Grateful

"Let us be grateful to people who make us happy. They are the charming gardeners who make our souls blossom." I must start with a picture of this amazing person that graces my blog often. Willow is one of those "charming gardeners" in my life that more like Miracle Grow:) She started an incredible network of fantabulous photographers called Tacoma Click Chicks. I have been dragging my feet for quite a while on getting a class together over the last year. Well, Willow finally convinced me to try my content on her happy little group. I know I always say this, but MAN did this trip ever rock my soul! Could you imagine getting up in front of the most supportive group of women and talking about your passion for hours. There is nothing better than that:) So thank you Willow (and Click Chicks) for helping me find the courage to share my story and my perspective.
Thank you to these beautiful women for being my Miracle Grow of the month. You shared your hearts and passion and together it made for the perfect mixture for creative bliss.
Thanks Kenz for the shot that will always flood my heart with the memories of the day. Also, thank you for always opening your home to me and the Carlisle Clan. Thank you for being my biggest fan for a day. I loved having you by my side in the form of courage. The kind of courage that only the best friendships can give you:)That's more like it. A picture reflecting exactly what we all experienced by taking a moment out our month to go beneath the surface and focus on our common thread...PASSION. Take in the joy from all these amazing smiles! Take it in. Let it seep into your pores and drip into your heart all day.I got into everyone's grill to see how they did if they just didn't care. If for one moment it was just me in front of them, wanting to remember their faces. We couldn't have eaten at a more perfect location for lunch. This is exactly how I felt after such a wonderful day!I know you looked right at that beautiful smile in this picture. I just met her that fateful day and she surprised Amy and I with a lunch on her. I don't think I have ever had anyone do this for me. This amazing person is Jenny Wohrle.And you know and LOVE this face! Usually I play the role of her biggest fan as she ignites souls all around her with her music. Well, for this one day, she became my biggest supporter and travelled up with me to share this day of growth because Jake stayed behind with the kids. I can't even put into words how much this day impacted my life and I will continue to share my story and my journey in hopes that it brings as much joy and perspective as these kind of days bring to me. There was even more perfectness to this day when I got to bring Amy up to my sister's newly remodelled, beautiful home, and introduce her to my parents. I have pictures for another post about that:) Thank you Jake for holding my hand on this quest and for always believing in me. Thank you for continuing to cultivate that safe place for me to continue to find my growth. Without you, I my garden would have never been started. Together we grow, quite possibly, the most beautiful garden on earth;)

Whitebox Weekend

When my friend Darcie, asked me to go on a weekend retreat with the girls of the Whitebox team, I jumped at the chance. I have always respected their humbled way of honoring each other within their business and their refreshing outlook. The weekend was set up as a beach get away and an inspiration jolt. Many times we are going to workshops of photographers that we respect just to get a glimpse of a possible secret that sets them apart. For me, I have only been to one workshop and it was enough to rock my world and reassured me that I have to be conscious of staying on my own path. If you are going into workshops looking for all the answers, I dare to say you will come out more confused. You will be so excited to try EVERYTHING that the other photographer is doing and at some point get overwhelmed because it is not the right pace for your own path. I am not saying that all workshops or mentoring is bad...I just think we need to be more honest with ourselves of why we are going in the first place. I went on this weekend trip to be inspired...to connect with new lives...to admire and learn from others paths...and that is just what I got and more. The bonus was that my dear friend, Cindy planned a trip to visit me and it fell on this same weekend.
I can sum up the time that I spent with these wonderful ladies in one word....HYSTERICAL!This was a little project that we all wanted to test out....you take a picture straight on and copy one side of the face and flip it so it matches up with the other side. So you end up with 2 left sides or two right sides. We aren't sure why it turned out the way it did. Cindy would like to think that the uglier it turns out, the more beautiful your soul;) It was the most hysterical moment ever. Go check out some of the other girls blogs to get more.Heather Boyles...we took pictures of her family the day we arrived and this is her and her hubby below.Paparatzi style
Heather's favorite memory of the day. She was shocked when she turned around to this many cameras at one time:)
Her beautiful fam!
I will have another post on all the girls and a few shots that I took of them. Thank you girls for being food for the soul, for being open-minded, and for shedding your egos at the door so that we could truly learn from each other. You have ignited my fire in more ways then one and I am so thankful for you in my life.

Photographer Playdate

As many of you know, I love to network! I have said many times before that I am putting myself through college all over again. I get to set up who my speakers are going to be...what the subject is, and then I write a paper (or a blog entry) on what I learned. Well, I recently met up with a couple photographers from the area. Amy Pearson (beautiful soul) last week and Julie from Freckled Pear Studio this week. Yesterday Julie came over after I contacted her weeks ago and it turns out that we literally live 5 minutes away from each other! It was a day of "omg, me too" and "that is totally my story" moments. We are so similar in many ways and yet different enough to learn the world from each other. Everytime I meet with photographers and share knowledge, I am energized beyond belief and I always walk away with a deeper understanding of my own path. I can't tell you how many amazing photographers I have met over the years. What an amazing job that I get to socialize and learn from others in the industry...oh, and shoot together. Julie doesn't shoot in a studio much, so of course I took that as...well, let's just set up the lights and play! This is her beautiful daughter Avery and she was a busy little bug! We had a lot of fun with her and this was the first time any other photographer has ever taken her picture! I felt honored. Thank you Julie for the invigorating day and the ultimate playdate:)

This is a beautiful shot that Julie grabbed. Julie's not a girly, girl but she sure enjoyed seeing her girl is all the frills and pink!