adventures in ashland

ashland, oregon is a magical place.

words cannot describe the fun had here a few weeks ago.

the energy in this town is vibrant & contagious.

sword fights, fire hooping, long boarding, tribal drum circles.

talented friends & smiling strangers.

a breath of fresh air.

let's go back.

a film review: anna karenina

“I think... if it is true that there are as many minds as there are heads, then there are as many kinds of love as there are hearts.” -Leo Tolstoy, Anna Karenina

i'm not sure what the general consensus of joe wright's version of anna karenina (novel by leo tolstoy) is, but i watched this film last night and can't stop thinking about how brilliant the cinematography was. a long-time lover of focus features and a fan of pretty much everything joe wright directs with kiera knightley, i had pretty high expectations. although i've heard that many people thought the movie was overworked with aesthetics, i felt it to be visually fascinating the entire time. there might have been a bit of a mis-cast with aaron taylor-johnson as vronsky, but i thought jude law did an amazing job in this serious role.
now, if only i could learn the beautiful dances they performed in the film. ah, to be a high-society aristocrat in the late 19th century...

sweet, sweet summertime

a thrifted hat and some new crystal love. a field of flowers and a mossy shed.

a denim skirt and high-top moccasins.

summer must be around the corner...

see twice the beauty

SHARE A RAINBOW WITH A FRIEND.. SEE TWICE THE BEAUTY

i see the world differently because of him. i see more beauty than i thought possible. i'm so thankful for his soul and spirit. for his imagination and energy. for his ideas and inspiration. & for his love for me.

greenery in the scenery

mary, mary, quite contrary. how does your garden grow?

giant bags of potting soil. dirt under my fingernails. an old shovel. a new rake. a watering pale.

succulents, herbs, perennials, annuals.

fresh romaine lettuce for salads; fresh chives for cooking; fresh mint for mojitos; fresh lemon balm for medicinal uses; fresh rosemary for cocktails; fresh oregano for seasoning.

so much greenery in the scenery & i'm in love.

an ode to mother's day

"i'll love you forever, i'll like you for always, as long as i'm living, my baby you'll be."

i miss all of our traditions. i miss coffee cake on my birthday; i miss special notes in my school lunch; i miss dancing to joe jackson in the kitchen; i miss roller-blading around the park; 

i have my mom to thank for a lifetime of memories. living 2,500 miles away from her is one of the hardest things, but i'm so grateful that she supports me in everything i do. this is my first mother's day away from my mom and i miss her like crazy. 

a world away, but always close to my heart. thank you for everything, ma.

dad, 1970

i wish a lot of things;

but near the top of that list is that i could have met my dad when he was my age in the 1970s.

(my dad is the middle man pictured above. 1970 in kansas city, headed to colorado)

the "diy" bell-bottom jeans and that backpack say it all. growing up, i had no idea how much like my dad that i would become; the good and bad. to this day, he is my best friend and inspiration.

i'm a lucky little girl to have such a cool dad.

thanks for everything, pops. my past, present, & future.

143, MB

cinco de mayo!

the 5th of may! for some reason, every year americans feel the need to celebrate the mexican army's 1862 victory over france. i think we just value any excuse to make fish tacos and drink margaritas all day. after work yesterday, josh and i joined some friends for some slacklining in the forest. josh has been itching to slackline more ever since our old line snapped in half one day at a park in memphis last year. (for those of you who are unaware, a slackline is similar to a tightrope, but looser, that you walk across and do tricks on). our old line was 1-inch webbing, so it was a lot of fun to play on our friend's 2-inch line yesterday. we played in the forest until the sun went down, and then, of course, made fish tacos.

happy may day

MAY is finally here.

living in oregon, "april showers" just mean "normal weather for another month".

before moving to the pacific northwest, i tried to mentally prepare myself for the amount of rain i was going to endure during several months out of the year. let it be known; there is little you can do to prepare yourself for this while living in a place like memphis, where the most moisture you feel is in the 60% humidity that clings to your skin. i have to say, though, i have a new appreciation for the rain, and more importantly the sun. i have come to feel peace during the overcast and rainy days here in oregon. i appreciate the rain, because without it, the moss wouldn't grow, the lime green ferns wouldn't flourish, the "woods" wouldn't feel like a jungle, and the SUN would be taken for granted.

 but MAY is here now. i wish for blooming flowers, warmer weather, & more sunny days.

photographs by the lovely linzy witherspoon. check out her blog & tumblr.

green clean: DIY natural laundry detergent

DIY natural laundry detergent:

1 cup Borax

1 cup All Natural Washing Soda

1 bar of *finely grated* soap (i use fels naptha)

-i also added a few drops of RAIN scented essential oils-

combine ingredients. mix well. use about 2 tablespoons per load of laundry.

store in an air-tight container. i store my detergent in mason jars, using old fabric or pillow cases to keep it tight. this is one of the easiest transitions toward a more natural way of life. & it's cheap!