Oh boy!

Oh boy!
I have been neglecting you my dear blog. 

I'm smack dab in the middle of wedding season, so in order to keep up
with my work flow I needed to take a step back from the blog.

I'm so beyond grateful to be busy working.
I have been meeting new clients, scouting fun locations,
and going on some fabulous adventures with my couples and families.

In between shooting, processing, and editing...I have managed to sneak in a few days off to hang
with the family, and even catch a few hours of sleep that I seem to always be chasing. ; )

***

Now let's get caught up a bit!

They're one of my favorite couples. My first wedding couple to be specific.
They gave me a gift, an opportunity, to achieve a goal that I thought was far in my future.

Shooting a wedding is some serious business. It's a moment that cannot be repeated.
You get one shot to make it happen.
It's nerve wracking.
But the benefits out weigh the nerves for me.

The dynamics are complex. It's not just about the couple. It's also about the
relationships around them.  It's not everyday that we are surrounded by everyone
in our lives that has meant something to us.

Our guests are the people who are responsible for who we are today.
I adore that about a wedding.
Add that to fabulous decor, details, and amazing attire...and you got yourself one heck of a celebration!

I can't believe that I'm fortunate enough to be a fly on the wall during those moments. 

***

I sat with Mindy a few months after her wedding at a local Panera Bread
sipping coffee and sharing tid-bits about our lives.
That day she said a few things to me that I swear changed my life.

I'm not sure what I did to deserve a couple like Mindy and Shawn,
or all of the fabulous couples there after, but I know for sure that each person,
every single one has effected me deeply.

It's not, and never will be just business here in my world. It's personal.
It's impossible to not feel attached in some way for me.

My clients have restored my faith in the human race to be quite honest.
I know. I totally sound like a dork, but it's true.
In my 'last life' I was pushing papers at a bank, and dealing with numbers,
while the folks around me only cared about the bottom line.

Now my life revolves around people who are blissfully happy.
New parents coddling their first newborn, or a family welcoming a new sibling.
Happy events, wonderful milestones and couples who found their 'forever'.

Everyday people relishing life, and enjoying the minutes that slip by us to fast for us to catch. 

Some would call it luck to have a job that you love. I call it hard work.
Yes. I love what I do...but I have worked many sleepless hours to make it happen.
Work is not just taking pictures for me.
Work is also trying to find the happy balance between my love for 'it', my family and my home.
It's not easy.

While it's not easy, there is not a day that goes by that my heart is not filled with gratitude for getting the chance to see the possibilities that were laid before me.
What's amazing is that we all have these endless possibilities whether we choose to believe that or not.

Maybe I'm hopefully optimistic, or overly enthusiastic at times, but I find you can't hide happiness.
This line of 'work' makes me dang giddy.

So if we should meet one day and I'm smiling from ear to ear,
or talking a mile a minute in a overly animated manner...please don't write me off as a crazed lady.
Even if at times that's what I am at home.

I hope you will know that I'm just as excited as you are about the moments
you are giving me the wonderful privilege to document.

A photograph to me is a gift of memories that keep on giving.
I want you to be able to re-live the joy, fun, the year, your age, the newness once more.
I want you to have a tangible memory that would otherwise be lost if not for a picture.

So enjoy the moment for all that it's worth, the time and circumstances may never come again.
But rest assured the feelings will...when you see the photographs.

***

Mindy has come back and referred more clients then I can count time and time again.
I'm forever grateful for her faith in me before I had it in myself.

I had the awesome privilege to see her last month when a new bundle arrived
and made her family a bit bigger. Again.

And again, I get a chance to go to 'work' and feel as if my feet has wings. 

Going my way?

Hey, hot stuff!

A friend for life...

Happiness...

Contentment...

To see where it all began with this fabulous family, you can check out their memories here! 

To see my latest engagement sessions and weddings, please check out the new blog here!

Thanks so much for stopping in to have a look around!

Mr. Jingles - Elf on a Shelf

December 1st - Day 1.

Mr. Jingles has made his annual debut this season at our home...

