Jenny's Top Hits - Hiking Edition

This is my friend Jenny. Last night she took me on one of her favorite hikes. Even though I had been there before, it was still incredible to see such lush landscapes in the middle of the desert. 

There were these awesome signs towards the beginning of the trail. The arrows pointed in the direction of certain cities. Was kinda fun!

Finally we got to the dam. It's a pretty easy hike to get here and worthwhile too! It's one of the only green places in the desert. With the sound of rushing water we felt like we were transported to a tropical island! Haha!

Jenny told me that sometimes she brings a picnic and has lunch at this spot. It's surrounded by water and you have to leap across a few rocks to get here. 

After posing for a few pics we headed back to the car. The total hike only took us 45 mins but well worth it. You should check it out next time you're in Prescott. The trail is pretty easy so just about anyone can get to these "secret" spots! 

Morning Hike

Typically Dooley wakes me up with whining and a swift head butt, but for some weird reason he didn't stir yesterday morning. Because of this I nearly missed my spin class, but was able to get there just after it started. 

After getting my butt kicked, Anne-Marie came to pick me up for our hike. It was the first time either of us had taken this trail, so we weren't sure what to expect. It was actually one of the better trails either of us had been on. The total trail is 6.8 miles, with the first 3.4 miles uphill. At least it made for a nice return trip! 

No hike is complete without a selfie. 

We had spectacular views like this the whole time. It was pretty cool seeing a completely different part of Prescott and it was nice getting outside to enjoy the beautiful weather we have been having. 

A Night Fit for Fundraising

A and I rarely get the chance to get dressed up here in Prescott, so when the opportunity arises we jump at the chance! This time it was a fundraising event a friend of ours was hosting for her teen center. A fun filled evening with booze, food, and a fashion show...how could you not want to go!?

We walked in and greeted a few people we knew and went straight for the bar!

Luckily for our friend, there were so many people they ran out of seating! 

While we were waiting for the fashion show to begin I decided to get some henna done! I sat down and introduced myself to Amber, the henna artist (who also happens to be a local yogi).

First she needed to clean my finger to help the henna stay

I've always loved the look of henna on hands, so I chose a beautiful finger design and she went to work.

It was so interesting watching her freehand the design. Amber learned how to henna by spending time with her dad in Venice Beach! 

Here's the finished design. I was very happy with how it turned out. :)

Once my henna was complete I met back up with Andrew and grabbed some of the yummy food.

Luckily it was just in time to see the beginning of the fashion show. It was fun to see the local clothing stores getting involved in this fundraiser. 

I'm so glad that A and I were able to get out of the house and join in the fun! We even won one of the silent auctions - a yoga pass to the local hot yoga! I'm super excited about it because I was planning on getting back to yoga this summer, so win-win!

Haha! I had asked A to take a picture of me and my new henna and this is the best he shot! Yes, he does have a degree in photography, but people (and iPhones) aren't really his thing!

We Are So LA - Apparently

A and I love supporting our school's art gallery. Seeing as we both went through art programs here, we try to make it a point to get to as many gallery openings as we can. Luckily we happened to be in town for this one. As we pulled into the parking lot my old roomie from LA called to see what I was up to. I told her we were heading into the gallery opening and she thought that was "very LA of us"! I couldn't help but laugh because I don't think I ever went to a gallery opening the entire time I lived in LA.

This is the first piece of the collection that caught my eye. This opening is actually for two separate artists - one who works with wood and metal (Carlton Bradford), the other with chalk (Brian Benfer). 

A repurposed violin case...

This artist had installation pieces. Apparently he came into the gallery a week prior and painted and chalked the walls. It's literally chalk paint with chalk etched over top. 

It's an interesting concept that grows on you the more you look at it.

Or maybe it's the punch/wine!

These pieces were pretty interesting. The one in the foreground is huge and the artist only completed it a couple months prior to the opening.

A and Helga being silly!

These two images show the installation pieces in all their glory. It was actually really cool that something so simple can have such a dramatic effect. 

I guess the next time we're living in LA we will make it a point to actually go to some gallery openings! But until then we will have to stick to our small town gatherings!

Watson Lake Hike

A friend and I went on a hike this morning around Watson Lake. We started bright and early so we could hike around the whole lake before she had to take her daughter to church. 

We started our loop with smiles and went on our way. 

We had to stop and take some photos of this incredible looking tree! 

Here it is again overlooking the lake. 

Silly hiking selfie. 

The weather here has been so amazing (well except for yesterday) and all the cacti have been sprouting flowers! Our hike was riddled with these beautiful plants. 

Climbing up out of the riparian zone. 

Beautiful view of the dells. 

This really was a beautiful hike! Near this section of the trail there's a few houses. What I wouldn't give to have this beautiful scenery out my front door!

Before our loop met up with the Peavine trail there was some seriously gorgeous panoramas! 

Another shameless selfie! 

When Andrew and I first moved to Arizona I never thought I would like it. I wasn't outdoorsy or active and there's not much else to do here if you aren't interested in those things. I figure all of the desert was the same - boring landscapes and too hot to handle. Prescott has really changed my mind about Arizona and being outdoorsy. I still can't get over the beautiful vistas I see everyday. The more I get outdoors the more I fall in love with our new home. 

Earth Day - Lake Clean Up

In honor of Earth Day, and for a class assignment, the boy I tutor decided to spend his time today cleaning up trash from one of the local lakes. 

Look at those beautiful granite dells! Love them.

Glad I changed into my jeans - the wind picked up and got a little chilly.

He did such a good job filling up his bag. 

Spotted these lovely daisies and desperately wanted to make a daisy chain!