Quarry Lake

When I am young and afraid of the crickets that come to my side in empty houses, you will be hiding in the cracks that let sunshine through. Like the sound of birds cheering at the end of a storm, your voice will be there to make me feel calm.

Sometimes loving one another will be a difficult adventure. We'll disagree on dumb things like coffee to sugar ratios or which side of the family to spend Christmas with. You'll forget to replace the toilet paper roll and I'll steal every blanket from under your feet. There will be witnesses to our bad moods and bickering and some will wonder how on earth we ever made it here. Sometimes we'll even wonder the same thing and when that happens, we must remember not all fair blossoms grow easily.

Before I met you, I thought to love somebody was to have a friend that you kiss and tell. This friend would be there to make your belly a circuit of butterflies and they were somebody you had to always look your best for. Now I know that loving somebody does not mean hiding your hiccups, it means having hiccups together. When you look to the freckles and scars on my belly, you see them as constellations leading to the woman you love. When I place my nose on your nape, it is the smell of home.

When I am old and crooked like a tree planted long ago, when the children have children and there isn't much left for us to do, you will have made my life worth living. Whether we still sing for each other or time makes us strangers, you will have taught me how to love the way a mother does; fruitfully and without ego. You will have taught me how to love myself.

If one day your body no longer combs the earth, if you have been uprooted or swallowed by something vicious and unfair, I will weep long enough to flood the driest river bed. Even the salt from my eyes would be enough to kill flowers but I will go on living for you. I will live because when I say I love you - you say you love me too.

Carter and I went to Banff to celebrate 4 years of being together. We're not usually the type that plans romantic getaways or special days for ourselves but sometimes it's nice to have a celebration. Before checking into our hotel room, we stopped at the Quarry Lake in Canmore for ham sandwiches and a swim. 

Wearing:
  White Dress   Goodwill || Hat   Eau Claire Market || Boots DNA Footwear
 
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pixie market sandals

Before I started my blog here, I was posting pictures and paragraphs on a fashion community called Chictopia. Chictopia is a unique online world filled with boys and girls who let their creativity flourish by sharing outfits and stories. Chictopia even has its own currency, besides new friendships and enough inspiration to burn through your wardrobe, they also have chic rewards. 

Chic rewards exist and grow to encourage members to keep sharing and engaging with the world of Chictopia. The more you upload, vote, post and comment -- the more reward points you'll gain which can be used as money in the rewards shop. I was never part of it for the currency but it sure makes your time well spent!

I recently used my chic rewards for the first time and redeemed these Pixie Market sandals.

First Outfit:
Second Outfit:
  Hat   Value Village || Dress   Modcloth || Lace Up Sandals Pixie Market redeemed with Chictopia rewards
 
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zucchini and sunflowers

There is a certain sadness that comes to me in the month of September. I start scrambling to find something to do before the cold wind arrives, something that makes me feel alive the way summertime does. I try to remind myself how lucky we've been as our outside temperature continues to feel like July, but I can't help from feeling very aware that the entire landscape is about to change.

I could write a thousand love notes for summer and in between the sentences you would find that my love reaches far beyond an affair with the warm weather. In the summer months, all of the roads are clean and dry. You can walk or travel by car anywhere you please, even if you don't end up leaving your home, you still know a world of possibility exists outside. Trees are big and act as curtains to protect you from the heat, little bugs catapult themselves into plants, birds put on a symphony and everything is very very alive.

Even when you cry in the summer, the sun dries your tears before they can reach your chin.
 

While I was in Vernon visiting family, my schedule was filled with beautiful summery things. We took residence in a house my cousin was dog-sitting for, while the owners were away. They had a big backyard, a swimming pool and a healthy garden where we picked zucchini's that came in all sorts of shapes and sizes. One zucchini in particular looked like a dinosaur and the dog, Diesel, looked like an Oreo cookie.

On day two of our stay, we hiked Silver Star Mountain. As we climbed, wild flowers appeared like giant paintbrushes and all of the colors blended together with the melody of bees. We stopped along the way to pick strawberries that were smaller than my pinky finger but my god they were tastier than any grocery store fruit. I keep wishing the strawberry stain had remained on my palm.

Now I am home and outside is where I should be. I can go pick the tomatoes in our garden, water the flower beds and marvel at how bright and warm everything still is. I know a bout of intense crying will occur when the last of the flowers dissolve into the dirt -- but that time has not come yet.

Wearing:
Dress & Sunhat & Shirt & Shorts   Value Village || Floral Backpack   gift from mum
 
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