A Weekend in Blue Ridge

Ah, Blue Ridge, GA. This is the second time in just a few months that we have visited this beautiful, quaint, mountain town. You see, my father-in-law and his girlfriend are looking to buy a cabin there for the family to enjoy. That translates to them coming up to tour homes, and us spending time with them in the process. Win win, as they say, right Craig? #hehatesthatsaying

During this particular trip, we actually stayed in Mineral Bluff, GA, which is so close to the North Carolina line that if you miss your turn into the residential neighborhood and go about 3 minutes down the road you will end up in the Tar Heel State. Not that we know that from experience or anything.

The cabin that our hosts rented for a few days was called High Expectations, and I made the joke upon driving in that it better live up to mine. Well, smart...butt, it did.

This is the view from the porch. I mean, it's not that bad I suppose. If you don't have high expectations or anything. Har!

The cabin was absolutely beautiful, with natural wood and rustic decor throughout. The owners thought of everything when it came to outfitting their guests to ensure a comfortable stay. Well, except for salt and pepper. #random They did provide board games, though so that was nice.

Sherie {my father-in-law's girlfriend's sister} and Canon really bonded on this trip. She has a son who is now a marine and said that Canon reminded her of her Michael. Whatever the reason, their personalities just clicked and it was really sweet to watch.

Though we didn't really hike on this particular trip, we did venture up the paved road on the mountain where the neighborhood was located. Canon did a really good job, but began to get tired on the way back so of course Daddy's shoulders were the natural spot to land.

Even though we were "hiking" an actual road, there were so many beautiful plants and flowers along the way that I stopped to take them all in. I don't know what any of them are called though, so if you know please share the wealth.

The weather was absolutely gorgeous all weekend, but on Saturday the clouds were especially cool. They came in, hugging the tops of the mountains, rolling like fog. It was so cool to witness.

We drove in to Blue Ridge on Saturday for a walk around the town and the first thing that Canon saw was this big moose. Being my child, he said "Hey mom check it out! Take my picture with it!". He did call it an "it" because he didn't actually know what "it" was. He did, however, know how to pose.

Andrea {aka Grandma - on the right} and Sherie got in on the photo shoot action, but Canon never broke character. He continued posing just like a good little model. With zero prompting from me. It was hilarious.

The same was made for this pig at Blue Ridge Mountain Bar-B-Q. We ate lunch here, and from what I hear the ribs and bbq were wonderful. I can only attest to the goodness of the sides {and they were} since I don't eat bbq. Regardless of what we ate, I think we can safely assume that Canon enjoyed this pig the best of anything there. He hung out with it for quite a while - until we finally made him get in the car.

So pretend you are a small insect and you get stuck in this web. You are struggling to escape when you see what appears to be a gigantic monster with white fangs come at you. But then, wait. That's actually the monster's butt. Ok, that may be even scarier.

This little guy was hanging out on the decking of the cabin. I don't know his story, but those black patches of mohawk hair are seriously rockin'.

We saw a ton of different kinds of mushrooms and Canon asked if we could eat them - every single time. While I tried to explain to him that he should never eat mushrooms unless he gets them from the store or restaurant because they could make him really sick, Sherie tried explaining what a bad trip was. Not exactly what I had in mind in terms of safe nature education, but whatever works I guess.

Andrea and Sherie's mother was with us too, but is anti-photos of herself so she didn't join in our group shot. Bummer!

We had a wonderfully relaxing time that weekend and enjoyed the company of our family so much. Blue Ridge is quickly becoming a favorite place to unwind and we are already looking forward to the day when "Grandpa and Grandma" have a cabin where we can all meet for fun family times.

Wanderlust Wednesday : Travel Bug

There are a few things that I do to feed my ever-insistent need to see the world. If any of you would like to dive into this obsession with me, then I am here help direct you into your wanderlust addiction.

First, there are the books that I read to myself at night. Lately, I have been on a travel memoir kick and here are a couple that I have enjoyed.

