the USS Alabama

Thanks to the app Road Trippers,

we were able to snag this great stop early on 

in our second day of driving.

We left out of Pensacola early in the morning and 

we were at the USS Alabama in no time.

I have been on my fair share of Military ship tours,

I have been fortunate enough to have that as a close part of my childhood and life.

But never have I seen the awe on a little boys face when he sets eyes 

on a battleship of this magnitude, never before this that is.

Exploring the ship like a 4 year old put it all in a completely 

different perspective.

Both the boys really enjoyed this one, and we could have 

spent the entire day checking out every nook and cranny of this place.

As an adult and photographer I found so much interest in all of the details on the ship.

I can't tell you how many pictures I took of tubes and pipes and wires.

There is something so ironically beautiful to me in all of the industrial utilitarian components.

This trip cost the three of us about $30,

but the cost of admission was totally worth if for the hour

of exploration and fine dose of history.

And the boy will always 

remember where he got his super sweet 

F-16 toy now.

the USS Alabama is located at:

2703 Battleship Pkwy

 Mobile, AL 36603

The Tallahassee Automobile Museum

The Tallahassee Automobile Museum was the first of many 

fun filled stops on our drive across the country.

We knew that we would have to break up our big adventure with little 

memories like this one in order to keep sane on a five day trip.

First, I must say that while every other second of our trip was planned 

and researched with the app Road Trippers,

this stop was just a happy accident.

We stopped across the street for gas and the giant 

Bat-mobile in the front lawn of the museum grabbed our attention.

I was sold from the beginning or our tour.

There were rows and rows and rows of every 

bad ass car that you could possibly imagine.

It was overwhelming and incredibly impressive to learn that the entire collection,

everything in the giant two story building was all owned 

by one person.

Then to later find out that not only was it privately owned, but every machine,

not just every car, but every machine

in the building worked….perfectly.

The museum should change its name to 

The Tallahassee Boys Toys Museum, 

because it was so much more than cars.

I am pretty sure they had one of every kind of golf club ever made.

As well as over 200 fully operational boat motors.

Oh and did I mention all the original Bat Man stuff?

Cars, subs, motorcycles, costumes and props from the movies.

Needless to say my boys mind was blown.

And don't forget about good ole' EK amongst the collection 

of two wheeled boy toys! 

Not pictured:

tons and tons of tin toys & every kind or gun and case knife ever made.

If you are in the area or just passing through,

I highly recommend the stop.

While it was one of the more costly stops on our trip it was highly worth 

the price of admission to see all of these bits and 

pieces of Automotive and American history.

The Tallahassee Automobile Museum 

is located at:

6800 Mahan Drive
Tallahassee, Florida 32308

These Faces

Some how all of these faces never seem to make it into 

one picture all together.

Missing them all already!

The Fungus Among Us.

Well it rained non-stop while we were in 

North Carolina.

All of my normal beautiful and sunny mountain surrounding

were replaced by soggy, muddy, grey days.

But I wasn't going to let a little rain ruin my vacation.

Instead I took a huge interest in all the sprouting mushrooms.

It became a theme of my photo missions.

I was blown away by the colors and shapes that all the fungus made.