What did you name your Elf?

Let me know in the comments below!

Thankful - A Follow Up If You Were Following

I'm thankful to be able to do what I love to do. 

I thought that this would be no more than a glorified hobby,
and it has not only become my career of some sort, but a huge part of my life. 

I have been fortunate enough to be blessed with the most wonderful clients ever.

Each client who is actually now a friend. 

I still get excited when I get an e-mail from my web-site about a prospect/client.
It's my first peek into their world. Sometimes they tell me a little about themselves;
sometimes they even talk about some of you -
and what they have read and have seen here from what I post. 

Opening those e-mails is like opening up an unexpected gift. It never get's old for me.

The day that I opened one up from some random person about the whole grammar thing -
it was the last thing I expected. It caught me completely off guard.
I felt like the girl with her skirt stuck in her stockings, who is showing off her rear to the world.
As if that wasn't bad enough -
getting a letter sent home about it...after spending the day out and about. Oy vey!

As mortified, humiliated and sad as I was - believe it or not I was thankful. 

'Cause really...you want to know when you have spinach in your teeth, right? 

I kinda felt that way a little. 

I also thought - 'wow...85% of my clients are teachers,

 and if he is saying something about my grammar...what are they seeing and not saying?!'

I tried to ignore it, but I couldn't. I wanted to address it, but I didn't want to come off as a whiner
or sound bitter over the whole thing. I agonized over it and then came to the conclusion
that some people will accept it and some might become more aware of my weakness.
It is what it is.

I wasn't really expecting a response. I was just really posting a 'disclosure.'
But the notes that flooded my e-mail, this blog and my FB wall were some
 of the most touching things I have ever read. 

All I can say is thank you. 

From my toes to my nose, I'm filled with gratitude for what you all have given me:
the wonderful comments, the heartfelt words. The passion. The sincerity. 

Each and every one of you that took the time out of your day to write to me - 

words fall short of what it meant to me. 

I have much to be thankful for this year as I do every day. 

This little business has gone in a direction that I never expected or saw coming. 

I wouldn't be here today without the help of the most wonderful people ever. 

My family, who puts up with my crazy schedule,
late nights and cereal on the table some nights instead of a hot meal;
my husband who has gotten me through this hectic season by helping out with the kids
and taking off from work to balance the craziness;
my sister for all the little things that add up to be huge;

my graphic designer who is sooo patient with me, and not only comes up 

with fabulous unique designs, but is also at times my therapist.
Not that I really need one ; ) 

You can check out her Etsy shop here.  

My wonderful mentor Peter Tellone who has been so gracious with his time to help show me the way.
Take a peek into his world and amazing gift prints here.

And last but certainly not least, I'm thankful for each and every reader who 

puts up with my grammar hiccups, 

shares in my client's memories, and some of mine. 

Thanks(for)giving!

p.s.

And because posts are so much better with a picture...

I'm thankful for the delicious looking treats my MIL whipped up for the feast. 

They were gobbled up quick!

Spelling, Grammar and Moments

Recently, it was brought to my attention that - to put it frankly - my grammar sucks. 

This character weakness is well known. I don't exactly hide it here.

It's something I pretty much knew, but I guess not to the point that I recently heard about it. It was the type of thing where upon hearing it, I wanted to crawl into bed and pull the blankets over my head for being so terribly embarrassed. 

I actually for a moment thought of not writing here anymore.

Just like all things domestic - there are some things I'm good at, and others...not so much.

I'll let you guess which way the domestic thing rolls for me.

I first want to apologize for my crazy slang, half sentences or run on sentences. I'm far from being proper. 

I may write 'here' instead of 'hear' or 'there' instead of 'their'. 

I may have a comma or an apostrophe out of place too. 

I do know better. 

But you see, sometimes I forget I'm writing to all of you. 

When I write, it's as if I'm writing in a journal for myself. 

The words pour out quicker than I can type them. 

I'm not thinking grammatically; I'm thinking of just putting the point down on paper to remind myself of a moment or of a thought before giving in to my drooping eyelids.

