The March 5: Five Lessons About Spring In North Dakota

Hello! Long time no chat!

As April is now upon us, I thought I would take a moment and share five lessons that I have learned about March while living in North Dakota. 

1) March can come in like a lion and leave like a lion- March don't care. Seriously people, we had what was probably the worst blizzard all winter yesterday, and woke up today to almost a foot of freshly fallen snow and the chilly temperatures that we normally associate with January and February. BRRRR!! 

2) Speaking of cold, after a while the number after the (-) sign ceases to matter. Cold is just cold. 

3) The wind is your constant companion- love it or hate it, it will always be there.

4) Clear skies and sun= more layers (sometimes it is just better to look ridiculous and be warm).

5) There is always time for one more cup of hot chocolate or five more minutes of chat before you head out the door. Accept this and you will always leave a friend's home well prepared to brave the cold.

I hope you are staying warm this spring season,

AK

Outtakes- Wolftree Recipes

Hello dear reader,

Today I just wanted to share some outtakes from a granola recipe shoot I did for Wolftree this past fall. Please check out the recipe and the story behind it, which can be found on Wolftree's Website! I hope that you had a wonderful Christmas, and that you are gliding happily into the New Year!!

-AK

Taking Back Christmas

Hello everyone and happy holiday season!!

I love the holidays, and if you are like me, you are humming Christmas carols, checking people off of your shopping list, and waiting patiently for the Christmas season to start. This year I have three Christmas', which means lots of food, laughter, and lots of gifts to be swapped. I. Am. So. Excited. 0.0

However, if you had talked to me three years ago my outlook on Christmas would have been quite different. Growing up I loved Christmas, but after working the holiday rush at Target for three years I must admit that my holiday spirit was incredibly dampened. Instead of a time to enjoy people and connect, Christmas became something to dread and be critical of. Instead of appreciating the holiday giddiness that surrounded me, I grumbled and called the shopping stupid and got frustrated at all the little silly things people do when holiday shopping/returning their earlier holiday shopping. Christmas music became annoying- not so much because of the stress of working late night retail over the holidays, but more because I was in choir and we started singing holiday tunes in October and by December I had become tired of hearing holiday jingles.* In total, my holiday joy was crippled.

And the worst part was, it took me a while to realize it. I couldn’t see the changes, because, like many changes, these ones started out small. A grumble here. A murmur there. A shared laugh over a sarcastic Christmas themed joke with co-workers. I didn't notice that what I really loved about Christmas was slipping away from me. I still had fun buying gifts for those I cared for and spending time with my family. I told myself that I was still infused with the joy of the season, but I wasn't. It wasn't that I turned into a green Grinch or was cruel to those who hadn't had their holiday spirit dampened, but I had become blind to the magic and the joyful glimmer that surrounds the season. I no longer focused on the positives, and the negatives became a source of constant irritation.

But I did eventually realize it, and for the past two years I have been working to take back Christmas. Being out of direct retail has helped, but what really helped was me making a conscience effort to harvest the positive aspects of the season and use them to counteract the negatives. So this year I started humming Christmas tunes in July (which was probably a bit too soon) and started my Christmas shopping in August (the Christmas crowds stress me out a bit, so thank goodness for internet shopping). I am looking forward to my three Christmas celebrations, to spending my first Christmas with Bob's family this weekend, my second Christmas with my immediate family and with my 'not really blood related but you are my family' family (you know who you are), and my third Christmas with Bob, my dear friend Cathy, Anne, Darrin, and my parents. I am looking forward to learning the holiday traditions of others and enjoying my own. I am patiently waiting to see the looks of surprise on Anne, Darrin, Bob, Cathy, and Bruce's faces when they find their stockings and open their gifts. For the laughter and the "oh you shouldn't haves" and the "oh no, really I should haves." I am excited to team up with my Mother and Brother (if he makes it for Christmas eve *fingers crossed*) to convince my Dad that we really do open one gift Christmas Eve every year. To wake up on Wednesday and jump out of bed and race around the house excitedly calling everyone to the tree, to see my parents purposely insist on waiting to open anything until after they have brewed fresh coffee and had a cup and a bite to eat, to pretend to be annoyed by their purposeful delays. I am taking back my Christmas spirit, and immersing myself in everything the season has to offer.

How are you taking back your Christmas spirit?

(Sneak peek of a portrait series of my brother)

-AK

 
*P.S.: I loved being in choir and in no way am I trying to discourage people from participating in choirs or practicing Christmas music. I fully understand that choirs practice the compositions early because they want to perform them perfectly for their audience, and I think that is wonderful. Unfortunately, at the point in my life that I am currently referencing, I was struggling to remember those things and to appreciate the beauty and magic of the season.

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. ;) 

Brianna on Film

Hello my fantastic readers,

It seems that winter has finally settled into the Red River Valley, and we received our first snow fall that didn't melt last Sunday! I know that many of my fellow North Dakotans are less than pleased by the chilly temperatures and frosted windshields, but I find myself humming Christmas carols and rejoicing in my ability to wear my thick sweaters again! Winter is my favorite season, and as the holidays draw nearer I find myself smiling more and more at the grey skies and the cold sting of snowflakes melting upon my nose. 

You may remember the blogpost I published earlier this autumn featuring images of my handsome best friend Bob! Well, on that same roll of Kodak Portra 400 I was fortunate enough to capture some stunning images of the lovely Brianna! (Can a girl get any luckier?!) These gems were taken while we were working on Brianna's image for the ISBN Project, and were totally unplanned. They were all shot on a Pentax K1000 using Kodak Portra 400 film and were processed by the FIND film lab. I hope you find them as special as I do. 

Drive safe and keep warm,

AK

Happy Halloween!

Hello my lovely readers,

I am technically writing this the day before Halloween, but I figure that most of you probably will read this tomorrow ( it is almost 10 after all! *gasp*) and plus, I wanted to wish everyone a happy Halloween a little early! (Wait till Christmas, it is my favorite holiday and I am already dreaming about pine trees and singing Christmas carols!) Anyways, I hope that you are all going to have an amazing Thursday and that you spend your All-Hallows Eve in good company! For some of you that might mean dressing up in crazy costumes and partying until the wee hours of the morning, and for others it might entail a quiet night at home watching Netflix and handing out candy to children, but I hope that whatever your choice you have a smashingly wonderful time! :) 

This photo was taken with Icarus (my Nikon D60) and edited using VSCO's 02 film pack in Photoshop.

Till next time, with wishes for your good health and happiness,

AK

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