Mountain Excursions and Weather Boycotts

This weekend we took a journey up into the mountains outside of town to take in the changing colors and nature in general. I can now check another thing off of my list (Number 24!) . Although, sadly, the trees really haven't changed that much, but we did take a mountain excursion, which never happens! It was nice to take a drive and get away from the world for a few hours. 

Tonight, the groceries have been bought, the laundry is in the wash, the house has been cleaned, and now I am boycotting the weather. The last few days have been far too hot for it being close to October. I'm drinking tea and burning a bunch of apple cinnamon candles. 

Take that hot weather. Bring fall back. 

Number Five

I successfully am able to cross another item off of my 25 Things Before 25 List! 

Yesterday my friend Katie and I unpacked my craft/art room! I'm so excited. I still have so many fun ideas for this space, but for now, at least the room isn't full of boxes. I wish I would have taken a before photo as well. 

This weekend has been quite productive....Finished editing a wedding, picked up my house, unpacked the art room, went grocery shopping (starting a new eating plan tomorrow, EEK!) 

Now if only I could get the desire to organize our mess of a garage. Maybe next weekend. 

(source) 

MORE TO COME.....

#9!

We made it home from our wonderful vacation on Sunday night, after two days of my lovely husband driving us all the way back to Fort Collins. (He's awesome like that.) 

Now, reality has hit. My to-do list is forever growing. Part of me embraces it and the other part wants to run for cover. I realize more and more how un-spontaneous I am in many things in life. Routine sometimes is my biggest downfall, yet also sometimes my biggest triumph. I grasp on to all of the lists and all of the goals. Yet, sometimes you just have to get in the car and drive without a destination in mind and be alright with that. 

I wish I had an easier time figuring out how to dwell  in between the chaos and the control. It's a constant lesson. 

Currently, I'm editing photos like a mad women for our friend's wedding that I shot before we left on our trip. I couldn't bring my editing stuff with me so these photos were left in Fort Collins and seemed to call me back to them the whole trip. Now I will edit, edit, edit, edit, edit...

A bit of a sneak peak.... (I won't post photos of the actually wedding party, etc until I have full permission from them...) 

Photography makes me feel so alive. 

On another note, I can mark something off of my 25 Things Before 25 list! This one came around A LOT quicker than I thought it would and I didn't even spark the conversation this time. 

9. Have the Baby Talk! 

Ryan and I have decided when we will start trying to have a family. I realize that God is ultimately in control of all of that and we are constantly willing to go His route verses ours, but we have set a tentative time period that will allow us to somewhat financially prepare and allow me to get my body and health in tip top, baby making condition. 

It's almost weird to even talk about it! For so long I never thought I would get to this point. But, alas, the mama bug has actually bit. Craziness. 

Needless to say, I'm excited. 

And to our mothers..... I promise it is a plan that will not go into action for quite a while. No babies for us yet! :) But, someday you shall be grandmothers! 

Portland, OR

25 Things Before 25 (Continued)

Here is the rest of the list, the remaining 10.....

16. Pay off all of our debt

17. Have date night once a week

18. Paint our kitchen cabinets

19. Go camping 

20. Take photos of our house and blog about it

21. Find/Create art for our walls

22. Use my camera weekly, for something other than business

23. Write a new song

24. Go on a drive/hike this fall to see all of the changing colors in the mountains.

25. Do the Couch to 5k challenge (I’m almost scared to write down this one....) Oh boy. 

Part of me is so excited to get home so I can start on the list. I can mark one off that occurred yesterday. I'll reveal which one a bit later. Needless to say: I'm excited. 

Since I didn't blog yesterday, here are photos from our trip to the Oregon Coast. Oh how I have missed the ocean. 

We are off to Portland this afternoon. I can't wait to see that city once again. 

25 Things Before 25

Most of this has nothing to do with our vacation.....

Today was very low key, spent driving from Seattle to Longview for what seemed like forever. Once we hit L-town, I got a pedicure with my long lost friend Liz and then we all went to dinner. Nothing to crazy, but still wonderful. 

As I've been on vacation, I always start to build up my massive to do list for the time when we return. Everyday I get further away from reality and everyday my to do list continues to pile up back where I left it. I've hardly taken the time to realize that we are approaching my favorite season of all: fall. This season is full of boot-wearing, coffee drinking goodness that I look forward to every year. If it could be fall all the time, I would be entirely alright with that. 

I've been thinking a lot about my goals for this year. I even glanced back at my Four Simple Goals post from earlier. I've been working towards a few of them, but not nearly at the intensity I would like. 

Here's the beginning of the list: 25 things to do before I turn 25....

1. Plan for a garden this coming spring
2. Grow out my hair
3. Write at my typewriter at least once a week
4. Get HEALTHY! 
5. Unpack and organize my creative space
6. Buy a new car
7. Create a blog schedule/blog button
8. Save enough money for camera equipment
9. Have the baby talk 
10. Create a business plan
11. Paint some walls
12. Read a novel every month 
13. Actually work on our yard and make it look nice
14. Be able to fit into my jeans from when I moved back home
15. Go through my clothes and donate the ones that have been in my closet for years

I'll post the remaining ten goals tomorrow.... 

Seattle: Day Four (In Black and White)

Little words this evening. Seattle in black and white.

When words become unclear, I shall focus with photographs.  When images become inadequate, I shall be content with silence.  

-Ansel Adams

Seattle: Day Three

I JUST REALIZED THIS IS MY 100th BLOG POST! Exciting!

Anyways....

Being in this city makes me realize just how much I miss this part of the country. You breathe a little easier (literally), the culture is rich with the bizarre and the out of the box, and there are a billion record stores in which I could drop entirely too much money on entirely too much vinyl; not to mention the fact that there is a good coffeehouse on nearly every corner that is just as unique as the city itself.

We began the day slowly with a french press and lounging around for a few hours. I rarely ever get the chance to just chill and rest, so those few hours were very welcomed and very needed. I tend to run at about a million miles an hour or more, depending on the week. Our lives are filled with band practices, photoshoots, church, work, etc, etc, etc. Our schedules carry on swiftly, usually far before us, to the point where I never feel like I can successfully catch up.

Vacation is needed. Rest is needed. That is why we are here.

We ventured out to a lovely shop called Cupcake Royale and indulged in a cupcake and a coffee.

We then found our way to probably two of the most glorious record shops I have stepped foot in. They were filled with people that actually seemed to love their jobs and were deeply passionate about vinyl. Can I own a store like that? Pretty please? We picked up “Heartbreaker” by Ryan Adams and “For Emma” by Bon Iver. Once we return home, our musical ears will thank us.

We just returned from Mars Hill Church and I feel encouraged and even more rejuvenated then when we walked in the doors.

I even got a new Bible. I have so many sitting upon myself that are falling apart, with binding falling out and covers missing; it was time. This one I am intensely excited about as well. It a “journal Bible” with sections on the side to write to my heart’s content. That is yet another reason why I love to buy books instead of borrow them: I mark them up like it’s nobodies business. That’s the way it should be. Every page you read becomes more of you and what you’ve drawn from each word and sentence.

Tomorrow, we are journeying to a Vintage Mall. I can hardly hold in my excitement. Tomorrow’s goal: find a typewriter.

I love this city.