Blue Door

Actually, the door is gypsy teal, but "blue door" sounded better for a title. The fact that our front door has been black ever since we bought our house in 2009 is an indication of nothing really...perhaps our laziness but nothing else.

Nonetheless, the door is gypsy teal now, and the difference it made in the look of our house was quite remarkable. We painted the door after we had hardwood floors installed this weekend. Funny how doing one little improvement makes you want to do all the improvements. All at once. This motivation is sure to end. 

With the door now gypsy teal, the front porch needs a new coat of white paint...and the shutters need painting. And the whole house could use pressure-washing. Funny how one little improvement makes all the other flaws stand out. 

Over the last two years, I worked on earning my Masters degree in Higher Education Administration. In December of 2016, I finished. Basically, my life has a blue front door now. And as with the improvements to the house, I am now looking at all the flaws that I need to work on personally. 

Self-doubt is a long-time companion of mine. From time to time, she visits to remind me of those flaws, to remind me that I'm not worthy somehow. But this little swing into "who am I" and "what now" feels a little different than those in my past. It feels different because I'm different. I'm a more confident version of myself. I still care what others think but not nearly as much as before. I'm no longer defined by it. 

This time I'm able to tell myself that I am enough and that where I am in life is enough. Sure, I do have a new, blue front door, but a new door doesn't mean I need to know what my next improvement project is going to be. After all, so much of our life is spent waiting, spent looking at or to the next thing, that we sometimes seem to miss what is sitting right in front of us. 

The lovely. The mundane. The beautifully boring and deliciously ordinary. The life that needs living in our own way that isn't anyone else's way, that is perfectly imperfect and bumpy and gorgeous and awful, all at once. 

As of today, I have a blue front door. I also have a Masters Degree. But I have much more to offer the world than my house or my job. I will live and love the here and now. The future will wait and so will flaws and improvements and the crap that causes self-doubt. Blue doors are lovely but so am I.

The Dish featuring The Fancy Flea

Sometimes an image comes along that is so perfect and moving that you feel like you could reach inside and become a part of it. With this week's featured blog, this kind of image comes along often. Visiting daily will make you feel like you've blessed with a fabulous gift, the gift of being able to gush, drool, and dream over the lovely photographs of Lauren, author of The Fancy Flea. 

But The Fancy Flea, and Lauren, are both much more than just a pretty face (or pretty pictures). This is a wonderfully diverse blog with wonderfully diverse posts and an obviously kind-hearted and passionate author. When I visit, I never know what's going to be in store, but I always know it's going to be superb and probably make me either smile or drift off into dream-land or both.


Delicious Design


Soft, feminine, and simple: three words that come to mind when you visit The Fancy Flea. Lauren's kept the design of her blog very minimalistic and...well, there's no other word for it but pretty. The layout and background are both perfect to showcase the beautiful photography she posts.


I always feel so relaxed and happy after I check out The Fancy Flea. I just can't help but love the look and the feel of the blog. There's something about it that makes it stand out from other blogs (and not just because it's WordPress hosted and so many blogs are blogger hosted); it's just different and nice. Never the same ol', same ol'. But don't take my word for it, check it out yourself and see what I mean!


Appetizing Content
So there's probably no way I can ever say enough about the photography of The Fancy Flea. No possible way. These aren't typical photos; they're unique and different and usually make you think. They're art, and yet, they're not high-brow, over-your-head art. They're realistic, familiar, everyday images that are anything but ordinary. But again, I could never really say enough about the photography of The Fancy Flea, so I'll share some links to some of my favorite posts/images:


For Katie  (of course this would be one of my favorite posts, beautiful images of a darling edition of Black Beauty)


'Neath the Orange Tree (one of the first posts I read/viewed at The Fancy Flea...breathtaking photos of a picnic beneath an orange tree)


56/365 (the photographer calls this "the quickest photo" she's ever taken. Sometimes it only takes a moment to create something beautiful)


Honestly, there's so many more it isn't funny. Go through The Fancy Flea older entries pages...it's like a gold mine of prettiness!


Oh, and The Fancy Flea isn't just about photography. Lauren also shares great recipes, funny and sweet stories, and this girl and her hubby have the most beautiful and fabulous picnics ever. One thing I look for in a great blog is how varied and versatile the blogger is. I don't like one trick ponies, and The Fancy Flea is most definitely NOT a one trick pony. 

Scrumptious Survey : Filled out by Blog Author

What’s your favorite dish/food?

I am a huge fan of stirfries and curry.

What’s your favorite type of cuisine (Italian, French, etc.)?

I have two - my favourite type of food from a specific region would have to be Asia. The aromatic herbs and spices get me every time! My other favourite "type" of cuisine at the moment is Vegetarian - discovering new ways of cooking is so much fun.

What is unique about the cuisine in your part of the world?

I live in Australia, and as most people know we're a young country of migrants and settlers. There is such a diverse range of food, and such different cultural influences combining together to make a very colourful cuisine!

Sweet or salty?
Sweet! I have an insatiable sweet tooth!

What food are you craving right now?

My Mum's spicy pumpkin and lentil hotpot. I could make it but it wouldn't be the same as her making it for me!" :P

Do you like to cook? If so, do you ever share recipes on your blog?

I love to cook. I inherited it from my Mum. And yes, i share recipes on The Fancy Flea!

Where do you get the recipes you use? From cookbooks, blogs, online directories, etc?

I have an ever-growing collection of recipe books, but also gather inspiration from magazines, other blogs and www.taste.com.au

What food-related word would you use to describe your blog? (i.e. salty, sweet, savory, delicious, yummy…) Get creative

Experimental! Life is too short to not try new things :)

I'm a gusher; it's true. But I only gush about things that I'm totally passionate about. I hope you'll wander over to The Fancy Flea to see what all the GUSH is about. 

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