be present

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where are you? what are you doing? do you know what you want? are you listening? pay attention. stay focused. stop looking at your phone and computer. turn them off. put them away. be here. now. in the present. be with who you're with. talk with them. live with them. take some time. think. do you understand who you are? what you were called to do? pause. take it all in. what is your community? who is your community? what does local mean to you? do you have a presence? if you left your community, would you leave a mark? lead in the place you're called to. don't worry about the past. the future will come later. it's all about now. here. go all in. be rooted. when you're home, be home. focus. look at the big picture. be present. - adapted from a 'catalyst' mailer

19-jan-12-11-Edit

i received the above quote in an email the other day, from hands & voices, a non-profit deaf | hard-of-hearing organization.  and it basically stopped me in my tracks. i read it. and re-read it. and read it again. and it's had me thinking ever since. i long to be present -- i mean REALLY present -- in my life, in the lives of those i love and care about, and in all that i do. i think being truly present is such a gift. and something i will be vigorously striving for in 2012.

are you present?

a workshop giveaway

in ,

i'm super excited to be starting another breaking the mold online workshop this monday.  and i'm thrilled to be offering the following workshop giveaway package:

HOW DO YOU ENTER? all you have to do is...

  • like deb schwedhelm photography and the bloom forum on facebook
  • share about the giveaway on a social media site (e.g. facebook, twitter, etc.), with a link back to this blog post
  • post a comment below that you've done the above

i'll be randomly selecting the winner this sunday! comments will close saturday at 9 PM EST.

already registered for the workshop? no worries, if you're randomly selected, i'll refund your workshop registration payment. already a bloom forum member? no worries, your subscription will be extended an additional three months.

cleanse | days 10-12

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DAY 10 -- breakfast: smoothie [protein, fiber, bee pollen, water, almond milk, raspberries, pineapple, spinach] snack: apple with almond butter lunch: [applegate] chicken sausage, lettuce, spinach, mushrooms, avocado & hummus wrapped in brown rice tortilla snack:  none dinner:  smoothie [protein, fiber, coconut water, raspberries, mango, kale]

while i was so hungry the previous three days, day 10 brought something different -- i was actually full after lunch and stayed satisfied the rest of the day.  well, i stayed hungry until we went to a 10 PM movie and oh...the smell of movie popcorn.

HELL YEA -- HALFWAY THERE!!!!!!

DAY 11 --

breakfast: smoothie [protein, fiber, bee pollen, flax meal, coconut water, mixed berries, pineapple, spinach, kale] snack: none lunch: smoothie [protein, fiber, bee pollen, flax meal, coconut water, mixed berries, pineapple, spinach, kale] snack:  none dinner: grilled chicken with side salad and 1/2 larabar [at restaurant at the polynesian hotel, disney world]

today was supposed to be disney world but the parks were so crowded, we decided not to go to any parks.  but we did go visit our friends, who were in orlando, from pennsylvania.  since i wanted to eat dinner with everyone, i decided to do a smoothie for breakfast and lunch and dinner at a restaurant [with our friends]. all went well with no cheating but i sure did want a sip of steve's jalapeno margarita and a bite of his white chocolate cheesecake. oh yea, i really wanted some of the fresh right-out-of-the-oven hawaiian bread too; it smelled amazing.

DAY 12 --

breakfast: smoothie [protein, fiber, bee pollen, flax meal, coconut water, mixed berries, pineapple, spinach, kale] snack: none lunch: salad of lettuce, avocado & black beans [at mexican restaurant at epcot] snack:  none dinner: a couple of beers

yes, you read right, i had a couple of beers at dinner. we spent the day with friends at epcot center and ended up at 'the house of blues' in downtown disney, for dinner. we sat on the patio, listening to awesome live music. we ate [well everyone except me], we drank and the kids played and played and played. we didn't get back home last night until about 10:30 PM and exhausted, i went right to bed. so it's now the morning of the 13th day and i'm back at it but feel pretty much like shit. i'm tired and way, way dehydrated right now.  but it sure was an awesome day and evening spent with our friends, who had flown in from DC. hoping to get my body back on track today.

you can find my original post regarding this clean program cleanse here.

a couple of iphone photos...

i love you...

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after weeks of cutting out letters and words, my kids and i made this the other night -- an 'i love you' collage on a 20x20 canvas. and i love it so!

originally inspired by this 'i love you' collage

next, i'm going to make the 'I WILL SURVIVE' pot from this post.

