She Is Three

by Jennifer | May 21, 2013

She celebrated ~ Jennifer

“She celebrated the gifts of spring.” ~Jennifer

For months, I felt like spring would never come. The darkness of winter persisted, as did my morning sickness. March and April came and went, but the skies remained cold and dark.

So did I.

Then May arrived.

I’m not sure if it was the sun finally shining, the flowers blooming, or my hormones beginning to stabilize, but I started to feel some relief at last. I figured it was high time to pull out the pearls and celebrate a little!

Sometimes I can’t see all the goodness that is right in front of me. That’s one of the reasons I love photography so much: it gets me out of my head. Photography grounds me and brings me back to the present. There truly is so much to celebrate when I stop and appreciate the beauty around me.

Whether it’s enjoying a cup of tea, a bouquet of flowers, a quiet moment in the garden, or some other simple pleasure, I hope you find a way to celebrate today.

4 Comments

Filed under Jennifer, She celebrated

by Vivienne | May 14, 2013

She Celebrated ~ Vivienne

“She celebrated joy each and every day.” ~Vivienne

I’ve shared a bit of the story here before, of how I found my way back to happiness from a rough patch and on the way found myself again.

When I thought about what I wanted to shoot for this month’s triptych I immediately realized that I wanted to celebrate the every day and the effort it takes to keep thriving, to keep in that ‘happy place’. Years back when I first read the book Eat Pray Love by Elizabeth Gilbert, this was one of the quotes in the book that struck me the most:

“Happiness is the consequence of personal effort. You fight for it, strive for it, insist upon it, and sometimes even travel around the world looking for it. You have to participate relentlessly in the manifestations of your own blessings. And once you have achieved a state of happiness, you must never become lax about maintaining it. You must make a mighty effort to keep swimming upward into that happiness forever, to stay afloat on top of it.”

So today I wanted to celebrate how our camera can be an amazing tool for swimming upwards and staying afloat. It has been for me. Those photo walks I take aren’t just for blog post content or to have cool shots to post on Instagram.

They are sustenance, they are to refuel, they are to gift myself with simple moments of savouring life and help me truly celebrate the everyday through my camera.

5 Comments

Filed under She celebrated, Uncategorized, Vivienne

by She Is Three | May 7, 2013

She celebrated

Pictured from left to right:

“She celebrated joy each and every day.” ~Vivienne
“She celebrated the gifts of spring.” ~Jennifer
“She celebrated herself knowing she made brave and wild choices to live the creative life.” ~Deb

3 Comments

Filed under She celebrated, Triptych

by Deb | April 28, 2013

She held on ~ Deb

“She held on to her heart and followed it where dreams come true.” ~Deb

This will be short and simple.

Follow your heart. Because dreams come true when you do.

So far, in my life, whenever I followed my heart, (for the most part) my dream came true.

Even when it was not the way I wanted it to be, and it broke my heart and shattered my dream…
I realized the opportunity to heal and build a brand new dream.

I trust my heart.

And finally once again my dreams are coming true.
Real life.
Real time.

~ This photo was taken in Texas last month where I finally let go of my dreams that actually came true.
Now that I have sold my home there and have returned to Florida, I am listening to my heart and building new dreams~

10 Comments

Filed under Deb, She held on

by Jennifer | April 21, 2013

She held on ~ Jennifer

“She held on to the new life inside her.” ~Jennifer

I’ve been holding on to a big secret. I didn’t particularly want to conceal anything, but I felt like I needed to. That got me thinking: why do people feel compelled to hide important news or essential parts of themselves? What makes us want to keep something secret? For me, the reason typically boils down to either fear or protection. I worry that something I love will be taken away from me. Or, I get scared that sharing my good fortune will hurt someone else…perhaps even cause jealousy. I haven’t made these scenarios up; they’ve happened to me in the past. Keeping this in mind, I’m showing up here today to reveal some beautiful news: I’m pregnant!

