Happy Sunday and Happy Mother’s Day.

Today I’m saving up most of my words for a children’s story on which I’m working… but here are a few of my favourite things right now:
1. TED Talk ~ Billy Collins: Everyday moments, caught in time (Five animated poems by this former US Poet Laureate.)
2. Volcano performed by Phillip Phillips from American Idol ~ Season 11, Top 4. This is not a guilty pleasure as I don’t feel even remotely guilty Phillip Phillips is my favourite of this year’s idols and his version of Damien Rice’s Volcano was totally yummy.
3. Millicent Min, Girl Genius by Lisa Yee (YA Fiction). So Smart + hilarious.
4. Marakkesh by Design by Maryam Montague. I’ve read her bog for years and her book is gorgeous.
5. Pinterest. Hmmmm… I have mixed feelings about this one. At first, I was reluctant to start pinning as I’m aware that this kind of activity can become quickly addictive for me. Nonetheless, I’ve jumped right into the deep end and created a board called Gracious Living for Expats featuring photos from this blog.
6. The Last Mother’s Day by Timothy Egan, published in the NY Times. This is a bittersweet read and a tribute to all of our mothers. Egan writes, “Your mother is a scrapbook for all your enthusiasms.”

What are you reading, watching, creating and celebrating right now?