Showing posts with label creativity. Show all posts
Showing posts with label creativity. Show all posts
28 August 2012
05 July 2012
Not my favorite space, per se, but I've spent a lot of time here in the past few months, so I thought I'd document it...
top: the fabulous nurses...you must be a special nurse to work in oncology, because they were all wonderful. The next picture is me in the "chemo suite" - ha! A funny name, you'd think we got massages and sipped champagne. Not quite, but they do try to make it as cozy as possible, with quilts hanging on the walls, leather recliners, and blankets since they keep the suites frigid. And I'm looking pretty dopey after an entire IV bag of Benadryl (to counteract the allergic reaction Taxol causes)...yep, I slept through most of chemo.
middle: the drips, my rock, and the nurses coming in for their tradition for one's last round of chemo: they blow bubbles as a farewell.
bottom: my favorite nurse ever, and my last chemo treatment (hopefully ever)!
09 June 2012
You'd think I'd be able to keep up with one photo a month! I'm learning to let things go, though, and do what I can. To enjoy the good days and try to keep my head above water on the bad days...to remind myself that they won't last forever.
If you're going to get cancer, I recommend getting it in the spring (ha - like we have any choices in the matter!) For one thing, hats are on sale at REI. For another, there's something very comforting about having fresh lilacs blooming outside your window. So even on the bad days when you can't get out of bed for long, you have sunshine pouring in your window, and glimpses of color, and little bits of fragrance when you open it. I think it would be much harder, psychologically, to look out on a barren landscape. Having new life springing forth while you're battling a silent battle gives one strength.
If you're going to get cancer, I recommend getting it in the spring (ha - like we have any choices in the matter!) For one thing, hats are on sale at REI. For another, there's something very comforting about having fresh lilacs blooming outside your window. So even on the bad days when you can't get out of bed for long, you have sunshine pouring in your window, and glimpses of color, and little bits of fragrance when you open it. I think it would be much harder, psychologically, to look out on a barren landscape. Having new life springing forth while you're battling a silent battle gives one strength.
20 April 2012
March's blog post was going to be on portraiture...and while I admit I haven't been documenting my journey much beyond my iphone, Kim did these for us this week, and I'm so grateful for them...cancer is somewhat of a personal journey, but more of a collective one. I couldn't do any of it without Walt (who calls himself my "wingman"), my kids, family, friends, and even virtual friends around the world who encourage me daily.
“You gain strength, courage, and confidence by every experience by which you really stop to look fear in the face. You are able to say to yourself, 'I lived through this horror. I can take the next thing that comes along.” - Eleanor Roosevelt
- Ellen
12 March 2012
Last month's theme was resolve. It seems so long ago I had my list of resolutions/goals for the year...healthier eating, stretching myself creatively. I envisioned February's theme of "horizons" much differently - a vast stretch of NM desert that I've learned to appreciate more after having moved away and moved back.
That was before a lump was found, before a barrage of tests and appointments with doctors who were "concerned" and ultimately a diagnosis. Before the words "chemo" and "surgery" and "survival rate." And now the concept of "horizon" seems so much different...my new resolution, and only resolution this year, is to beat cancer. My long term resolutions are simple: to watch my children graduate and grow old with my husband. It's amazing how quickly our priorities can get set straight. The blinds in the kitchen nook that keep falling down are no longer important. Business goals are on the back burner. Dishes piling up in the kitchen go unnoticed as I sit down on the kitchen floor with Veggie Tales play dough strewn about between the two younger kids.
And the image that came to mind for this month was an old one...one from my photography class in college. Done on a hand-me-down film camera and processed in a darkroom. Beautiful black and white images need whites and blacks and grays in between. I'm reminded that it wouldn't be as striking without the dark. Without the contrast to make the light seem that much brighter. And that couldn't be more true than right now.
27 January 2012
I mentioned in a previous post that I love the beginning of a new year. I think new year's resolutions get a bad rap...maybe if you set completely unrealistic goals, expect perfection, and then beat yourself up if you don't reach 100%, it would be discouraging. But for the past few years I've set small goals in several areas of my life each month. Sometimes I've attained them, and sometimes I just have to keep working on them. I love reevaluating at the start of each new year and see which goals I'm meeting, which just aren't going to happen at this phase of my life, and which I want to add.
Jodi over at mcp actions is hosting a Project 12 - a theme a month. January's theme is "resolve." What are my goals for this year? Well, every year I aim to be a little healthier. I'm not planning on hitting the gym this month - I love my Pilates class and am just going to stick with that - but I decided I needed a quick kick in the rear when it comes to my eating habits. I've tried gradually improving my eating (I've come a long way from high school, where I lived off coke and Reese's peanut butter cups for lunch every day. I kid you not) - less sugar, more water, more vegetables - but it never lasts long. Kim introduced me to the whole 30, which is more drastic than anything I've ever done, but my husband and I decided it would be a good opportunity to turn our eating around.
