roughin' it.

by Crystal

When we found out about the Perseids meteor shower last weekend, we knew we needed to be outside for the night. Considering we live in such a thriving metropolis (I mean, come on guys, there's like 10,000 people in this town), we thought it best to head out of town and in to the country - camping!

We planned on going Friday, but when we saw that there was 95% chance of storms, we figured we could wait, sleep in our own comfy bed for the night and head out in the morning. Yes, that's how committed we were.

After packing our vehicle to the brim, we head out.

When we got there, we set up camp and hiked to the top of a mountain.

Here we're doing balancing poses on the Balancing Rock. Only appropriate.

 While at the top, we decided it would be good to take note of my ensemble. I realize this is not the most fashionable or flattering outfit I've ever worn, but folks, when you're walking up a mountain in the heat, you need to think about staying cool and comfort first. Essentials to hiking attire:

• A hat, or something to cover your head (watch out for those tics!)
• A breathable top/tank top
• Comfortable shorts or pants - I usually choose pants to avoid bug bites
• A sturdy pair of shoes - mine cover my ankles too, to avoid sprains or rolls on uneven terrain

E wanted to take part in the fun too. Notice he honors the same hiking attire rules that I do!

At night, we hiked down to an area with an open sky, climbed a fence, and laid down a blanket to watch the show. We saw around 20 meteors. Seriously. It was awesome.

The next morning photo. A few other essentials to take note of:

• Sunglasses
• A bandana for greasy, day-after a hike hair
• A percolator - coffee is necessary
• Portable speakers
• Gallons of water
• Citronella candles - I can't stress enough how much I hate mosquitos
• Trash bags - keep our planet clean
• Food to grill on an open fire 
• Not pictures: board games!

 

I'm convinced my fiance should be a professional open-fire chef. Lemon-pepper tilapia with red potatoes, bell peppers, and onions. Aka deliciousness!

 Before we head home, we did a short hike that led to a small waterfall. Perfect way to end the weekend!

Don't be fooled. I'm about to fall down in that last photo. Definitely time to go home.

It's a t-shirt! It's a dress! It's a t-shirt dress!

by Crystal

I would like to shake the hand of the person who invented the t shirt dress. I mean, how genius is it? I wonder if she (assuming it was a female...) just bought a t shirt that was too big, realized she didn't need to wear pants with it, and started a revolution. That's how I like to think it happened.

We played around with the settings on our camera today. We're still learning our way around it. I found out there was a photography club in our area, but their website hasn't been updated since 2009, so I'm thinking it may not be around anymore. It's ok, I have this thing called Google that tells me almost everything I need to know.

While E was playing around, I didn't even know when he was taking pictures. So I'm including some of the ones that probably wouldn't have made the blog otherwise. But seriously, when else are you going to see me with greenish skin? Hopefully never again.

Outfit details:
Dress: Banana Republic (old)
Belt: Thrifted
Shoes: Sperry Top-Sider

Outfits: t-shirt love.

Sometimes for me, comfort is the most important thing (then again, sometimes I feel the need to wear those ridiculously cute heels that pinch me toes). On the day I wore this outfit, we were going on several appointments with the wedding planner, so I wanted to make sure I was wearing something that I felt comfortable in, without being too casual. My new J Crew v-neck (on sale!) was the perfect thing! And my logic says that since it comes in several different colors, I need to buy more, right?