I'm pretty sure you wouldn't believe me if I told you I actually do proof read what I write. But those 3am late nights are tough. I'm tapping away at the keyboard after putting in a full day and sometimes there is not much else left for my brain to give at that point. Especially going on three hours of sleep from the night before. 

It's a poor excuse, but it's my reality right now.

While I would hate for you to think of me any less professional or educated than I am - 

I would rather you walk away thinking I'm real. 

I make mistakes. I think out loud. I write personally, not professionally. 

I'm not perfect and I hope you still like me that way. 

And maybe that's not the best approach. 

And maybe I shouldn't be starting my sentences with 'and' or 'but' or 'because'. But sometimes I do. 

I may write that way because of how it's forming in my head or maybe just for effect...or is it affect?! ; ) 

And that's okay. Because this here is my world. 

Some of you may be completely turned off by it and I completely get it. 

Some of you may see it as quirky and partially acceptable and not judge me by it. 

For those of you in the latter group, I love you for it.

I promise to try harder to watch the grammar or spelling errors but don't hold me too it. 

'Cause even though I promise to work harder on getting the house together...

we all know how that sometimes goes. ; )

On a side note, it was also mentioned that this blog does not give off a 

'good first impression' because of everything mentioned above. 

And this is what broke my heart a little. 

This blog is really not to impress anyone. 

It's to document life. It's a peek into moments that would otherwise go by unnoticed. 

Sometimes we all get caught up in perfection. I'm no stranger to that.

Sometimes though life is not about the perfect picture or the perfect blog post - 

it's about seeing the perfect moment. 

My Mom's Best Advice About Marriage

Say, 'maybe'.

Never say 'no'.

God, it sounds so ridiculously simple doesn't it?

Yet, I thought it was the stupidest advice ever.

When Dan and I got married a lot was happening in our lives. 

We had met in June and by December we were engaged. 

I know. I see some eyes rolling. 

Sometimes when you know, you know. 

6 months later we were married. 

The 'in between' during those six months was crazy though. 

We were under an enormous amount of pressure from crazy life situations. 

I was in a new management position at work.
I was read my last rights in a hospital because of something that happened to my gallbladder.
 Someone blew a red light and I was in a horrible car accident 

and my car was totaled. 

Our extra car on hand was broken into. 

We were in the process of buying a house. 

My grandmother died and his grandmother died within a month of each other...(before the wedding). 

Oh. And yeahh...we had a little thing called a 'wedding' to plan then too.

Some of you know how much stress that is alone. 

Everything seemed overwhelming. 

When we had moved into our new home a month before our wedding 

we were bickering about everything. We couldn't agree on freakin' tooth paste. 

It was nuts. 

We each had our own ideas on what should be done first on the house
and neither of us wanted to compromise.
Every time either of us opened our mouths the 

other would just say 'no' to whatever the question was. 

'I want to re-do the floors.' 

'No, not right now.' 

'I want to get a new tool. 

'No, not right now.'

The more we said no to each other, the more the other dug their heels in. 

We all want to be heard. 

We all want our ideas to be taken into consideration. 

By saying 'maybe', no one is on the defense. 

There is still time to talk it over, and discuss the pros and cons. 

One day I tried it. 

Dan walked in the room and said 

'I think we should take the tax money and put it towards the loan on the car.' 

That was the money we spoke about going to our 1970's nasty kitchen. 

I was devastated.

My first reaction was 'no' - actually it was more like 'noooo waaaaay'.

On the inside. 

Well, if you really want to get technical there may or may not have had an explicit thrown in the middle.

But instead I bit my tongue (it may have bled) and said 'maybe'.

All of a sudden his demeanor softened and he wasn't ready for combat. 

It was much different talking to someone that wasn't expecting a fight. 

I was able to listen to him and even - sighhhh- agree with him a little. 

He was right in a way. Key word 'in a way'. 

By listening and not getting defensive I was able to see it meant more to him then it did to me. 

So instead of giving in I was able to agree. 

***

A few weeks had passed and I had asked him something equally important that was
going to cause WW3 - although I can't even remember what it was. 

