Rock Dreams

River rocks for sale, about the size of my head. I'll take ten to start. 

Today I started a new project in my yard.

Step One: Go to the stone yard and buy 400 pounds of rocks. Bring them home and get them organized at the work site. 

Ugh.

To make that task even more delightful, factor in some heat. Today was the hottest day of the summer in these parts - we actually broke 80 degrees, which I realize hardly compares to the fiery gates of hell that most of the world must endure by July - but for me, dang, it was one hot and sweaty afternoon.

Since this brutal process of hefting hunks of stone around all day did not exactly engage my creative energies (or take my mind off my suffering,) I entertained myself as best I could by thinking of lovely things.

The Vancouver, Washington artist who goes by Banyan Bridges rocks 
the colorful stripe like none other. I truly admire her genius. 

^ For example, these incredible painted stairs. With a few slight tweaks to the color story, I'm seriously considering decking out my own stairs in a similar fashion. I love the whimsy and blast of saturated colors, but also the neat and orderly rectangles that keep the full effect feeling very down to earth and sensible. I think I need these in my life. 

IKEA Gladom tray table in white. 

^ This is a lot of table for $20 and I can think of about ten places, inside my house and out, that I could put one to use. I'm a little sad that the colors in which IKEA currently offers the table are not my jam, but if I got white, I could easily paint it any color I want, right?

apricot+birch is my favorite society6 artist. 

^ As much as I love to browse art online, and find quite a bit that is affordably priced, I always end up thinking it would be more fun to make my own version rather than buy someone else's work. I could easily watercolor up some pages of pinks, yellows, and tangerines, then snip out tiny quarter-circles and glue them in a grid onto a blush background. And the more than I think about it, the more I want to do it. 

Neil Weaver Photography on Facebook

^ I saw Comet Neowise with my own little eyeballs last night. I mean, granted, I was standing in the middle of the street in my neighborhood around one a.m., holding my father-in-law's old Bausch & Lomb's to my face, hands cupped to block out the street light, and squinting just so at a blurry column of light that my daughter promised me was the actual comet. My world was rocked, but even more so by the exquisite photos that are popping up all over the internet. Science is beautiful. 

Serena & Lily on Pinterest

^ Ever since I can remember, I've been obsessed with attic bedrooms. Funky ceilings, minimal distractions, and best of all, those white wooden floors. Years ago, I ripped out our second floor carpet and painted the subfloors white, and while the long-term plan has always been to install new hardwoods, I'm seriously rethinking that option. Maybe I want to keep them just the way they are. Is that wrong? And if so, do I care?

* * * * *

Sigh. Such beautiful thoughts danced through my mind as I worked, and helped the hours fly by. And though the preliminary hefting and hauling has been accomplished, my project is far from done. Tomorrow begins the arduous process of preparing the ground and laying the rocks. 

I should have plenty of time for more rock dreams.