a new favorite hike!

Our first winter in Portland has been GORGEOUS. It barely rains & has been consistently in the 40s & 50s since November. I know it's uncommon weather, so Burton & I are enjoying it as much as we can! Future winters probably won't be as nice :] On a beautifully clear day, we discovered a new favorite hike! The trail starts with a loop around Mirror Lake, where we saw Mt. Hood peeking out. Myla wasted no time diving into the water!

Mt. Hood followed us as we trekked up up up for about 2.5 miles. The sunshine was so bright at about the halfway point that we could barely photograph us with the mountain.

At the top! We had 360 degree views that were absolutely BREATHTAKING! And because it was so clear, we were able to see three extra mountain peaks in the distance: Mt. Jefferson, Mt. Adams, & Mt. St. Helens!!

Despite how windy it was at the top, we hung out for a good 20 minutes, taking it all in. Burton even surprised me, pulling a celebratory beer out of the CamelPak. This is the good life :]

surrounded by beauty

 

 

"Look deep into nature & you will understand everything better." -- Albert Einstein

Burton & I recently re-hiked Angel's Rest Trail. If you'd asked me 10 years ago if I was interested in hiking, I probably would've looked confused. Growing up in flat Florida, I'm not even sure if I fully understood what hiking entailed. But now, it is one of my absolutely favorite hobbies! As long as the weather's decent, I'd probably do it every weekend. It's free, stress-reducing, healthy, fun, & visually astounding. Plus, it makes my dog super happy & I share some of my best chats with Burton on our excursions :] Have you enjoyed nature lately?

15 things to do before 2016!

Happy New Year, everyone! I hope you had a wonderful holiday season & are as excited as I am about 2015 :] I am a big believer in learning/growing/improving in various ways each year & love goal-setting, to-do lists, & reflecting. My goals for 2014 were mostly a success - I read more than just the 10 books, contributed more than $5k to our house fund, got tattooed, & crocheted a BUNCH - but I didn't meet all my goals (& that's okay!). I should've exercised more (are you surprised?), I didn't do all 10 Pinterest DIYs, and I wound up buying some waterproof clothes to adapt to the Portland weather, but c'est la vie :] I'm proud of myself & loved 2014. It was a great year, but I'm excited to greet 2015. So here we go...

15 Things to Do Before 2016!

1. Begin grad school!
2. Read 15 new books (this will be book #1)
3. Start selling my artwork at craft fairs
4. Teach at only one school for the 2015-2016 school year
5. Send snail mail at least twice a month
6. Put at least $5K in our house fund
7. Make the meal represented each month in this calendar
8. Travel internationally!
9. Update my blog at least once each week
10. Learn to print with linoleum blocks
11. Become more comfortable with using a kiln
12. Get my weight down to the 150s
13. Try a new crock pot freezer meal at least once a month
14. Use Duolingo for 15 minutes each day
15. Possibly consider the idea of maybe starting a family?!

I'm ready to start tackling my new list. Burton even gave me the cutest planner for Christmas, to help keep me in line ;] I hope you all have a fun, safe New Years Eve & an exciting new year! XO.

new year's resolutions, half-year progress

14 THINGS (I am trying) TO DO BEFORE 2015

1.  Go without buying a single item of clothing.

This has been going surprisingly well! With all my downsizing and wanting to live minimally, I haven't been as tempted to buy frivolously. It feels good to not even waste time digging through clothing racks when I'm near a cute shop (which there are a ton of in Portland!) However, there have only been a couple times when I've caved, either out of necessity (my first raincoat) or cuteness ($10 Lauren Conrad sweaters?!) but Burton bought them for me as a gift, so I felt less guilty. Still counts, right? ;]

2.  Successfully finish my 3rd year of teaching. No longer a rookie! DONE!

3.  Create at least 10 small crafts or DIYs from my Pinterest boards.

This is a work in progress, of which I'll post more about once I'm done with all ten crafts. But here's a sneak peek: painted salt & pepper shakers!

