the great outdoors

in recent years, i have seen some incredible spreads in magazines and on hgtv of outdoor rooms and large living spaces, and it is an amazing thing to have if you have the resources. people do all kinds of weather-proofing and have "rooms" with all the comforts of home, including kitchens, fireplaces and flat screen TVs. and although the super-spaces replete with fireplaces and professional kitchens and home theaters are truly amazing, i prefer to cuddle up next to a fire and cook and watch movies inside the house. or at least that's what i'll keep telling myself...

really though, over the last few years, i have developed an immense appreciation for being outside, and all the sights and sounds that live in the outdoor world. don't go packing a tent or anything - i am in no way "outdoorsy," i just mean that i have really come to understand the importance, in my life, of having outdoor space where i love to be.

i've designed the balcony off my bedroom as a green and shady oasis so i can do my favorite outdoor activity - zone out and stare at birds, and watch the long tree branches sway against the sky. i used mostly trailing, hardy plants like vinca vines and licorice plants, with some pops of more limey green color using sweet potato vines and assorted spikes.

my time out there is something i look forward to, and i make sure to give that gift to myself every single day -- in the morning with some coffee and in the evening before dinner. even if it's just for a few minutes each time, i find it restorative and peaceful in a way nothing else has ever been for me. it's my time to just relax - no speaking, no listening, not even any thinking - just being.