Help me choose the images to submit and by doing so, you can win too!
The 411:
I'm entering a contest and these are the images I'm considering entering. I need your help choosing! What better way to get advice by hosting my own contest?!
Deadline: Feb 7, 2010
Winner of Gift Certificate Announced on Feb 8, 2010Winner of FREE Session Announced on March 2, 2010 (only if I win!)
What will you win?
A $50 gift certificate, good toward any regularly priced photo shoot with me.
If I win the contest and you voted on that photo ON MY BLOG ONLY, you'll also be entered to win a FREE photo shoot with me, 10 FREE High Res Images and a FREE 8x8 Stand Out from that session! Wow!!!
Winner will be determined by random.org
3 ways to submit an entry to win the $50 Gift Certificate!
1} Comment under the photo you like BEST in my facebook photo album (only one photo) and tell me why you love it.
2} Comment here on my blog. On the blogsite, tell me which one photo you like best (by Title, not #).
3} Click "Share" under the facebook album to post it to your FB wall. Tell your friends to add me as a friend, with a message including YOUR NAME.
So yes, you get 3 chances to enter this contest. Have fun and good luck! And thank you for your help ;)
Image #1: Creekside Sunset
Image #2: My Girl
Image #3: Daydreaming About Zebra Stripes
Image #4: Thoughts of Pitter-Patters
My good friend since childhood, Andrea, emailed me a survey that she took herself. Super cute idea and I thought I'd fill it out myself and share it with you!
Feel free to steal these and answer them yourself :)
Q. What is your occupation right now?
Brandis - I am a Work at Home Mommy and Professional Photographer.
Q. What color are your socks right now?
Brandis - White Athletic Socks. I'm about to go running!
Q. What are you listening to right now?
Brandis - Twinkle Twinkle Little Star by Lisa Loeb
Q. What was the last thing that you ate?
Brandis - A Chipotle Burrito w/ veggies
Q. Can you drive a stick shift?
Brandis - I haven't driven in manual in a really really long time. Over 10 years ago!
Q. Last person you spoke to on the phone?
Brandis - My Daddy just called me. Yes, I am 100% a daddy's girl.
Q. Do you like the person who sent this to you ?
Brandis - She's ok. ;)
Q. How old are you today?
Brandis - I am 27 years old. Can I hit the {repeat} button the day before my birthday?????
Q. What is your favorite sport to watch on TV?
Brandis - Football. Duh! But I can also watch tennis for hours. Of course I love it since I used to play it myself. Tennis. Not football.
Q. What is your favorite drink?
Brandis - Sweet Tea.
Q. Have you ever dyed your hair?
Brandis - Yes. I was born a very light blonde but it naturally changed to almost black when I was in middle school. I missed the blonde so I dyed it for the first time right before my 21st birthday. I like both colors so don't be surprised if you see me as a brunette in the future. But for now, blonde is my color of choice.
Q. Favorite food?
Brandis - Seafood
Q. What is the last movie you watched?
Brandis - I just finished watching Bolt with my son.
Q. Favorite day of the year?
Brandis - My Birthday. It's the only day I can call "All MINE."
Q. How do you vent anger?
Brandis - Run. I sweat the anger away.
Q. What was your favorite toy as a child?
Brandis - My Barbies.
Q. What is your favorite season?
Brandis - Spring and Autumn are pretty much equal on the totally rad scale!
Q. Cherries or Blueberries?
Brandis - I eat blueberries more.
Q. Living situation?
Brandis - A Quaint, cute little house just outside of Clintonville. I live with my husband, son, daughter and two yorkie pups. Life is amazing.
Q. When was the last time you cried?
Brandis - A really good cry? It's been about a month or so. I was missing my mommy.
Q. What is on the floor of your closet?
Brandis - hahaha!!!! I can't even get to any of my closets at the moment. So much organizing to do since turning my entire first floor into a boudoir studio. It will get done!
