black and white

birthday road trip

The husband planned a road trip for me today that included an A through S amount of stopping points on Google Maps. We left the house at 7:30 am and headed out for the middle of the state for a great big loop that involved 12 hours of driving, eating and stopping. There were miles of orange groves that gave way to endless sugar cane fields. Golf courses and planned communities named after the trees and wildlife they killed off disappeared. Abject poverty emerged dotting the flat landscape of the sugar cane fields around Lake Okeechobee. Towns like Belle Glade - where the per capita income is $14,000 - reminded me of driving through Mexico. It made me think two things: how lucky I am (and to never complain that I don't have enough), as well as that extreme poverty does exist in this country, even if we choose to brush it under the rug.


We explored the ghost town of Bryant. The overgrown roads and buried playground are few remnants of what used to be a town set up by US Sugar. Not even the homes exist, and the only residents left are curlytail lizards and the constant buzzing of insects.

After twelve (quick!) hours, we were home. Seriously, the time flew by. Times flies when you're having fun, though...

Ugh.

Spent much of the day re-photographing some of our lights...on my break I snuck upstairs to where all of the vintage fixtures are, unfinished and beautiful in their tarnished state. I especially love the lamp to the left.

So. I'm a terrible blogger. I've said it before and I'll probably say it again. While I have a slew of favorite blogs that I religiously scan for new posts, when it comes to my own...it's just...blah. I've tried to get caught up in the world of capturing the every day, but for me personally it feels very disingenuous to who I am. Other folks do a beautiful job of representing their everyday. Me, not so much.

I have taken photos of every meal, every step in the backyard, every quiet moment at home...and all I feel is incredibly inauthentic. My life does not consist of freshly baked bread, tending the flowers, or perfectly staged living spaces. Okay, sometimes it consists of these things. But for the most part, it's messy and clean. Chaotic and serene. Boring and eventful. It's just my normal life. And I have a hard time wondering why anyone would want to see that...

There are occasions when I am truly inspired by things, and this is what I hope to talk about.

etsy.

I finally (!) put up all of my photos on Etsy. It's been years in the making - so many times getting myself worked up about it, grouping photos together to put on the store, but never doing it. I'm glad I waited, because I think this final grouping is exactly the look I've been trying for...for so long. I'd like to show everyone how beautiful the real Florida can be.

My beautiful and adorable goddaughter turned 1 today. She had her own special cake to smash up and smear frosting all over her face. At what age does this stop becoming cute? Can I have my own smash cake in two weeks for my 27th birthday?






It doesn't get much cuter than Lilah.

The Blues

I can't seem to get away from things that are blue this week. In honor of the color and our upcoming camping trip, here's a few blue snapshots.






Most of these are in Titusville, taken on my lunch breaks.