Coastline

Photos by my dad.

I miss the California coast. My dad's been traveling near the Mendocino National Forest. i wouldn't mind a nice hike in that area!

What are you up to this weekend, yogis?

Southern California

All photos by my dad, William Koontz.

Not sure about you guys, but I wouldn't mind a little trip to southern California right about now. I have to say, my heart misses The Golden State, especially this time of year.


My dad's traveling for work in the Los Angeles area and sent these pictures, so I thought I'd share them with you, too. Here's a little extra sunshine for your afternoon!

Where would you like to travel to beat wintertime blues?

PS Thanks for the photos, Papa Bear. Love you!

The Everyday: Introducing Northern California Photographer Alex Innocent

All photos by the talented Alex Innocent.

Leica M3
35mm CV Color Skopar
Kodak 160VC

Lately I've been obsessed with photograhers who have a knack for capturing the everyday. There's something so beautiful about finding grace in the tiny moments that would be easy to miss if we didn't stop to observe them carefully.

In the next few weeks, I'll be introducing you to a few photographers with such talent to witness the whimsical, to document the allure of a landscape or profile, and to capture life's radiance.

In this little series, Alex Innocent does a stunning job of observing the picturesque California countryside using a classic film camera. Muted color, the hovering of the fog, the spareness of the frame: it all comes together wonderfully.

More of Alex's work to come soon!

Leica M6
28mm Elmarit asph
Fuji 160S

Leica M3
35mm CV Color Skopar
Kodak 160VC

Alex is a photographer from northern California. He hails from Sacramento and is a student of Economics at University of California Davis.

Heading Home

The rice fields near my mom's house are a little soggy.

It's been a lovely week out here in California. The Hubs and I are heading home to snowy Chicago!

We're excited to start our new year together -- our first full year as a married couple! We can't wait to clean up our apartment, cuddle with the bunbun, get a regular workout routine going, and of course spend time together and with our friends.

We enjoyed a lovely French breakfast with my mom. Delicious and oh-so-fancy!

I have a feeling 2011 is going to be an incredible year. I am still hoping to do Bikram Yoga Teacher Training in the fall (permitting I can land a scholarship and work out the schedule with work)... but even if it doesn't happen this year, I've got big plans for my yoga practice. 


I've got a lot to work on with my backbends, my endurance during the standing balancing series, and my flexibility during the spine strengthening series. I also want to perfect the art of the headstand and handstand within the year.


I'm also excited to continue practicing the dialogue (and getting serious about memorizing it!) and possibly teaching more small yoga classes to friends in the area so I can gain experience.


What are your yoga goals for this year? Hope you'll join me on the road ahead, and keep in touch about the great places you're planning to go!

Farewell, California! We'll miss you.

Hello, California

 

Yesterday and today Hubs and I have been lucky enough to enjoy some California sunshine and visits with friends. I especially enjoyed the way the leggings I wore matched the blue sky.

We went on a little adventure to Anthropologie and I loved all their creative decorations. Too bad I couldn't afford any of the adorable dresses!

Reindeer antlers gone wild!

Pinecone mania.

Thread it.

Have you done any post-Christmas shopping? 

Great Buns

Nora is the cutest bunny around town.

I love my bun buns. Just sayin'.

A tasty treat the Hubs and I shared at the farmer's market yesterday.

A Happy NorCal Christmas

My favorite part about this area is that you can encounter nature just footsteps from home.

How was your Christmas? The Hubs and I had a lovely couple of days enjoying northern California weather. It rained quite a bit yesterday, but Christmas Eve was beautiful! Sunny skies and temps worthy of flip-flops.

Dad and I took a walk by the creek to see the ducks, orange trees, and a secret birdhouse.

I helped my stepmom Sandi cook and decorate the kitchen with some festive lights.

 Gotta love those retro bulbs.

I also enjoyed tromping around on the backyard moss carpet. Everything here is so green this time of year! I have to say, I'm not missing the bare trees of Chicago. Yes, I am looking forward to seeing the snow, but not those bleak colors.

Under the oak tree in my dad's backyard.

Christmas Eve night we joined my mom for a lovely candlelit service at church. Mom sang beautifully and hit all the high notes and we felt the spirit singing all the Christmas carols.

We had a blast visiting with my sis and her little guy at my mom's house yesterday, too. Zeke is about 18 months now and he's quite the character! His favorite was drawing with new crayons and ripping paper off of packages.

Many thanks to the fam for all the generous gifts! My mom found me a beautiful yoga mat carrier, leg warmers and some wild and colorful gloves with a matching hat. She gave the Hubs a great work sweater and found us some cool Sur La Table cookware, too. The Brother hooked us up with a bunch of candles and some beautiful wall sconces. Sis baked cookies and made some ridiculously good fudge. Dad created some incredible artsy lamps for us in his garage workshop. I'll be posting about them with photos soon (you're going to be amazed!). Plus, Sandi found us an amazing cookbook based on minerals and supplements (so when I need more zinc or potassium, I know what to eat!).

Basically, we made out like bandits :)

Hubs and I will be exchanging a few practical gifts when we return home (using our Amazon giftcards from our bosses at work) and possibly picking out wetsuits together soon. We want to start our kayaking tradition!

A post-holiday swim? Amazing. Photo via Most Beautiful Darling.

What did you enjoy most about yesterday? I hope you had a meaningful, relaxing and family-filled day and that you're getting excited to celebrate the new year! 

Winter Extravaganza update: the giving isn't over! Get ready for some awesome new posts. Here are a few winners from last week. Thanks for participating, and keep the comment love coming!

Congrats Callie, winner from the Iluka wear + soap post!

Congrats Sharon, winner from the Transform Your Space post!

Please email me ASAP and I'll put you in touch with the sellers.

California Dreamin'

Photos via Sarah Rhoads.  

Hello, barefoot days in California. I'm ready for you! 


I also can't wait to... play with my Zekester, take walks to the park while holding hands with the Hubs, drive around to see the Christmas lights, have yoga dates with Lo and a Bikram born-again reunion at BYGB, catch up with my girls, and cook in my mom's kitchen.


Sleeping in. Tahoe snow. New Year's Eve sailing in the San Francisco Bay.


It's party time! T-minus 24 hours til California.