Category: Reverb10

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Make – Reverb10, Day 6…

Make. What was the last thing you made? What materials did you use? Is there something you want to make, but you need to clear some time for it?

I’m exempting photography from this. Not that it isn’t significant, but it is something I make all the time. So instead I’d rather talk about something else, my knitting!

I love to knit, but I don’t make enough time for it. That really needs to change, and I’m working on it. The last thing I made and completed was a sock. I finished the first of the pair while I was on the road in Mexico that I mentioned the other day, the crazy highway with all the curves, and I’ve been working on sock #2 to complete the pair. They are Trekking XXL yarn, a fantastic wool. I love Trekking!

There are SO many other things I want to make! While I was in London last month, Pixeldiva Ann gifted me with the most amazing bag full of awesome wool yarn from The Yarn Yard. Natalie, the owner of The Yarn Yard, took one dye and made one skein of everything she carried in that same color of dye. Absolutely fascinating to see how each individual type of yarn picked up the color differently. It is just stunning! It ranges from maroon to plum to nearly black, and as light as a dusty rose. Oh goodness. I love it so much! I’m planning out my projects for it, and every time I look at it it makes me smile & think of Ann & Karl, since it matches the color of Ann’s wedding dress. Just brilliant! Natalie was so wonderful to deliver this bag of delicious fiber to London and hand it off to me personally! After snuggling with it for a bit, I shared it with the other knitters too, and we all ooh’d and ahh’d over it.

Now begins the hard part – matching up the perfect project with each of the yarns. I’ve been researching on Ravelry (I’m Christine over there) and gathering up ideas. Have any suggestions? Most is lace to sock weight, and I have enough to make shawls or a pair of socks out of all of them. Or gloves, mittens, etc. – similar yardage options. What would you make if you had a lot of yummy yarn?

I need to make some photographs of that yarn as well – it is really too beautiful not to share! Hopefully this weekend!

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Let Go – Reverb10 Day 5…

Ice skating.

Let Go. What (or whom) did you let go of this year? Why?

I actually started on this path a few years ago, but 2010 put me to the test on what seemed like a weekly basis and then some. I had to learn over and over again to let go of control. I can’t be in charge of everything. I have to release it because I can’t control it.

For example, Jason graduated from high school this year, but he is living at home while he goes to the local junior college. It is tempting to try to control everything he does, but I have to remind myself that if he had gone off to college this fall he wouldn’t have me watching over everything. I still set curfews for him, and I still check in on what he is doing with his classes, but I still try my best to let him be in control instead of me.

In my business, as things grow, I have to give up control to my team and let them carry things on. As a control freak, this? UGH. It was so hard at first. But I’m so thankful for Elaine and Brittany. I know I can trust them with anything. I know that that is going to make 2011 AWESOME!

It has been hard to learn to let go of the control, but I have had to learn how to do it. I can see how it is making my life better to have less stress and more joy. I can’t carry it all, and by letting go of control I’ve learned I don’t have to carry it all myself!

About the photo above: Mike drove me to my studio today for a boudoir session client who never showed up in the end. I didn’t want to make the trip there be a total loss, so we headed over to Discovery Green to see the Urban Harvest Market. I love going to the Farmer’s Market! As we walked up to the market, we watched the ice skaters on the rink. It isn’t that cold yet outside, I didn’t even have a coat on. We had a great time – it was so much fun to be there with Mike!

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Cultivating a Sense of Wonder – Reverb10 Day 4…

Brought to You by the Letter B...

Wonder. How did you cultivate a sense of wonder in your life this year?

I’m truly fortunate. I have a sense of wonder naturally, which is so helpful as a momma boudoir & destination wedding photographer.

