sunsets

Sunsets are one of my favorite things. Not only are they beautiful but they are also one of the most meaningful ways I connect with the people I love. I even have a running contest with my dad to see which one of us has the pleasure of enjoying the most  sunset wherever we are at the time. For us, sunsets are a way that we can connect to each other and feel close even when we are physically far away.

Sunsets are a gift that we are given at the end of each day. They offer us a moment of repose and provide us with an opportunity to appreciate the world in a similar way to anyone around the globe. Sharing an appreciation for nature and its innate beauty allows us to transcend cultural barriers and different languages; it isn't particular to a place or group of people, yet it connects us all.

Here is a collection of both sunrises and sunsets that I've captured at some of my favorite places.

Do you have any favorite places where you enjoy sunsets?

harnessing the sun

Recently I rediscovered my love for cities. I mean, they really energize me. More on that tangent another time though.

Fortunately, a design conference provided me with an opportunity to visit Boston for the first time. Well my first time, with the exception of flying into the airport to then drive to a wedding in rural Massachusetts nearly four years ago. And while the wedding was loads of fun, this time I was able to stay in Boston proper a little longer and really take it all in.

The weather on my first day was BEAUTIFUL and such a warm welcome for this southern girl who prefers moderate temperatures with a baseline of 70, plus or minus five degrees. I don’t ask for much, really... With every step I took, the sky and I both beamed with sunshine. I wanted to spend every minute outside breathing the fresh air and people watching to my heart’s content.

Can you recall how great you feel on the first sunny day of spring when all of the flowers are in bloom and you think to yourself, how could life ever be tough? Well, that is the sort of bliss I experienced on Monday.

If traveling has taught me anything, it’s to make the most of the weather forecast. This makes sense, doesn’t it? On rainy days visit museums and on sunny days get out and explore. Intending to live by this lesson, I launched a mobile weather app to check out the seven day forecast. Quickly I realized that this sunny day I was thrilled to have might be the only one during my stay. In that moment, I grew determined to squeeze the very last drop of goodness out of the day by spending as much time as possible outside. I observed outside. I ate outside. I read outside. I ran outside. You get the point. I literally stayed outside until the sun set and then some.

As predicted, the weather the following day was cold, windy and the sun was nowhere to be found. Instantly, I felt grateful that I chose to enjoy the previous day to the extent I did. This made me think even more. If my awareness of the impending bad weather allows me to fully appreciate the good weather, then is it possible to harness the sun on pretty days to keep us feeling good on the not-so-pretty days? To some extent, I think the answer is yes. We can’t literally bottle up the sun and dispense it on those overcast and dreary days. However, when we make the choice to fully appreciate the pretty days, it fills our cup. It energizes our spirit. It fuels our soul. It allows us to harness the sun for the inevitable, dreary days ahead.

Of course this idea translates to our lives on a grander scale as well. If we can whole-heartedly appreciate our over-the-moon, life is good days then we’ll have a positive reservoir ready for dispensing on the why me, life is so tough days too. Food for thought.

mother's day goodness.

It's no surprise that I'm a huge fan of Read Between the Lines and the products they create. Their collection for Mother's Day is no exception. These cards and prints offer up fun phrases like "Mom, you're the bomb" and "Marvelous mamacita". What a fun way to celebrate mom's everywhere.

Although you and I both may have missed the opportunity to order these gems in time for Mother's Day, it's never too late to stock up for next year or send one just because. I can't wait to see how the RBTL girls will celebrate dads. It's sure to be awesome sauce.

restful adventure

While the phrase "restful adventure" may sound like an oxymoron, that's exactly how I would describe this past weekend. It all started on Friday afternoon when my sister and I piled into the car and headed east for the coast to spend time with our family. We had no agenda at all, only to enjoy the scenery, each other's company and the beautiful weather to come.

Both Saturday and Sunday mornings we woke to gorgeous blue skies and a burning desire to seize the day. And, that's exactly what we did.

We ate well, dug our toes into the sand, played horseshoes, flew kites, cruised on bikes and even initiated impromptu dance parties. It was just what I needed. I think it's what we all needed, to be honest. Life is busy and it's tough for us to put aside our to-do lists and have real conversations without any distractions, but taking time for a restful adventure is so worth it.

Here's to your next restful adventure, big or small!

24/7/52/365

Lately I've been thinking a lot about how to find more time to live. After all, it's called LIFE, right? But obviously if time were that easy to create, everyone would extend their days and weeks. At least every other week I've uttered to myself, "There aren't enough hours in the day". It's true. There aren't. However, I think it's time's finite nature that makes it so valuable to us. If we knew that we'd live forever, then we likely wouldn't rush around creating to-do lists or working vigorously to make things happen or savoring our favorite moments to the last drop.

With my 30th birthday merely days away, I've been reflecting on life and what I've made of mine so far as well as what I hope to make of the next 30 years. I have found peace in a few certainties. It's impossible to have more than 24 hours in a day. To that same end, we can't dictate how many days we'll get or what challenges will come our way in the days we're given. We can only do more with the time we have. I read a quote recently that really clicked for me.

Do what you can, with what you have, where you are.-Teddy Roosevelt

With this quote in mind, I'm aiming to get more out of my weekdays, particularly the mornings. It's true that we all have hours in our day that are accounted for the minute we wake up, but I think the challenge is finding creative ways to use the periods in between our busy schedules to create lives we're proud of. As we approach summer and the days grow longer, it gets easier to make things happen during the day, whether it be meeting up with a friend for an impromptu walk or baking cookies before work. Today I opted for the latter. I woke up early, brewed coffee and baked batch after batch of oatmeal chocolate chip cookies, eating them as I went along. This morning was just what I needed.

So friends, here's to squeezing more fun out of your week and creating more memories along the way.