Born and raised in the Pacific Northwest I feel most alive surrounded by trees and breathing in the fresh mountain air.
When I am not working you will most likely find me spending time outdoors, volunteering with my church and exploring this beautiful planet with my family.
This is my place to share my passion for life and to encourage you to take time to find the extraordinary in your life.
The colors of the beach are like a freshly painted watercolor. Subtle, moody and intoxicating all at once. When I am at the beach I am reminded of its many textures and patterns. The way the tide forms ridges in the sand as it retreats or how the clumps of grass grow on the bluff. There is a certain amount of freedom felt at the beach. Maybe it is the endless stretch of sea before my eyes or the fluidity of a bird's flight. When I am at the beach I get the sense my life is boundless.
How often do we focus on the negative things in our life? The people who irritate us, the parts of ourselves which need improvement or the circumstances which we cannot change. Are we as quick to rattle off the things we love about our spouse as we are to complain about the things they do which bother us? What if we used all this wasted energy to focus on the things we like or which bring us joy in this life instead.
One day a few weeks ago, I was feeling particularly frustrated. There are many situations in my life which are completely beyond my control and at times it is easy to feel powerless. Rather than let this get the best of me I decided to walk around the house and photograph all the tiny little things which I either appreciate about this house or which bring me joy.
What do you do to turn your bad attitude around or how do you prevent your mood from turning sour in the first place?
With the buzz of the Super Bowl in the air, a lot has been mentioned about the 12th man in Seattle. There are signs, flags, and posters adorning windows, cars, houses and even the Space Needle. I have a couple of girl friends who are avid football fans, so in ode to them I thought it would be fun to honor the 12th woman.
Valentine's Day is the perfect excuse to show the important people in your life you are thinking about them. Here is a round up of some perfect ideas for the hostess with the mostest in your life.
When I was young I dated a man who told me how he wanted to be so in love with his wife that they would call each other during the day just to say "I love you". Being young, and fiercely independent I remember thinking this was just about one of the most ridiculous things I had ever heard. Needless to say, shortly thereafter we broke up.
Many years later, I am happy to say I cherish being part of a marriage like that. My husband has shown me the enduring power of love and made me a better woman. Sure we have our ups and downs, but there is no one else I would rather be holding hands with on this journey through life. He has a smile which lights up a room and is more devoted than any man I have ever known. Happy birthday my love! I think you are the best, but most importantly the best for me.
Although Bora Bora is beautiful, it is a journey to get there. From Tahiti or Moorea it is an additional one hour flight to Bora Bora. If you are lucky enough to have good weather during your flight, you can enjoy seeing all the different islands from above. If not, hold on and prepare yourself for a bumpy ride.
f you are anything like me then one day you suddenly realized you have acquired a large clear vase collection. As much as I enjoy seeing the stems in a minimal vase, in the Winter I crave texture. I happened to have a ball of thick, cream yarn lying around and decided it would be fun to wrap it around the vase. It was easy enough to do, I simply made a loop around the vase and tied the ends together. Then I wrapped and wrapped the yarn around the vase until it was to my liking. It was such an easy, little to no cost change to items I already had lying around.
Over the long weekend we went on a mini vacation to Long Beach, WA. Although we typically think of the beach as a warm weather destination, the idea of long walks on the beach and storm watching without crowds sounded ideal. We stayed at the Adrift Hotel, which is the perfect blend between minimalist, modern and environmentally friendly. One of our favorite parts of the Adrift Hotel aside from the location were the beach cruisers they allow guests to check out for no additional charge. In Long Beach, we spent countless hours riding our bikes along the Discovery Trail stopping often to soak in all the swoon worthy scenery, visited lighthouses and poked around town.
Once you are married, it is easy to fall into the habit of either calling everything you ever do a date or never going on dates. Although we are not perfect at making this a constant priority, I like to think we make it a concerted effort to go on a frequent amount of dates.
Valentine's Day is the perfect excuse to show the important people in your life you are thinking about them. Here is a round up of some perfect ideas for the little one in your life.
With Valentine's Day less than a month away I have been reminiscing about some of the most romantic trips we have ever taken. For the trip of a lifetime might I suggest a vacation to French Polynesia, more specifically to the island of Mo'orea. Mo'orea is located eleven miles northwest of Tahiti, you can access the island either by taking a ferry or a short fifteen minute flight. When possible we like to travel like the locals, so us and several dozen elementary school children boarded the ferry one perfectly beautiful morning bound for Mo'orea.
A quick and easy way to create a festive Valentine treat is to decorate the top of cupcakes. You could either make your own cupcakes or purchase some from your local bakery. With a cookie cutter as your guide you can easily create XOs or hearts in a couple of minutes and turn regular cupcakes into festive ones.
One sunny day while we were in Utah, we set out to go snowshoeing at Canyons. Once we rode the gondola up we realized the only way to go snowshoeing was to take a tour. Say what? With a $60-$70 price tag per person we decided we would find somewhere else to go because snowshoeing should be free. (i'm just saying…..)
After we enjoyed our free snowshoeing we headed to downtown Park City to refuel and do a little window shopping. We ate lunch at Bandits Grill and Bar and had the yummiest pulled pork. We also did some window shopping and two stores in particular stood out to us: Prospect, a men's and women's clothing store and Root'd, a home decor and interior design boutique. It was a lovely day and I reminded how much sunshine, good company and fresh air make for the perfect day.
One of the biggest perks of becoming a parent is the opportunity to see the world through new eyes. Life is just more fun with everything is approached with an enthusiastic smile or wide eyes. For those of us who are not currently housing an adorable baby or toddler what other ways can this child like wonder and curiosity be infused in our own lives?
Invite someone along to do something you frequently do.
Valentine's Day is the perfect excuse to show the important people in your life you are thinking about them. Here is a round up some perfect ideas for your friend, sister, niece or girlfriend who lives far away, but you still want her to know you care.
After the holidays there are so many excellent reasons to send cards. Notes to hostesses, thank you notes for gifts, and the ongoing need for birthday cards. Instead of rushing out to the store, why not make these festive handmade fringy cards. All you will need is the following:
Few people were as constant as my grandparents in my life. Growing up, we had the unique opportunity to be the only grandchildren on my mother's side. We were spoiled, loved and cared for in a way which would not have been possible had there been more of us. We knew where we stood and that we were a priority. I figured everyone talked to their grandparents on a weekly basis and had them visit for months at a time. It was not until I was older I realized this was not the norm.
Christmas Day was blue skies and sunshine. Since we had already celebrated Christmas a few days prior we spent Christmas morning snowshoeing up to Dog Lake. In Washington, our mountain passes have received virtually no snow this season, so we were delighted to find snow, Icicles, and snowshoeing trails galore. As we started out on the trail Cameron was asked to be interviewed by a local news station. Not one to be camera shy, he eagerly talked about our preparations and plans for avoiding the dangers of avalanches. Later that evening, much to his delight he had made it on the local news.
Something has been amiss this Winter. It wasn't until snow was swirling around us while we snowshoed that I realized what it was. As much time as I devote to being outdoors, I have missed the magical feeling of being surrounded by snow. I have longed to be in my winter wonderland, a place so familiar and inviting my heart skips a beat as soon as we arrive.
Valentine's Day is the perfect excuse to show the important people in your life you are thinking about them. Here is a round up some perfect ideas for the outdoor enthusiast in your life.
