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
i saw this in an academy of art university ad quite a while ago and forgot that i had it saved as a blog draft. i love it so!
my portfolio is me.
everything that i am
and it's everything that i'm not.
it's my strengths and my weaknesses.
it's my self-confidence and -esteem.
my past.
my present.
and most definitely my future.
my portfolio is where i'm going.
where i've been.
and the places i shouldn't have been and shouldn't go.
it's everything.
it's my inspiration and never finished.
always a work in progress.
it's everything i've ever seen, heard, touched, smelled, sensed and believed.
it's my worst fears
and all my hopes
all at the same time.
it's the beginning of the beginning and the end of an era.
and so much more than a phase.
it's my portfolio and describing it
is describing me.
i wish i could find an artist that could make a cool print out of these words. i think it's rather brilliant and would love the words up on my wall!
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i've always said that i'd love to one day attend photography school. it's just something that i feel i need to do. one of those things. and...i just noticed that the academy of art university's school of photography offers online AA, BFA and MFA programs. hmmm...i might have to investigate this some more.
and since a post just doesn't seem complete without a photo, i'll share this one. i dug it out of the archives today, for a friend (sending her some strength and hope). sky, taken in 2008. sigh...she's grown up so much since then.
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.
you can find inspiration in everything. and if you can't, look again.- paul smith
my san diego trip was awesome. short but so, so awesome. shot amazing families and was able to spend some time with great friends. both families i photographed have incredible stories, which i was going to write about below, but i think i'll highlight them in their own blog posts this coming week.
when i walked into the C family's home, for their session, i immediately noticed a book, standing tall and beautifully displayed on their bookshelf--you can find inspiration in everything, by paul smith. of course, i was immediately drawn to the title and the cover is pretty delightful looking too.
when i was getting ready to leave, i was handed the book as a gift, with the following inscription:
To Deb,
So true, you can always find inspiration in people.
You are so special and talented.
Hugs, N, M & K
what a glorious, thoughtful gift. i put it in my backpack and read it the entire flight home. i'm now halfway through and it's an awesome book. i absolutely love it! paul smith is an extremely successful fashion designer and photography hobbyist in england. he shares his journey and life insights throughout the book. here's just a few things that he's shared, which i love:
i love life. i feel very privileged. i sometimes think i'm going to step into the street and get hit by a bus because i've had so many brilliant days for so long. i think: "why have i been so lucky?" i never assume anything. i never assume that i'm always going to be healthy, or happy, or that business is always going to be successful. those things keep me grounded.
over the years so many designers who are better than me have come and gone. i think what i have, and what they didn't have, was the ability to turn ideas into marketable ideas. i don't think i'm an exceptional designer. i think i've always been consistently good, which i feel is an achievement. i'd really just like to be remembered as a nice bloke.
it's very easy to think you've made it; i'm doing very well--my business has a turnover of about 315 million pounds--but i don't consider that i can ease off. i'm still happy to work very hard because i love it and because in this game you have never made it.
you have to keep your sense of self or else there's little point in carrying on.
i'm not motivated by power or money. what i am motivated by is just a brilliant day. every day.
along with being a good read, he shares magical bits of goodness and there's even some cool photography. so thank you C family...from the bottom of my heart, i thank you! a treasured gift indeed, which proudly graces my living room coffee table.
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and then on the flight home, i was glancing through spirit, the airplane magazine, and came across an article entitled your entrepreneur handbook. and it was there that i read this powerful message:
chase the vision, not the money. make sure that your business has a greater purpose beyond the bottom line. figure out what you'd be so passionate about doing that you'd be happy doing it for 10 years even if you made no money from it. and then go do it. the ironic thing is that if you are actually chasing the vision and not the money, the money will follow because your customers and employees will be able to sense your passion, and they will want to help you succeed.
the words were from tony hsieh, founder of zappos, when he was asked, what is the best advice you can give a new entrepreneur?
OH MY GOSH! how this speaks to me. his words are so true and powerful.
discover your passion and go for it.
love what you're doing.
be happy.
have a greater purpose.
and you will never look back.
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.
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.
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.
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 thesethings, 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...
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 projecthere.
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 ;-)
it's been a journey--a journey of passion and friendship. a journey, which began about a year ago, with phone conversations amongst two friends. and in may, evolved to the beginning of a blog. and now i'm so excited to officially announce the give ten project. it's a project created by my friend, steph beaty, and i. and the most exciting thing is that it's only just beginning and we can't wait to see where it goes. one thing that's for sure...our hearts are open!
what is the give ten project about? well, here's our mission statement:
give ten: 10 percent of your time and profits to causes greater than yourself.
it’s a whisper to anyone who’s listening - starting with photographers around the globe. give ten. give it selflessly. give it joyfully. you *can* do it. not sure where to start? how about by giving something? the links on the right are just a few starting points. give with your camera. give with your wallet. it’s simple, gratifying and freeing.
once you start, you’ll never work the same way again. so, stop just doing business — and start giving business.
are you with us?