I remember bracing myself.  

He didn't say 'no' though, he said 'maybe'. 

I was sitting on our couch with my feet up, 

thinking we were finally on the right track to compromise, and honestly it was so much less exhausting.

The crucial point though was when he turned to walk away, 

I saw a slight smile come to his face...kinda like he got away with something.

And all of a sudden it hit me...

'YOU, TALKED TO MY MOTHER!

It wasn't a question it was a statement. 

We both broke out in a fit of laughter.

Almost ten years later we still use it...even though we both know that we may be 

using it to pacify the other person. It's not lost on us. We get it. 

It taught us actually to see what the other person was saying. 

Listen, think about it, and discuss it rationally.

Marriage is work - no matter how you look at it. 

There is an ebb and a flow to it. 

There is no right or wrong way to go about it. 

Everyone is different and that's just the point. 

We all have different ways to look at something. 

And perhaps Antoine de Saint Exupery said it best, 

'love does not consist of gazing at each other, but in looking outward together in the same direction.'

Sometimes it's good to ask for directions.

Thanks Mom!

The Bucket List - Happy Fall!

It's official. 

The beginning of the season started for me today. Each year it's a different day. 

But today the weather dipped just cool enough to put a chill in the air for me to light 

some candles and pull out the fall decor.

There is something about autumn that is so cozy to me. 

The yummy textures of sweaters, the warm colors. 

Everything has a golden caramel hue added to it too...like the lighting filtering through the 

trees and the brilliance of the leaves. 

The scarves come out and hats emerge. And everyone looks like they walked out of a catalog. 

There is just something about the fall that pulls a look together. 

Maybe it's the chic boots, or the killer layering. 

Whatever it is, I love it. 

It makes you just want to hug people. No really. Doesn't it? Oh. That's just me?!

Nahh. It can't be. 

There is just something extra squishy about someone in a cozy outfit.

You want to reach out and touch them. 

The soft cashmere. The plush textures. 

Just fabulous!

Sooo grab your honey, or your family and check off as many things as you can on the list below. 

Enjoy the season!

Perfect 10 - Make-Up Monday

Okay...can we talk hair today?

I know. Always going off on a tangent.

Don't you want to shake me by the shoulders and yell...'MAKE-UP...TODAY IS MAKE-UP'!

I look at nail, hair, and face as beauty products.

Just to clear things up, anything that could be sold at Sephora or Ulta is covered on Make-Up Monday's!

So, let's face it. Sometimes we get a little crazy in between hair appointments and have to box it. We stand in the aisle of the drugstore with a blank look on our faces trying to decipher between ash and golden. We pick up a box and then walk a little further, put it down, and pick up the next box that promises
a little something different.

Is it just me, or do you to forget which color or brand you used last time too?

I finally made friends with drug store hair color when I was preggo with the kids. I found my perfect match...which was actually called 'Perfect 10' by Clariol.

I was in Walmart the other day, and two aisles over I heard a customer ask an employee which hair color was best. The employee went on and on to say that Perfect 10 was her hair color of choice too.
Which lead me to posting about it here today.

Hair is a funny thing. What works for some, may not work for all, so please use caution. I checked out some sites to see how other people rated it and it got about 4 stars.
I like to try to post 5 star products here, but I really feel it is 5 star for me.

What really pulled me in where two things.

10 minutes, and it was a creme application instead of that runny stuff that gets everywhere.

While it's pretty pricey considering the other alternatives on the shelf, I think it's worth it.

I did a quick internet search and found the best prices on Amazon (click on the link to see the colors) at about $8 buck's a box, while drugstores charge around $12.

With the change of season's I'm feeling like trading in the blond locks for red.

I'll let you all know how it goes. I may have to do a blog retraction ; )

p.s.

If you want to hear from more 'believers' hit up 'you tube' to see some more reviews,
as well as how their hair color turned out!

'See' - Thursday's Thought of the Day

"I think a photography class should be a requirement in all educational programs
because it makes you see the world rather than just look at it."

