Happy Halloween...

...from Flash and Kangaroo (aka Will and Leila). My friend Jenni's two little kids were happy to put on their Halloween costumes a bit early last week. And I was happy to take photos of them while we spent the weekend together in Cle Elum.

Flash is pretty fast. But so are kangaroos.


My other friend Jenny gave me this beautiful thrifted afghan for my birthday. I'm loving the mix of colors.












It was so fun hanging out with you and your kids, Jenni. And thanks for keeping them interested with just a few M&Ms. ;)

Weekend in Cle Elum

My mom and dad had a core group of friends in high school, and somehow, the group has managed to remain close over the years. We call them the "dinner group," and they've been through a lot together. Now, the kids have kids and it's a pretty big group when you get everyone together. About a week ago, we spent a weekend together in Cle Elum at the Huntley Lodge--an amazing place with a central lodge and clusters of cabins. We had the place to ourselves so we explored the grounds, lounged around the outdoor kitchen, ate lots of food and played golf (or for the non-golfers, went into town). For a large group (and a few dogs), it was the perfect place.

{strata and french toast casserole}

{a frisbee ceremony}

{one of the cabins}

{football watching}

{pong playing}

{marshmallow roasting}

I was in charge of setting up the timer on the camera so we could all get in for a group shot. It took awhile (and lots of running back and forth), but we finally got it.


I'm thankful for these friends (and for those who couldn't make it, we missed you!).

Saturday

I can never get anything done on Saturdays. The extent of my productivity has been one hour of pilates, and signing up for a photography class by a photographer I met the other night at an event. I've spent today in my sweats, one minute starting to clean the house, and the next getting distracted by the internet, the bursts of sunshine outside, and the bright red tree that I see out of our corner window.


I've been trying so hard to capture the tree's colors on my camera. Every time the sun peeks out I hop in my boots and rush outside to get a shot in the right light. I researched a bit on aperture and shutter speed because I read somewhere that knowing these things could help (maybe I'll actually learn at my class).


I remembered this project and decided to take some of the tree inside with me to make a leaf garland. I went on a walk around the neighborhood, picked out some of my favorite leaves and strung them up with a needle and thread. The Pacific Northwest calendar is from Mossiere.



Then I placed a few little pine cones next to the succulent on our kitchen table.


There. We're decorated for fall. Was it productive? I'm not sure, but I'm not going to worry about it. This is what Saturdays are for.