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have an idea?
want to share a giving link?
or just hoping you'll say hello.
visit and share with us here!
let me introduce you to my friend, erin.erin used to shoot people.
and dogs.
but her passion was really just dogs.
her dream was to shoot dogs and only dogs (and an occasional cat).
we had a long talk one day about...
following your passion and dreams.
and erin did!
i'm so proud of erin and how things have evolved with her business. she is one person that has been true to herself and followed her heart...and she has created the most amazing portfolio and business, in doing so. her work is absolutely magnificent. without a doubt, erin is going to be wildly famous one day and i can't wait for that day (and i mean ridiculously wildly famous!). for now, i'm excited to watch her journey and the magic she creates.
love you erin!
and as i always tell you, i'm so proud of you and what you have done.
another awesome something i found on zack's blog. and jeremy cowart is behind this incredible idea. my wheels are turning. i have ideas. and i've already sent some emails to other photographers.
check out the help-portrait sitehere. excited to be part of this movement. can't wait to see where it goes.
and if you're not a photographer, but know a photographer involved, think about ways that you too can be a part. you never know what's possible!
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.
for the love of doing what your heart and soul was meant to do...and believing in yourself.
this is passion.
this is inspirational.
this gave me the chills.
WOW!
i can't embed the video but you can watch it here!
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.
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!
watching akeelah and the bee last night, with my family, warmed my soul. it was such a great, great movie. i laughed. i cried. my heart was filled with joy. i even love the movie's tag line: changing the world...one word at a time.
in the movie, mr. larabee introduced this awesome quote, by marianne williamson, to akeelah:
Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness, that most frightens us. We ask ourselves, who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, and fabulous? Actually, who are you not to be? You are a child of God. Your playing small doesn't serve the world. There's nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people won't feel insecure around you. We are all meant to shine, as children do. We are born to make manifest the glory of God that is within us. It's not just in some of us, it's in everyone. And as we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same. As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others.
and then while catching up on blogs, i found this glorious, inspiring blog (from hailey's blog, which i so love and have mentioned here before). it is there that i read these fabulous 50 lessons, written by regina brett, when she turned 50. another one of those writings to print and read often.
50 LIFE LESSONS
1. Life isn't fair, but it's still good.
2. When in doubt, just take the next small step.
3. Life is too short to waste time hating anyone.
4. Don't take yourself so seriously. No one else does.
5. Pay off your credit cards every month.
6. You don't have to win every argument. Agree to disagree.
7. Cry with someone. It's more healing than crying alone.
8. It's OK to get angry with God. He can take it.
9. Save for retirement starting with your first paycheck.
10. When it comes to chocolate, resistance is futile.
11. Make peace with your past so it won't screw up the present.
12. It's OK to let your children see you cry.
13. Don't compare your life to others'. You have no idea what their journey is all about.
14. If a relationship has to be a secret, you shouldn't be in it.
15. Everything can change in the blink of an eye. But don't worry; God never blinks.
16. Life is too short for long pity parties. Get busy living, or get busy dying.
17. You can get through anything if you stay put in today.
18. A writer writes. If you want to be a writer, write.
19. It's never too late to have a happy childhood. But the second one is up to you and no one else.
20. When it comes to going after what you love in life, don't take no for an answer.
21. Burn the candles, use the nice sheets, wear the fancy lingerie. Don't save it for a special occasion. Today is special.
