number 30

they're gross.they're nasty. they're dirty. they stink. you'll look terrible. i'll support you but when you hate them, i'll say i told you so.

i've heard it all. and i've done my research.

on november 18th, i'll be crossing number 30 off my bucket list...i'm getting dreadlocks.  i'm so excited and a tad bit nervous.  i've always been one of those people, who would stare at those people--those people, with dreadlocks--in awe.  but it wasn't out of disgust; it was out of admiration and longing.  for as long as i can remember, i've loved dreadlocks.  i can't even explain why.  i just always have!

i've been talking to steve about getting dreadlocks for quite a while now.  at times he was okay with it.  other times, he was like, why?  why do you need to do that? whatever...

it went back and forth like that for quite a while....until recently, when i shared with him that i'm really ready.  i'm at that place in my life that i really want dreads.

i. am. ready.

and he got it.

steve had no clue what to get me for my birthday and so he got me the most magical gift...a southwest gift card, to go get dreads.  his way of supporting me and letting me know it's okay to move forward.

so on november 17th, i'm flying from here to OR, for one day.  my dread appointment is on nov 18th and then that evening, i fly to san diego for 3 1/2 days of shooting.  and then back to KS.

once i got steve's support, i worried about two people giving me hell: kiele's dad and my in-laws (i guess that actually makes three). well i also knew that kiele would have a hard time with the whole thing, but she's too young to really give me hell (more on my kids' reactions in a later post).

when i broke it to kiele's dad via email, his reply was: as for the dreadlocks, no surprise. you were meant to be one of those artists who congregates in eclectic locations around the US. but you have other obligations (husband and family) that keep you from that lifestyle. the 60s was your era, but unfortunately you were born too late for that scene.

and then i broke it to my MIL a few days ago, when my in-laws were visiting. and for some reason, she wasn't very surprised. she kind of just nodded her head and asked a few questions, as i talked about things and showed her pics on the internet...like it was no big deal. either she had already been forewarned on facebook (yes, she's on FB and so are steve's siblings) or...she just wasn't surprised because there always seems to be something new with me (nose piercing, eyebrow piercing, etc.). i still don't know what my FIL's reaction will be, but i can't imagine it a very encouraging one. we will see.

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so... my appointment is made. my plane ticket is purchased. my care products are on their way. i'm getting dreads!

i do have a few concerns. i'm super tender headed. and the dreading process can hurt. i also have fine hair (curly and a lot, but fine)...breakage worries me. of course, i've already talked to my dread stylist about this and she has assured me that it'll be okay.

during the hours when i can't sleep at night, i think and worry about...what my dreads will look like, if my hair is going to fall out, how itchy my scalp is going to be (i actually itch my scalp throughout the night).  but in my waking moments, i dream and wish my dreads to one day look like this (see below), except i'm going to leave some loose hair in the front.  one of my friends had described it as...it's kind of like business in front and a party in the back.  sigh...i love that.

photo courtesy of delight's flickr stream

i'll definitely keep you posted throughout this dread journey. of course, there will be no BS either. if it hurts like hell, itches like crazy or stinks...you'll know. if i hate them...you'll know. and if i love them...you'll know!

welcoming 40

yep today is the day...fabulously forty!  and i hope it's ready for me because here i am.  it's been an amazing 39 years and i'm thankful to be alive and healthy (i've certainly had my fair share of moments that i'm surprised i lived through). in my 20s and early 30s, i was afraid of getting older. dreading it actually. but not anymore...i look forward to each and every year, grateful for the previous, as each year we are blessed with, is truly a gift. i woke up this birthday morning to a breakfast of eggs and bacon and a fabulous forty fritter (see pic below).  i also had a number of cards waiting for me, a birthday message drawn by the kids on the kitchen window, 40 roses (see other pic) and a second bouquet of beautiful flowers at my desk (the place where i spend most of my day).  yep...absolutely fabulous! not sure what is in store for the evening; however, i do know we're "going out".  steve's parents are in town from NV, for a couple days, and i'm thankful to spend this time with them.

