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"A portrait of my daughter, once a week, every week, in 2013."

Maile: "I'm in the tree!" she exclaimed. (ISO 100, f5.6, 1/160th)

Part of Che and Fidel's 52 project.

Last week, I particularly enjoyed the portraits posted by Jane Mabel, and Preeti. Please, pay their beautiful pictures a visit.

Finally, I feel honored to have another portrait of Maile mentioned by Jodi, the creator of the 52 project. Thank you!

Autumn on Pearl

A day on Pearl Street, with a dear friend.

The weather was cool and crisp.

The trees were vibrantly hued. 

The aroma of freshly baked breads and pastries hung in the air ...

... and Pearl smelled of Autumn.

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"A portrait of my daughter, once a week, every week, in 2013."

Maile: Her first pony ride, at the local Punkin Chunkin and fall festival.

I've made a personal goal to spend less time 'connected' -- on the computer, my phone, social media. Along with this goal, I have another, to make the time I do spend online more engaged and meaningful. 

I appreciate that you're still visiting me here, as I figure all this out, and have come to realize that you, my friends, aren't here for flashy posts and giant giveaways; you're here because you care, which is amazingly humbling, and encourages me to get back to the basics of blogging. About and for my family, and about and for our friends, be they 'real life,' or the ones we've made here. 

xo

Berry Patch Farms

I Instagrammed a little of our trip to Berry Patch Farms in Brighton, with Sarah and Eleanor, but here are a select few more photos. I'd love to go again before the hard frosts really settle in. Between being able to eat berries straight from the bushes, and the quaint atmosphere, we had a wonderful time!

*All photos taken with my DSLR.

*And don't forget, our Little Starling Tots giveaway ends today, but there's still some time to enter! Happy Friday!

People Are Always Telling You That Change is a Good Thing

I know we still technically have about a week left of summer, but it surely feels like autumn is making its way to Colorado -- with a vengeance. Our great state had some major flooding last week, and the winds are blowing across the Rockies, vibrant yellow creeping in to the lime green of ethereal aspen trees.

But hey ... those 100-degree days will not be missed!

In all seriousness you guys, while the flood waters may be receding, the memories of the businesses, homes, and lives lost are not. We are proud Coloradans, and with the holidays fast approaching, it would mean the world to us if you would take a moment to see how you can help the victims, here. Thanks so much.

Maile's hair bows c/o Camp Wolf, which just launched yesterday! 

Western Wanderlust // Eden in Garden of the Gods

Please help me extend a warm Colorado welcome to my friend Eden. I can't quite remember how Eden and I happened upon one another online, but oddly enough, the fact that she's a Vikings fan, and I'm a Packers fan seemed to make us like each other more, not less! Real women football fans have to stick together, I think. ;) 

Eden's blog, junk drawer, is wonderful, carefully curated space I know you'll enjoy. Her pretty photos, and way with words almost make me miss the East Coast. Almost ...

Hello, all! I'm so excited to be writing a post for Katie's Western Wanderlust series. I'm not native to the west, nor have I ever lived in the west, but the summer after I graduated from high school in Minnesota, my mom, dad, and sister packed up their things and moved out to Colorado. Ever since, it has become my home away from home (even after moving half way across the country in the other direction...all the way to West Virginia). The funny thing is that Colorado has always been a vacation destination for my family because my grandpa, uncle, and cousins all lived there, so I've been familiar with Colorado for years.

Colorado is truly one of the most incredible places in the United States. There is something for everyone, and every time my husband and I visit my parents we try something new. It's a miracle I was even able to narrow topics down for this post! I decided to write about one of my favorite places in Colorado, and one of the most beautiful. Garden of the Gods is a stunning park in Colorado Springs, that just barely escaped the destructive path of the Waldo Canyon Fire last year. I went with my dad, sister, and then boyfriend (now husband) to do some hiking. We were blown away by the views. It's one of those places where you take a million photos and when you look at them at home they don't near capture the beauty of seeing it in person. 

We did some hiking, as well as spent some time watching some climbers scaling the steep cliff surfaces. If you are ever around Colorado Springs, you absolutely must visit the park! It is still one of my favorite places to visit, though an hour and a half south of where my parents live (near Boulder).

Thank you so much for having me, Katie! Next time I'm in Colorado, we must have a real life lunch. :)

Wingardium Leviosa

We probably talked for too long about which of Maile's stuffies would accompany her to Great Sand Dunes National Park. Ultimately, we decided on the oldest (and arguably dearest), Kisses the koala.

