I am a camera carrying, yoga loving, small town girl living in the city running amok. I photograph everything under the Sun and now I blog about it too.
This old Liquor store was actually a men's clothing store.
I can finally dress for cool temps.
This is my first trip to the city during the fall, I've been to the Adirondack mountains during this magical time but never the city. Growing up in rural Arizona the only time I got to experience NYC was through a television screen. And now here I am in one of the world’s greatest cities spending a week visiting museums, eating amazing food (and street vendor food), photographing historic and iconic locations and buildings.
Not a day goes by that I don’t feel lucky to be here having these experiences. That might sound weird to some of you, but this part of the country felt like a world away from my beautiful but tiny hometown. Now that I'm getting comfortable in the city I can't wait to being Presley again...
Oh and we have had perfect weather! It's been chilly but sunny. We had a few days of rain, just enough rain to make running around town enjoyable not to mention great photography weather. It's rained pretty hard late in the night, I swear I couldn't ask for better weather!
I just returned to Tempe, Arizona from my summer home on Lake George in New York's Adirondack park, four days later I was hiking in Flagstaff, Arizona to it's highest peak. Talk about change of scenery.
During my hike to the summit of Mount Humphrey’s there were times were I wanted to hoot and holler because I was just so taken by the natural beauty literally all around me! If I wasn’t so excited to get to the top I may have stopped to hug a tree or two (there is a reason they tell you to hug a tree). While hiking I did make a point to touch and admire many trees along the way, sometimes causing me to lose my footing- I survived...
I did the hike with members from my home gym, CrossFit DTP. It was great to have so many familiar faces around but I really enjoyed the time where I hiked alone and quietly had to mentally dig for motivation to take the next step. The half time celebration at the top would not have been nearly as rewarding without the DTP crew around.
For more information on the hike check out this link.
The top is rocky terrain. From here you can see the Painted Desert and the Grand Canyon.
See the rain coming on the from the right? It was amazing!
Some of the crew. Me in the back with the Boston hat on!
My big bro and I and some random bearded hippie- j/k D.J.
Eeek! The cloud cover was perfect for photos!.. It was 48 degrees at the summit.
It’s been non stop for the past two weeks, we left Arizona a week later than usual because of Presley’s dance recital. This meant we rolled right from getting settled in at camp to running around visiting friends for all the Best Forth in The North activities. Sad that the first two weeks of summer are over but I am looking forward to all that is planned these next several weeks.
While finishing up on a few work projects this morning I decided to scroll through my images and see if there were any I wanted to edit. See last year I realized after summer I didn’t take too many photos. So this summer I’ve been better with taking more (sorry to all my Facebook friends) but haven’t had much time to edit...
This morning is when I ran across the image above, I don’t even remember taking it. At first I was pretty sure it was another photo at dawn. But the placement of the rising sun was all wrong. Only after looking at the time the image was taken, it I figure out it was taken at 6:00PM...
Many of my summer photos help remind me of how lucky I am to be here on Lake George, that I'm very small in this beautiful world around me, "first world stuff" might be making my life more fun- not better and to value the loving friends and family I have in my life. I really truly hope you have a place like Lake George that reminds you of similar things too.
When it rains we go hunting for water loving creatures.
Finding dozens of red eft's during the rain storm, and kissing them, "go on, live your life".
Visiting the frogs and other creatures in the Nature Center.
Learning how to hold a Map Turtle.
Catching worms and other bugs to feed the frogs, toads, map turtles, snapping turtles and red eft's.
Looking at the Luna Moth she found under a microscope! So cool.
It was just his time.
The first of many smore's and sing-a-longs.
Calm at dawn, Lake George.
We haven't even been here a week and we have be able to do so much already. Presley has been to summer camp and is pretty noticeable around The Bay with her orange Hunter Boots. She has enjoyed seeing old friends, camp counselors, and visiting all her favorite places...
I was in Vegas for March Madness like every year but, this year my brother in law came along. He is looking for some change and needed to try something different. He asked me if I would jump off the Stratosphere with him. Now I wouldn’t say I am afraid of heights but, I do have concern on who I trust with my life. Sorry, to the guys and gals operating the Stratosphere jump you’re not on that list.
I told Devin (bro in law) I would be willing to skydive if he was. He did a little research and found a place we could skydive in Vegas (well it was 20-30 miles off the strip). So before I knew it we had a skydive jump scheduled. I didn’t tell anyone, I still was not sure he was really ready to do this.