So no carbs, no sugar, no dairy, no legumes (I think that basically sums up what I usually eat) and no alcohol. For 30 days. Plenty of lean meats, veggies, some fruit and good fats like avocados and almonds. How hard can it be, right? You can do anything for 30 days....well, the first couple of weeks were hard. I know you aren't supposed to say that, but they were. I think I'm a full on sugar addict. I had a cry for help on facebook, melted down with my husband, and now I'm able to write about it because I'm nearly done. How's that for a dietary wimp? ;)
I have to say that I've learned a lot, and there are things I'll keep and things I won't. Eating more veggies and drinking more water have become much more of a habit when you don't really have many alternatives. We've been working on cleaner foods for a while (no high fructose corn syrup for the past year or so), but now that I'm reading labels more, I'm amazed how much extra stuff is in our food besides, well...food! Too much of my eating was done out of convenience or habit and although the sheer amount of cooking when you can't just pour cereal in the morning, not to mention the dishes, was daunting, now I'm more in the habit of cooking regularly. I don't plan on living without carbs (I didn't have enough energy to do Pilates with no carbs, or not enough calories, or whatever it was), but I'll make them more whole grains - I had gotten into the habit of refined flour and pastas. I'm not getting rid of sugar altogether, but again, less white refined sugars and more raw sugars or honey.
I've also been convicted of how much my eating influences my kids. When they ask for snacks now, they ask for bananas or carrots instead of crackers. Wow. And I wasn't a huge fast food eater, but we haven't eaten any in the past month, and I don't miss it at all! I've also become more selective about what's worth it to indulge...I've decided that I miss coffee and I'm not going to give it up, although 2% milk in my coffee with a little raw sugar now tastes as sweet as when I used to drink it with half&half and 3 spoons of sugar (I know, right?!). I made a cake from a box this month for a friend's birthday, and a few months ago I would have eaten it just because it was there, but it honestly didn't even look that good. I think I'm more able to splurge when it's worth it (a tirimasu, for example), but not eat anything I want just because it's there.
So here's to more water, veggies, and less refined sugars and processed foods, the hard way, but what for me seems to have been the only way. What goals do you have for the year? And how are you doing with them?
Ellen :)
Jodi over at mcp actions is hosting a Project 12 - a theme a month. January's theme is "resolve." What are my goals for this year? Well, every year I aim to be a little healthier. I'm not planning on hitting the gym this month - I love my Pilates class and am just going to stick with that - but I decided I needed a quick kick in the rear when it comes to my eating habits. I've tried gradually improving my eating (I've come a long way from high school, where I lived off coke and Reese's peanut butter cups for lunch every day. I kid you not) - less sugar, more water, more vegetables - but it never lasts long. Kim introduced me to the whole 30, which is more drastic than anything I've ever done, but my husband and I decided it would be a good opportunity to turn our eating around.
So no carbs, no sugar, no dairy, no legumes (I think that basically sums up what I usually eat) and no alcohol. For 30 days. Plenty of lean meats, veggies, some fruit and good fats like avocados and almonds. How hard can it be, right? You can do anything for 30 days....well, the first couple of weeks were hard. I know you aren't supposed to say that, but they were. I think I'm a full on sugar addict. I had a cry for help on facebook, melted down with my husband, and now I'm able to write about it because I'm nearly done. How's that for a dietary wimp? ;)
I have to say that I've learned a lot, and there are things I'll keep and things I won't. Eating more veggies and drinking more water have become much more of a habit when you don't really have many alternatives. We've been working on cleaner foods for a while (no high fructose corn syrup for the past year or so), but now that I'm reading labels more, I'm amazed how much extra stuff is in our food besides, well...food! Too much of my eating was done out of convenience or habit and although the sheer amount of cooking when you can't just pour cereal in the morning, not to mention the dishes, was daunting, now I'm more in the habit of cooking regularly. I don't plan on living without carbs (I didn't have enough energy to do Pilates with no carbs, or not enough calories, or whatever it was), but I'll make them more whole grains - I had gotten into the habit of refined flour and pastas. I'm not getting rid of sugar altogether, but again, less white refined sugars and more raw sugars or honey.
I've also been convicted of how much my eating influences my kids. When they ask for snacks now, they ask for bananas or carrots instead of crackers. Wow. And I wasn't a huge fast food eater, but we haven't eaten any in the past month, and I don't miss it at all! I've also become more selective about what's worth it to indulge...I've decided that I miss coffee and I'm not going to give it up, although 2% milk in my coffee with a little raw sugar now tastes as sweet as when I used to drink it with half&half and 3 spoons of sugar (I know, right?!). I made a cake from a box this month for a friend's birthday, and a few months ago I would have eaten it just because it was there, but it honestly didn't even look that good. I think I'm more able to splurge when it's worth it (a tirimasu, for example), but not eat anything I want just because it's there.
So here's to more water, veggies, and less refined sugars and processed foods, the hard way, but what for me seems to have been the only way. What goals do you have for the year? And how are you doing with them?
Ellen :)
16 April 2010
Help me! I've been taken hostage by too many blogs! I'm working on a fun creative exercise this week, documenting my schedule for week. I wrote about it on my 365 blog here. Oh, and my creative exercise blog here. Hmmmm...I think I could clear up some time in my schedule if I wasn't writing the same thing on three different blogs!! Ya think?