     - Tales of a Female Nomad : Living At Large In The World by Rita Golden Gelman
                    Rita, at 48 years old, found herself divorced and wishing that there was more to life. So she sold all of her possessions and proceeded to travel the world. She inserted herself into cultures by living in small villages, sometimes with locals and sometimes alone. She learned the languages as best she could and found ways to give back to the places that gave so much to her.


     - Amazing Travel Experiences : 15 more stories from one world traveller hoping to provide little inspiration for your next travel adventure
                    This book is cool because it pulls together people's experiences around the world. Different types of travelers have unique stories to tell and all paint the same picture. You just have to go. Wherever, however, you want to travel. Just go.


     - Off The Map : 25 true stories to inspire your next adventure
                     This book has the same feel as the one above, but {you guessed it} different experiences. The thing is, I just can't get enough.


There are plenty more on my list that I have yet to read, but I have to pace myself so that I don't pack my bags in the middle of the night and leave with just my boys and a backpack. Or maybe a suitcase.

My other go-to source for information, of course, is the internet. There are Google searches, sure. But then there are blogs. On my Bloglovin' feed alone I follow 318 travel-related blogs. I don't mean that I read that many blogs every day. I would get literally nothing else done. I love them, though, because there is such a personal level to their travel stories. The good, the bad, and the ugly of trips taken. Here are a few of the blogs that I really enjoy :

     - Young Adventuress
               Liz, over the last 10+ years,  has traveled the world, and currently lives in New Zealand. Her travels are the stuff of legend. Check out her trip to Iceland, Turkey, and Egypt are just a few of the many fascinating destinations that she chronicles on her blog.

     - Adventurous Kate
               Kate, quit her job and moved to Souteast Asia for six months before taking her blog full-time. She now travels the world full-time, going anywhere and everywhere the wind takes her. Her trips to Indonesia, Vietnam, and Thailand are fun places to start.

     - Ashley Abroad
                Ashley started out in Paris at 21 and has been going non-stop ever since. Singapore, France, and the United States contain some great posts.

     - The Wander Blogger
                 Sarah writes about her travels with her expat family. They live in London and explore this amazing world, like Austria and India. together.

     - We Took The Road Less Traveled
                 Casey and her husband, David have traveled all over the world, as they were stationed in different countries for the US Air Force. She documents their times visiting places like Greece, Germany, and Holland.

     - Oh, The Places We Will Go!
                  Selena is a Texas-born expat married to a British globe-trotter. Together then live in England and take on the world one adventure at a time. Check out Morocco, Sweden, and Russia for a taste.


Of course, these are just a few in the huge pool of amazing travel bloggers that I urge you to check out.

A warning for you : These avenues absolutely will fill you with an insatiable desire to see the world. I would advise to read in small doses. Don't say I didn't warn you.

Challenge Thyself

I think it was Shakespeare who coined the term "Challenge Thyself". Or perhaps, that was just me.

Man, I sound a lot like Will. To be or not to be...a poet. Wow, ok now I know why I shouldn't post blogs late at night. 

Moving right along. I have decided to impose upon myself a photography challenge. A personal project, if you will. {I will not.}

Many photographers take on a personal project as a way to stretch their creativity. To keep growing and building in their art. Now, I am not calling myself a "photographer" because I still have a looooong way to go, but the only way to learn is to keep pushing my own boundaries, right?

So, photo challenges.

I have self-imposed two challenges. The first - a Photo-a-Day challenge - will force me to take a photo every single day for a year using my phone's camera. Let's face it, I do not pick up my main camera every single day. I do use it at least a couple of times a week, but in order to ensure that I am constantly aware of the beauty of my surroundings I have decided to hold myself accountable in this way. You can follow my challenge if you so desire on Istagram or Facebook. So far, I am on day 7 and already am having to push myself to stay on top of things. I am determined, though, and I will persevere.

The second challenge that I have give myself is a little more open-ended. I have decided to create a color project using my Canon 40D. By that I mean that I will be finding the most vibrant of colors - in any setting around me - and capturing it somehow to compile into a single project. I don't know how long it will take. Heck, it could be never ending. I know that at some point, I will want to create a book {just for myself, of course} of my work so that I can say that I have completed said personal project. These photos will not be shared as they are created, but rather as a whole entity when I feel like I have achieved my goal.

