Documenting Life

Lately I am obsessed with documenting, and getting all my photos in order! Unfortunately with the digital world we live in I have not kept up on all my printing of photos. Do you have this same problem!? Even some of the most organized people I know don't have their pictures in print! I really can't imagine how I will be able to keep up with it all when I have kids! Yikes!

I have given up on scrap booking completely! I realized I don't love scrap booking like I love other things like painting, and illustrating, and taking pictures and cooking...
AND guess what?
There are only so many hours in the day!
It's hard to make time do do the things I love let alone things I just feel obligated to do..
so people...
let me tell you something...
Do what you love... and Love what you do.
Don't waste time on hobbies, activities or people that don't light you up!

My goal for the end of the year is to get all caught up on my photos!
Shutterfly has a free book deal going on until tomorrow! I decided to make a book of all my recent paintings! One of my big ones that sold this year I never got a good picture of it! How sad! Take my advice... Keep up on it so it doesn't become ONE huge task! 
BUT MOST IMPORTANTLY....
Make it easy and fun! 
For me Just slipping my photos in a "old fashion" photo album is 
AWESOME AND PERFECT! And making books like this one on Shutterfly are fun and easy!
YEA!

Click here to view this photo book larger

You'll love award-winning Shutterfly photo books. Start your own today.

Camping in the Coon Cove!

Making breakfast with my boys!

Cooking breakfast!

A couple of weekends ago my husband and I went on our first EVER camping trip together. It's hard to believe it was our first time camping because we've talked about going since we got married... three years ago! What a blast we had.... not sure why we've waited so long to go! Camping is just so much fun! 

I have so many fond memories of summer camping trips in my parents pop-up camper! My parents liked to camp at the Minnesota state parks. As a kid I remember earning their Junior Park Naturalist patches/badges. To earn the patch you had to observe, draw, write (fill out little books) attend the naturalist programs, they were really fun for me (DORK ALERT! I know!) By doing that I really learned to appreciate nature. My parents and grandparents loved camping, and wildlife I remember my grandma & grandpa identifying birds, and loving to see deer and other camp critters!

My favorite meal we made - breakfast burritos! YUMO!

Let's just say tent camp is a little different than camping in a pop-up camper! We have a very small tent that JUST fit me, hubby and the golden. The bummer was we had raccoons at our campsite all night, sniffing, scratching, talking, hissing. So needless to say, we didn't get much sleep!

We joked all weekend with our friends that our site was the coon cove and on the second night while making dinner at their campsite (which was across the road from us) we could hear the coons cooing us over! Our site was very wooded - so beware if you head to Sibley state park - campsite #130! You'll be living in the coon cove!!

Despite the raccoons dampering our sleep we sure did have fun, hiking, cooking, having campfires, laying out at the beach, fishing, boating and hanging out with our friends. The weather was perfect... we couldn't have asked for better weather! We only went for a weekend... it was way too short! It really gave me the itch to camp more, and of course now I really want that pop-up camper! I always have wanted one, but even more so now! What's so fun about camping is that their are so many different places you can go & see!

One of the many critters that visited our camp site!

Sunset hike up to Mount Tom!

Hanging out on the lake fishing & exploring!

Flowers on our hike!

Where's your favorite place to camp? I'd love to know! I hope we can plan at least one more camping weekend before the summer disappears!

Nat

The Cabin - CAPTURED!

 

Where has the summer gone? Somehow July is almost over! These pictures were taken over the Forth of July up north near Itasca State Park and at my in-laws cabin. Such a beautiful place. With only 3 short months of summer I treasure every weekend I get to sneak away to Duluth or the north woods - thought I would share with you a few of my favorites! 

Fishing on the lake as the sunset, doesn't get any better!

There is beauty everywhere... even the old Evinrude, and boat with moss growing on the side is perfect to me!


























I typically wake up early before anyone else... go on walks, take pictures, paint and finding stunning little masterpieces like this one! WOW!

The call of the loon is just so beautiful, growing up going camping this sound is like the most soothing sound to my ears - magic I tell ya! The colors on these birds are just stunning! I took a million photos of loons - I think I know what my next painting will be!

 Where do you go to get inspired this time of year?

Adventures on the Gunflint!

My 2 loves and I had the chance to escape to the edge of Minnesota, the Gunflint Trail which borders Canada. Each trip... we fall more and more in love. Each trip we contemplate buying land, a little cottage in woods were we could escape to! It breaks your heart to leave, it's just so beautiful. It's magical, there's no other way to describe it! I'm excited... we actually book a fall trip before leaving so that made we feel a little better about leaving! The well is overflowing with inspiration from this trip!

This picture below was taken from inside our cabin. Although you don't really need to be inside your cabin as you can see they will eat right out of your hand! The resort has corn and black sunflower seed for you to feed the deer, so cool! By the end of the trip buddy was  used to them just coming right up to the window! 

