Olympic National Park - Marymere Falls and Hurricane Ridge

Running through a field of daisies is preeeeetty wonderful. The daisy field, with Lake Crescent in the background, was alongside the trail to Marymere Falls; the payoff far succeeded our payout on this hike. The hardest part of the hike was a few stairs and one final biiig step up over the root of a large tree (seen below with the falls in the background). My other favorite flower blooming at lake level are Foxglove, they're so vibrant and beautiful!

Hurricane Ridge was just as breathtaking as I remember it. I was so excited to explore more of the ridge this trip since the snowmelt was much further along than the first time I visited and wildflowers like Avalanche Lily and Phlox were in full bloom alongside the trails. The air was so incredibly crisp and clear that at one vista we could see over the Strait of Juan de Fuca, to Vancouver Island (Canada!) and the mountains beyond that...I like to think that one of those was Whistler. 

I realize this was a serious photo dump stretched into a few posts but I can't help it! What an amazing place! I'm so thankful to have shared this trip with good friends and I can't wait to go back - which needs to be now!!!

I Wore: A Sweater, Felt: Cozy

I have become a master layer-er. By this I mean that I'm usually wearing at least 4-5 upper layers, hopefully two bottom ones, plus one or two pairs of warm socks inside my warm (yet still somewhat unsightly) hiking boots. Plus usually a scarf, hat, gloves, jacket and raincoat! When I leave the house in the morning I feel like Randy from A Christmas Story, "I can't put my arms down, I can't put my arms down!" 

This leaf necklace is also a friendship necklace! At least, that's what we decided it should be when my friend and I realized we were both buying the same necklace! The flower charm is actually an addition - something I just can't help but do to my necklaces; combine, conjoin, borrow, enhance etc. I'm constantly switching chains or charms or what have you. The flower square was a wonderful gift the other day at work and I was just so pleased! She said no one would buy it because it was broken and that she was just waiting for the right person to give it to. Yay! Spread love, receive love. All the flowers are real, pressed flowers between two pieces of glass and soldered together. I love her work, and I actually have another of her necklaces that I got on my first visit to Seattle - so the collection grows!

This is probably my most favorite scarf in all the land! Super soft and warm, warm, warm! I love it so much and I'm glad carried it through the summer because I literally wear it everyday now. I really love that it has texture and pattern to it while still being incredibly simple. I love being warm and cozy and this sweater is a recent Target purchase. I'm really hoping to bundle up with some more sweaters, even with all of my respectable winter clothes being 1,000 miles away I don't own any sweaters so they are definitely something I've been allowing myself to buy! 

I did it! I finally tried the sock bun! I was really worried because I have long, spastic hair and I really didn't think it would work very well but boy do I stand corrected! It's amazing! And so easy! Aaaand, really good for dirty hair...not that I have super unwashed hair right now, hee hee. Also, quick little unintentional secret about this last shot - I LOVE that I can see the inside of my glasses which are blue! Yay!

With all the rain here (I'm still trying not to be surprised) taking pictures outdoors isn't very easy. And the lighting inside isn't so great, in fact, from a photographers perspective it's downright terrible. The new apartment is basically a basement apartment so these front windows are the only windows with light and they actually don't receive any direct sunlight unfortunately. I thought about taking a break from blogging in these winter months but I realized that I actually really enjoy it - probably because it's easy and I can do whatever I want or make as little sense as I please. So we'll see what happens. It's nice and empty still so theres plenty of room for shoots (although we hope to change this soon! Plans in the works!). 

These socks were such an awesome gift from my QB (bff)!! They are a collaboration between the company 'Throx' and one of our favorite authors Christopher Moore! Throx are socks but instead of two you get three! Throx are the cure for the missing sock! Now these stripy socks are 'f*cksox' (from Moore's made up profanity "'f*ckstockings!" which I highly recommend using) and every purchase benefits MS research. If your interested in your own Throx - click here!  It's a win, win...win win win. 

Yes, that is a plant. On a box. He's still recuperating and doing quite well if I do say so! I had one more casualty over the weekend with my bubbly toes plant but my zebra (Haworthia Fasciata, if your fancy) looks to be making a full recovery! On that note, it's time for a watering! Have a fantastic day!

This Beautiful Place - The Sierra Buttes

This hike adventure started the night before, figuring that camping nearby would give us a head start. We arrived at the campsite at dusk, just as the sun was skimming the peaks of the buttes - tomorrow, we hike up there!

Below the campsite runs part of the Yuba River so we explored the area - lots of swimming holes! The campsite had the perfect view of the Big Dipper and our light was soon attracting tons of bugs which in turn brought tons of bats, swooping down right beside our heads in the dark.

The trail begins in a dirt parking lot a good way up the mountain and apparently there are OHV trails that allow you to drive up even further. This trail is pretty steep! I laugh now because we were originally going to begin the hike lower down (on part of the PCT) but there's no way I would have made it - next time! Cresting the initial ascent felt like stepping into the Sound of Music or something; a beautiful mountain meadow, abundant wildflowers, yellows, blues, reds, pinks and floating butterflies, white and dusty blue all basking in the warm summer sun. Perfect for a hike. Below is the first view of Sardine Lakes, the second is of the Lakes from the peak.

The very edge of the fire lookout, on the tippy top of one of the peaks, was my goal and I did it! Although honestly, after my first look over the railing I ended up edging myself around the rest of the lookout. From the lookout is a 360 degree view of the Sacramento Valley, and mountains Shasta and Lassen in the distance, the Sardine Lakes and Young American Lake. At the base of the tower supports there is a small bundle of flowers, a photo and a story of a beautiful young woman who is visited every year by her husband in this beautiful place. I didn't know her, but I sat there for a moment, with "Teddy" just thinking on things. There is no better place to think on things than the top of the world.

Lunch view at the Top of the World!