Modern Prairie Girl

Beautiful NW water views, amazing purple sunsets, rock collecting, sandcastle building, bald eagle sightings, campfires & picnics and….

Navy Growler fighter jets roaring violently overhead…

Huh?

Such is a vaca on a Whidbey Island naval base. Not just any naval base–one plunked right on the beach at Cliffside. My retired Air Force father-in-law hooks us up with a lovely spot next to the ocean. We look forward to it every year. This year we actually had some warm weather to play in the sand.

Whidbey Top 13 FAVE list~

1) The quest for heart shaped rocks. PH and and I have a game to see who can spot one first. Wouldn’t you know that we hoofed it up the beach about a half mile before we found one…and OF COURSE it was huge and heavy….and OF COURSE, we found another one the same size. I was a happy camper as my lovin’ man trekked his way back with both rocks on his shoulders. He was saying that those lurking Growler pilots must really think that crazy guy loves his wife!

2) Rachey and her annual “bakery on the beach“.

3) An imagination that’s on vacation and comes up with nifty projects to take home…I smell a driftwood theme in my immediate future, lovelies…

4) Fab antique treasure finds in Anacortes, a cute little town with some great restaurants.

5) Watching my children play with wild abandon on the base and feeling perfectly safe to not watch them every second.

6) Sunsets with tree silhouettes that blow your mind.

7) Cliffs and the stunning view they provide.

8 ) Windblown trees and winding paths…so many metaphors come to mind here, I just can’t get them out fast enough.

9) JOY and more JOY. Ken, the campsite host finds these incredible driftwood pieces to make our favorite word. It’s all over the camp and makes you smile when you see it catch the sunlight in the morning or evening. He is a magician and creator of wonderful things.

10) Time alone to do a “walk about” with my camera…no agenda…just being aware of the beauty around me. Peaceful and sweet…

11) Fort Casey State Park and all that the former artillery post and lighthouse has to offer in terms of photo opps…

12) Barns and quaint little gardens in town

13) Uninterrupted time with people I love…

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How does that song go? “I’m gonna sit right down and write myself a letter…”

I did that this week while my mind was on vacation-mode. It was surprising.

Lovelies, sometimes getting away provides something unexpected. First of all, I was calling a sleeping bag a bed for the duration and I couldn’t get my tuckus out of bed to do my Morning Pages. Funny thing…I missed them! I’ve been doing them long enough now that I really think I’m having some breakthroughs as a result. Lots of stuff to share as I go, friends…so many matters of the heart coming up (all good stuff!).

I’m making some changes.

I’m excited about it

and am

sure of my footing.

I hope your summer is wrapping up nicely—I wish for a few more lingering-on-the-porch days for you, sweet MPG’s.

OX.

We all have that one dream that seems a bit ridiculous…or completely “un-do-able”…mine is always the same…

To live in a firehouse

(with the pole, of course.)

Well, lovelies…one came up for sale in Portland, and although I am not anticipating a 1.8 million dollar move, a girl can dream out loud…

Firehouse for sale

Just for the record…if I was going to live in a firehouse, I would HAVE to sleep in this bed from Anthro (who else?)…

Seriously…is that not one of the coolest things ever? (wiping drool from my mouth corner)?!

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Firehouses…fire trucks…it’s a red thing and I do seem to have this color come up a lot…

So..why not do a styled photo shoot around it? My plan is to use of these images for a collage piece…just getting that studio space ready so I can begin. ‘Bought some wood blocks at Home Depot yesterday to get myself going!

Check out the rest of the red images here.

Happy weekend, lovelies!!!

OX.

p.s. very excited to be on Kelly Rae Robert’s post this week

Grandma Holly (my dad’s wife) sent this very timely article to me (not knowing that I was making a post on girlfriends) and I think it makes so much sense.

Via.

A landmark UCLA study suggests friendships between women are special. They shape who we are and who we are yet to be. They soothe our tumultuous inner world, fill the emotional gaps in our marriage, and help us remember who we really are.

By the way, they may do even more. Scientists now suspect that hanging out with our friends can actually counteract the kind of stomach-quivering stress most of us experience on a daily basis. A landmark UCLA study suggests that women respond to stress with a cascade of brain chemicals that cause us to make and maintain friendships with other women. It’s a stunning find that has turned five decades of stress research — most of it on men — upside down.

The rest of the article is here.

