SSI Day 5, 6, 7

My cousin Ginnie (who shaved her head with me) and her adorable daughter Lillie are here to visit! Since they got here we've been really busy and I haven't had time to blog.

I've had a great last couple days... complete with a 26.5 mile bike ride one day, and lots of biking in general, soreness from doing P90x lol, going to the beach and pool and shops and different restaurants, being with my lovely family, celebrating birthdays, and more.

I wish I had more time to write this out but maybe I will come back and explain in another blog post soon. I'm just really grateful for the people who are my family and their love, warmth, funniness, and generosity.

Pretty much all of my pictures are of Lillie because she is just so gosh darn CUTE! haha :)





































and a couple instagrammerzz, of me after my 26.5 mile bike ride (and my bleeding ladybug necklace haha), of lillie being cute, and of the beach (on the right you can see Ginnie and Lillie holding hands walking into the ocean)









my first week was a great one!
next week will consist of more adventures with Ginnie and Lillie, time to myself once again, hopefully some time with Patti, my mom's cousin who I get along with fabulously, maybe another brunch date with Sister Bil, who just surprised me with the most wonderful gift, and a trip with Lexi to Amelia Island!! Plus, my sister's birthday even though she won't be here. stay tuned! :)

SSI Day 4, evening

Today was really nice. I woke up and rode my bike to the farmer's market. Then I went to the grocery store to pick up a few things like a blender so I could finally drink my chocolate shakeology again, haha :) I went to the pool and started a new book and ate a bunch of really yummy fruits and veggies for lunch. It was a beautiful day, and I wanted to ride my bike, but I didn't know where I felt like going. So on a whim I decided to go visit mom at the cemetery, which is almost 14 miles round trip. It was a really enjoyable bike ride, though an extremely sweaty one, haha. Next time I'll have to take my car just so I can pick up flowers on the way because the deer eat the plants so quickly that her grave looks uncared for right now.

I came back, made a shakeology shake, and went to the pool to cool off, drink my shake, and read. It was SO refreshing after that long bike ride!! I decide to bike down to the pier a little earlier than I had been and just walk up and down and take pictures. Fredrica Station is this cool store that has games and bubbles outside so kids are always playing there. I stopped to take some pictures:







I walked down to the pier and then walked along the ocean toward the lighthouse. Along the way there are play grounds, two huge trees that tons of people picnic under, a public pool, minigolf, and beach access. It was a beautiful night and people were everywhere.



this little boy stopped to shake these peoples' hands, haha. it was the cutest thing and the couple was so jolly :)







I walked back down the street toward my new favorite coffee shop/bar/restaurant, passing the colorful little hut stores along the way.



I went to my new favorite place and was going to get a Vanilla Chai Tea Latte when I saw "Lavender Lemonade" written on the board. WHAT??? YES. So I got that instead and it was SO AMAZINGLY GOOD and refreshing and relaxing and ahhh it was lovely :)





(artwork in the shop)


and passed the cute candy/sweet shop on the way home :)



it was a great day! I still have P90x to do though... so I gotta go do that! til tomorrow! :)

SSI day 3

Today was really nice. I got up and went for a bike ride, then took a shower and got ready for brunch at Cafe Fredrica (my fave) with Sister Billie. She's my Gran's older sister, and we call her that because that's what my Gran calls her :) She and Christie, who helps her out, picked me up and went to brunch and I had delicious cinnamon rolls and bacon as usual there. All this healthy eating and exercise deserves a treat like Cafe Fredrica once a week, I think ;)

Then we went to Joseph's Jewelers, where Sister Bil always goes, to get my bracelet shortened. For our birthdays and Christmas each year, my Gran gives my sister and I something of our moms. This year for my 21st birthday I got her beautiful gold bracelet with a gold charm with rubies. It matches my ring that was my mom's as well. Sister Bil and Anne (my mom's sister) bought it for my mom a long time ago as a present. So it's really special :)

While I was there, I found this beautiful necklace that I fell in love with and decided to spend my birthday money on as a special 21st birthday gift to myself from all my family who gave me money for my bday. I didn't want to pay all at once so I don't have it yet, but later this summer I will :) For my birthday, Joe said he wanted to get me a nice lady bug necklace, and that I should pick out one. He got me one 4 years ago and has gotten 2 more for me since as they break, since they're not the best material. They've always been extremely special to me, and if you notice, I never take it off... ever. But it'll be nice to have one that should last forever :) I found a beautiful ladybug necklace that would be perfect with that necklace I got for myself, worn together. I asked Joe what he thought when I got home and he said he'd love to get it for me if it's the one I want. He was so sweet and it just reminded me how lucky I am to have him in my life for the last 4 and a half years. I'm waiting to get it until I can get my other necklace, though.

Then I got home and did P90x which was a great workout and left me feeling tired but good :) I showered and headed out to take photos in the park I love right by my Gran's condo. Here they are!












