follow friday: @ariana_babcock

name // ariana babcock
age // 23
location // seattle, wa
occupation // freelance photographer | nanny

formerly known to some as ariana montoya, this kind-of newlywed lady is one of the most adventurous and down to earth people we know! she loves knitting, drinking coffee, and camping all over the northwest wilderness with her hubby-- three of the best things ever. ariana will never fail to make you laugh, will road trip to southern california with you if you need her to, and truly has a heart of gold.



what inspires you daily? //
my honest yet cheesy answer would be my husband caleb. he pushes me to be my best and try my hardest every day and i love him for it.

what is your favorite thing about photography? //
diversity, there is literally never a lack of variety. i can shoot whatever i want whenever i want.

what's your favorite part about being a girl? //
let's all laugh because i can't answer this haha. i'm so un-girly i can't even think of anything!
least favorite? //
shaving my legs!! it's just annoying, but i promise despite not enjoying it i do shave them.

if you could travel 150 years back in time or into the future, which would you choose and why? //
back for sure, i think history is so important and fascinating.

what have you been listening to lately? //
the lone below, [i'll listen to anything with a mandolin!] gregory alan isakov, ben howard [always], and if you haven't heard... nickle creek got back together so there's that.

what's something most people wouldn't know about you? //
i want to learn to play the mandolin [shocker!] and i really don't like large groups of people, you could say i'm not really "party" person.






if you're lucky enough to know her in person, you'll know these photos don't do her justice.
if you want to know her in person but can't, you can follow the heck out of her over here:

instagram // @ariana_babcock
tumblr // arianalyneebabcock
website // babcockphoto.com


x's + o's
kaitlin elaine & chelsea diane

spaghetti squash obsession

it is no secret that i love food.
when i went out to visit kaitlin i brought enough money to splurge on good food and delicious coffee.
but as much as i love my sweets, i am a health nut.

a little about me:
i have been practicing vegetarianism for the past 6 years and have been vegan on & off for the past year.
the thing is, i have never been a big meat eater.
and as much as i love my strawberry ice-cream, it kills my stomach.
so the vegan diet just makes me feel better (and look better!)  but i know it's not for everyone.
so i will be posting yummy recipes that works for all eaters.
like this delicious spaghetti squash that my wonderful boyfriend whipped up for this post.
this is great vegan meal, all you need is the squash and the sauce.
but for you vegetarians, get crazy and add some parmesan cheese.
for you meat eaters, do all the above and add some grilled chicken.

this meal is as a simple as it gets.


(Prep time: an hour & a half)

what you need:

> one plump squash
> a bundle of asparagus
> olive oil
> a pinch of salt
> a jar of red sauce (we chose roasted garlic)
> lemon pepper
> parmesan cheese (optional)




1. preheat the oven at 350 degrees 
2. cut the squash in half



3. grab a spoon and scrape out all the seeds & goo



4. lather your squash up with some olive oil (but not too much)



5. place the squash in the oven.
if you have an electric stove it will take an hour to cook, 
but if you own a gas stove like me it only took about 40 minutes for it to cook. 
check the squash by placing a fork in it to check the tenderness.



6. asparagus time! 
7. cut the ends off of the asparagus



8. grab the olive oil and put a dab of it in the pan along with your asparagus



9. cook asparagus, add a bit of lemon pepper or whatever seasoning that pleases you. cook asparagus til tender (and super green!)



