Driftwood, Sunshine + a Terrarium

I awoke to sunshine.  In February.  In Seattle.  The day was looking promising!

I went about my morning steadily, trying to deal with all the little things that often go wrong in the morning as one readies 4 children for the day; all the while thinking about Mara's advice on choosing happiness in this poignant essay, which is technically about infertility, but it encompasses so much more.  A few hours later, the sun was still shining gloriously in the sky, continuing to lift my spirits.  I finished preparing the lunch that I would later share with a couple of new friends, and then slid it into the fridge before donning my walking shoes.

Sunglasses in hand, we left to explore a little more of Discovery Park.  In the back of my mind I thought about the terrarium on my dining room table that was in need of one more "ingredient" to look complete.  During these typically dreary months, it is so vital to a space's overall energy to bring a little of the outdoors inside and I find that terrariums do the trick! (see more here, here and here). 

Well, it turned out that this particular beach was full of driftwood--all shapes and sizes (we've even seen people snag large pieces for furniture here before); and finding exactly what I needed took only a few minutes.  And now my terrarium is complete...and the day is over.  If there is one thing I've learned this past year, it is to appreciate beautiful, sunshine-filled moments when you have them!

images by Stephanie Brubaker