Life in rosy hues

Yesterday, my mom and I listened to Edith Piaf's "La Vie en Rose".  I barely understand French, but she does pretty well.  She had an intense study course while in her college years, and although she is quite rusty, she still manages to follow a conversation or at least is able to translate pieces of the song.

This morning I woke up with the tune in my head and had an urgency for understanding the whole song.  The words are beautiful and dreamy, the same way the melody makes you feel airy.  It speaks of a great love, so great and so divine, that makes her see life in rosy hues.  And while skepticism for a feeling so ethereal creeps in my head, my heart knows exactly what it is to feel so in love.  I have a battle in my soul that denies me the privilege of letting go and enjoy love as it has presented to me, and I am constantly letting go of my walls of self defense.  I know he does too.  Love doesn't look so rosy while still having the bittersweet taste of failed relationships on your shoulders.  But love is here indeed.  There's no denying it.  No wonder my eyes filled with tears this morning while reading the song: my heart loves so much that wants to see life in rosy hues too.

LA VIE EN ROSE (English translation) 

Eyes that gaze into mine,
A smile that is lost on his lips—
That is the unretouched portrait
Of the man to whom I belong. 

When he takes me in his arms
And speaks softly to me,
I see life in rosy hues.
He tells me words of love,
Words of every day,
And in them I become something.
He has entered my heart,
A part of happiness
Whereof I understand the reason.
It’s he for me and I for him, throughout life,
He has told me, he has sworn to me, for life.
And from the things that I sense,
Now I can feel within me
My heart that beats. 

In endless nights of love,
A great delight that comes about,
The pains and bothers are banished,
Happy, happy to die of love. 

When he takes me in his arms
And speaks softly to me,
I see life in rosy hues.
He tells me words of love,
Words of every day,
And in them I become something.
He has entered my heart,
A part of happiness
Whereof I understand the reason.
It’s he for me and I for him, throughout life,
He has told me, he has sworn to me, for life.
And from the things that I sense,
Now I can feel within me
My heart that beats. 


You can find the original french song and some info on this site:
http://www.useless-knowledge.com/1234/06apr/article064.html

It's an Etsy thing

Ok, so by now you all know how I dig the whole handmade market revolution.  I've been an Etsy buyer for a long while now, and have actually helped some friends to put up their stores shooting good looking pictures.  I have contemplated the idea of putting up a store of mine, but I just didn't know what to sell.  Of course, selling photography would be my first obvious choice, but I'm not quite there yet.  There is a tight competition of really good photographers and I just don't want to show up with some crappy, unprepared collection.  I have to think this through.

But then my sweetie instructed me on how to make handmade woven thread bracelets.  Ta Daaaaa! I'm hooked. Obsessed.  Literally. And I did a test.... I put up a store and just started selling personalized bracelets, and so far, there's an interest.  There's a cool market out there wanting colorful, funky bracelets, and I just love it :-)  Here is a sample of what customers have requested....

No, don't worry, I won't go overboard and start posting non-stop propaganda on this blog, but be aware that I will be sliding in some posts here and there on Etsy life and how it all works.  It's really worth the try...

Good Morning, Christmas Time :)

My mom came to visit for the holidays.  Yesterday we brought her to our apartment and she stayed the whole afternoon with us, drinking wine and eating pizza.  This is the second time my sweetheart actually met with her, and I think they're starting to know each other better.  We talked about everything and anything that came across, including memories of my father and my childhood back home.  It's good to have her here for the Holidays.  She is my Christmas.  Music and good food have always been present in my life thanks to her.  She brought all the warm memories of happy childhood times with her, and I thank her for that.

P.S.This is the cup of coffee I was telling you about in my previous post.  You see what I mean? ;)

With a cup of coffee...

I got up this morning so cold, that I rushed into the kitchen and made myself a warm and yummy cup of coffee.  Us latin girls like our coffee with milk and sugar.  Steamy and comforting.

So, it is with this hot treat that I come to write.  Writing always has a way with my mind: it quiets it down.  I'm in a constant conversation with myself, and I often think this is the reason why I loose so much hair. My hair falls down like quiet snow does on a winter night.  No, I'm not bald, but I do loose more hair than I know is normal. 

My photography has been on hold for a month now.  I went on a little trip with my sweetheart to NYC.  I know New York pretty well, so I offered my tour guide services to him and he accepted.  We walked and walked like two crazy people! And even though I've been to this city so many times, just being there with him made it so much different.  I had my birthday on a cruise by the Hudson River.  The sun set while we were on it and the city looked amazing.  The lights, the Brooklyn Bridge, the Empire State Bldg.... all those places looked so new to me from that perspective.  Sometimes we think we know everything later to find out that we don't.  I think that's about true with everything.  Think hard and you'll know what I'm talking about.

