Happy Birthday, MPGs!
Sunday, March 7th, 2010
This little blog is a year old.
I can’t believe it!
I also can’t believe how much blogging has added to my life and how many wonderful human beings have come into my world through the blog.
It’s nothing short of FAB-U-LOUS.
Thanks to all of you lovelies who read each post—especially to those of you who have allowed me to get to know you through your kind comments. I am full of gratitude.
Those of you who visit regularly and don’t ever say “hello”—I’d love to know who you are! I try to email each person who leaves a comment, so even a little “hi, there” would oh-so-lovely.
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An authentic MPG ”tag line” for this little world didn’t really come to me until awhile ago.
Yes, my family is the most important thing in my life.
Yes, good design is a constant joy-bringer.
Yes, photography is my job and seeps into all areas of my life.
But the whole darn thing didn’t solidify until I blogged about a wonderful article I read recently…..
and then I asked you, my dear lovelies, if you thought the line fit.
“In Search of an Unordinary Life”
…is what came to pass and I’ve been doing a lot of thinking lately about what that means.
I think it has a lot to do with being in a constant state of being inspired (how does one stay inspired while folding a million socks?). Throughout this week, I thought it might be fun to explore the areas that can
lead
a person
to
an
“Unordinary life”.
It doesn’t have to involve living in a teepee on 10 acres…
or living half the year in Tasmania and the other half in NYC…
or installing a rock wall in your living room…
or splashing several colors of paint on your bedroom wall a’ la Jackson Pollack.
Here is my list for what I feel an Unordinary Life revolves around…..
1) Location, Location, Location-
Yes, Tasmania has the cleanest air in all of the world (I really would like to visit there someday) and NYC would be amazing (and amazingly spendy)…We all have locations that fit our personalities and our family lifestyle. Beach lovin’ folks feel trapped in states that don’t have a coast. Mountain lovin’ families consider themselves land-locked on flat plains. Sometimes families take a risk and leave it all behind to live in a place they feel is the dream for them. Seleta of Simply Seleta fame is a fun example of that—she and her hub picked up their four kids and headed down to a dream town in Florida to live the fancy-free coastal life.
It all comes down to what you’re willing to give up/sacrifice to live in the best place for the fam. Case in point, The Blairs (with PH leading the charge) realized that the NW was where they really needed to raise their kids—so they re-lo’d yet again from NY within three years. We’ve never looked back.
2) Environment and Design-
Image by (my fave) Anita Kaushal (Best book ever for how to create unconventional spaces)
I may have dreamed of having an indoor swing at some point. I think the little girl in a lot of us wishes for this. Having a home that is an oasis for a creative life is the ultimate thing you can do for you family, in my opinion….and you KNOW how I feel about good design. Sigh. I’m all about the asthetics…that’s for sure. More on this later.
3) A Shared Family Vision-
From dad to toddler, there needs to be a collective view of what ”Unordinary Life” means to all involved. If a teenager is dead set against moving to Italy in her senior year of high school, it probably would behoove (funny word, isn’t that?) all involved to stay put. Athletic families, mountain lovin’ hippies and a family full of artists have it easier…it’s less of a struggle for them to go to the elements that make them happy. Finding the perfect compromise is easier said than done. So far, my fam has the clear vision that a house in a Magic Forest full of dear and rabbits with few neighbors is the way to go. As far as the creative thing—I’m working on that—when I told PH I was going to Queen of Tarte, he asked me if my trip involved putting other people’s throw-aways in the back of our van (not amused, says I). I told him that as a matter of fact, it DID 
I do work hard at creating an environment that promotes creativity and artsy-ness…our kitchen island is rarely without some kind of project spread out on it….and I really love it that way…unless, of course, people are coming over and we pretend that we don’t live in squalor..teehee.
4) A Spontaneous Spark
In a word, FEARLESS.
Fearless in trying new things like new recipes and new places for vacations, and guests in your home.
At our house, I’m the one who could have a dinner guest every weekend. I really enjoy setting the table with china and busting out the champagne..PH is a bit more reserved, but he tolerates the revolving door of new people I meet and often is quite charming with at the table in the process.
If you called me today to go to a vintage sale in the next hour, I probably would find a way to meet you there, but I would feel the inevitable guilt of not doing what I was supposed to be doing.
I believe Spontaneous Spark should not be accompanied by guilt.
It
should
leap
into
your
life
to
bring
on
the
FUN
and conjure up
JOY
in your family.
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Well, there you have it…my little (long-winded) list. I’m looking for families who live unordinary lives to photograph.
Be them here in the area or a plane-trip away. I had an epiphany on what the book I’m supposed to be writing should look like. Our “Unexpected Portrait” sessions are underway with the brochure tag line being:
“Unordinary Lives deserve extraordinary portraits”
Have a great week, my sweet MPG’s…it’s been so great getting to know you!
OX.
