musings on turning 26 + red lipstick

I turned 26 a few weeks ago and in those weeks I've decided what my birthday "resolution" for the year will be. In the past I've thrown birthday parties and made huge lists of things I need to accomplish. This year I skipped the party and just went to a wonderful dinner with my family. In lieu of a laundry list of goals I only have one... Start wearing red lipstick. I know in blogger years I'm way behind on the trend but for me, for some reason, 26 feels like the perfect age to start wearing red lipstick. It just feels so worldly, feminine and classic... I can't wait to try it out. So wish me luck on my 26th year and if you have any tips for sporting red lips I would love to hear them!

*Photo by Jamie Beck via Cup of Jo.

northern exposure: alaska part II

{majestic mountains}

{waterfalls}

{coffee break}

{my life motto}

{pretty poppy}

{rope bridge}

{up in the treetops}

{zip-lining!}

{sunset on the sea}

On the second leg of our Alaskan journey we stopped in Juneau and explored the local bookstores and coffee shops and enjoyed the scenery. I picked up a great book about the Alaskan logging industry called The Golden Spruce... It was definitely an interesting read. Our last stop was Ketchikan where my brother suggested we try zip-lining! It was absolutely incredible. The thrill of whizzing through the trees while you look out over the forest is an experience like no other. I am dying to try it again! Overall, we had an amazing vacation.... I loved getting to spend time with my family. Congrats on graduating little brother, you picked a great trip!

*Speaking of books... I am officially obsessed with The Hunger Games! I finished all three books on the second day of our trip and got my little brother and sister to read them. Definitely check them out!

northern exposure: alaska part I

{cruising through Tracy Arm}

{Skagway, Alaska}

{here we go!)

{our helicopter pilot}

{mushers' camp}

{part of the team}

{dogsledding on the glacier}

{sister + puppy}

{the red onion}

{summer colors}

{backpack in bloom}

{exploring Skagway}

We had such an amazing time in Alaska... the mountains were absolutely breathtaking and the forests were so lush and green. One of the highlights of our trip was taking a helicopter ride to the top of the Denver glacier to the mushers' camp located there for the summer. The dogs were so excited to take the sled out and we even got to hold some of the little Husky puppies! It was definitely one of the coolest things I have ever done.

*Coming soon... hiking in Juneau and zip-lining in Ketchikan!

off to alaska...

{Mount McKinley and Wonder Lake by Ansel Adams}

I'm off to Alaska tomorrow to spend a week with my family on an Alaskan cruise! My parents started a tradition that when you graduate from high school you get to pick the destination for the family trip that year... and this year my little brother chose Alaska! I'll be back next week with lots of photos and stories!

*I just picked up the Hunger Games series to read on the trip... I'm excited to see what all the fuss is about!