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Hello! Just a quick note to say, I’ve moved! After careful consideration, I’ve decided...

Fri, 14 Dec 2012 18:38:10 -0500

Hello!

Just a quick note to say, I’ve moved!

After careful consideration, I’ve decided to switch from tumblr to blogspot…mostly because I can actually post high-res photos on the latter…which I’ve been wanting to do for quite sometime.

Anyway! It’s basically the same layout as before, just a completely different web address, so if you are looking for me, I’ll be HERE from now on.

Thank you for your cooperation.

xo.

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Last time we left off, I was heading to the pumpkin patch…. Thanksgiving quickly came and...

Tue, 27 Nov 2012 14:50:00 -0500

Last time we left off, I was heading to the pumpkin patch….

Thanksgiving quickly came and went after that, and last weekend, my dear friend Anne and I went into the woods and cut down our very own Christmas trees!

So now we are here. Just a few more days before December, and I am already listening to Christmas music like crazy, decorating the house and sipping mulled wine in front of our beautifully-lit tree.

When I was a child, I loved this time of year so much. The festive food and music, decorating the tree, all the twinkling lights- the prospect of SNOW (the presents didn’t help, either). Pretty irresistible, if you ask me.

I guess I’ve always been a rather nostalgic person- because I still love Christmas that much. I’m hoping this mix of a few of my favorite winter tunes will help get you in the spirit, too.

You can listen to my mix here.

Happy Holidays!

———WINTERLAND———

Christmas is Coming- Charlie Brown Christmas Album (Vince Guaraldi Trio)

Winter Lady- Leonard Cohen

Jingle Bells- John Fahey

White Christmas- Willie Nelson

Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas- She and Him

Silent Night- Johnny Cash

O’ Little Town of Bethlehem- John Fahey

Blue Christmas- Willie Nelson

Rockin’ Around The Christmas Tree- She and Him

Christmas (Baby Please Come Home)- Darlene Love

O Come, O Come Emmanuel- Sufjan Stevens

I’ll Be Home For Christmas- Bing Crosby

Photo credit here.

Fall has surely found it’s way to Portland. And that’s okay by me. Yesterday we went...

Sun, 14 Oct 2012 12:34:00 -0400

Fall has surely found it’s way to Portland. And that’s okay by me.

Yesterday we went to the pumpkin patch and I was struck by the richness in color from all of the trees that lined that highway on our drive out to Sauvie Island. Reds, golds, and greens blending in to what could only be the first signs of the new season.

Ever since I was a child, I have looked forward to this time of year, when the air gets crisp and I anxiously begin to think up lofty ideas and projects for the coming months. I am never without Holiday cheer.

I AM Holiday cheer.

Although my plans always include lots of ways to celebrate Thanksgiving and Christmas, I have to admit, I forget all about the everyday goals. The one’s that I happily make each time Summer rolls around.

So this year, I’m doing something a little different.

I’m still going to enjoy the Holiday projects I’ve already begun to fill my head with- but I’m also writing up a list of Fall/Winter Goals. Simple plans, the kind that can easily be done on any day.

Things like:

Write more.

Read more. (I used to be so good at finishing a novel in two days. What happened?)

Discover new hiking spots. EXPLORE.

Weekend picnics. (easily enjoyed after the above activity).

Make daytime tea drinking a ritual. (invite a friend to join me).

Remember what it’s like to use my film camera. Everyday. No matter what.

Bake often. It makes the whole house smell nice.

Happy Fall, guys!!

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The lovely Laura Dart, who photographed our wedding, recently put up some of the photos from our...

Fri, 12 Oct 2012 02:15:00 -0400

The lovely Laura Dart, who photographed our wedding, recently put up some of the photos from our big day on her blog!

