Who would ever think that coming up with a name for my children would be easier, then finding one for a puppy!
Being a mom of three boys - I was excited to finally pick a girl’s name.
I offered Monica, the one I was savoring for every single one of my babies before we knew were designed and blessed as boys' parents.
My older one immediately commented that the little clumsy puppy doesn’t look like an order-loving character from “Friends”.
My husband killed that option by laying on a table the same objection, that he did years ago, when I didn’t know yet that we are destined for "boys’ only club": “No Monica Levinsky in my house!”
My youngest one offered every single name from “Harry Potter”. Including the boys’ ones.
My older one declared it was “cliche”. Yep, no less. I was impressed by his elocution and suggested he better practiced it in his essays… rather than in family name discussions.
My middle one wanted Dumbo.
My older one didn’t even have any sassy comments left. He just covered his head with his hands and was ready to disintegrate, while his baby brother was giggling in sheer delight on this successful prank, getting just the reaction he wanted to see from his older brother.
My husband offered… ok, I am not even going to write it. I just had to notify him that yelling THAT in the middle of the street - possibly will get the dog's attention... but also, surely, a policeman's. The dog may hesitate to come. The policeman wouldn't. Unless he wanted to spend puppy raising months in some correction/detention facility... we better search for some other options.
Every option, every idea went straight to the list (well, except THAT one, of course). Friends, relatives - everyone contributed. Yes, I’d get an unexpected text in the middle of the night - “Your little Lola looks very cute!” “WHO’S Lola?” “Oh, your puppy.’ “OUR puppy?!” “Oh, yes, I just realized that it would be a perfect name for it.” Hm, next time I wish I found that out at some other part of the day.
By the end, the discussions got particularly heated. My youngest one wanted to satisfy his wizarding world cravings with a puppy named Luna. My middle’s one mind was in sci-fi world - or math?! - he really wanted to call a puppy Seven (as a Seven of Nine, except not from Star Trek, since he never saw the show, but the seventh puppy of nine of her siblings, haha). My teen, customary for his age, was against every option on a list without a single one added by himself. I just wanted a puppy… four legs and a tail... and my husband, I am afraid, wanted none of the above, but wisely kept those thoughts to himself.
I also wanted the name to be fun. I really wanted it to be smart. Something ironic, a bit silly and cute… both me and my youngest (his nickname in school - Little Einstein!) would gladly name a puppy Einstein, but it didn’t translate well into a girl’s name.
So… we put the decision off. Until we’d get her home an look in her furry face.
Yet, through the expectations and getting ready, packing and reshuffling furniture, heading on toys buying spree and diving into feeding options madness… I was flipping through the images captured on my previous trips to the breeder, marveling how the adorable red eyebrows make her look serious, even frowning. Add the funny waddling walk, the shape of a teddy bear. Mix in the latest project my kids did… some research that led to the figure of Winston Churchill. And, suddenly we had a name.
Allow me to introduce you to our own little... Winston Churchill. Yes, it’s a girl. There is a girl named Madison and another one named Jordan in my children’s classes, so I don’t see anything wrong with having a girl named Winston Churchill. She is smart, she is waddling, she is frowning.
But… she is also cute. And inside her adorable curly head - not one the world's greatest intellects, but… stuffing! Silly, cute, hilariously funny. Just like her “teddy-bear” look and bear-walk. So… she is not old enough to qualify for Winston Churchill yet.
So her official name goes to another famous Winnie: Winnie The Pooh. Winniepusha.
And, to my surprise, everyone suddenly agreed that it was perfect for our little teddy-bear-like puppy.
I guess, being the mom of three boys, I lost the capacity for coming up with girls’ names, haha!
P.S. It is incredible to see, how even a puppy looks entirely different depending on lighting, posing... and moment in time - some of these images were captured during our 7 week visit to our adorable little girl, and a few - just a week later... babies are growing fast! ;)
Share what you think suits her the best, or what other fun names did you hear puppies (kitties, bunnies, pets in general) their crazy parents come up with!
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Who would think that I would have the VERY BEST MOTHER'S DAY ever... at times like this?!My boys have been getting ready for days. Apparently they were exploding with ideas and if not for Dad, my Mother’s Day would end up a LOT MORE challenging. Why? Because my boys came up with a whole treasure hunt for me, sending me on a wild-goose chase all across the house! The amount of pullups, pushups, trampoline jumps, swings I had to do - made me all sore by the mere end of it, haha...
My boys actually started the day before, but I didn’t know it yet: my older one insisted that I watch Grinch Steals Christmas during a Family Movie Night, and, surprisingly, the biggest rebel in a family - my little one - who usually adamantly refuses anything new… agreed. Yep, just like that.
Why did they need Grinch? Because the very next day I suddenly found this note: “Ha-ha-ha! I stole your Mother’s Day! I stole all your gifts and well wishes.. And you will never find it, because I am sending it all into space in 5 minutes! Ok, I’ll tease you with the first clue just in case…”
The clue was not just a tease. It was pretty much impossible to read it, let alone figure it out. Not because it was so challenging… but because it was so challenging! The handwriting, that is, haha! I even thought that if I had girls, they’d make the note all pretty and decorate it with hearts. And they’d get so busy with it, that, the whole treasure hunt would go astray... I guess I am lucky. No hearts, no flowers, no other nonsense I can barely stand. And one hell of a workout adventure for a treasure-hunt!
To win tiny precut pieces of a handrawn map (stapled to each clue), I had to amass a total of about 10 different notes. And, boy, they made me work for it! I had to run, jump on a trampoline, do pullups at two different bars, scale the stairs, swing and even go down the slide. There was no way to find those clues without it. Some were scotch taped to the top of the sing bars, some - almost to the ceiling, some trapped between the windows, some - hidden under my pillow. That one was particularly funny: it started with the words "Elon Mask, Dad's favorite hero..." Hm, why, out all the people, I need ELON MUSK IN MY BED?! Apparently, I did: he (or his dear followers in our house), was about to launch yet another rocket into space.
Yep, as Grinch promised, the rocket was taking my last clue up into space!!! Literally, no kidding! As I ran outside, my kids set up one of those cool rockets that they love sending 50feet or higher into the sky… and it was taking my clue with it!
Those rockets do come back eventually. Mine didn’t get stuck in a tree, didn’t fall on neighbor’s roof, didn’t burn through my clue. It was taped with so much ferocity, that I wasn’t sure I’d be able to recover it… but I eventually did, haha.
In the end I had a mental exercise too: I had to assemble the same hand-drawn map of our house, originally cut into shreds. Just like the pirate’s booty treasure hunter, I went straight for the big red scribbly X marked on one of the rooms. Actually, on a room with my computer desk. The same computer desk I was sitting merely moments ago, happily enjoying my weekend's share of work, that I don't get to do during school days... And do you know what I found underneath the very same desk? Yep, same desk, where I was sitting just moments before this madness started? A wonderful Japanese takeout :))
No need to cook, the whole day dedicated to my two favorite things - my work and my family!
