My Favorite Memory of 2014

You guys, its December 9, 2014. 

Are you serious? Yeah... it's almost 2015, and I sometimes still write 2013 on my checks. This is kinda crazy-pants! 

But here we are...and oh what a year it's been. 

I wanted to share my favorite memory from 2014. To chronicle it. To savor it. To embolden my ability to tell the stories of my life. 

There wasn't anything necessarily particular about the weekend of September 20th. But I was literally  diving head first into the hardest month of my life. Not to be overly dramatic, or anything. Just stating facts here. And so I needed to get out of town. Or "get out of Dodge" as they say... 

So we packed up our pillows and our puppy and drove the almost 2 hours north to my parents house. Dad was away, so it was a bonus that we got to keep mom company. But there I was...in a house I used to call home with the 2 people (and 2 dogs) that love me more than anyone else in the world. My husband and my mom. 

Saturday morning came easy... we slept in. Had some eggs for breakfast. And took our first cups, of what would end up being 4 pots of coffee, out to the front porch. And for the first time in a long time I smiled for real...and breathed in deep what it felt like to just be. 

I didn't put a bra on that day. I remember telling people about my weekend after the fact and this was a big revelation! No bra = extreme comfort and acceptance. Is it weird that my favorite memory involves me not wearing a bra? Maybe, but this is happening. 

My mom has made her front porch the epitome of home. They've hung up the porch swing my Dad made years ago from old Kingdom Hall chairs and Mom covered it with blankets and pillows. There are candles of all sorts of colors and smells on every surface. And the bouquet of flowers Dad brought home for her that week sitting next to the other bouquet she got from the dentist. But that's another story... There are two rocking chairs and a vine growing along the railing and hanging pots full of flowers. She calls it her "Porch Resort" and we even made a little sign for her to hang that day. 

So we got comfy out there, sometimes just Mom and me...sometimes Chris joined us. We read and talked and slept in the warmth of the late autumn sun. Chris played music on his guitar for us, we talked about the new iPhone update and worked through the new features together. 

But all day we let the dogs run loose. And this part of the weekend makes me smile the most. My parents have a mini-schnauzer named Tucker. They got him when I was 15 and he was my buddy when I lived at home. He got to sleep with me and still does whenever I visit. He is the reason I wanted a mini-schnauzer when Chris and I decided it was time to get a puppy for ourselves. We have had Gibson for 2 years now, and he lights up my days. 

Tucker and Gibson had interacted once before. Tucker is kind of an old man now...set in his ways. He doesn't like strange dogs in his house with his people. So he usually gets jealous and tends to mark his territory. So we hadn't made it a habit of bringing Gibson with us when we visited. Its Tucker's house...I get it. 

But this time it was a last minute trip, and we didn't have a plan. So Gibson came with us. And it turned out to be my favorite part of the weekend. Tucker and Gibson became best friends.

Tucker has a long history of running if he gets loose. He takes off and comes home 2 days later covered in yuck. He is always looking for a way out. Gibson on the other hand, loves to explore, but he always comes when he's called. It was like a revelation to Tucker. "Oh! If I don't run away and come back when I'm called I get to explore and roam around this huge yard we have?! How cool!"

And that's exactly what they did. They chased squirrels and ran out into the field and took turns chasing each other around the pond. But whenever I would call Gibson, they would both come. It was awesome. I was a super proud puppy-mom that day, and it made me happy to see Tucker enjoying his freedom too. 

So, my favorite memory from 2014 was a day spent with my 2 favorite people and my 2 favorite dogs, without a bra on. Yup. Pretty much a perfect day. 

What is your favorite memory from 2014? 

Something to brighten your day

This is my cousin Hannah's sweet baby girl, Harper. She was born with a cleft lip and pallet and has been through so much already in her short little life. I've been visiting them lots lately and Harper is starting to remember me. Her little face lighting up when she sees me makes me so happy. 