With my boudoir photography, I have had the opportunity to get to know women who are nothing short of amazing. I always make a point of starting off my sessions with some time to just talk and get to know each other. To learn a bit more about them. After all, they are allowing themselves to be quite open and possibly even vulnerable with me. I want to make them relax and be comfortable. It is through our conversation, and them letting their guard down, that I get the most amazing photographs of them. I always love the photos that involve laughter. True, hearty laughter, accompanied by genuine, beautiful smiles. It makes my heart sing. I love that I get to empower women, especially moms, to see how amazing and beautiful they truly are. As women, we are often so hard on ourselves. I get to use my camera to show them what I see. A sense of wonder is what gets me to that point – they are the ones that make the photographs beautiful.

Farhana, Waiting

I also love looking for the little things, the small details, and the moments of love between people. It is the most incredible thing to be an observer on the inside of a wedding day. In the past three years, I have had a front row seat to some of the most amazing and beautiful moments. I’ve gotten to hold bride’s hands as they were nervous before walking down the aisle. I’ve listened to people as they shared stories through tears of the loved ones who were unable to be there that day. I have seen some of the most joyous moments in people’s lives, that pure elation as they walk back down the aisle after they have said their vows. The toasts, dancing and celebrations. Laughter. Tears. JOY.

My love of people and the life around us only grows stronger as I am affirmed over and over of the goodness in this world. I see it all the time in my boudoir sessions and at weddings. It is just incredible, and it has made me grow in my sense of wonder. I am incredibly blessed.

Sarah & Sean's Wedding - Alone Time

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A Moment Remembered – Reverb10…

Moment. Pick one moment during which you felt most alive this year. Describe it in vivid detail (texture, smells, voices, noises, colors).

I’m one of those people with rather vivid memories, and being a photographer definitely adds to me having photographs to go with it. It was quite a challenge to think of a “most alive” day. Maybe the fact is that I struggle with “most” or “favorite” types of things. Ask me for a favorite movie and I’ll try to list 20!

So I took an extra day to think about this one. In the end, I had to come down to sitting on the edge of the Pacific in Mexico. Mike, Elaine, Kenny (Elaine’s husband) and I went to Bahia de la Luna for a destination wedding that Elaine & I were photographing. We had one of the most adventurous drives that I’ve ever experienced in my entire life for the entire day beforehand, and if it wasn’t for our awesome driver Ishmael, I don’t know what we would have done. 7-8 hours through the mountains on a road that was hardly two lanes, and had 150 degree switchback curves. UGH. By the time we arrived, we were hot, carsick, just drained. It was dark, and though we could hear the Pacific, we couldn’t see it yet.

When we woke up the next morning, the view was incredible. The Bay was isolated, and it was just us there. It was an idyllic paradise. Palm trees, sand, the heat of the sun, the breeze off the water. Listening to the waves crash. Resting in the hammock and reading a book. Icy margaritas. Making new friends with the bride’s family and other wedding guests that were there. Learning Spanish (you would think that living in Houston I’d know some!) and being glad that Elaine is fluent in Spanish. Just unwinding and getting away from it all. It was *incredible*. Matter of fact, the whole trip was.

I feel just calm and serene when I think of that day. It always makes me smile. It also made me realize that sometimes you have to go through some pretty rough times to get to the really great things in life. The bad makes the good that much better!

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Writing – Reverb10, Day 2…

Writing. What do you do each day that doesn’t contribute to your writing — and can you eliminate it? – Reverb10, Day 2

Hmm… interesting question. Just recently, I commented to someone that Twitter killed my blog years ago. I am still writing when I post to Twitter, but it is only 140 characters and there isn’t the rest of the story there. Only what I could fit in so few characters.

I’ve realized that I really miss writing though, so I’m working on fixing that. About the only thing I can do to eliminate it is just make a focused effort to write longer posts instead of 140 characters at a time.

I am trying to make a time each day that is my writing time. It is hard to write “on command” though, so I’ll see how that works out. Having these Reverb10 prompts has been helpful though, so I’m hoping that by the start of 2011 it is a solid habit!