And while I was very impressed with their sense of adventure, imagination, and ingenuity - it was the common cause that brought all of my boys together: planing, bonding, coordinating with each other, making this dream into reality TOGETHER. That really got me touched the most.
None of my efforts to bring them together, united and excited, ever worked as well as this one.
I am starting to like this quarantine more and more…
It really brings families together. Literary, haha… and figuratively!!! :))
Father's Day is up ahead ;)
Want to give your kids any ideas? Or use for one of the kids' birthdays? Feel free, no limits for imagination!
This special image - is a birthday surprise for one of the most amazing mothers, most wonderful families, most incredible people there could be ;)
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I know how much you love your family. I do too… in fact, taking care of them takes 95% of my time nowadays. Boy, I didn’t expect it. Now I do realize, that being separated from the life we are used to, even with the people I love the most, can turn out as a dubious blessing.Yes, there is so much gratitude for having the family together… healthy... under one roof... yet, it is also a challenge in a million of ways that we never expected. Even without the professional estimates, it is clear that quarantine will turn out the ultimate test for so many relationships: at the end of it, we will face a great number of brand new marriages, babies, and… divorces. As Esther Perel pointed out in her recent interview with Tim Ferris (The Tim Ferriss Show #418- Tactics for Relationships in Quarantine), “What destruction and impending disaster does, it accelerates everything...It’s either “Life is short! What are we waiting for? Let’s make a baby!” or “Life is short! I’ve waited long enough! Let’s leave”.
This amazing interview could not be ever more timely. A real godsend in terms of the wonderful advice at the moment when we need it the most.
Tim Ferris - one of my favorite authors, motivators, inspirations. In addition to that - a brilliant investor, world winning marshal arts hacker (yes, no other way to call that 3-months-of-training-to-world-title-victory!), chef, researcher, seeker for most efficient and fascinating… I deeply admire him for deconstructing, analyzing and finetuning the most efficient practices, bits of wisdom from the world’s greatest, painstakingly testing them and, in the end, sharing the most efficient and helpful tips for achieving success - with all of us!
Esther Perel - this lady captured my heart. A uniquely wise and empathetic, one of the top professionals in a world in a field of human relationships. A Belgian psychotherapist of Polish-Jewish descent, Esther is recognized as “one of today’s most insightful and original voices on modern relationships”. Esther is a bestselling author, an organizational consultant for Fortune 500 companies around the world, and the host of the podcast Where Should We Begin?, taking place inside her therapist's office with anonymous couples. The recent miniseries “Couples Under Lockdown”, features real couples, facing the daily challenges of preserving their relationships under the stress of current quarantine.
Tim and Esther’s conversation explored the effect that the current crisis has on different relationships - married, single, dating, divorcing, sharing custody and even advice for single, lonely people dealing with frustration and isolation… Both Tim and Esther offered absolutely incredible tips, coming both from personal and professional experience, on how to help families manage it better, help each other, pass through these difficult times as painlessness, as humanely possible.What were my favorite points that families could adopt to help them manage the difficulties arising from this disaster? Every part of that conversation was pure gold. Here I collected some of the most striking and helpful tips for families...
9 Favorite takeaways from Esther and Tim:
- The Role of Cooking
”Cooking plays such a big role”, - Esther points out.
I couldn’t agree more - everything and everybody seem to be revolving around the kitchen. I’ve spent an entire day restricting all my creativity and concentration to the stove. And it was devoured so quickly, I’ll be back for more before my back could stop aching…
What Esther emphasized, was that far more important not to lose the personal connection element amidst the culinary necessities: she gave an example of a husband who offered his wife to take some of the cooking onto his own shoulders so that afterward they could spend at least 15 minutes to connect in person, as opposed to heading back to eat it alone at each computer…
Main Takeaway: Find a few points throughout the day to reconnect as a family, sharing a meal - lunch, dinner, snack… or just a few moments together. These moments of “breaking the bread”, just undivided (and non-electronic!) connection and bonding may turn out the best, or the most impactful for each of you, from youngest to oldest, both now and down the road.
- The importance of Humor: “There is laughter in hell!”
Humor helps relieve tension, keep the spirits up, even extends your lifespan. Smile. Or, better, - find a reason for a good wholehearted laugh!
Main Takeaway: Whether a silly joke, show, story, situation or a game - find even the smallest reason to get some laugh therapy ;)
- Conversations with kids: critical conversations about mortality
I find it hard to discuss this with the kids right now. Esther insists, that as uncomfortable as we may be with this topic, it is the one that shouldn’t be avoided. Especially in this situation…yes, with children. Especially with children. It is on their minds already. Helping relieve their tensions on the subject is as crucial.
Main Takeaway: As hard as it is, do not avoid the tough topics. Do not wait for the kids to voice it. Do bring it up, do help their minds find peace with it.
- Use creative outlets: Paint, draw, write music, sing songs or… dance
Esther reminded, how humanity was using art to express their feelings for years! Find the one that suits you best and… dive in!
Dancing is a particularly wonderful way for dealing with stress. You just can’t dance and cry! It brings the best possible relief...
No judgment, whatever you chose… whatever could help to stay sane.
Main Takeaway: “Find an artistic or whatever-it-takes medium to express your feelings… The arts helped us throughout history to deal with crises, to stay connected to loved ones far away… and close. Share life-affirming experiences with the ones you love!”
- Enjoy the power of reading!
And artistic outlet does not have to involve a paintbrush or a concert piano if you feel no attraction to either of those. You are, surely, welcomed, but… how about reading? Together? Aloud? Sharing things you find fascinating?
I’ve got to say, that reading to my children - all three of them, even to my teens! - is my favorite part of the day. It is one-on-one moment, reliving the best childhood memories as we reach for my old-time favorite titles, laughing, worrying, getting excited - together. It helps weave many of the values and tough topics that I wouldn’t have the strength to raise up otherwise - casually and easily into our conversations and discussions. It is just bonding… and most wonderful ever!!!
While I do know quite a few couples who enjoy reading out loud to each other, when it comes to my own husband - we prefer sharing favorite books and articles as stories during our evening walks, over a cup of tea, or just passing kindle uploads. As well as podcasts, TedTalks, anything we found fascinating…
For me - tonight - it is going to be this amazing interview…
Main Takeaway: Sharing stories helped humanity to manage through the crisis at every generation. Tap into its healing powers!
- Acknowledge and Understand
Turbulent times like these get everyone on edge. And, yes, snapping happens a lot more then we wish it did. Everyone is giving into irritations more readily, tempers go hot to a point of a burn, patience wearing thin from the silliest annoyances… It is important to realize this about your close ones, acknowledge their frustrations and help them deal with it. Yes, being confined can be excruciating. It is important to realize and offer each other some compassion and empathy.
