« June 2010 | Main | August 2010 »
{my attempt to capture 52 photos that represent joy - my word for 2010}
while driving home the other day, i noticed a vacant lot that was full of dried grasses. waist-high in height, they were golden and shimmering in the sunlight. it was so unexpected and beautiful.
pure joy.
the pet parade, that is, hosted by the lovely elk. join the fun, won't you!
do you know what the difference is between atlas and a "real" puppy? when i try to take a photo of a puppy, the body is never still. when i try to take a photo of atlas, his head is never still. apparently he has grown immune to my "atlas! atlas! atlas!" because his head almost never turns toward me when i have the camera, as you can see from the photos.
this photo isn't a keeper, but i was having fun finding shapes in the image so i thought i'd offer it up. (you know, like finding shapes in clouds.)
i see a ufo about to land, a fried egg, and two cymbals about to slam together. also an interesting sea creature that i can see in my head but cannot name. oh, and a little green frog. or at least two frog legs. and possibly the darting tongue of a lizard.
what do you see?
i must hug you and squeeze you and kiss your whiskery cheek and smooth down your fur.
why must you grow old when i love you so. (i know, i know - love never dies. but still.)
have i mentioned how much i adore graffiti? it's so colorful. so bold. so vibrant. so creative. so inspiring.
over the past ten-plus years, i've had this idea of creating some sort of photo display for my apartment with my various graffiti photos. one of these years i'd like to get around to actually doing it. (as a side note, there is one problem with liking art and liking simplicity .. there is only so much wall space available to you before it feels like too much.)
did i mention that i am opening an etsy shop next month? i am so very excited about this. in the beginning, i will offer photo cards. later, i will offer other things. i must say that i had no idea how much fun it would be to get things ready for my little shop - i am having way too much fun coming up with names and descriptions.
in my getting ready, i discovered a small dilemma. i want to decide how i want to "package" and send out the cards, but it's hard to decide this without actually having cards to package and send out. happily, this gave me an idea.
i have five or six sets of cards already made. i am offering these sets up early at a special price ($12 a set, free shipping - these sets include five photo cards), so i have something to "practice" on. plus, this will help me pay for my supplies.
if you're interested in purchasing one of the sets, send me an email {it's eahalt [at] mac [dot] com}, and i'll send you a paypal invoice. the sets that are already made are titled {lavender dreams}, {daisy, daisy}, and {yellow roman candles}. (there is a photo of each set in this post; i am guessing that you can tell which is which.) let me know if you have a preference.
{edit to add: i have my card people - yay! thank you so much!}
speaking of making cards .. there are some projects that can have sort of an assembly-line feel, like making more than a few of the same card. (i notice this whenever i make christmas cards.) i am really trying to avoid this for my shop. i want my cards to be infused with nothing but love and delight so that whoever receives them feels it, even if unconsciously. (possibly this is a silly dream, but i like to imagine that it will be so.)
to prevent this, i have created a ritual around my card-making. i thought i'd share it, in case the ritual (or the idea of a ritual) is useful to someone else.
when i make my cards, i do the following:
: i treat myself to something yummy to drink (at the moment, it is lemonade or orange cream soda).
: i play music that makes me feel happy and inspired and full of love (generally "alleluia" by robert gas, kirtan music, or "theme from silk road" or "caravansary" by kitaro).
: i blow a little kiss to each card after i make it.
somehow, my little ritual makes the making-of-the-cards feel special and slightly-out-of-the-ordinary.
{my attempt to capture 52 photos that represent joy - my word for 2010}
ripe, fresh peaches topped with a marscapone custard make a dessert (or breakfast) with the most delicious flavor. i found the recipe in under the tuscan sun (my essential summer read) and had to try it.
and as it turns out, making yourself something that feels slightly decadent makes an ordinary day (and you) feel extra-special.
pure joy.
"I try to apply colors like words that shape poems, like notes that shape music."
- Joan Miro
i did visit a farmers' market last weekend. so glad you asked. hee.
i bought a head of butter lettuce, two cucumbers, and a cinnamon roll. i really just went to eat breakfast and take a few photos.
but on to you .. how's your week going? any fun plans for the weekend?
atlas is a clever dog.
do you see this beach towel? that is my beach towel. apparently my towel is larger and softer than the towel I spread out for him. as soon as mine is on the ground, atlas makes himself at home on it. he looks so cute that i can't ask him to move; instead, i sit on his towel.
there are two glass jars in the cupboard under my bathroom sink. one has cotton balls; i use these to clean atlas' ears. one has q-tips; i use these to clean my ears. when i take the lid off the cotton ball jar, atlas starts looking for a place to hide. when i take the lid off the q-tip jar, he does nothing. i still do not have the foggiest idea how he knows the difference, since he is not in the bathroom with me.
when atlas wants to go in a direction that i don't want him to go (and he's on a leash), he pretends that he's not interested in going that way at all. instead, he pretends that he wants to go in a completely different direction. he meanders around in a sort of faux random fashion until he's heading in the right direction (for him) again. i generally know what's happening, but his maneuvers makes me smile so i like to watch it unfold. when that trick doesn't work, he either stands still and looks at me with big sad eyes, or he lies on the ground and looks at me with big sad eyes. both of those tricks work well too.