A couple weeks ago when I was there to get my hair done the three of us went to the hair supply store together. While Hannah found the color, Harper and I walked around. She picked up a hair brush and carried it around with her until it was time to go. We walked back to the isle where it went and when she put it back in the exact right place I said "TADA" to her. And then she said it back to me with a big grin on her face! "TADA." And my heart just melted. 

You see, because of being born with a cleft lip and pallet she is a little delay in talking. So it was a big deal for her to learn and say a new word. She is so smart! And I was so proud of her. I just had to try and see if I could get a video of her saying it. So once we got back to the house I held her on my lap and tried to get to say "TADA" again. And this is the result. It just kills me!! You'll want to watch it more than once...its gets better and better.

A video posted by Shaina Longstreet (@shadylane_14) on Nov 11, 2014 at 12:46pm PST

I watch this video every time I need a little pick-me-up. It was such a special moment for me to teach her a new word. I won't soon forget this afternoon with little Miss Harper.

The Pajama Game - Becoming Poopsie

It has been quiet on the blog front, but not quiet in real life, that's for sure. The biggest thing that has filled my days has been local Masquer's Theater's production of The Pajama Game. I was cast as Poopsie in August, and we just finished up 5 weeks of shows. Friday and Saturday night and then a matinee on Sundays. Phew! It was a lot of work...but sooo rewarding. 

Becoming Poopsie was such a fun journey. She is a fun-loving flirt with a fondness for Monday mornings and a pep in her step that could make anyone smile. Poopsie works with her best friends at the Sleep Tite Pajama factory in Ohio, and they are all in a battle for a 7 and a half cent raise. The play is set in the 50's so we had a set full of vintage sewing machines, terrific bright colors, lots of polka dots and a cast wearing amazing, time period costumes. And I got my hair and white as possible, cuz that's how Poopsie would do it. 

I also had the privilege of doing the poster and program design for this production. And I got to be on the poster!! It was so neat seeing my work up all around town. I had a lot of fun working with 50's colors and fonts and vintage sewing ephemera to create the designs. Then I made little personal invitations for each character to share on Facebook and text to their friends to invite them to see the show. They were a big hit. 

I had 8 costume changes, including a pink pair of pajamas and some adorable houndstooth pants.  This play is full of amazing songs, great dance numbers, funny one-liners and characters you can't help but fall in love with. Another great part of this play was having Chris in the cast too. Our characters got to flirt a little and it made it extra special. 

Also I got to be in a special dance number called Steam Heat with 4 other girls. We wore fishnet stockings, black shorts, white button up shirts, bow ties and bowler hats. It was probably the most rehearsed musical number in Masquer's history, but it was so much fun. Glad I got to be a part of it. 

Here are some of my favorite images from the play. My friend Marta came to the show and took some of me so I would be able to have the memory of being Poopsie forever. I love these pictures. 

I am so grateful to my dear friend, and director Holli for casting me as Poopsie and believing that I could do her justice. It was a highlight of my year. I made some new great friends and loved sharing this journey with them. 

Love is Louder

This Kid President…he speaks truth. So touched by this video I had to share it.

“You’re awake…you’re awesome! Live like it.”

And if you’re needing a bit of a pep talk today, he’s got you covered there too.

High school art days

I have been doing some shifting within my creative space/studio/office lately and its been quite a journey. Finding lots of old treasures and papers and things. Like boxes full of letters from pen pals I had growing up.

And my artwork from high school. I still just love these so much. I’m glad I’m a memory keeper (read: hoarder) and can go back through things like this.

The mountain on the left is an oil painting. Oils were always my favorite medium. I think that has a lot to do with my grandmother and my mom’s paintings. The iris on the right is done in watercolor. There was a hill by my high school that would just be covered in these flowers. I love them. And this isn’t the worst watercolor I’ve ever done...I wish I could have really learned how to use watercolors well. Maybe its something I’ll put on my to-do list for a future time.