10 things i couldn't live without this week

1. well i guess that it's official enough to share and get excited! so this little house momma is going back to work! i recently fell in love with a salon and made it my job to get a job there.  after a few meetings and  getting to know some of the staff, i was invited to become a part of the davidk space team.  i am so fired up about all the new educational experiences, opportunities, and having a reason to wear cute clothes and make up! haha
2. the hubs finally took that vacation that he's been needing and deserving! we decided to stay home for our vacation and really focus on some things around the house (as well as spending as much time possible at the beach).  boy oh boy have we been up to some serious DIY-ing.  we built a table, refinished my craft desk as well as adding a storage hutch, we've got some art projects under way, and i do believe there is a refinished shelf in my future for today.  not to mention we have also rearranged a ton of the art in the house.
3. speaking of new art!!!!! the hubs surprised me with a piece that i have been dying over for quite some time! it was supposed to be a christmas present, but neither on of us can keep a secret for that long.
4. along with delivering my new art, brandon mclean (the artist) came over for an evening of digging holes at the beach, reading books to the boy, and a pulled pork feast!
5. we have had some amazing beach trips this week.  the hubs has started a tradition of digging the most insane hole possible each time we go.  this may sound silly but a lot of research and trial and error has gone into perfecting the hole.
6. went to a friends going away party the other night. crappy-e-oke. very sad to see bob leaving, but very excited about his future work opportunities.
7. i missed a lot of ballet last month. so to make up for missed classes i've been taking a contemporary class right after ballet.  i was really worried that i was going to make a fool out of myself, but it turns out that i really love the class! i have a few more make-ups to do so over the next few weeks i am going to decide if a switch is in order.  i'll keep you posted.
8. the hubs finally strong armed me into having the yard sale that i have been planning for months.  the back hallway between the kitchen and the car port had turned into the holding cell for all potential yard sale items.  as the mountain of crap grew the more frequently the hubs told me i was becoming a hoarder.... haha.  so saturday 6:30 am came and it was time for the sale.  we sat and waited and waited and waited for people to come.  sold some random stuff, but none of the things that we assumed would sell did.  so after a few hot and sweaty hours our hopes of success dwindled and we called it a day.  we loaded up the car with all the left overs and dropped them at our local consignment shop.  this is the first time i've done the consignment shop thing, i usually just head straight for goodwill...we will see how it goes, if we make any money at all.  haha.
9. our old friend kelly and her adorable little boy kaleb stopped over for a short visit this weekend.  it is always so good to see her and share stories of motherhood.  kaleb is now 6 months old and about as cute as a button!
10. really looking forward to family date night tonight! we are going to rocco's tacos (which i have been dying to try!) with the serey's....can't wait! margarita's in my future....i think so!

10 things i couldn't live without this week

1.  an awesome trip to michigan. i got to spend some serious quality time with my sisters and parents. plus i also did some amazing work while i was up there.
2. running the grand rapids 5K mud run was everything that i imagined it to be. it was hard, dirty, and exhausting, but at the same time it was such a mental and physical accomplishment that every grit of dirt was worth it! i can't wait until next year to run again!
3. monday i went with my parent to drop my sister paige off at her first year at WMU.  over the past year my sister and i have developed such a closer bond, and i am so proud of the woman that she is becoming! she is going to do many great things in her life! can't wait to sit back and watch her bloom!
4. while in kalamazoo we stopped at paige's favorite hippy chic stores. I fell in love with an amethyst pendant that quickly became mine. now every time i wear it i feel like a part of paige is with me. it reminds me so much of her natural beauty and pure soul.
5. getting home and back into the swing of things has been a very easy transition. i missed home very much. i missed the hubs very much.
6. i received a gift in the mail from one of my best friends, jenna leigh. a few months ago i was looking through old pictures of our wedding and came across a picture of jenna that was just the funniest most picture perfect explanation of "jenna".  so what does this amazingly comical girl do.....she goes and puts the picture on a coffee mug! now i get to look at her 'sweet pizza stuffed face, flippin me the bird while also reminding me of the importance of recycling and pet adoption' every morning! love it!
7. my best friend mary was in town for work this week. she and the hubs work for the same company, which benefits me quite often....i get to see her pretty regularly. we cut hair, ate delish tacos from havana hideout, and shared plant/present ideas! even though the visits are always brief we pack them full of good times! thanks for the brain storming!
8. twice baked potatoes! i hate to admit this, but i had never made twice baked potatoes before this week. and now i am hooked! they were time consuming, but worth every minute! yum yum.
9. the incredible hubs has found a new hobby....turns out (even thought he doesn't drink it) he really enjoys making coffee! this is got to be the sweetest gesture. the man lets me sleep in and wakes me up with a fresh steaming french press. is it possible that i have the best husband in the world? i think so. it's the little things that get me.
10. sold my first photographs this week. pretty awesome.

we made it to michigan safe and sound. here's to wishing everyone a safe and cozy wednesday. the boy and i are enjoying the cooler weather, my parents new cozy house, and lots of love. hope everyone else is just as lucky. p.s. how awesome is my new mug from yellow branch pottery.

10 things i couldn't live without this week:

1. once or twice a year i make it out to my parent lake house on lake santeetlah. it is my heaven on earth. i think deep down inside (as much as i love living on the beach) that i was meant to be pickin' a banjo in the back woods of north carolina. spending the week up there was so rejuvenating (even if i was sick half the trip).