in anticipation and celebration of 40, i began working on a bucket list a few weeks ago--40 things that i hope/wish/want/long/desire to accomplish.

so, in no specific order, here we go. my bucket list... 1. teach my children what is really important in life 2. sponsor a student 3. sail the Americas 4. backpack through Europe 5. have a solo exhibition 6. ride a train 7. go on a roadtrip with no predetermined destination 8. take a cooking course 9. run a half marathon 10. learn to play the guitar 11. go white water rafting 12. go to oktoberfest in germany 13. study a foreign language 14. visit all 50 states 15. attend and graduate of fine arts program 16. volunteer, together as a family 17. build a habitat for humanity home 18. give back at every stop as we sail the Americas 19. don’t ever forget to say thank you and I love you 20. visit and help maggie doyne in Nepal 21. photograph an orphanage or children in need 22. watch my children grow up and fully support their doing what they love (no mater what that might be) 23. own an mid-century modern home 24. keep in touch with my kids (at least once a week), after they leave our house 25. start a parent support group 26. present at a national DHH convention 27. make a difference in someone’s life (i mean really make a difference) 28. celebrate each and every day 29. heal my past 30. get dreadlocks 31. embrace aging 32. make a video for my children 33. read for 30 minutes every day 34. learn about all the different religions 35. tell my husband how much I love and appreciate him each and every day 36. never go to bed angry 37. send a handwritten note to each person that has inspired or supported me 38. take sign language courses with kiele 39. remember and recognize birthdays 40. truly and deeply appreciate

and i leave you with this beautiful message written by erma bombeck...

if i had my life to live over i would have gone to bed when i was sick instead of pretending the earth would go into a holding pattern if I weren't there for the day. i would have burned the pink candle sculpted like a rose before it melted in storage. i would have talked less and listened more. i would have invited friends over to dinner even if the carpet was stained, or the sofa faded. i would have eaten the popcorn in the "good" living room and worried much less about the dirt when someone wanted to light a fire in the fireplace. i would have taken the time to listen to my grandfather ramble about his youth. i would never have insisted the car windows be rolled up on a summer day because my hair had just been teased and sprayed. i would have sat on the lawn with my children and not worried about grass stains. i would have cried and laughed less while watching television, and more while watching life. i would never have bought anything just because it was practical, wouldn't show soil, or was guaranteed to last a lifetime. instead of wishing away nine months of pregnancy, I'd have cherished every moment and realized that the wonderment growing inside me was the only chance in life to assist God in a miracle. when my kids kissed me impetuously, i would never have said, "later. now go get washed up for dinner." there would have been more "i love you's." more "i'm sorry's." but mostly, given another shot at life, i would seize every minute, look at it and really see it, live it, and never give it back. stop sweating the small stuff. Don't worry about who doesn't like you, who has more, or who's doing what. instead, let's cherish the relationships we have with those who DO love us. let's think about what God has blessed us with. and what we are doing each day to promote ourselves mentally, physically, emotionally, as well as spiritually. life is too short to let it pass you by. we only have one shot at this and then it's gone.

ETA:  look what i just opened.  the kids made me...a camera!!  such a treasure!  iphone pic of sky and my new camera.

casting call

kansas has allowed me time to just be, think and dream. and i've been dreaming (and talking) about a few photography projects that i would love to start working on. and to work on projects, i need people willing to participate (beyond my own children, who aren't always the most willing). here's what i'm looking and hoping for: children, ages 5-12.

the casting calls will: - be free of charge - will require a model release - be focused on capturing one or two images

all participants will receive 5x7 prints of all edited images.

who knows where this project will go. for the moment, i just keep dreaming of what's possible...and dreaming big!

if interested, please email me with your child's photograph(s) and availability.

i'm looking to expand on this ongoing series.