Left side is a dahlia painted in acrylics. We had our classroom full of these flowers during this lesson. I have very fond memories of my art teacher, Mr. Brown and our classroom. So many fond memories and unique projects. Like my self-portrait clay statue with moose antlers. Ha! On the right is a self-portrait done in pastels. I love how the face turned out, but I must have really exaggerated my scoliosis. Look at that shoulder! haha!

Its been fun going through all my memory boxes and and collections. I’ve really come to realize that celebrating the everyday is something I’ve always been drawn to, and saving things lets me relive those amazing moments.

So enjoy some high school art of mine…and I’ll be over here enjoying my desk by the window now. The light makes all the difference.

What was your favorite thing about high school?
Are you a saver or do you throw everything away?
Please share in the comments below.

Addicted to my CAbi Multi-topper

Hi guys…long time no blog, right?! I’m not going to apologize or make excuses, just say Hi, and nice to see you!  

I am so excited about something new and I just had to share. I was invited to a CAbi party by my friend Marta 3 weeks ago. It was my first CAbi experience and I really had no idea what was going to happen. I knew it was clothes, but once I got to the party location I realized it was so much more. The group of ladies who got together were shown a whole season’s worth of clothes and then we got to try them all on! Super cool.

It was actually a really huge moment for me… I have lost over 60 lbs these last few months, and to go to a clothes party with my friends, try on sizes of clothes I’ve never fit into before, look and, more importantly, feel amazing… I was overwhelmed with excitement and happiness. Toni, the CAbi consultant was truly a gem and gave me a moment I’ll never forget that night. Pretty powerful stuff. Of course I wasn’t going to buy everything I fit into (even though I wanted to!) but I was drawn to some key, super cool pieces.

One of those pieces is their Multi-topper. To look at it, it seems kind of like a poncho with sleeves. But there are multiple, innovative ways to wear this garment. It can be a shirt, a sweater, a scarf, a skirt or whatever you can come up with. I just had to have one of these. So I ordered it and got it last Thursday. I literally have wore it every day in a different way since! I’ve been posting to instagram, but just wanted to share here too.  

I already worn it as a sweater, a long duster jacket, a dress, a shawl sweater, a halter top, a cowl-neck sweater and a scarf. I’m pretty much in love with this thing. I’ve been having lots of fun with it and just wanted to share.

I’m hosting my own CAbi party in a couple weeks and I can’t wait to share these amazing clothes and this multi-topper with my friends.

Have you ever been to a CAbi party?
What is your favorite item of clothing?

Hello October

October is my favorite month of the year…its always been the month when I feel most like myself. I find comfort in scarfs and hot coffee and falling leaves. I love how the light changes and how the air feels. And this little quote has kind of become my mantra for the autumn season. I am so glad that its October again!

To welcome in the fall I’ve created a little “October looks good on me” download for your computer and your phone.

Download here
Desktop Wallpaper
Phone Background

What is your favorite thing about autumn?
What makes you feel most like you?

Song on repeat

My favorite singing competition show, The Voice, has started back up again and I couldn’t be happier. I just love the concept for the show and listening to all the amazing voices these singers have.

Last week’s episode had one of my very favorite auditions ever. Sarah Simmons sang “One of Us” a song by Joan Osborn. I remember the very first time I heard that song and have loved it ever since…but I’ve never heard it like this girl sang it. Chills and goose bumps and inspiration. Killer! I just had to share it and save it here.

This girl makes me wanna sing! I am looking forward to watching her on the show this season and hopefully taking it to the end. Favorite for sure.

Do you watch The Voice?
Who is your favorite so far?
Do you like how they switched up the coaches?

A week to remember

I am back to work today after an amazing week of training in Spokane. It was great to be in the city again for a bit and I am so excited to be a part of the team at Horizon Credit Union. I had fun getting back into the swing of dressing up a bit and wearing professional clothes again, so I wanted to share my outfits from the week.

