adventures in // letter writing

i pride myself in being a pretty decent pen pal though lately i have failed in actually getting the letters in the mail.  after jared and i got back from our vacation last month i vowed to write some thank you letters.  we had a short list of people that needed to know how grateful we were for their help.  i wrote the letters rather quickly but hadn't put them in envelopes to mail.  i'm the worst sometimes.  tomorrow they'll finally go in the mail and head to south dakota.  

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clear envelopes.  why not.

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do better.  be content.  stop worrying.

a short love letter to... // emily

emily-

sometimes i find it impossible to believe that we didn't cross paths until you moved to denver.  i mean come on, we have the exact same friends back in kansas!  how did we not meet sooner?  i'm hardly complaining.  i'll take our friendship anyway i can get it.  i'm so happy i ran into you and john yesterday while you were moving.  thanks for hooking me up with some random things from your apartment.  always feels good to help a friend thin stuff out.  i love that you always use a country accent when telling a story about someone.  anyone.  i love you're ability to make me laugh, like, always.  i also love layla. lots.

//

isn't he the cutest?

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say yes.  make time for others.  take a drive.

this poor book

First it was beet juice. This time it was reading while walking in the rain. This poor book is going to be unreadable soon if I'm not more careful.

//

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Do it anyway. Dance in the snow. Enjoy the quiet.

weekly gratitude // 4

this past week was slower paced than most have been recently.  i embraced the change with open arms buy spending more than a few evenings in the bathtub with a good book. don't judge me.  

this week i am grateful for:

a friend staying late after work to make me more blonde

pumpkin spice lattes

warm baths

christmas songs playing full blast

walking through snow on my way to work

a clean back craft room

reorganization

vintage metal tackle boxes

time to myself

texts sent from the other room 

a solo saturday morning trip to the cafe to enjoy a book and a latte

laughter (is there ever a time i'm not grateful for laughter?)

admitting my mistakes gracefully

sweet little messages from friends

honesty

trust

watching j purposely walk through leaves just to hear them crunch

breaking the rules

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this pony has clearly had too much fun.

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enjoy the quiet.  see your friends differently.  lay on the floor.

happy thanksgiving (a little early)

since being on the paleo diet (a word i'd like to have a more positive connotation) we have made it a point to cook dinner practically every night.  our imaginations have been stretched and pushed.  and while the whole life challenge that j signed up for does end before thanksgiving we wanted to make just the two of us a simple paleo friendly thanksgiving.  so, last saturday evening we sat down to a wonderful chicken (no need to cook a turkey for just two people) and butternut squash cooked in browned butter and thyme. 

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there was, of course, lots of mushy talk listing the reason we're both so thankful for one another.

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slow down. enjoy it all. make a new recipe.

dear laughter

dear laughter-

you make me really happy.  i appreciate every moment that we spend together.  thank you for always managing to make light of any situation i happen to encounter.  let's be sure to never lose touch.

love,

lolo

//

//

laugh. cry. share a story.

i love how...

i love how simple it is to start a new tradition.

j and i have been jonesin' for a book to read together before bed for a few months now.  we met up at barnes and noble on friday and picked up a copy of grimm's complete fairy tales.  

we'll take turns reading each night until we make it through the whole thing.

the other night i may or may not have fallen asleep 1 page into rumpelstiltskin.

//

make new traditions. enjoy each other. read.

stuff i like...

coffee add ons.  love them.  since i no longer add sugar to my coffee i have a new found love for things people sprinkle in coffee.  cinnamon.  nutmeg.  unsweetened vanilla.  you name it.  i like it.

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very often it's the simple stuff that i like the most.

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pay attention. seek out an answer. go on a new adventure.

a short love letter to...

a short love letter to the girls:

kathy-

you just may be the bossiest brattiest dog i have ever come across.  your constant need to steal the attention away from your sister is both endearing and exhausting.  thank you for always making me feel like i'm the only one who can pet your belly correctly.  i love you.

//

billie jean-

with you it was love at first sight.  you are the most loyal pup. ever. i enjoy knowing that you're always right next to me no matter where i am in the house.  nothing warms my heart more than feeling your flour sack of a body lean into me. i love you and your stubborness.

these pictures really do capture them both perfectly.

//

make friends with an animal. day dream. jump for joy

weekly gratitude // 3

i am grateful for:

rainy day strolls through the city

entire evening long chats over wine with a darling friend

impromptu beds made on the floor for movie watching

sunny afternoons

knowing that i am loved

being encouraged to always day dream

random texts from my brother
hosting presidential debate watch parties (with homemade chili!)
sweet afternoon phone call catch ups with my girlfriends
open communication
difficult late night conversations that make us stronger
cooking...seriously i cannot seem to stop
rekindling friendships
leaves
jumping in leaves
colorado sunsets (they're starting to edge out kansas sunsets)
walking through leaves (you know all things leaves)
journaling through pages of a notebook
jared finally finding a place in billie jeans heart (she's not the easiest egg to crack)
our own quiet thanksgiving (even if we used a chicken and not a turkey and that it's still ocotber)
dog watching
his ability to take it all in stride
getting every single piece of clothing and bedding clean
long lazy weekends

//

//

pet a pup. do yard work. imagine everything.

it's the simple things

when i have the extra money i enjoy having fresh flowers in my home.  lately i've decided to start investing in smaller "filler" flowers and ornamental grasses instead.  this time our $8 flower purchase made us an arangement for both our dinner table and our bedside table.

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also making an appearance is the first purchase we ever made for our apartment afer deciding to move in together: science themed place mats.

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buy a new book.  craft.  go out on a limb.

i love how...

i love how when i'm trying not to spill something i always end up doing just that.  this time it was beet, ginger, apple, carrot juice.  my book now has character.