Choosing a photographer for our wedding was not an easy task. As you can imagine, I’m picky- and there was much fret over it. When a mutual friend recommended her to me, I was thrilled! I knew that Laura’s style would mesh perfectly with the aesthetics and vibe of our wedding- and of course, she did not disappoint. Not only did she do a spectacular job documenting our day, but I am happy to now call her a friend. A win-win situation if you ask me.

The photos I’d like to share with you today are just some of my favorites from her post. Please have a look at her blog to see them all.

A few words:

John and I were married in a apple orchard, under a driftwood chuppah that we made ourselves. Almost all of our wedding, actually- from the tables we ate on, to the salt & pepper holders, bread platters and signs- was handmade (with love!) by the two of us.

I’ll admit it, it was a little crazy at times- and in the midst of making everything, we joked that maybe we had “taken on too much”. In the end though, we wouldn’t have had it any other way. Eating dinner in the secret garden, looking around at the beautiful people and the beauty we had created- it all felt so personal, so us- just as it should be.

Since the wedding, we’ve given most of the bread platters and the salt & pepper holders away to friends and family. Some of the tables have been given away, others broken apart and repurposed for our new wooden bed frame (more on that later). So you see, we’ve put everything to good use.

Thank you for letting me blab about the wedding again! Hope you enjoy the photos as much we do.

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On August 25, 2012, I was married to this man. And it was wonderful. It’s been so long...

Tue, 25 Sep 2012 13:18:00 -0400

On August 25, 2012, I was married to this man.

And it was wonderful.

It’s been so long since I’ve posted on here, I wonder, are you still listening?

If you are, well then, thank you for your loyalty and patience, and for sticking around.

I suppose that all brides feel the way I felt about our wedding: that it was the purest and most loveliest of celebrations, the most beautiful and special of days.

But, I tell you, it was.

Even now, as I think back on it all, my heart just feels so full.

We are both so incredibly grateful for the friends and family that helped us create the magic that happened. I have never felt so loved, so lucky, so happy. I wed my best friend- the love of my life- in front of so many lovely human beings, and then we drank and ate delicious food and there was so much laughter and merriment.

By the end of the night, my feet were dirty from dancing barefoot in the grass and there was a wine stain on my dress, but I had a ring on my finger and a flower crown that was still so fragrant with the smell of jasmine. Even after we finally got home that night, it took everything in me to not fall asleep with it on. I think a part of me knew that once that crown left my head, that sweet, beautiful day- our wedding- would be over.

Afterwards, there was the honeymoon, and I’m sure you could guess it was incredible, too. I don’t want to go on and on about it, because I think I’ve given you enough LOVE talk for the day.

I can say, however, that more photos of the wedding are sure to come, and (even though it’s kind of backwards) when I finally get around to developing the film from my “bachelorette” road trip, I’d like to share those with you too.

Everything has been moving so fast around here, and John and I are trying desperately to keep up with the pace. I feel like I’ve said that a lot lately, but it’s true.

We’re hoping things will finally calm down soon.

In the meantime, we are continuing to pack up our belongings, steadying ourselves for the goodbye to so many loved ones, and for our new life in Portland (we’ll be there next week!).

Hope your week is smashing.

a special thanks to halley roberts, who took the first photo, and to anne parker, who took the one below it.

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It’s funny the way summer changes things. I don’t just mean environmentally. It also...

Mon, 09 Jul 2012 14:15:00 -0400

It’s funny the way summer changes things.

I don’t just mean environmentally. It also changes the way we think (or at least, the way I think).

Summer makes me more adventurous; I want to drive new places, hike, ride my bike, wear less clothes, feel my bare feet sink into the sand, dirt, grass, mud. It also makes me more content with the simple things; like sipping lemonade (or gin!) on the back porch in the afternoon sun.

There’s something about the air; it’s warm (most of the time) and sweet and everything just seems so much more alive. Suddenly I notice my surroundings more, the endless blooming in nature, the shock of cold river water on my sun-kissed skin, the way the wind feels in my hair when I drive with the window rolled down.