ETA:  i've been getting some questions regarding how i made my 'i love you' collage.  so, here's what i did...

i started with a 20x20 canvas purchased from michaels. i didn't want the background stark white so we painted it a light beige. then the kids and i spent weeks cutting out letters from magazines, junk mail, etc. -- all shapes and sizes. to place the letters, i painted a layer of modge podge and then began sticking 'i love you' letters and words. the hard part is making sure that a complete word goes all the way to the edge, so begin thinking about this when you get close. once i had a few rows done, i modge podged on top of the letters. once the entire collage was done, i did a final two layers of modge podge on the entire thing. note: we were very low on Vs and Ys and had to do some more cutting of those letters. it was quite a time consuming but worth every minute!! it was super fun seeing how creative the kids got with the letter cutting -- a dragon's tail became a letter O, an eye became a letter I.

cleanse | days 7-9

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DAY 7 --breakfast: smoothie [protein, fiber, bee pollen, water, blueberries, pineapple, kale] snack: none lunch: chicken, hummus, avocado, spinach & lettuce wrapped in a brown rice tortilla. carrots on the side. snack: pineapple dinner: smoothie [protein, fiber, water, mango, pineapple, kale]

another day of feeling great.  although i did feel more hungry than the previous few days. and i was up really late and so hungry by 1 AM, i could barely stand it.

and so begins week two.  YAY!

DAY 8 -- breakfast: smoothie [protein, fiber, bee pollen, flax meal, water, almond milk, blueberries] snack: apple with almond butter and juice [celery, beets, ginger, apple] lunch: a bowl chicken, spinach & mushroom soup and lara bar snack: carrots with hummus dinner: smoothie [protein, fiber, water, peach, pineapple, kale]

woke up and was certain my stomach was eating itself, i was so hungry. and the hunger continued throughout the entire day.  i was never satisfied...thought about food all day and dreamt about what my first meal will be post-cleanse.  besides being hungry, i felt great and even climbed the stairs, which also felt great. now to get my butt to yoga [why can't they have more morning yoga times?].

DAY 9 -- breakfast: smoothie [protein, fiber, bee pollen, water, peaches, raspberries, spinach] snack:  none lunch:  [applegate] chicken sausage, lettuce, spinach, avocado, drizzle of homemade dressing, wrapped in brown rice tortilla and 1/2 of a larabar [larabar = dessert] snack:  a few carrots dinner: smoothie [protein, fiber, water, almond milk, raspberries, pineapple]

while i was feeling good, day 9 was a day of wanting to be done.  i longed for a regular meal.  my tea was boring.  i was never satisfied throughout the day.  2-5 PM are my witching hours, for this cleanse.  thank goodness i'm doing this with a friend.  we gripe to one another. we share with one another. we support and encourage one another.

+++

i was reading about breaking bad habits last night and something i read shared about replacing a bad habit with a good one, e.g. replacing coffee with tea. sounds fine and dandy but all i can think about is having coffee again. but maybe that's because i'm not so committed to giving up coffee, when this is done. i've already said that i'm going back to coffee. i just am. so i guess i don't consider my coffee such a bad habit.

let day 10 begin. although i already really, really want a cup of coffee.  it smells so, so good!  and i have no idea how i'm going to manage days 11 and 12, being at disney world.

the coffee, that steve left behind when he left this morning, which i longed for but didn't have...

fav finds | week thirteen

in ,

something i try to teach my kids and always remember myself [source unknown].

love the thought of an envelope journal, to not only journal, but also collect important things from throughout the year.

so smart.

i really want pretty hangers. at least a few of them, for the  littles' room. hope to make someday.

can't wait to start photographing in the water again. love this photograph.

so love this idea of tracing the outline of famous art works and then letting the kids color them. here's how she does it.

sometimes a roar. sometimes a quiet voice.

would so love to have steve make this bookshelf. no room in this house; maybe our next house in a couple years.

love this idea for valentine's day cards. a template to allow your child to draw each child in their class and then attach candy.

oh pretty terrarium, how i want you so. but i'm afraid i might kill you, like i do all the other plants.

maybe i should start with this. yes, i'm so making one of these pots.

still dreaming about my partial tattoo sleeve. goodness, her sleeves are beautiful. [source unknown]

OMG, this photo melts my heart.

simple words [source unknown].

last but not least, this video rocks!

fight for air CLIMB 2012

in ,

i'm super excited to be participating again this year, in the american lung association's fight for air climb!! and my training has officially begun. at least this year, i'll be training for three months instead of three weeks. and my fundraising has begun... i'm raising funds for the american lung association and the fight against lung disease.  on march 26th, i'll be climbing the 42 flights of stairs (914 steps) of the bank of america plaza in downtown tampa.

