Splash

I've been a fan of Amy Arntson's artwork for some time. Her paintings of water and waves are incredible -- soothing, refreshing, rhythmic, mesmerizing and utterly beautiful.

Photos from here. 

Water Worlds

Growing up, summers meant one thing: Pool time! My parents installed a pool in our backyard when my sister and I were young, and year after year this is the place where we'd congregate with friends and family. We learned to dive and do underwater flips, held races and lounged on tubes. It was such fun.

These mixed-media works by Luciana Abait capture the compelling nature of water. Don't you want to dive right in?

Photos from here.

Breathless

It snowed again today. I realize this shouldn't come as a surprise, seeing as though it's only mid-February. It's just that I somehow came to the conclusion that we were done with snow, that it was time for winter to pack up and leave town.

Now I also realize I have a choice in this matter. That I could pack up and leave town and head for somewhere that doesn't get burried under feet of ice and snow each year. But I did that once and the funny thing is I missed the seasons. Not months of winter, necessarily, but the changes and the fact that spring feels so incredible following seemingly endless winters.

So I'm going to quit whining and try to embrace the cold. And if I can't quite do that, I'm going to take a look at these breathtaking beach photos by SussanahT. The muted colors and the calmness of the landscape are perfection.

Photos from here.

Just Add Water

The other day on the very cool blog My Scandinavian Retreat was a post on a Swedish houseboat (via CasaSugar). Now, this home would be amazing if it were on land, with its clean lines, simple white color palette and warm wood. But it sits on water, making it even more incredible.

Ever since I read a Boxcar Children book as a child (P.S. weren't those books the best growing up?) in which the kids solve a mystery on a houseboat, I've been more than a little intrigued by floating homes. And this one is pretty much the best I've ever seen.

Can you even imagine the views it affords -- both inside and out?

Photos from here.