just a few photos so far...hopefully more to come!
happy halloween everyone ~ be safe!
trying to get back into reality...and it's taking me a bit longer than expected.
stay with me...back soon!
sunrise over the mountains
surrounded by hearts ~love
of course the "bean"
fall color ~ wet
Despite the weather and the wind! I'm loving the Chicago vibe....
Off to explore more of the city
Heading to Chicago for a few days ...wish I was taking this ride but instead I'll be taking the silver tube in the sky.
Happy days everyone ~ leave your links to some autumn color....do you have any out there?
I can't help but love this couch and all that it stands for
I had been in the city wandering around with my camera; when I thought it was time to get back home.
I ended up taking a different street than I set out for, not really knowing why, just something in me wanted to walk this way...
And was I happy I did
There, half way up the street was this yellow couch with purple pillows...just waiting for me!
It reminds me that we don't always have to take the same way, the easier way.
Taking a different route just once might show you the magic you desire.
***You HAVE to check out Gypsy Alex today ~ she's inspiring us all to get off our duff's and explore******
My dear friend Jen and I have been in contact for a fews years now and ever since I found out that she lived in the midwest, not too far from where I grew up there was a kindred connection.
I had this idea of collaborating with her about living back there and me living in California; near the coast which she is fond of. We could share our lives ...together...through photos.
Our story:
Midwest girl moves to California but ends up missing the Midwest
they say "you can take the girl out of the midwest but you can't take the
midwest out of the girl"
Midwest girl lives in the midwest but her heart belongs to the coast
they say "you can stay in the midwest but you can always travel"
The first venture out was to our local hang outs: HobNob in Alameda, CA:
The HobNob is a cute, quaint little joint in DT Alameda where we usually go whenever we get a date night out. Its easy, the eats are fun and a bit more exciting than any other bar/grill and the icing on the cake is that they have games ...yes, games. They used to have Connect 4 on each table but now you have to give them your first born before checking one out at the bar. The owners are great and the decor and art on the walls makes me feel like I'm actually out in the city and not in our small town.
and:Benedict's in East Dundee, Il.
Benedicts is a cozy little breakfast spot, just over the river... This place specializes in friendliness and morning delights. There's is nothing like a room filled with smiling staff, coffee served in a bright Fiestaware mugs, and the fattest bowl of oatmeal sprinkled with all kinds of goodness to get the day off to a bright start. No Connect Four (though I love that game) but they have a tree ~ right in the middle of this little house is a tree, a live one, growing right through the floor, and up through the roof, complete with its own tree house. Good stuff.
It's like we're both able to hang out in our favorite spots even with the many miles between us ~
I've been enjoying my first week of "Exploring the Senses" "
do you have days when everything is just a little bit blurry?
you go through out the day trying to focus but you never get it quite right.
do you have days when you feel like you really need to sit this one out?
that not participating won't be a bad thing, you won't miss out.
she wonders if she's good enough
she wonders if they know the real her
she wonders if they will talk behind her back
she wonders if they will snicker and call her names
she wonders if they have dreams
she wonders if they did, would they be like this
she wonders if they think about what is possible
she wonders if she can trust and believe that they do
she wonders if she can go on believing in herself and following her own dreams
sitting behind the wheel with cars surrounding her
creeping bit by bit
sheets of rain spill down and the wind picks up
she looks over and there is a pink balloon rolling about
this way and that
there it goes
all sound was gone
all she saw was this pink balloon
blowing down the street
not popped by anything
how she wanted to video tape this event
the single pink balloon
floating about
all alone
on this windy
raining
traffic filled
day
but the light turned green and she went
A trip to the Pumpkin Patch
...I don't know who's more excited Tim or the kids...but we finally made it to our local Pumpkin Patch not too far from our house and it was amazing. We of course never really research anything so when we got there we found out that it was actually Harvest weekend so activities and cool things galore were being done on the farm; we were in for a treat!
The kids were excited and had a great time, you might see that I don't have many photos of Penelope because she wasn't having it most of the time but we all made the best of it while we were there.
I'm not really a farm girl but I do come from the Midwest and have been around farms, animals, tractors etc..but I don't pretend to be one in the know. This place was an actual farm with tons of tractors, rows and rows of corn, squash, different kinds of lettuce and of course the major attraction ~ the pumpkin patch. Full on hay bail pyramid to climb, a corn maze, wheelbarrows and wagons to push your pumpkins around.
Since it was a Harvest festival they were making home made ice cream, popcorn, hushpuppies?, fresh honey on hand and much much more. We were introduced to goats, rabbits, sheep, pigs, turkeys, chickens, birds, horses, cows, there were craft sales galore, musicians, magicians, hayrides...amazing. Us city folk eat this stuff up! Funny how our kids just don't know this life at all.
We all had our moments, as you can see from the photos but we ended up with a 10+ pound pumpkin that Tim and Kadison carved today (photos to come) so all and all it was a successful trip.
What if you she told you that you needed to go without any expectations
What if you went with some and it was still actually great
What if you painted... you never really paint
(you told yourself you don't know how)
What if you painted and got a bit messy and something in you opened up
What if it felt so good you couldn't help but giggle when you knew you were alone, because you felt a bit shy
What if learning all those new techniques and just "doing" really felt like you could actually do this after you left
What if you made a pact to yourself that you would be a seeker of joy, that being brave would lead you to create more, which in turn, turns into JOY.
ahhhhh....how if we just make that tiny step, it can lead to such beautiful scenery.
**be gentle, these are photos of my creations made at squam**
it's been 2 weeks since I got home from Squam and I'm still not back to "normal" and I think I need to accept that there won't be a normal again or at least a normal that was before Squam. I'm distracted, I'm inspired, I'm a bit anxious and a bit scattered and I feel I'm procrastinating more than I usually do.
Some of my close friends told me that I might come back a bit cracked open, that I was on the verge. I knew what they meant but I'm realizing I didn't really take it seriously. Now, I think I may be "getting" it
I am feeling a bit more open, to the possibilities and to new adventures. In what exactly that means I'm not sure ...yet...
All I know is that I'm open to all there is to come and that feels good, actually really good. It means taking my camera out more, it means experimenting with new lenses, it means writing more, it means putting myself out there, it means selling my work... and so much more.
can't stop this color week, I'm a bit obsessed....and i seem to have way too many photos of these shoes!
Something I would love to yell from the roof-tops ~ Beckoning of the Lovely and a Year later . Amy Krouse Rosenthal is doing amazing things and if you have a chance to read her books you'll love her even more!
I was introduced to Moonlight Chroniclese so many years ago through SARKand I've followed Dan, his many photographs, his adventures, his drawings through out ~ now his website is updated. Check him out..you might get addicted!
I've been reading Jen's blog and books for awhile now and I had a the great opportunity to meet her at Squam and take her class. She's someone you could sit and listen to for hours. The sound of her voice is mesmerizing and the way she can tell a story will have you hooked. Her post today ~ well go read it and you will know what I mean.
I've been hoping that Friday would be RED ~ another one of my favorites and I really wanted to show you the red ball ~ love these shots!!!
Happy Friday everyone, this was FuN!
not too much brown in my life....but I did happen to find some cool stuff in NH recently...
I had fun this week ~ finding the colors in my life.