Fly

Fly ~

You can barely see the definition here but I didn't want to interfere too much with the image.

Well folks-I am off tomorrow for a week on the beach with family. I am terribly excited to get some ttv pics using my sister in laws camera:)

Our kids get along fabulously-there is a boardwalk-beach and lots of fun things to play around.

I have been up to a lot this week.

I met with a life coach on the phone and she is just fabulous. I see her more as a business coach but she does help integrate those goals into family life. She was recommended to me by Andrea from Superhero Designs.

Our first session this week was on identifying my values. The exercise was SO enlightening. I am super excited.

After our intro talk last week-I was inspired to take action and was accepted to have my first show of sorts in December. I have to have 30-60 pieces of hangable art. So if any of you experienced folk have tips or recommendations please share your tips in the comments.

I also have two craft fair applications in hand. I am a bit nervous to get my booth set up ready. I will hopefully get some late night time to sketch out ideas while on vacation. I need to figure out what can I put prints in?

So today I have to check out getting a tax id #- need it for fairs.

I will be sending out the gift prints from the suggestion post comments hopefully tomorrow-if you haven't already please send me your address if you were a commenter.

I got this great quote from Wisdom News today-perfect timing as always:)

Paradoxes
"There is a Law of Reversed Effort. The harder we try with the conscious will to do something, the less we shall succeed. Proficiency and the results of proficiency come only to those who have learned the paradoxical art of doing and not doing, or combining relaxation with activity, of letting go as a person in order that the immanent and transcendent Unknown Quantity may take hold. We cannot make ourselves understand; the most we can do is to foster a state of mind, in which understanding may come to us." -Aldous Huxley (1894-1963)

Blue

Blue
Originally uploaded by colorsonmymind

Ok so yes-I am definitely fiddling in PS since my camera is off to the shop for repair.

I am trying to feel this definition instead of the other possibilty when I say I am feeling blue:)

Got sent this today from Wisdom News. I heart Lisa C.

paradoxes
"All cases are unique, and very similar to others."

-T.S. Eliot (1888-1965)

I find this to be true every day of my life. We're each living our individual lives, going about our business, and our families- and when we take time to connect with each other, we find out that so often we're going through the same things! We can relate to each other, because in a way we're living out the same scenarios. It helps to share our experiences, rather than to feel that we're in it alone.

-Lissa Coffey


This is why we blog eh?

i feel an empty space where reading all my favorite blogs resided in my day.

I just can't seem to tear myself away from the flow I am in for my business.
I feel Christmas shoppers on my heels and think it would be a shame not to have my website ready.

I miss you dear blog friends I truly do.
XO

I went to Saratoga Race Track this morning and all I got was this crummy picture


Today was a ROUGH day.

I went to bed last night with the alarm set for 4:30am. so that I could get up and be at my friend Genine's house at 5-to drive together to Saratoga Race Track (about 30 min away) to get some pictures of the horses. We were hoping for a beautiful sunrise / mist in the background shot. I don't know who we were kidding. More on that later.

At 12:00 I was woken by my crazy teenage neighbors having a party. We dealt with that fiasco until 1:30. Then my son was up from the racket-so I had to cuddle him for an hour or so. On top of it the wine we had with dinner at a friends had gone to my head and I felt hung over and cranky at 4:30 this morning.

I got to Genines 15 minutes past 5. Thanks for having hot coffee ready Genine. By the time we got to Saratoga, it was light out even though there was no distinguishable sunrise-at the staggering early hour of 6am.

Then we realized there was no way to get in close enough-unless you had a press pass AND the proper equipment (telephoto wide angle jammy). But we didn't have either. There was a warm up jockey that tried to get us by Mr. Crabby pants the Prefect, but there was no way around him.

So we set up outside a fence and tried to at least get a few shots of the horses getting bathed and waiting to be brought to warm up. Right after the shot above....my battery died.

What a freakin bummer. I didn't want to ruin it for Genine so I tried to grin and bear the torture of being surrounded by some of the most beautiful creatures on earth. Just the sight of them and the idea of photographing them had made me teary, so I wasn't about to ruin it (or at least try not to) for Genine. At least one of us should get a few shots.

