Itasca, Kayaking, Waterfalls oh my!!!

Hello Everyone!

I hope that you have all had fantabulous Memorial Weekends! For me this past weekend was devoted to testing out gear and having wonderful adventures with my man friend Bob. I tested out my Yuma pants again (see review here), my Osprey backpack, Asolo hiking boots, and my new Camelbak bladder! I will soon be writing reviews on the last three items soon, so keep an eye out for upcoming gear reviews!!

Bob and I headed up to Itasca State Park on Saturday where we spent an absolutely beautiful day hiking in the Northern Woods of Minnesota. If you have never been to Itasca, you should make plans to explore it! The main attraction, the headwaters of the Mississippi River, and the bike path on the East shore that runs by the campgrounds are often busy, but (as I learned this weekend) the hiking trails are peaceful. Bob and I saw two or three groups during our five mile hike, which is amazing considering how busy the above mentioned areas are. The entire park is worth hours of exploration, and even though I have been walking the park's paths for years, I am still struck anew by the beauty of the park with each visit. 

5 other things that rocked about this weekend:

1)Visiting Bob's family and having smores in the backyard
2) Kayaking on Lake Calhoun in Minneapolis 
3) Minnehaha Falls 
4) Freshly made Cinnamon Pull-Aparts
5) The Impossible Project film for 600- especially the black and white film! (see images below- isn't the black and white just the cat's meow?!) 

Best wishes,

AK

Oh the merry month of January :)

Hello dear readers,

Is it just me, or does January seem to get a bad rep? It is true that after the buildup to the exciting holiday season and the New Year, January seems quiet and sometimes a bit forlorn, but I find January to be one of my favorite months for that very reason. While the holidays are full of traveling and hustling from one wonderful gathering to the next, January is full of... nothing. It is a month in which we can rest and regather- a blank slate so to speak. It is, as the New Year celebrations suggest, a month of new beginnings. January is when I reset my patterns for the next year, when I reconfirm my goals and plans, and just recharge. I love love love that January offers us that opportunity, because my introverted soul would wither away if it wasn't allowed that chance to rest!


January is not, however, boring. Or at least, it doesn't have to be! Two weekends ago Bob and I challenged the idea that January was no fun by exploring the city of St. Paul! It was thankfully warm that weekend (we've had a lot of -20 degree days... anything above -5 is appreciated), and I got it in my head that we HAD to find the 'cool' places in St. Paul. You know, the out of the way places that offer an amazing cup of coffee or make the best fresh doughnuts while still having a cozy "everyone is welcome and loved" atmosphere (though of course, cool hipster attire is recommended). Anyways, I wanted to explore and find these gems, but Bob wasn't as convinced (something along the lines of 'what the heck are we going out for instead of curling up and staying warm at home?'), so I had to change my tactics. With the help of a quick Google search (thank goodness for technology) and Bob's addiction to coffee, I lured him out into the cold to find one of the "best coffee shops" in the St. Paul area.

Amore Coffee is situated across the river from downtown, in West St. Paul, and it seems to be one of the few businesses in a mainly residential neighborhood. Housed in an old brick building, the coffee shop oozes a "we are your home away from home" vibe. The tables and chairs were all mismatching, and there are couches and small coffee tables which create a comfy nook within the larger space for groups to gather. Boardgames are provided, as are a few books, and work by local artists adorns the walls. The menu is not limited to caffeinated beverages, as soup, sandwiches, bake goods, AND amazing white hot chocolate are also offered. Bob and I both loved our drinks, and I had a blast watching as the 'regulars' drift through and interact with both the other regulars and the 'visitors' like myself. If you ever go to the twin cities and want a relaxing cup of coffee, defiantly check this place out!! 

 

Oh, and if all of that cool stuff isn't enough to convince you that Amore Coffee is awesome, it is SOLAR POWERED! I KID YOU NOT! THE PLACE IS SOLAR POWERED!!! HOW COOL IS THAT?!!!   

  

After an hour or so at Amore, Bob and I headed back into the downtown area proper and just wandered. Bob wanted to show me the Union Depot, so we headed into the sky-way close to where he works and backtracked until we hit the station. It was amazing. The station has been lovingly remodeled (or preserved, not sure which), and everything in it is stunning- from the polished stone floors to the high ceilings. The coolest part? Exploring it with Bob. One might think that since Bob walks through the station on the way to work everyday he would be bored exploring the depot, but he wasn't. As he told me, "It is so cool to actually take my time and walk through here. When I walk through on my way to work I get so focused on making it in time that I don't realize how beautiful this place really is." After we meandered and explored the station at length, we wandered around outside for a bit before returning home to nap before we headed to watch the Wild play. :) It was a wonderful weekend, full of exploration and rejuvenation- a perfect example of how wonderful January can be. :)

-AK

No-Shame November

Well hello dear reader,

Happy Friday! Most Friday's I post a photo on my instagram in which I share a random fact about me with the #thingsYouMayNotKnowAboutMe hashtag. I began this project because I wanted to allow people to get to know me, the person behind the camera, and also to challenge myself to trust you- the users of the interwebs- with personal details about myself. Well today I am going to devote this post to random details about my life and participate in No-Shame November.