Anyway, I know a couple of people check here for creative exercises, so I'll the links here for now, and probably purge at least one blog soon...most likely the creative exercise blog. A little too redundant.
Anyway, I know a couple of people check here for creative exercises, so I'll the links here for now, and probably purge at least one blog soon...most likely the creative exercise blog. A little too redundant.
24 February 2010
I wrote about this on my 365 blog here. It was inspired by a creative challenge by Richard and Amy of Red Leaf Studios. I love the idea and would like to do more, maybe with an object that doesn't rot. ;)
06 January 2010
Just for inspiration...I found this image on this blog via another photography blog (yes, I know, I read too many blogs), and I love the idea of adding doodles to photos...not to mention that I love the movie this was taken from (it even makes my husband cry).
01 January 2010
We had a very easy-going New Year's Eve last night, which was a welcome change after a very busy December. Take-out Chinese, a movie with Ben & Jerry's ice cream, and a toast at midnight, after which I fed the baby and we went to bed.
I got to catch up on my blog reading a bit last night, and thoroughly enjoyed reading some New Year's posts...Rachael's blog post really hit home about this being the end of a decade. It's crazy to think of how much my life has changed in 10 years. My list would look something like this...
In ten years, I've...
backpacked through Europe
traded my teaching career to become a mother
married an old soul
had three children
started a business
taken two children overseas (much harder than backpacking alone, I might add!)
become a homeowner
started sewing and knitting
lost three grandparents
met many new wonderful friends
I don't really make "resolutions" at the start of the year, but I do make goals - personal, creative, physical, spiritual and professional...and this year, most of them revolve around home. Taking a step back and really focusing on family - time together, saying no to any new commitments, and slowing down in general. I'm taking time off from my photography business to just be a MWAC (mom with a camera). Funny how that is an insult to many photographers, and yet I'm ready to embrace that so much right now. The Creative Mama blog addresses this in their post "commit to the camera."
I've loved doing creative challenges this year, and may continue to do a few, but my main challenge is going to be to take a photo a day. My husband thinks it's crazy and will create too much pressure, but I see it as the opposite - I'm hoping to take the pressure off to take "perfect" photos of my kids, and just capture the every day...the favorite toy that probably won't be around in a few years, or that tooth that just came in, or messy ice cream faces...with my "real" camera, or the point and shoot I carry in my diaper bag, or even an instamatic film camera.
Eric Booth has a great quote in his book, The Everyday Work of Art: "Our goal should be to perceive the extraordinary in the ordinary, and when we get good enough, to live vice-versa, in the ordinary extraordinary." So that's my goal this year - to take a photo a day, documenting the extraordinary in the ordinary. Shooting for me, capturing my family. I'm not planning on blogging a photo every day, but I'll include a few.
04 November 2009
Wow, how long has it been since I posted a creative exercise? Way too long.
My last one was on creative spaces - and I have started working on carving out a creative space. I have grand dreams of a creative room, where I can have all of my photography, knitting, sewing, and whatever else strikes my fancy in a room with matching furniture. But - that just isn't reality right now! We aren't sure where we're going to put baby #3 when he/she outgrows the bassinet in our room, much less have a creative retreat (and I think my husband's library is in line before my creative room anyway). So for now, the computer sits in a fold-up desk in the corner of our living room, and I bought a small desk for an unused wall in our dining room for my sewing machine. I've been putting off posting a photo because I wanted it to be finished, but the truth is - it may never be "finished." That picture resting on the desk may never get hung, and I may never have the tiered basket stand I want for my fabrics. But it's start. You can see the photo here - how are your creative spaces coming along?
Our next creative exercise has to do with the every day. Here's the quote from Simple Scrapbooks: "You and your family juggle hundreds of tasks every day, and when evening comes, you probably wonder where all your time went and why the laundry didn't get folded and put away. If you really want to find the answer, try keeping a log of your family's activities for one day - that's it, just one day. And don't leave out the less-than-glowing details. Who know, in a few years, you may find yourself laughing over something that left you in tears."
So that's it (and maybe post a photo) ;) - I find myself only taking photos of the "important" moments, or only holidays or special occasions or milestones go in the scrapbook or baby book. But in ten years, will I remember what a day was like? And now, do I really appreciate the ordinary moments I have with my family that add up in the day?
So let's see how your day looks...
My last one was on creative spaces - and I have started working on carving out a creative space. I have grand dreams of a creative room, where I can have all of my photography, knitting, sewing, and whatever else strikes my fancy in a room with matching furniture. But - that just isn't reality right now! We aren't sure where we're going to put baby #3 when he/she outgrows the bassinet in our room, much less have a creative retreat (and I think my husband's library is in line before my creative room anyway). So for now, the computer sits in a fold-up desk in the corner of our living room, and I bought a small desk for an unused wall in our dining room for my sewing machine. I've been putting off posting a photo because I wanted it to be finished, but the truth is - it may never be "finished." That picture resting on the desk may never get hung, and I may never have the tiered basket stand I want for my fabrics. But it's start. You can see the photo here - how are your creative spaces coming along?
