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June 30, 2014

project life | june four


so nice and simple, just the way i like it. putting this spread together i reminded myself of how much i wanted to keep things minimal this year. needless to say, i haven't exactly been doing that. but this spread? this spread is exactly what i had imagined going into 2014.


June 29, 2014

26/52


"A portrait of my child, once a week, every week in 2014"

the days are getting hotter, and beginning much earlier in the day. it's going to be a tough summer DJ, keeping you safe and cool.
June 27, 2014

our honeymoon photo book | part one

my husband and i got married in april 2011 and went on our honeymoon to maui in november 2011. i'm so excited to finally be sharing the photo book i put together. i designed and printed the book through blurb, and the style is standard landscape.

i had previously shared some photos from this trip here and here but if you're anything like me, seeing the photos all laid out in a book is much more thrilling :)

it's a long one, my friends, so i'm breaking it up into two posts. without further adieu, lets begin:





June 26, 2014

summer lists on a thursday morning.

the last time i compiled a list like this it was still spring. we weren't yet dashing indoors to avoid the heat. we weren't rushing out the door at 7:30am to go to the park before the temperatures ramped up. we weren't thinking about how to entertain ourselves indoors all day. i wasn't showering twice a day; once in the morning and once before bed, to wash the days stickiness off of my skin.

spring is gone, and summer is in full swing. this morning i'm thinking about the here and now.


things that inspire me.
sunsets
the written word
honesty


my proudest accomplishments.
graduating college
moving to another country for love
my son


things that disappoint me.
selfishness
writers block
missed opportunities to nap
broken sleep
forgotten birthdays
mistrust
people who lack ambition


movies i will never tire of.
the holiday
wedding crashers
crazy stupid love


how i love spending my days.
reading
spending time with my family
paper crafting
drinking coffee
writing in my journal


things currently on my nightstand.
my journal
a mason jar filled with iced coffee
two books
bobby pins
phone charger



things i wish i could forget.
heartbreak
friends disappointing you
missed opportunities



June 23, 2014

project life | june three


i saw this quote on pinterest and immediately knew that it so perfectly described the week that i had gone through that i had to use it in my spread.

June 22, 2014

hi from sunday night


embarrassingly enough:
i'm noticing more and more
that i'm having imaginary conversations in my head.
mostly, i'm speaking to people i wish i knew
people i wish were in my life.
the truth is: its lonely here in vegas
i'm lonely here in vegas
its been three plus years without my friends
the girls who know me best, who have seen me at my worst
who know me, and whom i know in return.
moving so far away from friends and family was never in the cards
at least not until i fell in love.

summer is officially here
the days are hot and long and sticky already.
i try not to stop long enough to really think about what it all means
another year away from them all.

one of my closest friends got engaged today
and from thousands of miles away
i felt like i had missed out.
(i always feel like i'm missing out).
and always
always
struggling to keep a smile on my face
long after
the magic
has gone.

xo,
rdg

25/52


"A portrait of my child, once a week, every week in 2014"

little things have been happening this week that make him seem impossibly big. don't grow too quickly, my dear dj.
June 20, 2014

project life 2014 | june two + insert


june spread number two, otherwise known as the week of my thirtieth birthday, and one of my favorite spreads to date.


June 17, 2014

the plight of the household


"i'm going to go and take a shower"
is never just about taking a shower.

it's getting undressed and tossing your dirty clothes into the hamper,
which is full, so you start a load of darks
and discover that you forgot about the white load in the dryer last night.
you toss that load onto the bed and hop into the shower.
between blowdrying your hair and straightening it,
you begin to fold the laundry on the bed, half dressed might i add
because it's (basically) summer and using the blowdryer
has turned your bathroom into a sauna.

once done folding you return to finish doing your hair
and slap on some under eye concealer and a coat of mascara
to hide how tired you really are
(oh and take another sip of your second coffee of the day).

back in your room the folded laundry is begging to be put away
and so far so good, there's no screaming coming from downstairs
where your husband is watching your toddler,
so you keep on.

while putting away the laundry you're almost guaranteed to:
find other items that need to be returned to their rightful places,
dust bunnies to be vacuumed up
a mirror splattered with toothpaste to be wiped down
socks to be matched up with their mates
(and don't forget, a now cold coffee to finish)

by now the washer has finished it cycle,
so you toss the load into the dryer and shut the laundry room door
because the sound of jean zippers and buttons hitting the metal basin
is enough to drive you batty.

you take a deep breath and laugh softly because
nearly fifty five minutes have gone by, and
if you're anything like me,
a shower is never just a shower.

xo,
rdg
June 16, 2014

project Life 2014 | may five + june one


week 22 encompasses two spreads, mostly because we had friends from Canada in town and I knew there would be a lot of photos.

why was this week awesome? well for one: we bought dom's dream car!