Main Takeaway: “While dealing with the same data, the other person can be reacting in their own way.” Trying your best to be more tolerant, patient; to accept and understand the differences in your reactions - would be the kindest gift you could offer…
- Avoid drinking
What?! Well, while I do believe, that if a glass of wine (or even a few more) help you calm down at the end of the night - as long as you keep it reasonable, no harm done... yet I do understand why Esther could insist on it: I am making my way through another one of my recent favorites by Malcolm Gladwell, “Talking to Strangers”. It devotes a whole chapter to the way alcohol affects our memories, decisions, behavior. Apparently, it depends on the surrounding culture… and the current mood. It removes judgment, constraints and limits. It exaggerates whatever feeling is currently in the air. In a happy-go-merry company - it would be accompanied by a relaxing laughter. In a wild atmosphere of sexy frat party on campus - it would be accompanied by dancing on the table. Try to releave tears with it - and don’t be surprised if you end with the waterfall…
Main Takeaway: Esther cautions to stick to obstinance from alcohol, especially if under its influence “you tend to become a lion rather than a donkey”.
- Get medical help
If you were considering medication and were putting the final decision off… now is the time to reach out to your doctor and find the right solution help that will help you “level your reactions and emotions up”.
Main Takeaway: Get ALL the help you could get to level your emotions. If it is medical - so be it.
- Take care of yourself - not the time to be heroic
Surviving through the crisis with the relationships both intact and, possibly, strengthened - is the most heroic thing you could do at the moment. Acknowledge what you need and allow yourself to ask for it. As another great therapist puts it (in another interview with Tim Ferris, haha), kindness to the ones around you starts with kindness to yourself…
Main Takeaway: Airplane safety axiom - first put on a mask onto yourself, then you’ll have the strength to help to the ones around you. Yep, take care of yourself.
Tim and Esther discussed, how sharing a walk with a friend (over Facetime or Zoom), lighting a candle during dinner, reaching out to someone you haven’t seen in years… can be the little kind wonders that turn out beneficial for everybody. I absolutely loved their advice on how to break through the social scripts of same-old answers to the same-old questions and get on with a conversation that is actually meaningful, helpful, memorable… I feel enormous gratitude to Esther and Tim for offering, discussing, voicing these tactics. And many, many more points - were a complete revelation and reassurance… that you would need to listen to the entire interview to enjoy.
This post featured the images of one of my favorite families to work with: these guys are a great inspiration for me. Every session we do together, every interaction, I come home touched and motivated to improve as a mom, as a wife, as a human being. I find the most touching, how gently they all ready to adjust for one another, faithfully preserving an atmosphere of understanding and support. It is a blessing to meet such people, far more - to have a chance to photograph them. Inna, Alex, I could never thank you enough...
Share your opinion on this advice, or, possibly, your own main takeaways that could be helpful in dealing with the crisis we suddenly found ourselves in!
Something is out to get us. Coronavirus? Cabin fever? Panic? Or just balancing work/home/and homeschooling… Every day I feel like the disasters falling on top of my head are determined to outsmart the shields of positivity I am working so hard to put up. Like a self-proclaimed con-fu master, I strike some silly looking poses to ward them off… but they just keep crumbling on top.Ok, ok, no kungfu masters in here: let’s try some Romans? ;) “Divide and conquer.” Hail Caesar! That can work!
Besides washing your hands, staying home to be safe and keep others healthy - not much more we can do in regards to the virus. Panic - nasty advisor or roommate, needs a good kick into some back parts, before it kicks us into a sobbing mess. Homeschooling! Oh, the school looks so rosy and wonderful all of a sudden, doesn’t it?! Yep, the parents of the little kids feel this pain this particularly strongly… Cabin fever: first it is the challenge of getting the kids to do what they need, then it is listening to their complaints that they have nothing to do!
One word: stresssssssss!
And while I don’t have a magic wand or a Gryffindor sword to attack this giant serpent, I can share something that helps me gather the strength to fight through it. Concentrate not on panicking over things that are out of our control, but controlling the ones we can ;)
It is rather simple: it is a workout. Yep, let’s get those biceps rolling off to tackle those monsters! Ok, ok, let’s be real: it is not about the biceps rolling off. It is something to keep those love handles from rolling on because of all the extra munching happening as a result of the entire family being stuck in front of a fridge for days and weeks!
As a busy mom, I am so used to the challenge to squeeze in some healthy moves into my day (as in AWAY from a fridge that is… or, if you wish, giving me a good excuse to head TOWARDS the comforting pantry treats sometime later).My best weapon? Morning hours. Those sweet magical moments, when everything feels the sweetest: the pillow - awww, the kids - ummmm, the plans - ahaaaa!!! When we still deliriously believe the to-do list that was written three days ago finally will get fulfilled today. Why is that? Common, it is scientifically proven: our positivity, our capability, our will-power is the strongest in the morning. I’d gladly share quite a few books and researches on the topic… quite a few role models, billionaires, worlds’ top CEOs who tap into the magic of wee hours for some special projects, personal passions, dreams, hikes - into accomplishing what’s most meaningful and important.
And, about starting it off with a workout.
My secret plan of attack on those scary monsters I was talking before - is to start the morning right - to start it with a workout.
And don’t laugh into my face: it is not about morning hours - I have none of that. It is morning minutes. Sometimes as much as 30. I can stretch it to 45... Sometimes as little as 5 or 6. 10? 15? I’ll take it all. Don’t tell me that in the 24 hour day you couldn’t skip one cup of coffee (ok, move it a bit later) and get just 10 minutes! The amount of energy, will-power, positivity you get - will pay ten-fold. Yep, I tested this theory many times. As a matter of fact - religiously, every morning, for the last, three years! Skipping it only on vacations and ski trips. Or… when I was sick with pneumonia. No other bug could deter me.
Of course, I have a damn good excuse to skip a workout every morning, why today it couldn’t possibly be fitted into my schedule! And then I say to myself, that 5 minutes I definitely can spare for it. Once I start… yes, I still count every second for it to finish… - but suddenly there is strength and power to find just a couple of more minutes… and then the amazing feeling of doing something so right - for myself, as an example for my kids, as a more energetic professional - to my clients… and, of course, for my looks, feels, that dress in a closet, that treat in a pantry…
In these times I find this more important than ever. As a NJ local contemporary portrait photographer, my work, both for the families and corporate projects, both everyday and fine art, involves quite a bit of movement. If you’ve been to my family sessions, you’ve seen how much running, playing, just plain energy goes into every single one of them! If it is full Magazine Style Glamour Experience - I still don’t get to sit down and relax. You get the relaxing, I do the running :))
My passion for my family helps here too...
Being stuck at home - movement is no longer part of my daily routine. I spend all my entire time in front of my kids’ computers doing homework with them… or my own computer, doing my work. Somehow moving between the fridge and the screen - doesn’t count as a good workout :((
So what does? This!
I’ve collected some links for my favorite workouts that you are welcomed to explore. Whether it is 5, 10, or 45 minutes that you’ve scraped off your busy day - I created a collection just for that. Every single one of them can be done in the comfort of your own home. I do it right next to my bed, lying sideways if I have to fit particular leg stretches. I’ve been doing many of them for so long, that now I perform each workout with some weights in my hands and a few strapped to my ankles. I absolutely love spending 45 minutes with HasFit Tribe kickboxing and cardio routines. More often then not, I chose to stack these up - the Brutal Hit Ladder Workout in a 20 min playlist is the one I absolutely adore and hit at least a few times a week! Some of the Body Coach TV ones are usually the alternative… and then I add Jake DuPree
or KymNonStop killer Xtreme Ab Workout for another 18 minutes. Athlean X 6 min follow along Abs Challenge videos or their Baby Shark 2 minute a day for an 8 pack (!!!) dance are usually the cherry on top of EVERY workout that I do...