-Author Unknown

Seeds of Change - Remembering 9/11

I kneeled on the hard concrete outside of my office to try to get a picture with 

my phone's camera of the delicate daisy 

that managed to squeeze itself in between the cracks of the cement. 

It was bright yellow and white and looked tall and proud. 

I loved the fact that the flower (under such tremendous odds), grew, bloomed 

and thrived in such harsh conditions. 

I wanted a picture to remind me of the smile it gave me.

Sixty miles away, at the same time...a plane had just crashed into the 

north tower of the World Trade Center.

Only sixty miles away, yet worlds apart. 

And in mere seconds lives were changing forever.

Words were tumbling from the mouths of people on the street and the radio 

was filled with the horrific details of what was happening minute by minute.

2,819  innocent victims - wives, husbands, mothers, fathers, sons and daughters were not going to be coming home. Ever again.

 Tears streamed down our faces as we stood, breathless. 

We heard the words and felt the panic...yet couldn't come to the realization of what was actually happening until the vivid imagery began. 

The desperation, the fear and the unfathomable pictures of what people were experiencing 

and witnessing at that second was almost to much to bare.  

Our hearts were breaking watching the people weep while holding on 

to one another in thick dust and ash. 

I remember the dis-belief. I remember fearing the unknown. 

I remember thinking I wanted it all to go away, 

yet when I picked up the paper and turned on the tv there it was again. 

And the more I didn't want to see it, the more I would find myself looking for it.

A picture has that effect. It has the power to make you feel. 

Whether the emotion is sadness, desperation, fear, love, hope or happiness. 

What we hold is not just a piece of paper, it's history. It's seeing the truth...however ugly or pretty that truth might be. 

We are forever changed by a vision. 

We become more compassion and we can relate more then we ever thought possible because of it. 

Seeing is in fact believing. 

The imagery from 9/11 brought our country closer. It impacted us all to the core of our souls. 

In a world that leaves little time these days for passing time with our neighbors, 

it forced us to unite with one another.

I have often wondered since that day what it would have been like to not have experienced the imagery of 9/11. 

Would we have known the devastation by mere words? 

Would we have believed the stories or were the images a narration 

of the events and heartache? 

Could it have ever been described in words alone?

I have always known the importance of a picture...but I didn't know the effect, until that day. 

That a single image can bring a country to it's knees...

and yet still...unite our resolve and resilience. 

Beyond the gray and bleak pictures of a city that once was, were the faces of raw emotion. 

People clinging to strangers, as the country was clinging to hope.

Where the Twin Towers once stood tall and proud was a gaping hole like what was felt in our hearts. 

Among the rubble now, in it's place stood our American flag the same way...tall and proud. 

A small, but meaningful paradox among the ruins. 

In a way it reminded me of that flower I saw hours earlier. 

A seed that we needed to sow...and

'from a small seed, a mighty trunk may grow.'

Photograph by: Thomas E. Franklin (http://www.thomasefranklin.com/) 

Named one of the top 100 photographs that changed the world in Life magazine.

If a photograph can change the world...imagine what 'we the people ' can do?!

Ten years today we still mourn while picking up the pieces of our past. 

However, we use those same very pieces to help us build a better tomorrow.

Stop...and smell the roses.

Today she’s walking down the driveway to get on the school bus.

Tomorrow she’s going to be going off to college.

I don't want to blink.

*Sniffffff*

1st Grade...

Love ya pumpkin!

A Present...

I stood in line listening to the folks around me talk about the impending hurricane. 

They were sharing last minute tips and offering suggestions on where to find batteries in case of a power outage. 

They were holding cases of water, purchasing garbage pails and lighters 

and their voices had a worried tone. 

I glanced down at my cart and thought to myself they must think I have gone mad. 

My cart was filled to the brim of not necessities, but rather the opposite. 

Play Dough, lollipop flashlights (I know...genius, right?), paint, a box of 64 brand spanking 

new crayons and enough snacks to invite the county. 

If we were goin' down, we were going to go down having a ball. 

It was 'insurance' in a way too.  