my goal is to raise $200.

i hope you'll join me in my efforts...to make an impact in the lives of the over 35 million americans who are living with lung disease. your donation will help in the funding of the american lung association's life saving research, education and advocacy efforts.

to donate, simply click here, to view my fundraising page.

thank you so much for your support!

cleanse | days 4-6

in

DAY 4 --breakfast: smoothie [protein, fiber, water, ice, mango, pineapple, kale, spinach] snack: guacamole with a few brown rice crackers & half lara bar lunch: chicken with lettuce, onion and homemade dressing [kind of boring] snack: apple with almond butter [although i really wasn't hungry] dinner: smoothie [protein, fiber, water, ice, mango, pineapple, cantaloupe, kale, spinach]

day four was an overall great day. no ailments. and very productive day around the house -- cleaning, organizing, purging. my meals seem to be rather satisfying.

DAY 5 -- breakfast: smoothie [protein, fiber, water, ice, mixed berries, kale, spinach] snack: carrots with hummus lunch: chicken & avocado on bed of spinach [boring!] snack: none dinner: smoothie [protein, fiber, water, ice, mango, pineapple, spinach]

felt great. lots of energy. very productive. working hard to cleanse other areas of my life, along with cleansing my mind, body and soul [e.g. my to-do list]. i did get a bit of a headache in the evening, but it wasn't anything terrible. stayed up late and got super hungry around 10 PM.

DAY 6 -- breakfast: smoothie [protein, fiber, bee pollen, water, mixed berries, spinach] snack: none lunch: chicken, spinach, lettuce, avocado & hummus wrapped in brown rice tortilla snack: none dinner: smoothie [protein, fiber, flax meal, water, ice, mango, pineapple, kale]

day six was another great day. no ailments. lots of energy. busy day checking things off my to-do list. not really hungry at all. kids and steve had steak and mashed potatoes for dinner and then went for ice cream. not being able to eat the same dinner with my family is one of the toughest things about this program, for me. as i shared in a previous post, i do plan on eating two dinners with my family each week and on those days, i'll have a smoothie for breakfast and lunch.

what a difference days 4-6 have been compared to days 1-3, which were really tough. while i am getting a bit bored with my smoothies and the food in general, i have felt great these past few days. i fantasize about food-cheating many times throughout each day, but have yet to cheat. if only i could have all vegetables, butter, bananas and strawberries. and i really miss my morning coffee. i will most likely get back to stair-training tomorrow and still hope to try yoga [maybe next week]. we're headed to disney world sunday and monday, which should be VERY interesting [yes, i plan on sticking to the cleanse, while at disney].

lastly, i've talked to my kids about what i'm doing and they all seem to understand and support me. it's important to me that they realize that this is a short-term cleanse and that i am not dieting.

i really can't believe that at the end of today, i will have doing this a full WEEK! if interested in learning why i started the clean program, check out my initial post here. and have a question, feel free to ask.

inspiring living

in ,

there seems to be so many [12, 52, 365, etc.] photography projects out there these days!  personally, when i take on a  photography project, it has to really make sense to me, mean something to me, have a a reason behind it. for example, i took on 'what ____ looks like', to challenge myself to take more everyday photographs of my family. but with that being said, you never know where a project might take you... this is an incredible story. an incredible project -- a self-portrait project that inspired getting out of the 9-to-5 cubicle and living and enjoying life. what a story (be sure to keep watching).

cleanse | days 1-3

in

i decided to share my journey with the clean program, for anyone that might be interested in doing this cleanse in the future... i'm doing the clean program with my dear friend, em (thank goodness!!).  i can't share how much it has already helped, doing the cleanse with a friend -- sharing our food choices, different ideas, our moans & groans, etc. we both decided that we would skip the elimination diet and just go right into the cleanse.  i had already been eating well since new year's eve, so i considered those few days an ALMOST-elimination diet.

DAY 1 -- breakfast: smoothie (protein, fiber, water, almond milk, spinach, kale, berries & pineapple) shot of brown rice protien powder (mixed in 4 oz water) lunch: roasted chicken & quinoa salad dinner: organic split pea soup (kind of gross)

i start each morning with a glass of water and probiotics. then i have a cup of green tea. i wait an hour or so before having my smoothie. i gagged like crazy on the protein powder, to the point that i had tears strolling down my cheeks. i already had tried the rice protein powder in my smoothie the day before and it was terrible. sooo...my rice protein powder was dumped in the trash. and i've switched to whey for now. i also purchased the program's nourish powder and will see how that compares.

i was pretty hungry the first day and basically thought about food all day. i climbed 42 flights of stairs (training for this). although i don't think i'm going to do that again until i'm through a full week of the cleanse. my calves still hurt three days later.

my biggest complaints on day one were that i had this weird cotton mouth feeling all day, even though i was very well hydrated and i had the most raging, killer headache at night. i laid on the couch at 6:30 PM and never got back up, until i went to bed at 9:30 PM.

