Year: 2015

Citrus Season In South Africa + A Recipe

It’s Winter in the Southern hemisphere which means citrus season in South Africa. Lemons and oranges are a plenty, and it’s wonderful. If I need lemon juice, I just go outside and pick some lemons off the tree. I don’t have an orange tree, but no worries. The side of the road is dotted with merchants selling bags of oranges for only R15. That’s comes out to only a little over $1. Every week I buy a bag, and every…
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The Evolution of a Hair Style

women's mohawk

Let’s talk hair for a minute, shall we?  Hair is a big deal to me, mostly because about the time I turned 21 I realized it wasn’t a huge thing to just swap out hair with the seasons like you would a nice throw rug in your home.  Easy, relatively painless, and the overall effect is so visually impressive it’s hard to stop. Aside from the pastel colors, my hair has been every natural color available: red, blonde, orange, black,…
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Two Amazon Gift Card Giveaways

gift card giveaway

Friends, I have an epic giveaway for you today! I’m partnering with nine amazing bloggers to offer two lucky winners one $500 Amazon gift card each! The graphic below includes some sweet things you could use that gift card towards (Apple watch! iPad! Samsung camera! Kate Spade bag!) but of course if you’re looking to load up on fancy pens, that’s up to you! Enter to win between July 21-31, 2015 via the widget below. You need to login to…
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How To Catch a Sunset

Sunset photos

Most everyone loves a nice sunset picture, and though some may tire of seeing them clog an Instagram feed on a summer night, I do not. The sky is an ever-changing and ever-commanding force of life and presence. I never tire of that. I think if you get bored of a bright orange sky, then you need to re-assess your excitement scale. I was in Northern California recently, and the first night I was there, the sky was quite welcoming. I…
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Adventures in our National Parks

Yellowstone National Park

If you’ve never visited one America’s national parks, you have been missing out on all kinds of wonderful things. Really. You should get on it,  pronto. Especially if you have kids; they’ll remember it for a lifetime.  We journeyed up the road to Yellowstone, our nearest national park, last weekend and captured this direct quote from my 8 year old: “Yellowstone is the coolest place on earth!” And he’s been to Disney World, folks. We happen to live within a…
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Strawberry Freezer Jam

strawberry freezer jam

If you haven’t made your own jam before, you’re really missing out! Nothing store-bought can compare to the look and taste of homemade freezer jam. And it’s crazy simple. Really. And you know what else? My top secret fool-proof recipe comes straight from inside the little box of pectin. It hasn’t failed me yet! Follow along and you’ll be licking your own glittering spoonful of summery super-sweetness in no time. A few tips to begin with: use fresh, ripe in-season…
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Stinson Beach

Stinson Beach Sunset

For my big vacation this summer my family and extended family rented a beach house. When things get a little too fiery and dry in Utah, it’s oh so nice to head to the coast. There is a cozy little beach about an hour north of San Francisco, called “Stinson,” with sand dollars, lemon trees, and low-flying clouds. It’s positively dreamy.     There are rows and rows of houses for rent, each pierced with big windows and protected by…
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Cute New Camera Bags For You

camera bag

Some cute new camera bags for you! It’s no secret that traditionally, a functional but cute camera bag has been hard to find.  Until, that is, my rock star friend Maile created Epiphanie Bags, a line of gorgeous camera bags, because the need was there (big time) and she’s a genius. I’ve owned an Epiphanie camera bag for over 5 years and I love everything about it.  It’s stylish and utilitarian, and sometimes I use it for a purse without…
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Quote of the Week You and Me

sea quote

This week’s Petit Elefant Quote of the Week is a good one.  A summery, ocean-y, happy one.  Are you liking this series?  I am, because I’ll tell you what: I have an obsessively huge repository of good quotes taking up notebook after notebook and one entire Pinterest board. For reals. If you’re just getting started, we’re on week 6 of the new inspiring quote series.  If you’re interested in catching up, here are links to week 1, week 2, week…
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