I know I said I don’t like that consumerism is glorified this month, but… look at this gift guide from Anthology. The pictures alone are gorgeous! I don’t want anything in it but I’ve looked at it multiple times because it’s so beautifully designed.
Here they explain how they shot the cover. Don’t you just love behind-the-scenes explanations?
Really a head to head…
Dear Rose, Dave, Christina, hubby, Aunt Val, Meredith, Lorrie, Erin, Amanda (across the pond), Elizabeth, Holly, Crystal, Janice, Belen, Janice (another one!), Nicole, Joanna, Adrian, Daniel, Mrs. Groves (is that your real name?), Melanie, Marcie, Mom, dkadler (sorry… tell us your name :)), Lori, Brian, Celani, Melanie, Donna, Kelly, Nikki, Rishona, Douniazed, and Talin (who loves chocolate possibly more than I do):
It occurs to me that though you are a small bunch, you Poetic Aperture followers you, you CLEARLY have excellent taste. We are an intimate community of 34 e-mail and WordPress followers, with a few close friends who visit almost every day thrown in the mix. I love you guys!
Joanna told me that she sent one of my posts about clearing clutter to her husband (and she said I helped her!) I love that!
I have reconnected with a friend who gave me what is most likely the best compliment I have ever received:
All I can say is WOW. You know when you have an old friend that you haven’t seen or talked to in a while and then you connect and it turns out they’re this incredibly amazing and talented person who has finally found the way to express themselves – the way they couldn’t back when you knew them but you knew they had it in them? No? Well, I do now.
You are amazing talented and creative and accessible. I am just blown away by… everything.
I am/was the first blog that Nicole subscribed to. A few months ago, she Googled “letting go and making space” because that’s something she was working on at the time, and since that was the exact title of one of my blog posts, she ended up reading and enjoying it. The rest is history. Thanks, Nicole!
We have among us some of my relatives, some of my classmates from The Momoir Project writing courses, some new and some long-time friends, some REALLY awesome photographers, and my sweet hubby (who says he reads it daily to stay ahead of the Naomi curve!)
My peeps, I want you to know that I appreciate and savor every single comment and compliment from you. In anything that I think of undertaking, you friends are definitely part of what pushes me forward. I sense that great things are going to happen in 2012 and I cannot wait to share them all with you!
Love,
31 Questions You Should Be Asking In DecemberWhat do I want in 2012? more time alone for reading and creative pursuits
How did I end up where I am today? [here is me laughing… what a strange question]
Is this really where I want to be? almost – still tweaking things to find the FLOW and PEACE
What three things are the most important to me right now? family, home, taking and editing pictures
What’s holding me back? Good question. For some reason, I wait for the perfect conditions before starting something. I am not doing some new art projects because I haven’t cleaned out the office closet yet. Doesn’t make any sense!
What don’t I believe I can do? Create a reputation/income source from my photography
What am I afraid of? Being average
Has anyone ever tried it this way before? you know, I’d like to take pictures of kids in various places and be able to hand the parent a little card that says “go online in two weeks to see your images.” Maybe they’d buy them if they like them.
What if I say yes? I can invest a lot of time into building this website and publicizing it and it would probably feel good. I know at least two people who would buy my nature prints. So what if they’re related to me? 🙂
What if I say no? then I’ll never know
What is the worst that could happen? true
Do I expect enough out of myself? too much!
Do I expect too much from others? yes
Am I on the right track? yes
Can I choose a different path? yes
How do I define success? I’m seeking some kind of feeling of community I think. Maybe a reputation for excellence within there somewhere.
Am I being too hard on myself? That’s a given
What makes me smile? My daughter. Also things my husband says that cause me to laugh at myself.
How do I envision my life? More calm than it currently is.
Are my goals and dreams big enough? Hmm.
Have I always made the right choices? [laughing again] For the most part, yes.
What is the biggest major change I can make in my life? Since a live-in nanny is not an option, how about “creating every day,” a goal I’ve seen on others’ blogs?
Do I really want success? If I really think about it, I already have success.
Am I too comfortable where I am? no
What do I want to achieve? I’m getting bored with these questions.
How can I make this work? see above
What are my options? see above
How can I stay motivated? see above
Can I make a difference? that’s the key for me.
Is all of this worth it? of course it is.
What am I most thankful for in 2011? Our new home’s peacefulness. Our way of life. I’ve learned many new things in photography through classes and trial/error.
I’d love to know your answers to these questions too, if you feel like sharing.
“The Rothko Chapel is a tranquil space, open to all, that champions human rights and nurtures reverence through the integration of art and spirituality. [It] has two vocations: contemplation and action. It is a place alive with religious ceremonies of all faiths, and where the experience and understanding of all traditions are encouraged and made available. It is one place in our city that is open everyday of the year, free of charge for all people who seek a moment of quiet refuge. It is here for you and countless others to possibly enjoy a moment of deep personal reflection, to be transformed by art or by a lecture or by silence.”
Sort of makes me wonder how I’d never been there! I wasn’t going to pass up the chance to use the free tickets I’d won (from Sara Gish of Gish Picks, to see Sara Hickman, a Texas singer-songwriter I have long loved, on Friday evening. (Turns out my daughter CAN go to sleep with a babysitter!) The concert was in celebration of the Chapel’s 40th anniversary.
The concert was intimate, lovely and fun. Before leading the audience in a sing-along of her final song, “We are All Each Other’s Angels,” which is a song she co-wrote with Chuck Brodsky, Sara whispered to us about the good in each one of us and how joy-filled she finds the world every day. I got goosebumps.
[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OlEe45QWy3k?rel=0&w=480&h=360]
go answer your calling
go and fill somebody’s cup
and if you see an angel falling
won’t you stop and help her up
Sometimes when I express my frustration that I spend my days with 
After working at it for a LONG time and even using my iphone apps (Pulse, Flipbook), I had finally gotten my unread blog posts on Google Reader down to 831. I’d pretty much given up on getting to zero, meaning I’ve caught up and could go forward only reading what is posted that day. I’d even started making it more of a game for myself by reading the blog with the most unread posts first.
I just counted how many blogs I’ve subscribed to via Google Reader. Ready? 128. Yep. Artistic/creative blogs, parenting blogs, photography blogs, Jewish blogs, writing blogs… I’ve thought about listing them all here with links but I’d really rather go get a root canal.
And now Babble has released their Top 100 Mom Blogs of 2011 and I am going to want to follow even more! There are so many clever, useful, insightful women profiled here. Check it out!