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I was fortunate enough to work with some lovely young women as interns on Monday at a photo shoot and of course, I coerced them into stepping onto the backdrop (be warned, if you ever head this way, you’re in danger of being under my probing lens!).  Lexi and Katy have been close friends since 5th grade and a love of photography has brought them even closer. It is so nice to see young folks share something they’re both passionate about. These images, to me, are indicative of this friendship bond.

“A best friend is a sister destiny forgot to give you.”
—Unknown

“I’ll lean on you and you lean on me and we’ll be okay.”
- Dave Matthews Band

Beautiful lovelies, these ladies…such fun to capture them.

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As for my own girlfriends in my life…thank you for providing something so immeasurably important that I cherish during this “growing up” phase of turning 40. I appreciate the fact that you love me despite my many quirks and faults and hold up a mirror to me sometimes…love you for it.

I have a girlfriend who is a direct person..one of her best qualities, actually—and she speaks to me with more candor than most. I find myself looking forward to a few heart talks with her here and there because she does hold up that mirror. Believe me, she’s complimentary and makes me feel like I can fly, but also can point out some “wing-clipping” obstacles that she feels might come to pass. She told me something recently that has been been an ear-ringer..I’ve been mulling it over and I do think she might be right.

She said that out of all the people she’s ever known, I’m the hardest on myself…and I need to loosen up a bit…I can be, shall we say, wound tight when it comes to kids and schedules and homemaking and husbands and work and obligations and projects, and…and…and

wow…had to really think on this one. Funny how sometimes you don’t see something AT ALL and then it comes to light and you have to hold a magnifying glass to it.  Anyway..the point is, that when we love and trust someone with our deepest thoughts/fears/dreams, it is a gift to have someone brave enough to tell you something they think you should know. I appreciate that she looks out for me even when it’s me who is standing in the way.

What do your girlfriends add to your life, lovelies? Do tell!

Been wondering where you commenters are…I go into the happy dance when you comment! Write, write!

Happy weekend~

OX.

We’ve been “crafting our pants” around here lately.

First it started with me when I found these cool big cardboard letters at Joann’s Fabrics. As you might recall, I was on the quest for some big letter “B”s and wasn’t sure if I wanted to make such an investment…then (poof!) out of no where, this fab thing jumped into my cart. I decided to cover it with fabric that was whimsical. “B” is for BIG!

Looked a bit “Anthro” to me (sans price tag) and kind of fun. 

As you can see, it’s not done yet–but wanted to share it with you anyway. I have major “Glee”s to catch up on…good for gluing down fabric jobs.

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Onto crafty-girl Rachel. She came up with this idea, drafted up a plan and dragged me to Craft Warehouse for paper, poster board and a canvas. The only thing I helped with was the matte medium-ing of the torn pieces of the horse.

Who knew hamsters like the rodeo?!

She’s pretty proud—this is going up in her room!

I have a funny feeling we won’t be seeing the top of our kitchen island with all of the crafting supplies piled on this summer. Big plans, friends…big plans!

Have a great weekend, lovelies!

O.X.

The amazing Richard Avedon…he was incredible.

Avedon’s a fave. He was the pioneer in stripped down, white backdrop portraits…the master.

His images were raw…but powerful.

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So in admiration for Avedon’s amazing style I’m capturing B/W images with a white background lately.

I’ve been using this fun new lighting toy that makes this kind of portraiture super portable…which is great for just on-the-fly capturing of faces…

stripping it down to the essence of the person…

which, of course, the Blair kidlets aren’t really that into…but it just melts me because I know these expressions so well.

These lovelies were captured at a recent portrait session…sisters who are close…I am especially drawn to the expression below…wow.

Some other work from this month…

Beautiful scene, lovely guitar-playing prairie girl…so dreamy!

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Recognize the chair?! Almost broke it with this trick…think it might need to stay in the house with books on it.

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I did an event called “Pooches in the Pearl”—an uber cool area to live is in the lofts in downtown Portland in a hipster spot called The Pearl District (best shopping and restaurants ever). Anyway, met some lovely new dog friends…here are a couple..

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The sweetest little punkin’ who comes to us regularly…sparkliest eyes ever.

Photography is definitely something (whether canine or human) I love so deeply. It’s fun for me to work with people who are just learning how their cameras work. If you interested in attending an awesome retreat in July with moi and Elida Field (an amazing artist) at the Oregon Coast. Ignite the Heart info here.

Happy weekend, lovelies!!

OX.