a new world

Ok. I have stopped writing and designing for over a year butI have not stopped enjoying your comments and visits to my blog and am forever grateful. Can we just pretend it never happened?

As you all may know i have been busy practicing homeopathic medicine and finishing up my clinical internship in Berkeley. which means i had to move from L.A to the (beautiful) North Bay area. It has changed my life dramatically. The good news: I have helped a lot of people feel better - which makes me feel better. Secondly, I enjoy the wine country immensely. Not just because I enjoy wine:) It has so much to offer. Fresh air, a serenity and soulfulness that i have not experienced previously. Yes, i miss L.A. occasionally. Maybe it is the spontaneity, the spur-of-the-moment gregariousness of the city where friendships can cross borders of age, nationality and background - some lasting others transient. Creativity bubbles under the surface and can be teased out by anyone with the desire to do so. But the truth is, i never felt home there. Maybe i wanted something more for my little girl, for my family. A feeling of coziness, community, integrity. L.A. has many unique faces but it lacks honesty and it is too generous with its pretentiousness. It's easy to get lost in it.

Somehow when you move to a brand new place and are not in your 20's anymore your believe system gets blown out of the water. Your insecurities magnify. But somehow with my new found love and passion of Homeopathy, and my sweet 5 year old daughter and amazing husband, I was able to shine some light on my values, my depth of character and we took the plunge and moved to Petaluma in Sonoma. Just 40 minutes north of San Francisco. So far nobody is regretting anything! It feels like a new world. And my amazing hubby just rolls with it. We love our new life style. We met beautiful people. There is no disguise here. What you see is what you get. You can find it all: An abundance of charm, antique markets, and victorian homes, rolling hills reminiscent of the english country side, egg farms, stunning coastlines,

simplicity and new friends owning their vulnerability. Life is good.

There is no shortage of antique markets, flea markets and farmer's markets here. The pictures are taken at china camp in the bay area. My daughter and her twin friends pretended to be shipwrecked and with Halloween coming up their imaginations where running wild.

And now i am off to visit all of your beautiful blog worlds to see what you have been up to and to get inspired.

Feel free to visit a journey to health where i let my hair down and talk about anything related to health, detoxing, chronic diseases and homeopathy. If you have any questions - please ask:) I am always happy to hear from you.

be well,

White on White

today i feel like running off to France and taking a deep breath at 'La petite Bastide'...
found {here}

In tune with nature

What inspires me this Monday morning? living on the rocks, and in tune with nature (island style)...

eclectic kitchens...
patterns in unexpected places and frosted-glass cabinets...

every surface coated in white including floors plus cheery hues {through accessories}...
and of course: tranquility through wood pieces and a mix of soft-toned touches!

when i saw these images i found it hard to tell where art ends and house begins. have a beautiful day everyone...

{images found: here}

...alive...

{this is one of my favorite people in the world...Sienna. My daughter....so full of energy and life and love. I couldn't have asked for anything more!!! she has a smile that lights up the whole earth. She is so alive. She is happy. She is loved...she brings so much joy to me, that it seems a pity to keep it all to myself.} {here she is having fun with a dear friend of mine who is also a very talented photographer. somehow when Sienna is with her she just lights up.}





{and here is us. enjoying our girl play in the front yard. have you noticed as you get older more things move you to tears? and I am not even a crier.}
What are you t.h.a.n.k.f.u.l. for?

Bathed in Light

Nothing is in good taste unless it suits the way you live. – Billy Baldwin
{found here and here}

like.want.need.

{ l i k e } + { w a n t }
{ l i k e }
{ w a n t } + { n e e d }
{ n e e d ! }

{ l i k e } + { w a n t }

this morning i visited { indenfor & udenfor} and became seriously house-jealous after i stopped in. . By the way i found this gem of a site thru by-geisslein, one of my favorite blogs for serious eye candy. Enjoy your day everyone!

A Painting of Words

I think last year has left me slightly giddy and melodramatic. I have neglected this blog and all of you my dear friends. The truth is, I had a lot of family drama to work through, and health issues that seem to have a direct correlation. I do believe that our physical well being is a direct reflection on our emotional and mental state. If i were actually writing about my personal junk here this will be the last post you will read, and you'll be throwing tomatoes at this blog. So, the turmoil has left its traces but I am better now. Life itself is a string of constant gain and loss, but there is something in painful experiences we are taking with us that is precious.

Coincidentally, i found a book or rather it found me. It is called "The Love Ceiling" by Jean Davies Okimoto. It is a story about the pull between family and creative self-expression. It tells of a woman who finds the courage to confront the toxic legacy of her father, a famous artist and cruel narcissist. I am not finished reading it but i can assure you that anyone who has been wrestling with a difficult father will find inspiration and solace in these lucid pages. It is a painting of words.

I am back here at 'A Bit of Whimsy' for good and owe many of you a visit to your inspirational worlds. Thanks for being a part of mine, thank you also for all your nice comments! I really appreciate every single word!!

{ images: from here }

what's wrong with a dog?

Mother doesn't want a dog.
Mother says they smell,
And never sit when you say sit,
Or even when you yell.
And when you come home late at night
And there is ice and snow,
You have to go back out because
The dumb dog has to go.

Mother doesn't want a dog.
Mother says they shed,
And always let the strangers in
And bark at friends instead,
And do disgraceful things on rugs,
And track mud on the floor,
And flop upon your bed at night
And snore their doggy snore.

Mother doesn't want a dog.
She's making a mistake.
Because more than a dog, I think
She will not want this snake.

Judith Viorst

from "Poetry to make you smile" foreward by Jane O.Wayne
[photo credit: Paul Costello, Melanie Acevedo via domino]

fingerpainting:

My girl and I had too much fun today!!

what a treat:

There is nothing like a whimsical mouth-watering bakery. We like to find a new one every weekend. We are bakery lovers! This one immediately took me back in time when i was a little girl. We used to visit a place just like it every Sunday. I can still smell the subtle nutty sweetness of grated coconut, old-fashioned candy, homemade cookies and purity ice cream creations. It was the highpoint of the week when my sister and i shared a layered banana split with double whipped cream (the REAL kind!). And i swear it was even better than listening to crickets buzzing.

Thank you for reading, caring, commenting and...following along. Have a wonderful weekend everyone. I hope you treat yourself! G.

i invite you to share your fondest childhood memories or favorite weekend habits. Can't wait to read it. [Photo Credit: inspacelocations]

{letting go takes love}

just sharing my favorites this morning. have a lovely day everyone!

“ Whatever life takes away from you, let it go. When you surrender and let go of the past, you allow yourself to be fully alive in the moment. Letting go of the past means you can enjoy the dream that is happening right now."
~ don Miguel Ruiz

{images:anthropologie}

{Swedish Summers}

I love Sweden in the summer. and i love emmas blogg. then i found images from swedish photographer Annika Vannerus via emma's blog and i had to share a visual taste of the swedish lifestyle with all of you so you can feel what i feel. enjoy!