Our next creative exercise has to do with the every day. Here's the quote from Simple Scrapbooks: "You and your family juggle hundreds of tasks every day, and when evening comes, you probably wonder where all your time went and why the laundry didn't get folded and put away. If you really want to find the answer, try keeping a log of your family's activities for one day - that's it, just one day. And don't leave out the less-than-glowing details. Who know, in a few years, you may find yourself laughing over something that left you in tears."
So that's it (and maybe post a photo) ;) - I find myself only taking photos of the "important" moments, or only holidays or special occasions or milestones go in the scrapbook or baby book. But in ten years, will I remember what a day was like? And now, do I really appreciate the ordinary moments I have with my family that add up in the day?
So let's see how your day looks...
14 September 2009
Here's my self-portrait for the month. I love how exaggeratedly huge I am with the angle of my lens, because that's really how I'm feeling at the moment. I don't remember feeling this huge with my other two pregnancies, although my husband begs to differ. I also don't remember being this sore or in need of a massage this soon (my husband also begs to differ on my selective memory of these points). At any rate, this is what's going on in my life right now...preparing for baby #3, even though #2 is still such a baby in my eyes. Wanting to nest and set up "the nursery," although this one will be sharing a room with big sister, so there's not really much of a nursery to decorate, so I'm getting those urges out through sewing and knitting (my husband is very relieved it isn't through painting various rooms of the house as it was with the last two pregnancies). I'm also trying to stay on top of sessions and editing, so bear with me...October 3 mini-sessions are almost full, and I'm contemplating opening up October 4 to fit a few more in, since these are the only dates I have full before I go on maternity leave. And I'm trying to stay on top of my blog and still doing creative exercises (one to come soon, and photos for my "creative space" exercise will be up once I find some artwork to hang above my new sewing table)...
And how do you like my new blog makeover? I contemplated buying a really fancy pro blog, but you know, blogger is so darn easy to use, and it's hard to justify much spending with a long maternity leave ahead...so thank you to Ellie at Rainy Day Templates for jazzing it up for me. She even told me how to make my images a little bigger, although I think I'm going to wait for the next post for that one - who needs to see this self-portrait even bigger? ;)
01 August 2009
"We can all decide what kind of environment to create in our home. We can organize space and collect things that are meaningful and conducive to the use of creative energies" (Creativity: Flow and the Psychology of Discovery and Invention by Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi)
Which creative exercise # is this? Well, this one is focusing on creative space. Mostly because I need ideas - ha! Now that I've started to become interested in sewing, but can't quite give up scrapbooking until I finish #3's first year book, I'm finding the challenge of carving out a space to put everything...especially in a somewhat organized, non-eyesore way. I love to look through all the Pottery Barn magazines for ideas, but let's be honest - who has that much space (and I have to remind myself that no one actually lives there, which is especially obvious in the Pottery Barn Kids catalog, with all the little kids coloring in the lines in their gigantic clean and organized playroom - yeah, right!) With #3 on the way, we are a little tight on space. We just crammed a toddler bed into the nursery, so finding even a small corner of the house for creative space will be a challenge.
So let's work on our creative spaces. Simple Scrapbooks, where I got this idea, says to "take charge of your creative space. No matter how big or small it is, fill it with colors and objects that inspire you..." If you have a creative space, take a photo and share it. If you're in a position where you don't know where to begin, post ideas of other people's spaces that inspire you.
I'll list some inspirational spaces that I've come across so far...
Mimi Green - I think I've already mentioned this is where I get the wrist strap for my keys (which have saved me losing my keys I don't know how many times) since I don't have dogs (but she makes divine dog collars, and I'm still hoping for a camera strap!) ;) Scroll down this post (past the photos that will make you envious of her horseback riding on the beach) to see her studio - love it!
I met Rachel Clare at a photography conference in Phoenix, and she was recently featured on the blog Savvy Photographer, which has lots of fun ideas for decorating, especially with photos. I like the clean, crisp lines of Rachel's workspace, and how she surrounds herself with photos of her family.
Ruth is a jack of all trades - sewing, decorating, cooking...and I love that she redecorated her room to include some creative respite (no easy feat with four boys!)
Here's a "small spaces" idea from Pottery Barn - and doesn't it seem like this desk would be easy to make (I'm putting the idea out there to people who can actually cut and assemble wood, which I cannot)? I'm also thinking about this little desk from West Elm, where you can slide additional work space out. And I really want one of these from Ikea - if anyone lives near one and happens to be driving through New Mexico, would you pick one up for me?
Which creative exercise # is this? Well, this one is focusing on creative space. Mostly because I need ideas - ha! Now that I've started to become interested in sewing, but can't quite give up scrapbooking until I finish #3's first year book, I'm finding the challenge of carving out a space to put everything...especially in a somewhat organized, non-eyesore way. I love to look through all the Pottery Barn magazines for ideas, but let's be honest - who has that much space (and I have to remind myself that no one actually lives there, which is especially obvious in the Pottery Barn Kids catalog, with all the little kids coloring in the lines in their gigantic clean and organized playroom - yeah, right!) With #3 on the way, we are a little tight on space. We just crammed a toddler bed into the nursery, so finding even a small corner of the house for creative space will be a challenge.