Q. What did you do last night?
Brandis - Lots of things. My husband got home from his job at 8p last night. We hung out as a family for a bit, then I got to work on ordering client print proofs, personalized referral cards and wallets. I then ordered my slideshow application and brand spankin' new 50mm 1.4 lens. Finally went to bed around 1a to get up super early this morning to watch my awesome little nephew Eric play basketball. He's 6 and FANTASTIC!
Q. What are you most afraid of?
Brandis - Really the ONLY thing I am really, honestly afraid of is not being here to watch my children grow. I especially want to be a Grandma someday. Something my Mom never got to be. She also didn't get to watch my brother grow up. He was 9 when she passed. And it breaks my heart that my brother didn't get more time with her. It just isn't fair.
Q. Plain, cheese, or spicy hamburgers?
Brandis - Plain Hamburger if I had to choose. But I've just decided to cut out all red meat from my diet and focus on fish and chicken!
Q. Favorite dog breed?
Brandis - I grew up having a Lab and a Dane. LOVE them both. Then I decided to go small and get my little guys (Yorkie's). Love them soooo much.
Q. Favorite day of the week?
Brandis - Friday. It's going to start being my day off during the week. Absolutely no work and a million times all play!
Q. How many states have you lived in?
Brandis - I was born in Arizona but moved to Ohio when I was 2. I've been here ever since. My husband wants to stay here and I'd like to move to a warmer state, however, we compromised with lots of travel in our future and a vacation house on the beach once the kids are grown and out on their own.
Q. Diamonds or pearls?
Brandis - Diamonds
Q. What is your favorite flower?
Brandis - I love the sweet smell of Lilac and the beauty of Hydrangeas. Orchids are pretty awesome too!
And because a blog entry isn't complete unless there is a photo...here is one I just snapped 30 seconds ago of my babies (taken with my crappy camera phone). They like to nap together. Funny thing is they were awake when I started typing this entry, both on my lap. They fell asleep on me half way through. Love my babies!
I usually don't start out with a photograph, but this is a special occasion. My son has officially picked up my "borderline OCD" - self diagnosed of course - tendencies. I am a perfectionist when it comes to everything in my life. I like to have a plan. Yes, I am a planner. And everything in the form of artwork must be perfect. Say I'm doodling - my doodles have to be just right, or it drives me crazy and I'm up all night thinking about it.
One of my "borderline OCD" tendencies comes out when I'm eating m&m's. This sounds so silly but I'll grab a handful and have to eat them in a specific order, by color. I've always been like this and I have to eat my least fave color, to my most fave color. I'm not afraid to share my silliness with the world :)
Another thing I like to do is make sure that anything and I mean anything that I have to group together (like my candles on my fireplace), have to be lined up just perfectly and sitting in the middle of whatever they may be placed on. Even if it looks like a random order of placement, it's not. I've probably spent hours getting it just right. Becoming a photographer has made this worse because now I look through my camera to make sure it's just right. LOL!
And my poor son has picked it up too.
I've noticed lately that he will line everything from books to pictures of him and his sissy in a really neat, straight line. He'll line the entire hallway. He's so funny. It's a game to him! So why on earth did I post a photograph of condiments? Because that was his latest game of "line it up!"
I was posting yesterday's blog. Millie was napping in her crib and Bug...I thought he was watching Blue's Clues. Boy was I wrong. I was deep into thought as I typed every word and remembering every moment I shared with my husband when we first met. Suddenly it was....QUIET. It's never quiet in my house. I run into the living room, find the TV on pause and see Carson J's little foot sticking out from around the foyer corner. "Carson? What are you doooooing?" This is what I found.
That's right. My little man somehow opened the fridge (which I had taped shut - yes tape), grabbed all the condiments except for the ketchup, took them across the house to the foyer and played his latest game of "line it up." I busted out laughing, ran to my prop room to grab my camera which had my awesome 10.5mm fisheye lens on it and came back to watch him play his game. As you can see he lined them up twice. I love him so much. I seriously don't know what life was like before my babies.