DAY 2 -- breakfast: smoothie (protein, fiber, water, almond milk, spinach, kale, berries & pineapple) snack: carrots & homemade hummus lunch: applegate chicken sausage, a few bites of quinoa & 1/2 lara bar snack: 1/2 lara bar dinner: smoothie (protein, fiber, water, almond butter, kale, berries & pineapple)

day two went pretty well. i was less hungry and no raging headache. my head did nag a bit at one point but no big deal. the toughest part of the day was when my family had pizza and i had my smoothie. went to bed at 10:30. overall, a pretty good, satisfying, not too hungry kind of day.

DAY 3 -- breakfast: smoothie (protein, fiber, water, almond milk, spinach, kale, berries, mango & pineapple) snack: carrots with hummus lunch: smoothie (protein, fiber, water, spinach, berries) snack: some fresh pineapple & a bit of guacamole with brown rice chips (skyler said the chips taste like paper) dinner: chicken burger, avocado & onions on a bed of lettuce and spinach with homemade salad dressing (dijon, oil, vinegar, lemon)

i've decided that i'm going to eat a couple dinners with my family every week.  so i did liquid for breakfast and lunch and burgers with my family for dinner. :-)  my back bothered me all day -- kind of aching, kind of hurting.  by the end of the night, my back was killing me along with another headache. i'm assuming it's all part of my body working to detox all the crap out.

all in all, the first few days were a wee bit painful. i had the cotton mouth, headache, backache and felt a bit sluggish and cloudy-headed. but today, the beginning of day four, i'm feeling pretty good. i feel less fluffy-puffy already and that feels awesome. no ailments at the moment, but i KNOW that could easily change throughout the day. the thing that bothers me the most is that my thoughts are always on food. normally, i never think about food. i eat when i'm hungry and that's it. i'm not usually a bad eater except during the holidays, when i get into the cakes, pies & cookies. also, it's not easy to prepare my daily meals separately from the rest of the family's meals. it takes a lot of time, thought, commitment and will-power (as i smell donuts, coffee, pizza, etc. that my family is eating).

to read why i'm doing the cleanse or simply learn a bit more about the clean program, check out my blog post HERE.

fav finds | week twelve

in

can't wait to make these once i'm done with the cleanse. i'll probably replace regular flour with coconut or almond flour.

such a beautiful photo. can't wait to shoot in some fog. it's been a long time.

i want to get this print for my kids' room.

i love absolutley everything about this little space.

such a cool window, reflection, self-portrait shot.

i want...

would love to have a terrarium in my house one day. using air plants is such a great idea, especially for me, who has a magenta thumb.

i am an artist!

adore every bit of becky earl's work and super love her new year's resolution she shared today.

wise words from a dear friend of mine.

love this 'don't be a di*k during meals with friends idea, although i personally would love to take it even further and implement with family time .

a perfect example of the joy, beauty, awesomeness, treasure...of capturing the everyday.

these look so good. trying to figure out a way that i can make them without dipping in egg (no egg for me right now).

last but not least, the clean program makes it to my fav finds this week. i decided to make yesterday the first official day of my 21-day cleanse and i have to say -- it really sucked!!  it was the raging headache that set me over the edge last night. but this comment, on my yesterday's post, has me so inspired.  i KNOW this is the right thing for me.  thank you reb!!

I'm planning to start my 3rd annual Clean cleanse in about 2 weeks.  I love love love the Clean program and plan to always do a cleanse each January - it's the perfect way to re-set your body after the holiday season and at the start of a new year.  You'll feel incredible - even after just a few days.  I have found though that I spend quite a bit of time each day preparing food and after a week or so feel like I'm getting nothing done except the cleanse.  It helps to plan ahead and to make food/smoothies for a couple days.  I'll cook enough salmon/chicken/whatever for a few lunches or make enough smoothie to last in a fridge for a few days as well.  I also plan to cook very simply for my family during that time since it sucks having to make dinner for them and then a smoothie or soup for myself.  But, even with the extra planning it helps to understand that the cleanse does add one pretty big thing to your to do list each day and that simplifying elsewhere is often necessary.  Anyway, I hope you love it.  Whenever I get sick of it or felt hungry I always remind myself: this is the kindest thing I can do for myself right now. Good luck!

