Be our guest...

...be our guest

Are you on the "One Word" bandwagon?

I'm humbled but so excited to have been asked to guest post over on 

FocusingOnLife

writing about that very thing and would love for you to visit me there.

If you are considering choosing a word for 2015 and going my route wearing jewelry, I found my ring HERE
Sandra is a great ETSY shop owner, quick to respond and ship out your order.

Dear 2014,
Thank you for hearing my pleas for a quiet "breathable" year. You allowed time and space for my heart and soul to mourn, mend and heal. I feel it was time well spent and I am so ready to move forward.
To my blogging buddies who put up with my absences and yet still come 'round to hang out with me here, thank you...truly...You constantly amaze and inspire me to push forward with your words and photos. I wish only happiness and growth in the coming year for each of you. (big puffy heart)

Happy (one word) snapping

xo
Kelly

And just like a Lens baby blur...

...it's almost a new year

I for one never know where my year goes & I always remember my dad saying, "the older you get the faster time flies." But when your young, who thinks about that? I just gave my dad an obligatory nod and "ok dad" kind of smile and ran off to play...certainly not paying any mind to what I'd just heard. But here I am, recalling what I always heard. 

Today's photos were inspired simply by standing in line waiting to check out at Michaels and thumbing through this book PHOTOCRAFT

I stepped out of line to actually look at the whole book. I've got a Lens Baby composer tucked away, forever going back and forth to sell it or not. It's a completely different style of photography but I think I'm going to hang on to it, bring it out more often, play and experiment.

It's a little late in the day, but I'm playing over at Kim Klassen's today for Texture Tuesday.

I used her "Aurora" texture, linear burn @50%. I added Florabella's "waterlily, Modern Color, and Retro Lollipop all at very low opacities. Are YOU ready for the New Year? Are you on the "one word" band wagon? Hope you'll stop by tomorrow as I'm guest blogging over at FocusingOnLife

talking about that very thing.

Until then, 

Happy (blur) shooting!

xo

Kelly

From the cutting room...

...floor

So, hmmmm, I've been on a blog-hiatus. No excuses-but I think part of the reason is, I don't have a permanent space for my laptop. If I want to blog I have go, schlep my computer to the dining room table, plug it in, turn it on, wait...blah blah blah. I miss being here, I always do & am working on fixing this little problem. In the meantime, Here are some items that just never made it to the blog,
until now!

Back in Sept. we had to say good bye to a beautiful pine tree that provided shade and perches for the neighborhood crows, scrubs and owls. Drought ridden and beetle infested like so many others in the area.

We're hoping to get lots of rain this winter.

Back in Oct. I found a lone critter and released a beautiful female into the world.

Also in Oct, Frankie flew with a first officer who's son, Alex, loves trains and works for this guy...
Conductor Bill.

Bill owns a vintage 1940's train and pays Amtrak to pull his car from Union Station up to Santa Barbara. Period music and mimosa's greet you as you step up and back in time. A beautiful breakfast buffet is set up with homestyle food prepared in the train's original kitchen. You are wined and dined for the scenic 2 1/2 hr. ride. Once in Santa Barbara, we went wine tasting, enjoyed lunch and roamed for hours breathing in the fresh air of the ocean town.The ride home was a welcomed relief as it was one of the hottest days in SB-more wine and & homemade sliced trip tip, mashed potatoes and veges were served on china. Home made apple crisp rounded out our dinner.

As soon as we got back to Union Station, we headed off to the Staples Center to see Sir Elton in concert.

Useless fact #27-this was my first concert! Not a bad way to start huh?
The holidays have come and gone and I trust you all had a beautiful time with family and friends.
I'm thrilled to share with you all that I will be guest posting over on FocusingOnLife
in the VERY near future and hope you'll join me there. Details to follow soon.
That pretty much cleans up my vault. Phew...does that feel good!
I'll see you real soon...promise!
Happy (cleaning up) snapping!
xo
Kelly

Grateful for my place...

...in this life

I've spent the last week receiving  Michelle's thought provoking e-mails on gratitude and shared my purposeful gratefulness on IG. You just had to "show up with an open heart" & either in solitude or in community share what you are grateful for.

 This week I was most grateful for my surgeon's hands and modern medicine, for hero veterans, my dad & Frankie who served our country with honor, for TIME-the healer of all wounds, the color yellow, and for my 2014 word BREATH. 

Today, I'm grateful for my place in this life.

I am but one person wrapped tightly in many parts.

