wayfaring

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Follow me to El Cosmico

Follow me to El Cosmico

Marfa. Where do I even begin? Basically, you are either under this town’s eclectic spell or you aren’t. If you aren’t, there isn’t too much to say about the place- an old movie was filmed there, it’s a dusty small town full of hipsters on any given weekend, and it’s over priced. *shrugs* However, for those of us who find this little desert town magical, you can’t help but want to go back again…

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So, this is embarrassing..

So, this is embarrassing..

It shouldn’t be. But it really is. I have a beautiful little redheaded almost 9 month old baby girl with a huge personality, delicate little features, and fantastically chunky thighs. I have a wonderful husband who works super hard for his family, and infinitely spoils his girls. I’ve got wonderful family, amazing friends, and to be honest- I’ve just got a great life. And yet, I am depressed. At…

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twentyseventeen. 

Another year deeper into the 21st century. I remember the Y2K scare and all of the canned goods that came along with it. Back then, I couldn’t imagine the life I have now. I could barely imagine the possibility of entertaining myself during a family road trip with anything more futuristic than my personal CD player. Now, I can access the recorded episodes of Modern Family on my DVR, thousands of…

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[lolodo]

Something like Olivia

I never thought much about being a parent until I was 18 years old. I was a nanny and the little girl in my care was sick. Nothing was calming her down, she just keep crying. So I carried her to the kitchen, turned on the only CD her parents had and started dancing with her. She started to calm down while John Mayer was singing “St. Patrick’s Day” and for the first time I realized that someday I…

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[lolodo]

..excuse my nappy face, but while this dog might be beastly looking, he is the biggest, neediest baby on the planet. Too much love is never enough. #boxerlove #charliemurphy

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..ignore my foot- we had a nice nap and then a good walk on #nationalpuppyday :) #shihtzulove #boxerlove #puppylove

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..between my sentimental self and all of the tragic flooding Louisiana has seen, I can't stop thinking about home. It isn't much to some people, but it will always be home for me. #Louisiana #heavenonearth #blackjack #sugarbend

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..and Charlie decided that he would like a nap in the hammock, also. #boxerlove #pushyboxer

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..it's a "nap in the hammock" kind of day. #outsideisbest #shihtzulove

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..I never have to nap alone. #boxerlove #shihtzulove #puppylove

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#stopthistrain

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..sweet & sleepy. #goodgollymissmolly #shihtzu #sleepypup

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..Molly likes to mix it up, with her poses. #goodgollymissmolly

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..rock on, ancient queen|follow those who pale in your shadow. #grandcanyon #travelphotography

[lolodo]

One of my favorite trips to date, we spent the week after Christmas wandering through the west and finding our way back to Texas. Denver, Moab, the Grand Canyon, Albuquerque, Marfa, back home again. There is nothing I enjoy more than getting in the car, with no schedule or pressure and just going where we please.

Moab, what can I say about Moab? It is beautiful. The “long” hike up to the Delicate Arch was well worth the freezing appendages and aching feet. Never again will I hike so unprepared. Never again will I go there in freezing temperatures. Although, slip sliding on the ice on that last little jaunt before the arch almost made it even more magical when I finally sat down to take it all in.

There is also a fantastic little yarn shop in the town there, Desert Thread, which provided a welcome distraction for my idle hands during the next 4 days of driving. It was a small, laid-back shop with a gorgeous selection of the prettiest yarn I have ever seen.

After that, we were off to the Grand Canyon. There is not much to say about the Grand Canyon that hasn’t already been said for hundreds of years. It is insanely beautiful, but that is a given. It is so vast and overwhelming, but even photos portray that to some degree. It really does make you feel so small. There was nothing about it that I didn’t just love completely. Well, the crowds were pretty bothersome. And I’m sure I annoyed a few people with my obnoxious selfie stick. YES. I used a selfie stick. Get over it.

We spent New Years Eve in Albuquerque. Not for any particular reason, it just happened that way. I’m sorry, New Mexico- I have nothing spectacular to say about our 24 hours there. Maybe it was the timing? It was more like a rest stop for us. We did enjoy making several Breaking Bad jokes while we were there.

Winslow, Arizona! I am SO glad I made Nathan stop for me. I was LITERALLY standing on a corner in Winslow, Arizona. I spent all of 20 minutes there, but it satisfied a kitschy need in my heart. P.S. Does everyone know that Jackson Browne actually wrote most of “Take It Easy” and Glenn Frey filled in “Such a fine sight to see/There’s a girl, my Lord in a flatbed Ford/Slowin’ down to take a look at me” ?? Go watch “The History of the Eagles” on Netflix right now. You owe it to yourself.

Marfa. Oh sweet, wonderful, perfect Marfa. Can I just move there already?? Yes, I understand that I sound like every other hipster ever in the world. Yes, I get that most people do not get the appeal. I am fine with that. Just give me an overpriced bungalow off the main road, my cameras, my journal and fountain pen, my cliche typewriter and all of the free time I desire. I’ll crank out some novels or some picture books for grown ups and I could be happy the rest of my life.

For anyone wondering, the Prada store is a must-see. You don’t have to like it, or get it, or ever go back again. Just go once because it’s so bizarre you will be glad you have that little nugget to bring up in conversation one day in an awkward situation.

*crickets*

“So.. you guys ever seen that Prada store in the desert?”  “What? Who would put a Prada store in a desert?”

You are welcome.

Our last stop, wasn’t really an actual stop. We were on our way home, driving through the Guadalupe Mountains National Park and there was so much ice and fog, I felt like we were in a hazy dream. It was the most beautiful thing I’ve ever seen in Texas. I kept making Nathan pull off the side of the road so I could get different shots of this one particular mountain. I don’t know which of the mountain “ranges” it is a part of, but the snow and fog and the greenery around it made me think of the Lonely Mountain. I loved it.

  i always like to show where our feet have taken us

always having to tackle something, this one.

i have been taking these shots since i was in my teens

again, with the feet

where you lead..

so glad i made him stop here, so sad about Glenn Frey, just a few short weeks later..

one of my favorite towns ever

i couldn’t get enough of this lonely mountain

..it’s cold in the desert, water never sees the ground..

drifting One of my favorite trips to date, we spent the week after Christmas wandering through the west and finding our way back to Texas.

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..beautiful #malabrigo yarn 😍 #crafty

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..my news app popped up to say that one of the most amazing musicians and lyricists of all time has passed. I grew up with his music. I've had fun times listening to "One of These Nights". I've pondered "deep" thoughts with "Peaceful Easy Feeling" playing softly. I've put on many a car concert singing along to "James Dean". I have shamelessly jammed to "You Belong to the City". Christmas isn't the same without "Please Come Home for Christmas". It seems so strange to be sad for someone you've never met, but he was there my entire life. #Eagles #glennfrey #rip