hawaii.

it's not often that my family and i get the chance to sneak away to a tropical paradise and soak up some sunshine. that fact was best represented by our pasty white skin and our let's-fit-in-as-much-as-we-possibly-can mentality. and sure enough, we found ourselves quite satisfied when we boarded our flight back to the mainland. some people relax on the beach sipping mai-tais all the day long. but us shipleys tend to pack in much more activity than most. during our eight day trip to oahu, we drove around aimlessly far too much. snorkeled twice. road horses. surfed waikiki. watched waves at waimea bay and pipeline. visited pearl harbor and the uss arizona memorial. ate hula pie. got snowcones in haleiwa. and survived the tsunami scare. no big deal. so needless to say, we had a wonderful time and very much enjoyed our time together. hopefully it won't be another five years before we embark on an other family adventure...

[above: the reds...left to right. the barn at kuaola ranch. snow cones at island snow in kailua. the garden at the house we stayed at. catamaran cruise in waikiki. the syrup bottles at island snow. missile at pearl harbor. cool vw bus at dannah's house. sign at pipe. the barn at kuaola ranch.]

[bird of paradise, kailua]

[sister and me beaching it up]

[my mom and dad at kailua beach. later this year they will have been married for 30 years, so we went to hawaii early to celebrate]

[horseback riding at kuaola ranch]

[palm]

pearl harbor a-la-iphone. the uss arizona memorial. left to right: 1) entrance to the uss arizona memorial. 2) flags in the first room. 3) names of the fallen crew members. 4) gun turret. 5) oil still leaks from the hull. 6) another part of the wreck. 7) the brilliant architecture of the memorial's center room. 8) view of the memorial from pearl harbor. 8) view of the uss missouri from the arizona memorial]

a little lake.

i quite like the seasons. perhaps it's because i grew up in the mountains where each one is dramatically different. i like change. especially of the autumn persuasion. it gives me an excuse to drink some apple cider, wear a cardigan, eat soup and sneak away to the home-land for some true autumn-lovin'.

so that is what i did. i went home last week. it is simply splendid to spend some much need time with my fam. i dragged my parents on a lil' chase-the-sun hike one night in search of some fall colors. we failed at the original mission but came across this instead. totally worth it i do declare. and all these photos were taken within a twenty minute window of time mind you. i loved how the lake worked with me and gave me lots of variety so quickly. ripples. perfect stillness. shadows. and reflections. oh little lake how i love you.

errands.

today i went for a lil stroll down to victoria court to run some errands. it is just a few blocks from my house, so the brisk morning walk was quite lovely. and strangely enough i found myself entertained and amused along the way. ha. now, if you were with me you probably would not have found yourself particularly amused by the outing because what i noticed was seemingly boring and insignificant. i guess it was the post-observation thoughts and musings that brought a smile to my face and a hop to my step.

wigs. now, i suppose there are people in this world who need a wig for medical reasons or something. and i get that. i think locks of love is an awesome ministry. but really, how could wigs by alice survive in santa barbara? it makes me laugh every time i walk by the shop, yet i do admit i have been tempted to pop in a time or two.

as i passed by a bank on the left, i noticed a business man in distress about something that had soiled his suit. he was ferociously whipping his lapel to rid it of the evidence of an apparent dining mishap. sad day. i felt for the guy. i hate it when i soil my linens. the worst i tell you.

whist i was at the post office, i found myself surround by elderly women aplenty. i love grandmothers. they are hilarious. and i was pleasantly surprised that we all ventured out to the post office at the same time. one woman paced back and forth outside, peering in the open doorway as if she were unsure if it was the post office or not. finally, a man in burmuda shorts and a hawaiian shirt (no, i am not kidding), asked her if she was lost. she was indeed. "i am looking for the toilet," she explained. and then scurried off in a westward direction. i chuckled. then, the women behind me was all to close for comfort. indeed, my personal space was being violated, but i laughed and decided she was anxious to buy her stamps. too boot, when i first arrived, another women wanted to ensure that her package would arrive by the 18th but was not willing to pay the extra to deliver it express. so typical. and warranted. i didn't want to pay the extra ten bucks either when never seems to make a difference. it always takes days to reach the rural mountain-land i call home. all that happened in the ten minutes i was in line. haha.

