changing direction

This month has been heavily based in photography, so I thought I'd take a moment to write a little more in depth. Is there something that holds you back from living your life to the fullest? I have seen some friends tackle their issues with tremendous success (through books, courses or counselling) and some friends who just accept their anxieties as a part of who they are and let them dictate/ruin their lives to some extent by living a much smaller life than they deserve. Becoming a new parent, I want to show my daughter how important it is to live her biggest life. I have been burdened with social anxiety, which is really challenging because I love being around people. I am painfully shy and yet feel most alive when I am connecting with others. I push through it a lot of the time by accepting most social invitations because I know the payoff is worth it, but there are days when I become a bit of a hermit rather than put myself out there. I know my shyness stems from low self confidence, which I am working hard at building. With confidence comes the ability to make decisions with ease, to trust your instincts and not allow fear to dictate any direction in your life. It's funny because there are some things I've done that others would be afraid of, like fly to Louisiana on my own to help build houses after Hurricane Katrina hit, when I knew no one. I made a speech at my friend's wedding without being nervous at all. And yet, I am paralyzed with fear to work the room at a cocktail party. Perhaps I am airing all my secrets, but I want to let people know that we all have our own issues. Some choose to work on them diligently and some people tend to put their issues on the back burner. I don't want my issues to impact the lives of those I love. I want to be an inspiration to my daughter, to show her that we can do/be whatever we put our mind to and not let our anxiety dictate our path. So, over the next while (months? years? lifetime?) I will work hard on my issues so that I live life to the fullest and can help instill confidence in my daughter. I promise to pass along any epiphanies to you, in case I can help one person. Okay, a little heavy handed right before a long weekend, but I just wanted to speak from the heart. xo

not stirred

august 26th photo challenge prompt: Dream
I saw the light reflected on my wall and tried to create a dreamy silhouette. In hindsight, it's pretty funny that my dream is to have a martini.

shop local

August 25th photo challenge prompt: Fresh
Straight from the farm to the table. Love it.

the path of least resistance

August 24th photo challenge prompt: path
Walking through the park is part of our daily routine which seems to give us all a good boost.

whistler - a mountain of fun

Hi friends! I hope you had a wonderful weekend! We ventured up to Whistler and had the. best. time. We finally have figured out how to travel with a baby - rent a condo. It was worlds easier (and half the price) of hotel rooms. We shared a two bedroom/two bathroom condo with our friends and it worked like a charm. We booked a place that had a swimming pool and was across the street from the village's playground. It was the perfect spot because we could come and go depending on their sleep schedules. And at night, once the kids were tucked in bed (sweet victory!) we could make a delicious dinner and stay up late visiting. The men and women traded off taking care of the babes so that we could take advantage of some downhill biking. I've done the ziptrekking and ATV rides at Whistler, but you get the most bang for your buck doing the downhill riding. You get to see Whistler's amazing scenery from the chair lifts and then get an adrenaline boost as you speed down the hillside on your bike. I rented a bike, the armour and got a three lift pass for $110. Each run down takes approx. half an hour. And, just like skiing, you can make it as easy or challenging as you'd like - the rides are based on your skill level (green - beginner, blue - intermediate and black diamond runs for the technical wizards/batshit crazy). There is something empowering about being geared up in body armour, letting go of the brakes and feeling yourself pick up speed (and then quickly grabbing the brakes, of course). At one point, I found myself shouting out, "this is so much fun!" You're only as old as you feel right? (Don't get the crow's feet fool you!) I hope you had a rad weekend and continue to push yourself out of your comfort zone because great things can happen.
xo

these shoes weren't made for walkin

August 23rd photo challenge prompt: pair
Black slingback heels I bought for a friend's wedding. Some people call heels "come f' me shoes...."....I like to call them "f me these hurt" shoes.

home is wherever i'm with you

August 22 photo challenge prompt: Home
For me home is a feeling instead of a place. There are some precious souls who make me feel at home, wherever we are. This little sidekick of mine always makes me feel like I'm right where I'm supposed to be.