All You Need >> Air. Sleep. Sky. Dreams.

There is absolutely, positively, nothing better in the world to me than a road trip. I love everything about it - the pre-daydreaming, packing the car, stopping at rest stops, eating at small town diners...ahhhhhhh. Andy and I have put about 70,000 miles on our car in the 3 years that we have had it, and I'd say probably 3/4ths of that is from trips big and small that we have taken all over Western North America. I (half) joke that maybe we should become truckers, criss-crossing the continent watching amber waves turn into purple mountains majesty.

To me, hitting the open road is like a meditation. You are in the moment. HERE. NOW. You become extra-aware of  the new sights and smells around you. The world slows down and you catch your breath. You notice the little things in the small towns, in the landscapes, and these things inform how you view your own world, seemingly so small and far away.

Today we are leaving for Banff, up in the Canadian Rockies. More specifically, we are heading to a hostel north of there. The place we are staying is rustic - no running water and only solar electricity - and I can't wait. We are heading for a weekend of looking out the window as the countryside rolls by, snowshoeing, and hopefully, a camp fire or two.

All this to say, the blog will be quiet until next week. I probably should have tried my hand at lining up some guest posts, but I didn't, so there you have it. I shall hopefully return with lovely pictures and tales to share with you all; can't wait!

shanti >> sondra

p.s. YES our beagle, Piko, is coming with us! Eeeeek, I can't wait to see her romping in the snow!

>>original image via; altered by me. 

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A Place to Piece >> A Place to Stay

Thank you SO much for all the sweet comments and emails I got about Piko! She is such a little lover, we are so lucky she came into our lives. She wanted to say thank you, too, so she put on a crown to show you.

What, that's just how dogs show appreciation, okay? Maybe it's a beagle thing.

In other news, the sun is shining today, the election gods were good to us, and there is a hot chai tea latte in my near future. Just appreciating the little loves around here.

shanti >> sondra

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Expanding >> the Heart

This is what we did over the weekend...

WE GOT A DOG!!!!!!!!!!!!!

We have wanted a dog for so so long, and we finally decided to go for it. We've been saying "someday" for too long...

We have had little say over where we have lived and where we might end up. We have not been able to buy a house like many of our friends, and we want to wait to start a family until we are more certain of our future. Getting a dog used to be on that list, but we decided enough was enough, we get to make some decisions around here!

So this is Piko.

She is a 5 year old beagle, and she is the sweetest thing. We adopted her from a family who just had their second baby, and were finding that Piko had fallen to the bottom of the priority list. They loved her so much they wanted to find a family who would give her the love and attention she deserves.

The cats have already let her know who's boss, and I think with a bit more time, they'll all be the best of friends. It's only been two days and they'll all pile on the couch or bed with us happily.

We are taking her with us on our trip next week, and she will come home to Minnesota with us for Christmas. I can't wait to see her sprawled out in front of the fireplace!

"Piko" means belly button in Hawaiian, where her first "mom" is from. More than just the literal place of the belly button, it also means a spiritual/emotional/energetic center; akin to the idea of chakra. Beautiful, huh?

We have only had her for 48 hours, and already love her so much. Aren't hearts amazing, how they expand to hold more so effortlessly?

shanti >> sondra

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All the Way >> to the Horizon

We are going on a little trip next week up to Banff. I have been there before, and it is a non-stop beauty-fest. Veteran's Day weekend has turned into an annual road trip/outdoor adventure for us. Last year we went to Zion in Utah, and the year before we headed to the Grand Canyon. Banff is pretty much the opposite of those places landscape and climate wise, but I can't wait for some amazing mountain vistas, white snow, and plenty of hot springs.

I discovered the photography of Owen Perry on the ISO50 blog, and the way he captures the Canadian wilderness is breathtaking. I hope I come back with photos that are a tiny fraction as ethereal and wonderful as his. Check out his website for lots more amazing mountainy goodness.

shanti >> sondra

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What to Wear >> Halloween Edition

As promised, I'm back today to share what I came up with for Halloween this year. As you can see...Little Red Riding Hood! I'm not sure what prompted the idea, but after I came up with it I went with it because all I needed to do was make a cape.

Since I'm not the best crafter in the world, I was pretty proud of the cape I pulled off. It was more labor intensive than I thought it would be (I imagined it would be possible to do it without sewing...it's not), but it still only took about an hour, and it only took that long because I stitched it by hand. I used this how-to (which was by far the best of all the ones I looked at) in case you ever need to make a cape. You know, all those random cape-making needs. ;)

Everything else was stuff I owned. This was a great costume, because basically you get to wear a fleece blanket around, plus you can put all of your stuff in the basket.

Don't forget to check out the other chicas and see what they put together!

Marcia: Like a Small Fire

Nicole: Gypsy in Jasper

Adriana: Horses of Ares

Dorien: Bodacious Thought

Lisa: notladylike

Sarah: Exploring Woods

Katherine: thinkin' outloud

Amanda: Salvaged Strawberry

Lisa: lala faux bois

shanti >> sondra

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So Faintly >> You Came Tapping

Happy Halloween, everyone! Are you wearing a costume? I hope so. I LOVE the excuse to wear a costume during daylight hours. I don't even care if it's elaborate, I just love the idea of wearing something that makes everyday life feel extra-ordinary...like something special and magical is among us.

Costumes (and candy) aside, I have not been a huge Halloween lover in the past. I don't like scary movies, I hate the colors black and orange together, and I'm not a fan of slasher/violence type stuff. But this year for the first time, I started to think a little more deeply about Halloween's origins, beyond the commercial presentation of it. What got me thinking about it was Dia de los Muertos, and the beautiful imagery that surrounds that holiday in Mexico. There, the dead are celebrated and remembered, with parades and parties, food and offerings. In the Wikipedia entry about it, it talks about similar traditions in cultures around the world, that celebrate the dead and the links between this world and the next.

Death is not something that is discussed much in this culture. At least not in mine. I will be the first to admit that I am not at all comfortable with the topic, whether it pertains to my own demise or a loved one's. I did not grow up in a place that celebrated or honored death, and I suspect many of you did not either. It was something to put behind you, to move on from.

But today, on Halloween and the days surrounding it, many cultures believe that the veil between this world and the next is the thinnest. That the lines are blurred, and things can pass through. I do not know if this is true. I do not know what may be on the other side. Perhaps nothing. But I do not know. So today, I am going to be receptive...to open my heart and think of loved ones who have passed, to light a candle to honor their spirit...

...and tomorrow, I'll be back with the fun part of Halloween - my costume - to share with you all! So, let's celebrate the dead, dress up in a ridiculous outfit, and nosh on some Reese's... now it's starting to sound like a holiday I can get behind. :)

shanti >> sondra

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Near The >> Whitewashed Palings

I sort of forgot that I had a bunch of photos that I took on film and never shared here, so I thought today might be a good day to share a few of them. These were taken in June 2010, as we drove south along the Maine coast from New Brunswick. There were lupines blooming everywhere, but this field was too idyllic to not stop and take a few photos. Let's take a little break from Fall and revisit early Summer, shall we?

These first two are nearly identical, but I think it's amazing how just a small shift to the right to catch the light results in such a different effect in the photo.

These were taken with a Holga 120 and have not been edited whatsoever. I love the ease of all the digital filters and masks you can use that replicate many of these effects, but there is something so magical and unpredictable about shooting on real film. Especially when you wait two years to develop the photos! Do you ever take pictures on film anymore?

shanti >> sondra

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