need to reset

in

i've been eating like shit. i haven't worked out in months. i've been drinking way too much (coffee & beer). i've haven't been very positive about things (especially about living in tampa). i'm fluffy-puffy -- just all around YUCK! i need to reset. i need to cleanse. i need to detox. i need to rejuvenate.

and that's exactly what i'm going to do.

i'm starting the clean program -- a 21-day cleanse, designed by cardiologist, dr junger. the basic premise of the clean program is that give the right conditions, your body has the ability to heal itself and achieve optimal health.  dr junger shares that many of the symptoms we suffer from (headaches, fatigue, weight gain, negativity, etc.) are caused by toxin build-up, which is readily accumulated throughout our everyday lives.  the clean program allows your body to reactivate your detoxification system, supports the detox process nutritionally and enhances elimination. there's also a lot of basic questions answered here.

i just finished reading the clean book and i have to say, i loved it. i have always believed in functional medicine and that's what dr junger is all about (a mix of eastern and western medicine).

today, i'm starting a 3-day elimination diet (strict diet of three meals of approved foods from this list, on page 8. and yes, i know...the forbidden food list is crazy.) then i will start the 21-day cleanse, which will consist of a liquid meal (shake, juice or soup) for breakfast and dinner and a regular meal (made from the approved foods list) for dinner. there's a whole bunch of recipes here and they really don't seem too bad. and i can snack when i'm hungry.

there's also supplements to take while doing the cleanse. dr junger's program charges $250-425 but you can also buy your own substitutive supplements, which is what i did (see below).

i'm hoping to get back to regularly working out too.  i'm starting to stair-train today, which should prove interesting since i'm so out of shape right now.  my goal is to eventually get back to crossfitting, which i haven't done since september. and i'd love to try yoga and incorporate it into my weekly routine.

as i was reading dr junger's book, i reminisced about how amazing i felt when i was crossfitting and eating a paleo(ish) diet. at the time, i was also getting lots of compliments on my skin. i always attributed this to the the exercise, but now i truly believe it was just as much my diet, as it was the exercise.

i know there's the skeptics, naysayers, cleanse-haters out there but i'm ready and excited for this -- a mind, body and soul reset. this cleanse just seems to make sense to me. my husband supports me. and i also plan to talk to my kids about what i'm doing, why i'm doing it, etc.

here's my BASIC CLEANSE PLAN -- days 1 - 3: elimination diet | three meals each day from approved food list

days 4 - 25: first thing in morning – probiotic with every meal – digest gold two hours after meals -- candizyme lunch - meal from approved food list put in morning & evening smoothies – brown rice protein, fiber, green vibrance (although i'm doing protein powder shot pre-smoothie because it's so gross) every evening – MVI, milk thistle, garlic tab, mag-citrate, vitamin D before bed – 2 TBS olive oil (not sure i'm going to be able to do this)

here's my PLAN FOR TODAY -- breakfast: shot of brown rice protein water morning shake (almond milk, ice, blueberries, mango, kale + fiber) tea

lunch: quinoa salad with chicken if juicer comes, i will also drink a juice (cucumber, celery, carrots, apple, ginger)

dinner: pea soup and spinach salad with dressing (oil, vinegar, dijon), onion, avocado & almonds

snacks, when needed: almonds, apple with almond butter & carrots with hummus

i want to note that i am NOT doing this cleanse to lose weight. yes, i'm a bit puffy-fluffy, but that has nothing to do with my current weight.

i'll keep you posted on how things go and how i feel. i'm hoping to last the full 21 days but we'll see how things go. right now, i'm afraid of the headaches and potential detox symptoms i've read about but from what i've heard, the outcome is amazing. if you are considering this cleanse, i highly recommend starting with the book. and of course, if any doubts or questions, check with your doctor before starting.

ETA: the brown rice protein powder shot (in a bit of water) was even more gross. i gagged like crazy, to the point that tears were strolling down my face. don't think i'll be doing that again.

more than paper

in

a letter delivered on a photographer's doorstep. client's words. not mine this time.

July 2nd, 2011

Jeanine -

Today I am writing for a couple of reasons. I have some quiet time at the moment and need to get a couple of things off my mind. I will leave this for my husband to deliver to you when he is ready.