"What is No-Shame November?" you ask. Well, I had no idea either until I read the post Molly Yeh recently created discussing the concept. From what I can tell, No-Shame November is a concept that encourages you to take the month of November and celebrate those guilty pleasures or behaviors that might normally lie south of the propriety line. So I've decided (perhaps unwisely) to participate in No-Shame November by sharing 10 slightly odd and possibly embarrassing details about myself. 

1) I spent my Wednesday night buying Christmas music on Amazon and Itunes.
2) I ran out of shampoo almost two weeks ago, and I've been too lazy to drive to Target and buy more. So I've been using the men's body-wash that my brother left behind when he moved out as shampoo instead (sorry Mitch). 
3) I also tried using dawn dish soap as shampoo- if you haven't tried it, and if you have another option, go with the other option. It will clean your hair, sure, but it takes ALL of the oils with it (including the nice ones that your hair needs).
4) I cut myself shaving for the first time ever this week.
5) I clearly spend too much time in the shower (3 out of the first 4 options are shower related... whoops)
6) I had a food fight in a bar last night, and we didn't get kicked out. 
7) Centipedes and millipedes creep me out- too many legs *yuck* 
8) I have been recording reruns of House to watch in the evenings in an attempt to lessen my addiction to the BBC show Sherlock. It hasn't been the most successful strategy.
9) I think dystopian novels are awesome, but I only read one a year (roughly) because they make me sad and I get so emotionally distressed over the characters and the society that is being portrayed that I literally get ill- my tummy starts to hurt and I get moody and tired.
10) I am terrified of the thought of people judging my grad school applications and expecting me to have aspirations to change the field of library sciences. I don't have huge, field-changing aspirations. I want to work in a library because books excited me, the inspire me, and they challenge me to view the world differently. For me knowledge is precious, and the idea of spending my days being challenged to learn and helping others locate information that will further their own quests for knowledge thrills me. The idea for my ISBN project occurred to me while I was working at the Chester Fritz Library, and many of my photographic inspiration comes from both fiction and non-fiction literary works.

What about you? What will you use No-Shame November to celebrate? 

Outake from a project I collaborated with Molly, Anne, and Wolftree Magazine on. Taken with my Nikon D60 and edited using VSCO film.

Long Live Libraries ;),

AK 

P.S. You can read more about No-Shame November here (Molly Yeh), here (Anne Gillie), and here (Free The Leash Children). :) 

P.P.S. UPDATE!! I DID GO BUY SHAMPOO AND CONDITIONER TODAY! :) I thought you should know. ;) 

Sleepy Saturday

Hello again,

I am writing you today from the Minneapolis area, and I just wanted to share a quick shot that I took this morning in between taking a nap and working on some images for Wolftree Magazine. If you haven't checked out Wolftree's new website you totally should! The series they published in V. 2 is now on their website! I hope that you are all having a nice, relaxing Saturday! Today Bob and I have done nothing but shoot, eat, read, and watch the wild game and Sherlock on Netflix. It has been fabulous and perfect day, just what Bob and I needed after the crazy busy (but amazing) past few months! :)

Till next time,

AK

Itasca- The Film Shots

Hello my lovely readers,

Happy fall! Or should I say winter? We had snow today in North Dakota, and while it was beautiful I did feel a faint twinge of pain at the thought of fall being over already. I have been a busy bee lately, as I am partnering with Anne Gillie, Molly Yeh, and the wonderful people at Wolftree to make a holiday Ebook! You can fine more information about the Ebook Cookbook on Wolftree's blog, as well as read guest posts by Anne and I. I am super excited to share these yummy treats with all of you- the Ebook is set to release November 15! If you can't wait that long and want to spend your Saturday learning to cook with the talented Molly Yeh, consider signing up for Wolftree's cooking event on November 9th! All participants get a free early download of the ebook! That's right, you cook with Molly AND you get a free download of the Ebook an entire week before it is released!! :)

As excited as I am about the future, I would also like to take a moment to share some images from the past! Below are some of my film shots from Itasca State Park. I took these over the summer and sent them to the FIND lab about a month ago. I am thrilled with the way these turned out!

 Hope you all have a fabulous week!

-AK

P.S. If you want to see more film images that were processed by the FIND lab, check out this post.