 

4.  Make the meal represented in each month of this calendar. Going strong!

5.  Prepare at least one meal from this cookbook each month.

While we are using this cookbook, it's not as often as I would like. This month, we'll be making a somewhat healthier version of their chicken pot pie.

6.  Put at least $5K into our house fund. DONE!

7.  Drive across country, see some sights, and… DONE!

8.  Move to Oregon! DONE!

 

9.  Delve into my new work life & make good first impressions.

While I did land a teaching job(!!), I won't really be able to make this goal happen until the school year starts. But I'm ready :]

10. Learn to live minimally. We're now living in 350 square feet, so DONE!

11. Exercise at least three times each week. 

We're doing pretty good! Burton & I were going on 5k walks every day before we moved, but now that we're teachers with the summers off in Portland, it's a little trickier. While we are walking & biking to get around & hiking for fun, it doesn't feel like exercise. We just hope we do enough to counteract all the delicious calories we've been consuming out here :]

12. Read at least 10 new books.

• Wildwood Imperium
• When We Were Older
• When I Found You
• The Joy of Less
• One More Thing
• The Goldfinch
• The Fault in Our Stars
• Greyhound
• The Moviegoer
• Ham on Rye

13. Learn to crochet.

I bought the tools, now I just need to devote the time. I'm probably going to join a creative meetup group or attend a couple classes at nearby yarn shop (you can crochet AND drink wine, amongst fellow crafters!) 

14. Get a new tattoo??? It's been 8 years since my last tattoo, but I've actually been craving getting another lately. Just need to actually sit down & design something!

hitrecord, episode #1

If you haven't heard of Joseph Gordon-Levitt's project HitRecord yet, you should check out the first episode. I love the creativity & collaboration behind each project. Watching strangers work together to make something beautiful is, well, beautiful! I can't wait for more episodes to come out!

PS; if you enjoyed this, you might also enjoy Soul Pancake's feel-good videos :]

hello, 2014!

 

Starting a new year is always hectic & exciting! Burton & I rang in the new year with fancy clothes, good friends, & yummy food. I actually wore my prom dress & Burton wore his wedding vest! We like to recycle ;]

Did you make any resolutions for 2014? I don't care much for them because they can sometimes set you up for disappointment, but I do like making to do lists! I try to make a list of things I anticipate accomplishing for each new year, but dropped the ball in 2013. Probably because Burton & I were honeymooning in Costa Rica at the time & just forgot (but you can see 2012's here!) Anyhoo, here are my goals to turn 2014 into a kick ass year:

14 THINGS TO DO BEFORE 2015

1.  Go without buying a single item of clothing

2.  Successfully finish my 3rd year of teaching. No longer a rookie!

3.  Create at least 10 small crafts or DIYs from my Pinterest boards

4.  Make the meal represented in each month of this calendar

5.  Prepare at least one meal from this cookbook each month

6.  Put at least $5K into our house fund

7.  Drive across country, see some sights, and…

8.  Move to Oregon!

9.  Delve into my new work life & make good first impressions

10. Learn to live minimally

11. Exercise at least three times each week

12. Read at least 10 new books

13. Learn to crochet

14. Get a new tattoo???

I've already started working towards some of these by throwing away clothing catalogs & coupons that come in the mail. We've also been decluttering like crazy, selling things on eBay & craigslist, & donating the rest. It feels GOOD. I'll check in at the end of 2014 & see how well I did. Hope your year is off to a great start! I don't know about you, but I've got a really, REALLY good feeling about 2014 :]

Firsts

Tonight, Burton & I went to our first tailgate ever (notice that I didn't even have a team shirt to wear). We had a BLAST. It was almost a culture shock for me at first, but now I totally get why people do this. I still hate football, but I would definitely tailgate again. And by "tailgate" I mean hang out with friends, eat scrumptious food, drink lots of beverages, & play lots of cornhole. Yeah, I'd be down for that.

 

Speaking of firsts, Burton & I ran our first 5k a few weeks back! I guess I forgot to update about that (sorry!), but that's another thing I would definitely do again. It was called the Armageddon Ambush & it was full of obstacles, mud, colored powder, & fuzzy feelings of accomplishment. Actually, I'm going to go look & see which 5k we should sign up for next :]

soul pancake: feel-good videos!

