No Sleep Til Brooklyn

For my husband's 30th birthday, I gave him a surprise trip to NYC. He was born and raised in Brooklyn, he hasn't been back for a few years. This was the perfect time for us to go back together, he could show me where he grew up while reminiscing about the good old days. Even though it was cold, and snow piled on the ground, it was a beautiful day to be by his side and learning about where he used to play, where his dad bought fruit, and where he used to go for his favorite pizza.

ships ahoy

  

These pictures were taken on ships in the Chesapeake Bay located in Baltimore, MD. The ship with the red and white paint is the Chesapeake, completed in 1930 and stood at the entrance of the Chesapeake Bay at the beginning of World War II.  I usually am not one for history or boats, but I loved touring the boats in Baltimore and taking pictures. It was amazing to see how the ships operated and how men lived on these ships.  I know that I would not be able to handle the months on end living in a tight quarters, eating horrible food, and being stuck with twenty other stinky men!  I do love these photos though, they make me feel very nautical, and I at times can not say no to a good nautical theme!

this is my town

These photos represent my hometown, well two towns that I consider my hometown. I grew up in the country equally between two small towns, Winnebago and Huntley. The 'larger' of the two has a population of 1,000 and the other town has around probably 350 give or take a few. I love coming from a smaller town, even though my family moved from there in the 5th grade, I still consider it home. I love old, small towns they have a history that speaks from each building and road. When visiting this summer the towns were more isolated then before, buildings were in worse shape, you could feel the pain of the economy, you could see first hand what is happening in America. It breaks your heart but at the same time you look at the residents of these towns and they are surviving. They are strong, hopeful, committed, they do what they need to get by and to support their families...they are who America is built on and who we all need to thank.

big city big beauty

This is a picture of Great Falls, VA. It is located less than 3 miles from Washington D.C., can you believe it!!! It's amazing, this world of ours. You could be in the busy, hustle and bustle of the Nation's Capital embedded in city life and not being able to slow down.  Then POOF you end up being embedded in nature, able to slow down, breathe in the fresh air and let it slowly calm your body, embracing the new, relaxed you. A place like Great Falls is great because it enables you to take part of both worlds, something I believe people struggle with. You are able to have the city, the culture, the history and then you are able to have the relaxation, the nature, the power. If I discovered this is my backyard, well within 15 miles, then who knows what you will discover when you got out and explore your own backyard.

Everyday Should Be Laundry Day

When I lived in a middle sized town in Southern Minnesota I had to do my laundry at one of the local laundry mats. Laudry is one of my favorite chores to do, I find it relaxing to seperate the clothes, move them from the washer to dryer and lastly folding them. It's a chore that when at a laundry mat, can take a whole day..and I'm fine with that. Cause it gives you the time to slow things down for a while while the clothes are doing their thing in the great inventions of washers and dryers. Dave and I would always bring a book to read, he would walk over to Jimmy Johns get us something to eat, I would start the laundry, we would eat and then we would kick up our feet and indulge in reading. There aren't many other chores that give us this opportunity to get some accomplished while relaxing and enjoying our time. I was drawn to the old seventys decor in the laundry mat, I loved it! It became my favorite place because of the old wallpaper, the feeling of lonelines and despair, yet it was a place that was almost occupied by at least on person. When at the laundry mat you never knew what you might encounter. I met many different people in the laundry mat, from the college couple who instead of reading a book thought it would be better to make out in the corner to the Sundanese girl named Akelah, but everyone called her Saturday...she had a cousin named Friday or to the older man on business who offers you $10 to fold his laundry when its dry..and when finished you sneak the $10 bill back into his laundry because your mom taught you to help others in need. I only used the laundry mat for a year, but it was where I spent almost every other Saturday or Sunday and for some strange reason it will always be one of my favorite things in town. I loved it so much, from the feeling to the decorations, that we took some of our engagement pictures there!

Nothing comes between me and my vans

Do you have that one pair of shoes that represent you, that you love soooo much that you wear them even when they have holes in them and should be thrown away? That is what my vans are for me, the one pair of shoes that I buy over and over again once over thirty people have told me I need new shoes. I don't buy a new pair of vans until my old pair has big enough holes that either my heel falls out the back or my big toe is sticking out the front. They are like old friends, they are always tried and true always ready for what is ahead and never leave your side. They are there when you need a little pick up and remember who you are, you never have to pretend to be anyone else when wearing your favorite shoes. The vans pictures above are my wedding shoes, and this picture was actually taken the day before my one year annivesary. They have holes in the heels, so when it rains my feet get wet...but I will never get rid of them. They are the shoes that I married my soul mate in, I feel lucky to have been able to wear shoes that represented me during my wedding day cause not all brides take that opportunity. I will always wear black and white checkered vans until I have loved them more then they can handle and I know they will always love me back.

Snowmageddon 2010

I moved to Northern Virginia a year and a half ago from Southern Minnesota. I thought by moving a little more south, that the winters would be warmer with less snow. The first winter was just that and what a nice break it was from the below zero, windy, cold winters in MN. This year though, it feels like we are back in MN! This weekend we got 3 feet of snow in 36 hours, it was crazy. I didn't leave the house for over 48 hours, until I decided that it was to beautiful outside with the snow covering the trees and I couldn't let it go by. I love snow, I do..I just hate having to live with it, the driving, the shoveling, the me being cold..that I don't like. I do believe snow is one of the beautiful things that comes from the sky. Who doesn't love looking at trees that once were bare and ugly over night be transformed to beautiful, magical trees covered with glistening white snow. Snow can make anything look breathe taking. When I was young my mom told me that snow was God's dandruff...I laughed when she told me that. This weekend I giggled again thinking about how much dandruff God must have, maybe he needs some Head and Shoulders! Kids LOOOOVEEEE snow and living in VA they don't get to see it that much. This weekend it was great to hear their giggles when climbing upon little plow piles thinking they are kings of the world, sliding down the little mountain, to climb up and do it again. Think about how you were a little kid and a snow day was the best news you could receive on a winter morning. I loved playing in the snow, I have a permenant reminder with how I would play and play not caring if I was cold and needed to warm up. On the tip of one of my fingers I have a red spot from when my finger got frostbite from playing out to long in the snow with my wild imagination. Now as an adult I have to shovel the 3 ft and more away from my car and pray that the streets are plowed enough..but I still make sure to run around in the snow a bit, throw a few snowballs at an unexpecting husband or roommate, and make sure I never forget the joy it brought me as a child.