P.P.S. All images were shot with a Pentax K1000 camera using Kodak Portra 400 film.

P.p.p.s. Sign up for the cooking workshop here: wolftree.co/workshops 

Wolftree: A Gathering

Dear readers,

This past Monday Brooke and Noah hosted a pre-party for those who had been involved in creating Volume Two. It was a wonderful event and I wanted to share my impressions and the images I captured at this lovely little gathering! :)

The flags in town drooped- the wind was uncharacteristically absent- and sun stood alone in the blue sky. It was the hottest day of the North Dakotan summer thus far, and most of the state's residents were either in a pool or seeking refuge in air conditioned houses. 

Except us. We were a somewhat motley group- our ages varied widely, as did our history, but our faces all shared the same excited expressions. We sat around a wooden table in a studio space. The building had once been an old college, and was too old to have air conditioning. There was one fan weakly trying to stave off the heat, and we all had cold beverages in our hands. Sweat gathered on our brows, but we made light of the heat, for every second of potential suffering had been transformed into an opportunity to share our hopes and become inspired by those around us.

We were part of the growing Wolftree community. There were about 15 of us, and we had all contributed to the making of Volume 2 (which is released on the 24th of August!). We were the writers, makers, and dreamers who had been found or had found Brook and Noah and had shared our talents and our stories to create their beautiful magazine. Brought together by our shared passion for the beauty within everyday events, we were brought closer by the laughter and ideas that we shared over guacamole and artichoke dip. We discussed our pasts, and focused upon Wolftree's future. We croweded close together to catch a sneak peak at the Volume 2 mockup. We oooh'ed and we ahhh-ed; we laughed and (at times) we silently admired. I won't claim that we all left the best of friends, but we did leave feeling like we had met others who accepted us- who validated our efforts, who inspired us, and who shared our appreciation of  the oft overlooked beauty of the Midwest. 

 

Wolftree's kickstarter campaign has TWO hours left! They are $100 short of their goal! Please consider becoming part of their project and part of the Wolftree community! 

Thank you,

AK 

Wolftree Magazine: Celebrating the Midwest

Dear Readers,

    Those of you who follow me on twitter, instagram, or Facebook are probably already aware of the fact that I am being published in Wolftree Volume 2 (I am so excited :D)! You are also probably aware that Wolftree has started a Kickstarter campaign to help their magazine grow. I have been asking people to check Wolftree out, to consider their project, and to help by donating or by spreading the word to others. What I haven't told you is why I personally am rooting for Wolftree Magazine. So today I would like to take a moment to explain and expand upon the three main reasons why I love Wolftree: 1) They are publishing a photo spread that is very dear to my heart, 2) Wolftree's mission lifts up artists and celebrates the unique character of the Midwest, and 3) Brooke and Noah Kupcho- the founders of Wolftree. 

    For those of you who don't know me very well, I am a twenty-two year old artist from a small-ish town in North Dakota. It is a college town, and there is a growing community of artists, writers, musicians, and dreamers. Our place in this town in still being negotiated, and opportunities to share our work are growing. However, I know that I personally have struggled to find a niche for my art within my home state.

    Then Wolftree was started. Finally there was a journal in the Midwest that celebrated the quiet beauty of everyday life and had an aesthetic that fit my style. I had stumbled across Wolftree on accident- I followed Brooke on instagram and she was selling beautiful wooden coasters to help raise money to launch Volume 1 of Wolftree. I bought the coasters as a house-warming gift, and Brooke and I began to email each other about Wolftree. I was (and still am) captivated by their mission, which is to "... support and encourage those who are taking risks, fully embracing the journey of life, and continually seeking for the beauty that is woven in and throughout the simple everyday ventures." (wolftree.co/about) But it was more than just their mission, it was how they pursued it that truly stood out. 

    Keeping with their desire to celebrate that which seems ( sometimes deceptively) simple and yet still beautiful, Wolftree Magazine embraces and aesthetically pleasing minimalist design. Much like Cereal and Kinfolk Magazine, Wolftree is more of an art book than a magazine, and is bare of any advertisements. The entire focus of the magazine is allowing the articles, recipes, and art to shine. Wolftree seeks to highlight the small moments and the people which give the Midwest its unique flavor. As Brook put it so wonderfully in a recent Wolftree journal entry, "we want the magazine to be something that celebrates others."

    This brings me to the Kupcho's. Brook and Noah are two of the founders of Wolftree, and could be called the heart of this young magazine. This married duo's shared love for all the different facets of the Midwest culture, and their adventurous spirits have molded Wolftree into the beautiful creature that it is today. As I mentioned earlier, Brook and I started emailing each other before Volume one launched. What I didn't mention was that when I arrived at the launch party, Brook saw me and immediately rushed forward to greet me with a huge smile and a hug. She had never met me in person before, yet she welcomed me with an open and sincere heart.

