I have a few special songs tucked away in the back of my brain, set aside for times like these, when life gets increasingly hectic and I am just far enough away from winter break to feel like I am running a marathon with a mad dash to the finish line. I want to share a few of these pick-me-ups to my readers as a virtual survival kit for anyone yearning for the holiday season (or better yet, simply a break from the busy).
Thinking back on thanksgiving break makes me smile, and I love this photo I took of my mom and sweet cousin Ollie:
Tonight’s life mantra: keep calm and listen to music. It’s good for the soul.
The last few days have been restorative. Plenty of sleep, delicious meals, time spent playing with the cutest children and making memories with family, and precious moments giving thanks for the beautiful gifts this life has given me.
Yesterday I got to take a few hours to breathe in the mountain air, enjoy the gorgeous scenery and embrace life in the here and now. I spent five important summers in Colorado at Sanborn Western Camps (from age 10 to 16) and now whenever I come back for a visit, I feel right at home. I love the District for its constant movement and energy, but there is something so perfect about being able to take a walk in the woods and only hear the sound of your own footsteps.
More photos from our thanksgiving feast to come, for now a few fitting quotes and songs that have marked my trip:
Hello dear readers! Can we start referring to the month of November as “Maddie’s Get Out of Blogger Jail Free Card”? Deal? Deal. I am really looking forward to the sweet month of December following my final exams when I can make SLB my front and center priority. There is a part of me that wishes I could just press the pause button on everything else and simply blog 24/7. Until that time, cut me a small bit of slack and just know that SLB is never far from my mind — just an extra full plate to balance right now.
Okay, crazy schedule/life aside, I first wanted to share with you guys the wonderful photos I snapped for this week’s Fashion Friday post.
Meet Angela del Sol Varela.
The only way I can truly describe Angela is a shining beam of light. I met her in my PR Case Studies class and she caught my attention for both her funky urban style and her contagious enthusiasm. Even when the weather gets cold, Angela brings lightness and fun to the darker colors, heavier fabrics and chunky layers she sports. I think my favorite item Angela wore to the shoot was her pair of beat up, well-loved Doc Martens — with one look at those shoes, you can tell they hold a lifetime of adventures in their soles.
Angela was a fabulous subject to work with and I had such a good time shooting her — definitely a high point of my week! And that brings me to my weekend recap:
My weekend consisted of work on work on work with some fun breaks thrown in. On Friday I spontaneously attended a fraternity formal, which was the perfect way to kick off the weekend. It was held on a boat that sailed the Potomac as we dined and danced, plus I got to wear a dress that had only once seen light outside of my closet. I made some new friends, enjoyed the night with some old friends and blew off the steam that had been building since Monday. Here’s one of my favorite photos from the evening, me with my dear friend Liz:
Saturday I spent the day lounging and the night in, reenergizing my mind, body and spirit. Sunday I went back to work on various projects, including a special book jacket I am designing that I will share more about soon. Here are some of my favorite photos I shot to be included in the project:
Can’t wait to reveal what all of these images are for, so keep your eyes peeled and your Google Readers open. For now, I must refocus my attention to wire frames and responsive design — aka, things far less fun than writing on SLB. I want to leave with some new tunes that my close friend Cristina shared with me today — The Nighttime Adventure Society is a DC-based band that is on the rise. They remind me of a revamped Rilo Kiley, take a listen to one of my favorite songs and let me know what you think:
