open space

The other day, I read an article that talked about negative space. It described a hand. The negative space in-between each finger defining the edges, and allowing our brains to make sense of physical matter. "Without nothing, there cannot be something," it explained. The negative space allows us to make sense of what is.

It got me to thinking about other ways in which this is true. I decided that it also holds beyond the physical. Without sadness, we could not understand happiness, and moments of quiet help us make sense of the chatter. That, is why it's so important to relax, to meditate, to do yoga, and to get out and hike in nature -- even if it's the middle of a snow-ridden winter. We need moments to free the mind, so that we can then reign her in. We need mother nature and her wide open spaces, so that the world and all her clutter can make sense.

That is why I return.

finger lakes escape

All my photos are my babies. I love them dearly, and when it comes to putting together a concise article or post, I tend to get emotional over cutting ones out. I want to include them all! But unfortunately, it's not really best practice. It ends up looking like someone who can't edit their work - which to a certain extent, I am guilty of! It can just be hard for me to pick one shot over another.

So today, I'm sharing a few shots from our recent trip to the Finger Lakes that did not make it into my travel guide over at Free People. Even if they weren't right for the post, I had to give them a home some where. So here they are.

Go read about our full Finger Lakes adventure at blog.FreePeople.com today!

marriage bliss

I finally shot my first wedding! The chance came around when my good college friend, Dani, tied the knot with her dream of a red headed Brit, Steve. The day left me thinking about love - how it really is everything and how many amazing forms it can come in. There were all kinds of couples breaking it down on the dance floor: middle-aged, second marriage, homosexual, sibling, parent child, you name it. Love has no definition, but it is undeniably what keeps us going.

What a goddamn good day. I couldn't be happier for these two. xx

weekly scenes: adventures in new hope

Last weekend my friends and I went on an adventure. Word on the street was that a cute town called New Hope lay just 45 minutes outside of the city. We were all in the mood for some discovery, and so we decided to make a day of it. We spent Sunday exploring this little village, hopping around and soaking it up like the storm that we are

The town is set on lake, with two main streets packed with shops that include everything from vintage, to artisan goods and new age necessities. There's a lot to check out, and a great hippie vibe running through the culture there. Cool dudes with long hair walked the streets, and shop owners have pets who've made homes in their spaces. We found an adorable little spot for brunch as well. It had a greenhouse dining room and peacock chairs everywhere. It's amazing how fun it was to get outside of the city-scape and explore this little town for a day.

My recommendations for New Hope:

1. For something random stop into Suzie's Hot Shoppe! They have walls of hot sauce and you can try every single one. I picked up an ultra hot Jamaican bottle called Lottie's that I can't get enough of. I suggest trying the Pure Death as well. It was a close second!

2. Check out Night Bird to get your vintage fix. They had the most amazing assortment of vintage jackets I've ever seen. I picked up an old army number that has barely left my body.

3. Right across the street from the vintage shop is the restaurant where we ate called Karla's. I'd say that the ambiance beats out the food, but it's definitely an adorable little spot to stop and eat. The prices are very reasonable as well.