Of course Millie woke up by the end of the game (ok, the house was filled with loud laughter and hand-clapping) and I grabbed some pics of her playing contently in her crib. She is one of the happiest babies ever. And today just so happens to be her 6 month birthday so HAPPY 1/2 YEAR BABY GIRL! Freddie is taking her 6 month pics this weekend, so be sure to look for those.
She got me!
****These were all taken in manual mode, with my 10.5mm fisheye on my D300S, without any distortion (just some slight cropping action). I ♥ Manual!
The year was 2002. It was a cool, crisp evening on The Ohio State University's Central Campus. My palms were sweaty and I had butterflies. I was going to my first real campus party at my first real boyfriend's house (you know the guy that makes you forget all about that jerk you dated for 6 years when you were younger?) Not only was it my first campus party, I would be meeting all of his friends for the first time! I slowly tucked my short brown hair behind my ears and walked up the stoop where 2 guys and 3 girls were chatting it up about who knows what. "Hi." I said quietly as I entered the "I" house in "O.H.I.O" Once inside, I looked everywhere and couldn't find my boyfriend. Instead this really hot, dark-haired, dark eyed, preppy dressed boy caught my eye. I must have caught his too because we smiled at one another and said "Hi."
Now me back then...SO totally shy. And I mean SHY. It was completely and utterly uncharacteristic of me to just start talking to anyone, let alone a hot guy. Whatever. He was hot and I felt pretty that night so I shamelessly started flirting with him. I even said, over-confidently I might add, "Oh I could totally kick your ass in some flip-cup." He smiled and accepted my challenge. We put or fists together and waited while time literally stood still, for it to be our turn at the table. Did I beat him? Oh yea, I flipped that cup over on the first try (and this was my first time playing this game). Did we laugh hysterically? Without a doubt! I remember looking at this nameless, hot guy and thinking, "Well maybe if it doesn't work out with my just recent new boyfriend, I could totally give it a go with this guy!" Awful, right? Come to find out...it was perfect.
This hot nameless guy and I were just about to introduce each other formally, but I hear my name being called and turn around to find the new boyfriend, looking all cute (I did really really like him), saying, "Cool. Freddie you met Brandis!" That was Freddie? Shut up. Shut up! Freddie was the guy I had been hearing about for weeks. The Capital University Football Player who liked to party...and the new boyfriend's BEST FRIEND. "Shit." I said out loud. Excuse my language. :) I saw the look in his eye right then. I know he was thinking "That was Brandis? Oh crap. I'm in love with my best friend's girl." And I know this to be true because only 2 years later, he told me himself.
Fast forward to 2004. February 13th to be exact. I had been single for 2 years, as my mother passed away later in 2002 and I broke things off with the cute first real boyfriend, who turned out be be a total jerkface. (Yes that is another made-up word in my personal dictionary, haha). Freddie and I had talked casually throughout the two years as we usually ended up at a mutual friends party. I always thought he was adorable, but never thought anything of it. I'm totally not THAT girl. The girl who comes between 2 best friends. Or was I?
My friend Nathan had invited me to a Columbus Destroyer's Football Game that night and we had amazing seats. I had so much fun! I called Freddie because a week earlier he mentioned being there with his friend Chad. He didn't answer so I left a message. "Hi Freddie, it's Brandis. What up?! I am basically sitting on the field, (can't remember the yard line) in a white sweater. See me?" He called me back, but it was loud I couldn't hear my phone ring. Nathan walked me to my car and we said our "See ya lata's" and I looked at my phone. 1 missed call. 1 new voicemail. It was Freddie. "Hey. I didn't actually make it there. Chad wasn't able to get tix after all. We are at Metro. Why don't you meet us here for a beer?" Me meet him downtown Columbus, by myself, in a super cute outfit? No way. I didn't go anywhere by myself, let alone at 10p in downtown Cbus. But for some reason, instead of getting on 670 W to head back home...I made a sharp left, found a parking spot and ran for my life...in heels! What was I DOING? I thought.