In January, I approached the new year ready to create. (That basket of fruit in my hand was no coincidence). In February, I envisioned a positive outcome. In March, I aspired to look life in the eye (even though I wanted to bury my head in a pillow). I can finally admit that hormones and morning sickness were making everyday life seem overwhelming at that point. Now, in April, I’m happy to announce that what I’m holding on to is a precious new life. I’m currently in my second trimester, due to deliver in October.

Pregnancy is a miracle. It’s also a wake-up call, summoning an even greater need for self-care. I’m trying to be gentle with myself both physically and emotionally. I’m listening to my body and doing what it asks. I’m also becoming a bit more conscious of ways I’ve been hiding the goodness in my life. I want to cultivate the courage to share it with others. Above all, I want to be an example so my children grow up and shine, rather than dim their own light.

5 Comments

Filed under Jennifer, She held on

by Vivienne | April 14, 2013

She held on ~ Vivienne

“She held on to her quest to seek beauty around her, because this search never failed her.” ~Vivienne

It began there, with the simple search for beauty around me.

Flower petals, snails, patterns, rays of light.

Just looking for things that would wake up my joy.

It seemed like a logical quest to get a girl out of a depression.

And it was far more than that.

It was indeed a lifeline to finding joy again.

But it helped me not just see the beauty around me, but the beauty within me.

And it still does.

Maybe even especially on those days when I forget to.

Whether it is pouring rain or the last thing I feel like doing is noticing the beauty around me, it is always there.

Awaiting our wide eyes and waking us up to wonder.

2 Comments

Filed under Uncategorized

by She Is Three | April 7, 2013

She held on

Pictured from left to right:

“She held on to her quest to seek beauty around her, because this search never failed her.” ~Vivienne
“She held on to the new life inside her.” ~Jennifer
“She held on to her heart and followed it where dreams come true.” ~Deb

She aspired to ~ Deb

“She aspired to soar on the wings of her new dreams.” ~Deb

This is my year.
It started off with a very loud, disturbing bang.
Now the dust has settled and I am sinking back into my own calm and peace of mind.

This is my year.
Yes, I’ve had many. 55 to be exact!
But this one is full of brand new beginnings. Higher hopes. Larger dreams. Deeper meaning.

This is my year.
I am declaring it out loud.
I will host Women’s Art Retreats, Playdates and Workshops again.
I will also travel to attend them to nurture and feed my own creative Soul.

I say this out loud three times to you.
I write from my heart to you.
I crack it wide open up and share with you.
This. Is. My. Year.
I own it. I am standing in my space. I will show up and be accountable.
I trust my truth.
You can witness my declaration here.

3 Comments

Filed under Deb, She aspired to

by Jennifer | March 21, 2013

She aspired to ~ Jennifer

“She aspired to look life in the eye.” ~Jennifer

Sometimes life gets messy and complicated. Paperwork piles up. Machines break down. Projects get delayed. The sky clouds over for what seems like an eternity. It’s during these times…particularly the cold and dark months…that I get bogged down. Some of it is cabin fever. Some of it is normal everyday life. And some of it is my own bleeping fault. I get stuck in a rut and spin my wheels to no avail.

Here’s the good news: everything has a way of working out. It’s corny but true. Life is cyclical, just like the seasons. Spring is officially here, and soon the weather will get warmer and sunnier. Now for the best news of all: I have the power to effect positive change, and so do you! We just have to put one foot in front of the other and look life in the eye. Burying our heads in the sand (or in my case, the snow) does no good. Now more than ever, I’m finding that writing things down helps me get swirling thoughts out of my head and onto a surface where I can wrangle them into shape. So, I’m making my to-do list and crossing items off one by one. Avoidance can be tempting, but it isn’t the answer. That’s why I’m aspiring to look life in the eye and move forward, step by step.

4 Comments

Filed under Jennifer, She aspired to

by Vivienne | March 14, 2013