The State of Granite

Pressed flowers. The challenge of the day was to find a picture of something that made me happy, and these natural gems are it. I am lucky. I live on a beautiful campus where rose bushes bloom until November and we still have fall foliage in to the New Year. I still miss New Hampshire, but I have grown to love my adopted state of Arkansas and its natural beauty. As a result, I am constantly collecting flowers. Placing them in note pages for a more exhausted version of myself to find later semester. They delight me in the winter months, when brown is the prevailing hue. They are simple and perfect, providing just the right amount of surprise to a midday homework assignment. 

I realize that if you are not familiar with the deep rocky coastline of New England, you many not understand the meaning behind my blog name. You see, I grew up in New Hampshire—The Granite State. I was born in tiny town where everyone knew my name and I could walk to my school, the library and the general store. I spent most of my summers barefoot and exploring the 97 acres behind my house, picking up tiny salamanders and wading into the marsh. I love New Hampshire. Someday I want to move back and have a big farm house, with chickens and kids running around the back yard. Currently, I live in Arkansas as I finish up my undergrad degree but I'm hoping to move back home come May. That's why I named this blog The State of Granite. Moving back to my home state has been on my heart and I find myself constantly drawing upon my upbringing to inspire my daily life and make decisions about my future. Just as I was in my childhood, I love the simple. I take study breaks in the trees, I find peace on weekend walks in the woods, I pray while laying in the grass and still LOVE curling up by the wood stove. This blog encapsulates this and keeps me thinking about these goals and moving toward where I want to be and who I desire to become. 

15 Interesting Facts About Me

My favorite flowers (at the moment) are paper whites—the pretty white bulbs that bloom in January.

I spend most of my time barefoot.

I probably make an average of 10 different lists a day, I love staying organized.

My favorite place in the entire world is Acadia National Park.

I have listen to every This American Life episode, ever.

I am from a small colonial village in southern New Hampshire.

I moved across the country at age 18, to a state where I knew NO ONE.

I own a very angry, but mostly sweet, Chihuahua. 

My favorite scent is that of freshly cut hay.

Ultimate frisbee is my favorite sport.

I LOVE running.

I loose water bottles at an alarming rate.

I compost.

I sleep with literally 5 blankets on my bed. I like to be cozy. 

I believe that a night in, with a good book and a wood stove, can solve just about anything. 

Hey Everyone!

I hope you enjoyed your weekend! I know I did! Arkansas had some B-E-A-U-T-I-F-U-L  weather and I was loving every minute of it (I even got to hike 3 times which is crazy for this crazy time of year). With the semester starting, I have been falling behind on my blogging (I have a trip to Louisiana planned for next weekend and catching up on my homework has been a bit insane). I also want to take a minute to let you all know a little bit more about me to! That "about" page just isn't enough. Soo...I am going to take a Blogging Challenge. I'll be posting on the 14 subjects below over the next 2 weeks, stay tuned!

Day 1: Introduce, recent picture of yourself, 15 interesting facts

Day 2: Meaning behind your blog name

There are tons of toxins in the air—they come from our cleaning products, machines and the outputs of those around us. As many of you know, air purifiers are expensive and can often costs hundreds of dollars. That said, there are alternative solutions. Houseplants are very affordable and can be picked up at your local Lowes or HomeDepot. They remove toxins from the air and can make your house look warm and inviting, even in these dark days of winter. Here are some of my favorite houseplants, they are cheap and effective at making your house more safe and breathable. 

Hey everyone! I hope that ya’ll are having a great week! All this work has me thinking about more care-free days and I realized that I forgot to post the pictures from the little Texas road trip that I took last week. On my way back to school, I took a little detour and flew into Austin to meet my boyfriend and we made our way back to Arkansas. On the way we took a few stops—trying to find the best in some familiar Texas towns. By far, the best gem we found was The Magnolia Market at the Silos! Made by Joanna and Chip Gaines (the creative geniuses behind HGTV’s show Fixer Upper, which I am obsessed with) this store is in the heart of Waco and serves as the perfect stop on a long road trip. There are tons of local food trucks, a garden, a big lawn and, of course, The Magnolia Market. There were tons of homewares and beautiful jewelry pieces in the store but I walked away with an adorable goat t-shirt :) My boyfriend was great about poking around and the place had a great atmosphere! Take a look for yourself!

Hey everyone! With a fresh coat of snow out on the ground, I am enjoying some time indoors and relishing my last full day of winter break :/ It’s been a great month but I’m ready to get back in the classroom and have a regular schedule again (boring, I know). With this dry January air, it is always a struggle for me to keep my hair shiny and the ends healthy (I had to lob off a few inches during break). So this year, I switched to Avalon Organics Thickening Shampoo and it has made all of the difference! My hair is healthy, full and soft! (Even after weeks of blowdrying and curling). I love this shampoo and conditioner! As a fan of simple beauty routines, I love being able to simply wash it and go (it also does an excellent job of keeping oil at bay). If you’re interested, try it here!

