I can’t sleep.  It’s the last hour of the last day of an unbelievably eventful month, to say the least.  A little over a year ago, when I found my marriage abruptly ending, putting one foot in front of the other was labor intensive.  It was a new version of my life that I didn’t ask for, and wasn’t prepared for.  I could be cliche and say, “What a difference a year makes”, but that would be an unfair assesment.  In reality, it’s more like “What a difference a Savior makes”.  Unable to breathe at the thought of starting over yet again, God supernaturally put my life back together the moment I handed it back over to Him.

This month, my boys and I moved into our own place and I started a new business doing something that I’m passionate about.  I have the most unbelievable network of support through loving friends and family and two beautiful children.  There are simply no words adequate enough to express how humbled I am every day that I wake up to this new life that God has blessed me with.

The best one I can conjur is ‘grateful’.

I’m shooting entirely in manual now and actually finding it easier than shooting in AV or Auto.  My camera is morphing into an extension of me, and I often find myself looking at the world thru my lens, whether it’s actually there or not.  Now if I could only get a little more comfortable looking at myself…these self portraits are not getting any easier. 

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I want to spend the time I have doing things that make my heart rage. 

- The Great Buck Howard

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A wide array of emotions are elicited during divorce.  One goes through the stages of grief, much as during a death, and eventually sadness and anger give way to acceptance.  As today marks the day that my divorce is final, I am finally able to sum up my feelings with today’s 365 Project photo. 

As I enter into my new life, with many new developments on the horizon for me and my children, I can categorically describe today’s emotion as “joyful”.  I am full of peace, which I thank God for every day as I give glory to Him for getting me through this last year.  I have been blessed with the most supportive family and friends on the face of the Earth – I never could have made it without them.

Here’s to new beginnings.

As expected, I haven’t exactly been faithful to taking pictures every day.  Life gets in the way, but I’m determined to take 365 self portraits – however long it takes me.  It’s much more comfortable for me to be behind the camera, and since I’ve started this, I’ve noticed a trend in the mood of my photos.  Specifically – no smiles.  I guess it just feels kind of silly to smile, as it feels forced or posed.  However….the point of this project is to push the envelope a little – and to be honest, I could stand to smile a little more.  Starting tomorrow…

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We are all cups, constantly and quietly being filled. The trick is, knowing how to tip ourselves over and let the beautiful stuff out.  -Ray Bradbury

 

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Well…I made it a week.  Only 51 left to go! 

This photo marks the beginning of my foray into shooting completely in manual.  It’s challenging, to say the least, but I think I’m starting to get the hang of things. 

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Maybe it’s the southern girl in me, but I love a big belt buckle.

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Here’s one from a photo excursion I took with my son, Jackson today.  He got new glasses and I wanted to get some shots of him looking all GQ in his new frames.  I put my camera in auto and handed it to him, and he snapped away.  I did the post-processing myself, but he’s begging me to show him how to do that too.  I think he caught the photography bug already.  :)

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Something lovely happens to my mood when I paint my toenails.  It’s like the poor man’s botox or a cheap alternative to a spa day.  Summer time means sandal wearing, so I went out and bought a pretty shade of peach.  It instantly put a smile on my face.

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