New York City

I went to NYC in July 2005.  I never expected to fall in love with a city.  I never in my life fell in love with a city before, so why would I do it now.

There are so many words to describe NYC.  Let me give you just a few followed by a sampling of images captured.  These images are burned in my mind.  The streets, the smells, the people, the architecture.  These images and memories make me who I am today.  They inspire me.  They make my heart beat.  When I'm feeling lost I look at these images along with 245 others that were taken and I am whole again.

It's been 6 years since I've been to NYC and I will return home someday soon.

St. Patricks Cathedral
Agony, prayer, missing, love

Time Square
Heart beat, electric, excitement, daunting, exhilarating 

A view from the Empire State Building
Steel, sleek, buzz, glass 

Flat Iron Building
Unique.

Washington Square Park
Massive, timeless

The Plaza Hotel
Historical, monumental, luxurious

Arts and Culture

Architecture
Where I'm going to live when I retire... <3

Original Chanel Dresses
Designer, fashion forward, timeless 

Metropolitian Museum of Art
Originial, historical, creative

Time Square
Maddening

The Phantom of the Opera
Theatrical, moving, emotional

Rainbow Room NBC Studios
History of television

Stock exchange ticker in Time Square
Financial district, the epicenter of the United States

Photography... the little I know, I like!

I don't know much at all about photography, but I do think that I can appreciate when an image moves me with vivid color, certain lighting or a fantastic focal point.

I worked in a photo studio for a year.  I aspired to create the images that those photographers created daily like it was breathing to them.   They had a certain eye.  Photographers see the earth different.  They see nature in different dimensions.  They know the perfect place on an object to give the focal point and blur the rest out.  The make food look AMAZING!

I'm saving for a really good camera, but for now, I have taken some pretty great shots with my point and shoot.  Some were accidental, some were on purpose and some were COMPLETELY by surprise with no skill at all.

Here are a few of my images... be kind, I'm a complete novice to this medium!

Happy Valentines Day 2011

Valentines Day would not be complete without the adequate amount of sugar, hearts and chocolate.  Well most importantly chocolate.  But since not everyone in my home agrees with the high levels of chocolate, I also created a sugary sweet fun-fetti cake covered in glittery red gel, confetti sprinkles and sugary hearts. 

 I thought a bundt cake gave it a nice dynamic plus and I didn't have single cake pans to make a layer cake.  Hmmm, should have split the bundt cake in half and added a layer of frosting in between!   Ok, maybe overkill.  

Enjoy your sugary sweet Valentines Day!  Muah!

Not just another bird feeder....

Check out the new photos below! Local craftsman Charley Harper designed, handcrafted and gave birds a whole new dining experience! Contact me if your interested in one of these amazing feeders for your yard!  I know my birds are lovin' it!

These bird feeders are 12x14x10 cedar wood and feature removable hardwood bottom and  plexiglass windows for easy clean up. Top license plate lifts for easy filling. Peak of roof is flashed to keep out rain and snow. Double dowel perches accommodate every size bird. 

Inspirations of creativity

It's amazing how anything truly can be an inspiration to your soul. You look around, you see a color, a texture or the architecture of a building and you are inspired to create something, take a photograph, sketch or paint your bathroom the color of the title of the magazine on your coffee table.  I did that... Dwell magazine had the "Dwell" in a rusty, coppery red tone... I was CRAZY in love with the color of the font.  Fortunate for me, I took it to the local hardware hank, he scanned it, poured it, mixed it and I was off to paint the hall bath. 6 coats of paint later it was PERFECT!  I miss that bathroom now that I'm divorced.  Lesson learned.

I've been to a few business seminars lately and the buzz words are PERSONAL BRANDING.  What is your personal brand.  How do you sell yourself.  What makes you...well you.  Your look, your talents, your education... your creativeness.   If you aren't happy with your brand...well change the brand.  With that in mind, I was inspired to take a look at my brand and ask myself... self do you like what you see?

Madonna is notorious for constantly changing and evolving and reinventing herself.  Why can't we?  how do we get there?  I don't know about you, but I'm a visual person.  I've been low on art creativity with the lack of sunshine lately, so I've invested my time in creating my Personal Branding Journal.   It contains everything from fashion, music, articles, poetry, visual aides, yoga, weight loss, diet, cooking etc.  whatever moves me goes into the journal.  I thought it may be a waste of space and efforts, but the time it takes to work on it, gives me the time to take for myself.  It forces me to think about me and only me.  Without a strong and confident me, there is no strong and confident relationships with others...

Do you need a change in brand?  Create a new you... let's get started!