A healthy push of boundaries

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I am realizing lately just how important it is to push myself to be my best. Each day I find myself even more. I have come to find that I feel most fulfilled when I push myself in ways to help me grow. I have begun to push myself to do at least one act each day that is just for me. Each day I work on communicating more with the people I love. Each day I make a list, and at the end of the day I tell myself that even though things are left undone, I did my best and there is tomorrow for the rest. I really like the person I am finding as I push myself to live my life activity instead of passively

Film Film and More FILM

01

I REALLY want to post about my new project involving film and my portrait business, but alas I must hold off a little longer, so here is another flowering tree photo that I shot a couple weeks ago to hold you over! 

Keep an eye out for my big announcement for Film and Portraits!

Flashback - 120 Film Portrait

01

Here is a previously unreleased image of the lovely Emily that I shot using my Hasselblad and 120 film

To Read more about her tattoos follow this link:

http://dwell-space.blogspot.com/2012/08/the-lovely-emily-flower-tattoo-potraits.html

120 Flowering Trees

01

I have been running roll after roll of film through my Hasselblad these last weeks. 

The flowering tress have been a favorite this year. 

These are at a golf course by my house.

That is all for now.

More nature later!

Baby Girl

01 She may not be here yet, but she grows stronger every day. She may still be small, but I love her with all of my heart. She is a blessing that reminds me how much of a journey life is. My pregnancy, as much as it is about her arriving, is also about the path I take while I await her. My life right now is about making choices that guide me into a successful future with my little lady. 

My mom is the one who has taught me to enjoy life for the moments that fill it and not to just work to achieve an end result. She taught me this through road trips growing up. We would leave the beaten path, we would get lost, we would stop at fun stores and tourist traps. Through all of that though, the good stops and the ones that were a bit iffy, through every wrong turn, in the end we would still get to our destination. Through this process I learned to see life. The paths we take are not always paved, sometimes we have to climb obstacles, make pit stops and use a map for a bit of guidance. Life is not about where we are ending up. It is about how we get there and what we learn along the way. 

My mom helped to shape my view of the world and I hope to pass that along to my daughter. To show her how to love the world in the ways that I do. To appreciate the small moments and the people that make up our lives. I want to teach her how to be happy when we get a rainy day, because who doesn't love puddle jumping and the possibility of a rainbow. I will also teach her to love the hot summer days, because they lead to cool summer nights. I have a lot of preparing to do, but I look forward of having my little one join me on this journey. She is part of my path, I believe this with all of my heart. 

120 Sunset

01

I know I don't blog much anymore.

I would like to change that.

Keep an eye out for more blog posts coming soon!

For now, here are some sunset shots that I took the other night.

I had about 10 minutes to shoot with the sun at the location that I wanted...

I shot a WHOLE ROLL of 120 film

(only 12 shots, but still impressive)

Here are the winners.

Unshed Tears

01 I found tears tonight for the first time since I cut my dreads off... It was while reading another woman's wonderful story of her journey with dreadlocks. I cried for the past I was letting go and at the same time for the future that is ahead of me. These tears of memories and tears of joy didn't fall though, they pooled in my eyes and in the end that is where they stayed. Her words also mirror so many of my own feelings that it takes my breath away.

Because of this I HAVE to share her story with you. She shaved her head completely, and looks amazing! Maybe by summer I will take that step

http://theorganicsister.com/shaving-my-head/

Introduction to Bluewater

01 Since I am pretty new at Bluewater still and I needed to play around and learn Prezi, I decided to create an introduction Prezi telling a bit about myself and my work. I have to say, I really enjoy working with Prezi, it is like Powerpoints crazy awesome older brother.

 

The End Of A 6 Year Journey

01 This last Sunday morning, I was joined by two of my best friends and my mom for cutting off my dreadlocks. Many have asked why and what it comes down to for me, was that it was just time. They didn't feel like mine anymore. I am so happy that I made this decision and feel so fresh and rejuvenated and ready to start another chapter in my life.  I am also happy that I cut them for me, and not for anyone else. Thank you everyone for your support and love in my life!

Things that are interesting with short hair after having dreads for 6 years (and 12 days)

Running my fingers through it.

washing it... and drying it ( it is so fast!) 

brushing my hair... it makes me scalp all tingly

sleeping.

taking a bubble bath... I need to get a bath pillow now!

being naked... I feel REALLY naked now!

The cold air and the wind outside
I HAVE SO MANY COWLICKS! 

And for those of you who wanted to be here with me, and couldn't, here are the pictures that Lauren took, as well as the time lapse video that I created while I was cutting them. It begins with me taking a final count before I cut them.

How many do you think I had?

Thank you so much Lauren for photographing this... something I wouldn't have been able to do without you! You did a fantastic job of capturing this moment in my life!


And at last, the video...

