For the love of photography - this is some pretty stuff! Lori411 has some very nice pieces...

Luv JeanSkipper stuff! I'm the proud owner of one fantastic piece - and more to come!

Ivy Eyes...

Summer

Take a Walk...

One of my favorite past times is walking - anywhere. I feel good, healthier, getting a few miles in every day or so; it does the mind and body good!

Today I took my 2 yr old to my favorite walking spot - the tow path, just down the road from our home. I LOVE it there. I mean it too - I am in love with that place. It gives me strength. I'm safe. It's REAL beauty. I am enveloped in all of nature's most beautiful elements - water, earth, metal, air.

I've learned to be a better walker, a better runner (although, I'd say a better "jogger") and even hold my posture better - because of my miles on this path.

The word "path" alone is beauty. We are all on one, and walking on this one is just a great reminder of the symbol we live every day - the journey, the path, the Tao, the way.

Maybe, in some way, this place has given me a sense of awareness that I've needed to be reminded of. I remind my students, friends and family to always be aware - and often, need to remind myself - so, maybe, in some strange way - the path is doing that for me!

My 2 yr old has known this path since she was born. I'm hoping she grows up to love it, appreciate it and enjoy it just as much as I do. If not, at least it will be a place where she can go to find quiet, peace and, hopefully, answers.

We're told to "just let it go" or "listen to your heart" - quite often. I find that letting go, isn't always so easy. Listening to your heart, can sometimes be even more challenging! However, walking - especially here - I can let go. I actually CAN hear my heart. I can even find answers. It's as if they just come by being open and listening. It's meditation by walking and it feels great!

What may seem a bit "philosophical" is actually pretty simple. Try it. A simple walk - anywhere. Be aware. Listen. Look at your surroundings. Appreciate everything and see the beauty. It's everywhere.

Namaste'.

For the Love of Photos...

So I've played for months with Photoshop - being able to do the basics and attempting to keep up with the (what seems like) hourly updates ... Not so easy, but given a chance to "play" with photos of my little 2yr old and get crafty - I'm THERE.

Yes, I have an entire, wonderful, crafts studio which my husband put together for me a few years ago. However, now, with the addition of our little one, times in the studio are fewer and further between - sadly. At the same time, I'm on this computer more and more - eating up the "techy-crafty stuff" everywhere. I love the fact that I can now decorate and never have a glue dot sticking to me. No more glitter all over my face and ciao ciao scissors and punches - hello online craft world!

Recently, I returned to Photobucket ... and wow! They've made somem changes. I just spent 15 minutes "playing" with some photos I uploaded - SO fun! I made this one with a swirly thing on it - my daughter loves this toy and here I am "distorting" it - but it looked fun, and the coloring - bronzing as they call it at Photobucket - loved it!

Of course, after that, I had to do more... so, now, Photoshop has some competition! It's just so quick and easy with some of Photobuckets newest tools. And sometimes, quick and easy isn't a bad thing :)

There's also my favorite fall-back, Smilebox - love them! Smilebox has a zillion creations - you name it - they have it. Need a card? a vegitarian BBQ invite? a slideshow of your 400 photos from the zoo? they have it! You can insert your photos in any of their fun-filled creations - and viola', you're a photo wiz!

I also discovered scrapblog - for those of us who like to get creative with our photos and write lots... well, that's exactly what it does .... a little of both worlds, and some very pretty layouts. You can also design your own work - but Photoshop can do quite a bit more, of course, if you have the time.

Yes, like all good things - there's a fee. Some are minimal, and some are even free - depends on what you want. But they're well worth it!

I recently ordered some of my photos from Snapfish - I just didn't feel like putting my poor printer through ink hell... I had 240 photos to print (just from the past month - yes, I like my photos!). Well, after I got done ordering my photos I realized just why we own 3 printers and why it's worth doing them at home - SH for 240 photos is quite costly!

Of course, when it comes down to having photos of my perfect little (non-tantrum throwing) 2 yr old - ok, she does have a wee fit here and there - but nothing SO bad... It's all worth it. Me being online for hours after she's in bed, typing away... Hours of pixels on Photoshop on 2 whole pictures; hours of writing in her journal. Days of sorting and embellishing pictures... It's all worth it. Hugs.

Incentive

"Start a blog, it's great for people who love to write..."

Yes, that's what I was told - and I followed right along. Then, three months go by and no posts - oops. But now that my husband has furnished me with this wonderful little laptop, a "mini" as it's called - I re-enter the wonderful world of blogging once again!

But I did think to myself - how sad that I can't just sit myself at our home PC, in our cozy little office and start working. BIG screen on that computer - another wonderful gift from my wonderful husband. But, No, I need yet ANOTHER piece of equiptment to get me writing. And now, I can even write in bed - ooh!

I noticed there is even a car charger for this lovely little mini - who am I? a cop? I need a computer in my car now too?! I need to get on my computer the minute a thought comes to me? the second I need to check facebook or an etsy transaction? It can't wait until I get home?

Ironically, I've been reading about simplifying things in life lately too - this, ANOTHER computer, doesn't simplify - it just makes laziness even easier. (but yes, I love it!)

There's the 80/20 rule - 80% of what we have, we don't need. If you were to go through your house , or apartment, condo - wherever - you could find that 80% of what you have, isn't really necessary. It's SO true with myself and my family. I look around and I KNOW that I could have a football field-sized dumpster pull into my driveway and take out more than 1/2 of our "stuff" and we'd be just fine.

Why cling to that piece of paper I sketched a little flower on from 7 years ago? I can do it again if I want to... or that stack of old t-shirts I WILL use as rags ONE day? or the 9 dog beds for our FOUR dogs??? Why do I still have a set of furniture in here, STILL, from the PRIOR owner of this house?! Why are there still fishing poles here from 1960?! no, not antiques, just very old, used, fishing rods that probably would crumble the minute they sensed water!

Ah yes, the invention of "having it all- right away" is here, and now we're faced with the question "is this how we really want to live?"

Lastly, on the same note - my husband and I did some early car preview shopping today for our next family car. I saw this beautitful little VW Bug - well, the new one, but in champagne and burgundy. They call it their "Blush Edition" - SO pretty. No, there's no way I'm getting a car seat in there comfortably - so, for now, Blush, as pretty as it is, is also out of the question. But I looked in the trunk and started to laugh. I currently have an SUV, nothing huge, but a comfy sized SUV. "Are you kidding?" I thought when I saw that trunk - "where would I put all of my stuff?" - and then in dawned on me. Stuff. What stuff? I don't need more stuff!!!! I LOVE this trunk , I love this car - this is what I need - I need that trunk.

And so, I leave for tonite - but will be blogging once again, thanks to receiving this great little item to add to my list of stuff.