So let's work on our creative spaces. Simple Scrapbooks, where I got this idea, says to "take charge of your creative space. No matter how big or small it is, fill it with colors and objects that inspire you..." If you have a creative space, take a photo and share it. If you're in a position where you don't know where to begin, post ideas of other people's spaces that inspire you.
I'll list some inspirational spaces that I've come across so far...
Mimi Green - I think I've already mentioned this is where I get the wrist strap for my keys (which have saved me losing my keys I don't know how many times) since I don't have dogs (but she makes divine dog collars, and I'm still hoping for a camera strap!) ;) Scroll down this post (past the photos that will make you envious of her horseback riding on the beach) to see her studio - love it!
I met Rachel Clare at a photography conference in Phoenix, and she was recently featured on the blog Savvy Photographer, which has lots of fun ideas for decorating, especially with photos. I like the clean, crisp lines of Rachel's workspace, and how she surrounds herself with photos of her family.
Ruth is a jack of all trades - sewing, decorating, cooking...and I love that she redecorated her room to include some creative respite (no easy feat with four boys!)
Here's a "small spaces" idea from Pottery Barn - and doesn't it seem like this desk would be easy to make (I'm putting the idea out there to people who can actually cut and assemble wood, which I cannot)? I'm also thinking about this little desk from West Elm, where you can slide additional work space out. And I really want one of these from Ikea - if anyone lives near one and happens to be driving through New Mexico, would you pick one up for me?
20 June 2009
...and also my excuse why I didn't do one April or May! ;) It's just a little bump right now (but bigger than it was with my first at this time - amazing how those ab muscles are never quite the same!), but I thought it would be fun to document it each month. Maybe it'll be more motivation for me to so my self-portraits each month too!And this explains what I've been doing this month (and the last few months): tired, nauseous (not that I can complain - I can usually head it off by keeping crackers or food on hand so I don't get too hungry, which seems to be what gets me sick), lying on the couch every moment I'm not chasing the kids while my "to do" list continues to grow and grow...trying to get my oldest completely potty-trained before he starts preschool (see personal blog), trying to keep my one-year-old, who is almost walking and yet still managing to get around quite well in the meantime, from choking on her big brother's tiny train toys...
ah - the exciting life of a mom! ;)
04 June 2009
Was my last creativity post really in April? I'm hanging my head in shame!! And I'm behind on my self portraits (I should have taken one of me on the couch, which is where I've been for the last couple of months whenever I have a down moment - why do I always forget what the first trimester of pregnancy is like!?!).
In the meantime, I'm feeling a little nostalgic about the fact that this will probably be our last baby, so here's our creativity exercise...
"Walk around your home and list items that won't be there in five years. Photograph several of the objects on your list, and journal about what they are for and why they are currently part of your life."
I'll try to get through this one without being too weepy! ;)
By the way, if you're just following the creativity posts, and don't want to have to wade through all the other stuff on my blog (sniff sniff - ha!), I'm also posting them here: creativity blog.
So here's mine...
#1 - clothes with belly bands attached to them. Ok, so there are some benefits to this being the last baby. Can this also count as my self-portrait for July?
#2 - again, I'm a little emotional about this being the last baby, so I'm moping a little about the fact that about half of things in my house won't be here in five years, when baby #3 is getting ready for kindergarten. Diapers, baby lotion, bottles...sniff sniff...
#3 - my scrapbooking supplies. If I EVER complete all of my children's first year albums, I'm dumping all of my scrapbooking stuff on my front porch, so come and get it. I refuse to go digital when it comes to novels (still hang on to my trusty library card), but I absolutely see digital albums in my future...
#4 - my laundry piles. No, I'm not delusional thinking that I won't have laundry in five years. But due to the eminent invention of Rosie the Robot, I will no longer have to clean my house. I know, wishful thinking...
#5 - my pc. That's right, I'm converting. I've been a pc user my whole life, and even resisted switching to mac as a teacher, and we all know that Apple owns the schools. But that commercial with the Bill-Gates-look-alike in the bunny suit? It's true. My pc got a nasty virus, and it made my life extremely difficult, and I'm essentially blaming all of my problems on it. Got a problem? Blame it on my pc!! So as soon as I have enough saved up for a mac laptop, I'm running to my nearest Apple store. And if you happen to pass me on the way, roll down your windows and I'll throw a free pc in for you.
#5 - these are a reminder of my friend Heather, which reminds me that ultimately, we really don't know what (or who) will still be here in five years. Not something we want to remember until we can't forget it.
In the meantime, I'm feeling a little nostalgic about the fact that this will probably be our last baby, so here's our creativity exercise...
"Walk around your home and list items that won't be there in five years. Photograph several of the objects on your list, and journal about what they are for and why they are currently part of your life."
I'll try to get through this one without being too weepy! ;)
By the way, if you're just following the creativity posts, and don't want to have to wade through all the other stuff on my blog (sniff sniff - ha!), I'm also posting them here: creativity blog.