friendship

i believe in choosing our family of intention - our friends, our tribe, our soul sisters. for me, this all started when i was 12 years old, when i met gina, when i began to understand that friendship had the ability to make us feel settled and at home in our spirits no matter what else was happening in our lives. and that our friendships - the people we choose to surround ourselves with - gracefully hold the divide between all the experiences we travel through in our lives.- kelly rae roberts

oh these words of kelly's... they resonate in my soul.  deep to the core. i can't even begin to share how important my friends are to me and how much i cherish my amazing friendships. as one of my best friend's steph says, my childhood was rather "unconventional"...i no longer talk to my sister or my dad. and i talk to my mom on rare occasion. it's not something i'm proud of; it actually makes me sad, but it's the way it has come to be. but i think that is the reason why my friendships mean even that much more...they truly are, as kelly describes it, my family of intention.  i hold them close. and tight. they are part of me. they are my family!

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when we lived in san diego, we lived next to the hasson family, for about six months. during the time, kiele and nat, developed a friendship that was beyond special--deeper and more mature than most eight- and ten-year-old friendships.  the hasson family ended up moving to FL and then to HI...and through the distance and their time apart, kiele and nat continue as BFFs, stronger than ever. if you saw this post, you know that one of the things kiele wants for christmas is to see natalie (they haven't seen each other since mid-2007). it was in 2007 that i took these photos of kiele and nat--a storyboard which still graces kiele's book case, front and center.

if you haven't seen kelly rae's artwork, you must check it out. she offers the most incredible and inspiring products--necklaces, prints, stationery, books, and original artwork. you can find it all here. and you can read more about kelly's post on her BFF and friendship here.

to my friends, my tribe, my soul sisters... i love you. i adore you. and i will forever be grateful for you.

art, balance and beauty

in native american languages, there is no word for art. it is simply assumed that if you are going to make something, you will make it as beautiful as possible. in the navajo language, the word for balance and the word for beauty are the same.- leslie gray

found this quote quite a while ago, while reading a magazine in a doctor's office and...i love, love, love it.  what a concept... art. and balance.   and beauty. and always making something as beautiful as possible.

and speaking of beauty... remember this beautiful field?  

well sadly, almost all the glorious weeds are gone and it has turned into this--a construction mess!

i'm not sure what they're doing, but the land where this field is and all the surrounding open land, is for sale.   i'm sure...soon enough, it will all sadly be developed. coming from san diego, where pretty much every bit of land is developed, i really love the vast, beautiful open fields, where we live...here in kansas.

it serves as a great reminder... when i have a location i want to shoot at or an idea that i've been wanting to shoot...i need to get my butt out there and do it.  you never know what might happen.  thank goodness my girls and i got to this field before the tractor did, as these photos are some of my favorites ever!!

and darn it...i had so wanted to get some photographs in the corn fields and now they are brown and many of them have been cut down. i think we will be gone before the corn fields grow again. i shouldn't have waited. darn it! darn it!

this made me cry today...

that's what the subject of the email was, when she emailed me this.  leah is one of the greatest friends a girl could ask for--someone who is as beautiful on the inside as she is on the outside.  beautiful to the core.

i hope that you will take a few minutes to read the women's stories in this article.  each is beautiful.  truly and deeply beautiful...and inspirational. i have no doubt that you will relate to at least one of the stories...or at a minimum, it will pull at your heart strings.

in closing, i leave you with this question... what honestly makes you feel beautiful?

i'll be sharing some of my thoughts on beauty, in a post next week.

p.s. the photographs in the article are by a woman and photographer i so admire--the amazing mary ellen mark.  i attended a mary ellen mark workshop the beginning of this year, which was awesome.  and i was so fortunate to have been able to have breakfast and dinner (and incredible conversations) with her each day.  she really is an incredible woman.  and as leah said, the photos in the article are absolutely lovely.

today's treasure

kiele emailed me this letter (below) this morning.  i know i talk a lot about being thankful, but when you get treasures like this (often), how can one not be thankful! The Schwedhelm and Marston Kids Letter to Santa

October 4, 2009 Dear Santa,

This year, Skyler, Ryder and I (Kiele) would like everything listed below for Christmas.

