Nicole Haley | Michigan Wedding Photographer | Blog » The Little Things

The Little Things: Slowing Down, Soaking It All In

admin — Thu, 03 Nov 2011 00:27:09 +0000

Over the weekend, Eric and I headed to my favorite place on the planet to spend a weekend relaxing with friends, collecting apples, visiting wineries, taking walks and soaking in all of the colors. Over the years, this fall trip to the Leelanau Peninsula has turned into a bit of a rite of passage for me as the coming year approaches. It marks the final stretch of a busy year and the beginning of new list of possibilities and ideas.

The year has been a great one and somehow, without warning, it is November. I can barely remember how long summers used to feel as a kid when my days were spent hiding under trees and racing my bike up and down our street. So I remind myself to slow down. Relax with friends. Collect apples. Take walks. Drink wine. Soak it all in.

After more than eight years of using only digital cameras, I’ve started shooting film again lately. I already love how it has helped me to slow down again. To take a moment to soak in what it is I am trying to capture before I capture it. To be more deliberate.

The photographs above from the Bay View Trail in Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore are all digital but the rest of my photographs from the weekend in Leelanau are film and I look forward to sharing some favorites soon. In the meantime, cheers to you and the things in your life that are worth slowing down for.

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Vermont Hiking Fun: Appalachian Trail

admin — Fri, 12 Aug 2011 12:00:43 +0000

As I climbed to one of the many mountain peaks we passed in our fifty mile hike along the Appalachian Trail in Vermont, I stopped to take note. Truthfully, I stopped because I thought my heart might just beat right out of my chest and roll back down the mountain. But, in stopping, I took note of just how hard my heart was beating and began to wonder when it had last beaten that way. Because when your heartbeat takes over your whole body and you can feel it without even trying — that’s when you feel really alive.

My very favorite type of ground to hike on – pine needle carpeting.

On our last night out, we climbed to the top of Killington and watched the sun set. It was a beautifully clear night and it was the perfect way to spend my last evening in mountains of Vermont. How about you – what makes your heart beat remind you how alive you are?

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My Happy Place (Gone Hiking)

admin — Fri, 29 Jul 2011 16:22:33 +0000

It was the twelfth state line we crossed during our hike along the Appalachian Trail. So we stopped and celebrated for a few moments. And then we hiked for a dozen days through a most memorable state filled with gorgeous hemlocks, alpine air, glass-like ponds, charming people and… Ben & Jerry’s. This weekend, I’ll be roadtripping to Vermont to pay a visit to one of my happy places – the Appalachian Trail. My hope is that there will be some time and space in the coming week to clear the mind and breathe lots of fresh air. Maybe even to think about bumble bees.

I’ll return on August 8 and, until then, I hope you get to visit – or at least daydream – about your happy place. Cheers,

nicole

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The Little Things: Rhododendron

admin — Tue, 17 May 2011 10:40:37 +0000

When I started hiking the Appalachian Trail in March of 2007, I had no idea the role rhododendron would come to play in my life. For the next handful of months, their tunnels would provide welcome refuge from the hot sun and their bright pink flowers would provide a little break from the typical solid green scenes that surrounded me. In Virginia, I used a fallen rhododendron leaf as a makeshift spigot to give a weak spring some extra oomph into my water bottle. I used yet other fallen leaves to create the number 400 on the ground in celebration when I reached that many miles. I loved camping near areas rich with rhododendron because it usually guaranteed soft ground and quiet sleep. I soon found comfort at the mere sight of a rhododendron whether or not it was in bloom. I actually never even thought they were that beautiful or anything … at least not in the obvious way of my favorite flower, the peony. But they were useful, plentiful, restful. They were a little comfort when I felt so far from home. A little playful when I needed entertainment. And a little reminder of how it’s the small things that make all the difference…

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The Little Things: The Unexpected

admin — Wed, 16 Mar 2011 09:59:00 +0000

We wanted dessert. A little something sweet to follow up the savory sushi lunch we’d just eaten at a restaurant we stumbled into walking down King Street in Alexandria, VA. So we stepped into Le Pain Quotidien. And it was there I realized another little thing in life that makes me happy. Actually, that’s where this all started but I didn’t really figure out exactly what that little thing was until I sat down to write this here blog post.

After we ordered our delights, Eric and I sat at our rustic unfinished wood table and looked around. We were surrounded. Surrounded by things that seemed ordinary but, upon closer inspection, were so much more special. More unexpected. The regular old glass jar where you would expect to see regular old white sugar was filled instead with large raw sugar crystals. The long, rectangular table to the side of us was communal – large enough to fit at least a dozen friends. I sat there just loving the atmosphere thinking about how this neat little bakery must be one of my “little things.” I loved the muted colors on the walls and the glass blocks that made up the wall near the kitchen, the low lighting, the textures of the rough wooden table. Oh, and the tea was brilliant. And it was served to us in an unprecedented amount of cups and pots. Then I noticed hunks of bread everywhere. Real life bread as decoration in the center of the table – right there with the grey sea salt, fresh black pepper balls, and the honey. So I snapped a photograph because I thought that summarized it all. You know, heaven in a bakery.

And now I realize. I am in love with the unexpected simplicities in life. Little spots in life where, instead of giving you the standard you’re used to, the world decides to go a little above and beyond. So now I know it wasn’t just that specific bakery itself that made me happy (though I swear, I must go back!), but the way they surprised me. Subtly, delicately. Unexpectedly.