I wore my new favorite blazer on Monday… I just love how it fits. And then I found some cute purple pants at Target, so I wore those on Thursday. Everything I wore was from Maurices, Target and Burlington Coat Factory. Those are my favorite stores. And if you look closely you might notice the other new thing that I got on Tuesday night: a new phone! I was due for an upgrade so I went ahead and got the Samsung Galaxy S III. I have a hard time with letting go of things (even when they barely work anymore…) so it took some convincing and a really good deal for me to make the switch. But I am so happy with my new phone!

I also took the opportunity of my time in the city to meet up with some of my friends that live there. And go to my favorite (and new favorite) restaurants. My nights were full of great food and encouraging conversations and my days were full of learning.

I know that this last week will be on that I remember for a long time. I felt like I was coming home and starting anew all at the same time. I love the financial industry and the values and member service based philosophy of this credit union. I think its going to be a very good fit for me and my personality.

The group that I was in training with was awesome. We had a lot of fun together and left with so many inside jokes and many important lessons: like remembering to check the expiration date on your cans of pop. I felt like a valuable member of the team at Horizon from day one and my skills and knowledge of the industry were utilized at training. I was able to help explain federal regulations and reporting, bring money handling and customer service experience to the table and it made me feel so good. I learned a lot from the instructors and made some new friends. “Yeah Buddy!”

It was such a terrific week!

And now I’m back home with Chris (thank goodness!) and in my branch again working with members. I am grateful for this opportunity and can’t wait to watch life and my new career flourish.

What’s your favorite thing to wear when you dress up?
Do you have dreams of making a change in your life?
What’s holding you back from moving onward and upward?
I’d love to hear about your experiences with changes…

A portrait of my own

In July when I was creating Dani’s blog for her and had a portrait commissioned of her by artist Chris Conlon, I knew I wanted one done of me too. His work is just so good, and I’ve loved the look of  hand drawn portraits for awhile. So I sent him one of my favorite pictures from my blog photoshoot and I got my portrait back last week. I really like how it turned out and wanted to share.

 

I’m not quite sure yet how I’ll be using it. I’m thinking of maybe making some business cards for my blog and using the portrait on there. That might be fun! Or incorporating it in my own blog design. Suggestions are totally welcome.

Would you ever commission a portrait?
Who is one of your favorite artists?

This I know

This summer I have been slowly reading and savoring Susannah Conway’s book “This I know, Notes on Unraveling The Heart.” I am normally a speed reader (just ask Chris, it drives him crazy!) but I knew I wanted to take my time with this book. I just had a feeling it would touch my heart and I would need the time to process each chapter. I was right.

As I read her words I found myself saying, “Oh this chapter was just what I needed. It is so me. The next one couldn’t possibly touch me more than this.” But as I progressed through the book, the next chapter always did. And so did the one after that. Each one felt like it was just what I needed to read.

The thought of “unraveling” can sometimes seems scary…to peel back all our layers and really look at how we feel about things, how we think and learn and cope…how we celebrate. I am embracing it, however. Being in my own transitional period in my life, I am ready to unravel…eager to unravel. And so I followed Susannah as she shared her own journey to self-discovery through this book. It is full of her art…the polaroid photography she is so well known for, and each chapter ends with a “reflection,” a little exercise of sorts, to reflect upon and use in your own life. I truly loved reading it…

I wanted to share a couple of quotes from the book. These are things that I underlined as I read and rewrote in my own journal. Pages that I left tear stains on. Concepts that moved me. And I also want to encourage you to pick up a copy of your own. We could all use some unraveling…

“Each person experiences grief in their own individual way. And…there is no hierarchy to grief—only we can know the pain we feel and what we have lost… To assimilate the loss—to make sense of the change—we must allow ourselves to fully inhabit the pain for as long as we need.” 