The trails even in winter offer beauty and surprises! Birds, deer, squirrels, eagles, and lots of fresh prints in the white snow from rabbits, foxes and we even got to see a fresh kill (a big bloody spot along the river where some animal just had lunch!! We think an eagle or fox) We were expecting the trip to be a muddy one, but it was a winter wonderland. This year spring just won't come! We actually drove up in a blizzard. It snowed every day we were there except the for one day were we had aqua blue skies!

Loving this moment I captured of my 2 loves! Both love to go to the V E R Y edge of of the trial, the edge of the mountain, and sit to look over... I'm the cautious one! 

On our way home we stopped at one of our favorite beaches... it was a beautiful day and we picked tons of rocks and tried to soak up as much of Lake Superior as we could!

While on our rock picking excursion I captured this shot. We were each just in our own worlds... and I looked up to see where they were and this just made me smile.
Filling the inspiration well!

And of course I had to share this one... I got a few of these shots where Buddy is just LEAPING in the air!
Pure Joy.
Pure Happiness.
He was getting energy out... and loving all the fresh powder up there... he was SO HAPPY!
The Gunflint Lodge is a dog's dream resort really!
If you ever have a chance to head that far north, the resort is a treat and completely geared towards tree-huggers!

It's April 22nd - Earth Day and it's snowing tonight... they think 3-6 inches overnight here! 

Up north the snow was so beautiful... but now that I'm back to reality in the city... I'd like spring to come!
Nat

Winter at the cabin

We had a weekend away and although it was a very short weekend, the views were inspiring and revitalizing. I think nature has a way of doing that. I'm not sure how you could look be surrounded by this kind of beauty and not relax a little more and have that beauty seep into your spirit and soul.

We visited Itasca State Park, where we drove around and explored... saw about 20 deer. We went right at sunset so it was perfect.We took the snowmobile for a couple of rides, cooked and just relaxed...winter at our cabin is winter camping! No water and outhouse!

I hope some of these shots will inspire some new paintings!

How do you you stay inspired in the winter?

Buddy watching his dad take off on the snowmobile!

One of grandpa's 
MANY bird houses!

Get outside even in the winter!

You never know what beautiful things out in nature you might find!

Nat

Instagram Takes Over

My year so far has been amazing... 
I CAN NOT believe I haven't had blogged ONE TIME!
So Bad! I think my followers (if I have any left) think I fell off the face of the planet!

I LOVE, LOVE, photography and I really feel like Instagram has changed my blogging habits. I got a smart phone at the end of last year and it's not really convenient to blog on a phone and I typically just don't pull out my computer at night! I miss this space though! It's not going anywhere!
I'm back! I'm back!


So since I was too busy Instagraming....I thought I'd share with you a few of my favorite Instagram pics that I've taken this year!! 

We opened the year with relaxation, family, and lots of snuggling up by the fire. We bought a load of firewood which  was something we have wanted to so since we owned our house. I just love it. It's romantic, and soothing, relaxing.

Here's my best friend... keeping me company on the bed (so bad I know) He typically doesn't even like to jump up on the bed anymore he's 7 now! I can't believe we've had him for 3 years now this February!

The best dog I've ever had!
Nick name: Sweet Sweet

In the winter we send a lot of time at the dog park! It's happy hour for the dogs and the people. 
 I can walk of my work day and, get some fresh air AND get some nature in, while buddy gets a ton of exercise! It's a win win for us both!

This was a spontaneous big one for us! We bought a new car. It's green, and it's a little mini SUV thing, and I love it. It's my first ever brand new car!

Room for dogs, future kids and all my art supplies! I'm happy.

My moms friend got sick with the flu so
I by chance got invited to Priscilla at the Orpheum Theatre. 

So funny! Beautiful costumes!
SO INSPIRING! 

My husband and I went to Ike's for breakfast in downtown Minneapolis.
One of my goals for 2013 is to try lots of new restaurants!
YEA!
Most amazing Bloody Mary Ever!
Delish!

One night my mom and spontaneously stopped at the Eastman Nature Center and saw this big guy from the glass windows inside the Nature Center!

My paintings are up for 3 months at the local Dunn Brothers in Maple Grove!
I am over the moon phyced and excited!!
I am in charge of a new program at the Maple Grove At Center called The Business of Art... this program gets art into local businesses!!

Another amazing
sunset at the 
dog park!

My word for the year is CREATE. Even though I'm an artist and graphic designer my goal is make time to do something CREATIVE every day! Maybe it's sketching, blogging, painting. Something creative!

I painted a canvas Valentine's Day banner!





Working on lots of new canvases!

Ice fishing with my dad on Bass Lake!

Capturing the beauty on Bass Lake...
While we were out on the lake it snowed a couple of beautiful white fluffy inches!
This really inspired me!

Adding Luscious layers to my canvases!

Really loving this canvas! 
So dreamy!

What's your favorite thing to Instagram!?!?

Oh ya... did I mention you can follow me on Instagram at: Cre8tiveQueenNat