i went to vons to get the not so healthy components of my diet. ice cream. and cereal. i have been on this whole granola and yogurt thing for a while. but i could not resist buying oh's when they were quite visibly on sale just for me. i even thought for a moment i would splurge and buy lucky charms. but i resisted the temptation. instead, i bought a far healthier cereal made from pure sugar. no big deal. i even bought some chapstick. yup. and some light bulbs because my room light when out last week and i finally remembered to get them. productive morning i know!

as i cruised up the sidewalk along chapala. i found myself trailing a trio of high schoolers. apparently black tights and pink is all the rage. i missed the memo. they were chatting it up and walking all too slowly for my pace, so i crossed the walk and blazed up the other side. only to notice a piece of blackened gum on the sidewalk in the shape of africa. strange. just the other day, there was a small pool of water in my sink that all to closely resembled africa. prophetic? perhaps... Jesus, are you telling me something?

all and all, quite an interesting (and perhaps prophetic) 20 minute outing to be sure. oh what a joy life is. ready for my deep and insightful reflection? i sure am. you see, life is like a box of...haha.

but really, how often do we go through life unaware of the small things? or neglect to reflect on the simplicities of life? how often to we allow for the unseen to remain in darkness? or the voiceless to remain without voice? do we allow time enough in our busy schedules to let our minds to wander, our feet to skip, our eyes to notices, our hands to feel? do we stop and sit on that park bench and listen to the birds even for but a moment? do we enjoy the process? the in-between? the present? or are we constantly trying to reach the end? get through the day? and on to the next?

let us remember, "this is our now. this is life that we have chosen?" - dr. greg spencer. let us be present. and aware. and let us notice that which goes unnoticed.

green.

wednesday, february 18th was a day of green for me. and some brown too. in other words, i spent the afternoon frolicking through the foliage and muddied landscape of the butterfly refuge. it is my new favorite place. the butterflies fly. a mass exodus of sorts. and then perch themselves high above the soil clinging softly to the branches of eucalyptus. tis a fascinating process. i very much enjoy the butterfly. so cute. so delicate. so incredibly, well, incredible. so i watched them flutter about their merry way and of course snapped a few shutters of the butters. love em.

then, i wandered about the refuge. through the groves. across the meadow. down the cliffs. my eyes wide. my voice quieted. my ears in-tune. my camera in hand. i wandered and i noticed. have you ever just stopped and tripped out looking at and thinking about the simple intricacies of a flower? or per chance, marveled at how the soil texturizes when it dries or wets? have you ever watched a lil bur-dah (said like bambi, anyone?) frolic about the fields of grass? do it. it is mind blowing. and relaxing, i tell you. i felt much like a small boy again. you know, tapping into that knack for adventure and discovery. for exploration. mmm. and then you pair that with a creative spirit and you are bound to come up with something cool. worked for me anyway. ;)

now, i would love to show you all of my photographic musings from my afternoon with the butterflies and fields o' grass. but, i can't. sorry. you see, these photos are part of a fine art collection purposed for the new luxury units at the montecito inn. i can't very well spoil your dinner, now can i? so you will have to wait. and come see them for yourselves at the grand opening in march (details to come soon). and of course, i will give you a insider look here on da blog soon thereafter.

also, i will have something else oh so green to show you soon. very soon. i know. i am kind of annoying with all the mystery these days. deal with it. ha. as they say, it is worth the wait. fret not.

'mobiling.

few things compare to first tracks in fresh powder. whether it be made with a snowboard, ski, snowmobile or sled, one can't help but experience that divine feeling of elation. you simply float atop the powder of white and there is no where else in the world you would rather be. and you get that feeling of achievement that comes with having been the first and the one and only person to get that patch of pristine pow' all to yourself. it is simply one of life's greatest pleasures. mmm-hmm.

and lucky for me, i got to experience first tracks yesterday on my 'mobile. ah, it was awesome. the fam and i headed out to our favorite spot to play in the Christmas snow. we played for hours and i just had to bring the cam along knowing that the conditions were perfect for 'mobiling shots...blue skies, fresh-dry powder, and great backlighting. we found a wide open meadow, and i pulled out the cam and post-holed it out into the freshies. i wanted the shot so i told my dad to get as close as he could without, um, killing me. well, let's just say he got quite close and did not hit me. and i got the shot. love it when that happens. check 'em out...

