Saguaro National Park
Our trip to Saguaro National Park
What is on your list of places and things to do? Think of one of those things that you always want to do, no matter how many times you make a new list of things, but that one thing is always there that you want to do? One of my top things is going to the National Parks, the dream is to get to them all but one step at a time, I dream of just be standing in and amongst all the glory that is nature and that has been set aside so that this beauty is preserved for all to see.
Well, last weekend my husband, Bryce, and I went to Tucson, Arizona on an adventure and because I have been talking about wanting to go to Saguaro National Park forever, we spent the afternoon hiking, taking pictures, and becoming park members! (So all the parks within driving distance watch out because here we come!)
We didn’t have as long to spend at Saguaro National Park as I would have liked but since it is only a couple of hours away I certainly plan on going back before it starts to heat up again. This was the perfect time of year to go where we could walk around and enjoy being completely surrounded by nature. Walking the path where there wasn’t another voice around and you could just hear the wind and feel the sun on your back.
There is so much to see and so much to learn about the park and the saguaro, in general, that this time around I just soaked up the beauty of the park. When we got home my daughter, Violet, shared some fun facts from her class last year.
Fun facts:
Saguaros live to be around 125-175 years old
Saguaros start to produce flowers around 35 years old
The arms of saguaros generally start to grow around the age of 50-70
So, where is that place you dream of going to? I would love to add more places to go to my long list of places I want to travel.
Bryce and I at Saguaro National Park
We are easily amused!
Growing
Just like a plant we need to give ourselves time and water to grow. So I asked myself, what areas of life could use some watering?
Working at the computer can be rather sedentary so I decided that I would make a goal of walking 9000 steps a day, which is around 4 miles, just to get myself up and moving around. So far I have made it 18 days straight, and so even if it means walking up and down the hall right before bed, I do it because I have decided that I don’t want to mess that up. This is just one small way that I can “water” and give myself time to grow, both my mind and body. Because I decided to take myself on this journey I have gotten to take walks with friends, walked and raced with my kids, and gazed at the beautiful Arizona sunsets.
So I ask you, my friend, what areas of your life could use some watering? Remember, just one step at a time can lead us down a great path!
My Influences - Edward Weston
Pepper No. 30, 1930/Edward Weston
I thought it would be fun to share some artists who have influenced me and my work. There are quite a few artists that have influenced me over the years but I am going to start off with my all-time favorite photographer, Edward Weston.
I was first introduced to the work of Edward Weston in my undergraduate History of Photography class. His work has inspired me from the first time I saw it. There is an amazing book called “Art and Fear” and in there, there was a description of their reactions to the first time they viewed Weston’s nudes. They said that there was the work in front of them and there was everything else; nothing else compared to Weston’s work, and that is the same way I felt when I saw it.
Weston had a great eye for the flow of the line whether it was in his peppers, shells, or in what he was most famous for his nudes. His photographs have given me a great interest in finding the beauty of the form within common objects. In the image above, Pepper No. 30, 1930, I feel drawn to the long lines that twist and flow into each other. It is almost as if two people are drawing each other into an embrace. This photograph offers up an invitation to stop and take in the beauty that we are too busy to stop and see.
This practice of looking at an object that is around your house was a big inspiration to me. I loved the idea of taking an object and looking at it in a totally new way. This allows us to draw out the beauty that so often we overlook.
I will leave with you one of my favorite quotes.
“Anything that excites me for any reason, I will photograph; not searching for unusual subject matter, but making the commonplace unusual.”
-Edward Weston
Subtle Flutters Beginnings
Subtle Flutters 29/Subtle Flutters
A photograph of a Postman Butterfly.
Do you ever think back on the start of a journey that you didn't even realize was going to be a life-changer for you? Let me take you on a little trip back to when I first discovered the wonder of Butterfly Wonderland!
My official photographic journey with butterflies started back around five years ago when Myles, my son, had a field trip to Butterfly Wonderland, and my very young daughter, Violet, and I got to go along. To say it was magical would be a complete understatement. If you have never been there I would highly suggest taking a trip if you can. From the moment I walked through the doors into the conservatory, I could feel the weight of troubles of everyday life being lifted. The conservatory is like a mini rainforest with higher humidity, the waterfall, the koi pond, and plants everywhere you look. While you are soaking in this bit of paradise that is when you see all of the different types of majestic butterflies dancing from flower to flower, it is just amazing!
After that field trip, I became an annual member and Butterfly Wonderland quickly became my getaway and a little “me time” place. I would go up and spend a couple of hours soaking in the beauty of the butterflies, relaxing and photographing. I can’t tell you how much I love my visits there and I look forward, every time, to the next time I get to go back!
A Tiny Joy
What is something tiny that brings great joy? This is a question that I asked myself while I was sitting in the car waiting to pick up my kids. I was interested in challenging myself to think of something that brought me great joy. I chose a small item to think about something that could be often overlooked, however, held great significance to me.
