Lately I’ve been reconnecting with my love of reading. And by reconnecting, I mean – finding time.

I’m also discovering that I have a bit of a hoarding problem when it comes to books.  I blame my dad – who has rooms full of books in our childhood home, and stacks of magazines that he tears interesting articles out of.  I’ve picked up the article-tearing habit too, although I’ve yet to figure out what to do with all these torn out sheets.  It’s a bit of a mess.

I still have a few boxes of stuff from when I was a kid at my parents’ place – and at least half are books.  Our little apartment with it’s one lonely tiny bookshelf just couldn’t handle it.  Not to mention the fact that I keep buying more.

With the impending demise of Google Reader, I’ve been forced to organize my digital bookshelf as well (and all those tagged articles that I don’t know what to do with – see above re: magazines).  Since I’ve had Google Reader for almost 5 years now, it’s interesting to go back and see what I tagged as interesting so long ago, and see how my tastes and interests have changed.  It’s kind of why I love bookshelves too – they’re like big catalogs of your interests, passions, and daydreams.  As much progress as I’ve made on this digital culling, however, I have a feeling that I’m not going to get through everything by July 1st.

Such is life, because I’m pretty sure I’m not going to make it back to those magazine clippings either – but that doesn’t mean I’m going to stop reading.

P.S. Are you losing your reader too? Find me on bloglovin’ and feedly!

{graphic by annabelle mintz / image found here}

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Filed in:Happiness

Although our main base in Hawai’i was near Kona, we took a day to drive across the island and visit Hilo – the rainy side of the island.

Rainbow falls are perhaps the most iconic of the falls near Hilo, but it seems like waterfalls are all over the place on this side of the island – there are definitely plenty to discover!

I’m a little short on words today, but I will say this.  Travel, to me, is about two things.  It’s about learning and expanding the way you see the world – that’s been built into my DNA since childhood.  It’s also about making memories and giving your mind a safe & beautiful place to wander back to.  Today, I’m wandering back in my mind to exploring waterfalls and coastal highways and banyan groves.  And I may or may not be making myself a piña colada.

Filed in:Travel
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  • CelestineJune 25, 2013 - 10:09 am

    Sounds like lots of fun! It’s been a while since I actually travelled so I look to see people’s travel journals and see what’s new and good out there in the world outside of Philadelphia. Hope you’re having a blast!ReplyCancel

  • Annabelle MintzJune 27, 2013 - 10:38 am

    Thanks Celestine! Philadelphia is actually a place I’ve never been before (well, outside of the airport!) – hope you are enjoying your summer 🙂ReplyCancel

A few summers ago, on a camping trip, we decided to try out a new variation of the classic s’more.  This one (my past favorite) involved a peanut butter cup – and while I loved the flavor combination, the peanut butter cup was a little too think to get melt-y enough for my taste. Nevertheless, a step in the right direction.

So, the other day while sitting at my desk (obviously, working very hard), I solved the “perfect s’more” problem once and for all.

Enter Nutella.

It’s got that chocolate/nutty flavor which started me down the peanut butter cup road, but it’s also got melt-y perfection.  I mean, you do have to pull out a knife to spread the Nutella, which is one more (small, but worth it) step, and maybe it’s a little more messy.  But isn’t that kind of the point of s’mores?  If you’ve already got melted marshmallow all over your face, what’s the big deal with having Nutella on your fingers?

These s’mores literally changed my life. And I am never going back.

So, in the name of all that is chocolate and holy, do yourself a favor and get thee to a campfire where you can make these s’mores. The sooner, the better!

(Also – I’m participating in a little round-up of awesome campsites today – check it out here!)

Images and graphic by Annabelle Mintz

Filed in:Food

1. Every good camping trip needs a good read – we’re headed on a long adventure in a few weeks and I’ve been saving this one to dig into while I’m sitting by the lake.

2. Ah, the bug spray.  One of the camping trip’s necessary evils – but I’m pretty excited that I’ve found an alternative that’s not full of nasty chemicals.

3. My camping uniform is jeans/shorts + tee, because, let’s be honest – when you’re camping, it’s all about comfort and not so much about fashion. But of course, that doesn’t have to be boring! And if you know me, you know I can’t get enough stripes, so this one fits the bill quite nicely.

4. When you’re out in the mountains, cozy layers like this one are also an essential part of the uniform – for those s’mores cooking sessions in front of the campfire.

5. And because my hair always ends up in a ponytail or a bun, something that still feels pretty to tie it all up!

Filed in:Style | Travel
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One of my favorite things about camping is seeing starry skies free of city lights.  When we were camping a few weekends ago at Eleven Mile Canyon, my friend and I decided to test out the long exposure skills of my camera and take some star pictures.  I had never tried capturing starry skies before, so it was a fun project and I’m fairly pleased with how they turned out.

The photo above, believe it or not, is of the moonrise. This was a little more tricky to capture than we were anticipating (and much harder than stars to find the right exposure) so if anyone has any moon photography tips, I’d love to hear them!

Now I’m actually looking forward to learning a little more about night photography, and experimenting on future camping trips this summer.

Is there anything you’ve set out to learn more about this summer?

All images by Annabelle Mintz

Filed in:Inspiration | Travel
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