Posted in fun, photography, photos, tagged iPhone photos on July 19, 2009| 2 Comments »
I also downloaded an app for the iPhone that lets you make pictures into Polaroid-like images (not actually a Polaroid product)
And an app that acts like many different camera styles, so you can get cool, pop art pictures like this:
This is the original of that shot:
or a fish-eye lens view:
Uh oh, Clive the Pocket Lion and Ducky are at the door. That can only mean trouble.
Posted in art, Durham, fun, photography, photos, tagged iPhone photos on July 18, 2009| 1 Comment »
We went out last night with our friends Andy and Jess and had such a great night. We went to Blue Corn Cafe, which is one of my favorite restaurants in Durham. After a great dinner, we then went to check out 3rd Friday Durham, where some galleries were open late, serving champagne and snacks. It was in this great space, converted mill buildings with big windows and lots of open space.
Today’s art night is brought to you by the number 3
I fully admit to not understanding art. This was letters and words suspended from the ceiling, reflected in mirrors on the floor. Supposedly, it is supposed to mean something, but I just thought it looked neat.
Isn’t this a cool art display? I love the bird pictures, and adore the Obama ice cream picture. Unfortunately, the smallest prints were $50, which is more than I wanted to spend. But I do love it!
A neat pillow in the gallery
Posted in creative, photography, photos, tagged iPhone photos on July 18, 2009| 2 Comments »
Have I mentioned that I love my iPhone? Love. And I really like that I have a camera on me at all times now — because as much as I love my beautiful, awesome, swoony Nikon D50, sometimes I don’t want to have a big camera with me. Having the built-in camera gives me a version of what I wanted anyway…a small camera to capture bits of my life when I don’t have my regular camera.
And…then iPhone has all these great photography apps.
Colorsplash makes images black and white and lets you color in sections that you choose.
Here’s the original
Aren’t the color effects pretty?
One of our wedding pics from the plantation
Scene from outside our resort in Belize.
It’s definitely a fun app to play with 🙂
Posted in kids, photography, photos, tagged Kid portraits on July 17, 2009| 1 Comment »
As I’m starting to set up Flying Mermaid Photography, I offered to do some free portrait sessions to help build up my portfolio. I’ve done five portfolio sessions, three of which were kid portraits. I LOVE doing the kid portraits. My approach is to show the kids being kids, not posed or staged. The response has been overwhelmingly positive, especially from the moms.
I had my third photo session on Wednesday, with 2-year-old Sadie. I haven’t gone through all the photos to edit yet, but I wanted to post a teaser, because I am just so pleased with how they came out. I really love being a photographer. I feel like I become truly alive when I’m shooting, and I also feel like it is the most perfect mediation, nothing else matters when I’m shooting. GRIN!
Meet Sadie.
She had just woken up from a nap in the car. I love the sweetness of this shot.
Still sleepy and BELLY!
It is probably wise to be cautious when approaching a flower bigger than you.
Sitting at the pond
She was actually having a temper tantrum here, and very much didn’t want to get up, or off the bridge. But she looks like a resting angel. Love this shot.
Posted in attitude, choices, happiness, thoughts on July 15, 2009| 1 Comment »
I wrote that on a little inspiration card I painted.
I have it hanging in my cube at work.
I see it every day.
I know it to be true.
And still…I forget the simple truth of it.
I forget that I can choose to focus on things that make me happy, or I can focus on what is bothering me, what is bringing me down.
In general, I am a happy girl and don’t have much difficulty finding happy, joyful moments. Tilting my head up to the sun and putting my arms out to fly in the wind on nice days. Watching thunderstorms. Smiling at the flowers.
But still, even then, I can still forget that I can choose happiness. I can choose to focus on joy (go visit the amazing Brandi for all sorts of stuff on focusing on joy…she is the original Joy Rebel, and has the army to prove it!).
Things have been a bit challenging lately. B is unhappy with work. I am not in love with what I am doing. We have both been feeling stuck. And yesterday, yesterday was not a good day. Nothing earth-shattering. Nothing major in the grand scheme of things. But still, it ended up with me crying on hubby’s shoulder (which is something hubby shoulders are good for).
But the worst of it…I was only focusing on what was WRONG. It became all I saw. It felt like all that was there, it felt like all I could feel.
And then I remembered. Happiness is a choice. Happiness is something I can choose to focus on. It’s in my power. It IS a power.
And today, I did just that.
I’m wearing a fun head scarf and twirly skirty with black canvas sneakers today.
I drove in to work, blasting Keeps Getting Better by Christina Aguilera and Womanizer by Britney Spears, bopping along and singing at the top of my lungs.
I am doing a photoshoot tonight for Flying Mermaid Photography.
I set up some coupons for people who did free sessions with me to help me set up my portfolio, to hopefully start having some photo sales.
Choosing to focus on happiness left me not feeling so stuck, not so overwhelmed with what was bringing me down.
