there's something honest about being outdoors -- which, we believe, 
makes us better and more wholesome people. simple. raw. easy. 
people sometimes ask us, "do you even have a home?" 
laughingly, we reply, "we try to avoid it."

published! in off switch mag | pg. 24-25 

they lived in a tent city with nothing more than a tarp tied to a sheet of metal.
a family of ten; a family of survivors; a family without a dad, and without an income.
crumpling into a ball, i ducked through the tiny triangular entrance to peek inside their home.
sweat dripped down my back and beaded on my forehead, and a wave of heat exhaustion
combined with the overwhelming stench of the surrounding sewage left me feeling drained.
the kids looked up at my pale face and with their piercing eyes told a story all their own.
i had never seen such poverty. never seen such hardship. and certainly never felt so overwhelmed.

for those who survived the earthquake just three short years ago, life has not been easy.
even before the disaster, haitians struggled. having lost the little they once had,
families are left to fend for themselves and often end up living in tent cities and slums
that are incredibly dangerous. rape is rampant during the late hours of the dark nights,
and women often end up having one baby per year with no support system.
children raise children, and families rely on each other the best they can and
continuously fall short of providing basic needs like food, water, and shelter.

my heart goes out to these people. the UN, NGOs and missionaries are a main source of support
in places like these, and relief efforts from the earthquake continue today as the people
slowly rebuild their lives and communities and regain hope for the future.
haiti was a hard place to be, and even through the thick of it all kids will be kids.
they love to smile and laugh and play, despite what life deals them. they arise
from the dust and trek to the water wells, feed the livestock, and more than anything,
they fight to survive and they don't even know it.

c/o feral watches, "the jane"

i've always considered myself a casual dresser, but as i grow older and a little more mature
i like to think that i can add a zing of class once in a while. some gold accessories
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and i must say i have several of their watches and i'm constantly being asked where
on earth i get all my cute bangle that keeps me punctual! you can find feral on facebook
and like their page to keep up to date on all their cute releases and frequent and fun promos.
enter this giveaway for a chance to win a free watch of your choice to wrap your wrist this summer!

to enter:
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*note, this giveaway is now closed! congratulations haley, for winning a feral watch!

My mom is the kind of mom that likes her kids. She not only loves us, she actually likes us too. She wants to be around us. She's interested in what interests us. She cares. She's there. 

Growing up, I had a number of things I worried about. I was deemed "the worry wart," which we believe to this day led to my late blossoming to puberty. I would worry about all kinds of things - big and small - but mostly small. Many of which, are too embarrassing to publicize. Throughout all my silly worrying, my mom could have said, "Kylie, that's ridiculous. Don't worry about that, it's a waste of energy," or, "Kylie, forget about it. That's never going to happen."

But, no. She wouldn't say that.

Instead, my mama would hold me close and do what she knows Ky loves best (stroke my hair, hug and kiss me...you know - coddle, coddle, coddle!) and tell me everything was going to be OK. That I'm not crazy. That there's nothing wrong with me. That it's OK to worry, but to not worry too much because I was going to be OK. That's what makes my mom the best mom. 

She took my fears and instead of pushing them aside we tackled them together. We sat down, made lists and calendars, tracked things, and discussed almost daily what I could do to worry less. She would listen to me as I stayed up way past my 8 o'clock bedtime as a young girl with my heart practically beating out of my chest over a number of unknown fears. Instead of saying what any tired mother deserves to say, "Just go to bed, honey," she endured those long scary nights with me. I remember her sitting there, in the dark, right next to me. Together we would say a little prayer and I'd probably just fall asleep right then and there, exactly where I felt most loved and at peace - in my mother's arms.

Happy Mother's Day, ma. You really are the best. Ever. Love you to the moon. 

on my way to haiti, our flight was delayed and we had an unexpected layover in NYC. i've been talking about seeing new york for years now, and it sorta felt like a dream come true. although we had a short amount of time to get around and see a few things (just 24 hours!), we saw a few namely places and spent the entire day doing what new yorkers do: walking.

subway stations pop up at nearly every block, and taking the dip underground feels like an adventure. everything rumbles and as trains whizz by, your hair whips your eyes making it hard to see. there is an energy that stimulates the city, which is so often spoken of by new yorkers. to be honest, i felt more of it when i was underground. moving from station to station, we made our way across the city. on wobbly legs trying to keep balanced, we exited the subway venturing from one stop to the next in search of something new. by the end of the night, our pockets were empty and bellies full of new york style pizza and aztec cocoa to stay warm.

links to share: guest post 1 | guest post 2 | guest post 3 | new home page on my site

if there's one thing we're good at, it's eating. eating while camping is one of my favorite things. cooking over the fire is always an adventure, and when you add four of your friends to the mix you're bound to come up with something incredible. while kate cooked sweet potatoes in coconut oil, isaac brewed his black beans and green chili peppers over the fire. spencer whipped up his favorite eggs with a juicy side of bacon for all, while ashley and aaron grilled hashbrowns to share. we passed around the juice, hot chocolate and coffee and before we knew it we were all chasing our breakfast with a melty s'more. apparently a simple breakfast just isn't enough. family style eats at its best.

see full photo set | flickr