Sep 4, 2017 | Art, Career, Dreams, Global, Healing, Love, painting, Photography, Post, Success, Travel
1: Go orange picking
Didn’t know Orange season in Florida is in the fall, which means by the time I got around to planning a day to do it, it was spring. Waaaay past when we could go. So this November we will be picking oranges and making marmalade for sure.
2: See a manatee
We made two conservative attempts to see a manatee, even going as far as purchasing a guided snorkel tour… to no avail! We ended up going to Ocala’s Zoo which had two in captivity that were rescued due to illness and were being nursed back to health. So there is that right?
3: Go camping on the beach (Something I have always wanted to do)
We love going up to Talbot Island they have cute little campgrounds that back up to the water with easy access to the beach and hiking trails. While this isn’t directly on the beach itself it is as close as it gets.
4: Purchase a travel french press and mugs for said camping
Purchased a stainless steel french press and two travel mugs with locking lids for our hiking/camping needs. Because no matter how much I love nature I love my coffee just as much! My love thinks its ridiculous that I pack my own brewing method when I travel, until he wants coffee on a sleepy morning and then I whip own my magic french press.
5: Visit an orchid farm
Nathaniel took me all the way to a HUGE Orchid greenhouse which we proceeded to purchase this orchid from. I have an obsession with them, if I could I would have hundreds of them.
6: Explore Florida Keys, take my love scuba diving
No Keys
7: Go flea marketing/antiquing for art supplies
I came… I saw.. but I did not conquer. Apparently Jacksonville doesn’t have the greatest of antique stores. Didn’t find a thing for art.
8: Buy a good piece of handmade pottery
I was lucky enough to have a beautiful hand thrown mug made for me by a dear friend as well as purchased a mug on our recent travels to Arizona. Im in love with them!
9: Get a tattoo
Finally joined the club! Thank you Maya Angelou for your poems that have metaphorically and literally marked me. “Still I Rise” is my anthem for overcoming depression. These words/poem have time and time again kept me going. *Thanks to @thedeadart at Florida Velvet Tattoo for tattooing on the fly and making this piece a reality. *Thanks to @penabranca for designing the gorgeous geometric art that I immediately fell in love!
10: Photograph epic mountains
Do you think The Grand Canyon, Bryce Canyon, Monument Valley or Zion National Park count? Ha! Ya, I thought so. I would consider this quadruple checked!
11: Photograph elk, bison or ram (Not picky)
Asheville surprising has a tiny elk population that I was lucky enough to sneak away and photograph in January. (The two end photos.) Then as we were driving into the Grand Canyon National Park my jaw dropped when I saw four beautiful elk nestled in the shade of tree’s. I had never seen elk before this year but I have fallen in love with them.
12: Curate & photograph a bohemian picnic
My cousin is this incredible boss lady with incredible friends and last summer when I was staying with her we curated this beautiful picnic for them. Mostly I was in it for the photographs. ;)
13: Scan all India collages, begin compiling book
I spent a lot of last year creating content for this book and gosh darn it I have to get my S*** together and create it. The “I need it to be perfect to finish it” anthem is strong in this one. I have never prolonged a project as much as this one. Either because I have actually finished it or decided I just wasn’t into it anymore. This project is different I still want to finish the book, it just scares the S*** out of me! You feel me? Have you ever had a project like that? Here are four pages out of the book:
14: Get a puppy
We went above and beyond on this one. Why get one puppy when you can get two? The adventures of Samsara and Ronin have begun!
***Seriously the hardest part of this post was choosing which puppy photos to use. TOO.. MANY… CHOICES!
15: Road trip the good old fashion way
Can we say UTAAAAHHHH to AAARIZONAAA. Damn if this wasn’t just a trip to die for. Hard as it was physically man was it easy on the eyes.
16: Hold a fox (Seriously can someone help me out with this lifelong dream? Pleeeeease!)
I have to plan a trip to Japan so I can finally make this dream come true.
17: Take an art workshop or go to a retreat
Had to cancel going to an art retreat this year because I had recently gotten a new job. You know life…
18: Become a brand affiliate for someone
Nope
19: Visit Utah… Hike, camp, photograph.
See 15, because I absolutely combined these two! Man I am so glad we did. A road trip through Utah and Arizona was just what we needed after a looooong year of changes and many months apart.