Skyler’s List- 1.More Jewelry (charms for my little charm neckless, more pink necklesses, light pink heart earings, dark pink circle earings, lots of nice looking necklaces) 2.Pink picture frame of Amaya and I from San Diego 3.Some Treehouse chapter books for me to read 4.To be able to do ballet lessons (if I do get to do it can I have some shoes and a suit?) 5.A salon day (to get my hair and nails done!!!) 6.How to make different hairdos book 7.A pink flower clip for my hair 8.A cute little pink, diamond purse and wallet

Ryder’s List- 1.Transformers 2. G.I. Joe toys 3.Squirt guns 4.Books (Star Wars, Snakes, Spider) 5.Some superhero movies (spiderman,superman,star wars,batman and transformer) 6.A black picture frame of me and morgan and maddox 7.Hot wheel cars with cool, different tracks

Kiele’s List- 1.Letter kit, so I can try to save some animals (a cute kit to make pretty cards and envelopes) 2. Cute clothes (little scarf like Sky’s pink one) 3. Some things out of the PB teen magazine 4. To be able to take care of horses 5. To see my BFF Natalie for Christmas 6. If I’m lucky a pet HORSE!!!!!!!

The Pet’s List- 1. A long leash so Charley can play in the front yard 2. Some yummy dog treats!!! 3. A plant in the fish bowl (for Pumpkin and Autumn) 4. Maybe new toys 5. Tasty toothpaste that Charley actually likes

Thank you for all the presents you provide us every year. Love you and we can’t wait for Christmas day. You will get plenty of milk and chocolate cookies on chistmas eve. Bye Santa.

From: Kiele Marston, Skyler and Ryder Schwedhelm and Charley, Autumn and Pumpkin Schwedmar (a combination of Schwedhelm and Marston)

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the original letter is much more fun and decorative--with drawings, fancy writing and all.  santa will for sure be getting this letter, even if it was written almost three months in advance.

and of course, a photo, to accompany the letter.  took this with my iphone today.  and when i did, kiele said,

why are you taking photos with your phone all the time now and not your camera?

well... that's because my camera and two lenses are getting cleaned, checked and repaired, if needed, at canon (irvine, CA).  i'm also working with steve's laptop because my computer is on the fritz...needs a new video card.  definitely grateful for steve's laptop as a backup, but i miss my mac pro!

hmmm...i guess i should have included charley and the fish in this pic but oh well.  and as kiele says, peace out!

new friends

i'm honored.  and so excited.  recently, one of my photographs was selected for the center for fine art photography's 2009 international exhibition of fine art photography--an exhibition jurored by andy adams. the show, in ft collins, colorado, starts today and will run through october 31st.  i was hoping to attend today's opening reception but unfortunately i'm not able to...but still hoping to see the show sometime later this month.

you can see all the exhibition's selected photographs here.

i'm so blessed, i can't stand it!

it's funny because i must say "i can't stand it" a lot.  today, ryder said that his friend's dog was so cute, he couldn't stand it. now on to the real reason for this post...

i have an amazing, incredible friend, who was recently diagnosed with cancer.  she's having surgery in two weeks and i wanted to give her something special--a gift of strength, encouragement and hope.  i posted on facebook, looking for ideas, and got the most heartwarming responses.

this amazing soul offered to hand make a very special something for her.  and on her blog, i found this most fabulous print, from guest blogger leonie allen.  a print that you can download for free (although you should hurry b/c i'm not sure if it's supposed to still be downloadable).  i will soon have the print framed, hanging beautifully and proudly right next to my desk.  oh my...it feeds my soul!

so as we all dream to create our own magic, i encourage you to read the blogs of amazing people like this.

yes, my heart if full.  and i am so blessed.  so very, very blessed!