“So many of the difficult parts of our lives can be helped with a little kindness, and nowhere is that needed more than the way we view ourselves….I want to walk along the middle road, between vanity and not caring; I want to be seen and loved by the person I need it from most. To look in the mirror and smile at an ally I can always count on… My worth is not measured by my outward appearance, my worth is felt in my bones, in the quiet yes that starts in my belly and rises up to my lips as I reach forward and embrace my life, my world, this piece of experience that is mine alone.”

“The more I excavate myself, the richer my relationships with others become, because as we connect with our true selves we have so much more to give.”

If you love words written from the heart, the magic of polaroid, and find yourself needing a gentle push to learn more about yourself, this book is worth a read. Its one of my new favorites on my bookshelf. I’ve passed it on to my mum to read. I think she’ll love it as much as me.

Have you read “This I Know” yet?
What was your favorite chapter?
Do you read Susannah’s blog or taken any of her classes?

The highlight of my weekend

The ELEPHANT RIDE!!

I am still just giddy about being able to go for my elephant ride at the Grant County Fair on Friday night. And the coolest part was that we were there so late in the day that I got to ride by myself! My elephant’s name was Debbie and she was a little rascal. She spotted a pop can that was the trainer’s and stole it when he wasn’t looking, then dumped it out and hid it! She was really playful.

And here’s the video that Chris took for me to share with you all!

I have loved elephants since I was 13 and have quite a collection, but I’ve never been this close to one before. Its something I’ve always wanted to do and I’m so glad that we went to the fair and I got a chance.

After visiting the elephants for awhile we headed over to carry on our fair tradition and ride the Farris Wheel. We had our first kiss at a fair after a Farris Wheel ride 6 years ago, so its special to us.

We walked around for awhile together taking in all the sights, watching the other rides and listening to the music. And then Chris treated me to my very first Funnel Cake. We shared its yummy, sugary goodness as we headed to see the animals asleep in there pens. There were some HUGE pigs and the lamas were pretty cute. This is turning into one of the greatest summers we’ve spent together. I’m glad we’re going and doing things together when we can, while still spending as little money as possible. I’m pretty proud of that. I hope you all are enjoying and savoring and celebrating these summer days.

Have you ever rode an elephant?
What’s your favorite part of the fair?
Is there a ride you still love going on?

Favorite Fonts

I have always had a soft spot in my heart for typography and fonts of all sorts. Ever since working on my high school yearbook I’ve been drawn to them. Fonts are always what I see first…on buildings, in commercials on tv, business cards, movie intros and trailers and blogs of course! And I collect them like a crazy person…a “font hoarder” if you will. That would make for an interesting episode of that Hoarders show… Okay, just kidding. But I think my point is clear: I really like fonts.

And today I wanted to share 5 of my favorite fonts right now, why I like them and where I got them.

1. Baker Script: I love a good connecting font where the letters really look like cursive writing. This font is one of the best at that I’ve seen. I love the vintage feel of it and the “S”. I always look at the “S” first, cuz that’s what my name starts with, and this one is lovely. 2. Flip Serif: This is a new font I got a couple months ago from Creating Keepsakes. Every Friday they share one of their popular scrapbooking fonts for free on their FB page and this one jumped right out at me. Uniquely places serifs (the strokes that finish off some lines within the type) on this font add to its draw for me. I like different and unexpected. 3. Simply Glamorous: I found this font from a pin on Pinterest that had links to a ton of great fonts. This one caught my attention, you guessed it! Because of the “S”. I love the grandiose scripty capitals and the handwritten effect. I use it for my {things I love} Thursday post titles. Fun and unique. 4. Roskrift Clean: Oh be still my heart…this calligraphy font is just killer!! I want to use it in a blog design so bad, but I haven’t had the extra money to purchase the commercial license. Another one that I would LOVE to have is the Carolyna font. Its so whimsical and has a great handwritten feel to it. On the wish list for sure! 5. Pea Our Best Bites: This is a terrific font that I got from Kevin&Amanda. They have a ton of free scrapbooking fonts and also create fonts from people’s handwriting. And I love that! It adds such a personal touch to any project if you can use your handwriting, or “borrow” someone else’s! They’ve got so many great ones on their site.