You photographed my wedding, you photographed my first pregnancy and my first baby. I contacted you awhile back to photograph my 2nd child and family. After getting prices and realizing I would want all of the pictures as we love your work – I decided against spending $500+ – which is what I normally spend for portraits and prints with you.. Please know it is not because I don’t value your amazing eye, or how much we love the experience.

That week that I decided to NOT do a session with you, this is how I spent some money.

On Sunday I called and cancelled our session. Monday I went out and got my hair cut ($39+tip), and colored ($65), Thursday I had my nails done ($24), my family went out to dinner at a somewhat expensive restaurant for no particular reason costing us $79 + tip. This was just 4 days since canceling our session, already totaling over $200 for un necessary things. My nails only lasted about 2 weeks, my hair is gone, and seven weeks passed when I got the phone call from our doctor. It was not something I expected and the cancer has spread very quickly. I will be leaving my husband, my 6 year old girl and my now 2 year old – not by choice. It is very hard for me to talk about it which is why I need to write you.

I watch your Facebook page and your posts about the value of a photo and if I could give back all of those things that I purchased this few weeks after I cancelled my session with you, knowing what I know now, and have that session, well… I would do it in a heartbeat.

Now my time is done and there are no more chances for me. The next time someone cancels a session – my wish is that you forward this letter to them. Time is fragile, it is gone before you know you had it. If you charged $200 for one print it wouldn’t be enough for what it is actually worth. I cringe to think that my priorities were a manicure over a memory to pass onto my babies and husband.

My love and thanks for what you have given us from past photos. I am so sorry that I did not see it as more than paper until now.

Karen L.

original post can be found here.

ETA:  i have to be honest.  i did wonder a bit if the above letter was real, but in the end, i decided that i didn't care (which is why i posted it).  and well, i was just hopeful that it was real. and left it at that.

i was just on my friend, meg's blog, and read this. love what she wrote and so wanted to share it here too.  love meg. love her work. xo.

I dont really care who wrote the letter. I dont really care if the letter was written at all. I dont care what the motives were. I think the message of said letter was interesting and a little heart wrenching, but ok, that’s not really important.

What is important to me is the mayhem that has ensued all around this wild west of the Internet regarding people’s emotions on not the topic of the letter but on the skepticism of whether the letter was real. I woke up this morning to messages pointing me in the direction of my own name in various discussions surrounding the “value” of photography.

Let me say this, and rest assured, I think many of my colleagues feel the same way, although I wont say “we”, just I. I do not care what a group of moms on various message forums think about the value of my art. The venom that I have seen put forward surrounding this letter is incredibly disheartening to me. It appears that women stayed up all night to argue about photography. I have yet to figure out why this topic is such a trigger point for so many mothers, but it seems to be.

What I also find sad, is how this industry has began to define an art. Being a mother, does not define one’s profession. Whether you make pictures, clothing, jewelry or a major advertising campaign, perform surgery or litigate in front of the Supreme Court , you do what you do because you have a talent, not because you are a mother. Talents big and talents small, they are all talents.

I do not care if you take a picture  yourself and spend .64 cents printing it at CVS. I do not care if you hire a photographer who gives you a disc for $100.00. I do not care if you spend $5000.00 on portraits. WHAT I DO CARE ABOUT, is respecting the work of photographers who charge a little and who charge a lot. There is a place for all of us. It is unfathomable to me that women can sit behind a computer screen and spew inarticulate, repulsive words about people who work hard and run their businesses honestly. If you choose not to use any certain photographer, FINE. I will not miss the people who hire someone else and I am sure many of us feel the same way.

So, I have a suggestion in the wake of this mess. Instead of carrying on about this letter and everything else you think about it, just find a picture of your kid(s). Remember how lucky you are to have them. Enjoy the photograph, enjoy the memory. And if you want, take some more. Or hire someone to do it. Find someone who suits your needs and dont worry about everyone else.

what ____ looks like | month five [part II]

in , , , ,

every christmas break, we head to oma and opa's in nevada. they live in an awesome house in carson city, amongst the beauty of the sierra nevadas. we're always hopeful for a white christmas. this year was anything but. when we arrived, it was freezing, hitting the single digits at night. by the time we left, they were having record-breaking temperatures in the 60's. and i think they also made a new no-snow record. but, we had such an awesome time there as we always do. so here's a bit more of what our 10 days, with family in nevada, looks like...

seeing lots of deer.

tons of tree climbing.

sometimes sky climbed too high and needed her uncle's help getting down.

i can't get enough of sky's dirty rolled up pants.

the older cousins, having some time away together.

meeting and playing with new friends. ryder's the only boy cousin, so it's nice that he got to meet a couple boys, from the neighborhood.

