Month: February 2013

Ladies of the Mountain: wilderness beauty tips

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I’ve been blessed to present another guest post for the wonderful blogging group, Ladies of the Mountain. This week I’ll be sharing one of my favorite wilderness beauty tips and also exposing you to a new-to-me product line. My beauty tip for the mountain ladies: keep that skin hydrated and pH balanced!  For hydrating, I’d recommend any moisturizers that won’t clog your pores. Look for words like “non comedogenic” and sometimes “hypoallergenic”. This is because you will likely be using this product repeatedly on your skin and face to combat that cold crisp air up there in the mountains. I was recently introduced to the product line “Perfectly Posh” by consultant Tiffany Lundin. She sent me several samples of some of their hydrating lotions: “Big Fat Yummy Hand Creme”, “Call Me Candy” and “Mother Earth” and also a sample of sugar scrub, “Hot Salt Sha-Bang!”.  My favorites were the scrub and the candy scented lotion. I was not a fan of Mother Earth – a little too grassy for me! Of course, you probably already …

photography: we found an old building

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Last week, Evan and I went up to Arecibo on the north coast of the island to scout my study site for my lionfish project this June. We found the area, took some photos and walked around – planning our entries and exits for the upcoming shore dives. Then we decided to spend the rest of the afternoon exploring the old plaza of Arecibo and the beaches of the north – with pup Sophie in tote.  When we were driving through the city, we noticed this old abandoned building right front and center to the plaza. It read “13 Marzo 1515” on the front, but I’m not sure we can assume that was the date of construction – judging by the indoor plumbing hook ups and wooden doors that still remain in tact. But regardless, we took a gander and shot a few photos. The little sketch on the wall in the top photo is the Taino Indian (native Puerto Rican) symbol for the coqui frog. This place would be perfect for a photography shoot. …

today is special because…

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Yup. I turn the ripe young age of 25 today on Feb. 26- I will be spending my morning down at the research station, conducting experiments, writing my doctoral proposal and adding some finishing touches to my lionfish project website. I also happen to share this special day with my doctoral advisor – so I baked him a cake! Later tonight, I believe Evan is taking me out to dinner at my favorite place in Rincon, La Copa Llena. And that will be my day :) Busy, fun-filled with great people and relaxing in the evening with the love of my life. Right now in the shop, today is the last day to take 25% off any item with code FEB262013. Enjoy! See you tomorrow!

some advice: unplug and unwind

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This comes without saying, but many times we just can’t seem to step away from our gadgets and all that technology to put us on the cusp of every little daily detail online – what are my friends doing? What email did I just get? I have to post this pic on Instagram! Stuff like that (and actually, I was posting this photo of my latte on Facebook during my morning coffee in San Fran on my summer trip with Evan. He captured the moment perfectly and I’m sure you can imagine what he was saying…). So today I just want to remind you to step away for a moment at least – turn off the computer, put away the phone, go outside. Go outside and enjoy the beauty of the natural world around you. Listen to the life that we drown out on a daily basis. Can you remember the last time you heard birds singing? When I get home from working and research, I usually try to just sit down and do nothing. …

photography: pacific coast memoir

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I loved the time I spent on the Pacific coast this past summer. Today I was thinking about the beauty of this coast and contrasting it with the beauty of the Caribbean. Honestly, I’m not sure they can both be properly compared. I think each has its own unique characteristics. Beauty is in the eye of the beholder, but I bet we can all agree that each of these places is hermosa. What do you think? [All Photos by Evan Tuohy] Pensively passing the time,

favorites: birthday wishlist

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  Okay, first let me be completely honest in that the only things I really need from this list are running shoes and a watch. BUT allow me to daydream a little and share with you some of the fun items on my seemingly-forever-growing list of material wants. Maybe you’ll discover something fun and new?  Fashion: I can find anything with giftcards to Anthro, Madewell and J.Crew Health + Beauty: These Nike Structure+ 15 are the next model up from the ones I’ve worn down now. I have the Nike sensor that goes inside and tracks my distance and pace. Perfect for trails, roads and all terrain – these are the best shoes for underpronation. The Thorlo running socks are like little saviors for your feet. I don’t leave the house without these – they are miracle cushions! The Origins A Perfect World Age Defense Guardian is my best friend whenever my face gets a little too much sun. There’s no burning alcohol feel when applied and it immediately soothes my skin. After just one …

culinary: buttermilk blueberry breakfast cake

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A delicious treat from Alexandra’s Kitchen! This very talented woman has quite the blueberry creation for you today. Naturally, I found this recipe from a Pinterest photo, as lately many of the recipes I’ve tried have been rooted in this source. Alexandra’s photos just make my mouth water. As someone who also loves food, I have so much respect for original bakers and chefs working with natural and sustainable ingredients to create something delicious and wholesome. Try out Alexandra’s recipe for Buttermilk Blueberry Breakfast cake and let me [ and her! ] know what you think of it! Go check out her site for the entire recipe! I just wanted to introduce to another lovely food blog, and entice you to try baking something different for breakfast! And why not choose that wonderful antioxidant that we all need more of? Hurray, head her way now and start baking!

interviews with interesting folks: Tracy Zhang

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Today I’d like to introduce you to a wonderful photographer and new friend, Tracy – a beautiful young woman with ancestry in Beijing and roots in Vancouver. I asked her to share a little about how she got into travel photography and what inspires her about nature and exploring other cultures. I love her story of how her path originally started in a completely different direction than she is now – I feel like that’s how many of us end up finding what we love, right?  1. How long have you been a travel photographer? Was this always your dream? I picked up my first camera during high school when I needed an Arts credit to graduate and I thought photography would probably be the easiest art course I could take. It definitely wasn’t a dream of mine before then and I didn’t have any idea that I would become so fascinated with photography that I would continue to pursue it to this date. 2. Why did you choose travel photography? Although I had been …

menagerie: mountain date

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Happy Valentine’s Day!! Have you guys heard of the blogging group, Ladies of the Mountain? I was specially requested by Gentri Lee to be their February Guest Blogger for their mountain woman series! My first post is about how to create that special mountain date — and I’ll be sharing about my own as a template! As many of you know, Evan and I took a 2-week roadtrip this past summer and experienced some beautiful places across the US. One of our all time favorite spots was the high sierra of the Yosemite National Park. Truly wilderness at its best – we lived the rugged life for a couple days and we cannot wait to return.  We camped for two nights in the Tuolumne Meadows. I felt like we were all on our own, secluded and out in the wild. It was liberating and relaxing. We’d wake in the morning and cook a little breakfast before departing for the day’s hike. I loved that we were able to share these moments together. So these are …

DIY: dress to apron

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This is a very easy DIY for those of you with only basic sewing skills. In fact, you don’t even need a sewing machine [I don’t have mine in PR, so I do everything by hand the old fashioned way]. Grab a dress with some frills, lace, crochet, or really any with a tie around the back. I’m using this Free People tunic that I bought two sizes too big to wear as a dress. Basically, just follow the simple pictorial that I’ve put together.  Here are some hints about choosing your dress: (1) Use one with seams up both sides of the bodice. This will make it much easier to separate and sew. AND, you can even get more creative and make TWO aprons from the same dress. I did!  (2) Choose a dress with lots of patterns and activity – this helps to hide any awkward sewing mistakes for you beginners.  (3) Try not to remove the ties from the dress when separating the two pieces. Now you’re ready!! Check out the guide …