The snow and ice are certainly beautiful, but I'm craving colour.

I'm drawn to citrus for its vibrancy, as well as its vitamins. That's the vitamin C I need right now.

when all else fails, accessorize

January 14 and the recently fallen snow was still hanging around, like winter's way of accessorizing.

just look how it accents this gate necklace..

moments of magic

January 9 was a pretty ordinary day.
As I sat writing at my desk in the early morning, I happened to glance up to see the outside reflected; a snowglobe inside a snowglobe. It looked so pretty I had to stop to take a picture.

I love how the tiniest moments can insert little pieces of wonder into an ordinary day.

before the dawn before the calm before the storm

January 4 and I was up before 5 am-
before the dawn before the calm before the storm. 

I took this photo because it's one of my favorite parts of the morning, when everything is quiet and no one has to be anywhere yet..

I've chosen it as my shot of the day because there was a snow storm and I didn't leave the house to take any other shots. 

you're always so inviting

January 3rd was a beautiful though cold day and the evening was perfect for a stroll before the storm. 

There are so many sweet and quaint sights in my neighborhood and this is one I walk by nearly every day. Although I've shot it several times, in different seasons, I always find it quite inviting