With November gone, December came with all the cold in the world.  We were happy we were able to leave the North before all the snow started to fall.  But oh, it's been 30 degrees in Miami! That's crazy, I know.  I'm enjoying it while it lasts.  With my warm cup of coffee, I'll be able to beat the cold over and over again.

Lovely Belly

December Blues

The end of the year.  The end of a long, confusing and hectic year.

I'm not complaining.  On the contrary, I am hopeful.  Year end always puts me in a meditative trance, like a buddhist monk in a constant state of meditation.  Reviewing, rewinding my memory and cleaning the dust that comes out from it.  We are the net result of the cumulative effect of our decisions, of our rights and wrongs.  It's ok, I can deal with my wrongs alright.  Let's just move along, shall we?

And that's what year end is all about... moving along.  Stepping into new ground and smelling the fresh grass underneath our feet.  Hopeful. At ease.  Content.  In peace.

Let your breath be your witness

I went to Yoga class today. We had a different teacher, and it was a totally different feeling.  The energy was paced and soothing, and my movements were easier to follow.  Perhaps I'm getting better.  Or maybe the leader's energy agreed with me in some way.

If you've ever been to a Yoga class, you know how breathing is important.  The inhale and exhale mark the  ins and outs of movements and poses.  As the class intensifies, your breathing does too.  It makes us aware of our bodies; it draws our attention to our present.  Those uncomfortable poses challenge our rigid sense of self.  The straightforward idea of all things vertical disappear, leaving only the comfort of a twisted heart and soul.  It was during one of those twists when the teacher said to the class, "Breath.  Let your breath be the witness of yourself." That line spoke to me so dearly.  It clearly stated the intimacy of the Yoga.  You, meeting with your own self in a delightful state of concentration and achievement.

I wish I had more of this intimacy with my own self.  I was reading on some Yoga online forum on the intentions people bring to their practices.  It is at the beginning of every class where we state our own intentions, our own energy.  I usually put my energy towards me, being a better person.  I walk around with myself every single moment, and it is my intention to be at peace with me, to the person that I truly am, and not the person I think I am.  There's a huge difference.  For the most part of my 33 years of age (soon to be 34), I have fed the person I have thought I am.  I'm done with that.  My true self is much more, and I plan to meet with me daily, for the rest of my life.  To spend more time breathing awareness and letting my breath be my witness in the process.

Considering Children Photography

This is my first attempt at baby photography. Of course, I have photographed children before, but not in my tiny studio, and not with a one year old.  Uffff.... it was fun alright! The baby girl was a vivacious one, curious and wanting to touch everything and anything she could lay her hands on.  Most of the first half of the session was an attempt on my part to get at least a couple of good pics.  I wanted to get everything in the frame... head, arms, feet.... and truthfully, it was the biggest challenge ever. But, after a while, her energy started waning down, and that's when I was able to get this one good shot.

Yoga photography and more....

Well.... looks like it's picking up.  I have a couple of new projects and I am really excited about all of them.

Yoga.  I started practicing Yoga about two years ago.  Truthfully, like many other ideas I've had in the past, I started it and didn't follow it. I have to admit that I have a tendency to get hyper and psyched about things, and then letting them drop.  I'm like a kid that wants a toy and cries and cries until it gets it, and then he gets bored and puts it aside.  Yep, that's me alright.  But yoga is such a great exercise, that I've always wanted to put my mind into it and master it.  And since I have more free time than I used to, I decided to rejoin my old yoga school.  My teacher was really happy to see me again and welcomed me in as if I have never left.

I also approached her with my photography and we are already starting a yoga photography project.  We are both excited and looking forward for the photo shoot session this next week.

Of Cash Flow and God

Don't think that I have abandoned my journaling.  I haven't.  I come to the blog almost daily, having all sorts of ideas and experience that I would like to share with you.  But the truth is that I go blank once I hit the New Post icon.

Much is going, but all of it is happening inside of me.  I am trying to build a business that is all about being there and making it happen, but it looks as if I'm not.  I've had some delays in cash flow that have put me in a position of waiting and re-assesing.

Good news: I paid off my car loan.
Bad news: I had to use some of my business resources to do it.

But I had to do it.  It was one of those pending things that float around your head and you just don't know how to get rid of it.  I just did.  Done.