    Then, a few days after the event, I sent in an idea for a photo spread for Volume 2. I hoped for maybe a positive response and to exchange a few emails discussing the idea. Instead, Brooke enthusiastically replied and asked to meet with me in person to discuss not only my idea, but also Wolftree, art, religion, history, and the small moments that make daily adventures sparkle. Furthermore, Brook was open to ideas and suggestions, and when I offered to help edit the article for Wolftree she immediately accepted. Though Wolftree is the Kupcho's baby, they are not over-protective or jealous in their care. Instead, they choose to open their project up to the input of others. They are an entirely submission based journal, and the joy that they find in sharing the talents of others seems to shine through every aspect of their life. 

    These are some of the reasons why I love Wolftree, and I hope that you understand why I have been encouraging you to help the magazine via their Kickstarter campaign. The Kupcho's are a special couple, with a unique gift and vision, and they need our help to establish Wolftree into a self-sufficient magazine. They are currently halfway to their fundraising goal, and I know that with our help they can reach their that goal by the cutoff date. By supporting this project you will not only be funding a special magazine, but the widespread community of dreamers, artists, writers, and musicians in the Midwest. As Brooke wrote in a recent Wolftree journal entry, "Let's listen. Let's support. Let's celebrate others."

Let's start today.

-AK 

WOLFTREE MAGAZINE KICKSTARTER

Reflections on the idea of "Home" and a quick update :)

Dear readers,

I have never been able to give my heart to one place, on destination. Growing up, the word "home" was malleable in meaning- it could mean the state in which I lived (ND), the place where my mom grew up (WI), a specific house (whichever one we were living in at the time), or whatever house we were staying at while traveling. Like ivy, my family roamed across the northern half of the United States- we spread our tendrils out into the wide world while at the same time sinking our roots into my hometown for stability. Our bonds with our friends and with each other were our source of strength, and I could never quite give my heart to a particular town. It seemed like everywhere we traveled to had a different reason to be loved, a different flavor to enjoy.
I was not, however, a tumbleweed. My family was incredibly fortunate- despite being in the Air Force we stayed in the same location for much of my childhood. Our travels were to visit family and to explore the National Parks and wonders of the USA. I am well aware that many of my fellow Air Force friends were not so fortunate- I had many friends who were transferred to a new location year after year, who were truely like tumbleweeds drifting from one base to the next with each set of orders. No, I learned early that despite my love for travel I liked having a place to store my stuff, a place to curl up and read a book, to sleep in peace, to think in. Yet that location was not where my entire heart belonged. Perhaps you will call it the no popular term of "wanderlust," perhaps it is a testament to the wide world to which I was exposed to as a child, but the house and town that I grew up in do not hold my entire heart.
As I have gotten older I have begun to accept the idea that my heart may belong to a much broader place- the North. Places covered in lush forests and dotted by quite (and not so quiet) lakes. Places who accept the fact that snow will cover the ground for a greater portion of the year than the grass. Places full of hardy folk who know the importance of friendship and family, who know that the warmth of a gathering among friends can block out the biting winter chillls. How else can I explain the way my heart soars at the sight of hardy conifers, the majesty of bald eagles, the unforgiving expanses of the plains? The fact that I feel a kind of homesickness when I come across pictures of the northwest and northeast coasts of the US, when I stumble across images from England and Ireland? Is it possible to love the lands above a certain latitude? 

The above post is something I have been thinking about for the past few weeks. Below is the summary of my adventures via instagram photos from the past month or two. :) I have been camping, kayaking, learning new things, and learning more about myself as I go. :) I hope that everyone has had as lovely of a summer as I have been having! #adventureIsOutThere 

Saw the Postal Service for the first time!!! It was AMAZING!

Bob and I kayaking in Minneapolis! :)

Minnehaha Falls

Itasca in July

Itasca State Park! (If you are in Minnesota you should take the time and stop here!)

I got Bob up at five in the morning and we went and watched the sunrise paint the lake and the sky with soft purples and pinks. :)

North Dakota weather #thatNDSky

First time kayaking! :)

Reduce, Reuse, Re-cycle

The camping group :)

#whpReplaceYourFace

#thatNDSky

Itasca State Park- Seriously people, just visit it! :)

 Well, this post has been a bit of a smorgasbord of updates and ponderings! For those of you who are wondering, I am still working on my ISBN project, if you would like to take part please email me at akphotog@hotmail.com. :) For those of you who are wandering, exploring, and having adventures, I hope that you are having a blast!

Thank you for giving me your time and attention!

Until next time,
AK <3