the hill, where they spend hours playing.

quite the duo.

the life of the party.

going on a hike.

it took linus a few days to recover from the hike, but i think he had fun.

someone turned seevn and  had a bowling birthday party. we had a blast and definitely plan on bowling as a family more often.

we celebrated his birthday (on his birthday) at home too.

siblings (minus wendy and thomas, who couldn't make it this year).

all of us. i promise oma a group photo every year.

i love that my kids have this time at oma and opa's every year -- time to run, play, explore, climb, hike, camp. and i love it that they're now old enough to spend a few weeks there in the summer too. so many joyful memories being made.

mini-workshop registration | now open

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registration is NOW OPEN for my upcoming breaking the mold online mini-workshop -- jan 23rd through feb 6th.  see all the details below.

some topics that will be discussed are: inspiration creativity thinking outside the box finding your style creating strong images building a strong portfolio

participants will receive the following: an honest and intimate look at my photography style and business three assignments followed by feedback an inspirational e-book a lensbaby discount code and a a few special giveaways

registration details: 1. this workshop is for bloom forum members only. if interested in registering for my mini-workshop but not a yet a member, you can join the forum (for 3, 6 or 12 months), by clicking the bloom logo below... The Bloom Forum 2. once a bloom member, you can then register for the workshop in the 'mini-workshops information' section, found here. 3. the workshop will run from monday, January 23rd – monday, February 6th, with posts | interaction daily. 4. active seats are $200.00 per seat. 5. silent/read-a-long seats are $150.00 per seat. 6. the private mini-workshop information will be available for one month after the workshop ends. 7. there is also a private section for all past breaking the mold participants, to continue  interacting and sharing with one another.

and here's what a few former breaking the mold participants had to say when the workshop was done:

I am sad that our time has come to an end in your new workshop ‘Breaking the Mold’. I have enjoyed it immensely.

We so often second-guess our instincts and I have learned lately that mine are very loud and rarely go away. It is funny too, I don’t often shy away from it, unless there is fear involved – fear of rejection, fear of not being validated, fear of moving forward, fear of dwelling too much on the past, fear of trying something new, fear of the competition. Your workshop has not only validated me, my strengths, my weaknesses, but it also brought my journey to a whole other level. I hope that I will continue to adapt and transform and ask myself all the questions you asked of us in your workshop. It was fast moving, made me reflect and helped me see things way more clearly. That is a gift.

There are very few people in my life who have truly given me inspiration, made me want to move forward and try something new. But you sure have! You have allowed me to let loose and share in a comfortable and giving environment. You were warm, generous and giving!!! I so appreciated all your candor. In our short two weeks, you have definitely given me confidence, helped me make sense of the issues and doubts I have been feeling for awhile and made me want to be a better me, for my clients and for my family and friends. Everyone needs that someone to get you “unstuck”. Your words, your exercises for us, and your explanation of your own photography has heightened my love and passion for photography so much more than I ever thought possible. - SARA

i’m so sad that our workshop is over, but i just wanted to take a minute to send you a quick note. this was the very first workshop i have ever taken, i had no real expectations. i can tell you that the last three weeks were unlike anything i thought i would experience in a photography workshop… it was almost like therapy for me, really! i am self taught, and have struggled with the mentality that i’m not up to par because i don’t have the piece of paper to prove that i deserve to be here. i finally think i’m starting to see that i don’t need to be technically perfect to be great at what i do. really, i could ramble on forever but i really just wanted to say thank you! thank you for helping me believe in myself, for bringing so much passion and inspiration to me in a short time and thank you for taking the time to teach us all and for being you!! i have never really surrounded myself with a group of my peers, it’s been an amazing ride. – Lila

I can’t thank you enough for your amazing workshop. It went above and beyond anything I had ever expected. I came into the workshop hoping to learn more about photography, I never dreamed of the personal journey it would take me on or the growth I would have. I have come away appreciating my vision as an artist and not worrying about others. Thank you from the bottom of my heart for being so open and honest. I have grown leaps and bounds and look forward to continuing to grow even more. - STEPHANIE

what ____ looks like | month five

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i'm a bit short on words with this post because we just returned from our nevada vacation. we arrived home on the 31st, picked up charley and headed right back out -- to our friend's house for a new year's eve celebration together.  we spent the night, returning to our house yesterday afternoon.  then it was unpacking, grocery shopping, working on the yard, mail opening, uploading and editing photos, etc. so much to do but i'm ready for things to get back to normal. i'm also ready to get my butt back into shape (ugh!). so... here’s a bit of what 10 days, with family in nevada, looks like...

