curtain call

218/365: home of the twins

Finally made it to Target Field. But not for baseball. Thanks Children’s Theatre for a great season opener! Congrats on 50 years of making magic.

alternative gardens & cracks in the sidewalk

Lately I’ve been thinking about how much I enjoy the juxtaposition of natural subjects and human-built elements. It’s one of those common sightings that we often take for granted but there is something interesting in the tension that exists between these elements. I guess I like to see how we can all co-exist, how it looks when we allow nature to have its way sometimes.

148/365: sidewalk crack with prairie flax

lakeside seating

Give us 84 degrees in the City of Lakes and we will hit the beach. It was a beautiful May day for playing hooky, lunching at Sandcastle, and watching the waves with my favorite beach bum, even if we didn’t get our toes wet.

146/365: nokomis beach, may

art here

One of our favorite things to do each May is visit Art-a-Whirl in our old Northeast Minneapolis neighborhood. This open studio tour is now the largest of its kind in the country and grows every year. The addition of food trucks, new breweries, and live music in recent years make it all the more festive.

There is literally art EVERYWHERE from warehouses full of artist studios to galleries to people laying paintings out on the lawn or selling out of the back of a minivan. Quality and experience levels vary. Considerably. This was one that made us laugh. I wonder how many people accepted the invitation to ‘come upstairs’…

135/365: art here

may day (observed)

Minneapolis has an epic, one-of-a-kind May Day parade that’s hard to put into words. It’s celebratory, political, diverse, beautiful, grungy and just makes me fall in love with my city all over again every time. One picture can’t really convey the extravaganza. I’ll put up an album on my Facebook page with a few other favorites. But for today, it’s the Rainbow Hula Club. Welcome Spring!

122/365: hula hoop club, may day parade

bittersweet (OOT: la crosse no. 3)

Sunday morning. A beautiful sunrise over the bluffs and the bittersweet end to our time away. The sweetness lies in knowing that the best adventure is the life we make together every day. No matter what, it is always good to come home.

101/365: sunrise, la crosse

just to say (OOT: la crosse no. 2)

There is nothing touristy about this photo. It’s not the riverfront or the iconic blue bridge. It’s not the sculpted dragons over the entrance to the public gardens. It’s not any of the cool, vintage neon signs I shot downtown.

It’s just the photo I liked best from my day walking around La Crosse. A simple human expression hidden in plain sight for any passerby to witness and, most likely, relate to in some way (that may or may not be about a cat).

I miss my ____________.

100/365: i miss my cat

out of town: la crosse WI

I forgot to mention that I’d be out of town for a couple days. Brad & I enjoyed our Christmas gift from my parents: a weekend stay in La Crosse, Wisconsin (along with child care AND puppy sitting). Yeah, they’re pretty awesome. Thanks Mom & Dad 🙂

La Crosse is one of many cool towns along the mighty Mississippi and just a few hours drive from Minneapolis. We experienced the town entirely on foot. It felt so good to park the car on Friday and not need it again till we left Sunday morning. Walking around and seeing the sights is my favorite thing. Especially when I’m with my favorite person.

Today’s photo captures two La Crosse icons: the steeple of St. Joseph the Workman Cathedral – visible from anywhere in the city; and the jaunty mascot of the historic Cavalier Theater & Lounge where a young Liberace once took the stage.

99/100: cavalier & cross

weird science

Action-packed family field trip yesterday via the new green line train to St. Paul. We visited the Science Museum of Minnesota, had lunch, and explored our twin city, all in honor of Sawyer’s 11th birthday. From pre-history to the farthest reaches of space and back to Minneapolis, all in one day. What a ride! What a kid!

86/365: science museum

sunny days & drawings

There’s a quote by Nathaniel Hawthorne that I like: “Sunlight is painting”. It’s very true when the landscape is lush and full of color. But when the world is still in a spare, naked state at winter’s end, sunlight is drawing. Beautiful, strong, graphic line drawings everywhere you look.

85/365: chain link shadow