A treat for you on this fine Friday...

Have you ever heard of Maira Kalman?

Well, she is pretty sweet. Check these out, you won't be sorry.

The best brief history of the world I've ever read.

More proof that Benjamin Franklin was a really rad dude.

Fast food nation, things to think about...

The Title Goes Here - Do You Have One?

Finally Friday. Whew.

Ghostland Observatory: Laser Show

  

See the beach balls? Fun.

Wordless Wednesday

A Field on Fire

This field looked as though it was aflame with color. So pretty. The sky was grey and threatening rain but the sun was trying to peek through casting pretty shadows and rays of light. 
Thanks to the boyfriend for spotting this photo op. =)

First Frost

We had our first frost this morning. Had to scrape Bessie's windows before driving to work. 

We spent the night in Girdwood Saturday for their annual Oktoberfest. It was a good time and the drive out couldn't have been prettier. 

Now it's back to the grind so I'll catch ya later.

Thoughts on Autumn

 We have had a spectacular autumn in my opinion. (I say had because it's supposed to be in the low 30's Monday night) The colors have been vibrant and lush, the air crisp, the change palpable. 

I have been taking this in every single day. But - for some reason I haven't stopped to take any pictures of what's going on around me. Except for this one. 

I think it's because I feel like I can't really capture what I'm seeing and I wouldn't be able to do it justice. Maybe. Or maybe I just want to take it in and not worry about documenting it.

Either way, no pictures of this season really. This one is from several years ago in Talkeetna.

P.S. the snow on the mountain tops is definitely sticking around.

Happy Friday!

Sticking it to the man

Guess what I did yesterday...I deactivated my Facebook account. I can't say 100% that it will be forever but I kind of hope so. 

It's liberating really, to not have to check it multiple times a day and play into people's passive aggressive drama. I hardly ever posted anything other than pictures and only chit chatted with my friends and family. I was never one of those who felt the need to post every little thing I was doing. 

You know what else I'm looking forward to? Actually talking to people and catching up without already knowing everything about their week. 

So yeah. Got that going for me. The main reason I kept it so long was to share pics with my family but I've decided to just go ahead a get a pro Flickr account and share them that way. Now I just need to decide how to organize my sets. By date, type or location? It seems the possibilities are endless, which is hurting my brain.

Wordless Wednesday

Alaska Trains

I'm going to consider this post to be a Public Service Announcement.

This is the train we rode to the State Fair. Trains are awesome.

You're welcome.

Pirate Pub Crawl

We attended the Pirate Pub Crawl of Anchorage this past weekend. It's a charity event for the Alaska Blood Bank. We all made our own costumes and I think we looked rather pirate-y. (I made the brother's and the boyfriend's - not too bad right?) It was a lot of fun and there were a ton of other people dressed up as pirates as well. When we first got down there a girl came up to us and asked why everyone was dressed up. I really wanted to say that it's just what people do on Saturday nights here but resisted. Would have been funny, no?

So that was Saturday. The second I woke up on Sunday I went to the garage and started sanding pallets for a project I'm working on. More on that later but I'm prepping for a craft bazaar. Fun stuff. Because I'm a freakin' expert now and I know what to do. (Please read that with slight sarcasm)

In other news - there is termination dust on the mountains this morning. I wonder if it will stick around...either way I'l keep you updated because I am freak about the weather.

Adieu. 

Monday already?

It was a brisk 45 degrees this morning and it was dark when I woke up at 6:50. Dang.

Lots of shenanigans this weekend, I'll catch you up soon. 

Pinterest is Free Therapy

You know how some days are just total crap?

You feel like you're going to have a rage stroke and you realize you shouldn't let such trivial things bother you?...but they do.

Blah. It has been one of those days. 

Work has gotten under my skin and for some reason I just can't shake it this week.

So, in an effort to snap out of this funk I think I'll just show you all the pretty pictures I found on Pinterest. Because that's what you should do when you get mad - get on Pinterest and chill out.

Word.

(None of these images are mine. Obviously.)

Scrambling on rocks & hanging out in caves

Sometimes we do those things.

Title goes here they say...

Crisp

My sad attempt at piecing together a panorama.

‘Don't be morbid,’ Jordan said. ‘Life starts all over again when it gets crisp in the fall.’

— F. Scott Fitzgerald, The Great Gatsby 

We Saw Them

Friday night was spent with friends. Bouncing around a few bars downtown, probably a drink too many...we all hopped in a cab and headed home together. Not two minutes after tucking ourselves into our respectable sleeping places (all throughout the house no less) my brother calls me from downstairs and tells me he sees the northern lights. I hop up and look out the window but see nothing. I come barreling down the stairs and run onto the back porch and look up into the night sky. A long green ribbon with a red edge is dancing through the sky. We all stare up in awe. Clear as can be. Perfect. It was as though it stretched the whole night sky but smack dab through Joe's backyard. Truly amazing and surely a sign of good things to come this upcoming season. I tried to take pictures but then I decided to lay down in the grass and just enjoy.

Saturday was the boyfriend's birthday. I joked that I gave him the northern lights as my gift. We went out to breakfast, tried some beer from the Pacific Northwest and Alaska later in the afternoon at the La Bodega Beer Fest and then headed to Girdwood for dinner at the Double Musky. A good day, if I do say so myself.

Now it is Sunday and this day has also been lovely. Warmer than expected and the sun has hung around all day. The change in the seasons has been palpable this weekend. 

Painting Commission

Finished these paintings this past Monday for a manager at work. I was pretty intimidated doing something for her because she's one of those people that is great at being a boss, doesn't mind people having a healthy dose of fear towards her and knows what she wants. Seemed like a lot of pressure to live up to. I painted (3) 24 inch x 24 inch gallery wrapped pieces.

Good news - she loved them. Even better, another partner who is even harder to impress with abstract art liked them too. 

That's awesome.

I am glad it's Friday but I have a lot to do and I forgot to set my alarm this morning. Bad combination. I'll talk to you kids later!

Have a great weekend!

Another World

"If I discover within myself a desire which no experience in this world can satisfy, the most probable explanation is that I was made for another world” 
- C.S. Lewis

Wordless Wednesday

Back to Work

The weekend was a lot of fun. A couple gal pals and I headed out to the little town of Hope for a long holiday weekend of camping. The weather was spotty but we laughed a ton, explored, got muddy, pretty much met and chatted with the entire town and listened to some great live tunes.

I love Hope. It's a beautiful place.

Quick Weekend Recap

Details tomorrow!