Opening Up Shop

     When I first began thinking about what Ramble & Root might encompass I knew I wanted to blog, just personal projects and happenings, things for myself that I thought would be fun to look back on in time. I also had an inkling of an idea that I could someday sell some of the things I made or photographed. I wanted a space that didn't pigeon hole me into being just a photographer or just a painter or just a hand-letterer or just a maker... You get the idea ;) I love anything creative and artsy and I like to make things for myself and also to try different mediums to see what might stick. I had a dream of an etsy shop that featured a current series of pieces that I could make until my heart felt content and then when the creativity for that project began to run dry, move on to another. A sort of shop that someone looking for unique, one of a kind items for their home would be excited about. The kind of shop that I often seek out when I am shopping for my own home. Photographs of course were the first thing to come to mind, but the task of reviewing my own work often proves to be daunting and I shy away from my computer more often than not. So those are still in the works.

     Fast forward to the present, summer 2016. My love of fiber and textiles has been around for as long as I can remember. I tried my hand at knitting a few years ago, it worked but it didn't resonate. I learned to crochet this summer, I got it and I liked it! And it's on the table for personal projects... maybe because it was summer, I wasn't feeling all that excited about scarves and blankets ;)  But then I came across a wall hanging tutorial and thought, now that seems like fun... And it was! Ten wall hangings later with inspiration still pouring out of me, I thought, now here's a series with some promise, maybe other people would enjoy them in their homes... plus #hoarding ... not the direction I want my life to go, haha. I can see the headline now "missing family and family dog found amongst thousands of yarn wall hangings", no thanks! So with five wall hangings ready to go (and more on the way) I finally opened my Etsy shop! If you're in the market for something pretty for your wall or you know someone else who is, have a peek! RambleandRoot on Etsy -  www.etsy.com/shop/RambleandRoot

     I'm always interested in reading about how people do what they do. So I'll share my simple approach for those of you who like that kind of thing too. My process is informal. Often my son and I go out on little adventures and gather branches, feathers and if we're lucky, seashells. He's 2, you can imagine his enthusiasm! I strip and sand each branch by hand. I love perusing yarn shops for materials that are luxurious and fit my current color palette and often pop into bead shops in hopes of finding the perfect little finishing touch. I hand tie each piece and once the yarn is complete I decide if it needs a feather or beads or shells to finish it. Sometimes the way the yarn hangs off a particular branch is just right and I leave it at that.  The possibilities are endless, I'm having so much fun! 

Now I'm off to play with yarn and branches ;) Thanks for stopping by!

Journal | March 2016

Pergamit Farm, November 2015

Home, February 2016

Home, February 2016

Home, February 2016

Home, February 2016

     Jack is almost 2. He is the light of my day, the bags under my eyes and all of my heart- save the spot Chris occupies. Our little guy never ceases to amaze me. After having him, my perspective on life changed. I mean that sounds like a big "duh" statement, but as my best friend likes to say 'you don't know, til ya know'. You hear about it, you read about it, your best friend tells you all the good, the bad and the ugly of it, but truly... 'you don't know, til you know'. Life upended for the time being, I was searching for something solid to grab hold of, to ground myself, then to shove off of as this evolved self I had become. This was something I could only find within, this was something no one else could provide. I have had an inkling of wanting to change my career for some time now, so six months after I had Jack I made the decision to leap in and change my career path. This meant going back to school online and at night, while continuing to edit photos for an amazing photographer, which I have been doing since 2012. It's a juggle, it's not easy, but so far so good! It's given me the sense of self I needed and with Jack as my beacon I have never driven rougher waters with such confidence and hope. I have gotten through my first few chemistry classes with a new found love of science. I had to start at the bottom, having never taken any chemistry. It sounds like a nightmare right? As crazy as it sounds even to me, I really like chemistry, it seems to agree with me. I have also completed other very interesting prerequisite courses like medical terminology, basic nutrition and psychology - which I have no idea how I got through my first degree without having to take basic psychology! But it's checked off the list, whew! I started an internship this month, online, under these fun and savvy dietitians - The Nutrition Twins. I am so excited to learn from them. My first task included recipe research and food photography, I mean... It really couldn't be more up my alley! 

     My close friends and family know I'm going back to school to become a registered dietitian. I bet some of them wonder how I made the leap from photographer to dietitian. At first it seemed like a random choice even to me. But the more I thought about what I am constantly drawn to, it actually made so much sense. In my photography, while doing wedding and portraits as a much loved business, I always had a personal passion for food photography. This lead me to embark on personal photographic projects such as my year with Erickson Ranch. It was not just seeing food as a beautiful photo -which I do love - but I strove to understand the story of where our food comes from; from the people who take on the huge task of growing and providing local food, to how we prepare our food and what it does for our bodies. The deeper I got the more I wanted to know. Being a dietitian will take me deeper. It has captured my interest like nothing else, well... I say nothing else, except photography. But that is what made me realize I had chosen the right path, if I was going to make such a change. Having pursued my passion for photography as a career for the last 10 years, I knew I needed to have that much passion in whatever I was going to dedicate my career to for the next twenty plus years. And I never thought I was giving up photography, I could never stop. As something I do just for my own personal interest I have found a slower pace with it, it's been such a nice change. But I do see it making an appearance in my future career. My immediate goal is to get through school and to get my license but there are always grand schemes waiting to be hatched. 

     I thought I'd start this little series called Journal. For myself, a reminder of these days.

Summer in a Sandwich

     Food, ahhh the focus of the holidays it seems. I can't get away from all the pumpkin, spiced, roasted, mashed, baked deliciousness if I tried. And to be honest, I really don't try. It's the one time of year I feel hungry, through the heat of the summer I'm often content to eat small, light meals and drink lots of water. It's just too dang hot to expend a lot of energy cooking or chomping. Once the cold hits, I love to make warm, comforting food, spending time preparing and cooking, taking advantage of the need to be inside and thoroughly enjoying the social and tasty aspect of the holiday food scene. This year I started a new path in my life, going back to school to become a registered dietitian. This week in my nutrition class we learned about phytochemicals and their benefits, so I challenged myself to make my meals filled with different colors of the rainbow. This vegetable, hummus and cheese sandwich was one of my successes and made for a pretty photo, double win! And it’s light enough to balance some of the more wintery, comfort foods I enjoy. Below are the ingredients I used in my sandwich, in the order I layered them, because I like my hummus and tomato to touch and my avocado and cheese to mingle. I shopped for these items at our local grocery store, they typically have a great quality selection of vegetables available and with our extended summer it seems we have the benefit of plentiful vegetables in the early fall.

2 slices Whole Wheat Multigrain Bread

1.5 Tbsp Sabra Roasted Red Pepper Hummus

2 thick slices heirloom tomato (color choice up to you, I chose a deep purple red)

6 thin slices of English cucumber

¼ medium green bell pepper, sliced into thin slivers (choose orange, red or yellow too, I had green on hand)

1 slice swiss cheese

½ large avocado, sliced or smashed

Spread hummus on one of the slices of bread and the avocado onto the other slice. Layer your cut vegetables and cheese as you like.

It’s as easy as that, summer in a sandwich. And in the fall no less!

*This is a sample post, which is why I am talking about it being fall in February ;)