The Way I See It

My dad always tells me that I'll never know the moment that's going to change my whole life until much later.

At any moment the things I work for may not be what I'll end up doing for the rest of my life. I might change my mind and decide that my life is too short to just do one thing. 

I'm just going to do my best to go with the flow, and so should you. Because any moment now the smallest thing could completely change it all.

Just look at the clouds. The reason they are so beautiful is because they're constantly changing.

Something I'm Falling For

Taking pictures has become somewhat of a cathartic release for me. Whenever I have enough energy to look for light I'm never disappointed. Slowly learning where I can, and taking pictures of whatever is available is what is keeping me sane.

Strangely enough, one of my favorite things to photograph is my oldest camera. It just sits there and waits patiently for me.

If you have any suggestions to help me get better I will taking them willingly!

9 Ways to See Free London

1. Natural History Museum

With free admission and enough interactive, interesting, and awe inspiring exhibits to fill up several days, this is number one on my list.

Exhibits here range from animatronic dinosaurs, hands on training on how to pack for a discovery adventure, and life-size whales hanging from the ceiling.

2. Evensong at Westminster Abbey

Free to see! Just be early enough to get a seat. This is a beautiful service complete with full boy's choir and short service. The programs from the service make perfect souvenirs. 

Check the schedule Here.

3. West End Live

Full-on Broadway experience without the ticket price. This festival spans an entire weekend from Saturday morning to Sunday evening. Every 25 minutes a new act from the famous West End comes on the Trafalgar Square stage to show their stuff. Shows range from Les Miserables, Phantom of the Opera, Wicked, Matilda, Stomp, and much, much more.

At this event there are free bathrooms, many booths to spend time in between sets, and ice cream!

4. Local Festivals

Check out the internet before your trip. Often times there are many local festivals in the area. The Rent Festival was a rare find and a joy to see.

Here is a picture from the London Bus Appreciation Festival we quite literally stumbled upon one day while walking the streets.

5. London Guide App

Free app that will save your life! As long as you are in the London area this app can give you GPS directions without using data or internet. It will also give you step by step underground directions, as well as lists of what attractions are closest to you at any moment.

Rare find, this one.

6. Hyde Park

350 acres of some of the most beautiful grounds in London. Conveniently located just across the street from the Royal Albert Hall. This park holds the Princess Diana Memorial fountain that is perfect for people watching and splashing around on a hot day. The pond in front of Kensington Palace is a quaint romantic spot. Perfect for adults as well as adults with children. There is a wonderful children's park located near the Kensington Palace area.

7. British Museum

Another free must see. Great place to spend a day. There are plenty of shops and eateries near by as well as a nice air conditioned, HUGE museum.

8. St. Pancras Station

One of the oldest and most beautiful stations in London. This place is beautiful and functional as a busy underground station. If you are a Harry Potter fan you will find Platform 9 and three quarters here.

9. Walk the Streets

This is self explanatory. You can't say you've seen real local London until you've taken a day to just explore the streets. You never know what you will find.

London to Paris: The Short Way 'Round

I really miss England....like REALLY bad. So I decided to make a short video of all my favorite parts. You will be a little surprised to see some of the things in this video. I'm warning you now.....there's a DINOSAUR.

DIY Rock Cactus

I MADE A THING!

Do you have a love for green plants while simultaneously having a special talent for killing them? BEHOLD! A solution to that exact problem. 

Fake cacti!

If you'd like to see how you too can have the perfect plant just keep scrolling, scrolling...scrolling.

What you need...

1. River rocks (color doesn't matter)

2. Acrylic paint and/or glitter 

3. Paint Brushes

4. Glass bowl or Terracotta pot 

Step 1:

Prime the rocks....

Observe these rocks in their natural habitat. 

Step 2:

Paint the rocks with their main color. I chose three different shades of green.

Step 3:

Choose a design and start decorating your rocks in a cactus pattern. I decided to have an accent rock that I covered in glitter. (Now my house is covered in it.)

Step 4:

Wait for it all to dry and put it together!

I filled up the rest of my glass bowl with the rocks I didn't use. I have seen many with sand or dirt used to hold up the rocks.

Now my fake cacti will go perfectly with my fake flowers and I'll have year round non-dying plants.

PERFECT.

If you make your own fake plant, to brighten up your life without the guilt of killing something accidentally. I want to see it! Send me pictures. Hope you enjoy this easy DIY.

A Camera for a Lifetime

I saved a camera today.

Backstory:

My Grandma passed away recently. While preparing for her funeral my family was set upon the task of getting photos together for the wake. While we were searching I found some stunning black and white photos that my dad had taken while in Vietnam during the war. I asked if I could keep them, because I was convinced that these photos told a bigger story than what they deserved sitting in a box for the rest of their lives. Ever since then I've been very curious as to how these pictures came to be.

Today:

Upon walking into the living room my dad informs me that he's throwing away his old camera. Thinking it was just one of the old ones from when I was little I didn't understand why I was being notified. That was until he said it was his camera from Vietnam. My response then was a little different.

THE camera? THE camera that took THE photos?

After clearing up any miscommunication that this was in fact THE camera he told me to go save it from the back of his truck. The same truck that was headed to the dump.

It only needed some cleaning having survived, remarkably, one war, several moves, and nearly two decades in open air barn.

The brand of this Japanese made camera is Yashica. This darling was purchased in Vietnam and came with a plethora of goodies.

Along with what you see here the case still contains it's original Japanese/English instructions, view finder, tripod, and much more.

Here is THE camera with THE photos. These are photos my dad took of his time in Vietnam. He even makes a small cameo in the bottom picture with his stunningly hipster glasses.

Seeing what good shape it was in after all this time I decided to keep it.

That wasn't enough...

The only things missing from this glorious find are batteries and film. Knowing full well our local Walmart still carries 35mm film I was sure I could put this baby back into working order. Until we opened the battery compartment. Apparently 40 year old Japanese cameras use 40 year old Japanese batteries...who knew?

My dad made quick work of it and within minutes had found and purchased adapters and spare batteries for a measly amount off of Ebay.

I hope to have many adventures with this beauty in the new future. Keep your eyes peeled for its photos on the blog.

Tybee Island

If there is one place I will drop everything and go to it is 100% Tybee Island, GA.

Tybee is a small island off of the coast of Savannah, Georgia. It's where Crawdads go to die and people go to swim. Known mostly for the filming of The Last Song and loved for it's family friendly beaches. In my opinion it is the best vacation spot in the South. 

I love this place so much.

So if you're looking for a new place to explore this year, this one should be on your list. You won't regret it.