looking forward to a healthy year… mind, body, and spirit.
i want to take a moment to sincerely thank you all for being a part of my life. for taking the time to read what i write, for enjoying my fotos, for your emails, your comments, your jokes, and your love. i appreciate every word and interaction and cherish each one dearly. some of you have been along for the ride since the very beginning… and it just means so much to me to have you here! ❤
pizza… and me in this hat!
geese everywhere for days… and creepy, unexplainable masks…
culturally cool bikes… !
large groups of ninjas practicing with swords… and this…
stickers on electrical posts… and graffiti in hidden spots…
broken glass that looks like art… and bright colours…
stickers everywhere for days… especially funny ones…
this cool lamppost… !
tweety bird driving {what appears to be} a pimped-out dunebuggy… and awesome murals…
bbq pulled pork sammy w/ mac n’ cheese & a rich brown ale… flank steak salad w/ chimichuri…
breakfast! w/ salmon, avocado, & a purple sweet potato… a variety of cheeses & caviar!…
hearty tomato soup w/chicken salad over a bed of arugula… a beautiful spread of tapas…
mixed green salad w/carrot ribbons & cilantro dressing… potato waffles w/creme fraiche & smoked salmon…
potato parmesan soup w/garlic foccacia breadbowl… pastrami sammy w/ceaser salad…
colourful roasted fingerling potatoes… israeli cous-cous w/ fresh herbs over a bed of spinach…
eggs benedict two-ways… prosciutto & manchego pop-tart w/ balsamic glaze drizzle…
lots to love this summer!
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eatin’ baked brie with caramelized onions, grapes, and strawberries…
watchin’ silly movies and dressin’ for random weather…
servin’ farm-to-table meals…
margaritas… and sunglasses…
seein’ randomness… and plenty of beauty…
eatin’ dessert with beer and wearin’ new hats…
catchin’ rays and devourin’ tapas at happy hour…
random sunrises and… other things…
workin’ on puzzles… and completin’ them the same night 😉
eatin’ on the patio and watchin’ sunsets…
admirin’ the flowers and wearin’ them in my hair…
tryin’ new cocktails… and appetizers…
and balancin’ that with lots of fresh summer veggies…
and these!…
takin’ selfies… and stayin’ true to me…
havin’ friends who are chefs!!!!…
for real… i have some SUPER talented friends!!!!….
keepin’ an open eye…
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!}
cloud-watchin’….
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?!?!
🙂
❤
i just love my kitty…
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i had never seen her do this, up until about 3 months ago…
people-watchin’ with plants…
last day in the tiny house…
hey gang – how’s the new year treating you so far? did you make a bunch of resolutions? are you off to a healthier new you?! seems like many of us make those kind of promises in honour of the new year.
me?! i moved… again. and so i figured it was time to clue you all in.
i’ve missed blogging… but i have literally been living like a gypsy for the past month – and i simply didn’t have time to update as often as i had before. plus, my camera is still broken so i haven’t been fotographing as much. i’ve been relying on the trusty iphone to supplement in that regard… but this will all change very soon… it’s just life, i guess.
in my last post of 2014, i mentioned that i had to leave the tiny house… it was something i wanted to do but also something that was hard to do. it wasn’t so much that i wanted to leave the house, it was more that i wanted to leave the area. it’s a beautiful place, but i am simply not cut out for the cold weather or the culture. if i could have taken that tiny house and put it on wheels to travel with me, i so would have. but alas, it’s a stationed tiny home and that wasn’t an option. c’est le vie. it was an experience i will never forget, and one that changed me and molded me into who i am today.
anyway – i can’t go into the whole story because i could seriously write a book about the circumstances around my final decision to leave the valley. it was just a series of events, some unfortunate, that paved the road to open up new directions in my life. and i have no regrets about it. i feel content in my choices and in the things i’ve learned, and i am excited for a new beginning in my life.