So we headed out, slightly terrified that she would cry for Mickey when we were 4 hours from home. But we were determined to pack light! And a 10-oz Mickey makes a difference, darn it! 

Obviously, Maile was fine. And on top of the highest dunes in North America, we discovered she may also be a wizard? A trick of the camera, of course. But I might look twice in the mailbox, come her 11th birthday. ;)

* Maile's headband c/o Kindred OAK.

Western Wanderlust // Colorado's Great Sand Dunes

Our camping weekend, we enjoyed trying not to wake Maile (also, an orange koala), while lunging up sand dunes,

pretending we were in Saudi Arabia (yes, that is an untouched Colorado blue sky),

a photo op with friends (my high socks are to try to keep the sand out -- ha -- and Tim would like me to note that he is not, in fact, a redneck),

lots of pictures in sand (I'm still trying to get it out of everything!),

and many magical moments with the most adorable little ones.

We should have slept hard, but

we were on the edge of monsoon rains,

so we stayed awake listening to the hard, steady rain.

And wind.

Lots of wind, whipping around our tent.

Have you been camping this summer?

America's National Parks are so beautiful.

Full of inspiration, and life, and peace.

Hope your weekend was wonderful!

Happy Monday, friends.

Western Wanderlust // "In a Tent!"

I used to think that camping wasn't for me. (Glamping is whole different story ...) It makes me sad to reminisce over this -- the fact that I was actually much less open to new experiences before Maile came along. Then again, doing different things, and getting to also see these activities through Maile's eyes, is something kind of wonderful. (Also, slightly more terrifying, as there are about a million ways for a curious toddler to injure herself while camping.)

So thankful for this family of mine, and for lovely friends who invite us to places we've never been. I don't doubt for a moment that Maile will remember "going camping! In a TENT!" I can't wait to go camping in a tent again.

Sand Through Her Hands

Five minutes before these photos were taken, I was about to pull out my hair. Maile wanted me to hold her. We were hiking up quite the incline, nearing the tallest point of the dunes at Great Sand Dunes National Park. She was making her displeasure with waking up in the hiking pack, on her dada's back, known by sobbing "Mama hoooold you, Mama hoooooold you ..." We were all sweaty and tired, and I felt a flash of angry words pop up into the back of my throat. Thankfully, I caught them there, and they never escaped my lips ...

I hope you know what I'm talking about.

And then, we were there. It didn't quite seem so much like the top of the world, as it did the top of some strange and distant land. 

She picked up a handful of sand and let it go, grain by grain, flowing seamlessly into the wind that created the great dunes. 

In that moment, even though I captured it on camera, I didn't know quite what to do. My heart stopped in my chest, and I just stared at her, wanting to scoop her up like the sand that so fascinated her, and never let her go. She was spellbound, yet so free. And that stitch in time, as all like it, made the frustrating five minutes before so worth it. It really did.

A Spring Hike

It was one of those days that begged for the mountains. Bright and crisp and cool. So we headed up to Lair o' the Bear on a little hike. Believe it or not, I still don't have hiking shoes, so I wore my trusty running sneakers. It was pretty difficult not to fall on my butt in a few icy spots (I may or may not have started some grumbling in my mind about a half mile in), so I definitely won't be hiking Lair o' the Bear again this time of year, without proper footwear! But anyway, it was a gorgeous day, and I was happy to spend it with my friend Annie, her Si-Guy, and my own little family ... listening to toddler chatter about the simplest, most wonderful things, and taking in the cleansing Colorado air. Plus, we found a castle! Seriously.

I miss California quite a bit. Mostly, I miss the friends and family we have there, but I love where we live. It's pretty perfect, and the fact that we're only a half hour from any type of scenery (except an ocean, haha -- and a rain forest) remind me of this. I'm so looking forward to more hiking as the weather warms, exploring the beautiful Colorado scenery with Maile's fresh eyes.

A few pictures from our day:

PS - Have you visited my lovely sponsor, OAK? You still have a week left to use code mitch10 for 10% off your order! I've already heard from one reader who is positively thrilled with her first purchase!

PPS - Aaand, Luana, of la petite lulu, is offering a lucky reader the handmade softie of their choice. Just leave a comment here to enter the giveaway!

xo