A 6 year journey

01

In 6 years... What I can tell from the pictures

My hair has grown

a lot

I know how to style my bangs

I added a couple tattoos

I have upgraded glasses

I wear less bracelets

and less rings

I wear more color

my environment is pastel instead of black.

more confidence.

In 6 years... What you can't tell from the picture

I have cut my bangs 10+ Times - mostly by myself

I added more than a couple tattoos... see about me page

I have dated 6 people in those 6 years

I own more jewelry now than I did then... less plastic, more metal

I had two pairs of glasses between these ones... I think

I have learned to live in the moment instead of the past or the future

I have learned to love unconditionally and to forgive (both myself and others)

I have made so many many supportive friends and kept most of the ones that I care about deeply

I have also lost a couple friendships that I treasured... maybe one day I will hear from them again.

In these 6 years I have learned to love, to forgive and to move past what is behind me.

Week 1 - Introducing Bluewater Internship

01 Let me start by telling you a little bit about Bluewater and then I will tell you how I came to find myself here.

Welcome to the office

Bluewater is a marketing agency that primarily partners with franchise companies. They use both traditional and digital marking to build complete campaigns to help franchises grow, stay relevant and keep ahead of their competition.  Some of their biggest clients are Great Clips, CarX and Nestle Purina.

This is Brian.... and the rest of the staff!

I came to find Bluewater when I met Kristy Krueger at an AdFed Event in September of this year.  We shared a table at this event. Kristy, according to Bluewater's People page, is a "Marketing Ninja" This is code for Director of Marketing. We talked, and I shared that I was a photographer with a strong interest in graphic design. This sparked her interest and we agreed to keep in touch as I was in the process of looking for an internship.  A couple months passed before we set up a meeting between Kristy, myself and Brian. Brian is Bluewater's Graphic Designer.  The meeting went well  and I was asked to join their creative team as a Graphic Design and Photography Intern.

Holiday Week: Ping Pong and Massage Chair

My first week here was a week of Holiday Celebrating. Many were wearing ugly sweaters, there was a ping pong tournament and then the week ended with a potluck and secret santa gifts. We also were treated to massages as part of the holiday week. It was a really great casual week, a good introduction to the company.

The projects that I am currently working on are:

• Learning Prezi and waiting for my first powerpoint to design in it.
• Creating 4 options for a new business card design
• Learning Bluewater, our competition and what makes us different
• Creating 4 new images for use on the main page of the Bluewater website.

www.bluewaterbrand.com
www.adfed.org
www.prezi.com

Year of Self

01

Love is the hardest of creatures to tame. 

You can dream about it, you can find it, you can believe in it with all your heart. 

Love, It is everything, yet it is so simple and so fragile. - Self

     I have a new journey ahead of me. A journey of self. Each year, it seems, end up with one overall theme that encompasses the happenings in my life. The year of pets, the year of change, the year of learning to love.  This coming year is a year of self. I think this time in my life will be about becoming the best version of myself. Learning to let go and live in the moment, instead of one foot in the past and one foot in the future. I am going to start fresh.

      I will be graduating in March, which is a HUGE accomplishment for me. It will be my first graduation ceremony. I am ecstatic.  I am also terrified. What does it mean to enter the real world. The world of paying back loans and beginning to form the life that I want to be living. This world I have been in feels like a limbo of sorts, not really living as an adult, but not living as a teen either. Being independent, but still at times feeling like you need to rely on someone. This next year, I hope to be able to completely rely upon myself. I don't mind asking for help if I need it, but I hope that it isn't needed.

    In this search of self, I am also determined to strengthen my friendships.  To spend as much time with people I love and care about, has become something very important to me.  By the end of next year I am hoping to rent a larger house, somewhere that my cats can run a bit more, and somewhere that I can have a room mate. As much as I love my house, I would like to not live alone. I think learning to share a space with someone is a intricate process, and compatibility of living styles is a must. 

Lets see where this life takes me.

one day at a time.

Two Poems In The Same - August 2002 and Now

01 The debate tonight is how many changes can you make to one poem and still have it be the same poem? I have always felt that the only editing that was acceptable was grammer and punctuation, or rewrites that happen in the moment. Tonight I embrace the idea of completely rewriting, but using the original as the form for the new poem... Please leave your thoughts. Thanks.


-August 2002-
While the wind still blows
that one certain way
the way that gives me courage
the courage I need
to tell you how I feel
when were on the phone
the time never seems right
I am so confused
just thinking of a way
a way to straighten things out
makes me more confused
i hope the right moment is soon
because if not
the wind may take back
its old beaten path
and then we will have to wait
until it blows the way
that gives me courage
and makes me strong

-November 28th 2012-
The wind rushes by.
Tracing the ways of certainty,
down the road to courage
that I usually falter to find.
To share myself
when we speak,
if only the time were right.
I am so confused.
Lost in thoughts,
trying to find a way.
My nervs get the best of me.
There will come a time
before the wind stops howling
and courage fades away.