i’ve always been one to change my surroundings if i feel the need… and this move was no exception. home is truly where the heart is… so as long as i have ME, i’m good.
and so without further ado, here are some snaps of the haps in january… enjoy! i look forward to reconnecting with you and hope you all are well!
this message really helped me as i made the final decision to leave colorado… the best word i can use to describe all the feelings… bittersweet.
i will miss seeing the deer in my front yard every morning… that’s for sure.
as i was packing and downsizing even more, i came across all these notebooks i saved from all my years working as a shift leader in NYC. i miss that job and that city so much, but it was an experience like no other and one i will cherish.
fracking is a big thing in colorado – i would see signs all the time and people in the town where i lived were not at all ashamed of expressing their opinions on it… do you see the hand-painted sign on the bottom? it reads : “fracking gassholes” — haha! i loved it.
i took myself to breakfast here on moving day… it’s called heidi’s deli. they make one of the best pastrami sammies i’ve had this side of the hudson… i will miss them.
… and their ham, swiss, egg, and avocado croissants!
i swear i wear this hat every day, lately…
i was nervous moving in january… it’s not something i tend to plan out, what with unpredictable weather and all. but i was so thankful that wedged in between all the snowy days, was sunny friday – the day i moved my things out of the tiny home.
i left this for the new tenants… cuz i’m like that.
i also “left my mark” under the kitchen sink… 😉
moving day lunch – cubano tacos. AH-mazing.
while in gypsy mode, i was staying with some friends out in the sticks… literally. i helped them chop and stack some wood for the winter… okay, mostly i stacked. 😛
i’m learning to incorporate more salads into my diet in winter… my dear friend miss M taught me about the simplicity of putting cooked veggies in with your greens to add more dimension and warmth during the cold months… so simple, so easy.
gettin’ artsy with a clementine…
… and some window light!
who wouldn’t love cooking your oatmeal on a wood stovetop?!
i was SO thankful to be able to spend plenty of time in the private hot springs near carbondale… it was so healing, so sacred.
doesn’t this look so bizarre and cool?! it looks like some kind of alien snow crop circle or something… but it’s really just an indentation from a cross-country ski pole…
the roaring fork…
this reminded me of new york…
never grow up…
moving day dinner… i will miss the local grass-fed burgers!
ran into a little weather on actual moving day…
i’m so grateful my chauffeur {kind of a joke – a good friend drove me the entire 8 hours to my destination!} was fully prepared with snow tires!
…and i’ve pretty much been eating a lot since i got here!
homemade vegan pizza…
with tons of fresh mushrooms, spinach, garlic, and jalapenos!
good wine, good friends…
and my goodness, is it warm here! and i love that!
❤
hey gang – how’s winter treating you?
i really don’t wanna jinx it, but this time last year we had like double the amount of snow, if not triple, that we do now. we had a storm blow through this weekend, but nothing really accumulated or even fell from the clouds. i’ll probably get chastised for saying this, but i am perfectly fine without all that cold white stuff. {i do, however, like to see it flurrying down my screen from wordpress tech wonderland…}
i’m still in the holiday spirit, though. my tiny tree has been up in the tiny home since thanksgiving weekend and i’ve been watching tons of christmas movies and listening to christmas albums. i save “home alone” for christmas day – i wouldn’t say it’s my favourite, but it’s just one of those classics i have to watch every year. my favourite christmas movie ever is probably “love actually” ❤
what’s your favourite christmas movie?!
i also plan on pretty much not taking off this santa hat until december 26th. i have two cowlicks in my hair and when it’s short it’s fine, and when it’s long it’s fine… but i’m in the funky “growing out my hair” phase and sometimes throwing on a hat is the only way to get through my day and be happy about my hair. this time last year, it was about the same length, but i got impatient and cut it all off. this time, i will persevere! 😛
occasionally we get some really cool clouds up here. have you been looking up in wonder at the sky lately? …you should, and often.