20: Write blog posts about being self employed in the art world
Did a few tiny ones and also a few more that were never published. But the whole not being self employed in the art world anymore… kinda side tracked me.
Here… Here… and Here…
21: Hire a photographer for my own brand portraits
opps!
22: Learn how to photograph the stars
I read some articles. Where we live in Florida there are not to many stars to be had. While in Arizona I tried my hand at photographing the moon but had forgotten the lens needed for it. Also it is just waaaaaay harder to do than I thought. So mad respect for those perfect starlit mountain photos I see on Instagram. Because WOW it’s hard!
23: Learn more about my genealogy
Loved learning about my family and seeing all the gorgeous photographs.
24: Take my love to the local farmers market
We have this incredible farmers market in Jacksonville that has been here for years. I love going and getting a coconut to sip out of while we shop for produce.
25: Go horseback riding with my love
Nathaniel took me on a stormy beach adventure VIA horse for our anniversary and fella’s take note because it was magical.
26: Attend a stargazing party
Could not find one in Jax to save my life.
27: Read 12 books
1: The name of the wind by: Patrick Rothfuss
2: The wise man’s fear by: Patrick Rothfuss
3: Love Warrior by: Glennon Doyle Melton
4: Harry Potter and the cursed child by: J.K. Rowling
5: The Graveyard Book by: Neil Gaiman
6: Podcast S*** Town
7: Podcast Serial Season 1&2
8: Salt & Honey by: Isabel Abbott
9: Letter to My Daughter by: Maya Angelou
10:
11:
12:
***Bonus adventures included sky diving, eating Chick-fila chicken between Krispy Kreme donuts, shooting a shot gun, sleeping in a converted gas station.***
Aug 31, 2017 | Art, Career, Dreams, Global, Healing, Love, Misc, painting, Photography, Post, Success, Travel
1: Attend a proper wine tasting
2: Eat a traditional Korean meal
3:Take a floral milk bath
4: Make a video of 28th year using: 1 Second Everyday
5: Prepare a five course meal. or go eat one out
6: Go to an archery range or gun range
7: Go to a drive in movie theater, because my love has never been
8: Purchase a new camera
9: Take photos in a photo booth with my love
10: Have a fancy cheese night where I try cheeses I have never heard of
11: Get in-design
12: Own our very own house… dwelling… abode… home…
13: Find myself in a spontaneous adventure I couldn’t have imagined
14: Make Artifact Uprising vacation book
15: Buy plants/grow herbs again
16: Focus on living healthier together
17: Write a Florida adventure post for people living in Jacksonville
18: Take pups to see snow
19: Plan a Christmas cabin getaway. Wear plaid and make fires
20: Visit Savannah
21: Drink a Florida Mule from Ice Plant Bar
22: Hike with the pups
23: Visit Harry Potter World. Try every butter beer
24: Purchase sage/Incense
25: Purchase a book by the artist Peter Beard
26: Try an amaretto sour
27: Learn to make my father-in-laws famous oyster stuffing
28: Begin dreaming more, because this list was so fucking hard to write this year
Aug 30, 2016 | Art, Global, Healing, Love, painting, Photography, Post, Travel
1) Remember all those reader digest books we found in an abandoned house?
Well made collage packets to give away at Call of the Wild Soul. I spent lovely spring days ripping scraps of paper, tea staining and bundling each packet. It was delightful to see the pieces of art the students created using the material. 
2) Print photos from our Honey Moon at Artifact Uprising!
My sister gifted me our honeymoon album for christmas, pretty much the greatest! 
3) Life hack our house especially the kitchen!
I organized that baby real goooood! To my surprise our place had a pretty large kitchen, so no need for crazy hacking to make everything fit.
4) Write Love Letters to people whom need them. :( I am the worst at letter writing. I always swear I am going too, because honestly I do love it.
5) Collage/write my heart… It’s time. I can feel the need to create about living in India and Nepal.
Guess what?!! I made and remade over 100 collages about my time in Asia. I never feel quite done, always re-arranging, tearing up, adding marks. I have enjoyed the process, feeling proud at what has poured out thus far. Pushing myself past the “I can’t think of anything new to do” times. 
6) Streamline bills. Why? Because life is easier that way.