A is for awesome!

oh how i love the alphabet shop.  i'm going to get an S, for my living room.  although i secretly wish our last name was anderson or peterson. ;-)  how great is A and P!

learned of the alphabet shop, from here, which i found through here.  oh this world of blogging.  feeds my soul in so many ways.

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had an awesome shoot with sam's family this morning.  and two shoots tomorrow and sunday.  the san diego coast morning fog is amazing.

no excuse

don't make excuses. make something incredible happen right now.- greg hickman

i had started a blog post yesterday about how thankful i am to be here in kansas. but that will have to wait for another day, as i think this is more important.

i have a friend, who was recently diagnosed with thyroid cancer and will be having surgery in the near future. she needed something from me via email. i told her that i would get it to her in the next couple days...and didn't. yesterday, i got a reminder email, requesting the documents again. i told her that i would get them to her right away and rattled off a bunch of excuses as to why she hadn't already received them.

then i visited this blog, which is a new favorite (i actually have a girl crush on her). anyways, this post kicked me in the stomach and dropped me to my knees.  sadness [at myself] flooded my mind. how ridiculous was i...making excuses to my friend. i mean really!

i immediately went to my email and wrote my friend the following:

BTW...i feel like a fucking dumb ass that i would even consider venting to you about being too busy, when you're just trying to get things done before your surgery. sorry for my selfish excuses. i'm a dumb ass! love you and again, sorry for my inexcusable delay!

it's easy to make excuses. it's not always easy to move forward or just get it done. but in the end, it's your choice.  this time i definitely made the wrong choice.  i'm thankful (and lucky) that my friend accepted my apology!

next time you're going to make an excuse--or a bunch of them, just take a moment to think about it first.  i know i will!

tomorrow, i'm off to san diego, for a bunch of shoots.  and to see my friend--in person--and give her the hugest hug and an apology in person!!

remember... the best day of your life is the one on which you decide your life is your own. no apologies. no excuses. no one to lean on, rely on, or blame. this gift is yours and it's an amazing journey. you alone are responsible for the quality of it. - bob moawad

their miracle

could a greater miracle take place than for us to look through each other's eyes for an instant?- henry david thoreau

i met marcina through max's family last year. and from the moment i met her, i knew there was something special. there was just this beauty and essence about her. you could see it. you could feel it. an then i learned her story...

two years ago (in november), neil was taking their daughter, kendra, to a screening in LA. kendra had been acting for years.  at the end of the day, he began throwing up and thought he had food poisoning. he felt he was okay to drive home to san diego but things got worse and he had to pull over at a gas station, to throw up again.  shortly after that, marcina got a call from kendra,

mommy, daddy's really sick, we're on the side of the freeway and he is now sleeping and has thrown up all inside the car.

they were on the side of the highway, with neil in and out of sleep.  with marcina's mom on the phone with kendra the entire time, to help her feel safe, and marcina's dad on the computer mapquesting and directing marcina to neil's location...marcina was on her way, driving into miles of heavy traffic. luckily, kendra was able to read a few signs out the window, to help determine exactly where they were. when marcina arrived, neil was asleep and kendra scared but safe. they drove back to san diego and marcina put neil into bed.  after continuing to vomit and sleep throughout the following day, marcina decided to take neil to the emergency room that night.

they sat in the waiting room for a bit and then neil was called back to be seen. thirty minutes later, a nurse came out and asked kendra if she would like to come with her to color. a few minutes later, two doctors take marcina in the opposite direction, to tell her that neil is very, very sick and most likely would not live through the night. they encouraged marcina to notify family and that she and kendra should say their final good-byes. this was the beginning of their seven-month journey on an emotional and painful rollercoaster...

over the next seven months, neil most likely had a stroke and suffered a brain bleed. he underwent four brain surgeries, infections, two weeks in a coma, months in the hospital and now has a prosthetic bone flap and front skull. the family was told three different times that neil would not live and that if he did, he would most likely have physical challenges and brain damage.

well today, neil is alive and doing fabulous.  while he still has very vivid dreams from his days in a coma and continues to be closely monitored, if you met him, you would have no idea what he went through.  you see no scars.  he has no lingering ill effects (that are apparent to me).