LOVE : that wonderful feeling that can present itself in many forms. and sometimes the only place to find it is in a sticker plastered on a bench at a bus-stop… but it’s still there! ❤
a random salad i whipped up : brussel sprouts, cabbage, bacon, tart cherries, flax seeds, and parmesan cheese in a french vinaigrette. i admit i do not eat nearly as many cold salads in the winter… i just can’t get down with cold food in the cold months. but i do try to squeeze in some raw greens when the mood strikes me.
as a child of the 90’s, peace signs were kind of cool when i was growing up. we drew them on our notebooks, put pins on our backpacks, some of us even got tattoos of the peace sign! but it’s kind of weird to me that you don’t often see it anymore – at least not like we did when i was a kid. seeing this peace sign drawn in permanent cement made me smile – it’s there forever, dammit! 😛
something so simple as a wreath does so much for my holiday spirit. perhaps they remind me of my mom, in a way… i am pretty sure she would make them and we always had them on our doors, growing up. my neighbour thoughtfully bought me this wreath for the tiny house door… Continue reading
happy october!
happy non-gmo month!!! yay!
lovin’ these gloves i scored at a thrift shop…
they are perfect for halloween! 😉
stewin’ maters…
and makin’ ’em into a meaty sauce… nom nom.
pretty radishes!
scary spider… but not really that scary.
frost in the mornings… it’s a regular thing, now.
feathers on eggs… not a regular thing, but i think it’s SO COOL!
wearing beanies…
{crazy over-exposure!}
and aspens… !
and buying yourself flowers…
and eating tomatoes…
and squeezing in final trips to the farmers market…
and seeing snowfall above 10K feet…
and enjoying breezy landscapes…
and making {chicken tortilla} soup…
and eating {chicken tortilla} soup!
🙂
hope you all have/had a terrific weekend!
…this random hash with onion, garlic, potatoes, bacon, tomatoes, and kale.
…this. *giggle*
…subtle reminders.
…these $5 birks i scored at a thrift store in moab – never been worn!
…fresh halibut – worth the splurge!
…fishin’ somewhere near paonia.
…creating farm-to-table meals with elk meatballs, wild boletus mushrooms, sauteed swiss chard, fresh salad.
…my new job.
…a perfect tomato from a friend’s garden.
…making wishes at the wishing tree.
…a beehive, right by my house!
…the fact that peach season is officially over… i enjoyed one final one for desert after the bronco game.
…my tomatoes are finally taking off.
…tomato bounty!
…glowing sopris… {and the fact that it’s still been nice enough to even wear sandals!}
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enjoy your weekend!
… i took this kickass foto…. that i just love. ❤
{oh – and it rained like, a ton!}
… i was housesitting, and this awesome little chicken was one of eleven that i had the fortune of feeding and watching while the owners were away… they are so cool!
… i had this for breakfast : a sausage & cheese croissant roll, two flax seed chocolate brownie muffins, and my trusty half caff americano {with a little cream}…
… i totally saw this dead snake in the road………. oddly, the first one i’ve seen at all since moving here.
… i made my famous morning smoothie………… a few times 😉
… i looked up at the sky.
… i took a silly selfie on the bus and tried to be all discreet but made myself look even sillier… 😛
… i harvested these absolutely beautiful organic cherry tomatoes and some mixed baby greens from the garden outside of the house i was sitting…
{so grateful!}
… and i added in shredded chicken, olives, cucumbers, sharp cheddar, red onion, and dressed it in a french vinaigrette… YUM!
… i saw like, four billion ants………… i wonder what they were all working on…
… i saw these carrot-tops poking through a cute little community garden…
… i ordered and devoured an entire 12 inch pizza called the “BLT” from my favourite local spot… it’s seriously like eating a blt on a round pizza pie : “crispy bacon, smoked provolone, garlic, onion & house-made sundried tomato pesto topped with shredded leaf lettuce tossed in our famous house-made ranch” it’s one unique and delicious pizza. they serve the lettuce and fixins’ on the side so you can dress it by adding the lettuce topping at the end. it is AHH-MAZING! one of my favourite pizzas, for sure!!!!