Fast forward- they open the track at 7 for warm ups-the sun is shining-the jockeys are bringing the horses close to pose, Genine is snapping away-and am trying my best to pretend I am there to socialize with strangers. I strike up a conversation with a guy sitting on a bench with a nice camera-before I know it I am telling him my mistake-dead battery and he is pulling an extra out of his bag for me to use. I am so excited! Man the universe is really guiding me-life is good I say to myself.......I notice the battery looks a bit mismatched......and what do you know, my camera doesn't turn on. I try to take the battery out-it is stuck. I give it the old hand heel tap and end up using my house key to gently pry it out. I am bummed but oh well. I proceed to watch Genine snap away while I continue to mumbled to myself under my breath about how dumb I was not to check my battery before I left the house.

Genine comes over and offers me to borrow her battery to take a few shots. I must have looked pretty gloomy pacing around:) Poor Genine. Sorry honey buns.

Anyway...........I put the battery in and....................nothing...............NOTHING...............MY CAMERA IS NOT TURNING ON...................OMFG.............I BROKE MY CAMERA!

Sorry to be shouting I just needed to to get the enormity of my angst in those moments across to you.

So that just blew my whole morning to shreds. I start blubbering- tears falling-I get on the phone to my husband
Me: ".....sniff sniff.....can look it up for me online? (I can't bear to have to wait to get home to know if I should have a complete freaking , omg, I broke my one and only, $700 camera spaz attack)"
Him: "...what do you want me to look up?"
Me: (I am thinking - I don't know you freakin computer geek-get over being annoyed with me and FIND OUT IF MY FU^&Ing CAMERA IS BROKEN!) ".pause...I don't know, maybe:" camera not working after trying to cop a strangers extra battery?"

He had no answers I had no patience so we got off the phone. I had no idea how to compose that previous mess of a sentence).

I went back to the stranger blubbering about breaking my camera and asking if I could see the batteries to write down what kind it was (the toxic breaking camera kind apparently). He gave me the batteries with a look that I couldn't tell if it was like a serial killers or true compassion. I chose compassion-thanked him and took the battery.

A bit later Genine decides that she isn't getting the sunrise with mist shot-nor a shot where the horse is not blurry or dark because of the sun shining so bright so we decide to call the shoot short so to speak.

I am in the car with Genine-I say"there must be a reason for this"....trying to look on the happy side, if that is even remotely possible when I just broke my fu*^ing camera. Genine clues right in and starts Secret talking...."Listen-you are going to get an answer with one phone call and that will be it. You will get it fixed." I was pleased to have these simple words sink in with ease. I just accepted that was the way it would happen and it did.

My camera is wrapped up nicely ready to be shipped first thing Monaday morning to Canon. It is still under warrenty so we hope the repairs will be covered.

Apparently you should never ever ever put a battery in your DSL camera unless you are absolutely sure it is the right model battery. It will break your camera. The "friendly canon representative" told me that since the camera never went on with that battery it probably is a simple fix that should only take a day or two. But if it is a big boo boo it might take 7-10 days.

May I ask you......WTF am I going to do without a camera for that long? I swear I am tempted to pull out my moms old polaroid and use that when the moment strikes me. All day I realized that I am constantly looking for pictures in my surroundings. I think my camera is like a drug:) LOL.

Now I have not forgotten the little challenge I set up last post. I loved all the ideas-you are a creative bunch:) I must admit I was impatient and felt this huge urge to just get it over with 3 days ago during my son's nap. I decided to go with the easiest- 3 colored pieces of paper in the same tones. BORING I know but I couldn't wait for grass to grow! And thank goodness - maybe the universe was on my side after all, making me take the photos last week. It must have been clear I would be without my camera for a bit.

I have some ideas about the lesson in this....I will share on my next post.

Most importantly....... the prize goes to..........




all of you! AHA. I just couldn't pick one idea so anyone who has posted an idea before 7:52pm EST on Aug 18th can pick a picture from flickr or my store and I will send you a card with a print on it as a thank you. Don't forget you have to email me your name and address-except sarah and Melissa-I know where you guys live:)

Get ready
Originally uploaded by colorsonmymind

Lovely birds-I just can't seem to get enough of them lately.

Just a thank you for the ideas from the last post. I will decide by Friday and then announce the winner:)

Sometimes the simpliest things are tough to do

I don't feel like bathing today....hmfff
Originally uploaded by colorsonmymind

I took this photo Monday morning at the farm stand across the street. They are sitting on a rusty pipe that is part of the sprinkler system by the greenhouse.