I walked into Metro and immediately saw Freddie sitting at the bar, holding a seat open for me. He had this big smile on his face and for the first time since that very first day that we met, I got butterflies. He was gorgeous! Not only was he hot, he was a gentleman -old school. He pulled the chair out for me, got up when I came over to him and gave me a big hug. He offered to buy me a drink and I accepted. Then we talked about the game. I love football and I think he was impressed that I could hold my own in a sports-related conversation. In the midst of our deep conversation, I fell in love.
Freddie's friend Chad wanted to bar hop so I agreed to tag along. I didn't want the butterflies to go away. Freddie walked me to my car, made sure I got to the new bar "Brother's" in one piece and walked beside me, intent on continuing our conversation which had switched to college life, work and why it was that I was still single.
Brothers is your average college bar with cheap beer, pool tables and awesome dance music. We lost Chad immediately, as he was out on the dance floor within minutes of arriving - scoping out the hot chicks of course. After 5 minutes Freddie asked me if I wanted to dance? "Sure." I replied, really thinking YES I WANNA DANCE WITH YOU! A Britney Spears song came on, (I Got That) Boom Boom
and suddenly the dance floor got crowded. SO crowded that he and I were pushed together. We locked eyes and I remember looking at him and really seeing him for the first time, wondering if he felt the way I did, even if it was a little bit. And then he kissed me.
Folks, it's history from there! Come to find out later when we started dating (hesitating only because of the fact that he was my ex's best friend) that he fell in love with me the moment we met at that OSU party years earlier. Funny how things just happen, when you least expect them. And I am still very much in love with that same hot guy. He's my husband!
Enjoy our flash back. Some are super old and tiny - sorry - and I'll end with some wedding photos. I'll have to share my wedding day with ya'll sometime. It truly is a tear-jerker. I'm so in love with this man. We've been through unthinkable things together - both of our mom's passing away from cancer, his sister being diagnosed with breast cancer and beating it thank God, me going through several breast cancer scares and surgeries, a miscarriage, family drama, selfish phases (we won't even go there), financial drama with my identity being stolen...you name it, we've probably been through it. But it has made us stronger than ever. I will always look at Freddie and remember that very first moment I laid eyes on him. I will always look at him and see a true gentleman who always opens the door for me. I will always look at him and see an amazing husband and father. I will always look at him and get butterflies. I feel so blessed to have found my best friend and solemate - the person I get to spend the rest of my life with. The man that is embarking on a photography journey with me. I can't wait for our first wedding together as a team. That couple will get to see what love looks like through our eyes. I can't WAIT!
I love you baby. Back then. Now. Always.
–noun | 1. | a wistful desire to return in thought or in fact to a former time in one's life, to one's home or homeland, or to one's family and friends; a sentimental yearning for the happiness of a former place or time: a nostalgia for his college days. |
| 2. | something that elicits or displays nostalgia. |
My little man is sick. Very sick. With his 102 degree temperature, a sippy cup full of grape pedialyte, his "Boo Boo Teddy Bear" - the first one he chose at Build A Bear himself - his sister's blanket that our awesome friend Bridgett made and a big comfy pillow, Carson J is laying in Mommy and Daddy's bed right now. I had to wake him up to take medicine and a lukewarm bath 2 hours ago. It makes my heart hurt when he is sick.
He is going to be two years old in March! Can you believe that? It seems like just yesterday that I had him. It seems like just yesterday that my world completely changed from being just a wife to a mommy and a wife.
Here's a photo of my baby boy at 2 months old. I'm in love with this picture. Daddy is too!
My, my. Things change with a blink of an eye. Cherish every moment. Seriously.
I can't sleep and have a million things on the to-do list for this rainy Sunday, however, taking a timeout to possibly help someone out there, is definitely worth it. So yes, it is time for another FAQ post!
As always, I don't claim to be a photography guru or all-knowing. I'm just a girl with a camera, who is completely in love with photography and art. I answer questions as they apply to me and my life. If this helps even one person, life is great!
Rose asks, "Brandis what do you know about photoshop elements ? It is cheaper then photoshop. But do you know if it is worth the money?"
