.goodbye january. . .

23::365

January. . .

. . . you carried with you so much hope
and enthusiasm that it was contagious.
. . . I cannot thank you enough for that.
You also brought some scary moments
that I must admit, have had me asking
many questions. But I think I may get
my answers soon. And if it is what I
think it is, I thank you once again.

January. . .
. . . there is a warm smile that glimmers
on your cool, fair face that I must tell you
I will miss dearly. But it is time that we
say our goodbyes, at least for now, as I
know I will see you again. And my hope
is that when that day comes, I will greet
you with as much enthusiasm as you have
shown me this year.

Goodbye January, you've been one heck
of a month!

.snowy day in nashville.

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Greetings from a very cold, and white Nashville! We received anywhere from 4" - 6" of snow and ice all day yesterday. The roads in our neighborhood now are slabs of compacted snow, topped off with a nice, sheen layer of frozen rain. Makes for a good sledding surface I suppose. It's too bad we have no sled! Considered a trash can lid and rope, but thought better of it. Ha! So instead, we stomped around the front yard with our little one who was more than eager to hear the crunching sounds beneath her feet. The above photo is a snapshot of her doing just that. Oh to be a kid again!

Starting today, I'll be back on track with Project 365. I have to admit that the whole ordeal with the accident really put me in a funk. I had thought about taking several photos to "catch up" on the project, but decided that it would be less stressful and more authentic to just pick up where I left off. So, here's to getting back in the groove! Hope every one of you have been doing well and are enjoying this beautiful weekend! See you tomorrow!

.what a week!.

Cake. A view from the backseat of a squad car (just to get out of the rain). A wrecked vehicle. And what do you suppose these three images have in common? Me, of course! This week, I celebrated my 32nd birthday and on that day, I got into a car accident. Fortunately, my little one and I are both doing just fine. Little Miss A is alright. She was stunned but I am so, SO grateful that she had no signs of injury at all. What a nightmare! The only discomfort I'm having really is on my left side due to the force against the seatbelt. My nerves are shaken, but no damage. No broken bones. No torn muscles. THANK GOODNESS! My poor truck on the other hand, did not make it. She lived out her 10 years of life full and well. I'm really gonna miss her. I don't know, it still blows my mind that it all happened. Honestly, I'm exhausted. Things this week have been pushed back several days just so that I could take care of the headaches that come with being in a wreck. Bottomline: We're okay. So, this weekend, I'm going to take it easy and hopefully return on Monday with images to catch up on my 365 Project. Have a safe and beautiful weekend everybody! And while you're at it, tell someone dear that you love them. Life can change in a blink of an eye.

**I had to delete the photo that was attached to this post. Apparently, Flickr no longer allowed it to be viewable. Go figure.

.the empty frame.

19::365

There is an empty frame hanging on the wall of my spare bedroom, aka. the "art" room. Why is it empty? Because it is a constant reminder that it is up to me to create something to put in it. Silly? Probably. But it works.

.warm and calm.

Today, as I set out to capture my picture of the day, I honestly didn't know where to begin. The day was absolutely gorgeous, although a little chilly. The sun was bright and inviting, perhaps a little deceiving. I just could not bring myself to leave the house. The precious daylight came and went. So there I was, photo less, again. And then I remembered this book, and the wonderful sepia image that graces its cover. My eyes were immediately drawn to the eggs and the shadows that gently cradled each one. I wanted to capture that same warmth and calm. The image above was my attempt to do just that.

18::365

.at the parthenon.

17::365

A trip to Centennial Park meant that we had to stop and snatch some photos at the Parthenon. As the sun began its descent, it cast its warm glow over the Monument. Both the wee one and I pulled out our cameras and took a few photos. This one I took of her. Below is the photo that she captured. When I created a diptych of the two photos side-by-side, I knew this of course meant that a new photo project must be started. Diptychs made up of photos between myself and my little photographer. Let's see where this new journey takes us!

::by A.

.cardamom makes everything taste beautiful.

This evening, I was introduced to drinking coffee black and flavored with a little bit of cardamom. At first, I was a little hesitant as I always drink my coffee with some milk or creamer. The thought of drinking coffee black freaks me out. But I am beginning to learn, just as one of my new Middle Eastern friend tells me, "a little bit of Hayl (cardamom) makes everything taste beautiful." I must say, I have to agree with him.

16::365

**When I originally posted this, I mentioned that the spice used was coriander. I was mistaken. These are cardamom pods. Oopsy! Glad I didn't start sending out recipes! Ha!

.upon the salty seas.

Salt on asphalt
look so pretty
when the sun
hits them just so.


I don't know about you, but I'm so glad it's Friday! Have a wonderful weekend!

15::365

.the third & the seventh::a video.

The Third & The Seventh from Alex Roman on Vimeo.

Watch this amazing video in full screen mode. You will be completely enthralled. I promise.

::shared via Facebook by David duChemin

.happy I don't know what to shoot day!.

Okay, so today officially became the I Have No Idea What to Photograph for 365 Day. After the daily grind, it seems as if my mind is just this blob of blobbity blob stuff in my head. In a panic, I look around my home for something, anything that I could classify as interesting and well, dear friends, here you go. Rattan. Let's cross our fingers tomorrow will be a much better day for inspiring photos!

14::365

.jade elephant.

13::365

.always in prayer.