Have you heard of Soul Pancake? No?? Well, I'm about to make your day. Soul Pancake is a video series that tug at all sorts of heartstrings. I watched one, then another, & before I knew it, I had watched a dozen. These videos are uplifting, insightful, & especially good for watching on a rough day. Here are a few of my favorites, so check them out! I promise you'll smile :]

YOU ARE BEAUTIFUL: positive self-image lesson

A forensic artist draws women as they describe themselves.

Then compares it with another drawing, with descriptions coming from friends.

WONDERFUL! Every lady should see this :]

pep talk

:]

pinterest overload

You know I love Pinterest as much as the next girl! But as inspired as I get when pinning up a storm, I get so overwhelmed when I look back at all my pins & realize how few them I've attempted. So I'm making a goal to try my hand at (at least) 10 Pinterest crafts this summer. I know I'll be a busy bee with our trips to Portland & Israel (more on that later!) but I think I can do it. I'll be posting about each one of course & I'm so excited :] Nine more weeks until the end of the school year!

painting up a storm!

 

I have a bunch of pretty new things up for sale in my Etsy shop! Go check it out & use promo code BACKINBUSINESS at checkout for 15% off until the end of March :] I'm on a painting spree & I just can't stop! Mainly because I'm getting ready for my goal of participating in an Art Show/Craft Fair within the next year! Exciting things are happening!!

daily dose of pretty things!

  

   

Via Pinterest :]

getting better with age

I know I'm still a youngin', but lately I've been concerned about aging well. Maybe it's the health kick we're on, or maybe it's thoughts about becoming a mama in the next few years, but lately I've been wanting to make sure that I age gracefully. From what I hear, now's the time to start little habits that will have big pay offs when I'm older.

My own mom & grandma have always given me silly little tips like "Moisturize upwards because you're fighting against gravity!" or "Always apply foundation around your eyes with your ring fingers because they have the most delicate touch". But I was looking around for some other tips besides the ones we've all heard before: Always wear sunscreen! Get 8 hours of sleep! Don't smoke!

I found this article, "Aging Gracefully, the French Way" & thought it had some of the most refreshing perspectives I had seen! French women try to always keep a steady weight, yet think of gyms as torture. They'd rather walk around town or take a diet pill instead. Their insurance sometimes even covers facials, massages, & other spa treatments! The article has a ton of different ideas & is fun to read, like a window into another country's perspective on beauty. Here's just one of my favorite bits:

Beauty is a tradition handed down from generation to generation.

“My grandmother always told me, ‘Never neglect yourself, not even in the tiniest details,’ ”

:]

loved this

 

Check out 20 other pictures that will restore your faith in humanity.

Also, 13 steps to get you through a rough day. Because everyone has one sometimes.

boot camp!

Now that it's summer time, Burton & I are cracking down on our health & fitness. We've put on a few pounds over the school year because teachers love bringing in cookies & brownies. It's just so hard to resist, dammit. So we're kicking carbs to the curb, drinking only water, & getting our asses in shape. We even have a Getting Our Asses in Shape chart, see?

 

Burton & I both have the same goal to lose 30lbs. & the great thing about having Burton by my side is that my lack of will power doesn't stand a chance to his determination. He has already quarantined all of our cereals, pasta, & granola bars, & he's always pushing me a little bit more when we're exercising. The other day, we were coming back from a long bike ride & he said, "Did I hear you say that you wanted to run around the block one time when we get back home?"

"What?! You're crazy."

"Okay, two times."

 

We're only a few days in & we feel great. I'm sure we'll be pretty darn close to our goal weight by the time the next school year starts up. & we'll definitely be lookin' mighty fine for our wedding! 5 months to go!!

PS; I looove this girl's weight loss blog. Super motivational :]

stuff no one told me

 

 

  

 

Alex Noriega is a cartoonist with a quirky blog & this awesome series called "Stuff No One Told Me". I just love his adorable illustrations paired with words of wisdom! These are a few of my favorites, but you can check out many more here :]