Hi peeps – we are back from vacation – tired, sunburned, bug-bitten – I think that means we had a successful vacation! I have a bunch of woodsy photographs to show you later in the week … but first I want to share my newest obsession. My photography wish list is growing longer and longer – and this is the newest addition! The Fuji Instax Camera. Swoon.
It’s a little instant camera (think polaroid) that produces itty-bitty business card sized images straight from the camera. Take a look below to see some amazing images taken with this camera … click the photo names below to be taken to the source. I love the dreamy, slightly soft images that come from film – and the fact that you see instant results satisfies my impatient side! (And the fact that the film is a little easier to come by than polaroid film makes me happy too). I don’t think the iconic polaroid can be topped … but this is a close second!
1. glow, 2. breakfast, 3. Ferguson’s Motel, 4. Sheep, in a field next to a tree with light streaming through the trees branches on Instax Mini, 5. Colosseum Roofline, 6. Fuji Instax Mini Macro Test, 7. Whitby on Instax Mini, 8. to the sky, 9. pasture
PS – Danni at oh, hello friend is giving away one of these fun cameras along with a gift certificate to anthropologie for her two-year blogoversary! You don’t want to miss out – today is the last day to enter! She is such a sweetie to offer such an exciting gift for one of her loyal fans!
We are on vacation this week, traipsing through the woods in McCall and Warm Lake Idaho … while we are away, enjoy this series of travel-inspired finds!
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To start off our week of travel inspiration, here are a few ideas for when you plan your next nature adventure. Not a roughing-it kind of person? Here are some luxury camping ideas that you might enjoy:
1. Glamping at The Resort at Paws Up, Montana
The Resort at Paws Up is a Montana ranch getaway with a lodge, ranch house, luxury cabins – and best of all – luxury tents. In Tent City, you can stay in a luxurious 270 square foot tent with wood floors. You’ll have electricity, heat, a cooling fan, a king-sized feather bed and your own camping butler. Paws up calls this glamping – glamorous camping – and I’d have to agree! Sounds much more glamorous than what we’ll be doing this week!
2. Rent an Airstream and stay in Bar Harbor, Maine
The Bar Harbor KOA campground is right on the Atlantic Coast – at the entrance to Acadia National Park. You can enjoy coastal views and mountain adventures, and then sleep in your queen sized bed in your classic Airstream trailer at night. Sounds like heaven to me!
3. Sleep in a cave at Kokopelli’s Cave Bed & Breakfast
Kokopelli’s Cave is a 1650 square foot home carved into the sandstone near Farmington, New Mexico. Enjoy views of the four corners from the top of the cliffs, then climb into the cave to enjoy a queen-sized bed, waterfall shower, and flagstone hot tub!
4. Stay in a tree house at Vertical Horizons Tree House Paradise
At Vertical Horizons Bed and Breakfast, you can sleep literally in the trees! Your own bed, bathroom, running water, heat and electricity, all in a tree house in beautiful Southern Oregon. I totally want to try this someday! How fun!
5. Last, but certainly not least – a lovely, luxurious lodge in my beautiful home state – stay at Shore Lodge in McCall, Idaho!
Shore Lodge is a gorgeous mountain lodge, right on Payette Lake in McCall. You can enjoy a beautiful lakeview suite – a wonderful, relaxing spot to come back to after a day of hiking and swimming in the woods and lake.
Hope you’ve enjoyed this virtual tour of luxury nature vacations … someday I would like to try them all! This week we’ll settle for tents and rustic cabins, no butlers or laundry service … but I will be coming back with a ton of pictures! Have a great week, peeps!
Looking for a place to store and display those family portraits and snapshots? Take a look at these amazing albums from super-cool Etsy sellers. Click the photos to be taken to Etsy to buy!
Dump Truck Original Painting by PickledPumpkins
My studio is currently torn apart for construction (ok, just adding some shelves – but there is enough mess for a huge construction project!). I will return tomorrow with the next in my Photography 101 series and more fun content for the rest of the week. For now, go check out Pickled Pumpkins – a little Etsy shop with THE CUTEST artwork – great for kids’ rooms!
Twitterpated by Tim’s Sally
Some fun things from around the web that I enjoyed this week:
1. I am currently taking Kelly Rae Robert’s ecourse – and loving it! If she offers another one someday, and you are the creative type, I highly recommend it! One of my favorite things about this course, besides the content of the course itself, is being introduced to all sorts of new, creative people. One of my new favorites is Mindy Lacefield, the artist behind Tim’s Sally. She makes the cutest mixed-media art (that is one of her’s above). I love it! And even more fun – a lot of her work is inspired by 80’s toys (like Strawberry Shortcake! LOVE!)
2. I totally want to make this rainbow cake for Rachel’s birthday. (via wee wonderfuls)
3. I also want to make these decorative flower balls out of crepe paper … maybe for her bedroom, maybe for birthday party celebration … not sure yet (Rachel’s 2nd birthday is in November. You can totally count on the fact that I will forget all this by then and be making a plain cake from a box the night before). (via How About Orange)
4. How cute is this ruffle pillow? I want to make a bunch of those, too …
5. This post from Cori Dantini is from a month or so ago, but I still love it. I love the idea of just painting over and over and over whatever you don’t like … and keeping the parts you do like. Kind of a good metaphor for life, no? Just keep redoing the bad stuff and leave the good stuff …
6. I joined One Sydney Road’s Alphabet Blog Hop, happening next month! Go check it out and sign up – it’s going to be a lot of fun!
TGIF, friends!
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Don’t forget the giveaway for Boise, Meridian, Eagle, Nampa, Kuna area peeps! Less than a week to go!
live your adventure print by Mandy Lynne
Friday’s link roundup appearing this week on Saturday! Because I’m late! Which really is normal for me, so we’ll just call that on time! Late is the new on time, you know.
. . . Anyways.
Some awesome, random stuff that I found out on the internet this week, for your reading/viewing/purchasing pleasure:
1. Catherine, of uncorked and polarity fame, wrote two great posts on “creative tithing“. Creative karma, if you will. She suggests specific and consistent practices of using some of our money, time, talent and/or encouraging words to help other creative types out there. Dedicating some portion of your creative income to support other creative entrepreneurs. Spending some of our precious time mentoring upcoming artists. Sending out regular, encouraging messages to other small-business owners you admire. She has lots of ideas and inspiration about how to put this into practice. So inspiring!
2. This week I discovered Mandy Lynne Photography (via Simply Hue) – and I am in love. She is fabulously multi-talented. She takes a.maz.ing. portraits and wedding photos, she has a lovely little Etsy shop with the cutest photos – and on top of all that she creates these great vintage-inspired paintings. (That’s one of hers at the top). How awesome is she?
3. Every week I write a little column over at the Photographers of Etsy blog, and this week I gathered a collection of summertime-inspired photos by some super-talented photographers – all the photos are available on Etsy, of course.
4. Why Having a Toddler is Like Being at a Frat Party. Really freakin’ hilarious. So funny. If you have kids, you must read. My husband and I had tears running down our faces. The comments are crazy-funny too.
5. Tara Gentile’s advice on moving your business forward: Get Way Better at What You Do. Now. Great, great advice and inspiration on building a more successful business.
6. And last, but not least – Don’t forget my giveaway going on now – if you live close to me (I live in beautiful, little tiny Kuna, Idaho) then be sure to enter to win a free portrait session!
Enjoy your weekend, friends!
Ivory Vintage Style Picture Frame
