Tag Archives: love

{my new camera!}

26 Jun

i bought a new camera!

i have to admit, i felt slightly guilty about it at first, but i also don’t treat myself enough. and although this is a “treat,” it is also an investment.

my other camera is about 10 years old at this point. it is still reliable and does the trick, but it is definitely slower and much heavier than this new one. photography is a funny field in that you can invest as much or as little as you want into it. these days, our smart phones have just as many megapixels as some “professional” cameras. however, it is my belief that no amount of equipment or money can truly substitute for a good eye.

i recently read an article that had a quote that resonated with me :

“walker evans once said, ‘people always ask me what kind of camera i use. it’s not the camera, it’s –‘ and he tapped his temple with his index finger.'”

i can’t help but subscribe to walker evans’ approach to photography. it is my belief that no matter what kind of camera or equipment one uses to capture an image – if it is uninspired, that will be evident, and ultimately translate to the viewer. Continue reading

{a make-up blog : saturdays in the garden – volume six}

29 May

things are moving along quickly in the garden!! i actually harvested lots of kale this week and my dill is turning into a forrest! cilantro will only be here for a little while longer, and my peas are producing but will also begin to dwindle as the heat increases. i should be able to harvest some cucumbers next week. which means next month, i’ll be making some delicious pickles!! so so so excited about that!

on a community level, we have been donating over 15 pounds of collard greens each week and lots of radishes are going to donation, as well. our beans are starting to blossom, and the blueberries are coming in nicely. we also have tons of healthy tomato plants growing. june and july are the exciting months for gardening, as everything really starts to produce… i just love it.

and since i have fallen behind a little bit on updating on the garden, i am putting these fotos in gallery form, so i can squeeze them all into this post 🙂

{click on any photo to enlarge and scroll through gallery}


 

 


a {sort of} pano of my plot…

from left to right, counter-clockwise-ish :

jalapeños {hidden, back row} basil {back row}, peas {along left trellis}, lacinato kale, tomatoes {middle}, cilantro, celery, more tomatoes {middle}, cabbage, more kale {middle}, romanesco, more tomatoes, {middle}, cucumbers {along right trellis}, and dill.

i kind of planted in a zig-zag pattern…

i also squeezed in a few spinach plants throughout, but i’m not sure how they’ll fare.

thanks for following along!


how is your garden looking??! 🙂

 

 

{beachy}

24 May

i took a little drive down to the shore few weeks ago… and unbeknownst to me, it was spring break – so the beach was super crowded.

i pretended like no one was there, anyway. 🙂


 

i took myself out to dinner, which has become a tradition now, every time i visit the area. i’m in love with hieronymus seafood and i always get their steamer platter.

nom nom!!

i was a very happy mermaid… 😉

 

{happy mother’s day}

14 May

happy mother’s day to all you ladies out there!


 

 

{saturdays in the garden – volumes four & five}

13 May

i have been slightly slacking with updates on the garden. i have so many fotos to share, that i’m lumping {2} volumes together 🙂

a couple weeks ago, we had some eagle scouts come help in the garden. it was fun to see the boys get so excited about digging and planting.


 

as we prepped some of the community beds, we found some sweet potatoes! the boys were super excited about this part of the day! they collected probably 3 dozen or so, and i overheard one of them saying, “we are going to donate these!” – so charming. 🙂

i personally got so excited about this little frog i found under one of the tarps… i moved him away from the garden and let him go on his way…

planting beans!

planted okra in these plots…

radishes are so rewarding because they grow so fast!

we also planted some green onions and swiss chard…

i love it when someone brings coffee!

our garden leader shared some honey from last years harvest!! nom nom Continue reading

{saturdays in the garden – volume three}

15 Apr

things are moving along nicely at the community garden…

it’s so rewarding to interact with other people who are just as passionate as i am about gardening. having us all come together and work as a team to prep the beds and tend to the crops is just such a marvelous reality. it’s something i really wish that every single person on the planet could and would experience.

last week, we had some eagle scouts come and help work in the garden. it was quite fun seeing their excitement as they helped move tarps and logs and plant seeds. we uncovered some potatoes from last season and the boys were very eager to collect them all and “donate them” – which was so endearing.

i am forever grateful to be a part of this community garden and it pleases my soul so tremendously to engage in it all. my cucumbers, along with other plants, are sprouting and the peas are growing quite nicely… i can’t wait to share those fotos next week!

in the meantime, here are some fotos of recent days at the garden… i hope you enjoy.