Do you have a favorite font?
How do you source the fonts you use?
What letter or character do you find yourself drawn to?

sharing with you

Today I felt like it was time for a new desktop background.  I searched through my "words" pinboard to find a quote I really loved and added it to one of my favorite pictures from my red-hair shoot.  And this is what I created.

I thought maybe you'd like to download and use it on your own computer, so I'm sharing.  :)  Click HERE for all the size downloads.

Let me know what you think!

Its BLOG HOP time!!

It is the 3rd Anniversary for Scrapbooking from the Inside Out and in honor of that they're having a Blog Hop.  Being on the design team for SFTIO was a highlight of my 2010 and I'm so excited that they've included me in the hop today!

Now if you've arrived at my blog and are just now hearing of today's HOP, please jump back to Melissa's blog. That's stop number one! There are some amazing prizes and giveaways available.  You do not want to miss out!!

In honor of SFTIO, I wanted to share one of my favorite layouts from my term on the design team.  It was from the month of ENLIGHTENMENT.

So maybe you're new to this blog, or Scrapbooking from the Inside Out in general and you're wondering... "what's it all about?"  Scrapbooking from the Inside Out is more than just a kit club.  Their emotion-based kits encourage a deep self exploration with a theme each month that pushes you to scrapbook about yourself and the things that are important to you.  And on the forum you'll find a warm, welcoming community who share daily triumphs and struggles, and scrapbooking challenges that match that month's theme.  And even if you don't have a kit, you can participate and scrap right along with us.  We'd love to have you!

This month's theme is INDEPENDENCE.  Swing by and check out the inspiring layouts and projects created by the current and newly announced Design Team.  They'll also each be sharing a layout in the rest of this hop!

So make sure you keep on HOPING!  Your next stop is Pamela's blog:  HERE.
And keep going till you hit the Scrapbooking from the Inside Out Blog.  There will be lots to see along the way!  Enjoy!

PASS Premier Tour

Its Monday afternoon and my phone rings.  Its my dear friend, and fellow photographer Marta (of VonGrey Photography) on the line. She has been dealing with a lot of personal trauma lately within her family, so I immediately thought the reason she was calling was bad news.  But instead she says:

Marta: Hey have you heard about this new PASS thing at all?
Me: Yeah.  I saw a bit about it on Gray Photography's Facebook page.
Marta: So they're doing this tour thing for it...
Me: The one that's in Seattle tomorrow?  The one Promise is gonna be at?!!!
Marta: Yup!  And guess what?  I kind of have tickets for half-price.  Would you go with me?  

ARE YOU KIDDING?!!  Um, yeah... I totally went with her!  ;)

There is just something magical that happens in a room full of photographers, and this time in Seattle was no exception.  You feel a connection, an understanding and this excitement pulsing through the room.  We were all so eager to hear from the chosen speakers for the tour and learn about PASS.

At this point you might be wondering, ok sounds great, but what is PASS anyway?  Great question!  And to be honest, before going to the PASS Premier Tour I didn't really have an idea either...but let me tell you.  If you can go (future tour stops and dates HERE) GO!!  In its most basic form, PASS = NO MORE DVD's.  This revolutionary software product is changing how photographers and their clients interact with the final images.  Its about super easy user-friendly storage 'in-the-cloud', sharing between photographers and their clients and then between clients and all their friends and family.  Where before we would spend time creating and shipping a DVD of final images to a client, who would then spend their time trying just to look at, never mind share the images on the DVD, now everything is digital: storing, viewing and sharing.