Workouts from Home Videos - the ones I find the most useful, helpful, well worth of the little time I have to spare:
- 45 minute Full Body favorites
- 30 minute vigorous and hit exercises
- 20 minutes - best of the best!
- 10 minutes and under!
- Abs and Core favorites
- Low Impact - Easy on the Knees and Sitting ways to break some sweat!
Which ones are your favorites?
Share which ones you found most useful!
Share which ones are not in my playlists so that I can enjoy them too!
Stay strong, girl, yes, we can do it!!!!
Art shared a really fascinating story: his team hired an intern - a young boy, whose experience, abilities, responsibilities didn’t stretch too far.
The kid worked with them for a little while… then got himself a professionally looking headshot, applied for one of the significant positions within the company… and was hired straight away! The jump from zero to hero was so dramatic, that Art decided to look into this guys’ resume more closely. The resume hasn’t changed all that much since they hired him - there was simply not enough time for that. What changed was just the quality of a headshot: in a suit and tie, on a professionally done image, the kid suddenly looked older, more professional, more reliable, more attractive! A picture says a thousand words.
As a part of our Professional Branding session, Art and I discussed a whole array of uses these wonderful headshots would get: professional, social, hobbies. Linked In profiles, company's website, email signature, personal ones.
We created a list of qualities he wishes to portray, things Art would want the world to know about him. What impression should potential clients get? What about his superiors? Potential ones? What new opportunities should open up? A CIO, blogger and real estate agent should leave very different impressions.
What does your headshot say about you?
Art, dear, I certainly hope your headshots will give your career a powerful boost! You are one of the most charismatic, wisest, insightful, deep thinkers I know. And, definitely, one of the most FUN!!! Add your enormous experience, patience and ability to think outside the box - it is one incredible recipe! I see warmth and professionalism that I can trust.
You uploaded your image only today and I am thrilled about the wonderful positive feedback that you’ve already got. You are off to a great start - this is only the beginning ;))
Every important bit of information went on this wall: he put phone numbers and articles, little reminders form himself and notes, family photographs and artworks his grandchildren were creating. I could see my own drawings, half covered torn pieces of paper of greater and lesser significance. It didn’t matter: this wall became a living-breathing relic, a memory and an heirloom of unique sort and significance.
My mom made an interesting observation, how every year we tend to celebrate the birthday of this great man - Simon Averbuh, not the sad date of passing of my dear grandfather. We tend to rejoice, talk about him, yes, celebrate- as if my grandfather - the source of awe and inspiration for each of us - was still alive: with his witty sense of humor, remarkable positivity (despite all the horrors his life got him through!!), sheer brilliance of his thoughts, observations, articles, letters.
My children have never seen my grandfather. To them - he is a figure no less fantastic than Santa: they keep hearing all the stories about his life from parents, see the gifts and legacy he left behind. No, not under a Christmas tree: a whole row of beautiful volumes with gilded Hebrew lettering - incredible collections of documents and essays preserving Jewish heroism in the most horrid pages of 20th century. My grandfather poured his life and soul into this precious legacy lining up on a bookshelf next to our favorite minorah.
The incredible wall he created in his home has not outlived my grandfather long enough. It was impossible to preserve an heirloom of a size of a city apartment.
His books did. And these images. Every time I see them, I realize they became the only link for my kids to bring the legends back into family history reality.
Who is such a special figure in your family?
“Being busy doesn't necessarily mean we're being productive”
Does this happen to you too? Yet another crazy-busy day: it starts with the toothbrush in the mouth as I am stumbling on a race from one room to another enticing, urging, ushering, shoving the kids downstairs for their breakfast; hair - just hide it under the hat or clip it, definitely not in the stars for today! Breakfast? On the go! Lunch will probably suffer the same fate if ever happens… Kids forgot what are they are supposed to be doing with that spoon (again?!); school bus tires are screeching outside… made it? Not?..
Oh, the ToDo lists! - are they the monsters eating us alive? Or sickly sad-eyed puppies constantly being swept away by higher priorities bombardment? Urgent, late, NOW! Should’ve been done yesterday!!! - those definitely are the monsters tearing my day into bleeding chunks.
Come, oh blessed night! First of all, I realize she did come a long time ago, when it is at least 3-4 hours past the elusive “normal” bedtime that I somehow can never meet face-to-face. I head towards my bed only when I get scared that the “Enter” button will become a permanent decoration of my forehead from falling asleep on a keyboard far too often. Does crawling towards my bed count as a workout? Is that really my dear little pillow? Agghh, the head is just exploding from all the thoughts, that stick out from the brain like electrocuted spiralized pasta… I don’t even like pasta! Oh, all the tasks, birthdays, responsibilities that shouldn’t be forgotten tomorrow; oh, my dear special projects that I wish to tackle so badly and scared that I never will!!!
I am an aggressive optimist. Yes, there is always a choice; yes, there is always something to be grateful for; yes, if you something upsets you or makes you unhappy - change it!!! Ok, this hectic unproductive madness upsets me a great deal. So, the everlasting student, and, yes, a perfectionist, AND a control freak, I am always on a quest to find a way to get this madness under control.
I have more digital apps on my phone to track/help focus/plan then letters of the alphabet. Not sure I even managed to open all of them at least once, ha-ha. Definitely lost track of them right after wasting all the time to set up yet another todo list up there too.
And the worst? This constant race to plow through those helpless todo lists seem to lack in the most important part: why am I doing it? Yep, at the back of my mind I have a gnawing feeling on meaninglessness of this endless chase…
“For most of us, “being busy” is code for being functionally overwhelmed.”
The first time I heard about the Bullet Journal, I was as doubtful as it gets! What?! Another task to add to my list? Fancy way to waste time listing out all the things I don’t ever have time to complete? Another something to worry about losing and forgetting?
I watched a few Youtube videos.
I snubbed off the “colored pens”, “special paper”, doodles and fancy fonts idea...
Yet, I picked up a book in a library and sceptically flipped through the pages.
Finally, I downloaded the audio version and started listening.
Ryder Caroll “The Bullet Journal Method: Track the Past, Order the Present, Design the Future” book.
What got me hooked first - was the philosophy behind it: writing things in your apps keeps stuff there - away from your eyes; with things you accomplished immediately disappearing. Writing things you need to do on paper is surprisingly gratifying, calming, and… a lot more efficient! (That is actually a scientific, research based fact). No, Bullet Journal is not yet another list. It is a thorough system how to prioritize things that you need to do, how to painstakingly weed out everything that is not essential or important out of your life, how to accomplish the things that are vital or meaningful, how to keep the head clear… and the best yet - how to keep the perspective. Daily Logs - are not just tasks. It is a recollection of events, thoughts, and ideas. It allows to dump all those electrocuted spiralized-pasta mash of thoughts - on paper. Sort through them. Finetune the todo list only to those things that are both important, vital and meaningful. And (the best part!) continuously adjust this list and reflect on how much was actually accomplished, what is the meaning of the project and where to take it further.