Tandem skydive didn’t scare me because I figured the guy I’d be strapped to didn’t want to die either. So trusting him with my life was easy. My only concern was that there is a chance (like in everything I do) to have an accident. This was a nagging feeling that if I died I’d leave Presley without a Mommy by my own selfishness or recklessness. This thought came to mind but the next thought of wanting her to live her life being fearless and to not be afraid was stronger much more intense feeling. I decided to listen to that one...
We arrived as the sun was coming up, the sky was a beautiful shade of blue and purple, there was barely a breeze. I had a bit of nerves that morning but I felt it was a good nervous. We arrived signed our life away and with very little instruction we were suited up and matched with our dive partner...
Reminded me of Taliban videos. Not very comforting.
During our short and concise training one of the instructors said, “and if you’re feeling like getting crazy let your instructor know”. After I heard that I told my instructor, “I’d like to get crazy. Hey who knows when I’ll do this again”.
He said, “ok lets do a back flip out of the plane”. I asked if we could do a bunch of back flips, he let me know I’d miss most of the jump by doing that (we’d drop pretty fast) so one would be good.
Saturday morning on March 22nd at 8:45AM Devin and I along with 5 other first time jumpers hopped in a plane. We then started our climb of 15,000 feet in the air to voluntarily jumped out of a perfectly good plane. By 9:04 we were back on the ground with big smiles on our face feeling more alive than ever!
I was the last one on the plane which at first I was bummed out about but, then my instructor said we were going to be the first to jump. This made me happy, I was the only girl and more than willing to jump first. But not before telling all the guys (before we take off) this was their last chance to change their minds!
While in the air my instructor was chatting with me and videoing the take off etc. We were sitting right in front of a roller door. He asked me if I was nervous, I let him know I was a little nervous, healthy nervous. He turned to me and said are you ready for “this”, we are half way there? I said, “yeah!” What I wasn’t ready for was him to open the door next to me! The only thing stopping me from falling out was his leg. The view was amazing and the feeling of the wind on my face was breathe taking...
One bit of advise I was given was to try to calm the adrenaline rush while on the plane, otherwise I’d forget most of the jump. Once I knew we were close I took a minute closed my eyes placed my hand on my stomach (grounding myself) and tried to slow my pounding heart and shallow breathing. The plane was loud and it was not hard to zone everything around me out.
The first minute of the jump was the most thrilling, invigorating feeling I have ever had. My ears pounded from the pressure, I imagine my face looked similar to a dogs face hanging out a car window (yup, photos proofed that)!
We did a backflip, I thought maybe I had closed my eyes because I didn’t remember. But when I saw the video, my eyes were open, it’s just hard to make sense of everything going on. The loud humming of the plane, the wind, my heart and all my senses on full alert.
The professor that we went to Italy with was an older woman, Barbara Crawford. While there we stayed in very nice hotels had beautiful meals it was not your typical college kid european backpacking trip. We were all told to bring suit cases- no backpacks. During our group outings we were not to wear shorts, tank tops or t-shirts. I learned a lot during this trip and one beauty secret I swear by!
When we traveled to Florence we stayed in a tiny hotel across from the duomo. It was during this stay that Tara and I roomed with Barbara Crawford. The room was more of a suite, we all had our our bed and s sitting area for tea. Professor Crawford was so kind it was a treat to get to spend some extra time with her.
It was during our morning tea that I she had told us she slept on her back. She said she has done so to prevent her skin from wrinkling. She was very fair and had very nice skin. I was 21 at the time and took this beauty secret to heart and from then on I have slept on my back!
Now this sounded easier than I expected. It took a long time to get use to. I have to place a large european pillow under me knees. Then I place a pillow on each side of my head I no longer can sleep with a pillow under my head. Sleeping on your back may lead to snoring, I have been told... But as Presley will tell you, ladies don’t snore. Only Daddy’s.
I can’t help but think this sleeping on my back is not only great for preventing wrinkles but it’s also great for keep my skin and pores clean and a great relief for my back. I’ve talked to my esthetician about this and she said this is great advise. She can usually tell what side women sleep on because they have larger wrinkles on the side they sleep on or even a crease down the side of their face.
Hopefully you like this post but let’s not forget it is the lucky ones that grow old.
This is the group of Southern Virginia College I went with to Italy.
My childhood friend Tara and I. I wore clothes way too big for me...
Venice
Tara and I stayed in Italy after the semester was over to travel on our own. We made a few friends.