These little birds have so much personality.

Yesterday was a pretty productive day. I signed up for a domain name www.monachdesigns.net at lycos.com. I am excited, and a bit apprehensive to start working on the website. I just keep plodding along:)

I am pretty intimidated by writing, so I have been procrastinating writing a profile for etsy. I finally started working on it the past two days. It is still a work in progress but I am excited that I got it started.

A few people wanted to see pics of my newly organized studio. I have to admit-it isn't very pretty-it is just functional. I have a ton of prints I want to fame and put on teh walls, but I haven't gotten to it yet. I will post some pics of my space soon.

I have a contest for you-the prize is one print of any of my photographs on flickr.

I need a good idea for a consistent background to use to photograph my pendants. It needs to be simple and not distracting yet interesting. So give me your ideas-the most specific, interesting one will win.

What is Kirtan?

Last night I met my friend Sarah invited me along to an event at the Yoga Loft in Delmar NY. She had asked me to go with her-but to be frank-I sort of forgot what she said it was-probably because I didn't recognize the name "Kirtan" when she did mention it.

I told you about the feelings I had yesterday-well they stuck with me all day so I decided getting out with a friend would be good-no matter what it was for (hey what could be bad at a yoga loft?)

For those of you who also don't know what Kirtan is:
one of the pillars of Sikhism and in that context refers to the singing of the sacred hymns from the Guru Granth Sahib to set music normally in classical Raags format. The Sikhs place huge value on this type of singing and a Sikh is duty bound to listen and/or sing Guru-Kirtan as frequently as possible.

The Music traditionally has been Indian Classical Music, which is based on Ragas and taal (rhythmic beat patterns). Traditionally the Indian musical instruments the Harmonium and Tabla were used for this type of music. The Sikh Scripture contain 31 Ragas and 17 talas which form the basis for Kirtan music compositions.

While most Hindus and Sikhs devoutly sing Kirtan in its more traditional form, there are smaller groups that experiment with incorporation of non-Indian instruments like the guitar and interspersing Western themes like jazz into the fold.

(oh gosh I sure hope my inlaws aren't reading this-they would surely think this was strange:)

Kirtan isn't strange to me-in a way it reminded me of many of the meditation groups I went to with my mom as a child-and of the ashram we visited in India when I was 9.

Anyway-what a powerful experience it was. It made me want to join a choir. Do you think that is a leap-Kirtan-to choir? Well....I always sang in Choir and I think a choir would be easier to find than a Kirtan group.:)

Anyway-The sing and response format was great-the drums were powerful-the singing was melodic, fairylike, and downright comforting.

I swear I felt something attuned to my chakras aligning as I chanted along-mumbling the words I didn't know:)

Here is a sample-the link should bring you to DavidNewmanMusic There is a small window bottom left-I think #4 was the most powerful for me. I must admit that when I saw the name on the sheet before we started singing it-I thought of bouncing bald Hare Krishnas in the airport and then myself amongst them and it made me smile a bit. Once we started and the crecendo began-I couldn't help but dance on my mat and sing as loud as possible.

When Sarah and I said goodnight we both had hoarse voices:)

Oh and yesterday I decided to make a small remember to dance pendant. I made an extra one in case anyone is also in need of a reminder-I have put it up on my storeMonarch.

It reads in small writing: "Dance, Clap , and Jiggle as if all your dreams have already come true" This picture of a monarch caterpillar looks like he is dancing-doesn't it?

Scared

My son is napping-my husband is hanging out with a friend. My studio is relatively organized-and here I sit to work and a creeping fear rises in my chest.

Can I really do this? Who do I think I am? I can't be successful at this I am not good enough.

So I decided to come her and let you know I have moments like these.

I am going to close my eyes and imagine how it feels to have all the things I want

I am going to write a list starting with: I am so happy and grateful now that......

I am going to make myself dance, clap and jiggle my dreams to reality.

Dream

Yesterday I went with 2 friends to prepare 12 different dinners at Dreamdinners(it is a franchise all over the country). I got to seperate each recipe into 2-3 portion meals. That means I have 24 meals for dinner this month for about $50 a week.

I am super excited as dinner time is usually when my son needs a lot of attention-the dinners are made with low fat ingredients-and my husband who is a picky eater will hopefully like the recipes.

