Being present.

Are you happy here? Wherever "here" may be for you; both the physical location + in the moment in life you are in? I have been reminded of this bunches lately. Learning to appreciating the moment I am in + to be present; be it dealing with a screaming toddler, working with a client, cleaning the house, taking a webinar to learn about entrepreneurship, enjoying a nice glass of red wine, or having dinner (or even a disagreement for that matter!) with my partner. Good or bad, easy or uncomfortable; truly being present and appreciative in any of these moments takes practice, practice, practice! Still practicing... :) 

I took the picture above this summer while on a boat ride around Linekin Bay + Boothbay Harbor. My family and I were with friends enjoying the beautiful sun + blue skies, listening to music, slowly touring the coast of Maine, soaking in the moments. Yesterday I enhanced the image with the help of canva.com. This morning I made this image my screen saver on my laptop as a reminder to stop, take a deep breath, + soak in the moment - even if it sucks, I know the moment is fleeting and around the next turn maybe a moment like the one I recall from the image above. 

Make it a great day! Cheers, 

ARTIST HIGHLIGHT: Alison Evans Ceramics

This post holds a special place in my heart, because these beautiful creations are from my good friend Alison Evans. Alison is the owner and creator of Alison Evans Ceramics and the Alison Evans Gallery in Yarmouth, Maine.

Her work has been featured in a variety of publications(such as House Beautiful http://www.housebeautiful.com/shopping/best-stores/hazelnut-new-orleans-0608?click=main_sr, Bon Appetit, Food&Wine, The New York Times...just to name a few!!), at stores throughout the US, and at many of my very own dinner parties! Her pieces are functional and inspired by the sea, so they definitely have a niche here in Maine. My husband & I are building our AE Ceramics collection in the porcelain white finish shown below, but she has some uniquely beautiful glazes available as well. Check out her website for more of her pieces and finishes http://www.aeceramics.com/ .

My husband, Anthony, works for Alison, so I snapped some quick pictures recently of the studio while he was unloading the kiln.
Not only are her pieces gorgeous, but her studio space is very cool; with a display space in the front and the working pottery studio in the back. They stacked Expedit shelving by IKEA http://www.ikea.com/us/en/catalog/products/30147736 to the 12 foot ceilings, which work wonderfully to display Alison's pieces as well as a divider between the gallery and the work space.

Check her stuff out online or in person, you will be glad you did. In the mean time, I will keep bragging about my friend Alison and her wonderful work! Cheers!