2. haley and paige drove up with my cousin to surprise my dad and spend some time with us at the lake. it was the best surprise! my dad was blown away. i had such an amazing time with them! the two of them are growing up to be such amazing women and i am so proud to be their big sister!

3. one of my favorite things about spending time in NC is checking out the local artist. we usually head into asheville and hit up some galleries, but this time we stayed very local. yellow branch farm and pottery as well as bee global will always be on my "must go to" list when i am up there.

4. the boy was so amazing on the plane. i was worried about the flight home since we didn't even take off until about 9pm. he fell asleep before we even left the ground and slept until every last person was off the plane. what a champ.

5. as i mentioned i got sick on vacation...bummer. but i must say, that if you are going to get sick you should do it when we are with 15 of your closest family members. i had so much help with the boy. it was the biggest weight off my shoulders to have all the help. thanks everyone!

6. as much fun as i had in north carolina this past week the highlight had to be getting home to see the hubs! unfortunately he couldn't make the trip, but we sure missed him! it is so good to be back in his arms.

7. nyquil - even though it makes me do funny things in my sleep.

8. sharing in the excitement with my two favorite people from ouraugust. not only is it their month (both of them celebrating birthdays in august), but these two little lovers just got engaged! jump on over and share the love with them! i know that they will have a long life together full of laughter and joy. best wishes!

9. the boy did his first zip line at his friend olive's birthday party. barrel o'monkeys is an awesome family run kids gym in delray beach. the boy and i have been before, but he was too scared to do the zip line before....but today was a new day! thanks to a little persuasion from mommy (i told him it was like a super hero....how could he say no?) and the instructor letting me take him on the ride....he did it!

10. i have not legitimately cooked dinner since i have been home from my trip (baked chicken and mac and cheese doesn't count). between me and the boy being sick and the lack of food in the house it just hasn't happened. all the pizza and take out is taking it's toll but sometime it's nice to have someone else make dinner. as i am writing this now the hubs in on his way home from picking up dinner at chili's. yum.

bee global

on our western north carolina artisan adventure we stopped in to the bee global gallery. what an amazing and refreshing experience. from the second i stepped out of the car i knew that this place was going to be special. the contemporary building is beautifully and organic placed among hills and fields of wild flowers. there is a calming "buzz" almost like a hum all over the gardens and in the gallery.

the gallery and the gardens are full of the perfect mix of old and new. i found out that the bee keeper wife is also an avid bottle collector which made me adore them even more! the smells from the candles (and hives) that fill your nose inside the gallery are fresh and natural and not at all overwhelming or perfumy. all of the beautiful lanterns are made with flowers from the garden.

i fell in love with these giant hanging hive sculptures. and bonus, they are repurposed from plastic bags. i love recycled/repurposed art. they were so awesome.

yellow branch pottery

if you are ever passing through stecoah, nc make sure that you stop at yellow branch pottery and cheese farm. you will be greeted at the door of the gallery by karen mickler. she was kind enough to let me explore through her work space and snap some photos. i love finding the beauty in other artist creative processes. her gallery was just amazing...and i can't wait to use my new coffee mug.

then we wandered up to the farm where you can normally find bruce making the most delicious cheese. we missed him unfortunately, but we did spend some time with some adorable little calfs.

the lake life

10 things i couldn't live without this week:

1. cool weather in august. its so funny listening to everyone complain about how hot it is up here in the mountains, meanwhile i am searching for a sweater. the weather is absolutely beautiful up here.

2. working out with my step mom...she's the best motivator.

3. sunset cruises.

4. watching the boy fearlessly swan dive/belly flop into the lake from the dock and the boat. this kid is lake boy to the core.

5. stoney hollow farm. i am so sad that they are selling the farm. i am afraid that whom ever buys it won't be able to live up to it. this farm is a you pick/ self service farm. you literally leave your money wrapped up in the freezer. got to love the honor system.

6. the boys first jet ski ride....even if he didn't love it....it was "too loud"

7. having an abundance of help with the boy. between my dad, step mom, and all my sisters it's been really nice to not have to be constantly worried about the boy.

8. the look on my dad's face when two of my sisters showed up at the lake to surprise him. priceless.

9. the boys new love for kayak rides.

10. being surrounded with so much love, family, and laughter.

11 years later

"l'amore che move il sole e l'altre stelle" - dante alighieri

happy anniversary to my amazing dad and step mom