June 15, 2014

24/52



"A portrait of my child, once a week, every week in 2014"

as a testament to just how difficult this week was, i hadn't taken a single photo of dj on my camera all week. i snapped this photo just minutes before composing this post. i know that he won't remember this week, or any of these tough days, and i'm grateful for that. but that doesn't mean its not tough on everyone who can.
June 10, 2014

i'm never completely where i'm supposed to be.


if you ask me flat out I will always say
that the summer is my favorite time of the year.
but my god, it's too hot here already!
my days are dictated not by how I feel and what I desire
rather: whether I can last more than five minutes outside. 
and DJ, oh how he loves being outdoors! 
(how he cries when it's time to come inside) 

earlier this afternoon we took a walk, the three of us, down the street
and dom told me that his cousin was right, 
that vegas should be covered with some sort of solar blanket
and damn it if that's not the smartest thing I've ever heard

but after this walk I was feeling so sluggish and sweaty
that i've been indoors ever since.
i sent dom out to pick up a carton of eggs
and some french bread that I intend to eat
slathered in oil and vinegar while 
standing up in front of the cutting board.
easy dinners are my favorite,
i know dom won't disagree. 

though not official, summer has crept into town
and all the watermelon and peach iced tea in the world 
won't be enough to cool me down.
i guess i really shouldn't complain
everyone has issues with where they live, right?

right?

happy tuesday night, all.

xo,
rdg
June 9, 2014

hi from monday morning




we arrived home from california late last night, unpacking the car slowly and with weight behind every step.

we were back home, our vacation was over.

i haven't yet found the words to do this weekend justice.

i'm hoping that they come to me soon.

xo,
rdg
June 8, 2014

23/52



"A portrait of my child, once a week, every week in 2014"

you're allowing us more and more glimpses into the young boy you will one day be. at moments like this i can't help but think that you're impossibly old already.
June 6, 2014

and the sun's coming out, if only for a weekend

( photo credit )
i didn't grow up near the water, but i wasn't far from it either, though there was always somewhere or someone to visit that was. an aunt in kincardine, extended family with a cottage in the incredible muskoka's, family friends in southhampton, cousins in brights grove. when i was a child we had plenty of choices if the beach was calling our names.

then as i got older, homes and cottages were sold, and our options morphed. going to the water now meant trips to grand bend, wasaga and sauble beach, each further and further away.

moving to las vegas meant i am further from water than i ever have been (i'm not counting lake mead because really, it's not the same), and feeling the pull towards it more than ever.

california, whispers the wind. come.

it's been calling me for months, even more so as my thirtieth birthday approaches.

california, whispers the wind. come.

and we're listening. 

tomorrow we're headed to the water. rancho palos verdes is calling our name, the pacific ocean beckoning me to dip my toes into its loveliness, and feel its cool breeze through my hair.

i'll see you all soon, have a fantastic weekend. 
June 3, 2014

things, the importance of which, cannot be overstated.





the perfect shade of nail polish for summer.

offering everyone a drink when you get up to get one for yourself.

saying please and thank you.

random acts of kindness.

sincerity and compassion.

a hot cup of coffee first thing in the morning.

a beautiful sunset.

getting out of your home town, beach bound.

freshly changed bed sheets.

surprise coffee delivered from a friend or loved one.

cleaning up after yourself in the kitchen.

holding doors open for the elderly.

a good book.

blue skies.

toothy grins.

*i have to credit meg for the idea and title behind this post. 
i had all these thoughts in my head, unsure of how they all fit together, 
and then i read her post, and a light bulb went off over my head. 
thank you meg, for the constant inspiration.




June 2, 2014

project life | my 2014 approach (revised)


i'm busy enjoying my best friend and her family being in town, so in lieu of my usual project life spread post, there's this :)

it's been over five months since i first wrote about my 2014 project life approach, and i thought it might be a good idea to go over a few things since i did in fact make some changes with putting together my albums this year.

June 1, 2014

22/52


"A portrait of my child, once a week, every week in 2014"

there's something about seeing your best friends kid playing with your own (on your husband's back, nonetheless) that makes you feel so damn happy, and so grown up. "we're not in kansas anymore" they say. no we certainly aren't. so happy to have friends from back home in town for four days.