“The Bullet Journal is designed to be your "source of truth.”
The system is uniquely simple and customizable. All you need is a notebook and a pencil. I didn’t even bother getting a special bulleted one, just grabbed the one at hand (though I did lavish myself with one for the new year - the bullet printed pages are the epitome of efficiency when it comes to helping you organize information on a page; the pages are thick and prevent bleeding ink through; the format of the official bullet journals is very helpful to keep it simple, consistent and efficient). I don’t indulge into cute little doodles or multicolored lettering projects. It is purely a productivity tool for me, and hell of a good one!
“It's part organization, part soul-searching, part dream-weaving.”
In a nutshell - Bullet Journal (BuJo) consists of so-called “collections”: ways to organize information. Collection Daily Log - is getting filled up throughout the day, Monthly Log - offers a birds eye view of things that took place this month, Future Log - Time Machine for keeping track of what is still happening in the future. There are special custom collections: I set up Goals & Dreams, a Workout Log, my Learning Log, my kids’ Doctor’s Visit Log (we’ve seen quite an array of doctors - keeping all notes in one easy to find and even easier to read place - boy, this was very helpful and helped us in decision making A LOT). Other people like to do Mood Trackers, Travel Collections, Medicine Effects Trackers, School Homework ones, Foods and Calories and Class Notes Collections. People track the collections of the Books they read, Movies they watch, Shows they wish to enjoy. I keep some of those lists digitally, but I have to admit - it is so much easier to see and evaluate things on a page, then scrolling through it on a phone…
“If the journey is the destination, then we must learn how to become better travelers.”
BuJo starts with a very important collection called Index: a list of all collections and a page number where to find it. Oh, this one alone is worth in gold. Another one is the key - just a list of the most basic writing notation to use, such as a dot for a task, a circle for a month, an asterisk for an inspirational idea, etc.
BuJo becomes the best friend all day long. I start my day by setting up a Daily Log - jotting down everything that is twirling in my head - all events, tasks, thoughts for that day. That “unload” is both liberating and helpful to stay organized. I add some statement for an intention for that day, or an inspiration. As I go throughout the day, I get to cross off the things I accomplished (yes, now I do quite a lot of those!), add others that became important to this day, to my weekly log (if I need that task this week) or a Future Log. In the evening - in one easy swipe, I see what was going on, what I was able to complete, what still needs my attention the following day (otherwise it goes to the Future Log), or can be crossed off completely because it is simply not essential any more at all. This moment of reflection, a moment of gratitude: there is always something to feel gratitude for; there is not always enough time to slow down and feel it - nightly Review with BoJo offers that precious opportunity.
“Often all it takes to live intentionally is to pause before you proceed.”
Thoughts and observations go into Daily Log as well. I haven’t had it even for one month yet, but one story inside Ryder Carol’s book made quite an impression on me. It was about a man who was really surprised by the breakup of his new relationship, as he believed, out of the blue. Wrecking through his memories, he could not fathom what went wrong. The budding relationship appeared so promising to him! Flipping through the Daily Logs, he noticed that the girl never showed signs of reciprocating his warm feelings; he could not find any acts of kindness on her part; and he eventually realized that his emotional reaction to the building relationships, apparently, was totally one sided - the bond he believed was slowly connecting them together - in fact was purely imaginary. You could say: “I could bet it was the case even without a single look at his Bujo-shmoojo!..” Yes, I bet YOU could. But HIS emotions shielded that simple truth. It is so hard to convince our own mind when our heart wants to believe otherwise! Been there, done in self-deception game all of us so good at… It is scientifically proven that our memory plays tricks on us. No friend could be helpful here. Except... BuJo: seeing emotionless and accurate account of events, could provide just the right gentle nudge that we need to move onto the right direction. What I found especially helpful - was the practical application section at the second part of the book. Actually, I found these articles more philosophical about life, happiness, perfection - than action specific. And I was really suprised how much I appreciated that philosophy - I’ve been quoting it, relating, even reading entire passages to those who I thought could benefit!
“True efficiency is not about speed; it's about spending more time with what truly matters.”
So? At the time of finishing this article, I’ve been enjoying my BuJo for a few months. There is an enormous Bullet Journal following online, millions of videos and blogs (let me know if you wish for some links to the most helpful ones that I found!), social media and podcasts not only on productivity, but also on beautiful lettering, amazing doodles, favorite supplies, unbelievable array of creative paraphernalia inspired by this awesome tool. I steer clear from those: for me it is first and most a productivity tool, that helps me organize my life, stay focused, complete the projects that I find most important and fill my life with meaningful activities rather than overwhelming it with everything else bombarding it from all sides. I have other creative outlets, but if it really speaks to your soul, by all means, enjoy every minute ;)
I finally got that cool bulleted-paged version notebook and, in honor of a New Year, “migrating” my old records into the new journal, weeding out the nonessential and packing it only with those things that bring meaning, gratitude to my life and completion of my goals :)) I am surprised, how silly old-fashioned scribbling really does help me feel calmer and more in control. It does help me stay on top of things that I need to complete. It does help me to find the time for the things are truly important instead of falling prey of priorities that add little to my life or of those I love and care for. Whether bedbound with pneumonia, as I was so recently, or on a holiday madness rush - it happened to be one thing that not only honestly helped me get through the day, but also to structure it in a meaningful, intentional way to get towards my goals, dreams, and… happiness!!
Bullet Journaling - “Mindfulness practice disguised as a productivity system”
Please share what you use for organization and sanity!
Have you heard of Bullet Journaling and interested to give it a try?
Let me know if you would like me to share organizational setups or tools that I found helpful!
“How do we best harness our curiosity while reducing the risk of failure? We set goals. When set with intention, goals can provide structure, direction, focus, and purpose.”
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Hey, Busy Mom!
Do you hear the jingle of holidays in the air? Does excite or stress you out? Or... both? My 5 favorites for this week totally reflect both of those feelings and are here to help you deal with them ;)
- 1. Favorite Gift Idea for Your Teen: JBL Flip 4 external bluetooth speaker!
It had really high reviews on major tech sites (just checked - it still is rated very highly!); it has exceptionally good sound quality; it is very-very easy to use and it was quite inexpensive. So, for $75, my teen got it as a gift for his last year's holidays. And so did I ;)
For the whole year we had a mini-contest who would utilize this colorful baby the most. I used my mint colored beauty on photosessions, on picnics and even vacations with friends for ambience and mood setting. I kept it in the original pretty box and mine still looks brand new.