'til tomorrow! :)

SSI Day 2

Today I lazed around a bit in the morning and then did P90x and ate some lunch. By that time, unfortunately, bad storms came in and it continued to rain on and off for most of the afternoon. I was disappointed that I couldn't ride my bike more so I went to the mini gym they have here... and found out that 90% of the equipment doesn't work. Cool. haha. So I did the elliptical for awhile and listened to my book on tape and left.

I made a yummy little pizza for dinner and headed out with my camera in my car. I wanted to bike, but it was getting dark and I couldn't tell if it was going to rain or not so I drove to be safe.

I drove to East Beach at the Coast Guard station, probably the most popular area to go on the beach. I thought I was going to take pictures by the water, but as I drove over the marsh and the bridge I used to go crabbing on with my gramps and saw the beautiful, stormy sky, I decided to walk over there instead.









as I was on the bridge taking pictures a man and his daughter came up. we chatted a little bit and it turns out that they were from San Fransisco (actually now I can't remember but it was San something), and he had grown up coming here every summer and his grandmother also owned a condo in the same place my gran owns one, which is pretty coincidental. we shared an understanding of how special the island is and how it's more home to us and our family than our actual homes are.

his daughter was adorable. I asked if I could take her picture. I showed her the picture and said "aw look, you look so pretty!". Then for some reason she told me she wanted me to "show your mama the picture". It was so odd.. she was old enough to know what she was saying and when I asked "my mama?" she repeated it and said yes. I just told her I would. I can't help thinking it was one of those moments where something's going on that adults don't quite understand or perceive but kids do or something. Idk. But it stuck in my mind. Why would she want me to show my mama the picture of her? I actually hadn't even mentioned my mom in that conversation. I don't know what to think. It feels like one of those moments though.



Then I drove home and biked to the pier to catch what was left of sunset. The sky was very stormy and the clouds were really strange and interesting. I wish I had my camera with me, but I didn't bring it since I was afraid it would rain. I saw some people playing music on the side of the pier but didn't pay attention. On my way back out, I decided last minute to stay and listen.

It's unusual for people to play music at the pier, at least in my experience. Very occasionally there will be someone playing a harmonica or something, but it's brief and they didn't come to the pier for that purpose.

This was a bunch of guys and maybe a couple girls-- it was hard to tell who was a part of it and who was sitting close and singing along-- singing and playing instruments.

It was absolutely beautiful. There was a decent crowd gathering and the sky was foreboding and it was so spirited and done with so much joy and passion and the people around me sang quietly in some parts. I didn't recognize the songs but they were beautiful. I looked up a couple lyrics and found out it was Christian praise music. I'm not super religious, but I appreciate the religion I grew up in and I believe in a god or some sort of something. I've also seen over and over how beautiful faith can be in people. So I feel spiritual often times. I know a lot of the photographer community does not believe in a religion and finds it uncomfortable, so I worry that my audience won't be able to relate... but sometimes there is nothing more beautiful than people joining together to make music with the purest love of it vibrating around them, with kindness and openness washing over everyone. I wanted to cry it was so beautiful. It felt so magic tonight.



I wished they had a cd or something that I could buy, or that I knew if they were an actual band or if they were just playing. I want to hear them again. I hope they play again.

I felt my mom all around this evening.

St. Simons Island, Day 1

Today is my first full day in St. Simons Island.

Most of you have seen me talk about SSI a LOT, and know that it's a really special place to me and my family. It was my mom's favorite place, and it's where she's buried. It's where my Gran, who is one of the most special women in my life, grew up loving. She lived in Brunswick, the main land. Some of her friends and our family still live on the island today.

This summer I am spending a little over a month on my beloved island. I'm staying here by myself, something I've never done before. Many of you also know about my journey to lose the weight I gained after my mom died and get back into great shape with Insanity. It's left me with a thirst to continue to challenge and improve myself, mind body and spirit. So while I'm here, I'm focusing on me. I'm focusing on my health and fitness, doing P90x and a TON of biking (love!!) and eating well. I'm focusing on my mental health, allowing myself to relax and enjoy the island and the things I love here. It's reading and pool time and beach time and biking and photographing, and naps. It's exploring and letting myself absorb what the island has to offer.

Basically it's time to focus on healing and growing and slowing down.

A part of growing is letting my art have my time every day, and so I'm documenting my summer here by taking a photo (or more) each day that I'm on the Island.

Here are the photos from my first day:


me in my gran and gramps' pretty room. it reminds me of them and of my mom (she would sleep there when we went to the beach together).



after a thunderstorm, I rode my bike to the pier, passing my favorite beautiful park of oak trees on the way. When I took off my lens cap, my lens kept fogging up from the extreme humidity. but I kinda liked it :)







Then I went to the pier for sunset. It was beautiful.









then I biked over to what's recently become my favorite beach access point, a little down the road from the pier. It's in between my Gran's best friend since childhood Woodie's house and this beautiful little cottage.







I headed back to the condo, and stopped to take pictures in the oak tree park again, this time with the artificial light.