 

things are growing!! radishes and lettuce…

kale and peppers…

tools!

laying mulch around the blueberry bushes…

looks so good!

transplanting raspberries…

i can’t wait to get my paws on some of those!!

fig trees! oh my, i’m excited about these, too!!!

happy bees!

side note : would you believe i got stung AGAIN!? this time – right on my nose! – i was shocked. the garden leader thinks it may have been my sunscreen, so i switched to an unscented version. let’s hope that helps! if you follow me on instagram, you saw the story. annoyingly hilarious.  Continue reading

{saturdays in the garden – volume two}

8 Apr

some updates on my community garden…


 

my uncle helped me make repurpose some materials and make these trellises for my peas and cucumbers. last year, thanks to a good friend, i learned a lot about vertical gardening… particularly, how it helps in maximizing space. since my plot is only 4 x 8, i was adamant about making sure to get the most food i could growing in there.

in particular, peas and cucumbers. they were the most fun to grow last year, and i had quite the bounty. not to mention the taste – so fresh and delicious!

i do love my garden!

another shot of my plot and trellises…

🙂 Continue reading

{saturdays in the garden – volume one}

25 Mar

do you love gardening as much as i do?!

i recently discovered that gardening is one of my most favourite things ever!

last summer, i participated in a community garden when i still lived in denver. unfortunately, i wasn’t able to blog about it due to crazy scheduling conflicts and lack of good computer/internet access. thankfully, that has all changed as of late.

this year, i am fortunate to again have found a community garden to participate in… and it’s right up the street from my house! my plot this year is only half the size of the one i had last year, but i am still super thankful and i can still grow a ton of food in this 4 x 8 plot. last year, i didn’t exactly know what i was doing, and i kind of over-planted. a lot of my neighbours jokingly called my plot the “cucumber farm” because i literally had to give away about half my harvest due to having such an abundance! {which was obviously a good thing, overall!}

this year, i am planting similar items, just not as much of it. i am eager to share the pictures and the experience as i go along, so i will be posting about it on saturdays.

and without further ado, here are some fotos from the journey thus far. i hope you enjoy… and please do leave comments if you wish, as i love to discuss gardening just about as much as i enjoy discussing and sharing fotography.


 

here’s what i’m planting this year…

last year, i made lots of pickles and tomato sauce with my harvest. this year, i’m planting romanesco, which i’ve never grown but as you may know, i’m in love with!

our community has an herb garden, and the mint is already coming up, and {of course} taking over!

there is also a blueberry patch, which i’m so excited about!

lots of little critters make this garden their home, as well…

we also keep bees, which makes me sooooo happy!

getting the garden ready for the season…

laying fresh compost, clay, and manure…

pulling weeds and admiring the kale…

that’s my plot! Continue reading

{happy valentine’s day!}

14 Feb

bleedinghearts

“the best thing in life to hold on to is each other.”

~audrey hepburn

{solstice “prosperi-tea”}

22 Jun

hey gang, happy summer!

i hope you are enjoying the season, wherever you may be reading this.

here in colorado, it has been very hot… like in the high 90s and even 100 degrees! yesterday, to officially kick off summer, i walked to my local pool for a dip. it was the perfect way to welcome in the new season!

another fun thing i did to celebrate summer and the solstice, was make this beautiful solstice summer tea… or as i named it, “prosperi-tea” … cuz i’m cute and nerdy like that. plus, it sounded super magical.

the idea came from an online source that suggested putting various herbs and flowers in a pitcher and sitting it out in the sun during the day of solstice. here’s what i put in mine :

fresh lettuce leaves, pea shoots, roses, lilies, strawberries, succulent, snapdragon, various flower petals, mint, and tons of sage.

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all of the ingredients came from my local community garden… the pea shoots and lettuce came from my plot! 😀

here is the finished product :

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someone said to me, “it looks like perfume!” which made me giggle. in a way, it IS like perfume in that it is made from beautiful summer flowers! 🙂

this lovely “prosperi-tea” was so easy to make and it was delicious, too! it was light and soft and refreshing. i also love the colour it developed! i put a lot of love into this tea as well, which i believe makes a big difference! 😉 ❤

—–

what did you do to ring in summer?

 

{notes from strangers}

21 Feb

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a customer left this on a table for me… and i pretty much melted.

it always feels so good to be seen.

❤ ❤ ❤

{“good friends are like stars; you don’t always see them, but you know they are there.”}

15 Feb

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thank you {again} for the lovely flowers, D.A.! 🙂

{my furry valentine}

14 Feb

like most pet-owners, i’m a little obsessed… and i’m pretty much in love with my cat. ❤

i mean, how can i not be – look at how cute my callee kitty is!!!!

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i love it when she stands like this or when she looks at me like that…

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and i love her crazy long whiskers and when her ears go back like this…

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she’s mildly playful, and also easily annoyed when her claws get stuck in things…

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and it’s fun when you scroll through film and find pics like these! 😀

i’m just in love with my cat! ❤

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{peas in a pod}

14 Nov

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{“a single rose can be my garden… a single friend, my world.”}

11 Nov

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-led buscaglia

{a blue moon wedding!}

22 Aug

there were such beautiful and intimate moments at this wedding, that at one point – i almost forgot to keep taking pictures! i was completely enamored, what can i say?!  these two are such magnificent souls… and their love carries such an intense energy with it that EVERYONE could feel!

they decided to wed on the blue moon, just three weeks ago, this past july. it was just the most beautiful day and only 20 people were present for the ceremony… and so was blue moon, the yummy beer.

