My new friend.

Those of you who follow me on Instagram saw that I've had a few close encounters with some awesome Alaskan wildlife this week, so I wanted to share the full story with you all...because I'm still giggling about it.

A few days ago, I was sitting at my computer, as usual...watching the amazing Joe Buissink shoot a wedding on CreativeLive. And I should mention before I go any further, and you all think I'm crazy, that we've been having a lot of unexpected people show up and start working on our rental house lately. I'll be working on something and see a man outside start painting the side of the house. Our sweet landlady wanted to get the house all fixed up and ready to go before winter hits, so they're getting it all done now. Anyways, all that to say, unexpected visitors are not out of the norm here...ok, moving on...

So, like I said, I was sitting at my computer which at the moment overlooks part of our wrap-around porch. I glanced out the window and see what I think is the top of someone's hair, which makes my heart jump, and I'm thinking "Gah, these worker dudes are SO sneaky!"...because they are. Then, I wonder if it's Dave messing with me again, he's popped home for lunch a few times in the past week and he likes to scare surprise me when he does.

Then, it moved and in my head I'm screaming, "Not a person...NOT A PERSON!!!" I'm frozen, which is why there are no pictures of this awesomeness, as I realize it's a small black bear on my porch. He put his front paws up on our grill and just as he got up, my CreativeLive broadcast (which I had totally forgotten was playing, as I'm trying to be super quiet) got a little loud and the bear turned and looked me RIGHT in the eyes, jumped down, and ran off.

I was still in shock and finally grabbed my phone to take pics, slowly and quietly I opened the door to peek around and make sure he wasn't too close, and he was no where to be found! Once I got brave, I went to the backyard to look around, but he was long gone. That little bear must've booked it!

Of course, I spent the rest of the day on edge, looking out the window and searching our backyard at any sound from the neighbors or gust of wind. I'm so sad my little friend never came back. Dave joked that he would find me with a trail of fish leading up to our house and me sitting at the end of the trail with my camera, waiting. Anything for the shot, right? Haha, don't worry, I'm not that crazy. ;)

A website and a winner!

I've been working on getting the Dreaming Willow Photography website ready to be up and running and it's finally finished! I sent out a sneak peek to the people signed up for the Dreaming Willow newsletter, if you'd like to be added to that list go here. The newsletter includes news, specials, and other fun stuff along the way. If you're in the Wichita, KS area I'd recommend signing up since I'll be headed your way soon!

I'd love to know what you all think about the website! You can see the full site here.

And the winner of the Uncommon Goods giveaway is Natasha Stroud Hoover! Congrats, you'll be receiving an email from me later today!

Also, while I'm apparently taking a day to ramble about the happenings around these parts, I should let you all know that my Featured Ad space has just opened up, so if you'd like to grab it you can go here. There are also a few large and small spots available as well, feel free to email me with any questions or collaborations you have in mind.

I hope Tuesday is treating you all well, we're getting another day of SUNSHINE and after a week of darkness and pouring rain I'm pumped. I think you know where I'll be once I get my work done...

Velodyne Audio vFree Headphones.

Dave and I have loved Velodyne and their unique headphone designs for awhile now. I still use my vPulse in-ear noise cancelling headphones on a daily basis, they are so much more comfortable than the headphones that come with your iphone and I really enjoy the noise cancelling feature. So of course, when Velodyne wanted to send me a pair of their new vFree headphones to try out, I was pretty dang excited.

I've been playing with these wireless headphones for awhile now and LOVE them, Dave does too. They are so nice for those times when I need to wear headphones while I'm at my computer. Most of my headphones don't reach comfortably from my computer, so the wireless option is wonderful. You can get up, stretch, and grab some water...all while still listening to your favorite songs. Since they use bluetooth, you can also hook them up to your phone and take calls along the way. 

Dave also has a pair of Velodyne's vTrue headphones and they are amazing for recording, but he loves "stealing" my vFree while he does some yoga. He can blast whatever music he wants to listen to as he stretches and really be immersed in it.

They also have designer skins to go on top of your headphones that make them even more unique. There are lots of cute options, but these were my favorite. I should have gotten a picture of Dave rocking out at his computer with these cute things on...it's pretty comical.

I also love my vFree headphones because they fold up all nice and neat, perfect for traveling! They come with a nice little Velodyne bag you can put them in and slip them in your carry-on. I can't wait to try them out on my upcoming trip to Kansas.

Full Disclosure: The vFree Headphones and Designer skin were both sent to me by Velodyne, but all opinions are 100% my own.

Bad news and the silver lining.

This post is hard to write because my thoughts on the news we received on Monday are still all over the place and I'm still not quite sure what to think or feel. I do know that I'm so thankful for all of your prayers that you all (especially my beloved instagram peeps) sent our way, you all make Dave and I feel so blessed and surrounded by love.

On Monday, the VA flew Dave out to Anchorage to have a basic exam to evaluate the current state of his foot and knee problems. While they were doing some routine x-rays the man doing the exam started asking some of the right questions and decided they needed to x-ray Dave's back as well.