Life is a give and take.  I had a list of things that I NEEDED to buy in order for the photography business to be effective.  The list got shorter.  I managed to downsize it to the minimum, and I have to make it work with the bare essentials.  I am an intelligent and resourceful woman, and I am being put to the test.

There's been a lot of talk in the news about this Hawkings guy in England who says that he can scientifically prove God's non-existance.  I've had a pretty rough couple of weeks, and this article just added to my confused and irritated state of mind.  I honestly stopped for a second and thought about this idea: that God could really be just a reflection of our own delirious and confused psychology.  The thought irritated me, and really made me angry.  Because it made me feel hopeless and insecure.  Because it goes against everything I've believed in all my life.

I resolved my conflict by choosing.  The fact is there's a 50/50 chance of it being true.  There's 50% chance of God not existing at all, and there's another 50% chance of It being there, supporting and surrounding our spaces with Its presence.  I am on the believers side.  I choose to be on the side of the ones that hold their breath when speak Its Name, the ones that pray knowing that is being heard.  I need to know this Being is the one testing my limits right now, and that in fact, is holding something greater and magnificent for my own little existence.  I am driven by a natural instinct of self-improvement that I know comes from a greater source of wisdom.

I chose this.  And I am holding on to It.

A weird, inconsistent month

August is at its end, and is closing with a grand finale.

The last three weeks were a combination of accomplishments, out of town affairs, family, bad airport days, reading, and now rain, rain, rain.  There's a hurricane coming its way to Miami, and I can't help but obsess about it.  Let's see how that one goes.

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Product Photography: Cassidy Creek Soap Co.

Soaps! Oh yes, soaps are part of my first set of product photography.  Catherine Martel, owner of Cassidy Creek Soap Co., trusted me and sent me some of her wonderful soaps for me to photograph.  I really wish I could transmit the delicious smells of the soaps through this blog!  When I opened the box, my apartment was filled with roses, lemongrass, and teak.  I think it's been the best smelling photo sessions I've ever had. Enjoy the pictures, and don't forget to check out her new Etsy store.

http://www.etsy.com/shop/CassidyCreekSoap

Busy, busy, busy

I'd say that last week has been the busiest week since I started my solo project.

Spent a day taking pictures for Fairy Wings, received the soaps from Cassidy Creek, had my first high fashion studio shoot ever (which was very cool), worked on my product photography website, and had been editing pictures in Photoshop non-stop. Ufff!

It's Sunday and I need to cool down for a bit.  I'm planning on going to the gym for a swim, stopping at the supermarket, buying some groceries and cook a good old home-cook dinner.  Homemade meatballs, pasta, fresh salad.... oh yes.

Chill' out... that's what I'll do.  Because I'm getting impatient, and need to refocus.

Ommmmm....

Of Escher and the reality of illusion

I have been a fan of Escher's work since I was young.  His ability to create illusion, to portray surreal pictures, have always fascinated me.

I own this drawing.  Well, a poster of the original drawing to be exact.  I framed in a simple black and white setting, and is sitting on top of my computer.  I stare at it quite often.  It draws me in like a magnet, as I try to find a new feature, a new hidden angle on his contorted surroundings.

And I wonder, am I holding a crystal ball in my hand?  Am I looking at my surroundings as this same reflection?  Bended? Disfigured? Unreal? Are my conclusions tainted by my own prejudice?

We become as a result of our own history.  It is really difficult to detach oneself from previous experiences, and even to rationalize these past occurrences as merely that.... past events.  So, as a result, we are doomed to perceive ourselves like the distorted room on Escher's drawing.  It is our choice to remove the crystal ball, and look around with our own eyes.

We choose what we want to see.  Don't be fooled by illusion.  Illusion derives from something greater.  It always does.  Look for the source... it will reveal the reality from within the illusion.  And then you will be able to separate fact from fiction.

Cassidy Creek Soaps

I am very happy to announce that I will be photographing the fabulous products of Cassidy Creek Soaps!!

I have been exchanging emails with Catherine, a new Canadian entrepreneur, who's products will soon be available at her new Etsy store.  She just informed me that the package is in its way.  I can't wait to smell and hold her soaps!  I will tell you all about it, so stay tuned.

A simple white Origami crane

More to come... and with colors :)

New interest

I didn't know paper could be such an interesting thing.  I have suddenly found a passion with origami, and now I see papers everywhere.  I touch them, feel their texture, and wonder if any of them will fold nicely while I try to make a new figure.  I have fallen in love with paper and there's no turning back...