The Places Life Takes Us

01 So I have been realizing that life tends to follow certain patterns. I am finding that for each thing that ends, it finds a way to begin again. I have also found the same is true for the oposite. In my own life I am staring head on at a situation that I went through years ago, except this time from the oposite side.
This is also true in my work. I LOVE LOVE LOVE my photography work, but I am also finding that my need to do other creative things is slowly finding its way into the open. I used to do a bit of everything; drawing, painting, writing, making things, you name it. When I chose photography as my path, part of that was letting go a little of the other things that I loved. Now it is time to bring them back.  I am going to start writing more and making time to do things other than photography. I think bringing this balance into my life will help me to be a better rounded person and take even more joy in the work that I create.

That is all.

May we meet again

01

We are not through just yet

As our paths change

Once again separate

May we collide again

As our paths change

May we remain untouched

But altered all the same

Once again separate

May we find new ways

But leave our shared way unforgotten

May we collide again

On new paths this time

On paths that do not part again

Loss of another small friend.

01

It had become a sad weekend  in my household. Clover, passed on a couple hours after she was out of surgery on Friday. My heart is saddened that I was unable to give her more time, though I did everything I could. She will be put to rest in my yard this week, next to her sister Eva who left us in January.

Clover and Buckwheat in November 2011

Clover, Ruby and Buckwheat in March 2012

Ruby and Buckwheat August 19th 2012

The Lovely Emily - Flower Tattoo Potraits

01

I got the joy of photographing Emily Rose yesterday.

She wanted photos to capture her newest tattoo,

as well as to show off the shading in her rose tattoo on her shoulder.

Her newest tattoo, 

The rose and flowers loosely represent the women in her life.

Babies breath

Rose

Peony

Crab apple Blossom

The new, lower back tattoo represents primarily the men in her life.

Lilacs

Sunflower

Daisy

Bleeding Heart Bushes.

Here are a couple of my favorite shots.

A Long day but a Good day

01 Today has been a long, but successful day.

This morning Andy accompanied me to something I had been putting off. Here is some back story, Clover one of my three rats, has had a growth slowly growing by her back legs. My assumption is a mammary tumor. For a long time it had stayed a consistent, small size. Recently it began growing again. She hasnt been climbing as much. Her quality of life was declining. This morning I took her into the vet to have a pre-surgery exam. Other than the growth being in a awkward place, it is fully operable. Not attached to any major organs, thank goodness. She will be going to be having surgery on Friday morning. I am really nervous about it, but I know it is in her best interest. Please keep her in your thoughts and hope that everything goes as planned. She will be separated from her sisters for 2 weeks following the surgery, to allow for healing.

The second part of my day involved meeting with two local digi-techs. I was interviewing them for a presentation in my business of photography class. I will post my presentation in my blog, in case anyone is interested in learning more about what it takes to be a digi tech.

When I got home, I continued to get things done. I feel very successful today. Lots of cleaning. Cage, Litter boxes, kitchen and all sorts of stuff.

I am relaxing with wine now. A white merlot blended with a handful of frozen strawberries. It is amazing.

Finally I get to see two of my favorite faces today. I got to see my Sami, in town from Willmar. She stopped by and we had some good conversation and a delicious fruit and wine protein smoothie. Tonight I get to see the lovely Emily Rose. I will be showing off the pictures that I took of her yesterday, and helping her to build her blog. Should be a fantastic way to end the day.

For once, I don't dislike this Monday.

= Success

4 little canvas prints hanging on my wall.

01

Today was a long day. As was yesterday. The last two nights I have managed 6 hours of sleep each night. I was exhausted this morning, but once I managed to get some coffee into my system my day got a lot smoother.

My day started out at one of my  nanny jobs. Followed by some cleaning at home and picking up my 4 new canvas prints. The pictures on my canvas are of my niece and nephews, they turned out fantastic!!! It took a while to figure out where to place them, but in the end it seemed appropriate to put them next to my family portrait from two years ago. While doing this, I came to the conclusion that I would really enjoy a new family portrait this year. Life has changed so much, and I feel like a new brighter picture would be fantastic. I don't know how likely it will be to get everyone together for a picture this year, but maybe when my moms birthday rolls around... That could work well.

Anyway, canvas prints are still 50% off at Ritzpix.com. I love their quality. If you need a canvas print, with the sale they start at $11.99 *end sales pitch* haha

Overcast Chicago - Lightroom Action - Free Download

01

 These are my friends Lauren and Faiz. 

They have been friends longer that I have known them.

Chicago and The Taste Of, was a lot of fun with these two!

Click below to download the lightroom action I created while processing this photo.

It adds a pop of clarity and a bang of color. 

Hope you love it!

More Actions coming soon!