Venice, Italy
When I was 21 I went to Italy for a summer abroad program with a Southern Virginia College. One of my childhood friends was going to college there and after visiting her one Spring Break. It was a very small private unaccredited college with ties to the LDS church. I was not a member of the church but they let me come anyway. For the sememster in Italy I had to enroll in the college.
The trip to Italy is a small piece of a puzzle that changed the direction of my life.... At the time I was working at an optical company taking a night class or two at the community college with no real goal in mind. My boyfriend was a Brown graduate who had family that was less than excited to meet me. Not only was I not Lebanese (he was) I was not college educated (Ivy league- I was blissfully unaware of how different their world was). Lucky for me I was young and clueless.
When I decided go to Italy that summer it was not was not a part of a big plan in the next step of my future. It just sounded like fun and I wanted to go... Now how to do I make this happen... No one in my family had been to Europe. Except my grandfather during his time in the military. My parents did not want me to go. They didn’t know how I was going to pay for it (neither did I) and it was so far away and unknown. Keep in mind we didn’t have internet and no cell phones... Is that possible? That sounds so strange...
This is bizarre too, I called (from my apartment phone- no cell phones) the bank to ask for a loan. I didn’t dare go into the bank because I just knew they would say no. To tell you just how clueless I was, I didn’t even call prepared to ask for a school loan. I just told the guy I wanted to pay for a trip to Europe, the bank representative is the one that said, “oh a school loan”. I wanted a $4,000.00 loan enough to pay for my ticket, my classes, room and board.
I remember sitting on my bed (mattress on the apartment floor) talking to a bank representative. He asked me a couple of questions and put me on hold and then he came back and said, “you have been approved. When can you come to the bank and sign the paperwork?” I got a ride to the bank a few days later, signed the loan and the first thing I did was go buy a huge map of the world...
This I did not expect! I really keep taking one step at a time thinking every time that the next step would be the one where something/someone stopped me. With each step I some how made the next step and the next.
The weeks I spent in Italy were everything I thought it would be. Being exposed to a world I didn’t dare dream I could experience changed my life. It was the following semester that I enrolled in ASU, expecting/waiting someone or something to stop me...
Our Tree... Still looking for the right tree topper.
I have little elves that help me decorate.
And others that play around in the tree.
We all love the unique ornaments we've recieved through the years. ASU ornament from my parents.
From Grammy Sue and Pop Pop.
Pine cones from we picked with Lala & Papa Joe.
This beautiful Silver Leaf (it's a real grape leaf) from The Pence Family... The star is also a paper star I made a few Christmas's ago.
Our first snow globe from The Lopez Family. I love it!
Last years Christmas cards.
Presley had a small tree in her room but it broke. This year I surprised her with a 5 ft tree for her room.
This year I got Mark a big chair for Christmas (an early surprise)! Until now we've had a small (beautiful) amish chair I had since college. I loved it, but it was always hard for Mark or anyone over 6 ft. to sit in comfortably...
I wanted to share a few ideas I had for decorating. You may be on idea overload from Pinterest, but these are just things I feel are easy and work for me. I've tried a few Pinterest projects only to fail miserably.
1. Random decorations. I love having a Christmas tree theme so I struggled on how to use ornaments we received as gifts. Once Presley was old enough to start grabbing ornaments I started hiding them in near the base of our tree. This kept her from taking them and breaking them. Finding them has turned into a fun game we still play... I do wish I figured this out before the first few were broken!
2. Use objects from your surroundings or travels. Everywhere we go Presley comes back with treasures and I do too. On our trips to the beach we have sea glass, sea shells and sometimes sand. On our trips to the mountains we have pine cones and drift wood. Oh and rocks from every where, just haven't found a way to decorate with those! I digress... Where was I... Oh! We now have pine cones from Payson, Rancho Santa Fe and San Francisco! They are apart of our memories and apart of our decor (with a story). Not to mention free and seriously prettier than anything I've seen in a store.
3. Photos from Christmas Past. I place these images through out the house during this time of year. It's an easy way to to send your heart and mind back to the previous years. One of my favorite photos is of my nephew Dominic and myself, he must of been 7 or 8 months old. Looking at that picture I can remember that day vividly.
4. Children's Art. I really go crazy with all the art Presley comes home with. When she was little I decided I would only keep the art that was made for the holidays. I knew I could use these year after year and not just have stuffed in a overflowing drawer. Plus I think you'll enjoy these in the future.
