Seattle Design Festival

Inflatables, kaleidoscopes, and a giant ice cube - oh my! 

These were only a few of the dozens of installations that took over the usually empty streetscape of Occidental Park in Pioneer Square this weekend. For this year's event, each piece built for the Block Party address the theme of "design change." Some demonstrate a physical change -the melting of a 10-ton ice cube over the duration of the festival- while others are a more social change -which invites the people of Seattle to weigh in their opinions on the rapid development of the city over the past couple of years. One of the great things about being a designer in the pacific northwest is that community involvement is a driving force that really allows for people, the ones who live in a world that is designed, to have feedback on it all. Any locals should check out the schedule of activities, performances, and conferences that are going on for the next couple of weeks and drop on in! 

Iceland - Blue Lagoon

While doing research for what I would like to do with my time in Iceland, the first priority on my list was to go to a geothermal spa. Specifically, one of the 25 wonders of the world; The Blue Lagoon. Located south of the city and east of the airport, this attraction is known for their naturally heated and self-cleaning water and is believed to have healing powers...

Iceland - Golden Circle

Having grown up in the Pacific Northwest surrounded by mountains, lakes, and waterfalls, I'm fairly familiar with nature. So on my first full day in Iceland, I decided to hop on a bus to take a nature tour in a land that was completely new and different to me and went to several locations on the "Golden Circle" route of the Þingvellir National Park. 

Iceland - Reykjavik

On my way back to the U.S. from my stay in England, I decided to make a pit stop in Iceland. What do you mean its the thing to do or it's so pretty on social media because that's totally not why I went for three days - it totally is - and honestly, I was a bit underwhelmed with my time there. That's not to say I didn't enjoy my trip there because I definitely did! Although from my experience I do know what I would do differently next time around.   

London - Day 10

With only one day left to experience England, no one should be shocked when I tell you that I filled our only unplanned day with architecture.

London - Day 9

For my last weekend in England, I had the pleasure of spending the entire time in London - a city that's now captured my heart. Having had my dslr out and about for the entire trip, I decided to take this day and only use a 35mm film camera. Something about them has already made this trip feel so nostalgic...

Leeds Castle - Day 8

Can you believe that until this point in my life I had never seen a castle before? Are there even castles in America? (Google has, in fact, provided the information that yes there are some and all but a few were built within the last 100 years when there was absolutely no need to build castles considering the advancements in the construction industry. This, however, didn't stop a team of historians from building another in 1997.)