10. take the squash out of the oven once tender 
 grab a fork and start scooping the squash out (see video for example)



11. heat up your sauce 
12. we chose to use fresh parmesan to garnish our dish



13. gather your asparagus, top the squash with sauce & cheese, 
and you have a delicious meal! (with a lot of left overs)



bonnie wishes she could have some of the spaghetti squash!

a special thanks to my boyfriend andrew who prepared this delicious meal
& who is so supportive of this blog!

bon appétit!
x's & o's,
chelsea diane

what i wore: neutrals

the sun has been shining its face on seattle in between the torrential downpours, snow, and hail storms, 
letting us know spring will be here in about... well let's face it, spring will decide to skip right into summer.

when the sun's out, it's still pretty cold and i never really know if it's going to rain 30 minutes after i leave my house or not.
so i try to be prepared for anything and dress accordingly.

hat // urban outfitters
jacket // thrifted
top // thrifted
pants // imogene + willie
boots // vintage
necklace // mucho mucho bueno bueno
nailpolish // essie 'mojito madness'

lately i've been loving neutrals, minimal jewelry & pops of color on my lips and nails. 

who else is looking forward to warmer seattle days? i am!

x's + o's
kaitlin elaine


--->> big thanks to bethany olson for the lovely photos! <<---

ERMERGERD SNER

Kaitlin and I created our own language before I came to visit.
We kept on joking about if it was going to "sner" (or in english snow) while I was there.
and guys, it did.

 

 x's & o's,
 chelsea diane

kaitlin's skin care + DIY scrub!

contrary to what some may believe, i do not have 'good' skin. i have mastered the art of covering what my skin has given me to deal with, but i have struggled with breakouts and acne since i was 13. my skin problems have always been hormonal, causing there to always be something different going awry on my face.

after trying every skin care product and line from clinique to proactiv to cetaphil, i have finally found a combination i am pretty happy with [for now]. i have oily, sensitive, and acne-prone skin. for years i was using very harsh products that helped with my acne but were quite possibly making my skin even more oily from how drying the products were, causing my face to produce even more oil.

i've decided to try more gentle and natural products within the last year, and my skin has been thanking me for it.

here's what i've been using lately:




make-up removing // 
organic virgin coconut oil + kirkland daily facial towelettes


cleansing //
clarisonic mia + boots botanics 'all bright gentle cleansing cream'


toning //
boots botanics 'all bright cleansing toner'


moisturizing //
burt's bees 'radiance night cream' + burt's bees 'radiance eye cream'


treatments //
aveda 'deep cleansing herbal clay mask', sprouts tea tree oil, up&up '10% benzoyl peroxide gel'


exfoliate //
homemade brown sugar & coconut scrub



DIY brown sugar & coconut scrub [for face, lips + body]

exfoliating is so important! whether your skin is dry or oily, we all need to remove dead skin cells to reveal our healthy, glowing skin. oily friends out there, don't be put off by oil! coconut oil is light weight, and our skin actually needs more oil. this scrub is SO easy to make, affordable, and i will never buy another scrub or exfoliator again.

you will need: 

1 // equal parts coconut oil and brown sugar. [ex: 2 tablespoons : 2 tablespoons, i roughly measure]




2 // containers of your choice. i picked these jars up at goodwill for 29 cents each, can't beat that!
 


let's get started ----->>

this is so easy. you literally just mix the two ingredients together... yes, that's it.

--->> first measure out how much will fit in your containers. i usually fill my jar 3/4 of the way full first...


--->> then i dump it into a bowl for cleaner and easier mixing...






--->> your scrub will look something like this when it's been mixed enough. no more sugar lumps or chunks of oil still showing...


--->> when it's thoroughly mixed, transfer it back into your jar. you can make this in large quantities if you want and divide it among many jars. they make a great gift!

[also, you can add essential oils like lavender, tea tree, or rose for added skin care and wellness benefits!]

that's it!

you can make a scrub like this with other oils, sure! but i prefer coconut oil for a few reasons: it smells amazing! coconut oil is also stable/solid at room temperature [in most climates] so it's easier to work with and you can make the consistency softer with using less sugar than you would need with a liquidy oil. coconut oil is great for your skin and lightweight enough to use on your face.

use this as a body scrub in the shower too, but store it outside of the shower or the heat will melt the oil. also keep the lid on tight so the sugar doesn't dissolve!





what are you favorite skin products? try this DIY and let me know what you think!


x's + o's
kaitlin elaine