These x-rays showed that Dave has a broken back, and has for years. He went in forever (and ever) ago and told his Dr. at the time that he was having bad back pain, they misdiagnosed him with a muscle strain. And although he brings up his back pain at nearly every exam (I usually go with him), no one has ever looked further into it.

I'm very thankful that we finally found out what has been causing Dave's pain, but I'm equally frustrated that no one caught it before. He has a fractured L5 vertebrae and it's scary to think of all the damage he could have done, without knowing he had a broken back. Dave was told that if he had been in a car wreck/falling the wrong way/gotten jolted he could have become paralyzed.

We're praying that with some specialized yoga and physical therapy we can avoid surgery, if possible. As much as I hate to see my husband in pain and I can't believe he's had an undiagnosed broken back to years, I'm also very thankful that we now know what was actually causing all of the knee/foot pain. In a strange way, it's kind of a relief to know that a lot of his physical pain is all connected, because if we can get the back pain under control then hopefully the other issues will subside as well.

These pictures are all Instagram pics from our walks around the glacier trails last weekend.

Again, we feel SO blessed to have such a wonderful online community and I can't thank you all enough for your prayers and concerned comments.

Giveaway ≫≫ $50 Giftcard to Uncommon Goods!

I haven't done a giveaway in a very long time, sorry about that, but I'm excited to bring back the giveaways with this $50 giftcard to Uncommon Goods! Before we get to the giveaway, let's talk a bit about all the unique things Uncommon Goods has in their shop. I could spend forever going through their lists of items, and as I scroll their products I'm shocked at all the great ideas I'd never thought of.

Half of the items in their store are handmade and they pay all of their employees at least 50% above minimum wage, now that is a company I can get behind. They also have four non-profits, you can learn more about them and how the company gives back when you shop here. It's so nice to find a company that's so involved and that truly cares.

Anyways, onto the pretty things I found...

I absolutely ADORE this anniversary box idea for a wedding present!  What a thoughtful gift that will be a treat for the newlyweds for years to come. You can find more personalized gift ideas here.

VIA

Their "gifts under $50" section is a great place to browse and find affordable gifts. I think Dave needs this awesome beer stein! Check out the full list here.

VIA

And how cute are these Garden Bon Bons?! I think I need these, hint hint. ;) They are packaged so pretty and look like little truffles, but you plant them in your garden. It doesn't get much better than this. More cute little gifts like this can be found here. 

VIA

Now for the giveaway, good luck!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Introducing Fernanda ≫≫ Fer the Love of Writing.

I'm really excited to introduce you guys to Fernanda, who writes over at Fer the Love of Writing! I was able to meet Fernanda in Anchorage, after being "introduced" through a mutual Alaskan blogger. She and her husband came to one of Dave's shows and we loved getting to know them a bit, and then on my last day in Anchorage Fernanda and I met up to grab coffee.

Not gonna lie, my coffee date with this girl made me sad to leave Anchorage...she is a sweetheart with a sense of humor and a killer knack for fashion and design. But enough of my gushing rambling and see for yourself!

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Fall Favorites ↠

I know it's not Fall everywhere, but here it definitely is. We have the gorgeous colors all around, cooler temps, and the need for snugly clothes...what more could a girl want? My walk in the forest today (or yesterday, since for most of you it's already Tuesday) inspired me to write down a few of the reasons why Fall is my favorite time of year...

...what's your favorite thing about Fall?

Random thoughts from my walks in Juneau ≻≻≻

“Now I see the secret of making the best person: it is to grow in the open air and to eat and sleep with the earth.”   ≫≫ Walt Whitman

    Juneau is so alive, it makes me want to be alive, too. Obviously I'm already alive, and when I say Juneau is alive I don't mean it's a bustling city, because it's far from that...unless one of the cruise ships have just docked. It's the surrounding forests, glaciers, and mountains. They are so filled with peace, hope, and magic that it makes me want to take a step away from the busyness and distractions of internet life and find myself all over again in nature.


I crave this. Putting pencil to paper while soaking up all the sounds of the trees and chatter of the animals. (The squirrels here are loud.) It's all about give and take, I suppose, but lately I'm finding joy in simple things I've been neglecting.


What I'm trying to say here, because there is a point, I think...is that I don't want to look back on my time here, years down the road, and remember it all being behind this computer screen. I know we won't be in Juneau forever, although I feel a very strong connection to the beauty around us here and the quietness of it all, when we "settle down" it'll be somewhere closer to family. Alaska's just too dang far. That doesn't mean I won't be writing in this space, just that I'll be doing it on the rainy days (and trust me, there are plenty) and then spending as much time as I can outside on the days that are just too gorgeous to stay inside.

What about you? Have you been neglecting things that your soul craves? It can be so hard when we feel like there's always something to do, I know. But maybe there's at least one thing you can do next week to break up the madness and make you feel alive...