I think my kid won this "usage" contest hands down: my teen is never parting with his little blue speaker! It is constantly blaring from his room upstairs, it lounged next to a campfire, kept emotions high next to the basketball net, shaken off the forest and backyard spirits on a tree stump, overpowered all soundproofing construction tricks in a basement, annoyed some grandmas on a beach, managed not to get lost on regular bike trips and even accompanied my son to the shower. Yes, it is water resistant. No, I never asked if he actually tested it. Yes, I could use this little blue monster as a GPS tracking system on its big teen-age one... let's say companion. And no, it is not scratched or damaged, looks as good as new. And sounds too, though I am not always sure I am as thrilled about that one, haha.
Check my Favorite Teen Gift Idea video for a more detailed review and a fantastic little feature my son discovered!
- 2. This Week's Inspiration: What It Takes To Have an Extraordinary Life This is something totally new, I haven't shared it with anybody yet!
Listening to a marvelous interview with Tony Robbins on a Marie Farleo YouTube channel, couldn't pass this one by: Tony Robbins was discussing the essence of failure.
So true! When it comes to walking, we are content to watch our little ones fall, get up, fall again and keep trying until they succeed. In every other endeavor or skill, both for ourselves and our kids - it is just so tempting either jump in with premature help, or give up on it altogether... Food for thought ;)
How much time do you give to an average child to learn how to walk? How long is it going to be, before you decide he should try something else, because he is not a walker?" No! You usually say: "My kid is going to keep trying UNTIL he learns how to walk!"
The original interview contains LOADS of fantastic insights about relationships with our spouses and kids. I found very useful tips on secrets of success. Loved a wonderful discussion of Robin Williams' suicide (the man who had literary every achievement most can't even dream of), suffering, dealing with daily frustrations. And the whole body of philosophy on what it takes to be live in joyous, content, happy, beautiful state and how to achieve it - pure gem.
Enjoy and please comment below what you think :)
Tony Robbins & Marie Forleo: What It Takes To Have an Extraordinary Life
- 3. Favorite Place to learn about upcoming Events: Monmouth Moms website
It is holiday times! So many things are going on: Lights Spectacular, Ausbury Park Holiday Bazar; restaurants treating children for free; brunches and photos with Santa; pool Open-Swim times; figure skating options; even learning about traditions and Christmas past at Allaire village... Love their site for the up-to-date calendar, recipes, local news and inspirations.
- 4. Holiday Week Kids Activity Idea: Ok, I'll share a secret that we take advantage of year after year: Christmas is the best time for skiing!!! Yes, the mountains are deserted on those days :)) So, for the last decade (yep, or even longer!), we don't hesitate to book ourselves a little adrenaline filled retreat.
Where? Hunter Mountain Children's Group Lessons. Guys, take it from the devoted skier and a perfectionist: this is the best school on the east coast. Tremblant or Killington already have the best slopes, they don't bother putting extra efforts to teach kids well. Other places really fade in comparison. Hunter - developed the most efficient system; kids emerge with skills we'll never have. Their ability to control, exercise safety and... perform! Think you ski good enough to teach them? Think twice: knowing how to ski, and knowing how to teach are two different skills and we see the results that are just so subpar in the skill levels of kids who stick to Hunter and all others...
The best part - did I mention the mountains are empty during Christmas? Yep, we pay for the public lessons (taking advantage of the deal Pay-for-5-Get-6th-Day-Free - the school applies it automatically, no need for coupons or codes)... kids end up with private/semiprivate lessons on those days! Oh, they are counting days until we head up north... And so am I ;)))
5. Favorite Project from the Week: Holiday themed composites ;)
I LOVE doing composite work, this is one place where my creativity really gets to spread its wings... holiday times offer the best opportunities!
Love chatting with you, gal, but time to get back to work!
Please share your own gift ideas (yep, I am desperately searching for some)! Please comment below which one of my favorite hit a homerun for you and what type of insights would you like to get more of!! :))
What is this all about? I know how crazy overloaded, overstuffed, overplanned your day and life feels. I am in that boat too… so here are just 5 little helpful tips/products/pieces of inspiration that I found this week, that will, hopefully, make your life a little less hectic and a little more enjoyable!
So, let’s see what I found special for you this week:
- Favorite Product: Congigo Coffee Mug!
I am not a coffee person. Neither a mug person. But homebound (and bedbound too, but I am really bad at that part, so I am “binding” myself next to my computer, with all the photo sessions to edit and… this mug full of mint and lemon to help me get out of this annoying pneumonea-thing that I somehow got myself into!)
Why I love it?
You can see my full review at my social media stories or here:
Well, it is dishwasher safe, easy to use, doesn’t burn with extremely hot stuff I like to pour inside, it is pretty (yes, it is ;) ), and… stainless steel. Yes. I even called the company to confirm it. They list all those “BPA free” claims on the box, but nothing on the stainless steel… but the company rep assured me, it actually is. Awesome!!
- Favorite Book: Drums, Girls & Dangerous Pie by Jordan Sonnenblick
My teen picked this book for his recent bookclub. Yes, he picked it. Yes, I LOVE it - this is exactly the type of book I really want my children to read - hilariously funny, deep, thought-provoking, kind and inspirational. Yes, it is deadly serious: we are talking about a little adorable boy with a bad case of leukemia. Can’t be neither more serious, nor more deadly... Yet, while the main character, his brother, is going through ever teenage, dysfunctional family, and “brother of a sick kid” drama he could - the sense of humor and kindness with which it is approached - incredibly touching and inspirational. I wanted to cry. And I would have had a lot more, if I wasn’t so busy laughing. During a book club, our kids unequivocally declared that there is just too much humor for such serious topic… but I love it. I really want them to see, that humans should remain humans in all situations. And a sense of humor is really the best tool to help through it.
Mental note to myself on the subject: I should show my kid “Life is Beautiful”. Similar concept - serious topic, but humor and kindness can touch deeper and tell you more, then all tearsquizing tricks ever could…
Our discussion had a bigger impact on me, then I expected. Check out some more insights into the teen life outlook and the WONDER quest it inspired me to: Life in One Word
- Favorite Event: Slava Snow Show
“Clowning is a certain point of view on the world, an ability to see things in a way that differs from what people usually see. It is a great pleasure to collect joyful people who live and create things in this dimension. Once you start, you cannot stop.”
Clowns? Yes and no. Slava Polunin is the genius behind the very best part of every Cirque de Soleil show - the little thoughtful, touching, hilarious mime performances in between their stunning acrobatics. I don’t like clowns. Or circus. But those mimes touch something very special inside my soul every single time!
“Basically I am a silent story teller. My closest relatives are Munchhausen and Gulliver.”
Slava Polunin may be became known here thanks to Cirque de Soleil, but his performances were taking the world by storm for so many years before and after. Originally from a small town in central Russia, Slava came to St. Petersburg to become yet another engineer. Luckily, he didn’t. Or may be he did? - an engineer of imaginative stories and hilarious looking characters that manage to touch a string in everybody’s heart? His characters are so adorably silly, yet not stupid: their naiveness has more honestly, sincerety and truth then we are sometimes even comfortable to acknoledge in ourselves…
Being part of the audience for this show is a very special experience: you don’t get to just watch; the mimes are going to climb through the raws, through the people’s heads, and into people’s hearts. Kids see these performances differently than parents do. But then, mind-wise, the kids may be somewhat closer to those mimes? Regardless, kids rave in the hilarity of the situations, roll the gigantic balls thrown into the audience, shower in confetti-style snow (and even bring some of this “goodness” home to enjoy just a few more moments of this wonderful silliness... and adults notice a thing or two to keep them pondering well after the show ;)
(See more at Who is Slava?)
