Hooooot hoooooot

Spotted owls are pretty rare to see in Iowa. Especially tucked under your car in the park. During the summer of 2004 I was leaving a local disc golf course when a friend of mine suddenly noticed a little owl hanging out underneath the car. Curious, we were able to pick it up--he actually let us! and ended up bringing it home with us. Little did we know just how illegal it is to have this owl, as it is protected under the federal government. Dont worry, we got rid of it! I was catching up with an old friend this weekend when I was reminded of this story and had to dig through old photos to share with you--because it is that crazy!

 -Click the link below to see more photos-

Dia de los Muertos

Ok, maybe I am a little early but is it just me or are sugar skulls popping up all over the place?! It's ok with me because I absolutely love them.  Celebrated in central and southern Mexico during the 1st and 2nd of November, Mexicans in this region partake in a full-on party to commemorate and honor their deceased loved ones. "They believe that the gates of heaven are opened up at midnight on October 31st, and the spirits of all deceased children are allowed to reunite with their families for 24 hours, on November 2nd, the spirits of the adults come down to enjoy the festivities that are prepared for them" (Day of the Dead history).   People in this region spend a ton of money decorating tombs to the fullest extent. Sugar art in particular was brought to the New World by Italian missionaries in the 17th century. Mexico, abundant in sugar production and too poor to buy fancy imported European decorations, learned quickly from the friars how to make sugar art for the religious festivals. Sugar skulls represent a departed soul, have the name written on the forehead and is placed in the home or gravestone to honor the return of a particular spirit. Sugar skull art reflects the folk art style of big happy smiles, colorful icing, and sparkly glitter. Its unfortunate that real sugar skulls are disappearing as fabricated imported candy skulls take their place. Sugar Skull background info

This past May my girl friends Maggie Gulling and Tiffany Dean showed off their talents and did us girls up like sugar skulls! Tiff, who is an amazing makeup artist painted us up and Maggie, an amazing photographer ever took photos.. then we all went out to the bar to scare people off with our faces on!  Click the link below to see more photos from our day and get inspired to do your own sugar skull face!! November is just around the corner.

What the BANGS?!?!?

yep.. muuuuuch better! 

Thanks for the snip in your backyard Melissa <3

Smell good - Look good - Feel good

One of the first things Aj ever bought me was a couple bars of soap from this little company tucked in the Rockies almost 3 Christmases ago. I was hooked. Idaho Springs is home to The Soap Shop where a few weeks ago I went crazy grabbing as many bars as I could and loaded up on lotion. I love this stuff. My favorites are Oatmeal Milk & Honey, Almond, and Lemongrass scents. Their philosophy is this: "if you cannot eat an ingredient it doesn't belong on your skin." Pretty fitting for them because they use a ton of unrefined oils that do everything from preventing acne, fading stretch marks, providing protein, and of course protecting and moisturizing the skin. Perfect for super sensitive skin and rarely causes allergic reactions. Another awesome thing about this company?! They recycle their containers, so you can either bring them into the store or send them and they'll refill them with $1 off!

The Soap Shop, 1542 Miner street, Idaho Springs, CO 80452

sudsorama.com

-via

Who's that girl?

Change is a good thing.


.......thats what I am trying to convince myself anyway while I sit here on the couch searching the internet for the fastest over-the-counter ways to grow your hair.



So, what is the fastest way to grow your hair?


....beeeecause I cut my super long blond locks off today and I am feeling....... indifferent about it.

Whatever.

It'll grow back.

The Rockies

It was such an overwhelming feeling standing on the ledge of a massive rock at the top of Juniper pass this last weekend in Idaho Springs. The next town down from Georgetown nestled in the Colorado mountains, these towns began in the 1800's (1859, Georgetown) as mining camps.

Juniper Pass, Colorado.   Sun July 31st.   

Did I mention that I am having a ton of fun?

She'll be comin' down the mountain when she comes

Mountain ranges across the U.S in the past year.

-Take a peek into amazingness-

Arizona

Beach bum

I just got back from a stay on the west coast. While visiting the southern california Los Angeles area I did some amazing things. One of which was the Art in the Streets exhibit at the MOCA in Little Tokyo downtown. The first American street art/graffiti exhibit to date, it featured artists such as Banksy, Shepard Fairey & Swoon. "Tracing the development from the 1970's to the global movement it has become today, concentrating on key cities such as NYC, LA, San Fran, London, and Sao Paulo, where a unique visual language or attitude has evolved"(moca). There, you can see paintings, mixed media sculptures, and interactive installations complete with a comprehensive timeline illustrated with artwork, photos, video, and ephemera which will provide a historical context for the work.

Oh, and every Thursday night between 5-8pm its free--thanks to Banksy who is sponsoring the free admission. He has this to say about it: "I dont think you should have to pay to look at graffiti. You should only pay if you want to get rid of it."

There is never a dull sight at venice beach either. Everything from artists selling their handmade drawings and bracelets to any kind of food you'd ever want to eat.. all the beer and booze you can handle.. skateboarding, surfing, lifting weights at muscle beach.. whatever, its there! One of my favorite spots to visit just for the entertainment value and the ocean breeze.. Venice is a must-see.

Heat Advisory

A life without love is like a year without summer -Swedish Proverb

...and this is only the beginning.

Madison, Wisconsin