Part of what this blog is about is intentional + joyful living." I realize that this phrase has taken on a trendy sheen in recent years, and I wanted to write a bit about what intentional/mindful living means to me, why I still think the phrase has value, and how I hope to carry out such a va…

Me and my horrible fashion choices at Blue Lake
As I thought about this, I realized that I would much rather give monthly to charity, rather than weekly. It not only simplifies the giving process, but it also allows each charity to see a more sizeable (though overall, still miniscule) donation to t…

The Art Institute of Chicago is a really special place to me. Anytime I feel frustrated, or depleted and drained, I know that I can go there and feel renewed. Art does that for me. It reminds me of the tenacity of the human spirit, and the longevity of beauty.

The museum also has one of the best p…

Oh dear. Well, I've gone and done it. I've set a (tentative...I need to find out if the hall I have in mind is available) date for my solo recital. And I've let a few people who will keep accountable know about the plan.

I decided that a recital would serve as a nice capstone to this s…

Here's a first look at my "40 in 40" list. Some of the these are things that are fairly simple to accomplish, and maybe look a bit mundane from the outside. But each of them hold importance for me, so they made the list!

I have until March 8, 2017 to get them all accomplished...
Final…

I decided to start this blog because, in a few days time, I will be 40 years old. 

This came as a shock to me. Where did the time go? Much of my 30s are a blur. The first year or two were memorable - it was at 30 that I decided to move back to Florence, Italy for awhile to complete a graduate certif…