So here's mine...
#1 - clothes with belly bands attached to them. Ok, so there are some benefits to this being the last baby. Can this also count as my self-portrait for July?#2 - again, I'm a little emotional about this being the last baby, so I'm moping a little about the fact that about half of things in my house won't be here in five years, when baby #3 is getting ready for kindergarten. Diapers, baby lotion, bottles...sniff sniff...
#3 - my scrapbooking supplies. If I EVER complete all of my children's first year albums, I'm dumping all of my scrapbooking stuff on my front porch, so come and get it. I refuse to go digital when it comes to novels (still hang on to my trusty library card), but I absolutely see digital albums in my future...
#4 - my laundry piles. No, I'm not delusional thinking that I won't have laundry in five years. But due to the eminent invention of Rosie the Robot, I will no longer have to clean my house. I know, wishful thinking...
#5 - my pc. That's right, I'm converting. I've been a pc user my whole life, and even resisted switching to mac as a teacher, and we all know that Apple owns the schools. But that commercial with the Bill-Gates-look-alike in the bunny suit? It's true. My pc got a nasty virus, and it made my life extremely difficult, and I'm essentially blaming all of my problems on it. Got a problem? Blame it on my pc!! So as soon as I have enough saved up for a mac laptop, I'm running to my nearest Apple store. And if you happen to pass me on the way, roll down your windows and I'll throw a free pc in for you.
#5 - these are a reminder of my friend Heather, which reminds me that ultimately, we really don't know what (or who) will still be here in five years. Not something we want to remember until we can't forget it.
16 April 2009
Who (or what) inspires you? Make a list, add a link, post a photo...let's see your sources of inspiration...
So what inspires me:
1. Music. Maybe it's my complete lack of musical talent that makes me so in awe of music and musicians, and the power music has to inspire. Does anyone else make music videos in their head? I have no experience with videography, but there are songs I created videos for when I hear them (I don't have cable, so I don't know if music videos still really exist? Remember those from when MTV actually played music videos?)...and I have no idea how I would make it, but I know what I would want it to look like. And there are certain songs that move me no matter how many times I listen to them...have you seen The Mission? There's a song off that soundtrack that gets me every time. It's playing in my head right now as I type this.
2. Movies. Speaking of, movies also inspire me. I'm willing to overlook a pretty bad plot if the photography is beautiful. Mission Impossible 2? Kind-of a dumb movie, with all the impromptu face-changing stuff, but there are some scenes by John Woo that make it worth it for me - like at the flamenco dance. There's also a movie with Sandra Bullock and Ben Affleck (I can't even remember the name) that was pretty lame, but there's an amazing scene with the rain falling down around them...some movies are actually good and have beautiful photography, which is even better. 300, for example. Apparently it's kinda gory (not that I would know because I cover my eyes during the scary parts of movies. Really. Even in the movie theatre. My poor husband), but really beautiful. I don't know that you could do every movie in sepia-tone, but every once in a while it works.
The actual story lines also inspire me from time to time. We just saw Pollock, about painter Jackson Pollock. His life was a mess, which was sad, but his journey to find his style was amazing. And an even better lesson was how complacant he became when he found what worked for him. He lost the limelite, and it was because he ceased to produce anything new. Think of Madonna - whatever your opinion of her, she didn't stay in the 80's jelly-bracelet era. She has evolved her style, taken risks, and really stayed on top of it. Madonna is Madonna, so she certainly has her own style, but she hasn't become lazy and stopped creating.
3. Other Photographers & Artists. I have to be careful with this one, because my tendency is to say, "Wow, I love ___'s work. I'm going to try to do that." I'm ultimately disappointed when I don't stay true to my own photography style, but as mentioned above, it's good to stretch yourself...Some photographers whom I admire share my sense of style, like Kim or Tara Whitney, and others are nothing like my sense of style, but I can still appreciate them. Hanging babies from netting in a tree isn't really my thing, but I can appreciate Carrie Sandoval and Brittney Woodall's "Baby as Art" And have you seen this slideshow by Amy Deputy in DC? It's beautiful (and a tear-jerker, so have your kleenex handy). I love how she documents the realness of life, especially her son and what he goes through. I honestly don't know that I would have been able to take my camera to the hospital with me. Which leads me to...
4. My Kids. Living in NM, landscape photographers are surrounded by inspiration. I know the desert is an aquired taste for some, but it's really gorgeous and unique. I think that's what being a parent is like for a portrait photographer. You're a little spoiled having beautiful subjects (not to be at all biased of course) living under your roof. And sometimes when my kids think they're safe, all it takes is to find a cute hat and pair of babylegs from Zap-Oh!s, and they're once again doomed to have the mamarazzi following them around relentlessly. Poor kids - I'm sure therapy will straighten them out eventually. ;)
So what inspires me:
1. Music. Maybe it's my complete lack of musical talent that makes me so in awe of music and musicians, and the power music has to inspire. Does anyone else make music videos in their head? I have no experience with videography, but there are songs I created videos for when I hear them (I don't have cable, so I don't know if music videos still really exist? Remember those from when MTV actually played music videos?)...and I have no idea how I would make it, but I know what I would want it to look like. And there are certain songs that move me no matter how many times I listen to them...have you seen The Mission? There's a song off that soundtrack that gets me every time. It's playing in my head right now as I type this.