There are some tiny little forget-me-not flowers (Myosotis scorpioides) that grow at our family cabin in Minnesota. Each year I am excited to go searching for these little guys and to photograph them. These blue blooms are so tiny and delicate.
These flowers bring great joy, not only because they are beautiful, but because they make me think of my parents. Way back when, before I existed, when they were dating they would write each other letters. My dad would often include a little forget-me-not in his letter to my mom. So these tiny flowers hold my attention, not only because of their beauty but also because of the part they played in my parents' relationship.
I challenge you to also think about this question, is there something tiny that brings great joy to your life? I would love to hear your story as well!
Once Upon a Local Nursery
Decadence/Mystical Allure
A photograph of an Iceland Poppy.
Once upon a time was this independent flower nursery that I would stop at almost every week. I loved going to this nursery, first, because they had an amazing selection of flowers, succulents and they had fantastic metal flowers and plants (which I love because they never die!) Second, I loved shopping at this nursery because it was a small local business and I love supporting other small businesses.
This was one of my favorite places to stop at and browse through to find what would be my new flower this week. One of the flowers that I love so much, I fell in love with at this nursery. Of course, I had seen Iceland Poppies before but watching the bees doing their dance and flitting from flower to flower, this is where I really fell for their beauty.
Sadly, my favorite little shop is no longer there. They have been bought out by a much bigger company and it just doesn’t have the same feeling as before. I am thankful for the fun memories of Violet asking every time we passed by if we could stop and get some new flowers, check out a couple of our adventures below, and for the fantastic flowers that they provided. Things are always changing…
But we are living happily ever after having discovered fun flowers and great memories!
Bringing home the goods with the Iceland Poppies.
Flower date with my girl!
Bookmarks Freebie!
The newest freebie art for you to brighten up your books!
Happy first day of fall!! Temperatures are dipping down into the 90s here in Arizona. You can tell a big difference in the mornings and evenings with it cooling off. I love this time of year where it cools down at night and so we can have the doors open for some fresh air.
I'm super excited to share my newest freebie with you guys! I have created printable bookmarks to share with you, my friends. I love books and the feeling of comfort I have when I open up the newest book.
May these bookmarks give you some positive reminders every time you open your book!
Memories
Memories/Growing Old
Memories
The simple act of handing someone a flower can stick in your memory like glue. All throughout my childhood, we had a variety of rose bushes growing in our yard. Often my dad would pick one and bring it to my mom or to one of us girls. Those times that my dad would bring in a rose especially for me always made me feel special.
Last spring my husband, Bryce, took our daughter, Violet, to her first Father/Daughter dance. He thought ahead of what would be a great memory for her and he picked out a pink rose, her favorite color, for their special night. Because she sees that I save all of the flowers, to photograph, she asked me to photograph her rose.
This is the importance of love and making memories.
Getting her hands dirty!
Getting her hands dirty!
My little girl is the cutest little girl who loves pink, princesses, pink, mermaids, twirling as she walks, pink, and anything that can be considered girly. She is also the girl who will willingly covers her hands AND feet with paint to make art, makes mud pies, and can build and plant a garden with the best of them.
At the start of the pandemic, Violet decided that she wanted to build her own space for a garden. She picked out the place and cleared it on her own, we then built the wall together and filled it up with fresh soil. She lovingly planted the seeds while each day she would go out to water, and check on her plants. Outside time was one of the things that kept us going at the beginning of the pandemic. That feeling of having your hands in the soil just really connects you with the earth and it gives a wonderful freeing feeling of not being on a computer all day.
These are her little hands, holding the delicate white flowers, covered in dirt while we explored the outdoors while we were camping. I love these extremes and that all of these different personalities are wrapped up in one feisty little girl! It is such a wonderful thing to know that she, and any of the rest of us, can love being more than one type of person!
No Place Like Home
No Place Like Home
Dorothy, from The Wizard of Oz, said it right, there truly is no place like home. I have been thinking a lot about home since the loss of my mom.
The other day I was listening to one of my favorite podcasts, Harry Potter and the Sacred Text, in each episode, I find something new that I learn or even just something that I truly enjoy and have that moment of, yes! In one of the recent episodes, they were discussing the theme of Home. What is home, what makes us feel at home? Is it the physical location or is it something else?
I’m sure that many of us know our answer to that question without having to really think about it. What the hosts of that podcast suggested for an answer to the question of what is home was that home is not a place but a moment. When I heard that I jotted a note down and just sat there really letting that sink in.
Honestly, that is how I feel and have felt but to hear someone else say it was amazing. I needed to hear that to process more of what we, my whole family, are going through. And, it’s the truth, right? Our physical homes are certainly a place where you can feel relaxed, it is where you have your things, where you can be yourself with nobody watching. But as I think about the times that I feel “at home” it isn’t the physical home that I think of. It is the people and the memories that are wrapped up in that feeling. For me, it is the moment of playing pirates up at the top of trees, the rich taste of your favorite childhood ice cream, the feeling of your child’s hand reaching up to be held, or being held by the ones that you love.
What I have found is that home is the feeling of the people you love and love you.