Super cool, eh?  And super easy.

Just learning about and viewing this new program at work would of been enough.  But no!  The tour is about way more than that.  Its about growing, developing and learning to be even better photographers.

An important part of that is what Promise Tangeman was there to share.  She pretty much has my dream job. She is a graphic designer who specializes in logo/branding creation and SHOWIT website designs.  I have been a fan of hers for awhile and a follower of her blog.  She shared so much wisdom on the subject of branding YOU.  Its so true (especially for people like me just starting out) that sometimes we try to develop our brand or logo even without first truly knowing who we are.  She said that its like creating a cover for a book before we've even written the book.  Her presentation detailed 3 steps: focus (know yourself and your target market), style (embrace your personal style as the "visual" for your business) and confidence (go out there and share what makes you different).

Then she unveiled her brand new e-course all about this topic.  You can read what she wrote about it HERE in her blog post.  Its currently only available to people at the PASS Premier Tour.  And yeah.  I so got one!  I think it will help me for not only my own business, but also for when I'm creating new blog designs for my own customers.  So excited about this!!  And so excited to get to meet her and talk a bit about design and life and necklaces from 31 Bits.  :)

Next up was Zach and Jody, the husband and wife team behind Gray Photography.  Marta introduced me to them a few months ago, and I have learned a ton from them in such a short time.  Their blog is truly a asset for photographers everywhere.  You have to peek at their website just for photographers HERE.  And every Tuesday on their blog they do tips and tricks.  I learn something new every time!

They are all about creating connections and relationships with our clients.  Turing the whole client transaction process into a lasting friendship.  They shared their philosophy which centers around 3 C's: Connect, Court and Continue.  My favorite quote they shared is from Howard Schultz of Starbucks.  He said "We are not in the coffee business serving people, but in the people business serving coffee."  And that's what photography is all about too.  Yeah, pictures might be an integral part of it...but the people are the most important.  So many  words of wisdom from this cute couple.

Thank you so much David Jay!!  You're an inspiration and as asset to the photography community! I enjoyed this experience and know that when I'm ready to take the next step in my business, your company and your services are exactly what I need.

Here is a video that just encapsulates the mood and everything that is the PASS Premier Tour.  Seriously, go if you can!  You won't regret it.

Pass Premier Tour from Showit on Vimeo.

Thank you so much Marta for inviting me to come along with you.  I had a blast!  And I may or may not have eaten a whole plate of olives.  (but that will be our little secret, right?!)

busy week

this has been such a busy week.  this house this is HAPPENING!!  we signed papers yesterday (Tuesday) and get the keys to our new house on Thursday.  And we have been completely packed and ready for like 2 weeks.  I mean literally:  2 forks, 2 spoons and some TP, READY!  lol.  I have pictures to share from along the way this week, but I'm going to do everything in one big post!

for today though, I wanted to share some clips of singers I just loved from the new show The Voice.  Its a cool singing competition with a unique twist... the coaches pick who they want to work with based on voice alone.

here are a couple of my favorites from last night's show.







did you watch it?? who are your favorites??
I'll be back soon with a full "In Search of a Home" post. 
Thanks for all your comments and support!

sponsoring

ever since i finished and published my 52weeks book (a journey of photography and poetry from 2010) i have been looking for ways to share it with more people.  i thought that sponsoring some of my favorite blogs might be just the ticket! 

this month im a sponsor over at kara's blog I Just Might Explode.  she is an inspiration to me in life and in creativity.  she's currently in New York going to art school there.  wow!  what an experience.  on the 15th Kara did a post on her blog called "A Word from our Sponsors" and i love how it turned out and all the answers her sponsor gave. 

the collage i created for her feature

hop on over to read my answer to her question:  Is there a color combination/pattern/trend that has been inspiring you recently? What is it and why?

and don't forget to check out my book.  i'd be honored!  :) 
hope you all have a fabulous weekend!