A. Thanks for the question Rose! Actually I don't use photoshop or any similar program...YET. I have a much less expensive editing program that I use, that I self-taught on, that has all of the EXACT SAME tools that PS has. And I couldn't be more thrilled with the results. I can open and create PSD files in this program as well. Eventually I will spend the big bucks for the top of the line editing software and Kubota tools (oh how I long to use them), but it's simply not in the budget for a beginning photographer. My program is a great alternative for $50 or less! I'd rather invest in my lenses and camera body than editing right now. Editing is just a compliment to my SOOC (straight out of camera) shots and should be used to just fine-tune or tweak images. The name of my program? That is only available to those I one-on-one mentor. Hey, I can't divulge all my secrets!
Stephanie (my current student) asks 3 awesome questions.
What do you like most about taking pictures?
A. What I like most - well there are two answers to this one. The first is I love my clients! I love making them smile and feel special. When my camera is pointed toward them, I give them my 100% undivided attention! Being able to really look at a person or a pet in some cases, and see their beauty at many different angles is super rewarding to me. So from a client stand point, the best part is getting to know them and to really capture their personality. The other part to my answer is that I simply LOVE the unlimited possibilities photography brings into my life. If I'm having a blah moment, I grab my camera and start snapping away. It quickly turns my frown upside down! A photo tells a story and I love being a storyteller! It is most definitely my creative-outlet.
What is the biggest thing you want to accomplish as a photographer?
A. The biggest thing? Wow. I'm not sure I have even thought that far ahead yet. The biggest thing on my "to accomplish" list would be to photograph a destination wedding in an exotic location, such as Jamaica. I am really going to be focusing on wedding photography come 2011 and 2010 is going to be full of practice, workshops, modeling sessions and soaking up everything and anything photography related. Come 2011, well you better watch out, as the wedding photography industry will see a new kid on the block. One that will bring style, class and art back into wedding photography. That's the plan anyway! Be on the lookout for my wedding, boudoir, trash the dress and engagement website that is currently in design-mode. It will be AH-MAY-ZING.
Where do you hope to be in 10 years career wise and personal life?
A. Oh girl, I can't even answer this question. And I don't want to. Why? Well because I no longer look that far ahead. I've never cared for this question - especially when they ask you as a high school senior. 10 years really? You can't predict tomorrow let alone 10 whole years. LOL! I do however, look to the month ahead and set goals for myself. 120 months in the future, well let's just hope that I'll be doing some amazing things with my life and still have an immeasurable amount of love and passion for photography!
Finally, Bridgett gets personal with her question: You really make parenting look so easy! How do you do it?
A. First of all, THANK YOU for such an amazing compliment. Wow! Honestly, it's hard. Being a mother is full of sacrifice and patience. I am not the most patient of people, but when it comes to my babies, I really try to practice patience with every breath I take. I have a 22 month old and an almost 6 month old. Am I crazy? Maybe. Do I regret having them so close together? Never. Am I crazy for starting a business in the midst of all life's chaotic-ness (yup, another made-up word!)? Most definitely! Am I loving every moment? Without a doubt, hands down, without any hesitation, Y.E.S.
I have a very strict schedule, that sometimes gets thrown out the door when we hang-out in PJ's all day long and veg in front of the TV. Those days are great sometimes. We have a floor picnic with tons of pillows, blankets and toys and just...be. Of course in the cold, Ohio winter, those days are a lot more. :) I give my full attention to my children. I'm a stay at home mommy during the day. Photography comes second. I will usually get my blog entry ready the night before and post it during the day when they are napping. I'll also clean and grab a shower during this time. My work day starts at 7p with "studyhall" in which I'm learning something photography related, or I have my meetings with clients. Then I don't work again until 10p, once my babies are asleep. I work from 10p until Midnight or 1a every day. Lots of editing and emailing going on! I'm not a phone person and my clients are really awesome at understanding that email is the BEST way to reach me. They are also really awesome at understanding that being a mommy comes first and that they will still receive outstanding customer service and a personalized experience with me. Weekends I schedule my shoots and start the post-editing phase. I work about 10 hours each Saturday and Sunday, while my husband has the babies. I still put in mommy time and break for special events, outings and family time. But really, it is difficult. A strict schedule helps for sure!
