bye bye august

its the last day of august and i am really looking forward to september. 

 i have lots of projects planned and so much to share. 

a few photo shoots, fun recycling projects, and big plans to make my inspiration space into my inspiration room.  i cant wait!!

my new treasure

i had to share my favorite new anthropologie necklace. 

 its an early birthday gift from my mom.

we don't have a store here in alaska, so when i was in cali i made three visits to their beautiful store.  i love everything they have, but honestly i spend most of my time in the sale room!!

i love to dig for great finds with a great price tag. 

growing up so fast

i cant believe the first day of school has come and gone.  the summer goes way too fast.

here are my 6th and 3rd graders on their first day.

my daughter and i share a love of great jeans so i had to take a picture of her adorable little hudson jeans!

my boys and their fish

my husband, my son and my father in law with the silvers they caught a few nights ago. 

 alaska is known for its wild salmon and one of the best rivers for fishing is in our backyard. 

i am so glad they enjoy it so much and have a chance to get out and enjoy what alaska has to offer. 

sunshine and a good book

a nice afternoon in the sun with a great book!

so as i mentioned before we haven't had much sun this summer.  the last few days have been so wonderfully full of sun and i am trying to spend as much time out in it as i can.  school has started which officially kicks off fall in alaska.  the mornings are a cool 40 degrees and the nights are getting longer. 

more california

the four cousins decided to dress up and so we took some really fun photos with them in their great grandmas old amazing things

my brother and his family being goofy

my kids and their 91 year old great grandma

my brother and his wife

it was such a great trip and as always way too fast.  we are still missing the sunshine state and our family so much.  we will all be together again at christmas for a trip to orlando.

wedding favs

here are a few of my favs of c & k's beautiful wedding.

free yourself

after turning 30 a few years ago i realized something.  i realized i was finally comfortable.  i was comfortable with me.  with each year that passes i become more content with myself.  i look forward to my approaching birthday and being able to free myself even more.   

i am so thankful i have an amazing support in my husband.  he is truly my best friend and soul mate.  we surround ourselves with friends who love us for who we are and we love them just the same.  life is too short for judgement and negativity so we have freed ourselves of the joy suckers (people who suck the joy out of your life). 

believe in fresh starts and new beginnings.

the capacity for hope is the most significant fact of life.  it provides human beings with a sense of destination and the energy to get started.

-norman cousins

believe you are here for a reason.

believe in something big.  your life is worth a noble motive.

-walter anderson

believe that the best is yet to be.

do not let your fire go out, spark by irreplaceable spark, in the hopeless swamps of the approximate, the not-quite, the not-yet, the not at all.  do not let the hero in your soul perish, in lonely frustration for the life you deserved, but have never been able to reach.  check your road and the nature of your battle.  the world you desire can be won, it exists, it is real, it is possible, it is yours.

-ayn rand

painted path

i want to share a blog that is truly inspiring, painted path.  julia and i met many years ago and just reconnected through our blogs.  i am so glad to have found her again and have the opportunity to be inspired by her writing and artwork.   

find her at writeyourselffree.blogspot.com

or check out her paintings and jewelry on etsy

enjoy

a sneak peak

a little peak at the wedding i photographed a couple of weeks ago

things i love about california

the amazing fresh fruits and vegetables.

eating all our meals outside

hanging out with the family

hanging out at the pool

shopping and sunshine

we made it home to alaska and needless to say we are missing california. 

the kind life

i just started reading this book by alicia silverstone.  i have been wanting to read it for quite some time and i am finally jumping in.  i am very passionate about health and eating to fuel my body so i am always looking for books to read.  every now and then i need a little inspiration to keep me going (especially after vacations and eating way too much scrumptious food).  the kind diet  is just what i needed to get my eating habits back on track and remind myself why i chose this lifestyle.

five years ago i decided to become a vegetarian which doesn't really go along with an alaskan lifestyle, but i am so glad i made the choice.  it has been so interesting and i have learned so much.  

please share with me any inspirational books you think are amazing because i would love to read them-thank you!

memories

when i was younger i loved gymnastics.  my daughter now shares the same love. 

 she attends our local gym back home, but while she has been in california she has been attending the same gym i attended about 25 years ago.  

today was so much fun as i watched her practice, and i even talked with my old coach, but he didn't remember me.  

sunshine with my kids

so its tuesday and i made it to california on sunday morning. 

 it was so wonderful to see my kids and give them big hugs. 

 i missed them so much.  the weather here in cali is so nice.  

85 and sunny everyday that i have been here.  

here are some veggies from my families garden. 

 everything is so fresh and yummy.

sprinklers and sunshine-so nice to see some summer!!

charming gardeners

one of my favorite flowers are daisy's. 

 it works out great that they grow well up here in the arctic. 

 the sun came out for a few minutes the other day sooooo i decided to break out the new camera and take a few pics of my fav flower while my favorite kids are in cali.  so amazed at what my camera is capable of. thank you canon

let us be grateful to people who make us happy;

 they are the charming gardeners who make our souls blossom.

-marcel proust

i received a card with this quote from one of my great friends jessie.  i cherish this card and keep it at eye level in my new inspiration work space. 

alaskan caviar

alaskan caviar

i have been able to experience so many things in my 14 years living of alaska and today was another first for me.....caviar. 

one of the ladies at work made it herself (the caviar is from one of our amazing wild alaskan salmon that we catch here locally) and brought it in with gourmet crackers, cheese and cucumbers from her greenhouse.  honestly it doesn't taste like much, just a little salty and it melts in your mouth as soon as you try to chew it. 

it truly is a different world up here in the 49th state.  i know there is a reason i have been blessed to experience this beautiful land.  its not the tropical paradise that i dream of, but it is where i have grown as an adult, started a family, and created a life with my wonderful husband, his family and all of our true friends.  i never imagined i would live in a small town like this with 30 below zero temps in the winter, but we will always have a connection to the last frontier even after we move on (in about 5 years or so) to the next stage in our lives (hopefully to somewhere warm with no snow=). 

as we drank our wine & let the world fade away....

people who inspire me

one of my new favorite musicians is joshua radin.

i love his music and he is not so horrible to look at either.  

his songs are inspirational, beautiful, wonderful,

amazing, brilliant, lovely well you get the point!!

check him out on itunes

three of my favorites are only you, they bring me to you and today. 

a little halibut....

i loved being out on the ocean today. 

it was so nice to get some fresh air and catch a few very yummy halibut at the same time.

the water was so calm and the sun came out for a few seconds and it felt so wonderful. 

here is a picture i took of the beautiful homer harbor. 

homer is one of the most beautiful little artsy towns, i love it.