my wisconsin winter wonderland!

...there's never really such a thing as bad weather in northcentral wisconsin :) just different types of GREAT weather to embrace! we've had a pretty mild winter so far this year, so it's only natural to take advantage of the hoodie-appropriate temperatures - here, it's anything above zero degrees farenheit, lols - and enjoy the cool crisp air under the bright blue skies! yes, today was definitely a treat considering it has been nothing short of a gloomy season!

snowshoeing, just another way to get outdoors and inhale! i am truly blessed to be surrounded by such awesomeness year round. there's just something so humbling about the untouched wilderness that pulls at my spirit! :) it's not lucky people who are grateful, but grateful people who are lucky. om.

it's beginning to look a lot like christmas!

i'll never outgrow the excitement of looking out the window and watching the snow fall...

"the first fall of snow is not only an event,
it is a magical event. you go to bed in one kind of world
and wake up in another quite different,
and if this is not enchantment
then where is it to be found?"

oh, the beautiful the red rock canyon...

as much as i am a sconnie girl at heart and love the 4 seasons here in wisconsin, after a trip out west... i think i could be a desert girl too! mother nature has yet ceased to amaze me. same feeling of wholeness, different landscape... but nonetheless, still definitely my kind of wanderful! :) divide, conquer, exhale. repeat. i continue to look forward to the rest of my life!

"sometimes
you find yourself in the
middle of nowhere.
sometimes
it's in the middle of nowhere
you find yourself."

gone hunting!

if you didn't know it by now, it's a safe assumption to say i am a jack of all trades... but master at none, yet! haha, jk.

after receiving a .22LR, 20 gauge shotgun and .243 rifle last christmas - and then being gifted a scope for our 1 year anniversary this past january, i decided it was about time for me to complete my hunter's safety and finally get into hunting... so i immediately signed up and successfully crossed that off my bucket list earlier this spring!

not having ever hunted in the past, my current setups were the perfect little arsenal to prepare me for everything from small game to ducks and deer... until i'm able to develop an affinity for one over the other, or, god forbid, none! haha, jk.

after lots of target practice and honing my shot skills, accurately sighting my scope and getting comfortable with my pieces in general in preparation for rifle season, i finally got the opportunity to go on a hunt this year and put my time in the trees... and i absolutely love it.

like hunting muskies, it's definitely not a sport for everyone. when it comes to deer hunting, there's quite a bit involved. on top of that, and just in general, it requires a lot of patience, persistence and manual work before/after - but the rush and payoff after a successful bout is definitely unparallelled and makes it all worthwhile! and another opportunity to enjoy the great outdoors is just a bonus!

i'm definitely looking forward to getting into this more moving forward and have the great sportsmen in my life to thank for being such supportive advocates and resources! it's these positive experiences and well-equipped opportunities i'm truly grateful for, and the ones i will carry with me for the rest of my life! ;D

p.s. i'm fully aware this may paint me out to be a redneck, but trust me when i say i'm the furthest from that! lols.

happy hmong new year!

earlier this year, after i had hosted a babyshower game in which the hmong new year planning commitee's master of ceremony was also present, my public speaking skills must've impressed because i was approached and invited to co-emcee the hmong new year in an effort to involve a younger presence in a highly visible role.

now, if you know me personally you'd either think one of 2 [polar opposite] things: either, i'm the perfect candidate for the responsibility or i'm the worse person for the job! haha. being center stage during the hmong new year is nothing new to me. i was a traditional hmong dancer since i was 8 years old and performed regularly at any and all hmong new years in the area for many years, as well as competed in regional competitions in similar environments. with that experience, i was equipped with a high level working knowledge of the logistics involved in making sure the weekend program ran as smoothly as it could... so in theory, i was pretty confident. but then again, when am i not? ;P jk.

yet, even though i've never had an issue with nerves in regard to public speaking... i am what you call a wallflower. therefore, to be presented as a female emcee within the parameters of a traditionally male-dominated cultural event of this caliber where i couldn't be my naturally dorky self was definitely out of my character, and with that challenge in mind, it tipped the scale and i gracefully accepted. lols!

between emceeing the weekend celebration and trying to minimize the behind the scenes fiascos while keeping my public cool, here are some of the shots i was able to capture. if you've never attended a hmong new year, i'd encourage you to go if the opportunity ever presents itself. they're always open to the public and filled with cultural entertainment, food and shopping. at the very least, you'd be supporting the local threads in the tapestry of your community and acquire another new experience!

birthday dinner with the girlfriends!

several girlfriends' birthdays fell closely together at the end of this month, so we decided to celebrate them all over a nice dinner at our local back when cafe.

friends really are the sisters you get to choose and although i can't believe it's been 15 years, i'm looking forward to so many more years with you all!

as i was going through the menu of calamari and lambchops, i couldn't help but notice the ribs featured; special shout out to my dear friend chef larry raymond, the man behind sweet baby ray's bbq sauce! <3 i couldn't not try it!

enjoyed a great evening over laughs with the best ribs in town and libations before a fun night out downtown with some of the best friends a gal could ask for! happy birthday, ladies... love you all to the stars and beyond!

a heinritz-starr wedding!

what an eventful holiday weekend! first and foremost, big congratulations to n&j on their holy matrimony and letting me celebrate this very special occasion with you and your families. the welch center on the stlawrence campus is a stunning venue boasting some incredible views of appleton and the wolf river that runs through it... overall, it was a beautiful winter wedding and i had so much fun! 

as if that weren't enough, this christmas was also definitely one to remember! i must've been a very good girl because i was spoiled rotten, surrounded by so much love! i've been fortunate enough to meet many great people in this last year... and hearts have been opened that i'm so grateful to be welcomed in. so from the bottom of my heart, thank you and know i am truly appreciative for the crossing of our paths. seasons greetings and happy holidays to you and yours... and always remember to count your blessings!

that said, and in light of the new year quickly approaching, remember that the wrapping up of this year is not an ending nor new year's day a beginning... but a going on to making new advances with the wisdom we've acquired regardless of mistakes! let's continue to "be the change we wish to see in the world" and "write it on our hearts that every day is the best day in the year!" cheers!

beautiful bridal showers for j!

here are some pictures from both of j's bridal showers earlier this month. the first was in appleton with a fabulous mix of smart eclectic women, and the second in stevens point with another group of wonderful ladies! fun was had by all at both affairs and i am so excited about the christmas wedding that'll be here before we know it!

happy hallow's eve!

for halloween, i rounded up my sisters and suggested a grayscale/film noir/silverscreen starlets theme and they jumped right on board at the idea! what an awesome concept; needless to say, it turned out fabulous!

at first, people were a little confused as to who/what we were supposed to be... but as soon as a picture was snapped to illustrate the concept, the living photoshop made complete sense and we were the photo ops for the night!

...and if you're wondering why my face is covered in all the photos it's because i accidentally wiped my nose and forgot to bring touch-up paint! so for the remainder of our night out on the town my nose was colored, womp, womp, womp! >;( only to me does this happen, lols. but all in all, it was still a great time with my sisters and the boyfriend. oh, and yes, he is an elephant. and that is his trunk..! ;D what a goof, smh, hahah.

what did you dress up as this year!?