Thank you for all the questions! Keep 'em coming! I've already started compiling new Q's for the next FAQ series. You can find the previous FAQ series by clicking on the link at the bottom of my blog, under "For Photographers." If this helps even one person, then well, that makes me extremely happy!
Happy Sunday to you all! I'm going back to bed to cuddle with my little man. Good Day!
I should take advantage of the peace and quiet in my home right now, as both babies are fast asleep, deep in dream. I should really go back to bed, seeing how I went to sleep only 4 short hours ago. I should go do some stomach crunches. Or something. Instead, I grab my camera, which is never very far from my side, pop on my 17-50mm zoom lens and set everything to manual mode. I'm going to learn this. I CAN learn this!
Carson J woke up early because his sister, well she screams only when she's hungry. This morning she must have been famished because she woke the entire house up! He comes running into my room, crazy bed-hair, in just a diaper and long-sleeved t-shirt and smiles so sleepily as he hugs my leg. Oh he melts my heart every.single.time. I see him! He proceeds to the other side of the bed and climbs in, pulls the covers up over his gorgeous little head and stretches out - as if he was in the most comfortablist (I like to make up words from time to time. Don't hate!) of places. I smile and continue changing Millie's diaper all the while telling her, "just a minute baby."
"Ahhh, the sweet satisfaction of the bottle hitting my lips for the first time..." She has got to be thinking that for sure. I'm convinced of it actually. As soon as she smells her soy formula, she starts kicking her chubby little baby feet and starts sucking on the air, until it's finally in her mouth. She downs about 4 ounces and falls back to sleep. I lay her in the crib, climb into bed with Carson, who puts my hand on his face (it's a "Mommy-Son" thing) and drifts happily and quickly back to sleep. I lay there and just stare at him. How could I not? How is it, that my baby boy, my first born, will be 2 years old in March? :::sigh::: I look in the opposite direction and I see my girl, so beautiful and tiny...thinking about how next week she will be 6 months old. Where does the time go?! If only I could hit pause...even for a day!
I should take advantage of this time and perhaps get some much needed sleep. But I can't bring myself to close my eyes. I am so in love with my babies. I could stare at them for hours upon hours upon hours. My husband and I created these perfect little people and man, are they...perfect.
I grab my camera, pop on my 17-50mm zoom lens and set everything to manual mode. And this is why I am now very much awake and going to grab coffee and just stare at them while I soak in the quietness that surrounds me. It won't be long until Blue's Clues is playing on the TV, Millie is jumping up and down in her activity center and Carson J is playing with his hair, while drinking milk and eating dry cinnamon toast crunch for breakfast.
Happy Friday! I hope you have an amazing weekend.
I had a fantastic meeting last night with Rachel, who was interested in being a 2011 Senior Model. I sure hope she decides to go for it - she's quiet, artistic and has a love for photography which means she and I would get along perfectly - but more about her later - if she says 'YES' of course!
See, I do get sidetracked a lot. A LOT.
After my meeting, I took back roads home and was driving through Clintonville. I suddenly remembered my post on facebook today about reading 20 books in February and Half Priced Books was right there on the left. What did I do? Well I turned into the store's parking lot of course! I could get lost for hours, even days, in that store. It's hard to find anything you are specifically looking for, if you are just browsing, but that's what I LOVE about it. I felt as if I was in a world of new and used books that had a history, that were just waiting patiently to catch my eye. And one book did.
Shoe Addicts Anonymous
by Beth Harbison. (If you purchase through this link, I'll get credit, which will help me upgrade my camera gear!).
Not only did I fall in love with the title of the book, I fell in love with the storyline as well. In fact, I may be inclined to start my very own shoe swapping club! Size 7.5 anyone???
I'm so excited about starting it in the next few days, once my workload has tapered off a bit. I've got a lot to do, so it may have to wait until the first week in February. But atleast I know it's right here waiting for me, calling my name!