the C family has the most amazing love for one another and outlook on life. and needless to say, neil being alive today is a miracle.

but there's more to this story. the first time i photographed the C family was last november. originally they were scheduled for 2009, but i happened to have a cancellation. after we were done shooting and marcina was sharing with me how thankful she was to be able to get in on a cancellation, she suddenly realized that the shoot was on the same day as neil's first brain surgery--an anniversary of sorts. and it is for that very reason that the photo below is so much more than just a photo for them. and it's a photo that almost didn't happen...

their entire session was super overcast, until the very moment of this shot. we were walking back to the car and i noticed the sun had come out.  when i looked at kendra and saw the halo of light surrounding her, i said that she looked like an angel and asked if we could take a few more shots.  little did i know at the time how important and magical the photos would end up being.

i also wanted to share a bit more about what kendra is currently working on.  she's 10 years old now and has recently written and is going to be recording a song, voices of the children. the producer is already working with the band and hopefully kendra will be recording in a few weeks, with the release date anticipated to be the end of the year. kendra has decided that she will donate a portion of the proceeds to two children's charities: casa de amparo and childhelp.

one of the goals of last weekend's session was to get a photo for kendra's CD cover. this one is my favorite.

it is always such a joy to see them, as each of them is amazingly beautiful inside and out, with a zest for life that is unmatched. i am truly blessed to know them!!

ETA: neil was officially diagnosed with a cerebral hemorrhage (bleed). to this day, they do not know what caused this to happen. the first night in the hospital, his blood pressure was around 250/150. however, they can't say definitively that that is what caused the hemorrhage.

happy heart

i'm home, from my three-day trip to san diego, and i just wanted to quickly share this.  i want to share these, from freya art & design... which make my heart so happy.  i could have prints like this all over my house.  i had facebooked a while back about how i'd love to have an entire wall randomly covered with prints like this (kind of like wallpaper).  the problem is the idea will have to wait about 12 years, until we're in a long-term home.  it would be cool on a door too.  :-)

i think i might get this one for one of my bathrooms. i have one water print in there and have been looking for another awesome water print to grace the other wall. i think this one would be perfect.

now.  back to unpacking and lots of editing!

remembering 9/11: eight years ago

i got the idea for this blog post from her blog post today. eight years ago today... i was a nurse in the air force, assigned to eglin air force base, in florida. but at the time of september 11th, 2001, i was at a school (temporary duty) in texas. it was a normal class day, mostly boring lecture, when all of a sudden, the instructor was pulled out of our class. when he returned, he informed us that a plane had just hit one of the towers of the world trade center. being in the military, we were used to these kind of exercises. well not exactly this kind, but we were used to military exercises. but then the instructor went on to tell us that we were to all go back to our hotel rooms. we were to stay in our rooms, near a phone and wait for further instructions.

ummm. okay. that does not happen during an exercise. what's going on here?

and then we realized that this was not a drill; this was really happening. the united states was under attack. we asked a lot of questions, which the instructor really had no answers to. and then we were released from class, until further notice. a bunch of classmates and i all gathered in one room, glued to the television. in disbelief of what was happening and scared of what was yet to come.

on this day eight years ago, almost 3,000 people were killed.  let us never forget them and the heroic efforts of our country.

this is me, sometime around 2001-02, stationed at eglin air force base.

a magical kind of day

one of the most tragic things about human nature is that all of us tend to put off living. we are all dreaming of some magical rose garden over the horizon instead of enjoying the roses that are blooming outside our windows today.- dale carnegie

i had driven by this field of weeds every day, since the kids started school. passing by the pillowy blanket of weeds, i dreamt of the possibilities of shooting there. and then this past weekend, i awoke to the most magical fog and asked the kids if we could go do a few photos.

no, they answered. we're playing.

please, just a few, i begged.