I wanted to make sure my kids lived to tell about it. 

You know, just in case I had to spend 96 freakin' hours with them...

their odds didn't look good without entertainment. ; ) 

Day 1 - The wind was barely kicking up when we lost electricity. 

While we should have been using the batteries for the flashlights, 

we were using them to blare happy Christmas music from the 'Hello Kitty' radio. 

We broke out the Play Dough waaay too early and spent the next three hours playing. 

Who knew, I could be occupied that long without my computer?! 

While three hours sounds like an eternity playing play dough...there were ten more hours to go. 

And that was just day one. 

We laughed, we talked...and pretended we were camping. 

We built tents in the living room and read by flashlight.  

Remember back in the day when a simple card board box could keep you occupied for hours?

Well...thank God boxes still exist.

Day 2 - Was our 'wacky' day. We wore our clothes backwards and ate dinner for breakfast. 

Being unconventional just seemed to sorta fit and it made it a bit more 

fun to get through the endless day.

I don't remember much of the the events now, but I do remember that I spent

 the day noticing the different specks of colors in my children's eyes and 

how the window light highlighted and shadowed their faces. 

No artificial light to muck it all up, just pure, yummy, diffused, lovely light. 

I was glad I had a moment to stop and soak it all in. 

So many days I'm wishing it away...but this day, I was not. 

We slept with the window's wide open feeling the amazing breeze 

left over from Irene and talked about pumpkin picking before falling asleep. 

Day 3 - The novelty was wearing off a little but who was I to complain. 

I wasn't sure how the rest of the world was fairing and we were all safe. 

We played the Christmas CD once again, but Alvin and the Chipmunks 

were starting to get on my nerves...especially when played on repeat. 

I cursed the toys I tripped over, and cursed the water that was ice cold. 

I was tired, exhausted...and ready for the adventure to come to a screeching halt.   

Day 4 - Packed the kids up and headed to the aquarium. 

For some reason I didn't take into consideration that the rest of the Island 

would have had the same idea. 

Sighhhh....

Exhausted, cranky, and defeated...we pulled up in the driveway and saw the porch light on. 

I swear I heard angles singing. 

We yelled, screamed and did a happy dance walking in. 

While we were walking into the house Ms. V said 'Mom, the lights are back on...are you happy?'  

It was a catch 22 in a way. 

Happy for the convenience...yes.

Annnd happy because I enjoyed a simpler world that they let me have without them for a few days too.

***

My love hate relationship is with this 'Hello Kitty' radio. 

With an Ipod that has over 14,000 songs, a CD changer with over 500 discs, 

and an amazing entertainment system and speakers...I listen to this. 

Sighhhh...

Parenthood!

You thought I was kidding...

Three hours...for real!

The box is 12x12...

May I suggest a great holiday gift?! ; ) 

I'm ashamed that I relied on DS to occupy my daughter....desperate times...desperate measures.

I took ummm...like two pictures at the aquarium. 

While, I guess you can't be thankful for a hurricane especially after hearing about the suffering and devastation. 

But. A part of me was selfish. I was thankful. 

I was thankful for the time I had to step away from the hustle and bustle. 

To pay attention to every word, and every syllable coming out of my children's mouths. 

No place to go, nothing to do...no one to see. 

It was a forced vacation. 

 I took advantage of the time away from the computer...phone...laundry...heck...even cooking 

( I kid...I don't cook ; ) to take it all in. 

To be present...in the present. 

Because after all...it was a present. 

Thursday's Thought for the Day - The Last Time

When was the last time you did something for the first time?

It kinda stops you in your tracks a little bit, right?

There is something about the 'newness' of a moment.

The excitement, the fear...that feeling of pure happiness.

I want to hear your thoughts.

When was the last time you felt that feeling?

When was the last time you tried something new or accomplished something you only dreamt of?

Inspire me today!

I would love a little inspiration. 

I'm off to try and get all of my laundry done in one day...hey, there is a first (and last) time for everything. ; )

Life is Art

I heard somewhere, '...that everything in life is art.

