Sneak Peek: The Kelley Family! :)

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"A daughter is the happy memories of the past, the joyful moments of the present, and the hope and promise of the future."
-- Author Unknown

Perks of the Job

I knew that there would be many perks to pursuing a career in the field of photography. Many, many perks. Working for myself, making my own hours, co-creating with Life to produce beautiful imagery, capturing others in their purest, most beautiful form, showing them that form, helping people to discover a side of themselves that they've never, ever seen...

But one perk I hadn't thought of was sightseeing.

Chris and I have been out here three years this month, and there's still so much of this beautiful area that we haven't seen or experienced. Lately, that's changed. Within the last month, we've visited and shot in various parts of Seattle that - up until now - we've been, well, less than familiar with: Queen Anne, Belltown, Freemont and the Olympic Sculpture Park. And, in a little over a week, we'll be enjoying a shoot on the beautiful University of Washington campus.

I tell ya... This photography gig is a dream.

So here's a bit of randomness from our recent locales. Have I ever mentioned how much we love this place? ;)

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"You have to leave the city of your comfort and go into the wilderness of your intuition. What you'll discover will be wonderful. What you'll discover is yourself."
-- Alan Alda

A Sunny Day in... Seattle??

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"There is no end. There is no beginning. There is only the passion of life."
-- Federico Fellini

Sneak Peek: Dillon & Tristan :)

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"I don't want to live. I want to love first, and live incidentally."
-- Zelda Fitzgerald

Listen

Today, while shuffling through files and papers and research, I ran across this quote:

“Live the life you’ve dreamed.” -- Henry David Thoreau

Time suddenly stopped. The trivial concerns that had been plaguing me the last few days suddenly ceased. I sucked in a deep breath. Yes, I thought, my heart fluttering madly. Yes, exactly! Live the life I've dreamed - regardless of what's going on around me.

Oftentimes, it seems like we're forced into situations or circumstances that, well, just aren't us. Be it a job, a relationship, a city, a certain life-style... Whatever it is, every person has, at one time or another, felt the disempowering collapse of his or her free will. Almost like it evaporates into thin air, leaving us... Powerless.

But that's not the case. That's never the case.

Our freedom, as it is, never leaves us. We do have the power to direct our lives. To drastically effect the ebb and flow of our everyday reality. To pick and choose our destiny, our fate. It's all within us. And only within us.

Sure, I have my off days. Like many, I was trained to accommodate others, to please others, to make others happy - even if it meant sacrificing my own dreams, my own desires. But I am getting better at it. Better at directing my thoughts and listening to (and only to) my voice - that inner voice that seems to be getting louder and louder every day. Or, maybe it's not really the voice that's getting louder. Maybe now I'm just suddenly able to hear it.

From a sigh, to a whisper, to an all out symphony, it's a voice that I'm training myself to not only listen for, but follow.

Powerlessness is just an illusion. I am the only person I have to please. And you, dear reader, are the only person you have to please. Listen to your inner voice. The voice that calls to you from the very center of your Being. And let that be the only voice that matters.

And, of course, live the life you've dreamed.

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“Your mind knows only some things. Your inner voice, your instinct, knows everything. If you listen to what you know instinctively, it will always lead you down the right path.”
-- Henry Winkler

*Sigh*

I've been sighing a lot lately.

Huge sighs of relief that seem to be dispelling about twenty plus years of stress, anger, and despair. From the pit of my stomach, these welcomed sighs have been escaping my lungs on almost a continuous basis this past new year. It's a heady thing when your life starts flowing in the direction of your dreams. When all the pieces of the puzzle start falling into place and forming a picture better than you could've ever imagined...

Every time I book a new shoot - sigh. When I climb into our Jeep after a long day at work - sigh. Each night that Chris, Dehlia, and I spend curled up in our cozy living room together watching TV, reading, or just talking about our future - sigh. Studying photography - sigh. Standing in the shower after a grueling workout - sigh. Re-reading the Twilight books and realizing that I have my own Edward and am lucky enough to live in beautiful Western Washington - sigh.

I could go on, but I'm sure you get the picture. Yes, I've been sighing a lot lately.

And I'm not saying that my life is a bed of roses. But luckily, fortunately, I've been too preoccupied with the "good" to notice the "not-so-good." In fact, right now, if you asked me, I wouldn't be able to come up with any negative aspects - although I'm sure there are some things about my life that would have other people cringing.