For all my roles:: as wife-my favorite,  as mother-that adjusts, shifts and morphs as we speak, as daughter-that has been re-defined, as sister-that was lost and re-ignited, as teacher, artist,

 monarch farmer, surrogate cat owner, photographer, woman, niece, friend, and blogger. 

For flaws, imperfections, the ability to laugh at myself, for optimism and hope...

...to each of these I am truly blessed and grateful for...with all of my heart.

I'd love to hear what you are giving thanks and grateful for.

Happy (grateful heart) snapping!

xo

Kelly

Hello...

...November

(even though we're 3 days in!)

As I was perusing through many of your blogs admiring the gorgeous colors adorning the screen as you welcome November, I found myself grumbling under my breath wishing for something we just don't have here in California...FALL. I can post photos to welcome any of the "4" seasons and they would all look the same. You can't tell winter from spring around here. I know...it's crazy. Most people would love to not have to deal with leaves falling and soon snow shoveling. 

I don't necessarily miss the snow...but the leaves....

...oh how I miss the annual wardrobe change Mother Nature displays for many of you. 

I'm whining...I know. I'm trying not to, really I am. 

I realize how absurd my thinking is so I'm making it my mission this month to be kinder and gentler to the season we've been gifted instead of wasting time wishing on something that isn't there. I'm going to "show up" in the here and now and be grateful. I think it's what our heart is feeling & and not so much what the weather is saying. 

So here's to ever green and palm trees and wearing sandals instead of boots, tank tops instead of scarves and drinking Frappuccino's a little longer instead of hot lattes. 

Happy (showing up) snapping!

xo

Kelly

Seasons of...

...change

I'm not sure what keeps me away from this space for long periods at a time. Maybe it's symbiotic with the transition of life I seem to be going through. I don't know, lately, I'm finding myself "in between" everything...

My brain feels foggy most of the time. I'm pretty sure a lot of it has to do with my mom's one year anniversary coming up. Coupled with the big "M" looming over head and not exactly going as swimmingly as I'd hope. I'm feeling very much like a trail blazer going through my change of life- mostly for my daughter, Jamie so she doesn't have to feel like I do. I'm gathering what little family history has been shared & passed down. Which is very little since my mom and grandmother are both gone and were from a different era that just kept quiet about such things. I've thought about renaming this space to "The Menopause Files" but then I think that's probably too much information! So for now,    with a lot of xo from Frankie, family and friends, my foggy brain will muddle through the big "M" with as much dignity, class, and beauty as I can muster.

Meanwhile, I'm sharing over at Kim's today and my Friday finds. 

I have a love affair with anything old and it seems to be scissors lately.

Found these on Etsy-and they actually work. I'm looking for an old pair of Chinese scissors that look very similar to these. Both photos are from my iphone which I rely on almost on a daily basis.

 I think it's my sanity. I've been using darker tones lately too. Seems to fit the darker mornings and the sun setting earlier...which I don't really mind. Summer is rolling up her carpet to make way for Fall's beauty...You know...

Seasons of change.

Happy (trailblazing) snapping!

xo

Kelly

Finding joy...

...in the everyday

Yesterday was hard. The calendar rolled over from September to October. I'm keenly aware of the days ahead. Dread? Relief? Gratitude? Yes to all 3.  It's coming up on the 1st anniversary of my mom's passing. It's not going to be an ordinary day~it's on a Wednesday. I've relived that day and the days leading up to my mom's death hundreds of times throughout the year. Will it be any different on THAT day? I'm not sure. I am however relieved the year of "firsts" is over...You know~the 1st time you want to text or call her, her birthday, or wishing her Merry Christmas. I'm hoping those 1sts will be slightly easier to endure in the coming year. I'm so grateful for the love and support I've received over the year to help guide me through the tearful days.

So? How does one go about finding joy in the everyday when some days can be all consuming with other thoughts not so joyous? 

For me it's simple...

...I just do... 

 I wake up everyday & make a very conscious choice to make the day as worth while and as good as I humanly can-no matter what is rattling up in my head. I open my heart for awareness of even the tiniest gifts the day has to offer that can uplift my spirits.

I just do

And so, I thought about doing a daily post in Oct. to share my everyday gift-but that's just asking for an epic fail. ( I know myself TOO well!) 

I decided instead to keep a list and pop them in at the end of a post. 

That's much more doable.

My everyday gifts: 

10/1: helping a struggling student actually enjoy a concept in math he didn't understand.

10/2: being here today and writing through my grief process

Happy (finding YOUR everyday gift) snapping!

xo

Kelly

Sharing over at
Kim's Little by Little