My son LOVES to read. We read 20-30 small books a day. Biscuit the yellow dog? Yea we have the entire series. LOL! I'm so happy that he loves to read, and reads by himself. Amilya Rae has also started to love looking at books too (and yes, she loves to eat them) so I never ever leave a store that has books without picking something up for my babies. Of course I went with a few classics here. Read To Your Bunny Very First Library Gift Set (Max and Ruby)
Carson J, do you love your surprise?!
I hop in my car, smiling from ear to ear and my eyes lock onto a small shop across the parking lot. Anthony Thomas. YUMMY! My mom absolutely loved the coconut dips and of course growing up idolizing her, I too had to always steal one when she wasn't looking. I didn't dare tell anyone that I had a secret passion for coconut dips too, because I wanted her to have them all to herself (except for that one of course). Well now that I am the wife and mommy of my family, it's my turn! My husband knows how much I love those things, but we honestly don't ever think about stopping to pick some up (other than when I was pregnant with Bug and craved them ALL the time!) Here's where the self-indulgence really gets good. I totally park in front of the store and go in. I speak with this super nice lady about photography and my family. I joked with her as I told her she was going to keep me chubby by offering me that customer rewards card! Did I take it? YES! I SURE DID! I ordered my coconut dips and ordered peanut butter cups for Freddie and Carson J - hey if I'm going to stay chubby, my husband is going down with me! (sorry honey, it's true). And left with an even larger smile on my face.
I immediately call the husband and say, "Oh you are never going to believe what I just bought!" Usually that means I went into Target and spent a small fortune on who even knows what. But he says, "What did you do?!" I told him and he laughed. Oh how I love that husband of mine!
I got home and quickly got everything together to snap a few photos. Carson of course opens his books and then spots the chocolate. He grabs a peanut butter cup and looks at me like, am I really allowed to have this Mommy? I give him a big smile and here's what happened:
mmmmm. That's GOOD!
Don't forget to self-indulge every once in awhile. You deserve it!
I used to write ALL. THE. TIME. when I was younger. I loved it. I haven't really written much since my mom passed in September of 2002. I've been published in two publications for poems that I wrote in High School. I even had friends ask for a copy of my fave piece {Ode to a Rose}. Being a true artist through and through, I even drew pictures to go with all my poems!
Funny how things suddenly appear - when you least expect them. I just finished photographing a gorgeous baby boy (don't worry, a teaser from today's session will be posted below) and walked downstairs to love on my babies. As I was walking toward my son, who was running toward me, I saw a piece of notebook paper, turned over. We don't have notebook paper in my house so I bent down to pick it up and it's a poem I had written in 2002, only 2 short months after I lost my mother. This is the LAST poem I remember writing.
I just turned 20 years old; My Mom 42. I lost my best friend. I felt so alone. I was so unsure of who I was and my heart hurt. I sat down on my bed and just started writing. This is what came out that dreary afternoon.
THE PATH
Walking along a peaceful path
To a new, breath-taking embrace,
Taking in life with every breath
Making the world a better place.
As opportunities gracefully arise
As a risk is always at hand,
I reach for that shooting star
Pursuing that unthinkable dream
Trying SO HARD not to leave anything or anyone behind.
I'm becoming my own woman
Working every complication into a solution
Making every moment as bright as yellow daisies
Finding TRUE LOVE.
I walk alone, along my peaceful path
In search of that perfect being
Approaching a view of a woman
Breath-taking. Sensible. Unique.
And as she gets clearer to where I can really see,
I realize that woman I'm looking at is me.
One of my 101 in 1001 is to write my children a poem (#64). Hopefully I can pick up a pen and write something for them. I'm just not sure if I'm ready quite yet....
So the suspense is no longer (except for Michele and Robert who will patiently be waiting to see 47 more images of their little man), here's Matthew! He is 6 months old and has one of the most beautiful souls. I can't wait to tell you more about him in a few weeks and share even more photos of him!
