Monday, March 26, 2018

Weekend Hiking at Ricketts Glen ❄️

Spent this weekend camping with Mark's family at Ricketts Glen State Park. It's one of the most beautiful places I've seen, with over 22 waterfalls and 13 acres out a few hours from Baltimore, in Pennsylvania. We did this same trip in April last year, when it was warmer. This time, there was still snow on the ground, but it was nice to see the woods in a different way, and feel the crunch under our feet.



Mark and I love road trips, and had stocked up on three different brands of bottled tea (honey green tea and half tea half lemonade varietals), beef jerky, and Gardetto's (the only brand of trail mix that doesn't need spin-offs- it's perfect). The hours pass quickly with the radio on intermittently and some dancing, sometimes a podcast, and enjoying the scenery.



We drove along the Susquehanna River for a while, which empties into the Chesapeake Bay. It was early morning, so the sun was just rising, and you could see a little fishing boat here or there on the water. The sun dappled the road ahead of us, and we couldn't resist taking a few photos of the open horizon. Lots of cute little houses out there and farmland. Some antique stores. When you finally get to the park- there's a very steep road right before getting to the campgrounds- so if you ever go, it can be a surprise.



The cabin had electricity and running water. I never grew up camping, so a few tips I've learned through Mark's family are- keep a burn box (of items that can go in the fire), and a recycling box (plastic water bottles mostly). Set the thermostat to 60, because it'll get more than hot enough in the rooms- and pack extra socks.



We walked to Lake Jean for a bit, then did a hike that was around 7 miles through the trails. Had dinner and played a card game called 'Mille Borne' that I really enjoyed. Mark's mom makes meals that I wonder at because of the volume and variety that are still safe enough choices for 8 people.



There are so many memories that I don't write about, but I just get the feeling this was an important one. I was drawing on some of our experiences from the year before to inform how to pack and what to expect- and I expect I'll do the same referencing if we make a trip like this in the future. And if anyone reading this has more information or finds the above useful, all the better.







Thursday, March 22, 2018

New 'Home is Where the Heart Is' Greeting Card

The saying 'home is where the heart is' couldn't be more true. It's always been one of my favorite quotes, and I enjoy making type treatments that form an image, like this. After testing out different materials and ways this could print, I truly believe this is the best way to share this message, and hope you or someone you love enjoys it as well.

https://www.etsy.com/listing/602419189/home-is-where-the-heart-is-greeting-card?ref=shop_home_active_1





Wednesday, March 21, 2018

'When I'm all alone or in a crowd'

In a quiet place or where music's loud

If I'm on the road, or in the other room

That's how you know, I'm thinkin' of you



When the flowers bloom, when the leaves turn brown

when the sun is hot, when the snow falls down, down

when the clouds are gray, and the sky's are blue

that's how you know, I'm thinkin' of you



You're always the first and the last thing on this heart of mine

No matter where I go or what I do, I'm thinkin' of you.



http://youtu.be/INkvQpjfrHY

(dierks bentley, 'thinking of you')






Thursday, March 15, 2018

Storm King for our Birthday Last Year








'Whip, whip

Run me like a racehorse

Pull me like a ripcord

Break me down and build me up

I wanna be the slip, slip

Word upon your lip, lip

Letter that you rip, rip

Break me down and build me up



Don't wanna be the parenthetical, hypothetical

Working on something that I'm proud of, out of the box



Whatever it takes,

'Cause I love the adrenaline in my veins,

'Cause I love how it feels when I break the chains,

I do what it takes.'



https://youtu.be/gOsM-DYAEhY









I want to be friends with the youtuber who commented this under the video,

'I let my goldfish listen to this, Now he's a shark.' 



Monday, March 05, 2018

California Weekend | Cinequest 2018 & Seeds




Mark and I went to California this weekend! The purpose was to see my sister, and attend the ‘Seeds’ film
premiere at Cinequest Film Festival. Made it into San Francisco Thursday night and had dinner at ‘wonderful
a really delicious Hunan Chinese restaurant in Millbrae. Her boyfriend knew the
menu well- we had a great time. I’m very proud of the life she’s made for
herself there and was happy to celebrate an early birthday with her. 







Friday we walked around the pier and Ferry Building Marketplace. Ate breakfast burritos and hung out before catching the Caltrain to San Jose. It was a smooth, quiet ride. Got off in Sunnyvale and were able to meet Mark's friend who works at Apple, and see the campus! It's so crazy and beautiful- got lunch together and took a little tour. From there, we Uber'd (my referral code is andreac2181ue and if you use Ibotta- QSABWBM for $1 off all Uber rides) to the Fairmont Hotel, and started festiva-ting.




Seeing everyone from the film who was able to come, was so great. I think the premiere went well - it was Saturday at the California Theatre. Really grateful to Owen and Younny Long as well as the whole cast and crew, for making the experience possible. Here is a review by Fanboy Planet, http://fanboyplanet.com/cinequest-2018-seeds/ and an article by Screen Anarchy http://screenanarchy.com/2018/03/seeds-exclusive-clip-thriller.html









Thank you to Wearaway, Salon Three Sixty One and Kevin Johnn for helping me feel confident and beautiful. (I meant to try out Stylebee but the timing didn't work out- if you want to- my code is achen25 for $20 off!)








And most of all to Mark for being the string to my kite, the tree to my vine, my rock, everything- all the things. I love exploring together. 










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