Things have been so crazy over here lately, with all the planning and do-ing for our future wedding (and move). It’s been hard to slow down.

Still, I woke up this morning with a feeling of gratitude for the new day and optimism for what is to come.

A bbq; a midday walk; the sweetest smelling bouquet of flowers, gathered by a farmer’s granddaughter, purchased at last saturdays’ market.

Small moments, that become so meaningful.

To me, that is summer.

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I can’t get over how quickly my herbs are growing this year! The mint and oregano plants are...

Sat, 30 Jun 2012 00:10:00 -0400

I can’t get over how quickly my herbs are growing this year! The mint and oregano plants are doing especially well.

Summer, how you woo me so.

Tonight we grilled (again!) on the back porch, chicken and corn, which was thrown into a “mexican” style salad- something I made up recently when we wanted something spicy (that wasn’t are usual tacos).

We’ve been eating it all the time, it’s soo good. I’m thinking a recipe is in order, don’t you?

There have also been lots of fruit crisps. Lots. We’ve been baking them often, because even this early in the season, the fruit has just been so sweet.

My go-to recipe for crisp topping, is, of course, from Deborah Madison, via this book. It’s one of my cooking bibles. If you don’t already own it, shame on you.

In fact, i’d go as far as to say that if you don’t have a single Deborah Madison book in your kitchen, then i’m not even sure we can be friends.

Now that we’ve got that out of the way…

-i’d like to try the recipe for this granola soon.

-thinking these would be a nice send-off (for john and I) at our wedding. love that they’re eco-friendly.

-planning to make these candles, and keep them stocked on my back porch all summer long.

-been eyeing the bottles + vases from object & totem for awhile. so many beauties on their website!

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A few favorite snapshots, from a disposable camera I was carrying around with me for a while. The...

Tue, 26 Jun 2012 13:32:00 -0400

A few favorite snapshots, from a disposable camera I was carrying around with me for a while.

The entire roll was pretty much filled with shots of bbq’s, bare legs, swimsuits and picnics.

Feels like summer, doesn’t it??

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Last night john and I visited one of our favorite places- a spot at the top of a cliff (not far...

Mon, 25 Jun 2012 14:15:00 -0400

Last night john and I visited one of our favorite places- a spot at the top of a cliff (not far from where we live) that over looks miles and miles of eastern foothills and the Mad River that runs through it.

It’s a stunning sight; the view of the sunset from up there never fails to awe me.

This time, we brought up a special bottle of wine, and I made some blueberry crumble that we packed into mason jars to eat along side.

It was perfect- and felt fitting for a celebration- which was why we were up there in the first place. To toast and honor the memory of john’s father, on his birthday.

We sat in silence for awhile and just looked out at the vast openness. It was so peaceful and quiet that we didn’t mind how cold we were starting to feel (the wind had really picked up at this point).

We stayed until the sun had almost set, watching the colors change over the horizon, exchanging a few words to one another about john’s dad. We listened to the birds reply in the trees that surrounded us.

After words, we packed up our things and left, leaving behind the last strip of glowing light as it spread across the dark sky.

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Just finished looking through some older photographs of mine, which got me thinking about how...

Sat, 23 Jun 2012 21:12:00 -0400

Just finished looking through some older photographs of mine, which got me thinking about how much I miss doing portraits (the last one here is actually a self portrait).

These were a few of my favorites from a past series. Thought you might enjoy them.

In the meantime I should really try and photograph more. Really though.

<also, if you haven’t already noticed, the blog is going through a bit of a makeover right now. thought it might help liven things up around here.>

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Since today is actually the first day of summer, I find it an appropriate time to share my summer...

Thu, 14 Jun 2012 13:28:00 -0400

Since today is actually the first day of summer, I find it an appropriate time to share my summer list with you:

Looking forward to crossing these off my list as summer continues…..

In the meantime, check out my friend Anne Parker’s tumblr, summer goals- where she and her friend have created a lovely space for all things summer.