What you do, how you dress, the way you love someone and how you talk.

Your smile and your personality.

What you believe in and all your dreams.

The way you drink your tea, how you decorate your home, or party.

Your grocery list, the food you make, how your writing looks, and the way you feel.'

I think it really is in the little things.

Little bits of happiness spread through out your day is a wonderful thing.

We all celebrate life differently.

We all observe and see it from our own unique perspectives.

I love what I do because it let's me see your world from your view.

If I hug you hello and ask you a million questions within the first five minutes we meet, its cause I really want to know what make you tick. I really want to know how you look at life. Why you are...you.

If I'm photographing your life, I want you to be living it while I'm capturing it.

While traditional images are important, the 'in between' is the story that brings those symbolic images to life. 

The expressions, the character, and the personality.

Just my quick 2 cents today!
Now, let me get back to editing. I have been a busy bee.

Before I go...a quick image taken when we were up at the Lake House a few weekends ago.
Thanks Leah and True!

Life is ART!

Happy Birthday...to me.

Dear Stacey...

That's how my 'letter's on life' each year start.

I use to be one of those people that would keep a journal. I would jot down quotes, funny things I heard, news about my life and the world around me. Once I had my kids, the journal entries were few and far between. It was a paradox.
The more I had to write, the more I couldn't.
My full life gave me no time to reflect on what was happening at the time.

My mother told me when I was young that she wrote herself a letter and then sealed it in an envelope to be opened five years later.
I remember thinking to myself that five years was an eternity.
I scoffed at the idea.
How would I even remember to look for it?! 

It was 1996 when I wrote my first one. I was 18.
I wrote about where I was in life and what I wanted to achieve.
The areas that were disappointing to me and the things I wanted to do differently.
I wrote about my family and each person in it.
The penmanship was practically a scribble.
I sealed the envelope and marked it...
'DO NOT READ UNTIL JULY 2001'.
I laughed at the thought of even coming across it again.
I mean I couldn't even find my other shoe most days.
(and I had taken them right off next to each other).
Please tell me that happens to some of you too?

Anyway, back to the subject...lo and behold five years to the date, I was unpacking boxes at my new apartment and there it was. I found it in the month and the year I was suppose to. I was amazed by that alone. I remember grabbing an ice cream sandwich out of the freezer as if to celebrate the occasion.
I stopped what I was doing, cuddled up on the couch and opened the letter. 

You know how a picture brings you back to a moment in time?
Reading my words, thoughts, ideas and memories was like visiting a long lost friend.
I knew 'her', but I didn't quite remember her until I saw her in black and white.
It was me at 23, seeing me at 18.
It was enlightening, fun, sad, heartwarming and special.

Ever since then, I have tried to write letters to myself to be opened every five years.
Like clock work, I find them five years later...exactly to the month and date.
Each time, I'm still surprised to find it.

The letters are written around my birthday or new year - those two times are the most
nostalgic for me and signify change.

I have maintained the tradition but I have spared myself (and maybe my children) from reading my handwriting after I wrote the first. I typed the ones there after.

The letters are never the same.
Life changes things.
People. My little 'world'. Even me.  

The one thing that has not changed in my letters each year is the part where
I'm thankful for the people in my life.
My family, friends and even acquaintances.
Your steadfast support, love, and humor are what I think about most when I think about change.
You have changed me and my world for the better.

FYI...my daughter was born on the 22nd ; ) 

***

I think the main thing about celebrating a birthday is to do it thoughtfully.

You know that saying, 'it's the thought that counts'?!

That's actually true.

I use to think it was the actions.

The unexpected card in the mail, the phone call from a friend who thought of you.

That's the happiness you can't wrap up.

I signed on to Facebook yesterday and while everyone gets a notification that it was my birthday, I was still overwhelmed by the people that actually took a minute to stop by my 'wall' and write a note. Each and every one of you put a smile on my face. Really. Each and every one of you. I saw family, friends, clients, past clients, new friends, and photography friends. It was amazing to see how my circle of friends has grown in the last year and I'm so very thankful for each of you. Every single one of you has added to my life...

