photo walk // spring.

photowalking: the act of walking with a camera for the main purpose of taking pictures of things that the photographer may find interesting.

getting outside is by-far one of my favorite things to do.  there's nothing quite as cleansing as being in nature.  & at times, when i'm out walking, running, or biking i'm blown away by the beauty that nature delivers.  recently, while walking radley & inspired by the gorgeous spring blooms, i decided to take photos of some of the sights along the way.  

this was a fun exercise.  and while researching the idea of a photo walk, i found that there are meetups and annual events focused around the concept of a photowalking.  very cool & very inspiring.  i look forward to doing one of these again and quite possibly with a local meetup. 

please note, all photos were taken with my iphone.

currently.

currently our garden is growing & i'm still in awe of our little broccoli.
currently spring cleaning and re-decorating.  there's something about a fresh space that makes us feel alive.
currently i'm trying my hand at watercolor.  i'm super proud of how this experiment turned out & can't wait to share the final project in a couple weeks.
currently crafting is the name of the game.  from watercolor to quilting, i'm feeling ridiculously inspired.
currently we're still enjoying the benefits of birthday flowers.
currently loving a rearranged bedroom and morning light through sheer drapes.
currently finding new restaurants in san diego to enjoy.  sometime a killer sandwich is the answer to all problems.
currently loving this quote.  it makes my heart happy & soul wild.
currently i'm still happiest by the sea.  add surfing, family & bonfires and an ordinary weeknight becomes extraordinary.

currently.

we got cable!  it's been about 8 years since we were last connected to "the real world" so this is quite the novelty.  right now we're enjoying the olympics (so much), homeland & the walking dead.  i have to say, the olympics...man oh man...i'm such a sucker for almost every event, but hearing the athletes stories are the best.  i tear up every single time.

i'm swimming and biking quite a bit.  i haven't been able to get into running since the half marathon, so i'm giving myself time to get focus on some other activities.  the best part of living in san diego is that we can do this year round...and swimming outside in the middle of february?  i'll take it!

project life 2013 is finally complete.  i'm so happy to be done with that project.  while i loved it, it was a lot of work and i fell seriously behind.  when i was working on september in november there was a time i didn't think i'd finish.  but i kept my head down, wrapped up this massive project and love every single bit of it.  months ago i was assessing what i'd do this year and decided i'd keep it up but on a much smaller scale...like month to month.

i'm trying to get better at snail mail.  there's nothing better than a sweet note from friends to brighten the mailbox blues, so i'm doing my best to spread cheer far an wide.  i love how this blogger is scattering love.  totally inspired.

celebrating andrew in a big way.  for over a year he's been working diligently to get his instructor pilot license and just yesterday, he passed his check ride.  he's stoked.  i'm stoked.  this is very exciting news for us.

lastly, for the past 6 weeks, i've been taking a pottery class with my mom.  there's something so grounding about playing with clay.  the process is frustrating and rewarding and we're loving it.  if the next 6 weeks weren't already full, i'd be taking the class all over again.

books of 2013.

atonement// the bone season// the girl who fell from the sky// a short history of nearly everything// gone girl// the happiness project// the kitchen house// mary coin// persuasion// wild// the fault in our stars// still alice// start// the seven spiritual laws of success

when we first moved to san diego i was desperate to get involved in something- anything- and so when a good friend of mine invited me to her book club, i jumped at the opportunity.  looking back, it's one of the best decisions i've made.

growing up, i read a lot.  i was the kid who had my nose in a book at all times & loved getting lost in riveting stories.  as i got older and life became more complicated my love for books never went away, but reading definitely took the back burner.  if i read 2-3 books a year i was lucky.

so now, being part of a book club with required reading, has forced me to make time for reading.  not everyday and maybe not for long periods of time, but enough that i have to finish reading one book a month.  at first i thought the pressure to find more time in my day was going to drive me to the brink, but as it turned out, slowing down and taking those much needed reading breaks really helped me recharge.

some of the books i read over the past year were awesome- like affected my life and inspired me big-time awesome- and others...well, not so much.  we have 10 ladies in our book club and each month (with the exception of the 2 breaks we take during the year) everyone picks one book during "their month."  this creates so much diversity in what we read- and i love that.  it gives us opportunities to experiment with books or just pick something we've been wanting to read for years.  but it also leaves room for some seriously dry novels.

i don't want this post to be a giant book report but i thought it would be nice to share some of what i've read over the past year (and maybe a couple opinions!) with you (and your book club perhaps).  i'll try and make some time to share with you what i'm reading this year, but for the time being, i've broken up these books into a few categories: must read, library rental, and snoozefest.  (please note, these reviews are totally my opinion.  also, i have nothing against renting from the library- i just tend to buy the books i love!)