Ok, now a little disclaimer: I’ve seen this show quite some years ago. I still remember and relish the experience. While I am stuck at home, my children ended up raving all about it once they were back home. Their accompanying adults noticed that the show was shortened from the one we’ve seen before, missed the cohesiveness it used to have, but they commented that it left a lasting impression.
If you have a chance - enjoy :).
- Favorite Inspirational Quote:
“Instead of agonizing about the things you can’t change, why don’t you try working on the things you CAN change?”
- Drums, Girls & Dangerous Pie by Jordan Sonnenblick
- Favorite Project from this Week:
This is my most accomplished digital painting so far! I am very excited about how it came out and the praise I got from my mentor - my mentor is usually wonderfully strict and anal about every detail... but with this painting she commented that she wasn't initially sure if it was done digitally or with real brushes. Hooray!! After more than two hours of labor - it actually felt like quite an accomplishment and I can't wait to jump and try even more challenging projects!
Please share with those who you think can find this helpful and comment below what was your favorite!!
Looking forward to hear what you think, what you found useful, what you wish for me to share more!
If you could describe life in one word - what would it be?This was the question we finished our last-week's bookclub that we had for our teens.
Our teens, the silver-spoon fed joy babies of ours', who have more iphones/gadgets/vacations/activities/entertainment/friends/grandmas... more of all possible coolest things/experiences that anyone could ever imagine... our teens, lavished by love and attention wonderfully loving families, daily showered with everything, from the latest teen-fashion-craze to the shrink services... What do you think these teens wrote?
"Confusing" , "Weird", "Lonely", "Hectic", "Too private to say out loud"... and more of the same sort.
Oh, well, regardless of all of those extras, growing up is not an easy thing, childhood is not as rosy for kids as we wish to think about it and 12-15 year olds, squashed by puberty-dramatics, feel miserable regardless of gender, day, age, country and income level.
So, what about adults?
I started asking this question everybody that I meet. "Oh... it is hard." "Complicated". "Difficult."
Honestly, out of all the answers I got - the most positive so far was "Unpredictable" - intending both in the blessings it brings and... unpleasantness too, of course.
Ok, let's glance at my own answer: I had "Challenging". I often feel like I am chasing the tail of some long forgotten calendar day, just transferring my humongous todo list from day to day, just to watch it get flooded with Kanagawa wave of new priorities.
And then my sister said her own one out loud: "WONDER".I was shocked. I was dumbfounded. I was feeling a 360 spin in my whole life's philosophy... I also want to wake up every morning to and look forward to a life full of Wonder!!!!
The next one to surprise me was my Love, my One and Only: "WONDER? Of course it is! I feel that way too. I always find something curious in every single day."
Every day already has something of a wonder to look forward to. It is not easy to see it through the veil of confusing arrays of decisions to make, weird requests from bosses and clients, loneliness of indifferent crowded train stations, hectic family schedules and all those moments, that are too private and painful to share. No, my sister's life was never for a moment an easy stroll across the bed of roses. If things can go the most difficult way - they always do for her. And it takes somebody as strong and determined to stay positive to see the WONDER regardless all the things her life throws at her.
Yes, there must be wonder, joy, something positive to look forward and enjoy. It just takes an effort, a skill.
I always wonder how the people survive through most horrific inhumane experiences - and retain willpower to live, ability to laugh, desire to bring happiness to others. I am thinking of Holocaust. Think of our own grandmas and grandpas! This whole World War II survivor generation somehow seemed to skip quite a paraphernalia of psychological dramas we are fighting day to day! Did you know many of them needing drugs from depression? Or fretting about some obstacles encompassing and towering over us as the Berlin Wall?! Maybe pessimists just don't survive? ;)
I am on a quest for WONDER.
Every day. Every morning - as I am going over my unreasonable amount of tasks I'd love to accomplish this day (yes, I still put them on paper, it helps me to keep track and prioritize them, but more about that later) - I also write down what WONDER am I looking forward to this day.
And in the evening - as I am going over my lists to squeal with excitement at the things I managed to cross off - I try to jot down a few things I am thankful for today. Different things. Ideally, somehow connected to today.
You know... managing life may still be a challenge... gripping at the positivity through thick or thin - not a small feat... but things really are not so bad after-all, if there are some things to appreciate hiding inside of every single day, aren't they?
Not bad at all.
Actually, quite WONDERful.
How would you describe life with just one word?
Why?
Join my WONDERful quest. Let's do it together, let's help our children (and especially teens) see it too ;)
Let's share our own wonders!
Can you guess one of our most surprising impressions in Israel?
Yes, I LOVE history, but keep trying. Nature? Unbelievably diverse and absolutely astonishingly beautiful, true, yet there was something else...
One of the brightest and most tender impressions we had in Israel left the airy, colorful and philosophically insightful works by Sheva Chaya - an incredible master of watercolor and glasswork that we were fascinated to meet while exploring Tzfat.
Amazingly, Sheva originally used to be our neighbor, receiving her degree from Princeton University. Sheva’s Aliyah to Israel helped her to breath in a deeper meaning into her artistry. Sheva remained in Tzfat, opened her own gallery and welcomed everybody who is excited to learn her insights into painting, glass blowing, or life’s endless “why’s”.
Sheva’s workmanship, craftsmanship, meaning behind - completely captured my imagination: I believe me and the kids spent a few hours wondering and admiring the masterpieces in her studio and garden...
Sheva’s paintings hold the airy whimsical kindness of Chagall’s work mixed in with precision of the Old Masters and the heartening truths if the surrealists.
Sheva’s watercolor portraits feel like synagogue’s stain glass windows (no less significant!). Glass pieces have an air of fluidity only a dripping painterly brush can give to a blank sheet. Watching Sheva work, admiring her mastery - we couldn’t help wondering which artworks are more transparent, which ones hide more secrets - her glass masterpieces... or watercolor ones.
Chag Sameach. Yom Tov.
Stay safe.
Easy fast.
For another 5780 years.
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How does a busy mom cam ever find the time to do everything on her plate?! That is my daily marathon... And one of the hardest things squeeze in - is a workout.
I try to workout every day. ("Try" is the key word ;) ) Even for the little-lest bit. 10 minutes here, half and hour there, 45 minutes the next day and non at all after that. Well, little by little, before you know, I can see my muscles taking a whole other shape!
I applaud and take my hat off to those moms, who manage getting to the gym on regular basis.
But for most of us, whether your kids are small or big, even that is challenge: it seems it is easier to climb the Everest, than to find the time to make bodies last up to kids' graduation (let alone look good)!!! Climb the Everest - at least we can justify this as a family vacation and junior getting some fresh air! Gym... oh, well.