Setting challenges for myself, and specific parameters, helps to motivate me to achieve specific goals, be it using light or simply being aware of my surroundings. I am hoping that by addressing this challenge on my blog, I will set yet another parameter - that I will actually complete these challenges and arrive on the other side having grown artistically through them.

This photo is not part of either challenge, but rather one that I took a couple of months ago at my mother's school {with my phone, obviously}. A good example, though, of both color and finding beauty in your surroundings. It was a roll of ribbon that was sitting on the ledge of her white board. Don't you just love the edges?!

Wish me luck!

Even better, why don't you join me?! If you decide to join in this challenge, please let me know so I can follow your progress as well!

A More Natural Lifestyle : The Mane Issue

Remember when I talked about Craig calling me a tree-hugger for my "sudden" interest in a more natural lifestyle? This was one of the major catalysts for that particular comment.

However, my reasoning for beginning this particular leg of the journey was a simpler one...born out of a necessity for money savings. I know that sounds weird, but let me explain.

You see, I have a lot of hair. I mean, it isn't one of those things that you look at and say "man, that girl's hair looks like a horse's mane!" or anything, but it takes a lot of shampoo and conditioner to really get it clean. I was buying shampoo every few weeks, which was costing us a nice chunk of change that I would have much rather been putting towards the purchase of cheese. Or something. So, I started buying the cheapest shampoo I could find. It helped the pocket book {and my cheese obsession}, but it did nothing for my hair. It was clean - don't get me wrong - but it was also really, really blah. There was no body. My naturally curly hair was just completely lifeless.

*Sidenote : It was so extremely hard to find a picture of me with my hair down, which proves how terrible it really looked. Oi!

Anyway, I started researching things to help my hair get healthier without spending a boatload of money on hair products. Certainly nothing that requires a lot of time either. Because let's face it - I am not going to do anything high-maintenance anyway. I just don't care that much.

Then I came across this movement. The No 'Poo movement. It's actually a thing. I happened upon it on Pinterest {where else?!} when this whole idea of a more natural lifestyle started to take hold of me. I was wary, though, because everyone that has tried it states that there is a transition period with your hair that makes you look like you haven't washed your hair in 12 years* or something of that nature. Basically, during your transition time, your body {specifically your scalp} begins ridding itself of all of the chemicals and unnatural oils that your shampoo and conditioner add. It flushes out residue that lingers even after washes. Gross, right? I never thought about the stuff we use to clean our bodies containing a ton of crap that that we shouldn't put in our bodies to begin with. 

*slight exaggeration

Anyway, I put off trying it for about 6 months or so before I finally took the plunge. Craig was terrified that I would end up with dreadlocks and smelling of patchouli. Never fear, darling. At least all of the trees around me will be loved and will love me in return. Therefore, oxygen. You're welcome.

Being a stay-at-home gave me a leg-up with the "transition phase" issue because the only people that had to look at my nastiness were my husband and son. To be fair though, I didn't have much of an issue. I am not sure if the shampoos I was using were just so crappy that there wasn't much to them, but my scalp didn't have to secrete a ton of oils and chemicals. 

I follow a very simple regimen and am happy to share it with you, but note that I got it from this particular blog. Also, there are roughly 47,152 more tutorials out there on this exact topic so I know this is nothing new. This is not the be all, end all of the No 'Poo way of doing things. Heck, I may even experiment with different ways of doing things at some point because...why not?! But for now, this is working and I am really happy with the results. 

I think the thing that really showed me out well this was working was our beach trip. You see, it was freakin' hot. And humid. And sandy. And...beachy. {Can you tell I don't love the beach?!} And yet, after not washing my hair for 3 days AT THE BEACH, this is what it looked like.

