needed: more sunshine

The weekend was the perfect double dose of sunshine ... just like this double-exposure holga I took back in July.

There are a few things I always have to come to term with around this time of year.

1. It is going to start getting colder.

2. Green is going to be harder to come by in the great outdoors.

3. There is going to be less light during the day.

I haven't come up with plans to remedy all of the above, but I can at least start prepping myself for the month that lie ahead. Here's my plan thus far:

Remedy #1:

Put away summer clothes and bring out the hats, mittens and down coats. Look for bargains on sweaters and other winter gear. Until then, pm has a wonderful collection of over-sized sweatshirts. This is the best remedy of all, both for the pocket book and comfort.

Remedy #2:

Buy plants on sale and keep them alive and thriving during the winter months. We just bought a new jade plant. I am so incredibly excited by this, partly because we lost 3 jade plants just a month or two ago. I am determined to keep this new plant alive. I will not over water you, little jade; I will not over water you, little jade.

Remedy #3:

Get as many rays as you can now before it's too late. We're making a point to go for a walk right when we get home from work before it turns dark. We may also be investing in a winter "happy lamp" this year. We'll see just how glum it turns out to be this winter, before I commit.

What are your pre-winter remedies?

The Sticks.

calm. quiet. serene. empty. vast. beautiful. The great outdoors.

As strange as it sounds, I really miss being outside. When I had more free time, it was cold outside. Now even if I had more free time my schedule seems to be booked solid. I really can't complain - I just want to make more of a commitment to be outside and enjoy the sunshine while it lasts.

The weekend we were away and got to enjoy a slice of the outdoors, Minnesota style. Winding county roads, no street lights and the northern accent, yah. It made me a little melancholic for fall and slightly cooler weather. It did that same number for family. In the last 36 hours I have seen more family (including my own - all of my own, rock on!) than I have in years. Well, not really years, but it seems like it has been awhile. I guess the advantage to having to back-to-back family weddings in Minnesota is you have time to catch up on conversations and life happenings. All very nice indeed.

If it wasn't creeping into my sleeping time, I'd almost think about enjoying some outside time now. There are trees where we are in the city, so it still counts!

reach for it.

Thought I'd shine light on another "old" photograph from our Flickr stream. (It's funny as I write "shine light on" the afternoon sunshine is streaming through the blinds and shining plenty of light on me.)

I love watching everything come into bloom during spring. It all seems to grow so quickly, making it hard to believe that only a few short weeks ago there was more brown than green on the ground. I was amazed just how green everything was over the weekend. Too bad we didn't have a camera on hand to capture all the rich colors. The overcast skies sure helped illuminate all the blooms and buds. Can't wait for some of our indoor plants to catch up!

On a side note: We just got about 8 rolls developed from two of our favorite cameras: Holga & Kiev. This means we'll have plenty of new photos to post both to the blog and to Flickr in the coming weeks. Other than that, it's just another manic Monday. One soon to be filled with paella and red wine. mmm!

something *sweet

I thought it was time to post something *sweet to this blog again.

We seem to have more recently posted around the theme of horses (exhibit A, exhibit B, exhibit C, and *gasp*, exhibit D). Which photo is your favorite? I am partial to B, but that's no suprise - doubles are my thing.

Anyways, I have declared a change of pace. No more horses.

My inspiration came today as I woke up to a beautiful sunny, yet still chilly day. My mind drifted to sunshine and spring. And to celebrate - it was a day for baking. I suppose the hearts and love designs slightly nod to Valentine's Day. :)

Baking, for me, truly is therapeutic. I enjoy being able to invent as I go along with a recipe. I very rarely follow a recipe. Instead it's just a suggested route to an end. Obviously the baking soda, baking powder and other standards don't change -- but the add-ins do. I am not afraid to try new things while baking. Sometimes my changes fail, but for the most part the end result is edible bliss.

Yes, I have a sweet tooth.

Here's to warm cookies, hot chocolate and an afternoon of warmth. And, naturally -the recipe:

Orange You Glad Sugar Cookies:
+ 1 c softened butter
+ 1.5 c sugar
+ 2 eggs
+ 1 t cream of tartar
+ 1 t baking soda
+ 1 t orange extract
+ 1/4 t salt
+ 2.75 c flour
+ zest of 1 orange
+ small splash of oj

Heat oven to 375F. Bake for 9 -12 mins. ENJOY! :)