and with a bit of persuasion from their father, the girls agreed. ryder agreed at first, but in the end, he decided he'd have much more fun building with daddy, who's finishing a fifth bedroom in our house.

and so it was. the girls and i. in this magical field of weeds on this magical kind of kansas day.

thinking about san diego

it's weird moving like we do--here, there and everywhere. we just go where and when we're told. a life that we're rather accustomed to. i consider ourselves so blessed to have lived in san diego for the 4 1/2 years that we did--miles of beaches, beautiful weather, the convenience of pretty much anything and everything.  what more could a person ask for, right?

but returning there this past weekend made me a bit sad. and frustrated. of course, i didn't seem to notice any of these things, while living there, but who does... the crowds and crowds and crowds of people. the excessive 2 PM traffic, which only gets worse as the day goes on. the begging homeless on street corner after street corner. the graffiti that seems to be everywhere you turn. the trash, which lines so many streets and highways. the overwatering, even in a time of severe drought, in an attempt to keep the naturally existing brown at bay. the high cost of everything--from groceries, to gas, to houses.

while we lived in san diego, i closed my eyes to all of the these things and just considered myself damn lucky to live there.  i mean really...why would anyone want to dwell on the negative aspects of the place they call home?  but moving all around allows us to see the positive, negative, beauty and uniqueness of each location.

and in this part of kansas we're currently living, it's so green--full of land and fields.  tons of space and little to no traffic.  things move slower out here, something i've been working to embrace (despite my speeding ticket a couple days ago).  and maybe it's for those exact reasons that i seemed to hone in on these other aspects of san diego, when i was visiting.

i once thought that san diego would be one of the places we would consider retiring (if we could even afford it), but i'm not so sure. to be honest, i have absolutely no idea where we'll one day settle.  i actually panic a bit when i think about calling a single location home, for more than a few years, which is why sailing the americas for a year or two after steve retires from the navy is so enticing!

and please don't get me wrong...san diego took really great care of us for 4 1/2 years and for that i'm so thankful. without a doubt, we will continue to visit over the years...and simply continue to ignore all those other aspects of san diego, as i'm sure so many tourists do!

sharing a couple shots from my san diego sessions last weekend...

anything is possible

consult not your fears but your hopes and your dreams. think not about your frustrations, but about your unfulfilled potential. concern yourself not with what you tried and failed in, but with what it is still possible for you to do. - pope john XXIII i'm back, from my weekend in san diego.  had such a blast, but so happy to be with my family again.  and feeling quite drained and exhausted.

the art of photography show opening reception was amazing, inspiring and well...a bit surreal.  i met so many incredible and talented artists.  we also had the opportunity to hear charlotte cotton, the judge of the exhibition, speak the day after the opening reception.  i had such an awesome time, learned so much and am thankful beyond words. and of course, i had such a super awesome time shooting the G and K families, while in san diego, too.

iphone pic.  my silly look cracks me up ;-)

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and on a totally different subject... have you heard? urban outfitters teamed with the impossible project, to bring back instant film! how fricken awesome is that?!!

i've so been wanting to start a 365 days of gratefulness project (similar to hers), taking an 'i'm thankful' polaroid every day for a year...but at $2 a shot, the year's costs kept weighing in the back of my mind.  i contemplated digital but there's something so magical about polaroids.  the project just has to be polaroids.  and so i've kept making procrastinating excuses.  but with this announcement, there's no more excuses and...no stopping me now.

so in celebration of the revival of polaroid and instant film, here's a few of my favorite polaroids, scanned from a pile of about 500 or so.

you can read more about the impossible project here.

looking forward to 2010 and what polaroid has to offer. thank you urban outfitters. i love you even more now than i did before (if i was 20 years younger, i'd dress in even more of your clothes ;-)

yay! yay!

art of photography show opening reception gala

art of photography show opening reception galathis saturday, august 29th, 6-9 PM lyceum theatre, san diego

they say there is going to be over 1000 people attending this event, so it's suggested to arrive close to 6 PM.

all the details, including directions to the show, can be found here.

