Nectar & Light

 

only 20 sets...

 

i am really.  trying really, really hard.  but coming home was bittersweet.  we ended up leaving sedona very early in the morning in hopes of bypassing a snow storm that was beginning to cripple northern arizona.  all of the passes to the north were closed.  so we spent a very, very long day in the car driving all the way south - nearly to the border - to cross into new mexico and head north again.  it was a scary few hours until we cleared the white out conditions and the lazy day we were so hoping to spend in santa fe will have to wait until summer - though we were able to stop for lunch at our favorite diner {best carnitas tacos and mexican hot chocolate EVER}  in the midst of the southwestern snow.

our road trip was a what road trips should be.  americana, family, love, laughs, amazing finds and food - it truly could not have been better - only longer.  and it was on this road trip, sitting in that aforementioned cafe that we began to lay plans for the rest of the year.  plans that will forever change not only our lives - but our outlook on the world.  i look forward to sharing more soon...

xoox~jla

p.s. another sneak peek of the REDscarf - opens on thursday...

i have a secret.  it is something that has been brewing for some time.  and now i can show you a sneak peek...a very special pop up shop and collaboration with the incredibly talented ms. martha mcquade of uniform natural - we are excited.  i hope you are too.  more soon.  very, very soon.

xoox~jla

 

we have been blessed with sunshine.  so much gorgeous sunshine.  until today.  a huge rainstorm has moved into northern arizona - but that is okay.  the sun has been warmth and love and the rain brings a cool, fresh air.  i was able to sneak in a photo shoot for the upcoming spring issue of small magazine {a sneak above} - i will let you know as soon as the new issue goes live.  the girls have been having a wonderful time running around the ranch like the wild bunch - riding in grandpa's rat rod {above}, playing in their secret playhouse {an unused horse trailer}, brushing down horses and baking up a storm.  

see you in santa fe...

xoox

 

with a vacation that began with a major bump - waking up the second morning of our trip to find my credit card number had been stolen and said card maxed out - the trip was quickly redeemed upon entering the magic kingdom.  what is it about disneyland?  do they pump faerie dust into the air?  the girls behaved so beautifully, strangers smiled and made small talk, everyone was smiling.  everyone.  we met a wonderful family - and found that adie shares a birthday with the oldest of the two boys - they were born just hours apart.  within minutes of meeting they were running hand in hand through the park as if they were truly twins.  magic.

see you in arizona in a few days...

xoox

 

i hope you are cozy, warm and full of happiness and optimism!  it has been so incredibly cold and wintery here - truly shocking - i don't remember such an early and angry winter since my youth.  while in the midst of our second blizzard of the season which happened to whip through the city on christmas day - cozy in front of the fire watching the christmas day parade at disneyland - i looked at den and with all seriousness stated how i much i need to leave the snow behind for a little bit.  no joke - we have four foot drifts in the front yard and the paths leading to the sidewalk remind me of secret snow tunnels.  and it is cold.  really, really cold - like 20 below cold.  so we are taking the girls to disneyland - the magic kingdom of my personal youth - and spending time with family in arizona.  i hope to blog on the road... 

it has been such a blessed and wonderful break.  one of the things that i love most about being a part of this community is the heartfelt relationships that have come from blogging.  one of these people is jen, and i truly feel like we have known each other forever.  just before christmas, we met.  finally.  and it was everything i knew it would be - magic and memories - laughter and endless smiles - and i heart her more, if that is possible.  and just after the new year, our two best friends who are both graduate students in boulder braved the I-80 to spend some time with us.  they inspire me, they make me laugh - they make me happy and remind me of the hope and joy in the endless quest for knowledge. 

and we are standing on the threshold of an adventure in so many ways.  den has quit his day job to focus on his side business that has grown at a steady pace over the last five years.  remember this and then this?  it is still our plan and we are taking the baby steps that will help make it happen in the most responsible way we can.  

i have so much to catch up on - so many new collaborations and exciting new projects by friends of mine that i have only had minutes to peek at in the last few weeks - i am excited to share some of them with you - and maybe one of my own and a certain someone...

see you on the road...

xoox~jla

p.s. adie is wearing a fascinator that we made to ring in new year's eve...