All I will need to do is make a side vegetable and sometimes a simple starch. My hope is that it will free up brain space for the other more important things in my life right now.

It is all about the simple life:)

Fly ladies ~ Declutter

Yes I am a bit of a subscriber.LOL.

The article below was in my flyladymentors@yahoogorups.com newsletter. I have been deleting these newsletters for months-never unsubscribed just deleted. Guess I somehow sensed one day I could use the tips.

The article is perfect for right now because I just successfully organized my studio for better workflow but here is the catch. I realized that I had to move all the big stuff before I could clear out all the junk-or stuffthat I am not using.

Which was really smart because now when I walk into my studio it looks relatively neat and definitely has a better work area flow. I mean I had items for certain tasks in all corners of the room-when I had multiple orders the room was complete chaos and I would have the damnest time finding things, which added a lot of time to tasks.

Now this plan below is perfect for me to start decluttering all the boxes, file cabinets and drawers I shoved all the stuff into:)

I have been sending out emails with questions to you fabulous business women in blogland. I want to thank you so much for your replies!

If anyone reading this has a question about how I have done something let me know. I would love to pass along any helpful tips I can.

Posts to come:
Getting myself a website
Getting my logo and a postcard flyer for the portrait photographers I work with for custom orders.

Surprise Challenge: Declutter 101 - Refresher Course
Posted by: "KELLY" http://by138fd.bay138.hotmail.msn.com/cgi-bin/compose?mailto=1&msg=B4ED39B9-8743-4921-BCF1-A6D69702633F&start=0&len=67434&src=&type=x&to=flyladykelly@flylady.net&cc=&bcc=&subject=sheflygirl
Thu Aug 9, 2007 12:39 pm (PST)
Dear Friends,It is Surprise Challenge time, we are revving up the de-cluttering!Before you read further make sure you understand that we are doingthis in BabySteps. We are not tearing the house apart and thencollapsing in exhaustion. Below are the instructions on how to Declutter - these are step bystep instructions that will allow you to begin de-cluttering withoutbecoming overwhelmed.This is how to Declutter your home, an area of your home. If you arenew to de-cluttering then start with a room that you most see theneed. This could be your living room, your dining room or yourkitchen. Work on the main living areas of your home first. The roomsthat you use the most often that are keeping you in CHAOS. (Can't HaveAnyone Over Syndrome)You will need garbage bags, 3 boxes, a timer, magic markers, a featherduster or dust rag, and some extra boxesLabel the boxes Give Away, Throw Away, and Put Away Where to start:1. Set the timer for 1 hour,30, 15, or 10 minutes , I don't care just as long as you do the job as fast as you can and do not pull out more than you can put a way in that length of time. This means one drawer, one closet or even one shelf in the closet, one magazine rack at a time, under the furniture. Not all of them.2. Start at the entrance to the room. Work your way around the room clockwise. Do not skip an area. What ever happens to be next, just do it.3. With boxes at your feet and dust rag in your waist band. Start of clean out and get rid of the thing that do not belong in this room. Don't worry that you do not have a place for everything right now. By the time we finish you will. I promise. 4. When your garbage box, lined with a garbage bag gets full, close it and put it in the trash can or the pickup truck or where ever you keep your trash. Put in a new garbage bag and keep going until the timer goes off.5. When the give-away box gets full, take it to the car and so that the next time you are out you can donate to the area thrift shop. Do not save for a yard sale. You will be blessed by giving it away. The value can be deducted on you income taxes. Remember you are trying to get rid of clutter. Not relocate it somewhere else in your home. Grab another box. And get to work.6. When the put away box gets full, take the box in your arms and run around the house and put the items in the room where they belong. If they have a place, put them there, if not put them in the room where they logically belong. By the time you have finished you will have a place for everything and everything will be in it's place.7. If the timer goes off, You are required to put away all the boxes, but first you have to empty all of them. As fast as you can.8. Decide how often you are going to declutter a section of this room. I want you to do a little every day. Let me warn you. This can become compulsive. Once you get started you will want to clean like a banshee. Don't burn yourself out. I mean it. Only do small amount at a time. When you set the timer you can only do 2 sessions at a time. I know this is a goal that seems unattainable. But we will do it in little pieces. 9. Things to Ask yourself as you get rid of your clutter. Do you love the item? Is it garbage? Have I used it in a year? Do I have another one that is better? Does it have sentimental value that causes me to love it. Or does it give you guilt and make you sad when you see the item. Cleanse this room of everything that does not make you SMILE. 10. Sing this song. "Please release me let me go" as sung from the stuff point of view. It needs to be loved by someone and if you don't love it. GET RID OF IT!11. Be proud of your accomplishment! Do not look at the room and seeall that you have left to do. Look at the room and see how much youdid do. The house did not get messy overnight and it will not getclean overnight. It will happen with BabySteps.
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New do