white christmas.

i dreamt of a white christmas. and what do you know, i got one. yes please. there is something so sweet about a snowy christmas. it is the best. to wake up in the morning and see a blanket of white. it definitely elicits feelings of holiday joy and cheer. add in some cinnimon rolls and orange juice in there, and you got yourself a shipley christmas. we generally lounge around the house in our pj's and watch christmas movies and play with our toys. one year we played with our new ping pong table in the den for hours and hours. so many wonderful mem-ories.

lydia and i went out and romped around in the new snow. she is adorable. and was almost fully submerged in the sea of white. haha. and we have watched our share of cheezy, yet addictive lifetime movies. what a delightful day.

i hope that you are enjoying your christmas moments with your family and friends. and that you find yourselves mindful of the blessing of Christ's birth. we have much to be grateful for this holiday season and i encourage you to remember what matters most in life. MERRY CHRISTMAS!

i left my heart.

cliche? i know. but i seriously left my heart somewhere. or at least part of it. some of my corazon is in san francisco with the urban semester peeps. on lombard street. in a cable car. on a bench overlooking the pacific. with the sweet old russian man. and part of it is with my friends in santa barbara. at hidden beach. on the gaviota coast. in country club apartments. at the summerland beach cafe. while this is sort of depressing in some ways, perhaps my pieced-out heart is a reflection of what is most important to me and how much i treasure the simple moments in life. i have noticed a marked shift in how i experience life since my attending westmont and becoming photographer. i feel like both have made me a better person, more intentional, more aware and more alive.

of course, i don't attribute it all to westmont or my 5d but also to my people: my friends, my family, my community. my family has taught me how to have fun no matter where we are or what we are doing. if no one else is dancing at the party, we are. when the room is silent, we are laughing. when most are watching tv, we are listening to holiday and telling stories, and making funny sounds and faces. and my friends have taught me how to live a life of purpose, intention, love and laughter. i have so many fond memories of heart-to-heart convos, uncontrollable fits of laugher, random adventures and countless inside jokes. i am so blessed.

with all that said, here are a few more images and tales from my san franciscan adventures. part two if you will...wednesday morning started off with a delightful breakfast with Flavia at her favorite restaurant in the Sunset district. so yummy. then she drove me up to Twin Peaks and mapped out the city for me. such an incredible view. i am so grateful for the moments and conversations i had with her.

soon thereafter, Adrienne and I took my little jetta for a drive through the narrow, hilly streets of san fran. i just had to take a drive down the twisted bricks of Lombard Street and alongside a cable car. we cruised along the Fisherman's Warf and through the Marina District past the Presidio and Palace of Fine Arts. we were leisurely driving along when we realized that we were on the fast track to the Golden Gate Bridge with no way out so we thought. we resolved ourselves to the reality that we were going for it and i secretly got excited about it. why not? let's do it. come to find out, we did have an escape but we decided not to take it and venture across the suspended bridge. luckily i had my camera on my lap and was skillfully able to snap some photos as we crossed. i must have had Adrienne fearing for her life. but she didn't show the signs and kept her composure as i giddily inched across the bay. so fun. we stopped off at the view point on the other side for a spectacular view of the bridge and the city. and then hopped back in the car to explore the hills of Marin County. i craved a view of the bridge from the other side and we happened upon a road that twisted us up the hills on the Pacific side of the bridge. not only that but we crawled through a drafty tunnel that led us to a row of benches that faced the Pacific. we sat in awe of the beauty and watched the sun dip toward the horizon. as we walked back through the tunnel, i noticed how cool our shadows were on the concrete walls. we posed for a few shots and then made our way back across the bridge and into the city limits. after forging against some traffic, navigating around the "no left turn" signs, and finding a hard-to-come-by parking space, we made it back just in time for me to hop on the 21 and head down to meet up with Zak for dinner and drinks with Cory & Cora.

