may giveaway winner

Congratulations Stephanie Grant!!! YOU are the winner of the Pottery Barn Globe Lights!  A big, huge to thank you to everyone that entered.  Look for the next quarterly giveaway on September 19th!

school's out for the summer

 It happened again.  Another school year done, and now these sisters who are three years apart in age are only a half an inch a part (according to Sierra).  Gentry says she's taller. 

And this teenager is a junior.

And this kid will enter her last year of grade school. 

And these beautiful girls are now high school freshman. 

And although I've always believed in the mind set of, "love every stage of your life" and , "bloom where you're planted", if I'm being honest, today I'm feeling like, "I hate this!!!" Because although the days are sometimes long, the years are way too short.  And I just want time to slow down. I know they can't stay little forever. But, sometimes, I just want to stop the clock, ya know?!?

May Giveaway

Summer. 

 Lemonade, pool time, family time, and back porch time. These pottery barn patio lights bring it all together.  

Bring on the warm nights, fireflies, and games of hide and seek.  

These lights would be a delightful edition to your back porch, don't you think?

          {How to enter}

1. Become a follower of terra's earth (by liking terra's earth on facebook OR via google friends connect.)

2. Leave a comment on this post telling me how you follow.
3. Also leave a contact email (with comment) if it's not linked to your profile (so I can let you know if you win:)

One winner will be selected from the comments using random.org and announced on May 23rd.

{the giveaway closes on May 22, 2014 at midnight}

{contest open to those residing in the intercontinental u.s.-no p.o. boxes please)

Ciao!

Our final days in Rome were packed. Highlights… 

Saint Anglos castle.

 And walking on a path (thanks to a connection with our tour guide) reserved especially for the Pope that leads directly to the Vatican.

 This pretty little cafe.

 The view of the Pope's weekly address from the top of Saint Angelo's castle.

 Trevi Fountain.

 Caracalla Roman Bath ruins.

 The best tour guides in Italy.

Color everywhere.

 Touring the Vatican.

 Walking the streets of Rome.

And the biggest highlight by far… the Italian people themselves. The are gracious, inviting (Prego! Prego! Prego!) and always genuinely animated.  And in the end, I always find people to be the most interesting study of all.

 Loved our girl time.

But we are all missing our kids. And with limited internet, most of our hotel time was spent trying to catch up with them. And although Italy may have the best  bruschetta in the world, it can't compete with what matters most. 

So Ciao Italia!

You've been bellissimo!

Capri, Italy

The blue grotto. One of the world's most beautiful and fickle anomalies. The sea gods smiled on us yesterday with low winds and clear skies.  Some tourists return two or three times to Capri, only to learn that the four foot by five foot entrance into the grotto is impassable because of rough seas.  But, as for us, it was a go…. 

 First we sailed in one of these boats to the entrance….

and payed these men a fee (they are smiling because they make a lot of money)

and then loaded into this really, really small boat

 with one of us in the front

and three in the back

 and then our sailor barked out instructions with an italian accent… "Lie(a) down(a), keep(a) your heads down(a)!"

 and then he rowed us into the entrance yelling, "duck!"

And one second later, this was the view.  And all credit to Tonya and her iphone for getting this shot.

And we ended our trip the way we end each day in italy….with gelato.

Arrivederci!