2. Movies. Speaking of, movies also inspire me. I'm willing to overlook a pretty bad plot if the photography is beautiful. Mission Impossible 2? Kind-of a dumb movie, with all the impromptu face-changing stuff, but there are some scenes by John Woo that make it worth it for me - like at the flamenco dance. There's also a movie with Sandra Bullock and Ben Affleck (I can't even remember the name) that was pretty lame, but there's an amazing scene with the rain falling down around them...some movies are actually good and have beautiful photography, which is even better. 300, for example. Apparently it's kinda gory (not that I would know because I cover my eyes during the scary parts of movies. Really. Even in the movie theatre. My poor husband), but really beautiful. I don't know that you could do every movie in sepia-tone, but every once in a while it works.
The actual story lines also inspire me from time to time. We just saw Pollock, about painter Jackson Pollock. His life was a mess, which was sad, but his journey to find his style was amazing. And an even better lesson was how complacant he became when he found what worked for him. He lost the limelite, and it was because he ceased to produce anything new. Think of Madonna - whatever your opinion of her, she didn't stay in the 80's jelly-bracelet era. She has evolved her style, taken risks, and really stayed on top of it. Madonna is Madonna, so she certainly has her own style, but she hasn't become lazy and stopped creating.
3. Other Photographers & Artists. I have to be careful with this one, because my tendency is to say, "Wow, I love ___'s work. I'm going to try to do that." I'm ultimately disappointed when I don't stay true to my own photography style, but as mentioned above, it's good to stretch yourself...Some photographers whom I admire share my sense of style, like Kim or Tara Whitney, and others are nothing like my sense of style, but I can still appreciate them. Hanging babies from netting in a tree isn't really my thing, but I can appreciate Carrie Sandoval and Brittney Woodall's "Baby as Art" And have you seen this slideshow by Amy Deputy in DC? It's beautiful (and a tear-jerker, so have your kleenex handy). I love how she documents the realness of life, especially her son and what he goes through. I honestly don't know that I would have been able to take my camera to the hospital with me. Which leads me to...
4. My Kids. Living in NM, landscape photographers are surrounded by inspiration. I know the desert is an aquired taste for some, but it's really gorgeous and unique. I think that's what being a parent is like for a portrait photographer. You're a little spoiled having beautiful subjects (not to be at all biased of course) living under your roof. And sometimes when my kids think they're safe, all it takes is to find a cute hat and pair of babylegs from Zap-Oh!s, and they're once again doomed to have the mamarazzi following them around relentlessly. Poor kids - I'm sure therapy will straighten them out eventually. ;)
07 April 2009
I don't know that it really counts as a self-portrait since Kim took it, but I'm posting it anyway (thanks, Kim, and thank you Photoshop. I have many more wrinkles in real life!).
So what's going on in my life right now...balancing, juggling...trying to cut down on my caffeine intake, trying to get really excited every time my son uses the potty in hopes he won't be in diapers until kindergarten, trying to go against every maternal instinct in my body and let my almost-one-year-old cry in the middle of the night instead of feeding her, because she probably isn't really hungry and just wants to sleep with us. Trying to stick to my decision to have a sabbath and not turn the computer on all day Sunday. Amazed how fast this last year has flown and that I'm planning a b'day party for my youngest, and also amazed how girly it will be considering I vowed not to overdo the pink (but you should see the over-the-top-frilly-pink skirt I got for her princess party) - I've gone completely astray. Disappointed that my daughter's journal has four (count them - four) entries from her entire first year thus far. Almost ready to embrace the fact that I'm not a scrapbooker and just embrace digital albums....almost.
Is anyone else still doing a self-portrait-a-month? Let's see 'em! :)
16 March 2009
I mentioned how inspiring Red Leaf Studios was, right? Am I sounding like a broken record? At the beginning of the weekend, they challenged us to step outside of our comfort zones - to do something that scares us.
But I've been thinking that this doesn't have to just apply to photography (although it does perfectly). It can apply to our lives as a whole. I love creature comforts, I'm the first to admit. I live for comfortable jeans, being barefoot, a couch you can just sink in to with lots of pillows...but let's try, at least once this week, to do something different from what we would normally do - wear something out of our usual style, go somewhere different, try something new - challenge ourselves to make one small change. Go ahead, I dare ya! ;)
So I did. I decided to take the plunge and shoot in RAW instead of JPEG. Some of you are laughing that it was such a "risk" for me! I don't know why it scared me so much - I was afraid my camera would eat my images if I switched to RAW or something. So I cheated a little...I shot in RAW and JPEG (which uses an incredible amount of memory, by the way). So here's one I shot in RAW:
To be honest, the verdict is out. Using Adobe Camera RAW has its advantages - it's faster to tweak my WB and exposure and then transfer to photoshop to do the rest. And, granted, this image was exposed pretty well to begin with - and I hear RAW is great for saving poorly-exposed images. But it doesn't seem that different to me, and I don't know that I'm ready to run out and buy another 20+ gig of memory cards...any thoughts on this? Anyone really prefer one over the other and can tell me why?