Now, Photography is the truest of all my loves.  And I am making progress.  I found a Meetup group called Light-Pro Photography here in Miami and woohoo!, I think I found something really good.  I will be learning everything that has to do with the usage of lighting, and that precisely is the difference between a photographer and a Professional Photographer.  Knowing to use light in your favor. Manipulate it.  Not just counting on the random good shot.  Doing one excellent shot after another, knowing exactly what to do to accomplish it each and every time.

I have also started on my Product Photography website.  Color Depth Design is working with me in that department.  Too many options..... and looking forward to go through them all.

Surreal Imagery... Beautiful Song

A friend of mine posted this video on Facebook, and it just blew my mind away.  Enjoy.

A Sorta Fairytale with You- Lyrics

on my way up north

up on the ventura

i pulled back the hood

and i was talking to you

and i knew then it would be

a life long thing

but i didn't know that we

we could break a silver lining

and i'm so sad

like a good book

i can't put this day back

a sorta fairytale

with you

a sorta fairytale

with you

things you said that day

up on the 101

the girl had come undone

i tried to downplay it

with a bet about us

you said that-

you'd take it

as long as i could

i could not erase it

and i'm so sad

like a good book

i can't put this day back

a sorta fairytale

with you

a sorta fairytale

with you

and i ride along side

and i rode along side

you then

and i rode along side

till you lost me there

in the open road

and i rode along side

till the honey spread

itself so thin

for me to break your bread

for me to take your word

i had to steal it

way up north i took my day

all in all was a pretty nice

day and i put the hood

right back where

you could taste heaven

perfectly

feel out the summer breeze

didn't know when we'd be back

and i, i don't

didn't think

we'd end up like

like this

and i'm so sad

like a good book

i can't put this day back

a sorta fairytale

with you

a sorta fairytale

with you

Epiphany

Yesterday I had a "spread your wings and fly" epiphany.  As I was writing a blog post at My Fairy Wings Boutique blog, I remembered something I had written on a personal journal I used to keep:

"Life is too short to ignore what you do with it.  Be passionate, be creative, but above all, be true to yourself."

When I wrote this line, I was going through a very deep depression.  Nothing in my life at that moment made sense, and this was a desperate call for me to step up and do something about it.  Two years later, I am surrounded by completely new circumstances: a new relationship, a new sense of being, a new address, even a new haircut.  Too much new is good, but it can be a little bit scary sometimes.  The familiarity of everything else is gone.  I have to mark new safe zones, new comforts.  Leave behind old ways of doing, and rebirth into this new version of myself.  I am making progress.  Slowly but surely.

I do know that life is short.  Time passes by like a soft wind against your face, fading away almost exactly as it first presented itself.  So, everything you do now counts.  Everything.  Every laughter, every kiss, every idea, your creative being, the effort you put into your projects, your dreams, everything.

My father died last November (check out the link to see his picture).  I took this picture exactly one year before his death, on a Thanksgiving weekend in 2008. We spent that sunset playing with my new camera, learning the tricks, practicing against the marvelous sky.  He was the only one who got it.  He was the only one that would take the time to do photography with me.  No one else cared enough.  That extra time, that little project of ours, made a difference in my life.  And he made sure it counted for something great.  So, as I try on making a business in photography, I think so much of him.  In all the things I wish I could ask him now.  But his time came, and he gave me exactly what I needed, when I needed it.

All I have to do now is believe I can do it.  Believe and put all my effort into becoming it a reality.  This is only the beginning.

Indie Craft Bazaar Summer Event, Ft. Lauderdale

I found out about this Handmade event in Ft. Lauderdale.  Save the date!! July 18th, from 1p.m. to 6 p.m.  They are still looking for vendors. Follow the LINK to their website.  They also have a Facebook page.

Where Fashion, Art, and Music Meet

This is the kind of stuff that thrills me! Yesterday I met with the wonderful people at Dekka, a new and upcoming gallery/boutique in Hallendale Beach. They are putting together a unique space for new artists, fashionistas, designers, and Handmade entrepreneurs to display their creations in a very unique space. Located at 139 NE 1st Ave, it offers an array of possibilities for business  and community development.

Josh (owner and artist) showed me the place and talked to me about all the ideas they are bringing to the table.  The city is backing their efforts and are working together to make this strip a one of a kind.

If you happen to be looking for an affordable place to start showcasing your Handmade products, this is a good place to go.  Look for the mannikin with the "Open" sign.  You won't miss it.

Contact:

Joshua Tiktin

Cel: (240)355.1265
joshuatiktin@msn.com

Address:

139 NE 1st. Ave.

Hallendale, FL 33009

www.dekkafam.com

Here soapy, soapy

I am shopping for soaps.  The last purchase I did was back in November, for my birthday.  It was a pretty depressing birthday and needed to treat myself with something nice.  I bought soaps.