Nothing has drastically changed. What was bothering me yesterday is still there today. But I’m not making it bigger by focusing all my energy on it. And that made all the difference.
I’m choosing happiness and fun and joy today. And it is something I can always choose.
Posted in animals, fun, mermaids, ocean, photography, photos on July 14, 2009| 2 Comments »
As I’m a mermaid girl who loves her some photography, I bought a reusable underwater camera for my honeymoon. I didn’t do that much diving, but I did go snorkeling with rays and turtles and nurse sharks — I even got to hold a 6′ long nurse shark!
From a Belizean mermaid’s backyard:
He creeps me out a little.
The mermaid in her natural habitat
Mermaid love
The nurse sharks
Mr. Turtle is my father.
Do you have your exit buddy?
I didn’t want to get too close to this guy!
Posted in beauty, cats, fun, happiness, nature, North Carolina, photography, photos, travel, weekend on July 12, 2009| 2 Comments »
Hubby and I needed a recharging weekend, he’s been very stressed at work, and I needed some relaxing, outdoor time.
I found Pilot Knob Inn, a charming B&B located about two hours away from home, out past Winston-Salem.
Before checking in, we went to Hanging Rock State Park, hiked up to the bouldering field and got to try our first attempt at outdoor bouldering. Now because we didn’t have any bouldering pads or anything, we stayed really low to the ground, so we wouldn’t get hurt if we fell. It was frustrating, because we very much wanted to climb higher and play on the rocks more, but we were suitably wary of broken bones or worse.
The bouldering field was incredible, I described it as a giant’s playground. Huge big rocks, climb a little path and find even more around the corner. We will definitely be going back!
Then we went to check in to our little log cabin!
Isn’t it darling? We completely fell in love with it. It was the honeymoon suite 🙂
Our front porch! We stood out here and watched an awesome thunderstorm.
There were four kittens who lived under our porch. They were happy to sit on the porch with us, but wouldn’t let us pet them. Their mom checked us out, and decided we were mostly harmless.
I love pink kitten feet
Kitten pile!!
Isn’t this peaceful and beautiful? I felt so relaxed staying here.
Our birdhouse at the cabin
Hubby and a pup who lived on the property, love at first sight for both.
A rare mermaid on a bridge sighting
Hubby on swinging bridge
Some of the yummy fruit spread I had for breakfast today
Today, we drove up to Pilot Mountain.
Then went to a nearby vineyard
I didn’t know there were fast grapes and slow grapes
But even though they are slow grapes, they are hard workers
And they make lovely wines!
And that was our weekend! We came home feeling relaxed and that we had a chance to unwind, and really get away from everything, even though we were only gone for two days.
Hooray for mini getaways!
Posted in birthday on July 8, 2009| 5 Comments »
Tomorrow morning I turn 32. 31 was an amazing big huge life-event-filled year.
I started my year living with someone that at the time I considered a good friend, but I was living apart from my love, hating being apart. He flew down for my birthday weekend and we went out to Wilmington and Wrightsville beach and had fun being beach babies in love. But it was colored with sadness, knowing he would be leaving soon and we would be hundreds of miles apart again. But a little over a month later he moved down to NC, moved home to me.
We were still living with the girl who was supposed to be my friend – it was challenging, for all three of us. I never doubted it was hard for her, living with a couple, a couple that was learning how to be together on a daily basis for the first time, and a couple that very much wanted to be very wrapped up in each other. But it was also hard for us, finally together but trying to always monitor how we were around each other, trying to be respectful of her and her feelings.
Things moved forward as they do. B’s brother flew in for a surprise visit over thanksgiving weekend, and I had my first chance to spend time with the person who was going to become my brother.
I learned to rock climb. I fell more in love with photography. And in December B and I flew up for our first family Christmas with my parents. And on Dec. 19, B took me down to my beach and proposed to me, with the ring he had made for me in Ireland.
We came home from that trip and began looking for a house. After just two weeks of actively looking, we found our house and fell in love with it.
By the end of january, we were home owners and my friendship with the girl who was supposed to be a close friend was in tatters.
B and I moved into our beautiful new house and began buying furniture and making it a home. I feel so blessed and lucky and grateful and blissed out that we are fortunate enough to have this life.
In may, I married my love, my soul mate, my best friend, my first love, the one who grabbed a hold of my heart in college and who never really lost his hold on me even after ten years apart. It was without a doubt the happiest, most joy- filled day of my life, and I know for certain that I am immensely lucky to know this kind of love.
We honeymooned in Belize, the first of what will be many travels together.
And most recently, I decided I wanted to begin pursuing my photography professionally and have laid the first seeds for Flying Mermaid Photography. I love seeing that.
Tomorrow, I will wake up alone as my love, my husband is away on a business trip, but this time, the separation is only temporary.
I can’t wait to see what this year brings, the fun adventures that will come our way, the magic waiting to be found. But after such a busy 31st year, I wouldn’t mind if this year was a little quieter.
Flying Mermaid 