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congratulations, a & a! ❤

 

{it’s my mama’s birthday!}

21 Aug

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it’s my mama’s birthday today… you may remember how i celebrated a couple years ago…

well, this year i am going to take myself out to do something special… and in honour of my mother {since i look just like her} and her birthday, i thought i would post these silly pics of myself… Continue reading

{summer lovin’}

12 Aug

lots to love this summer!

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eatin’ baked brie with caramelized onions, grapes, and strawberries…

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watchin’ silly movies and dressin’ for random weather… 

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servin’ farm-to-table meals…

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margaritas… and sunglasses…

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seein’ randomness… and plenty of beauty…

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eatin’ dessert with beer and wearin’ new hats…

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catchin’ rays and devourin’ tapas at happy hour…

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random sunrises and… other things…

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workin’ on puzzles… and completin’ them the same night 😉

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eatin’ on the patio and watchin’ sunsets…

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admirin’ the flowers and wearin’ them in my hair…

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tryin’ new cocktails… and appetizers… 

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and balancin’ that with lots of fresh summer veggies…

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and these!…

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takin’ selfies… and stayin’ true to me…

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havin’ friends who are chefs!!!!… 

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for real… i have some SUPER talented friends!!!!….

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keepin’ an open eye… 

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red lobster’s crabfest!… and the boozie drink they served me… it came with a sidecar of gran marnier… which, i was lovin’… and which also totally made me buy dessert! {key lime pie!}

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cloud-watchin’….

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fresh beer and BLTs… and coffee! 

and i’m lovin’ the fact that my hair is finally growin’!

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what are YOU lovin’ about summer?!?!

🙂

{“you can learn a lot of things from the flowers…”}

27 Jun

… “especially in the month of june…”

{alice in wonderland}

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my roommate brought these gorgeous flowers home from work recently and i gasped with glee when i laid eyes on them… then i immediately grabbed my camera, of course! actually, i waited until about 6:00 the next morning, then took them out on the balcony and sipped my iced americano while snapping images of these amazing beauties. i just love mornings… and i LOVE morning light… especially this time of year!

such pretty tulips, orchids, peonies, and greenery!

i am inspired by LIFE. not necessarily by the world, and the way we live, but by LIFE itself. these flowers are alive, just as we are. i was inspired by the stillness of these flowers, the stillness of nature… how nature just IS. the sole purpose of these flowers is to simply be. if anything, they just long for us to look at them, to bring awareness to them. and i believe when we “stop and smell the roses”, we can connect with them, with nature, in such a way that can offer stillness and peace to our own lives. after-all, i do believe we are just as much a part of nature as nature itself.

i love what eckhart tolle says about nature :

“Even a stone, and more easily a flower or a bird, could show you the way back to God, to the Source, to yourself. When you look at it or hold it & let it be without imposing a word of mental label on it, a sense of awe, of wonder, arises within you. Its essence silently communicates itself to you and reflects your own essence back to you.”

eckhart’s words resonated with me and i’ve carried them in my heart over the years. when i felt the glee i did upon seeing these flowers, i was reminded of that quote… and i thought i would post some pics of these gorgeous flowers along with some of my favourite quotes regarding stillness, spirituality, or love.

i hope you enjoy and i hope this brings some stillness to the mind and a warmth to the heart.

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“the earth laughs in flowers.” ~ ralph waldo emerson

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“the intuitive mind is a sacred gift, the rational mind is a faithful servant. we have created a society that honours the servant and has forgotten the gift.~ albert einstein

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“we need to find God, and he cannot be found in noise and restlessness. God is the friend of silence. see how nature – trees, flowers, grass – grows in silence; see the stars, the moon and the sun, how they move in silence… we need silence to be able to touch souls.” ~ mother teresa

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“there is a voice that doesn’t use words… listen!” ~ rumi

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“if we could see the miracle of a single flower clearly, our whole life would change.” ~ buddha

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“after women, flowers are the most lovely thing God has given the world.” ~ christian dior 

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“the best teachers are those who show you where to look but don’t tell you what to see.”                                      ~ alexandra k. trenfor

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“yesterday i was clever, so i tried to change the world… today i am wise, so i am changing myself.” – rumi

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“and when you gaze long into an abyss, the abyss gazes also into you.” – fredrich nietzsche 

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“be kind whenever possible. it is always possible.” – dalai lama

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enjoy the weekend! ❤

 

 

{foto friday : for the love of food!}

26 Jun

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brunch! – w/ salmon lox, bacon frittata, cherry almond scones, fresh fruit!

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living butter lettuce!

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nicoise salad!

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danish cream-puff pastry!

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bacon, mush, tomato scramble over arugula!

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happy hour with fine ladies!

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farm-fresh eggs!

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oozing danish chocolate cream puff pastry!

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tomato pesto turkey salad!

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snacks!

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vegan dinner! – w/ yucca fries, corn on the cob, quinoa, and garden salad!

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classic cobb salad!

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potato waffles! – w/ creme fresh and smoked salmon!

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flank steak salad! – w/ red peppers, zucchini, mozzarella, and chimichurri!