Eight months have passed and today I opened the last bar of my birthday shopping spree.  I have cried so much during those months, and most of it has been in my bath, with my soaps.  Today, my spirit is much different.  I am looking forward to new ways of presenting myself to the world, and to attempt a completely different approach for becoming. So, the soaps that I will be buying now will have a totally different task.

And speaking of becoming...  The pictures I have been taking for Fairy Wings Boutique are coming along.  We are planning different shoots and marketing ideas. Here is a picture I took of one pair of wings.  We went to the beach at sunset and the pictures came up pretty nice.  I have no idea what this project will bring.  I am meeting new and very creative people along the way, and is really exciting.  Tonight I will be visiting a Handmade market in North Miami.  As far as I know, this is the only Handmade market in the area.  I have my hopes high so let's see what this visit will bring. 

I encourage these types of Markets.  They gather together a community that would otherwise be secluded. The most cost-effective way for an upcoming Handmade business to actually sell their creations is through a website.  The face to face interaction with clients is out of the picture. So, if you happen to find a Farmers or Handmade market in your area,  go for it.

I will continue my search for soaps now.  I will keep you posted on my final picks.  If you have any sugestions, bring 'em on!

My first Pro Bono Client

I have a client! And of course, a promise is a promise.  I will be taking pictures of her fabulous Fairy Wings free of charge.

About two years ago, she started making little fairy wings and started selling them online.  Little did she know that she would be setting up her own website and having an incredible amount of orders.  Fairy Wings Boutique is an ongoing business.  We met last week and she wants to take it to a new level.  She's doing lots of changes to the website and updating the photography and image.  It is such a wonderful project, and I am really excited to be part of it.  Here's a pic of the kind of stuff she does.  I am still battling some lighting issues, but I will get it right.

These rustic wings are my favorites.  They are simple and delicate and have the Handmade stamp all over them.

FREE Product Photography Set

Since I am starting this Product Photography project and I really need to build up my portfolio pictures, I am offering a FREE 20 pics session.  You will be able to use them on your website or Etsy shop. Anybody interested on doing this with me, please contact me.  I am really nice :) You'll love working with me.

An adventurous Spirit

I am a true follower of the Handmade movement.  I see it as the precise spot where skill meets ingenuity.  Take out the factories and the cookie cutter molds, put in creativity, attention to detail, dedication, and... you got yourself a unique piece.  One special something that will make the difference on this vast sea of random merchandise.

The trick, however, is how to make your handcraft idea into a successful business.

Like any other business, it takes a lot of guts to make it work.  A lot of planning and experimenting.  Practicality, a lot of sense, but above all, a lot of Spirit.  Whenever I meet a new Handmade entrepreneur,  my eyes focus and I get curious on knowing what drives this person into doing it.  What idea is moving this person into putting so much into something that it may not work.

Adventure.  The thrill, the risk, the trust you put in yourself.  Why shouldn't it work? It could be the best idea you will ever have, and it could be THE idea.

Trust your instincts.  Plan carefully.  Enjoy your craft.  Work hard.  It will pay off.

*I would love to hear your story, wether good or bad, or you don't know yet.  Thanks for reading.

Life and Soap

I have come to the conclusion that life is like soap.

Every single decision counts. The ingredients, the stuff its made of, is critically important. Extra care must be exercised when deciding what stays and what goes. Career choices, partnerships, living arrangements, likes, dislikes.... it all winds up in the enormous pot that is your heart, waiting to be mixed. If, for some reason, we rush into this selection, the consistency of the mixture does't flow. Is not right. But in reality, the true test of the ingredients comes with the lye.

The lye's job is to break down the ingredients. It melts them and transforms them into a completely new and unique element. It bounds the ingredients to such degree, that they no longer represent their original state. And so it is with life too. As we grow older, relationships bound us, tide us, and leave profound marks. When we get closer to the heat of tests, our souls transform into something we didn't know we were. And all we are left with is patience. Waiting. Letting things settle, and hope that the soap sets.

It is at this point when we decide if the choices were correct. If we got it right in the first try, or if we need to make adjustments. Go back to the ingredients and shuffle things one more time, and try again. This is the true craft of soapmaking. And I believe it is a craft that lasts a lifetime.

We will end up with a soap in our hands. We will enter our own space, in the bath, our own quiet time, and we will try the soap. It is there, you alone with the soap, where you will enjoy the results and smile. In the end, the smile is what matters. The true satisfaction of a well lived life accompanied by the small luxury of a good handmade soap.