.as if I were in Holland...Part 2.

I took enough photos of Tulips probably to post tulip pictures for a week straight. I just love there vibrant colors and delicate shape. Plan on visiting Oregon in April, then make sure you make time to go the the Wooden Shoe Tulip Fest.  It's only an hour from Portland and costs $5 per vehicle, I honestly can't recommend it enough! Now, enjoy the photos until you see them in real life for yourself!

I couldn't get enough of the little spider webs between flowers. 

I also couldn't get enough of this PINK tractor!! 

.as if I were in Holland...part 1.

One of my goals in life is to go to Holland and ride a bike through the rolling fields of tulips.  Tulips are my ULTIMATE favorite flower, there is something so magical about them. I still remember the first boy who bought me tulips, Ben, because he said something that hurt my feelings (after 8 years together my husband FINALLY bought me some because he hated that there was that one guy before him who bought me tulips!).

In April, I had an unexpected early day off and nothing to do. I  knew the Tulip Fest was happening near Portland and that I really(really) wanted to go. After consulting the calendar and realizing that I go now or forever hold my peace, I packed up my camera gear and jumped into the car. An hour later I pulled into a gravel parking lot filled with mini vans and joined families galore at walking the vast fields of brightly colored tulips.

.Mt. Hood is always watching over us. 

I spent 2.5 hours in the heat, walking up and down rows upon rows of beautiful flowers. I took my time so I could appreciate the unique colors and shapes. Sometimes, I even stopped to smell the flowers and take it all in. There was a set of fields located in the back, far from the first popular fields that not a lot of people wandered over to. I would stand still and just listen to the loud hum of bees and bugs buzzing around me while I watched the groups of people in the field plot over. I thought to myself, if all those people would just stop for a moment, they to could experience this amazing part of nature. But alas that doesn't happen much, people stopping to take in the WHOLE experience, we are always moving on to the next thing that we can accomplish.

I took hundreds of photos that 2.5 hours....seriously, over 300 photos!! I have whittled it down to a "few" of my favorites.  Since I don't want to overwhelm you with photos in one post, I will have another post to share the last bit of photos with you!

sneak peak...

More photos from the Tulip Festival will be up soon!

.I found washi tape....

I know, I know...people have been gushing about washi tape for the last year or so. The washi tape bus left like three hours ago and I'm just getting to the bus stop, that's how late I am. I think it was because once I tried to find it at a craft store and couldn't find it, so I didn't try again. So, don't blame me..blame Jo-Anne Fabrics!

Anywho, I found it and I'm obsessed!! I recently conducted a survey for my upcoming business and used washi tape as part of my thank you package.  I created both bookmarks and thank you cards using the tape and was really happy with how it turned out.

When looking for something to send in my thank you package, I found this diy post.  I read it and loved it and copied it. Jessica even provided the pdf quote used for the bookmarks..to good to be true. 

The cards were super simple! I bought kraft cards from Michael's, cut them in half to make post cards, put some washi tape on them, with a hand written note. I love when simple things, turn out so cute!

If you are curious, Maggie Mae's Kids Bookshop, is the small business I am working on. I hope to open up shop this summer in Portland, giving kids lots of opportunities for story times while their parents can load up on great kid books!

.photo headboard.

Dave and I don't have a traditional headboard...we have one made out of photos. To me it was the simple way to add a little depth without all the cost. Plus, now we get to sleep underneath all of the adventures we have had together!

I used painter's tape to put them up on the wall, which will make it easier to switch up if needed. This is what it looks like from a far, and now here are some of the photos close up!

.London. 

.Great Falls, VA.

.Bermuda.

.New York City.

.Nepal.

.WhitSundays, Australia. 

.Badlands.

.Artist Point, Yellowstone. 

.Yellowstone.

.Melbourne, Australia. 

.Cannon Beach, OR.

.Assateague Island, VA.

I love looking at all the adventures Dave and I have taken since we have been together. I feel  blessed that I have found a partner who loves to travel and see this big world with me. We have already seen a lot in our 8 years together but we got a whole lot more to see!