a musical note | sea of bees

I have to admit, I rarely RARELY ever listen to the radio.  Most of the time I am listening to music I already have and love that I don't feel the "need" to listen to the radio.  Weird?  I don't care for most of what's out in the mainstream music scene, so if you were to ask me if I've heard the latest Lady Gaga song, I'll have to disappoint you and say no.  My sister thought I was joking when I told her I didn't know who Nikki Minaj was, and honestly, I still don't.  So, when I do happen to stumble across some new music, GOOD music, my heart does a happy little dance.  Such an occurrence happened this evening and although I have yet to truly delve into the music created by the talented Julie Ann Baenziger of the Sea of Bees, I already know that I'm in for a wonderful time! 

morning at the table | breakfast

Ahh . . . breakfast time.  Over the last week or so, I have been trying really hard to drop the gears down a little bit, just enough to embrace this crucial part of our day.  Mornings at our home typically have us in a crazy rush to get things done like showers, the brushing of this and that, ironing, and getting dressed so that either one or all of us can get out of the door and to where we need to be on time.  The constant stream of chatter from the t.v. plays like a soundtrack during this mad race against the clock.  Now, the television is turned off.  It's amazing how much more your senses kick in when the boob-tube is silenced.  It's been a long while since I've truly felt present at the morning table.  I didn't realize until just recently, how beautiful this time of day truly is.  Yesterday, we had cereal, like per usual, but this morning we decided to bring out the strawberries, have a hard-boiled egg, and slather some raspberry & apricot preserves on our toast  How much more focused one becomes when you do something beyond just pouring Cheerios into an empty bowl!  A routine is slowing taking place.  Miss Sunshine will set the table, most of the time, by placing our mats and eating utensils down while I piece together our meal.  A stack of picture books will soon find themselves to one side of her bowl, or plate, much in the same way I keep my pile of magazines beside mine.  Peacefully, we will dine, taking our time to enjoy a few pictures, maybe a story or two, and share a conversation about what we want to do today.  And the light, morning light, how simply wonderful you are.  They say "breakfast is the most important meal of the day" and for so many reasons, I'll have to agree.  

Inspired by Kinfolk and Jen Causey.

instant love

So, if you haven't already heard, instant photography is definitely not dead.  Three ladies, whom many of you familiar with instant photography will recognize, put together a book entitled Instant Love.  For years, I have been following the awesome works of Susannah Conway, Amanda Gilligan, and Jenifer Altman and believe that these ladies have made a huge contribution to the world of instant photography by sharing their love for this photo medium and getting others excited about it as well.  Now, especially with the creation of integral film by the Impossible Project, people are dusting off their old Polaroid cameras and bringing them back to life again.  The book is a guide to the different types of cameras and film used in instant photography, but it's also a guide on basic elements to photography such as composition and lighting.  Below is a book trailer that was put together by the folks over at Pacing the Panic Room.  Have fun watching!  Oh, and they're having an awesome contest by the way!    

skies the limit . . .

. . . sometimes, I just wish I had wings.

slowing down . . . coming back

In this new age of social technology with texting, emails, Facebook, Twitter, "like this" and "pin that", it's been really hard to focus.  Seriously.  Instant communication and online recreation has been wonderful, don't get me wrong, but here lately, I've been missing the simpler, quieter times.  Life has been moving at warp speed and honestly, I feel like pulling over just to catch my breath.  s l o w  d o w n . . .  A little while back I received my copy of Kinfolk's second volume and I cannot tell you how much I love LOVE this magazine.  Every page is a reason to take your time and simply enjoy the taste of the tea you happen to be sipping on.  I have yet to order volume three, but plan to do so this week.  It's rare that I come across something that makes me want to just chill.  The photographs are a big reason for that I think as each photographer has taken the time to capture the essence of just being, whether by one's self or with others.  Who knew a publication about simple gatherings could be so meditative.  And it truly has been, for me.  

As I mentioned in my previous post, I've been doing a lot of reflecting lately about a lot of things.  Times are definitely changing in my world, for the good, thankfully.  I'm needing to prioritize and dedicate my time to things that I know will allow me to continue to grow. One thing I do want to do more is post here much more frequently than I have in the last few years.  I was quite shocked at how many of the bloggers I used to spend time visiting have, just as I, fallen by the way side with their blogs for one reason or another.  Well, as for myself, I'm coming back.  

Just a couple of things that I am loving at the moment . . . 

• Music by composer Keith Kenniff as Helios.  
• I'm still one of those who truly enjoys holding a physical magazine.  I actually keep them like I do my books. However, I have recently found some new eZines on Issuu that I really like, especially some of these new bridal magazines like this one and this one.  And I will always love this one!

Now because I love Kinfolk and Keith Kenniff . . . AND honey . . . I'll leave you with this video.  Have a great week friends!