They’ve published a beautiful book, too!

source for photo above can be found here.

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Well hello there. I wanted to show you what we’ve been up to lately in wedding...

Wed, 13 Jun 2012 13:05:00 -0400

Well hello there. I wanted to show you what we’ve been up to lately in wedding world.

above:

John holding one of our sweet little save-the-dates.

and below:

Our wedding invites!

We worked so unbelievably hard to design these, and we’re awfully proud of how they turned out.

Everything was designed by the two of us, even down to the hand-written fonts, so we’re pretty attached to this project.

Hope you enjoy it as much as we do!

Next up: My to-do list for this summer. While you wait, check out my friend anna’s lovely blog, where you’ll find her own newly posted summer list (which looks a lot like mine, since we started ours together).

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For as long as I can remember, i’ve taken great care in organizing and curating my...

Wed, 06 Jun 2012 00:50:00 -0400

For as long as I can remember, i’ve taken great care in organizing and curating my environment.

When I was younger, I dreamed of having my own house one day….just so I could decorate it the way I wanted.

These days, that interest has naturally progressed into many areas of my life. It doesn’t really matter what medium i’m working with, because it’s always the same process:

I enjoy creating beauty and order out of visual mess.

I’m constantly changing and rearranging, until finally something clicks intuitively, and suddenly it just works.

When it comes to the home, i’m a firm believer that it should only be filled with useful and beautiful things.

If it doesn’t serve a purpose, or it isn’t lovely to look at, then you don’t need it.

This isn’t the easiest task though, am i right?

As human beings, we have a tendency to hold on to objects, to hoard, to keep stacking up more.

We live in a world that is moving so fast we can hardly keep up. There is always something else to buy or upgrade to.

But how about trying to let go a little bit more? To cherish what you have and simplify what you need.

To see worth not just in newness, but also in what is old and worn.

I certainly haven’t perfected this idea, of letting go. But each time I rid myself of something unneeded, or return from an antique or thrift store with a treasure that someone else has owned, I feel like i’m getting there…and it feels good.

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Excuse me, but… SUMMER is officially HERE!!!! We’ve had fabulous weather this...

Mon, 14 May 2012 22:59:00 -0400

Excuse me, but…

SUMMER is officially HERE!!!!

We’ve had fabulous weather this past week- and i’ve been enjoying every minute of it.

Besides graduating from college (finally!! woohoo!!), i’ve had a beautiful picnic at the river, grilled on the bbq outside more times than I can count, started to notice my freckles and tan coming back, and discovered that gin, meyer lemon and rosemary make for pretty much heaven in a glass.

Some other highlights:

-now that school is over, wedding planning is in full affect. get READY.

-the lovely photos on this person’s flickr.

-matchbook landscapes by krista charles, via miss moss. so many good ones!

-freshly dried oregano from my herb garden. can’t wait to use it on pizza.

-my best friend and i have been daydreaming about renting one of these by the amazing shelter co.

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I’ll be honest. I’ve been avoiding this, writing on here I mean. Although I do talk...

Wed, 11 Apr 2012 18:51:00 -0400

I’ll be honest.

I’ve been avoiding this, writing on here I mean.

Although I do talk about my life here, I think there are some things that i’d rather not share with anyone and everyone, things that are meant to be kept sacred.

…but then some things are hard to ignore, and I feel like I need to address this before moving on. So here goes:

John’s father passed away recently. It was unexpected, and it was awful, and heart breaking. There was, and is, deeply felt sadness.

But there was lots of love too, and family. We flew back for the funeral, and it was unbelievable, the amount of people that were there to honor John’s dad.

So many people.

And not just family and friends, but others whose lives had been touched in some deep way by his existence. he managed to do that a lot.

He was a man with a big personality, who loved life, and was continually generous to the people he loved. He was always that way with me, from the beginning, making me feel like family right away. I was really looking forward to calling him father-in-law.

He was greatly cherished, and he’ll be deeply missed.

