Summer // TWO

Part two of my summer adventures 

J U L Y 

nothing but love for this month

if I had a favorite month, July would probably be it!
(but who has favorite months? That's just a little too much)

This girl LOVES to have her belly scratched, most days she begs for me to carry her around like a baby and scratch her belly for at least 15min. If I stop at 5min she starts groaning and sighing. What a drama queen! 

This summer we signed up to be a part of the Tagge's CSA, and it's been so fun! I look forward to Thursday's just so that I can see what beautiful/fresh produce awaits us in this week's box. If you haven't heard of a CSA, google it and find one near you! For us at least it seems like a really great investment where we get a lot of fresh local fruits and veggies for a more reasonable price. 

This is just a picture of a pretty moon rise, but it reminds me of how throughout June I was obsessed with looking at the moonrise because you could see venus AND jupiter! How crazy is that? Plus, on the last night in June, the two planets appeared to merge in the sky. 

summer noms 

I walked into my sisters room and found that Zoe had tucked herself into bed and was resting her head on the pillow. So now I'm pretty certain that she thinks she's a human. Also, our eyes.

more farmers market goodies ^^ I have a small berry addiction

I spent a weekend in July holed up in my house writing like crazy for this 17pg research paper. I love fresh air and the sound of wind stirring the trees, so I actually wrote most of the paper on the balcony with this view I love so much. It kinda feels to me like being up in a treehouse. 

more CSA goodness 

Some of us kids hiked Ensign Peak at sunset and the views were amazing. I took way too many pictures, but I love them all. 

At the end of July I finished my internship with the sustainability division at the mayor's office. I'll miss working in this beautiful building! I loved my internship, I worked on some great projects and I learned a lot. 

Watching the fireworks from our balcony for the 24th of July 

oh kale yeah

Wildflowers!! Summer up at Alta is almost as beautiful as winter! 

Another classic Zoe pose, we call it meerkat-ing. 

Also, I'm pretty sure that these pictures all fall into one of three categories: Food, Nature, or Zoe.. 

Not a bad July I guess! 

And two more pics from the hike, because BFFs for lyfe.

I don't want it to be august!! 

Summer, please don't ever end!  

xx Jess 

Open Your Eyes

Lately I've taken to walking everywhere. In my ideal world, I'd walk for hours every day (and sometimes I do!) Which kinda makes me feel like Forest Gump.

If my life were a venn diagram "walking outside" would fall at the center where my mental, emotional, and physical well being all meet. 

It just feels good to walk with the sun shining down and a cool breeze whispering through the air! 

While I walk, I also listen to podcasts or an audio book. Right now I'm 3/4 of the way through with All the Light We Cannot See. It's a WWII novel about a white-haired orphan in Germany who has a passion for radios, and a blind Parisian girl who flees to the seaside. The way their two stories interweave, and how the author switches back-and-forth between 1940 and 1944 makes for an intriguing read. Sometimes I walk extra laps around the block just so I can listen until the end of the chapter! 

One of the recurring quotes in the book is spoken by a man on the radio; his voice smolders as he lullingly says " Open your eyes and see what you can with them before they close forever. "

Open your eyes. 

That line has echoed in my head for the last few weeks. Its inspired me to open my eyes to the simple, beautiful things and to look -- not just passively gaze -- at the world around me. 

So, now while I walk and listen, I also look.. and take pictures. 

usually I walk around the neighborhoods, but the other day I walked around the downtown too. Salt Lake has developed so much even in the 7 years I've lived here. It's finally becoming the vibrant place it was meant to be! 

On a separate note: MOTHER'S DAY = ELDER OGLESBY! 

Skyping Bren was the best, he is doing so well and only 1 more christmas call and 1 more mothers day call and then he's home! 

Also, Pro Tip: If you like Thai food, check out the Asian Market by Liberty Park, its full of yummy ingredients! 

oh and my new favorite monday night activity! Hanging out with my BFFL at the Food Truck League in Sugarhouse! 

tons of food trucks + live music (last time it was reggae) 

And it doesn't hurt that a fresh wood fired pizza is probably my favorite food right now 

Also, while I'm just dumping all these photos into this post, why not add some more! These two are from a field trip to the UMFA (Utah museum of fine arts) 

check it out if you've never been! It's free to students.

^^ we bought all of these + 3 more carts full of plants for our backyard garden boxes my dad built! I'm so excited to tend to them and harvest them.

^^ the best tea & toast downtown

And my happiest May adventure so far.. starting my internship! This summer I am working in this beautiful building downtown with the sustainability division of the Mayor's office. It's the perfect position for me and even though it's a lot of work, I'm excited!

And I have only one thing to say about it:  

Oh Kale Yeah! 

[tote courtesy of yours truly! I'm not really "artistic" but apparently I've found my niche in making hipster/granola tote bags] 

This May is shaping up to be a preeetttttttyyyy good time! 

xx Jess