5.Old Holiday cards. So it seems that I'm not the only one that has a hard time getting out my Christmas cards in a timely fashion. I love to display them but some years I get them and a week later it's time to take down the decorations. I also never wanted to toss them but didn't know what I'd do with them. Now I keep them and use them for decorations the following year. So from day one my card area looks full and colorful and I love to see how my friends kiddos have changed from year to year!
6. Homemade decorations. Crafts are something I've always loved but not everyone does. So make them simple! Stay away from Pinterest! I made the garland on the tree from burlap and string. I make a simple paper link garland in the past (in college and once with Presley). I made red paper stars a few years ago, when our tree didn't have enough color and I'm still using them! I've used paper snowflakes and origami boxes out of maps to cover white lights. None of which I saw on Pinterest but all things I learn to do as a child, sometimes I did have to YouTube to teach myself again!...
Whatever you do have fun! And if you have any rock decorating ideas please share.
Last weekend I had the pleasure of photographing the wedding in the picturesque location of Santa Barbara, California. This trip was the first time I have ever been to this city promoted as the “American Rivera” with “Mediterranean” type climate. The beach was beautiful, the sea food fresh and plentiful I felt like I was walking in a post card. In short this place is a destination not to be missed, making it a perfect location for a wedding!
The bride and I have known each other for 8 to 9 years. She lives in California so we have not seen each other too much but I have loved the time I have spent with her and adore her two boys. Michelle and I are “friends” on Facebook but she is by no means a “heavy user”. Lucky for me (somedays I’m not so sure of this) my business model requires I post on Facebook (and often).
Michelle had seen my work (on Facebook) and liked my style and wanted hired me for her wedding. At first I was a little apprehensive to say yes. I have every confidence in my work and I always put my whole heart into my work. My only fear was that the wedding would not be a good fit (more than 100 is a for sure no for me). Lucky for me after our first conversation with Michelle I knew we were a great fit. Then after our first talk I googled at the location-- I fell in love!
Which is part of the reason it took me a week to post any photos. I tried to just edit a few but I just kept wanting to edit more and more. So many photos and so little time! Not to mention the sessions I had this week...
Obviously I love the photos and the bride and groom were such a charming couple to photograph. They were stress free, low key and very loving with each other and having more places to take photos then we had time for was a good problem to have. Being with the bride and groom on their wedding day is always an honor, being with Michelle and Jerry gave me a chance to get to know them as a couple. Before the wedding I had only met Jerry once a few years ago and photographing someone is for me the best way to get to know them.
The location was stunning, the bride and groom were delightful and the energy of the day was beautiful. While photographing weddings I always work hard at keep my stress and excitement levels down, there are plenty of other people panicking enough for us all. My job is to use my camera to show the love and beauty that surround these two.
This beautiful photo was taken from our dock in Silver Bay, NY. Accompanied by a quote from Henry David Throeau.
This 6 page panel are photos I have taken around Silver Bay Inn that many of the summer EMP's may recognize.
This is one of my favorite photos. It's our campfire with pinecones burning on the bottom. The words are a fun addition.
Every summer it's harder and harder for me to leave our summer home in Silver Bay, NY. The people there (in Silver Bay and Ticonderoga) have become such a part of our life and happiness I'm not sure if it's them or the beautiful simplicities of the lake we all enjoy that keeps bringing us back. Being there it is hard not to be inspired and I'm left trying to find ways to share the natural beauty of the Adirondack Mountains with others within my art and in my life.
As our time this summer dwindled down I found myself and other visitors talking about how they just needed, "a little bit of Silver Bay" to last them until next year. On my return home the idea of this mini book came to my mind. I thought it could be a great way to share images of Lake George with others. The obvious beauty is something that you don't need to have been there to enjoy, most anyone would love the gifts the Forever Wild Adirondack Mountains have to offer.
One of the most enjoyable parts of creating this book was reaching out to some of my Silver Bay (SB) friends asking them to help me find words that reminded them of SB. Many of them came up with many more words than I needed which further reminded me how dear this place is to so many and for so many more reasons.
The book is available on my site and if you click on the images above you will be directed to a page with more information on purchasing the first of this series of Silver Bay books. These books will only be available until the end of this year. It is my plan to create two more books to go along with this first addition.
The photos do show three different colors of books but for now I am only offering the rustic red cover. It compliments the images very nicely. I'm hoping this first book is well received so I can make more and add a Ticonderoga book as well.