So just a little food for thought today. Why start the new year off by reinventing yourself and becoming a "new you?" Have you ever heard that phrase? From facebook statuses to news media and again on talk shows, people have been discussing how 2010 is going to be so fantastic because they are changing "x" and "y" and focusing on "z". And I am so guilty!
I really went into the new year telling myself that this was the year that I took control of my depression. This was the year that I wasn't going to let the still overwhelming sadness I get everyday, from the loss of an amazing woman, my mother, keep me in a state of depression. This was the year that I was going to get back down to my super confident, sexy, skinny self (have you seen my H.S. senior photos?! - Dad, I know, you about had a cow when you saw me in my yellow bikini on top of a red viper). And as I was running 2 miles tonight, determined to become my inner skinniness, I stopped dead on and thought, "why?" As in, why am I thinking this way?
I started thinking about what made me want to change "me" and it hit me like a ton of bricks. I want to EMBRACE ME, not change me. I am looking at everything in my life very differently from this moment on. Not only am I going to stop changing myself, I am going to start embracing myself and all that I have to offer. And one thing I've always loved doing was helping others. And that's what I'm going to continue to do as this year passes. Embrace everything that comes my way, not look at anything in a negative or displeasing light and just LIVE the way we all should live.
If you are feeling bad about yourself or feeling sorry for yourself, take a moment to ask why and then start embracing who you are. With that huge reality check, should come amazing things. Not because you are looking for them and striving to change to make them happen, but because you are instead embracing yourself, embracing all your innermost thoughts and feelings and really start to think of others first. You'll feel good and feeling good always leads to positive actions. ALWAYS.
I want to take a moment to thank my husband and brother-in-law for something they did for me this past spring. They were at a police auction and I just started showing an interest in photography, literally a few weeks into it, and they saw a camera and 3 lenses for sale, along with a crazy big flash. Bless their heart, they didn't realize I was using a digital camera, not film, but made the purchase anyway. I received my new camera and all these truly amazing lenses and then sat puzzled as to why they wouldn't work on my dSLR. (Yup, true rookie right there). I packed up all the stuff and put it into storage, knowing I would never get any use for it.
What I now realize is that I never thanked them (I mean I said thank-you of course), I mean really thanked them. That was truly a selfless, amazing thing they did for me that day. My brother in law made the winning bid of $90 and my husband paid for it and I smile as I look at this camera and 3 fabulous lenses. They made me feel great, for no other reason than just to make me smile. I love you both for that. THANK YOU.
I hopped on the net just now and googled "helping others" and one article caught my eye. I'd like to share a little bit of this article with you and hope that when you've finished reading it, you are inclined to help someone else today and maybe, just maybe, you'll start thinking about yourself in a different, better light than yesterday.
What if just being yourself, the way you are right now, is good enough?
Being yourself takes courage, commitment and faith. It's a process of letting go of many false beliefs you've picked up from the collective consciousness: that you have to look good, be smart, know the right people, say the right things, have the proper experience, in order to be happy and successful in life. Being yourself can be scary and counterintuitive, difficult and even off-putting and, at times, lonely. However, being your authentic self is liberating, exciting and fulfilling. When you have the courage to just be who you are, without apology or pretense, so much of the suffering, stress and worry in life simply disappears. - Mike Robbins
For today, I'd like to help all of my friends who are bloggers, business owners, or professionals in the workplace by inviting them to comment on this blog entry with a tiny tid-bit about who they are and a link to their website. If they post their information and you are reading this, please take a moment to check out their website. You never know who you can meet and network with. Being in business by yourself is hard. And who says we should be in business by ourselves? We always need help from others to really succeed! And if you are just a regular guy or gal who blogs and wants more readers, post your blogs here! You just never know what may come out of having a new visitor learn more about what YOU have to offer.
Ok, go post your site as a comment on my blog entry!!! Can't wait to visit everyone's web pages. My husband is going to start by posting his xowii site. That's all he has - he said! LOL Have a great day ya'll!
© Brandis Allison - be polite and respectful. it is illegal and down right mean to steal my images.