I guess I've put my blinders on, so to speak. Now that comment may invite some people to say that I'm not focusing on reality, that I'm living with my head in the clouds or stuck in the sand. And be that as it may. Maybe I am living that way. But I choose to think of it instead as just simply focusing. Training my mind to see only the things I want to see, and to totally disregard those things I don't.

Ordering new photography gear - sigh. Indulging in a deliciously warm cup of vanilla flavored coffee - sigh. Receiving an e-mail from a new friend - sigh. Listening to the winter rain slap against the living room windows - sigh. Breathing in the fresh, crisp air of the Pacific Northwest- sigh.

Waking up in the morning... Sigh. :)

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"The sun's energy warms the world. But when you focus it through a magnifying glass it can start a fire. Focus is so powerful!"
-- Alan Pariser

Bigger Really IS Better ;)

Practice makes perfect.

I know I've already posted this picture, but I'm just practicing a new format for displaying my photos, so here it is again... And what better one to re-post than this gorgeous shot of Eric and Kristin??

My thoughts exactly.

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"Practice being excited."
-- Bill Foster

Pit Bull Blues

Some days are easy. Some are hard. And others - like today - I miss Molly so much it hurts. On those days - like today - it's all I can do get out of bed and get on with the day. I'd like to say it's getting better, but I'm not so sure...

Whenever I start feeling a bit "off" - whether it's related to Molly, drama at work, or anything at all, really - I turn to You Tube. By mindlessly drifting through videos and various clips, I'm able to redirect my attention to more positive things until - before very long - I'm in a different state of mind altogether.

Today I came across this. It made me laugh. It made me cry. And... It made me feel a whole lot better. :)

"Pit Bull Blues" by John Shipe

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"The great pleasure of a dog is that you may make a fool of
yourself with him and not only will he not scold you,
but he will make a fool of himself too."
-- Samuel Butler

Eric, Kristin, and... Austin. :)

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"If you live to be 100, I hope I live to be 100 minus 1 day, so I never have to live without you."
-- Winnie the Pooh

Sneak Peek: Eric & Kristin

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"Soul-mates are people who bring out the best in you. They are not perfect but are always perfect for you."
-- Author Unknown

My Obsession

If you know me - I mean, really know me- then you know that I'm obsessed with candles. Tall candles, short candles, fat candles, thin candles. Votives, three-wick, round, square, plain or scented...

Like I said, I'm obsessed.

I adore their soft glow. The quiet calm that they emit from their very wax cores. Light a candle and I'm instantly at peace. And a whole room full of candles? Why, that's simply Heaven on Earth.

So, when my hair stylist first told me about Scentsy - a "wickless candle" - I was skeptical. Sure, the warmers were aesthetically pleasing. And the wax bar that she gave me did smell good. (Really good, in fact.) But still, I was a candle girl - through and through. And no wick? No hypnotizing flame to flicker and dance seductively across the walls? No soothing sizzle and pop as the flame burned down into the wax? No... No... Wait! No potential fire hazard? No falling asleep and waking up to the sound of dripping wax as it spilled down the wall and onto the (cream-colored) carpet? And no messy aftermath to deal with after the hot wax had overflowed the cute - but obviously way too small - candle holder and spread across our fireplace mantle?

Suddenly, I was intrigued.

Throwing caution to the wind and opening my mind (as I like to do on occasion), I ordered a warmer and several scented bars. Then I lit a candle... And waited.

Well, last night my order arrived. After minimal set up, I had my very own piece of the Scentsy empire. And in all honesty, I was giddy. Giddy like a kid in a candy store. Or, um, like a scent-obsessed woman in a candle store.

Within seconds of popping in two of the Clove and Cinnamon cubes, a soft smell began to spread throughout the living room. So quick, in fact, that Chris abandoned his favorite television show, Man v. Wild, and came over to investigate. "Wow," he said, taking a deep whiff, "that stuff does work." Then, after studying the box for a moment, "Let's get some more."

Thus, my obsession began.

If you know me - I mean, really know me - then you know that I'm obsessed with Scentsy. Tall warmers, short warmers. Full-sized, mid-sized, plug-ins...

You get the idea.

** If you're looking for a new obsession, let me know and I'll give you the contact info to my Scentsy rep!

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"Don 't hurry. Don't worry. You're only here for a short visit. So don't forget to stop and smell the roses."
-- Walter Hagen