I think this quote sums it all up:

"...For I am but a total of the many folks I've met, and you happen to be one of those
I prefer not to forget.

And whether I have known you for many years or few,  

 in some ways you have a part in shaping things I do."

Thank you for being a part of my life and for making my day special!

p.s.

Thanks Adryanna for making my day extra special!

                                                       A family portrait, by Adryanna

Make...Believe - A Fairy Birthday Party

Every summer when I was a kid, we would head to the 'mountains' (Upstate, New York)

and rent a small, cozy cabin nestled in the Catskills.

My grandparents, aunts, uncles and cousins would come to vacation with us as well.

The days were filled with potato sack races, 'kick the can', and catching tadpoles in the lake. 

The creek that lulled us to sleep at night was where we soaked up the sunshine during the day.

We would dip our feet in the ice cold water, and dare each other to take a step further in until we were up to our bellies laughing and shivering at the same time.

At night the camp fire lead to gooey toasted marshmallows and listening to music played on cassette tapes (remember those?), while our folks enjoyed cocktails in the lawn chairs and the kids

slurped Shirley Temples.

We watched our parents play horse shoes, scrabble, and gamble their quarters away

during late night poker games.

They laughed loudly over one another and spoke about the previous years memories.

Early mornings were spent with wet feet from the dew on the grass and the air still smelled like the wood we burned the night before. We would watch the world come awake. Slowly. Even the creak of the screen doors as they greeted the morning sounded as if they were tired from the day before.

My Aunt Kathy would take us on morning or evening walks and show us the

puffs of smoke on the mountain side and explain

to us about the fairies that lived there.

She would talk about their lives in great detail.

Way before Tinkerbell was famous and fairies were popular, we believed.

A part of me still does. 

***

Adryanna's 6th birthday was held at Scudder Beach which over looks Northport Harbor.

Picturesque, cozy and secluded.

A large pavilion kept us covered, while we celebrated her day with pixie dust, fairy wings

and our imaginations.

Each of the fairies were given their wings, wands, crown, outfits and fairy pails to collect their treasure.

The wonderful items were made by 'Fairy Nana' of Fairy Nana Land on Etsy.

While her items are certainly treasures, so is she!

Check out this link for the most adorable fairy items anywhere.

The craftsmanship is remarkable.

Hydrangea fairy wands!

Special thanks to Grandma Donna for making the fairy-licious yummy 'mushroom' treats below.

Two of Adryanna's favorites...hard boiled eggs and tomato's. Weird kid. I know. lol 

Face painting...

The birthday girl...

The beautiful fairies...

Check out the little curl.

Love it!

I don't care how old you are...cotton candy tastes good at any age!

There was a fairy treasure hunt...

With a little pixie dust...the girls were flying high!

Oooor was that from all of the cotton candy? ; )

Discussing how they will go about the changing of the seasons...well, from what I gathered ; )

Cupcake pinwheels!

Another find on Etsy.

Check out the seller who is also located on LI.

The place mats are from Fairy Nana.

Cupcakes from Aunt Autumn...thank you!

Doesn't it look like it's a good wish?

I think it's a natural instinct to purse your lips when you see someone else blowing out candles : )

Mmmmmm...

Delish...

A frame within a frame ; )

I was so busy hosting the festivities and taking pictures of the girls, I barely took any pictures of the beautiful scenery around us.

I caught this shot of my girls as we were packing up to leave.

              I think 'believing' is one of the most important things we can dare to do.

It's the link between dreams and achieving them.

 dream - believe - achieve

I'm pretty sure we live life how we think things, not necessarily how we see things.

And isn't wonderful to know we can change achieve anything almost by

changing our thoughts to accomplish it?

Sometimes I think we forget that.

Muhammad Ali once said 'The man who has no imagination, has no wings.'

I wanted to pass along not only happy birthday wishes to my daughter,

but also the belief that with 'wings'...we can all fly.

There is no greater gift then the gift of imagination and enthusiasm.

Whether it's your birthday or not, I hope you unwrap that gift everyday...