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happy sunday!
and, always be sure to eat a lot of {healthy, colourful} food and take a lot of {awesome} fotos!! 😉 ❤
hey gang, how’s your week been?!
people kind of freak out when they find out i’m not on instagram. part of me feels like i should be, since i’m a fotographer and all… but honestly, just keeping up with my blog is time-consuming enough. i left facebook over a year ago, and i don’t plan to go back or add in any new social media to my life. i started this blog so i could keep all the happenings of my life in one place online. thank you to each one of you who follow, read my posts, comment, engage, and make it all worthwhile! 🙂
here are a few pics from my week… i hope yours was great and your weekend is even better!
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i had a “moment” with my favourite coffee barista this week – i walked in to get my half-caff americano on ice and he greets me with a smile and says, “the usual?!” i giggled and said, “awww, i have a usual – and you remembered it!” hehehehee
i’ve been eating these yummy buffalo taco boats – and i can’t wait to share the recipe!
double rainbow over mount sopris…
i’m so jealous of my cat… who sleeps {sometimes in awkward positions} 80% of the day…
these have been breakfast all week…
love this snowmass sticker i saw on the bus – 81615.
i’m constantly reminded of my former coworker and friend, yarrow… it grows pretty wild here!
selfie in the sun… it’s finally feeling like summer!!!
this is what i see on a typical monday night…
i met this adorable tabby at the bus stop one evening… i named him “gary” – he was so sweet!
❤
selfie.
awesome local gardens.
this.
and this : “each moment of the year has its own beauty.” – ralph waldo emerson
soaking up the sunset.
playful portraiture with callee cat.
sigh.
head in the clouds.
reminder.
callee has recently become a lapcat… she never used to lay on my lap and let me pet her and now she’s always climbing all over me – especially when i’m sitting at my desk blogging. so – apparently my kitty callee says hello, everyone! 😉
squeezin’ in some vitamin D anywhere i can – even on my lunch-break…
speaking of vitamins, i am trying these new kickass 100% organic food-based vitamins from garden of life. and how happy was i to find my favourite quote ever inside the box?!?!!! 😀
watching sopris emerge from the clouds…
taking more shameless selfies : featuring new shades…
i was having a nice moment with this cute little bunny… until a loud truck drove by and scared her away…
yep, those are two ladybugs… *ahem* …on an asparagus stalk…
bloomin’ onion…
how do you feel about ravens?! they are always all around me… practically everywhere i go.
have a nice weekend, ya’ll!
i have some sad news…
my camera broke recently… and so i haven’t been able to really take any new fotos of anything… it’s been a real bummer… because i’m not sure i can fix it… and i’m just trying to stay positive and really focus on the things in life that make me truly feel GOOD… and i’m thankful to have a phone with a camera so i can capture moments in my life that are memorable… i mean, even if one doesn’t have a camera, i feel it’s important to stop and make a conscious memory of the things that make us feel good…
yanno, the things that make ya go “mmm” …
… like perfectly-priced happy hour 4-oz samplers of four amazing local brews… {can you guess which one was my favourite?!}
… and a sampler snack platter to compliment including savory tomato jam, perfect stone-ground mustard, multi-grain crackers, goat cheese, hard salami…
… and catching a rainbow…
… and seeing artists repurpose all kinds of amazing stuff… like bikes! …
… and other artists being silly and engaging through chalk…
… and doughnuts. mmm, DONUTS!!!!!! *homer simpson drool sound*
… and relaxation time in {mostly} solitude…
… and visiting a friend’s house… who happens to have a great sense of humour…
…and sunbathing under blue skies…. SO BLUE!…
… and random stickers/graffiti that remind me of new york…
…and this. i mean, i do live in colorado 😉
… and GMO-awareness-obsessed-car-owners…
… and lions mane mushrooms…
… and, as always, mount sopris…
food & foto 