must reads:
the girl who fell from the sky- a heartwarming story of loss and love.
the happiness project- definitely one of my favorites.  there's a lot of great goal setting ideas and interesting to get started on those things you've always wanted to do).
the kitchen house- an amazing novel.  you can't help but build a love/hate relationship with so many of the characters.
mary coin- a beautiful novel that does an amazing job bringing a single photograph to life.
wild- my hands down favorite book.  i laughed, i cried, i yearned for adventure.  this was the book my friends- the book that affected me to the core.
the fault in our stars and start- a total tear jerker.  i love a book that makes me cry.
smart- great read.  mostly because it's totally inspired me to find my awesome.  i'll be re-reading this one for regular inspiration.

library rentals:
gone girl- predictable but entertaining
still alice- an interesting perspective on alzheimer's
the seven spiritual laws of success- love the concept of this books and the applying daily laws

snoozefest: 
atonement
persuasion

so there you have it.  the books of 2013.  if you take me up on any of these reads, i'd love to know your thoughts.  also, what are you reading now?

around here.

around here, we're getting back into the grove after a much-needed vacation to syracuse.
around here, we're enjoying sunsets and picnic dinners at the beach.
around here, we're continuing to celebrate our eight year anniversary.
around here, a. is studying for his commercial pilot licence & i am in my first week of a new job.
around here, we're striving for balance.
around here, we're making menus and cooking dinner every night (some meals are much better than others).
around here, i'm making lists and monthly goals- determined to get through at least some of them.
around here, i'm reading a short history of nearly everything by bill bryson & the seven spiritual laws of success by deepak chopra; both of which i'm enjoying.
around here, i'm excited about writing and getting back into blogging once again.
around here, we're finally settling in & finding our spots in this mighty city.

currently.

march, what a month it's been.  between all the festivities, a new job, a trying to keep up with our day-to-day life, blogging as always, took the back seat.  part of me is okay with that and another bigger part of me, wishes i was a better multi-tasker & life-balancer.  but that's for another post.

currently, things around here have been wonderful, adventurous, surprising and so enjoyable.  for the most part, our weekends have been engulfed with activities, like we're desperately trying to make up for the frenzy of the week.  we had the pleasure of taking to the seas to go whale watching, hosted a couple fun family dinners & spent a few days dining out on the town.  most recently, we celebrated easter and i was shocked to walk into a fantastic thai-themed surprise party.

this month was anything but normal.  i'll share some of these adventures with you over the next couple days and hopefully some other forgotten posts that unfortunately, were left in the dark when i signed off from this space weeks ago.  

enjoy your tuesday & let's meet back here tomorrow! :)

february via instagram.

february, like most months these days, seemed to fly by.  despite the chaos of our move and my personal lack of goal-oriented motivation, it was a good month.  we managed to fill our days with everyday tasks and in those not-so-ordinary moments, enjoyed some wonderful adventures around southern california.  

here's my monthly instagram collage full of these magical memories.

currently.

currently, life is good.
currently, we're sleeping on an air mattress with no furniture except a couple folding tables, chairs and recently purchased lamps.
currently, we're loving it.
currently, we've set up a tent in our room for movie watching and to otherwise entertain our nephew.
currently, we're exploring san diego by air & sea.  both sights completely rock.
currently, i'm catching up with old friends and it's as though our time apart never was.  friendship is awesome.  i love it, and them.
currently, we're waking up with the sun.  ready to take on the day and our new jobs.  
currently, we're loving the gloomy weather & rainy days.  it's making our hearts sing.
currently, we're eating in.  every night.  and while we only have one pot and pan to our name, we're enjoying the process and the creativity that limited supplies bring.
currently, i've begun project life.  it's taken me a while to get into this process- but i know now it's something i'm going to love.
currently, the final touches on the last of the road trip blankets have begun.  this one has taken far too long to finish, but i think it's beautiful nonetheless.
currently, we're living minimally and happily with very little to complain about.  again, life is good.

around here.

 here's to the start of a new week!

lately i've been all across the board, so things have been rather random.  i'm in the process of trying to get in the habit of working out after waking up.  i tend to get bored after doing the same thing, so i've been mixing it up with pilates, swimming, biking, and running.  i'm hoping to get back into trx training- but baby steps my friends.

due to my buying local challenge, i'm taking time to frequent the farmers markets & local craft fairs.  i love talking to the different vendors and getting re-accustomed to what's seasonal in southern california.  my favorite part?  riding my bike to our local farmer's market.  it's completely down hill on the way there, making for a rather enjoyable ride back to the house!

speaking of getting re-accustomed- i'm still trying to figure out how to settle into the in-law's house.  they've graciously offered to let us stay, but as is the case with being a house guest, it's been really challenging to get comfortable.  the transition's been interesting & i'm missing having my own space to craft, think, and just be.  

crafting's on the brain these days.  i'm loving the idea of a diy christmas, but without having the proper space to work & make a proper mess, it's becoming more stressful than it should be- so i'm still trying to figure out what to do.  my mom's creating quite a bit and has invited me to join her- so that's been a fun outlet.  last night for example, we made a living wreath.  more on this later, but i dare say i'm obsessed.