Even with the humidity, salt air, sweat, and wind, it was curly and full of life. Crazy, right? And yes, for the record, I do realize that not everyone is going to understand just how amazing this is, but you southern girls get me. It is impossible to wear your hair down at the beach {or outside anywhere} during summer in our heat and humidity. So...amazing.

Ok, so for anyone interested in trying this out you can follow the lovely tutorial with major details posted here {which is what I would suggest} or if you are rushed for time - or just love seeing my blog {thanks for that}, here is the general recipe.

No 'Poo

Brush hair really well before getting into the shower.

Wash

2 tbsp of baking soda 

1 cup of water

Mix well and put in squirt bottle for easy application. Only apply to the roots of your hair. Massage the mixture into your scalp. Let it sit for a few minutes. You should start to feel like your roots are getting...slimy for lack of a better word. That is a good thing. The baking soda is getting all of the extra residue off of your hair. This won't happen after a while with this process. Rinse out really well.

Rinse

2 tbsp of apple cider vinegar

1.5 cups of water

Mix well and put in squirt bottle for easy application. Only apply to the ends of your hair {anything not directly on your scalp}. This acts as a conditioner so you don't want to over-moisturize your scalp. Let it sit while you finish your shower. Rinse really well. You will know it is out when you don't smell the ACV in your hair. It doesn't take long.

Once you get out of the shower, do not comb, dry, or towel dry your hair. Just let it dry naturally. {The tutorial that I have linked to does allow for drying with a diffuser, but I don't. I feel like if you are going to go natural then go all the way. I mean, with clothes on though. Don't go ALL THE WAY. That would be weird. And illegal in most places.}

You should do this probably once every 3-4 days, or even up to a week if you can handle it initially. Your washings will begin to get more and more spaced out as time goes on. You will notice a difference in your hair immediately - or at least I did.

Bonus : now I can be even lazier about my hair and not wash for days on end!!!

VERY IMPORTANT NOTE : This is not an invitation not to shower. Your body still needs to be washed. I am not advocating for a stinkier world - just a healthier one.

EVEN MORE IMPORTANT NOTE : This lifestyle change did not cause dreadlocks, nor do I smell of patchouli. Yet.

Wanderlust Wednesday : India

Let's travel to India today. What do you say?

Rajasthan - source

Spices in the marketplace - source

Kerala - source

Spice market at Mysore - source

Taj Mahal - source

So are you bags packed yet? Let's do this.

Sweet water, man

A few weeks ago, we made a discovery. And it changed everything.

Well, ok that may be a little dramatic, but I think we have found our new favorite spot to visit. Sweetwater Creek State Park is a 215 acre park located just minutes from downtown Atlanta. 

The visitor's center is actually a LEED Platinum building, which because my husband is a LEED AP certified architect, I know is an extremely rare feat. Craig was a little starstruck with that little fact. By the way, having a LEED certified building means you have to hit a number of credits in sustainable sites, water efficiency, energy and atmosphere, materials and resources, and indoor environmental quality. There are four levels of this certification, with Platinum of course being the highest. source 

For the record, I did advise against the handkerchief/doo rag, but he is ever the adventurer and could not allow anything to get in his way - including sweat.

Our little navigator is really starting to love maps...or maybe he just loves being the leader and being in charge. Yeah, it's probably that.

I am well aware of the phallic nature of this mushroom's head, however I can't help but love the color so deal.

We hiked over rocks to get this view. No, scratch that. We mountaineered our way through the rocky terrain while I held a death grip to Canon to ensure that he didn't fall into the rushing water. The view was amazing, though.

Nestled in this beautiful state park are the ruins of a textile mill that was burned during the Civil War.

And now we've come to the reason I have only so many pictures from this amazing day. We found a place in the river that we could have a picnic and cool off with a swim. This water felt so amazing and the rushing over the rocks provided a perfect spot for a nice massage. This, of course, didn't lend itself to having my camera in hand and I gladly accepted the challenge to let it go for a little while.

After a relaxing time in the water, we began to head back to the car. I got to witness a different side of the ruins. Definitely happy about that.

We so loved this park and will definitely be back to experience it many times over.