putting the finishing touches on oma and opa's really tall christmas tree, with the help of uncle joe.

opa sharing photo memories on the laptop, from last summer's visit (all the cousins stayed at oma and opa's together, for three weeks).

dogs, dogs and more dogs. my kids so love them.

there's also lots of games. uncle dan helping ryder with the polar bear puzzle.

ryder and daddy playing battleship together.

and cousins working on the 1000-piece puzzle.

skyler decided she wanted to climb the house's rock wall.

and then the other rock wall.

and finally the rock walls in one of the casinos in reno.

along with walking a tight rope.

ryder played lots of soccer with his uncles.

and with the dogs. sometimes we had to put izzy back in the house because she would actually stop the ball.

skyler finding a new way to sit on the kitchen chairs.

the cousins (minus one) -- ages 7, 8, 8, 9, 10 and 14. kiele spent most of the vacation at her dad's in CA; she joined us on the 28th.

having fun with tires.

our elf found a new friend mixed in with oma's christmas ornaments. even though oma's elf wasn't "real", sky sat him with our elf, joy.

always so much food at oma and opa's. there's something sitting out at all times of the day. and lots of eating, i did.

oma reading the littles 'twas the night before christmas' right before bed, christmas eve.

more tomorrow. :-))

there’s a group of 12 of us participating in this what ____ looks like monthly project.  i hope you’ll check them all out [clicking link to link]. next up… stephanie moore | tucson senior photographer.

someone pinch me

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i couldn't think of a more amazing, incredible, magical way to start 2012... while on vacation in nevada, i decided to change up my website design a bit.  in the process, i realized that i never received a year's worth of contact messages (sent through my website).  one of those messages was sent in october -- from kaitlin, director of communications for the foundation for tomorrow (TFFT). she was inquiring if i'd, by any chance, be interested in photographing for TFFT. after emailing back and forth over a day-and-a-half, it was official...

i will be photographing the foundation's RIDETZ-2012 fundraiser ride in tanzania, from june 8th - 19th. it's a 400-mile bike ride from kilimanjaro to the indian ocean.

TFTT --

Over 46 million children in Africa never step foot in a classroom, and in Tanzania alone there are over one million orphaned children. TFFT’s mission stems from a desire to improve the quality of education while also increasing orphaned and abandoned children’s access to schooling in Tanzania.

and the story, as shared by kaitlin, on how TFTT got started, takes my breath away --

In 2004 Meghann (the executive director) spent a summer in Tanzania researching for her dissertation and volunteering at Nkoranga Orphanage. During her time at the orphanage, she became especially close with Helena, Usufu, and Matayu, orphaned triplets who were four years old at the time.

There are over one million orphaned and abandoned children in Tanzania, and, because of this staggering number, most orphanages only have the resources and capacity to care for children under the age of five. Therefore, with their fifth birthday, children who have not yet found a home "age out" of orphanages and are pushed to live on the streets.

Helena, Usufu, and Matayu were approaching their fifth birthday, and Meghann could not bear to think of what would happen to them. Feeling helpless, she sent an email to her family and friends explaining the situation and asking for contributions to send the children to boarding school in Tanzania where they would receive quality education and have a nice place to live. She received an overwhelmingly positive response, and Helena, Usufu, and Matayu became TFFT's unofficial first Scholarship Students.

The triplets are now vibrant eleven-year-old tweens--you will meet them this summer! They are thriving at Usa River Academy, the private boarding school in Tanzania where the majority of our Scholarship Students attend school. We currently have 76 children on full scholarship, and that number will increase to over 80 in 2012.

i cannot believe i'm going to have this life-changing opportunity. how did this happen? to me? i feel more than blessed. AN ABSOLUTE DREAM COME TRUE!!

fav finds | week eleven

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decided to prioritize my DIY favorites, for the new year. hoping to work on these projects in the coming months. silhouette pictures

painted animal-topped jars

billy buttons

finish this calendar journal project

because i have an owl obsession and the kids would love to do this.

need to remember to show steve this since our storage shelving is falling apart

this too, for around the pool.

yarn-wrapped sticks

and words

really want to get started on this long-term 'i love you' collage

get all my photographs hung

must remember to not throw out toilet paper tubes.

want to do this today, from oma & opa's in NV to our home in FL.

one of my absolute most important DIYs in 2012 is to learn and shoot video of my family. and i love heather's yearly new year's video tradition idea.  i might just tweak this idea and add questions to my annual family book -- have the kids complete some questions every year in their own handwriting.