Ah, winter break is over and it is back to the grind of early morning classes and little time for healthy meals. This is always a struggle for me, I want to eat healthy but on a college budget (and a college schedule) this is not always possible. That’s why I love this recipe! It super simple, cheap and can be done in no time at all. Chia seeds are a great source of calcium and Omega-3s, making them an excellent food to start your day with. I love to make this recipe on a Sunday night and have enough to get me through breakfast on Wednesday, it makes me feel great and saves time during those early mornings!

-   2 Cups of Almond Milk (I use the organic unsweetened version from Kroger)

Mix all ingredients together in a mason jar and refrigerate over night. In the morning you can add nuts, berries or anything you think might taste yummy. Enjoy!

After the rain yesterday, the air changed and a strong wind blew all night. The screens fell off of the windows and the lamppost fell to the ground. I decided to escape the gusts and stay inside for the morning, enjoying the sunshine from the warm windowsill…happy Monday!

As El Nino has given us some crazy weather this year, it is now almost mid January and we only have one layer of snow on the ground. Today the thermostat reached almost 50 degrees and hard rain fell all day. With the warm air meeting the cold snow, a blanket of fog covered New Hampshire and I snuck into the graveyard next-door to catch a glimpse of the beauty. I hope that everyone is enjoying a peaceful Sunday and is able to catch their breath for the week ahead…

Summer has met its end and fall has crept upon us. We have lost the pumpkins to the first hard frosts and the trees appear naked, stripped of their vibrant leaves. As granite state enthusiasts, this is always a bittersweet time. Gone are the days of “rocktober” but powder-filled mornings loom ahead. The days are short, really short. Some of us get to work before the sun and leave long after it has turned in for the night. In this season, Saturday morning reigns king. If you can move yourself to get out of bed and spark up the wood stove, the hiking trails are open and the leaf peepers have gone for the year. That said, sometimes that motivation escapes us. The bed is warm and the air is not. The breathtaking burnt autumn views escape us at the summits, which are often clouded in with a bone-chilling rain. It can be hard to want to venture from our warm homes for these less than spectacular pursuits and this can lead to a lull in the appreciation of our home summits. However, there is one gem that this season provides us. The 7:15 sunrise. In the summer, many of us find our way to the top of a 4000 footer at the break of dawn. Often we are accompanied by an all too enthusiastic friend wanting to get there hours before day break —these ventures require waking up entirely too early to reach these 5am sights. Yet, when the days grow short, these early mornings become far more attainable. You can easily wake at 6 to leisurely make your way to a nice rocky outcropping, just in time to see the first rays of the day. Heck, you can even have a few beers the night before and still make it to the summit! If you don't believe me, give it a try. When the days are this short, there is nothing more therapeutic than to see the the entire length of the day. To watch as the sun peaks over the rounded summits and warms you cheeks, illuminating the blue hills in the process. Though the wind may be whipping and the sky is free of snow, these moments are precious in their own right. They teach us to appreciate what we have in the moment and are intended to excite us about the winter season to come. 

Last year we were rich with the stuff—snow banks piled high into the sky, relentless nor’easter after nor’easter making their way up the New England coast. Even Portsmouth ended up filling an island with mounds of pure white snow. But this year, nothing. You can see the dusting on top of the mountains but here in the low country, my shovel remains hung in the garage. We haven't seen as much as dusting in December. And today, a day that is supposed to be white and glittering, warm rain falls from the sky. The christmas tree just doesn't look the same without its white backdrop.

Who knows what is to blame for it. Global warming? El Nino? A curse from our southerly neighbors? Regardless, the skiers are holding out hope. In this season of uncertainty (where it’s too cold to rock climb but too warm to snowshoe) New Hampshirites tend to grin and bare it. As for me, I may have my newly tuned skies sitting patiently on the deck but I am still finding ways to head outside. The old hardwoods hold a certain beauty in this type of weather. As the fog clings to the hemlocks and the rain falls quietly on the leaves, it’s a nice time to reflect on all we have to be grateful for. Many of us forget that we have beautiful hiking trails, tucked away on town conservation land, right in our own backyards. Living here, it can feel that the Whites and Mt. Monadnock provide the only “true” outdoor pursuits but we must remember that those peaks are far from our only options. There is something very special about sneaking outside after work and walking through the forest as the early sunset falls—enjoying the last bit of light before a long evening. When it seems that snow is scare and sun rays are even more rare, a good walk through a familiar meadow or trail can provide much relief and cause us to pause our busy schedule. So I propose a new Christmas Eve tradition, get outside and enjoy a local trail. It will only take an hour but I can guarantee that it is time well spent—well, at least until the snow flies.