Three hundred and eleven and twelve

Both of these photos were taken on my first trip to visit the 21 acres my Dad purchased out in the country. All my life that man has been talking about buying some land, to hunt, fish, relax and to share with his family. He finally did! He couldn’t be more proud to say that he owns this land and I was excited to see it. I got to ride in the back of my parent’s car, just like I was a kid again. That is photo 311. The land is lovely. It has this sense of peace about it. I can’t explain, but everyone who goes there just feels peaceful. I enjoyed my first visit, hence photo 312. It even warmed up a bit and we didn’t have to stay so bundled up.

“One’s destination is never a place, but a new way of seeing things.” – Henry Miller

“Nature never goes out of style.” ~Author Unknown

Three hundred and eight, nine and ten

All three of these photos were taken on the same night. We had a night out without the kids. My very good friend Anna invited us to a party at her house. She has a huge upstairs that is completely open, has fancy lights, a bar and for the evening a beer pong table. Good times! 308 is under the awesome blue and purple lights. 309 was after some kind of drink. The little umbrella ended up in my hair. That is her cool shower curtain behind me. 310 is Anna and I after a few drinks. We have been friends since community college, which was… mumble, cough (15)… years ago. (Good lord where has time gone?) She is one of those friends that no matter how many months or years may pass without seeing each other we can pick up right where we left off.  To me that is what a soul mate is. A soul mate isn’t just one person who you have a lover/marriage relationship with, but many souls whom we spend many lives with through the eons. It’s easy to tell which people hold these souls, because you are drawn to them. Once a dialogue is started it feels like you already know them, because you do. No matter the passage of time you will always be welcome to each other because you are connected. That’s what a soul mate is to me. And yes I believe in reincarnation. Well this blog about my photos turned into something completely different. There’s nothing wrong with that. 🙂

“But she told herself that this all was enough” ~Melora Creager

“What’s drinking?
A mere pause from thinking!”
~George Gordon

“Drink, and dance and laugh and lie,
Love the reeling midnight through,
For tomorrow we shall die!
(But, alas, we never do.)”
~Dorothy Parker

Wow, this quote was chosen a looong time ago, but I’ll be damned if it doesn’t fit the contents of this blog. 🙂

Three hundred and seven

I don’t always wear makeup, but when I do I usually take a photo of it. 😛 I like this photo of myself. It’s a bit pixely, but that’s ok. Unlike 306, this was a good hair day, haha. I like this quote too, so true. Some people are transformed when they smile. 🙂

“A smile is an inexpensive way to change your looks.” ~Charles Gordy

Three hundred and five and six

These two shots were taken at the same time. Man, I needed a hair cut and some conditioner. I’m not very found of either one of these photos. They both pretty much blow toes. Both were taken while on a walk with my kiddos. My daughter got hurt or was crying about something and that is how 305 came to be. I love that quote. The quote that goes with 306 is kind of funny considering how terrible my hair looks. Must have been a bad hair day.

“[A] mother is one to whom you hurry when you are troubled.” ~Emily Dickinson

“Those curious locks so aptly twin’d,
Whose every hair a soul doth bind.”
~Thomas Carew

Three hundred and four

I love this photo. Much earlier in this project I did a manipulated portrait of myself as a lion. I am a Leo, hence the inspiration. I thought it would be fun to create self-portraits depicting all of the astrological signs, but Leo and Gemini were the only two that made it. My husband is a Gemini, and very much so. Therefore I think about that sign on a regular basis. I love using mirrors in my photography. It is something so simple that can really create a unique effect.

“It’s hard to tell where reality ends and illusion begins. They blend -then they separate.” ~Linda Goodman-The Gemini

Three hundred and three

I am pretty sure this photo was taken on a night when we had some friends over. We were drinking and playing cards. It was a fun night. It is good and important to let loose and be a little crazy from time to time.

“I don’t suffer from insanity. I enjoy every minute of it.” ~Author Unknown

Three hundred and two

I love these photos, especially together. Children do not stay little very long. When these photos were taken my daughter was so small. Now she is 3 going on 4 and the size of a kindergartener. I love having fun with my kids and I think these photos show just how ridiculous I am willing to go to make them laugh.

“A daughter may outgrow your lap, but she will never outgrow your heart.” ~Author Unknown

Two hundred and ninety-nine, three hundred and three hundred and one

Three more random shots. 299 is of a necklace my Mom got for me for Christmas. It is a tree with a disk that has my daughter’s name on it. I need to get one made with my son’s name too. That way both my children will be close to my heart. I won’t mention the major cleavage going on. 300 was taken on another walk. I like how the shot is just my leg, makes it a bit abstract. Plus that crazy, dark shadow jutting out is pretty neat. 301 is a very similar shot to one I took at the beginning of the series with my actual camera. I like the original one better.

“The family is a haven in a heartless world.” ~Attributed to Christopher Lasch

“Walks. The body advances, while the mind flutters around it like a bird.” ~Jules Renard

“Coffee is the best thing to douse the sunrise with.” ~Terri Guillemets

Two hundred and ninety-seven and eight

These two photos have light and shadows in common, and also that pink bathroom in the apartment we were living in. Taken on the same wall at different times, these photos focus on the way that light and shadow can create composition. 297 is pretty obvious, it’s all about those blinds and the pattern the sun light creates on my face. The fact that my head is in front of where the light would fall if I hadn’t been standing there creates that break in the pattern, making the rest of the light fall to the left of my head. 298 is about the shadow instead of the light. It focuses on the shadow my face creates on that interesting pink wall, turned slightly purple from the app I used to take it. I enjoy both of these shots. Quality isn’t the greatest, but they are interesting.

“The only way to deal with an unfree world is to become so absolutely free that your very existence is an act of rebellion.” ~Albert Camus

“Art is a shadow of what a person is thinking… a small glimpse of what they hold inside. Little secrets, regrets, joys… every line has its own meaning.” ~Sarah, Los Cerros Middle School

Two hundred and ninety-five and six

Both of these photos have the commonality of children. I love 295! My daughter was home sick and we were snuggled up on the couch. I love her little arms and hands laying on the blanket and my hand gently touching her wrist. She is three now and even though she can drive me absolutely bonkers at times, I love her so. 296 was taken at my son’s birthday party at the skating rink that I spent just about every Friday and Saturday night in, between the ages of 12 and 14. Memories can take you back to childhood so easily. That photo sucks, but it is more about the experience than anything. (A side note, my kid is the blonde one in the tie-dye shirt, cut off on the right hand side.)

“The moment a child is born, the mother is also born. She never existed before. The woman existed, but the mother, never. A mother is something absolutely new.” ~Rajneesh

“Did you know that childhood is the only time in our lives when insanity is not only permitted to us, but expected?” ~Louis de Bernières