22. Overprepare, then go with the flow.
23. Be eccentric now. Don't wait for old age to wear purple.
24. The most important sex organ is the brain.
25. No one is in charge of your happiness except you.
26. Frame every so-called disaster with these words: "In five years, will this matter?"
27. Always choose life.
28. Forgive everyone everything.
29. What other people think of you is none of your business.
30. Time heals almost everything. Give time time.
31. However good or bad a situation is, it will change.
32. Your job won't take care of you when you are sick. Your friends will. Stay in touch.
33. Believe in miracles.
34. God loves you because of who God is, not because of anything you did or didn't do.
35. Whatever doesn't kill you really does make you stronger.
36. Growing old beats the alternative - dying young.
37. Your children get only one childhood. Make it memorable.
38. Read the Psalms. They cover every human emotion.
39. Get outside every day. Miracles are waiting everywhere.
40. If we all threw our problems in a pile and saw everyone else's, we'd grab ours back.
41. Don't audit life. Show up and make the most of it now.
42. Get rid of anything that isn't useful, beautiful or joyful.
43. All that truly matters in the end is that you loved.
44. Envy is a waste of time. You already have all you need.
45. The best is yet to come.
46. No matter how you feel, get up, dress up and show up.
47. Take a deep breath. It calms the mind.
48. If you don't ask, you don't get.
49. Yield.
50. Life isn't tied with a bow, but it's still a gift.
i've only just begun to dive into the serendipity factory blog but had to post about it. i could find myself there all day and night--watching, reading and soaking in every bit of the goodness and inspiration it has to offer. definitely a new fav, already added to my google reader.
a few things that warm my soul...
the goodness in this world.
the inspiration and creativity of others.
spending time with my family and friends.
i'm excited to be making lots of trips back to san diego to shoot ( end of august, mid and end of september and the end of october). i had a number of clients email over the past few months, sharing that they wanted to reserve a fall session. after booking all the clients that had previously emailed, i still have a few sessions available.
september 25th 8 AM
september 25th 5 PM
please email me (deb@debsphotographs.com), if interested in reserving one of the above session dates.
also, i have a client that emailed me the other day and wants to fly me to san diego to photograph her family. i'm still working on my exact flight plans but i will have one or two sessions available the weekend of september 11th. if you are interested in a session that weekend, please email.
enthusiasm is excitement with inspiration, motivation and a pinch of creativity.- bo bennett
i had another blog post planned for tonight (actually for the past few days) but oh well. tonight has become about sharing inspiration and gratitude.
i met up with kelley, from kelley photo, for dinner tonight. and although we never actually had dinner, we had the most amazing time. we shared. we laughed. and while we're both photographers, most of our conversation was not about photography--but rather life and inspiration--which was refreshing and wonderful. she's refreshing and wonderful!!
one of the things that i shared with kelley was maggie doyne's blog. yes, again. i know. and well, i don't care because the world should know about maggie. as i shared maggie's story with kelley, we both got chills because maggie is an inspiration to all, young and old! if you haven't looked at maggie's blog yet...just look. you'll be hooked!
and nie nie. i actually think i learned of nie nie dialogues last year, in the airport, on my way home from hawaii, visiting steve...the same time i so sadly learned about max's passing. i had always felt that everyone must have heard about stephanie and been to her blog and therefore, i hadn't posted about her in the past. but today, boho girl shared about nie nie and i just wanted to share too. some words that immediately come to mind when i think about stephanie--beautiful, courageous, inspiring, strong, incredible, loving, and selfless. she is a true survivor, in every sense of the word, with the most unwavering faith. if you haven't heard stephanie's story and/or read her nie nie dialogues, you must go look. you will be inspired beyond words by her (and her family's) beauty and strength. truly and deeply. to the core!
lastly, i wanted to post about something personal, as a result of visiting tara's blog today. tara posted photos that she recently took of three friends--three friends, who met in nursing school 20 years ago and got together recently to celebrate one of them turning 40. i couldn't help but think about where i am today and who i'm here with.
my friend, gwenn, and i were air force nurses together in tucson, AZ, 10 years ago. she left in 1999, to become an AF air traffic controller. i stayed in tucson, to finish nursing grad school. i later got re-married to a navy guy (my wonderful husband, steve) and got out of the AF. gwenn married an AF guy and got out of the AF. having husbands in different services, doing way different jobs (gwenn's husband fly's A-10s and steve takes apart bombs), we knew the chances of us ever being stationed together were one in a million. well...here we are. our husbands both got assigned to fort leavenworth's general command and staff college (a one-year army school). i mean seriously...what are the chances?! and...while here, i'll be turning 40. so it's a year to celebrate. a year to cherish. a year stationed with one of my best friends, who i never thought i'd be stationed with and will most likely never again. a year of incredible family time. a year of celebrating the beauty of turning 40. i'm here for a reason, for sure.
where did this guy come from? his message is unbelievable. he was meant to come into the lives of millions and i fully believe he will.
if there's one video you take the time to watch, whether it be today, this week or this month, make sure this one is it. you need 10 minutes. that's all!
i promise you will be inspired--
to work harder, be better, think positively.
to live, dream, have goals and be patient.
so please (yes, i really am begging you), take 10 minutes and let derrick touch your life, as he has touched mine.
this is another one of zack's videos that will bring you to tears, inspire you beyond words and have you longing to watch it time and time again.
thank you zack for recognizing derrick's message and taking the time to share it with all of us!!
