Halloween Word Art

Okay, so I know it's a bit early, but don't hate. And please don't put me in the same category as the grocery and superstores that start promoting and selling their Halloween merchandise / candy at the beginning of August.

However, with that being said...

Halloween is my absolute favorite holiday, and I usually start getting psyched about it sometime around... now.

That's right. It's only the middle of August, but already my mind is thinking warm and cozy thoughts: crisp autumn temps, falling leaves, fluffy sweaters, hot apple cider, roasted marshmellows over bonfires, hayrack rides, pumpkin patches and, of course, Halloween.

Because my brain has already checked out of summer and situated itself comfortly into fall, it's been focusing on and pumping out projects that relate to that lovely time of year.

This print is now available on etsy. More fun holiday prints to follow!

** Now I think I might stop by the grocery store and, uh, check out some of that Halloween candy... ;)

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"I'll bet living in a nudist colony takes all the fun out of Halloween."
--Author Unknown

Wisdom from Dr. Seuss

I'm a huge book nerd.

I'd rather read than watch TV.

I carry a book (or two!) with me wherever I go.

And I love words.

So it's not surprising that this quote from Dr. Seuss is one of my absolute favorites.

I started this little project awhile ago. But, as I was in school at the time, I got so wrapped up in life and homework that I quickly forgot about it. However, thanks to a little reminder from Jen Sorbe yesterday, I revisited this long forgotten idea and had a ton of fun wrapping it up. I plan on wrangling Chris into helping me build a floating frame for the black and white one this weekend. (All I have to do is mention the words "Home Depot" and he's in!)

For anyone else who is as passionate about books as I am, these prints (along with others) will be available in my etsy store soon... :)

** Playing around with these yesterday has me super anxious to dive back into my graphic design classes this fall. *Sigh*

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"Anyone who says they have only one life to live must not know how to read a book."
-- Author Unknown

Photo Bliss: Smooth Sailing

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"He who can no longer pause to wonder and stand rapt in awe, is as good as dead; his eyes are closed."
-- Albert Einstein

Let's Go Back to the Beach :)

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"Life is too important to be taken seriously."
-- Oscar Wilde

A Song's Message

The day of my dad's funeral is mostly a blur. In fact, the entire week following his death is somewhat removed from my memory. I can recall tiny bits and pieces, fragmented images that flee from my grasp almost as soon as I think them - holding his limp hand in the hospital room, the tear that rolled down his cheek as he passed away. The relatives - most of whom I had never met - avoiding my eyes at the funeral. (Or, to be fair, maybe I was avoiding theirs.) A steady stream of creamy casseroles, sympathy cards, and phone calls that continued for weeks on end...

All of those memories are blurry, incomplete. Just momentary glimpses into an incident that wrung me dry, cut me open, and changed me from the inside out.

But there is one memory, one moment in all that mess that stands out vividly. Crisp and clear, it's this memory - or song, rather - that I cherish more than I can say. To this day, just hearing it fills me with an intense, almost overwhelming feeling of peace.

This song played on our car radio as we drove to the funeral. Strange, but the moment the car started, the radio clicked on, there was a split second of black silence, and then... This. I'd never heard the song before, and I've rarely heard it on the radio since. It started as we pulled out of the driveway of our house and lasted all the way to the church. As my mom tucked the car into a parking spot, the song ended, and a peaceful silence fell.

I knew as I listened to that song that my dad was with me - right at that moment. I knew then that he would always be with me. The voice on the radio wasn't his, but the message was.

"Just think of me, and I'll be there."

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"Unable are the loved to die. For love is immortality."
-- Emily Dickinson

A Short Attention Span = A New Direction

Some would say that I have a short attention span. That I lose interest in things quickly. And that I jump - constantly - from one thing to the next.

And... they'd probably be right.

But I prefer to think of myself as, well, inquisitive. Maybe even plucky and spirited, adventurous and quirky. And above all else, I consider myself to be passionate. Passionate about life, love, and art.

