I know... I know. I promise to be around more and I do NOT follow through.  Once again I promise I will change that.  I WILL post more often.

This summer was the best I have ever had.  It was filled with so many great things I can not even begin to explain just how blessed I feel. 

One of the really great things I did was go on a trip to Santa Fe with my parents.  I loved the town the moment we arrived.  Here are some of the photos I took while there...

Love

A few weeks ago I happened upon a little book at a library sale and I fell in love....

Sara Midda's In and Out of the Garden.

The artwork in this book is absolutely beautiful, whimsy, and inspiring.  I came home and automatically purchased two more of her books...

South of France: A Sketchbook

&

Growing Up and Other Vices

I think I might let these beautiful little books inspire me to start a travel/ art journal...

Hello!

Dont worry... I'm still alive!
It may seem like I've been much too busy to post, but really that's only half right.  I've been busy yes, but I haven't been posting simply because I have been called away by this lovely summer.

I'll fill ya in with what I've been doing this last month or so...

I took some crazy middle school girls to Wyldlife camp a few weeks ago.  I can not even begin to explain how exhausted I was by the end!  While I would say that overall I had a really great time, I also struggled a WHOLE lot while there.  I doubted myself so much while there, which was something I never would have expected to come from that week.  By the end though, I was able to talk myself out of that doubt and in turn really grew personally. Dang do I love TWL. Every time I'm there I do some growing.  

I also celebrated my birthday.  I have now moved past my teenage years and into the big 20s! That feels strange to me.  I have decided that this is going to be a good year and one I will always remember.  My 19th year was a rough one to say the least, so something different would be much appreciated!  I spent my birthday being kidnapped by my friends, having a wonderful dinner with my parents eating FABULOUS gnocchi and seeing Toy Story 3! A very successful day!

I also just got back from a trip up north to Beaver Island with a group of my friends.  It was pretty spontaneous but it turned out to be a whole lotta fun.  We spent our days hiking, playing board games, eating,watching movies, and exploring the island. 

So there it is. I love summer and being home. I promise to be much more consistent on the posts! 

To Do... (this summer)

• Work on something creative everyday
• Start an art journal and work in it everyday (not connected to above bullet)
• Do something active everyday
• Start playing tennis again! (Can be connected with above bullet)
• Read a TON
• Keep up on summer classes
• Do well in said summer classes
• Sell some artsy- things in gift shop at Box Factory
• Work in garden a TON
• Figure out some hiking paths around town
• Start biking more
• Sew. Sew. Sew.
• Try and see as many sunsets as possible
• Stay in touch with Wyldlife girls
• Save as much money I make this summer as I physically can
• Plan a roadtrip

Heres to To Do lists but even more... heres to accomplishing things on the To Do list!!

My summer thus far...

Wow has this summer had its ups and downs...

I have had to deal with the passing of my grandma, which needless to say was life-wrenching, but thankfully some great things have happened allowing me to deal much better. 

My trip to Seattle was really great and exactly what I needed. Since I have been back, I have worked on getting my art studio finished and in working order and now it is DONE! I keep meaning to take pictures to put here, but I keep forgetting my camera.  I will get around to it one of these days. 

My days also have recently consisted of cleaning out my grandma's house.  I was nervous at first when my mom asked me to help, but it has turned out to be a great thing.  I am seeing a side of my grandma that I have never seen before and I love it.  First of all her jewelry.  AMAZING. She didn't have anything truly nice and worth a ton of money, but man did she have some crazy earrings.   I have also really loved all her artwork I am finding.  Now my grandma did not do anything without putting her entire soul into it so there are mounds of paints, fabric, thread, etc.  Just about anything you would ever want in the terms of art supplies... she had it.

My summer has also been full of bonfires, open-mic nights, thrift stores looking for furniture for the studio, my veggie garden, plans for a trip to Santa Fe, stupid online classes, and spending some great time with the "Core Summer group" 

Man do I love summer and being home.  

It's official.

I love Seattle!

I just got back from a fab-u-lous trip to that wonderful city and am already planning a trip back!

 

I don't really know how to word everything I want to within this post so I have decided to do more of a list of everything that has happened in my life recently and things that are to come...

• My grandmother passed away last Saturday.  My life was rocked, but luckily I had such a great support system. Without my family and friends around me, I truthfully do not know what I would have done.  Now I am ready to start dealing with things... especially the fact that she is gone. It's going to be hard.
• I finally finished my finals/ classes for the semester on Wednesday.  I am sure I have mentioned before how much I HATED my classes this semester, so I am very releived that I am DONE.  With everything going on with my grandma and classes, I was on the verge of a breakdown.  While a breakdown did not happen, I did manage to break out in stress-induced hives. Great.
• Monday I leave for Seattle! I so need this trip right now. I am excited to go to Pike's Place, take a ferry ride, see the space needle, and just relax in general with two greaaaat girls. 

Well that's my life at the moment.  I feel like I am just trying to hold in there and take one thing at a time. I'll let ya know how that goes.