Zak is serving at the Raphael House, a shelter that loves, feeds and houses families in need. i had the honored of breaking bread with them and seeing a bit of Zak's city life first-hand. What a cool thing to be a part of. after dinner, we then huffed it up to Cora's cute little apartment and shared stories, beer and sorbet for a few hours. what a treat. zac then put me on a bus homeward. and i just so happened to come across the entire crew from the urban house when i stepped on the bus. so funny.

i hit the sack early so i could hit the road first thing in the morning and make it back down to santa barbara for a photo shoot that evening. and so, naturally, i left a piece of my heart in francisco. how could i not?

san francisco.

a city full of a rich past and cultural heritage, color and vibrancy, landmarks and steep, house-lined streets, san francisco has no shortage of interesting sites, smells, tastes and sounds. i have gotten to spend the past few days, wandering the streets and exploring with city with eyes wide open for new and unfamiliar discoveries. my thirst for adventure was quenched the moment i pulled off the 101 and ascended Fell Street, the pavement ribboned with victorian houses colored shades of pink, yellow, blue and green. i found myself giddy over the thrill of driving my jetta up and down the classic streets of san francisco. i arrived at the westmont urban house and was welcomed my friend steve and many other familiar and loved faces. i was excited for the adventures to come.

on sunday night, steve and emily took me downtown to visit Pier 39. we stopped in to the local aquarium and learned of the bay area aquatic life. and of course we were tickled pink over discovering mind blowing creatures. i quite enjoyed myself. post-aquarium, we strolled the planks of Pier 39, dined on clam chowder and sourdough, and aspired to climb to the heights of what steve calls the "citadel". we knew not how to get there or what it was called until i googled it on my trusty iPhone. coit tower is this landmark' s official namesake. steve still calls it the citadel. haha. so we set out to discover a route up the hill. somehow we stumbled upon a random staircase the led us to the top, between perfect san franciscan houses and around twisted roads. it was a sort of staircase to heaven moment for our adventurous trio. we finally arrived at our goal, only to be teased and taunted by thoughts and dreams of actually getting to climb up the towers spiral staircase. we had a overwhelming sense of dissatisfaction. we had come so close and while the views were still spectacular, we knew it was far better up there. someday...

monday morning i slept in and piddled around the house for a bit and then ventured to a yummy organic cafe with my friend adrienne. it was a treat to spend some quality time with her and hear tales of her stint in the big city. afterwards we made apple crisp and then i went for a stroll through golden gate park. i was in a texture mood if you will. so i was on the prowl for some interesting textures to photography. the exterior of the de Young proved to be most interesting. after i returned back to the house, steve, flavia and eye ventures to north beach for a some classic italian fare and wonderful conversation. flavia drove us down, so i got to see some fun parts of the city en route. we made it back just in time for steve and flavia's house event "nacho night" and i met up with Micah and Claragrace for some Sangria.

this morning i awoke ready for another solo photo adventure and visit to the de Young art museum. so i grabbed my scarf and coat and hopped on the bus. what fun sf buses are. haha. quite an experience. on one leg of my journey i had the classic forrest gump moment when the bus is full and you have nowhere to sit. true story. i reserved myself to the idea of standing when a old russian man motioned for my to take a seat next to him. we chatted as we made our way from stop to stop. he moved to san francisco in 1988 from russia and fell in love with the city. he asked me if i was a local and thought i was french for some reason. i simply chuckled and informed him of my california roots. i was bummed when i had to get off to catch the next bus, but i bid him farewell and set out to find stow lake. and then, off to the golden gate bridge i went. apparently somewhere along the way, i picked the wrong bus and ended up being the only one on board. i noticed my alone-ness and chuckled. the bus driver then inquired as to my destination. i admitted i was such a tourist and was on the prowl for GG Bridge. "Youz on the wrong bus man. Youz got to get on the otha one. I will drop you off at the next stop where you can pick the 29 up." so i disembarked the empty bus and perched myself on the other side of the street waiting for the 29. soon enough the bus came tearing around the corner like a bat out of hell only to nearly pass me all together. the bus driver finally spotted me and slammed on the brakes and briskly opened the door and chuckled when i climbed up the steps. "I almost missed you son. haha. I was so relaxed here on the straight away, i didn't even see you." i was quite amused. so eventually, i made it to the Golden Gate Bridge and was all sorts of giddy over it. that thang is bitchin'. i snapped my share of photos and then wandered around the park there for a while before i huffed it over to the Palace of Fine Arts. wow. what cool landmarks this city has. i had a blast. my iPhone guided then me back home. what a day.

i then finished the day with a "family dinner" with all the urban house peeps. so, so fun. thanks for such a great day san francisco.