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that juice is never gonna come out.

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eat an apple.  see things in a different light.  wear tights around the house.

dear bracelet

dear bracelet:

i'd like to take this time to apologize for my forgetfulness.  when i first dropped you off for a cleaning back in april it seemed impossible to imagine going one whole week without wearing you.  i never intended on leaving you in the back room at tiffany's for 6 months.  6 months?!  what was i thinking?  i could blame my absentmindedness on my new relationship with j.  actually, i will blame my absentmindedness on my new relationship with j.  being distracted by love is...well...it's distracting.  i promise to only take you off when you need to be cleaned.  i promise to never leave you at tiffany's for that long.  ever.  again.  thank you for forgiving me and allowing me the honor of wearing you on my wrist again.

//

let's never fight.

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love yourself.  give something away.  eat ice cream.

adventures in debating

for the second presidential debate we invited a couple of friends over to help us yell at our television.  having friends with mutual political leanings does tend to make the evening fairly one sided but that doesn't take away from the discussion.  i enjoy being able to openly discuss my concerns and opinions with my friends.  

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we're all so serious in our politics.

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trust your friendship. throw a party. educate yourself.

adventuring with abby

this past weekend my dear friend abby visited me.  abby has never failed to visit me in any of my homes.  being from the same town gives us plenty of history.  continuing our friendship over the years has never been simple but it has always been easy.  we enjoy each others company in much the same way we always have.  we laugh, cook, divulge secrets, shop and share recipes.  i have never been less than absolutely in love with our relationship.  the fact that abby is a total babe and dresses to the nines only makes her that much more alluring.  here's to a weekend too short, roast beast, wine, and promises of thanksgiving on the plaza.  

//

//

enjoy company. host a party.  speak kindly to others.

a short love letter to...

short easy walks through the foothills:

i love knowing i am only a short drive from your doorstep.  i love knowing that no matter how much my back hurts there is always a walk worth taking.  i love introducing my out of town friends to the ease with which you exist.  i love the beauty that you continuously give freely to others.  i love taking my time to enjoy your simplicity.  i love that you allow me to be as slow in my saunter as i so choose.  i love your consistency.

//

//

watch the clouds go by.  believe in magic.  make a wish.

  

autumn is here

autumn is here.  finally.  a list of things i am excited about:

pumpkin spice lattes

reading a book in the park under a blanket

pumpkin patch adventures

cold evening walks all bundled up

sleeping under multiple blankets

visiting friends

making time to finish projects started long ago

learning to enjoy the walk to and from work a little bit more

selling my jeep

the drive from denver to kansas city

really big surprises

taking a crafting class

trying something new in this town i call home

listening to the storms roll in

christmas music (so what...i start early)

//

notice something new.  take time for others.  write a real letter.

right now

it's when i manage to capture him just as i see him.  it's when i watch him playing with dogs.  it's when i re-realize i've stopped looking for another.  it's when i remember our first kiss.  it's when he reaches for my hand to hold.  it's when he parts my bangs to kiss the skin on my forehead.  it's when my pride for all he has accomplished swells.  

that's when i know this is the best there is.

//

realize your happiness.  reconnect with yourself.  enjoy every moment. 

i love how...

we both wear our clarks at the same time.

//

//

don't be afraid to match. enjoy their company. learn from a child.

adventures in pumpkining

we were a little slow moving this morning but we eventually made it down south to join our friend jen in picking out pumpkins.  earlier in the week she invited us to a family friend's farm to pet animals and pick all the pumpkins we wanted.  we love animals and any excuse to get out of the city so we were obviously in. 

//

//

1. pumpkin patch

2. our lumpy (albeit heavy) pumpkin

3. tig hunting mice

4. jen

5. dewy leaves

6. pumpkins

7. us

8. just making new friends

9. pam gets horse kisses

10. pumpkin color

//

go on an adventure. revel in the cold. kiss a horse.

It's beginning to look a lot like...

christmas.

the first snow of the season officially rings in every excuse i need to listen to christmas music.

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not that i need any excuses.

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get in a snowball fight.  drink hot chocolate with a friend. smile.

dear deer...

dear deer,

when i first saw you sitting on the shelf at the antique mall in rapid city i was skeptical.  there are often times that i long for something, find it, and then learn it is way out of my price range.  so, you can understand my apprehension upon first eyeing you.  my heart leapt into my throat as my eyes caught sight of you both while scanning the shelves on which you were so stealthily perched.  could it be?  where you affordable?  was this my chance to fill a lingering void?  reluctantly, shyly i peered at the price tag wrapped around each of your legs.  $4.99.  i looked again, unable to comprehend what i was seeing.  $4.99.  a grin formed across my face like that i hadn't felt while rummaging in quite some time.  i had done it.  i had found two pieces worthy of displaying on my wood camping box.  life felt complete.  valid.   with the distinct feeling i had accomplished a life goal, you were immediately paraded upstairs.  proudly, with cacophonous trumpets accompanying my words, i announced my find to j.  he was not impressed.  my heart sank.  betrayal!  how was this possible?  did he deem you unfit for our home?  an explanation was in order.  quite simply, he didn't seem to care one way or another about you.  a lackluster response to such a critical moment of my life.  undismayed i proudly presented you to the girl at the register.  she too lacked understanding of just how elated i was.  how important you were to me.  explaining my feelings to either of them was clearly arbitrary.  i decidedly carried you out of the store in exuberant exultation despite the sullen eyes of the girl behind the counter.

welcome home new friends.  you were worth it all.

//

no, this story is not exaggerated.   not one bit.  well...

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write a story. read a book. build a friendship.