holding on tight...

how do I thank each and everyone of you

for making me feel like a princess

yesterday

?

the heart filled comments you made

the sweet words that you wrote

the humbled smiles you brought to my face

and

the huge amount of love that filled my heart

...

I honestly don't know what to say

everyday

this blogging world continues to amaze me

and

I just want you to know that I can't imagine my life without it

~~

without you

...

thank you

all of you

for being you

how do I love thee...or not

misty is doing a small self portrait challenge on her blog

and

silly me

I said that I'd play along

~~

what the hell was I thinking

?

I don't like having my picture taken

by anyone

which is why I'm so happy to be on the other side of the camera

so

having to take pictures of myself

for a challenge

~painful~

~~

I've always wanted to love "me" just the way I am

but as I get older

I have a really tough time doing the loving that needs to be done

which is maybe why

for this challenge

I put on my big girl panties

believed in myself a little more than usual

and

said

"you can do this"

it's still too chilly to be outside shooting
~especially MYSELF~
so these were all taken in the house as I walked around trying to be creative
and
realizing that taking photos of "me"
with a timer
is not easy
and
focusing mostly on my face was becoming really hard to do

if I could have airbrushed my nose straighter
and
added highlights to my hair
and
softened the lines around my eyes
and
smoothed the bumps around my butt
and
made my giraffe neck shorter
and
straightened my teeth which are currently wearing invisalign
and
warmed my blinding winter white skin
I would have
~~
but then that wouldn't have been me
would it
?

so here's an air blown kiss to all of you
for being such wonderful blogging friends
and
hopefully now that you've seen me in a new light
I haven't scared you away
*

not as easy as it sounds...

in your quietest moments

listen to your heart

it already has all the answers

~~~~~

{i'm working on a project for tomorrow, so this is all I have for today}

balanced...

today

is

grey and windy and quiet

~~

but

a sunny and fairly warm easter

was celebrated yesterday with my family

and

our house was filled with noises coming from children that made me smile

~~

our son's bedroom become a theatre room as everyone piled on top of his bed with the overflow filling bean bag chairs while "bedtime stories" was watched

on his craig's list find....a projector

~~

the picture above was found in a file almost 3 years old

while my sister and I looked at old family vacation photos

~~

my niece made easter cards in my studio

while my mom worked on her cross stitch

and

the men watched the masters

~~

all of this was done on bellies that were filled to capacity

yet we continued to find room for more cake and cookies

and

candy filled eggs

as the day went on

~~

I hope your easter

was filled with sweet memories

and

noises that made you smile

*

oh, I really hope you do...

this spring

I hope

all your dark places become lighter

and

you have color where there isn't any

~~

this spring

I hope

all your larger than life dreams

unfold into reality

and

that your clustered thoughts

unfurl themselves into only the good ones

~~

this spring

I hope

you can stand in a dark parking lot kissing someone who means the world to you

and

find yourself still thinking about it many days later

~~

this spring

I hope

your deep down desires keep moving you forward

and

that your feelings towards others never have to be questioned

~~

this spring

I hope

you can feel warmth when sitting next to a stranger

and

lay on the grass with a friend and watch the clouds dress themsleves in cotton

~~

this spring

I hope

you dance on the street when only you hear the music

and

never stop doing something because it might be considered silly

~~

this spring

I hope

you throw your window shades open and lift your face towards the sun

and

laugh out loud because someone lightened your heart

~~

this spring

I hope

you have an evening when the moon dancing off the lake wakes you up

and

that you appreciate the interruption

~~

this spring

I hope

you can walk down a previously hidden path

and

come out in the end having discovered something life changing along the way

~~

this spring

I hope

that the connection you have to the people closet to you is true

and

that your conversations flow like a gentle stream that never ends

~~

this spring

I hope

you reach up towards the almost touchable evening stars

and

remember that all we have

is now

*

{i've probably used this photo before, as it's one of my favorites. it's from an old, abandoned stone house just a few roads away from us, where I have done some of my photo shoots }

sneaky little things.....

they jumped in my cart while I was shopping at trader joes

last week

and

I could hear them

whispering

"take us home with you please"

"we promise to be good"

and

since I'm a sucker for anything good

I said

"alright, come on, let's go"

~~~~~

and

much to my surprise

they were better than good

~~

they were

wonderful

*

just like her....

she's not mine

actually I really don't know her at all

she's the daughter of my friend's girlfriend

~~~

today he took her to the park while her momma was at school

and

he said

"come with us...and bring your camera"

so I did

and

she was adorable

~~~

and

on this perfectly warm

screaming blue sky

day

I wanted to be six again

with the wind in my hair and not a care in the world

laughing and singing

and

swinging

and

eating cookies and drinking apple juice

~~~

just like her