There was a passage in the book I'm reading, The Wolf at Twilight, that truly struck a chord with me. It read: Always in prayer. Arms always up, facing the sky. Reminds us we need to pray. When the ribbon moves in the wind, we know the spirit's listening. The character in the book was refering to trees and the prayer ribbon. These beautiful beings I like to call the silent givers are my favorite subjects to photograph besides people. I never really thought about why that is until now. They stand wherever they have been planted and endure the elements without complaint. They have watched as their environment, our environment, has changed over the years and never have we asked their opinion. What would they say you think? Trees have always been a symbol of life, of growth, of giving, and now, prayer. They have helped to house the littlest of creatures, as well as provide the structure for our own homes. They have provided shade and protection from those who seek its shelter. The tree was the muse that inspired poet and musician Shel Silverstein to write the classic chilren's book The Giving Tree little over 4o years ago.

Today, I realize it was meant for me to take this photo. Later on in the afternoon, my husband received some news about his job situation that looks rather bleak at the moment. As I gaze upon this image now, I am reminded to lift my face to the sky and very simply pray.

12::365

.today's message from the fortune pouch.

For several years now, I've been collecting the little fortunes that come out of the fortune cookies you get when eating at an Asian restaurant. I must admit, I only keep the ones that "inspire" me. These little slips of paper have been shoved into my purse, my wallet, my pockets. Eventually, I gave them a "real" home in this little cloth pouch. Today, I noticed this little guy hanging from the corkboard above my desk, so I decided to pull out a fortune.

It said: Wish you a good journey. At first I think, Where am I going? Then I realize, This life is my journey. So to that, I lift my head to the skies, nod, and simply say thank you. It will be a good journey. I just know it.

11::365

.click-clack-DING!.

This is my GrandDad's typewriter. I'm borrowing it at the moment, at least until I can find some new ribbon for the typewriter that I was given over the Holidays. I love old typewriters. Really I love anything that is old, made with metal parts, and still living its purpose. Kinda like vintage cameras. You've got to admit, they were built to last!

Today, I opened up the case that the typewriter sits in so that I could snap a few pictures, one of which is the photo above. Not too long after I left the room to upload the image onto my computer did I begin to hear that nostaligic sound. . . "click-clack-DING!!" followed by the sweetest laughter. Well, it seems that my toddler likes typewriters too!

10::365

.her brushes.

This morning, everything was quiet. Hubby and little one were still very much asleep. I walked into each room admiring how soft the light fell on everything. Diffused. Calm. Upon entering the spare room, I gazed over to my "art corner" first taking notice of how badly it needs purging again. It was then that I saw my Tutu's old paintbrushes. I carefully pulled the old, blue Mason jar that they were standing in from behind a line of old cameras. Each brush has been stained by years of countless painting. I do not have any of my Tutu's paintings. I wish I did. But I do have her paintbrushes. Although they are not the brushes of Monet or Picasso, they were hers. And because of that, to me, they are priceless.

tutu = grandparent in Hawaiian

9::365

.care for some tea?.

It's a wee bit chilly outside, dear friend,
so I'll bring the tea if you'll bring the biscuits!

8::365

.baking for bali.

I am a firm believer that every child, and adult for that matter, should be given the opportunity to travel to another part of the world at least once in their lifetime. So when the Doorways Traveler beauty Lisa Field-Elliot mentioned that her daughter was planning a trip to Bali to work with International Doorways, and that her way of earning enough money for the trip was by selling cookies, I knew that I had to place an order! I received my box of highly anticipated chocolate chip goodness yesterday and let me tell you, they're AWESOME!! Big, chunky, and oh so yummy! It was such a nice treat to come home to today, especially after having to pull my pickup truck that slid off the icy road and into a ditch on my way home from work. (Another story all together!) And soft pink tissue paper is always nice. You can read more about Marandah and her wonderful plans for Bali by clicking here. So what do you say we all chip in and see that this young lady's dream opportunity becomes a reality! Wishing you all the best Marandah!

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.chai.

Hot tea.
Chai.
After a wonderful meal
with new friends.

6::365

.spotted leaf.

I found you by chance
as I walked up to the front door.
There were none others
like you anywhere around.
Your spots intrigued me.
I had to take you out of the cold
and look at you a little closer.
As I held you up to the light
this is what I saw.

5::365

.fragile.

4::365

.a new year and another attempt at 365.

Another year has arrived and with it new opportunities to live life to the fullest. At least that is the goal I have set for myself in 2010. No more worrying about things that in the "big picture" mean nothing. This year, I have decided that life is too short to waste time. I will admit that I am very much a procrastinator. This is not to say that my days of waiting 'til the last minute are totally over. Let's just say, I acknowledge the fact that I have a problem and that admission is the first step toward "recovery." Looking back on 2009, although it was quite a tumultuous year for me, I have grown from it. The last few months, I have quickly learned that time is precious. My family and friends are my heart. It is for them that I want my life to be lived with meaning, with purpose, with energy and gratitude. To be an example and inspiration to my daughter.

I started a 365 project last year and after about a month, I grew weary of it and quit. Not this time. I've come to realize that really the only person keeping me from being able to achieve my goals was me. For so long, I have subjected myself to that annoying inner critic so much so that it literally paralyzed my creativity. Well, I've finally mustered enough courage to tell "Olga" to shut the hell up. It's my time to play. Today, I bring to you the first three installments to a year in photos.