needless to say, i'm so excited and honored to have my photograph selected for this international exhibition. to be a part of this most amazing group of artists is beyond words.

if you go to the show's main page, you can see my photograph along with a few other images, as part of a sampling of the art of photography 2009 show.

i'm so excited i could scream!!  hope to see you there.

another story of kindness

kindness is the only service that will stand the storm of life and not wash out.- abraham lincoln

it's truly amazing what life brings you sometimes...

this summer, kiele spent two months with her dad. on august 9th, she flew alone for the first time--new hampshire to kansas city. needless to say, with a gate change in chicago, i was a stressed-out-mess-of-a-mother that day. i waited for kiele in the terminal area, while steve and the little ones, peaking through the windows, anxiously waited outside the terminal door. as soon as i saw kiele, i gave her a huge hug, and after the token hi mom, kiele excitedly said,

wait mom. i want you to meet someone.

and from the jetway appears a mother and her six-year-old son, sarah and george. sarah and her family flew the same flights as kiele, from NH. sarah befriended kiele (or vice versa) on the first flight and as kiele turned the wrong way to find her connecting gate, sarah guided her in the right direction. sarah and i talked a short bit. i thanked sarah for her kindness and then we went our separate ways.

kiele and sarah had exchanged emails on the flight.

then a few days ago, i received an email from sarah (forwarding me what she had just emailed kiele)--an invitation to her house, dinner and an afternoon swimming at their local country club.

we had the best time! they're an amazing, wonderful family. i'm beyond thankful for their kindness and hospitality. more than once, sarah voiced that she would like to adopt our family, for the year that we're here. people like sarah don't come into your life very often. and so i want to tell the world (or at least my blog readers) how wonderful the mathews family, from kansas city, is and how very appreciative i am that they have come into our lives.

and i can't forget to share how thankful i am to kiele, who continues to be such an angelic, wonderful soul.  the kind of spirit that is beyond anything a parent could instill or teach.  we would never have met the mathews family if it wasn't for kiele and her kind and caring spirit.

i wish i had photos to share of the mathews boys but i don't.  :-(  i only had my camera out for a short, short bit.

she believes in pretty dresses

today is friday. and friday means PE for sky. and that means, according to the letter that came home from sky's PE coaches, tennies and no dress (dresses are strongly discouraged on PE days). well in sky's world, that's one of the worst things that she could be told. i agreed to a skort. but then the shirt she chose to go with it was too long, according to sky. so i let her choose another, which also ended up being too long. but no further clothing changes were allowed.

tears poured because all she really wanted was a dress. the tantrum followed--a complete stomping up and down, yelling, sobbing tantrum. and for those of you who know sky personally...yes, i swear, it's true. the tantrum persisted for about 30 minutes (all the way to school) and resulted in a punishment--no dresses for a week. all her dresses (all 27 of them) were pulled out of her drawer and are sitting in a pile here on the living room floor. UGH!

i walked sky into the classroom today because when we arrived at her school, she was still sniffly, with puffy red eyes. the teacher immediately noticed and asked me what was wrong. we stepped into the hallway and i shared what happened. and then sky's teacher shared her dress story:

on the first day of school the kids did a self-portrait project. they drew their face on a paper plate and colored clothing (shirt and pants) and glued all the pieces together.  the project became a gift for the parents at the following day's open house. well i guess skyler asked her teacher, ms. A, if she had any skirts sky could color b/c she would NEVER wear a pair of pants. which is the exact reason i have been buying lots of leggings--for sky to wear in kansas' winter months, under her DRESSES!

and then today i found this most wonderful original painting on etsy, perfect for my skyler, who so believes in pretty dresses! i ordered this print for sky's room, along with two others.  you can see all of di's available paintings here on etsy. i adore them all!

and when sky gets home from school, the thing she loves to do most is change out of her school dress and into a princess dress.

man, there are so many fabulous treasures to be found on etsy, another place i could spend a whole lot of time. happy friday!