DONE! GO streamline your bills NOW. Its amazing. I love having them in ONE place. It is a dream.
7) Learn how to make a Cyanotype which is a photographic printing process that produces a cyan-blue print!
This is rolling over to next years list. I must learn how!!
8) Keep getting in shape. Right before turning 26 I decided it was high time to make working out a regular part of my life.
(Not an optional one.) I am dedicated to expanding what that looks like this year!
Surprisingly drinking water is the hardest part. I have most days stayed very dedicated to being in shape. Like anything in life there are up’s and downs.
9) Drink champagne for the first time.
First I am addicted… Not really, but seriously good stuff. Upon getting our new apt we popped a bottle of champagne (which I had taste tested with my girl Grace,) DEVINE if I do say so myself! Perfect way to celebrate our new start in a new state.
10) Make art with Orly Avineri.
Crazy magical things do happen. Erin Faith Allen owner of Call of the Wild Soul contacted me and said “I have a crazy idea. Would you like to photograph our New Mexico art retreat?” An art retreat I actually really, really wanted to attend. What do you know, Orly was one of the teachers! I was able to create along side this beauty a few times and still months later feel pretty elated to be apart of a community with incredible woman like them! sigh!
11) Create a desk/workspace in our new home, where I can edit without being hunched over or burning my legs.
Our dining table became my workspace. It is convenient that’s what it boils down too.
12) To that note I also want to freshin up our bedroom, wether that means a head board or new bed spread. It has been the least focused on room in the house.
I bought a few things here and there over the year for this space and it feels muuuuuuch better. I love our tiny room now.
13) Use milage for an airline ticket. Where too?
Boise, ID for Brave Girls Symposium!!!
14) Get my very own sleeping bag, hiking backpack and boots! For real, I am an adult now, I need to invest in proper gear.
Thanks to the parents; I am now prepared for ANYTHING nature throws at me! Okay maybe not, but I feel more comfortable. :)
15) Hike and camp more. A goal we both equally desire.
Done… Done… Done… I had so many outdoor adventures this year and I am not complaining!
16) Visit Asheville before leaving the east coast! Go to Double D’s and Biltmore Estate.
Little did I know, we wouldn’t be leaving the east coast, just leaving Virginia. I will have visited Asheville 5 times since making this promise. Which is nuts!! But also really incredible! Not only because it is quirky and beautiful but because one of our favorite couples lives there, can you say partyyyy!
17) Read 12 books. Focusing on Travel and or Memoirs.
DONE!! Unbroken made me cry a million times (read while my love was in boot camp, not the smartest idea.)
18) Tin type Portraits done.
Our good friend Miki Ross owner of Analogue Arts and Trade took a few portraits of me last year right before we moved. I treasure them. 
19) Learn how to re-wire a lamp. Seriously this has been on my to do list forever.
My husband taught me how to re-wire a light fixture just after getting our second place together, not as hard as one might think.
20) Go dancing with my husband. Never did, which is a bummer but hey can’t get them all.
21) Learn to make proper cocktails. You know for all those parties we throw.
I have very little photographic evidence of this because well I was too busy drinking them drinks to photograph them.
Favorites include: Mojito, Rum Swizzle, (With lemon instead of grenadine) Dark ‘N’ Stormy and a Classic Champaign Cocktail (Any citrus works well.)
22) Get a morning routine. Mine consisted of rolling out of bed, throwing on clothes and grabbing a coffee. 1o minutes flat and I was out the door.
This has come and gone over the seasons of this last year. Mostly it has looked like getting up making a smoothie (with protein), pulling work out clothes on, heading straight to the gym, making the coffee after the working out and before work. Now with a puppy it looks a lot different. ;)
23) Take Nathaniel scuba diving.
We haven’t made it scuba diving YET. We have however been snorkeling all around Florida’s Natural Springs. There are A LOT of them and we have been one by one marking them off our list. 
24) Meet a National Geographic photographer. Shoot with them. A girl can dream…
25) Make a list of things to do and love while living in Jacksonville. Oh and do them…
Slowly but surely seeing some of the amazingness… More than anything we are certainly eating our way through Florida.
26) Apply for collage!!!!!!!
I applied. I got accepted. I got totally afraid and also super passionate about my photography business that I didn’t take it another step.