To those peering in from a distance, it might seem like I don't finish a lot of the things that I start - and I admit that following every single project or idea through to the end is not my strong suit. However, I think it's fair to point out that I do take on and try out a lot of different things. Life, in various instances, has often pushed me down roads that I never would have considered on my own. Literally forced me to look in new directions.

And that's okay. I'm not scared to try something new and fail. My only fear is to not try at all. Period.

Yes, my resume (which contains employment in the automotive, banking, legal, and veterinary fields) may seem, at first glance, to point to someone who is flighty, indecisive, and hasty. But upon further inspection, I like to think that same resume describes someone who is loyal, hard-working, and passionate.

I may not be the Jack of all trades. But I am, at the very least, the Jane of quite a few.

I've been thinking about this flaw of mine quite a bit lately. With the decision to resurrect my previous desire to share my photography on Etsy, it's made me realize not only how far I've actually come with this craft, but how many detours I've taken along the way. When I first entertained the idea of pursing photography, the only thing I was interested in shooting was animals. Dogs, specifically. A year later, almost on a whim, I decided to give photographing people a try. Immediately I was hooked - people, with their vast array of emotions, personalities, and quirks provided for me unlimited inspiration. There can be, I thought firmly at the time, nothing else I'd rather shoot.

Well, that was roughly a year ago and, lo and behold, my thinking has evolved - yet again. I'm now completely, totally, and desperately passionate about shooting landscapes. In retrospect, this obsession was bound to hit sooner or later - what with living in one of the most beautiful places on the planet. (Yes, I'm a bit partial to the Pacific Northwest.) Chris and I have lived in this paradise for a little over four years now, and yet there are still times when we find ourselves struck speechless - absolutely and completely breathless - by our surroundings.

This life, this world, this universe, is so full, so ripe that it's absolutely overflowing with new joys, ideas, treats and pleasures. It's a literal Smörgåsbord of delights and surprises. It's juicy goodness is endless. And the paths to happiness - if you're daring enough to take that first step - are infinite.

Last night I listed my first photo on Etsy. (Click here to see!) I was so excited about creating this first listing that, after clicking the "submit" button, I actually let out a little squeak of excitement.

Hey, it's the little things, right?

** The first image is available now, the others will follow shortly... :)

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"Growth is the only evidence of life."
-- John Henry Newman, Apologia pro vita sua, 1864

Puppy Fever.

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"Puppies are nature's remedy for feeling unloved, plus numerous other ailments of life."
-- Richard Allan Palm

New Shop! :)

A glimpse of what's (soon) to come! (Click here for a quick peek!)

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"If your dream is big enough, the facts don't count."
-- Don Ward

A View: Friday Harbor

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"Be where you are; otherwise you will miss your life."
-- Buddha

Who Says You Can't Go Back? ;)

My first three years in Washington were spent here. At Woodinville Animal Hospital.

It was one of the hardest jobs I've ever, ever had. It was here that I learned to draw blood, prep for surgery, work an x-ray machine, overcome my aversion for vomit (yuck, I know) and... knit. (Yeah, you heard that last one right. Thanks, Bobbe!) I kissed and snuggled puppies and kittens, rough-housed with energetic dogs, treated cat scratch after cat scratch and, after especially difficult euthanasias, always waited until I got home to cry. After working at WAH, I gained a fresh perspective regarding animal health and, perhaps more importantly, discovered a whole new appreciation for veterinary doctors, technicians and staff. These people work their "tails" off (all right, a little pun intended) and deserve some major props for their skills, hard work, and compassion. After all, it's in their tender care that we trust the health of our beloved pets.

So special thanks to the staff at Woodinville Animal Hospital for a wonderful afternoon of picture-taking, reminiscing, and good coffee. Truth be told, I owe a great debt to this clinic... Because without my time there, I wouldn't be who I am today. :)

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"Lots of people talk to animals.... Not very many listen, though.... That's the problem."
-- Benjamin Hoff, The Tao of Pooh

In a New Light: Ashley & Adam

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"I like her because she smiles at me and means it."
-- Anonymous