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The Little Things – Blankets

admin — Mon, 17 Jan 2011 17:31:34 +0000

I won’t lie. I’m currently procrastinating. See, my Christmas tree is still up and our stockings are still hung by the chimney with care. Taking down the tree and the rest of the holiday decor always makes me a little sad (Does that happen to anyone else?). So I often leave it up well past the point in the new year that is probably acceptable. But, today’s the day. It’s gotta come down. Before I do that, though, I wanted to focus on something else that gives me the warm fuzzies. Enter blankets.

There are a few material items in life I have a really hard time passing up. Boxes, tea, blankets, hiking gear…and maybe a couple of others. But there’s something especially wonderful about coming indoors from the cold this time of year and wrapping up in a soft, warm blanket. It can change the whole day around. So, as I get ready to move on, I feel a bit better knowing I have this little collection and that, tonight, even though I won’t have the lights of our tree to look at, I’ll still be pretty darn cozy.

I hope the beginning of your new year is off to a great start!

Oh, by the way, I’m still wondering what kind of fun and exciting thing I should do when the Facebook page hits 200 likes. If you have any suggestions, feel free to leave them here in the comment section or over there.

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The Little Things – Trips Instead of Gifts

admin — Wed, 15 Dec 2010 12:23:50 +0000

Another one of my favorite things about this time of year is the little trip Eric and I plan in mid-December. See, December is a big month for us. It brings Christmas AND our wedding anniversary (And our dating anniversary, which is something you acquire when you date for approximately a decade). So, instead of getting each other Christmas and anniversary gifts, very early into our relationship we decided it was much more fun to go somewhere together and see something rather than to gift a sweater or a gadget. In the beginning, we landed in places like Chicago, Toronto, and Frankenmuth. And those were fun. But about eight years ago, we landed in northern Michigan and we’ve been going back ever since. Some years we ski, some years we hike, and some years we visit the wineries on the Leelanau Peninsula. But every year, it’s just plain relaxing and we love it. And I love our tradition. It’s two or three days in the middle of a busy season to hide out and just enjoy.

Last weekend, Eric and I headed up to the peninsula for our annual trip. It was a quick one but we managed to fit in visits to three of our favorite wineries: Longview, Chateau Fontaine, and Forty-Five North. We sipped wine, cooked dinner, and perused the papers for a home in Leelanau we were sure we could afford with the winning $88 million lottery ticket sitting in the car. We also managed to get stuck on the side of the road in the winter storm that just hit but we’ll save that story for another day.

I hope your season is full of things that make your heart happy and experiences that are as good as gifts.

P.S. We did not win the lottery.

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Just a Tree…

admin — Tue, 12 Oct 2010 00:58:06 +0000

Tonight, I just wanted to share a photograph of a tree. I saw this tree walking back to my car after a session this evening and it truly was the highlight of my day. Cheers, friends.

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The Little Things – Wine & Apples

admin — Mon, 27 Sep 2010 22:11:30 +0000

Just about every fall, Eric and I head to the Leelanau Peninsula for a weekend of relaxation and fun. We usually spend a good bit of time on the Leelanau Wine Trail sampling some great wine and visiting Christmas Cove Farm for lots of rare apples. Sometimes we hike, sometimes we just sort of wander but we always return feeling refreshed. Well, we just returned from this year’s trip last night and it took us a little longer than usual to unpack the car because…umm…we got a little carried away. See, I sort of love wine. And I’m finding more and more that I sort of love the various rare apples we find up there. I always thought an apple was just an apple until we found Christmas Cove Farm a few years ago and learned about the antique apples they grow which have become more and more rare over the years. If you’re ever in the area, you must go!

This trip is something in my life I’ve come to look forward to every fall and is slowly becoming a necessary tradition as the colors change. Beyond that, we come home with souvenirs we can share with friends for the rest of the year. These are the little things that make fall feel magical to me. I’d love to know what little things do it for you in the fall. What’s your favorite apple? Favorite Michigan wine?

In the meantime, let me tell you a little about these. On the top left, you’ll see Strawberry apples. They seriously do taste like strawberries, it’s amazing! On the top right are Bread and Cheese apples which are delicious with…bread and cheese. On the bottom left are Lady apples. They are tiny and crisp. And on the right are my favorites – Macoun apples. They are crisp, sweet and pure white on the inside. Mmm.

And the wine! Sadly, Longview Winery, our favorite winery on the Leelanau Peninsula, didn’t have any Rustic Red this year so we came home with all whites but they are all delicious nonetheless! We loved the Pinot Gris from Willow Vineyard, the Rustic White and Chardonnay from Longview Winery, Gewurztraminer from Chateau Fontaine (Eric’s favorite), the Improvisation from Circa Winery, and, even though it’s not like me love a fruit wine or a sparkling wine, I had to get a bottle of sparkling cherry wine from Forty-Five North to pay homage to cherry country! Come share a glass, we’ll toast to the little things!

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The Little Things – Campfires

admin — Fri, 03 Sep 2010 00:19:40 +0000

As the summer winds down and the leaves start to turn all sorts of vibrant warm colors, I find myself dwelling on all of the little things I love about this season. One of the things I love the very most is a good campfire. The smoky smell of the leaves burning as it gets started and the lingering smells of piping hot wood. The bright and mesmerizing flames and the occasional misguided spark. The way those flames reflect off of nearby surfaces and seem to make all of the surrounding trees glow. The calmness a good fire provides. The warmth. The laughter. The starry night skies that so often go unnoticed. Even the smell of my clothing the next morning.

Last weekend, I visited Pennsylvania with my good friend Storm and we had our last campfire before the official end of summer. I hope you’ve found time for a good campfire this summer…or anything else that warms your soul just as much. Cheers, friends.

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