Everyone smiles when there's a rainbow

Yesterday it was pouring rain most of the day, but right when I got off of work the clouds had parted and there was the largest, brightest, most colorful rainbow I've ever seen. A double rainbow. Everyone around me driving home from work had huge smiles on their faces, and people had come out of houses to point and grin. I think the effect it had on people was almost more fun than having a cool rainbow to look at. I was grinning ear to ear all the way home.

Snowshoeing in Yosemite!

Two weeks ago Jay and I celebrated our one year anniversary in Yosemite. I booked a cute little cabin as a surprise and planned out a route for us to go snowshoeing. I had never been to Yosemite before and was excited to make my first trip there while everything was coated in snow.

I wasn't able to keep things a secret for long, but it made planning for the trip that much more fun having someone to get excited with.

The drive there ended up being long and we were blasted with rain and snow, but once we got there everything was so peaceful and gorgeous it was easy to relax again. The entire valley was filled with clouds and rain, but everything cleared up for us the following morning.

We woke early and took a shuttle to the Badger Pass ski area to rent our snow shoes. We quickly made the trek out to Dewey Point (3.5 miles +) where we could view the entire valley from way-up-high. The clear blue sky acted as a backdrop to the most spectacular views. Mountain ranges stretched out as far as the eye could see, the sheer rock formations made such a dramatic statement with white snow accenting every last crag, and each tree branch had a perfect white fluffy covering.

For me snowshoeing was the perfect first exposure to Yosemite. I caught glimpses of what lies beneath the fields of smooth white snow, but having only seen small pieces I was able to appreciate each scene individually and didn't get lost in the splendor of beauty that Yosemite has to offer when fully exposed. I built a partial picture of things and can't wait to gradually fill in the blanks when the snow melts away.

Rainy Day Inspiration

Last weekend I had one of those days where nothing seemed inspiring and every project I picked up seemed to go wrong. I just felt off. I was impatient with sewing, didn't feel like cleaning and wasn't feeling creative enough to start a new project. Once there was a brief break in the rain I decided to take Bella out for a walk in order to find some inspiration.

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Beautiful Paperwhites

I planted ten paperwhite bulbs again this year and they are just starting to bloom. They should all be blooming just in time for Christmas, what perfect timing!

This year I bought them much later than I should have, but planted them at the exact right time. I had to dig around in the bottom of a bucket to scrounge up what was left at my local nursery after Thanksgiving. I was actually afraid they wouldn't grow at all, they were so sad and sickly looking. But here they are now, standing tall and looking healthy. They've been growing an average of 1/2" per day, which is astounding to think about.

I actually think they smell kind of stinky, but they are so pretty I keep planting them every year. If you are lacking a green thumb, you should definitely give these lovelies a try!

Tomales Bay Panorama

This photo is a photo-merge of five photos taken during a kayaking trip at Tomales Bay. Quite a beautiful day.

Dog + Balloon = Giggle Fit

Last night J and I blew up one of those big punch ball balloons and attached it to the pup. She went crazy for it and sent me into a huge giggle fit complete with tears streaming down my face. Good clean fun.

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Picture from my backyard. The neighbor's old antennae snuck in there, but I like it.