Just got my hair cut today. I love having shorter hair:)

"Very often, Thea, when tides start turning, great gears begin shifting, and gusting winds start blowing at the onset of a really wonderful dream's alignment with your present life, there is commotion, unpredictability, even turmoil.
So, hey, let's always assume that's the case whenever you experience commotion, unpredictability, even turmoil. K?
Whhh-hhh-hh-h-h-h-ish-
The Universe from tut.com

Independence
"The greatest thing in the world is to know how to belong to oneself." -Montaigne (1533-1592)
Independence could also be called self-reliance, or self-sufficiency. We must know that we are each whole and complete. We can count on ourselves, we belong to ourselves." -Lissa Coffey from Wisdom news

These are really relavant to me right now because my attention is shifting from avaoiding in some ways my own business challenges by focusing on others.

Do you ever notice you can do that? Focus on the details of someone else instead of the seemingly more challenging things directly in line with creating the life you want?

I have done this often in my relationships.

I emailed Andrea from Superhero designs the other day about life coaching. I thought maybe it would be easier if someone guided me through this business stuff. Then I realized that I can do it for myself if I honor myself with the attention.

So while at my inlaws I wrote lists upon lists of what I want my life to look like. What steps I do in my studio and how I can reorganize it to be more efficient. I went to Walmart and bought some needed organizational items.

I have talked about the paperwork-and had convinced myself I need to learn excel to be able to record things properly. This makes the job so much more challenging since I do not know excel.LOL. So yesterday I bought a sales order book and columnar book-I can start there right?

I have found some really great square frames that fit my 8x8 ttv photos perfectly and also some 11x14" museum quality mats for 5x5 photos. They really look great. I will be offering both of these in the near future on Monarch (my etsy) .

Ok the littel one is up gotta run.....

Carousel

Don't run away
Let the lion in your heart give you the courage to face life's challenges
for at the same time you will be welcoming fun
and some of the sweetest experiences you could imagine

My mother loved Carousels. So much so that she would have us drive to distant towns so she could ride on one. I will always remember her flowing dark curls as the horse would carry her into deep hearts of laughter.

I saw this traveling small carnival behind the mall went I went shopping this week-here at my in-laws. I decided I would go back one evening to see if I could photograph the carousel.

I have written before about the connection monarch butterflies hold to me in relation to my mom. It is the reason my store is named Monarch.

I have felt my mom a lot this past week - having the cance to photograph monarch butterflies and a Carousel. It has been really nice:)

Intuition

fairy pink for sale on Monarch


Got this this morning ~ perfect timing


"I go by instinct… I don't worry about experience." -Barbra Streisand

"This is such a powerful concept. Look at how this relates to the work community. One resume may be loaded with experience, while another has just the bare bones. Is that more important than the impression the job candidate makes in the interview? When we meet someone face to face we get a "feel" for how we can relate to that person, how we would like to be around that person every day in the work environment. These are the kinds of things that can't be put down on paper, we have to use our instincts."

-Lissa Coffey

I took these pictures of the monarch butterflies up at my husbands cousins house. I am so excited to plant tons of these flowers next year. The monarch's seem to love them.

I sat for at least an hour on the boulder in the middle of their butterfly garden, following the butterflies around...trying different angles. I truly was in heaven. I absolutely love Monarch butterflies. They mean so much to me....for so many reasons....this is why I chose Monarch as the name for my business.

I have been so moved lately when taking pictures. So moved that I often find myself tearing up from the near explosive joy and excitement it brings me. Photography is such a fabulous passion.

While talking to some friends lately about the stress of the business side of things...they have reminded me to focus on loving it....just keep feeling the joy behind it....because that is the driving force to success.

I just wanted to share some of the bliss I am feeling at the moment as I edit a few pics.