….and that’s all i’d like to discuss on this topic here. I’m ready to move forward and post some not-so-personal stuff. But it didn’t feel right to go ahead without mentioning it, without honoring a man worthy of honoring.

Talk to you soon.

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Just a little sneak peak of our save-the-dates, which will be sent out this week! Can’t wait...

Mon, 12 Mar 2012 15:13:00 -0400

Just a little sneak peak of our save-the-dates, which will be sent out this week! Can’t wait to tell you more about them soon.

Yesterday was my birthday, and it was honestly one of the best i’ve ever had. We had an intimate dinner at our house, with an amazing group of people that I am lucky enough to call my friends. By the end of the night I couldn’t help but think how grateful I was to have such loving, beautiful friends in my life.

It was definitely a birthday to remember…

Other than that, we’re heading off to PDX today- and I’m sooooooo excited! Looking forward to spending time with some more wonderful friends, eating lots of good food, as well as picking up some more of our favorite Oregon pinot noir’s for our growing wine stash at home.

We’ll only be gone four days, but i’m very ready for this much needed mini-vacation!

Updates when I return.

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I’m always talking about light in photographs, but I think it’s because that’s...

Tue, 21 Feb 2012 17:25:00 -0500

I’m always talking about light in photographs, but I think it’s because that’s what draws me into photography in the first place.

I know that seems a given for any photographer, because inherently you are always dealing with “light”. But there are still other things to think about, like composition and subject matter. Although I think of these too, I believe I could safely say that nothing is more important to me while taking a photograph (or looking at one, for that matter) than light ambience.

I’m especially drawn to the soft, ethereal quality of natural light, and it seems like when I do have my camera with me, it’s what i’m after the most.

I’m also interested in the way shadows and light interact. I could make a whole book on shadows and light and they way the play against one another.

Oh wait.

I already did that.

But really. It’s kind of amazing how much photography has made me appreciate my surroundings more. There are mornings when I wake up and head outside for a jog, like today- when I catch myself actually mesmerized by the lighting, how it hovers over everything like a blanket, merging with the fog to make something magical.

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As much as I love a good rain storm and a little snow to keep things exciting during the winter, I...

Tue, 24 Jan 2012 14:50:00 -0500

As much as I love a good rain storm and a little snow to keep things exciting during the winter, I have to say, lately i’ve been really missing summer.

It’s not the cold, or even the rain that’s getting me down, it’s just that I miss all of the things you can do when it’s sunny and hot outside.

I found this list awhile ago, via a blog whose name I can’t seem to remember at the moment (sorry to whoever’s this is! if it suddenly comes to me, I promise to give credit).

It immediately sent me into summer nostalgia mode, and i’ve been pining for everything on the list ever since.

I suppose it’s a terrible idea- like bad luck or something, to post a summer list in the middle of winter. But i’m going to do it anyway, because it’s too perfect to hold off any longer, and maybe it will give us all a little boost to get through the months ahead.

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Today is the first day of my last semester of college. I’ve doing this for a long, long...

Tue, 17 Jan 2012 14:24:00 -0500

Today is the first day of my last semester of college.

I’ve doing this for a long, long time-

and let me tell you-

it feels good to know that it’s almost the end!

I’m ready (and excited) to move on to the next chapter in my life.

Wish me luck!

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This morning we woke up to snow, on the ground and trees and everything. It was beautiful. I ran...

Mon, 16 Jan 2012 15:08:00 -0500

This morning we woke up to snow, on the ground and trees and everything.

It was beautiful.

I ran outside with my camera and Sammy so he could play in it for awhile and I could try and capture all that white. Funny thing is, my favorites ended up being the abstracted photographs above- which I took from inside, looking through the window. They kind of remind me of paintings, and I like that.

also:

Some books from my current reading list.

Pretty lace and lots of white and stripes from my closet.

…and just because it’s so cold outside, an old photograph of John in summer light.

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