But I've been thinking that this doesn't have to just apply to photography (although it does perfectly). It can apply to our lives as a whole. I love creature comforts, I'm the first to admit. I live for comfortable jeans, being barefoot, a couch you can just sink in to with lots of pillows...but let's try, at least once this week, to do something different from what we would normally do - wear something out of our usual style, go somewhere different, try something new - challenge ourselves to make one small change. Go ahead, I dare ya! ;)
So I did. I decided to take the plunge and shoot in RAW instead of JPEG. Some of you are laughing that it was such a "risk" for me! I don't know why it scared me so much - I was afraid my camera would eat my images if I switched to RAW or something. So I cheated a little...I shot in RAW and JPEG (which uses an incredible amount of memory, by the way). So here's one I shot in RAW:
To be honest, the verdict is out. Using Adobe Camera RAW has its advantages - it's faster to tweak my WB and exposure and then transfer to photoshop to do the rest. And, granted, this image was exposed pretty well to begin with - and I hear RAW is great for saving poorly-exposed images. But it doesn't seem that different to me, and I don't know that I'm ready to run out and buy another 20+ gig of memory cards...any thoughts on this? Anyone really prefer one over the other and can tell me why?
28 February 2009
5 favorites
5 things you want to learn
5 places to visit
5 restaurants to try
5 things to teach your kids
Write your list, show it with photos or drawings... or come up with your own list of 5.
I combined my list (if you can read it) with my self-portrait for this month. You probably can't tell, but I'm drinking one of my favorites in the photo...
5 favorites: blue, coffee, vanilla, rain, musicals
5 things to learn: sew, knit, RAW, kayak, patience (ha!)
5 places to visit: the world (hard to narrow down! Ok, I'll try - Machu Picchu, Yellowstone, Alaska, Africa - yes, I know it's an entire continent, just don't know where yet, and New Zealand)
5 things to teach my kids: about God, to trust, love and make a difference. That's only 4. How about to count? Just kidding...and to be creative.
5 things you want to learn
5 places to visit
5 restaurants to try
5 things to teach your kids
Write your list, show it with photos or drawings... or come up with your own list of 5.
I combined my list (if you can read it) with my self-portrait for this month. You probably can't tell, but I'm drinking one of my favorites in the photo...
5 favorites: blue, coffee, vanilla, rain, musicals
5 things to learn: sew, knit, RAW, kayak, patience (ha!)
5 places to visit: the world (hard to narrow down! Ok, I'll try - Machu Picchu, Yellowstone, Alaska, Africa - yes, I know it's an entire continent, just don't know where yet, and New Zealand)
5 things to teach my kids: about God, to trust, love and make a difference. That's only 4. How about to count? Just kidding...and to be creative.
17 February 2009
I just saw a youtube video with Sir Ken Robinson speaking about how our current education system (NCLB, anyone?) tends to kill creativity (just ask any parent or teacher). Not to get on that soap box, but he says that kids will take a chance - they're not afraid of being wrong, and if you're not prepared to be wrong, you'll never come up with anything original. He quotes Picasso as saying, "All children are born artists. The problem is to remain an artist as we grow up." Robinson asserts that we don't grow into creativity - we grow out of it. It's a long video, but interesting, and I think worth watching.
So here's our assignment: make mistakes. What?!? All you perfectionists out there are freaking out right now. Really. Make a mistake, or show a mistake that you've made that you love. Maybe you messed up a recipe and it's now your family's favorite. Or you painted your bathroom wall a wrong color and now you want to paint your whole house that color. Because let's not get any further in our creative exercises without feeling that we're allowed to make mistakes.
Here's mine...
This was taken at a friend's wedding years ago, just for fun (I wasn't the real photographer). It's wrong - I mean, it is BLURRY! Not just a little blurry, but seriously blurry! But in all these years, I've never been able to delete it. I love it - it's one of my favorites. Crazy, huh? Now, I'm not saying I'm going to make all my photos blurry, but just because a photo isn't technically perfect, does that mean we can't love it?
So here's our assignment: make mistakes. What?!? All you perfectionists out there are freaking out right now. Really. Make a mistake, or show a mistake that you've made that you love. Maybe you messed up a recipe and it's now your family's favorite. Or you painted your bathroom wall a wrong color and now you want to paint your whole house that color. Because let's not get any further in our creative exercises without feeling that we're allowed to make mistakes.
Here's mine...
This was taken at a friend's wedding years ago, just for fun (I wasn't the real photographer). It's wrong - I mean, it is BLURRY! Not just a little blurry, but seriously blurry! But in all these years, I've never been able to delete it. I love it - it's one of my favorites. Crazy, huh? Now, I'm not saying I'm going to make all my photos blurry, but just because a photo isn't technically perfect, does that mean we can't love it?
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