For me - at home workout is the only option to make it work: sometimes I have 40 minutes, sometimes only 10. And sometimes, like today, I have a half an hour, but too exhausted after a late-night editing session. 4 hours of sleep is definitely not enough (and a kid marching into the bedroom at dawn to discuss how many toys to take for his sleepover - is a kind of a rough way start that day in first place).
Working out at home it is.
With the magic of youtube, we have the whole world at our fingertips. Yet sometimes, I find that searching for the "right" workout video to follow today - takes longer, then the actual workout itself! If this sounds familiar in any way - I am here to help. I started a playlist of my favorite workout videos - little challenges, all of which could be done at home without any special equipment and in as little time as you have for it.
I need constant challenge, so I keep adding to it to discover more.
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL0peaEU2BLifRNtmhEksmPW13-p_deUMT
Share your favorites! I'd be constantly adding to this list and knowing your favorites, or even if you know a video or two to add to my own workout routine - I can't wait to see it!!!
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Ok, I admit it!! I am hoarder. It literally hurts me to throw things out… especially, good things. Especially, good food, like fruits and vegetables. Especially, perfectly good food, that just doesn’t look so pretty any more, like those poor overripe speckled bananas!!!
Fellow mamas and dads! I was looking for a healthy recipe to get kids excited and me…avoid feeling the guilt of stuffing them with unhealthy junk. This one got me really curious: absolutely no processed ingredients, no sugar and… just 5 healthy items in addition to overripe bananas! We tried it: yes!!! Healthy, yummy, easy, kid approved and quickly devoured by three tough little critics :)
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 10-20 min (depending on a size of your muffin pan)
Total time: 25-30 min
Ingredients:
- 2 large ripe bananas
- 1 cup of whole wheat flour (you are welcomed to use regular or mix it together - go as healthy as you are comfortable)
- 2 eggs
- ¼ cup of melted extra virgin coconut oil (feel free to substitute for any vegetable oil if you are not a fan of coconuts; I personally love cooking with coconut oil - you can’t ever taste it and it is such a healthy option!)
- 1 teaspoon of baking soda
- ¼ cup of maple syrup (sugar free one, or not sugar free, or, again, substitute it for your favorite way to sweeten it up - keep in mind you don’t need much with sweet ripe bananas in a tow)!
- Optional (but my kids LOVED it): 1 teaspoon of ground cinnamon
- Optional: chocolate chips (ok, I don't even need to say who was the driving force behind this ingredient, ha-ha!)
Preparation:
- Preheat the oven for 350’F.
- Mix all ingredients in this order: flour, coconut oil, eggs, mashed bananas, baking soda, maple syrup - and cinnamon, if you enjoy it’s aroma as much as we do :). I love my food processor, so I just used a metal S blade attachment and let it rip: batter was ready in less than a minute, cutting our prep time in half!
- Pour (or use a spoon) the batter into the muffin pan. You can prep the pan by rubbing it with more coconut oil to avoid muffins getting stuck. I just inserted little paper cups and poured the batter right in.
- Ok, that's where my kids sneaked in a few dark chocolate chips on the top ;)
- Off into the oven it goes! Our muffin pan openings are fairly small, so in 15 minutes all of them were ready. Check when your ones are ready by inserting a toothpick into a few until it comes out all nice and clean!
- Let it cool off before eating and… enjoy!!! My boys gave it two thumbs up pairing it with a nice cup of vanilla soy milk, and really raved over it when they enjoyed it with a cup our own healthy Homemade Hot Chocolate after a fun snowy day!
Nutrition
Serving: 16 medium muffins | Calories: 61 kcal | Protein: 1.1g | Fat: 2.7g | Fiber: 0.4g | Sugar: 3.2g
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Feeling blue doesn’t have to be sad ;)Three passions
For those who are new to my page, allow me to introduce myself: I am Elly Dream. Alenka. A contemporary portrait photographer and a Mom. Three passions drive my life:
Family
Number one is definitely a family. Not just my own: any Family is beautifully sacred to me. I am first a mom, and, just like you, ready to bend over backwards for those I love. And I do. The bending. Just like you, girl ;) Family, its legacy, is what filling everything that I do with meaning. Some of the little hacks we find on a way through this family journey - I like to share, to save you the time that I already spent searching for it myself.
Art
Number two is - Art. Flowing strokes of paint, sharp streaks of drawing, architectural lines of sculpture, intricate play of words in favorite works of literature, magical sounds of music, impactful theatrical performances - all of those aspects of culture unique to humans - both ancient and modern - inspire, give me solace, bring fascination and help me understand and express things dear to me. And its meaning doubles when I get to share it with the kids. Feel free to use it, girl, if your kiddos could benefit from it too.
Quest of Learning
Number three is my never ending quest of learning. Almost anything, from sports to business, but in particular - history. Always at it.
Photography encompasses all of those for a... Family Historian.
Photography brings them altogether. I like to call myself a Family Historian on an endless quest to learn and capture, preserve life’s most precious valuables: our love for our children, our special family milestones, the real personalities that make the ones we love so unique and so special to us!! In an artistic way :)).
Children - true to their personality, and mom - just stunning!
In my images, I strive to capture children to looking authentic, and mom… her absolute best. Through the eyes of those who love her - you! - so much... Capturing not just the look, but the special connection, the love, the tenderness, the overwhelming desire to shield our little ones from the bad and open their hearts wide to every magically wonderful surprise that world has to offer!!!
Perfecting the headshot!
My current emphasis is on headshots: they really allow me to isolate and refine the lighting skills, little posing hacks that take looking people good - a long way; and, most importantly, getting true personality - getting live, confident and
The selfportrait at the top is my most recent headshot practice test. What do you think?
Your turn! What drives YOU?
Most importantly, what gets you going? What gives you a reason to get out of bed in the morning? What's your passion, what is the reason behind everything that you do?
Come back to share my progress, as my skills evolve - and share what gets you going, what drives you, what makes you get up in the morning! Would love to hear those!
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"Babies are national treasures," - said Mark Twain to his audience in one of his most triumphant speeches, delivered in 1879 at a banquet in honor of Ulysses S. Grant. "Among the three or four million cradles now rocking in the land are some which this nation would preserve for ages as sacred things, if we could but know which ones they are."
As much as I recently became captivated with the charismatic personality of Mark Twain, (and the Ulysses Grant, for that matter as well - both are my latest and greatest fascinations left over from vacation reading time)... I don't care which one one of the million cradles will prove to be sacred down the road. To me, every single one of them is already sacred.
To every mom - her own baby's one is the most holy of them all, no matter what type of genius is cooing in the cradle next door. Who knows, maybe if we treasure every single one of them AND manage to give every single one of them the gift of love, understanding... and belief in themselves!.. maybe every single one of them can sprout somebody truly remarkable? And if not... may be just truly happy? They don't always go together...
Sounds terrific. Now the biggest question: how do we do that?! Somebody truly wise suggested me today, that it is letting go and realizing our babies (regardless of their age!!) need a chance to figure things for themselves... with all the pain that comes with it... and turn back to us not for an advice, but just for understanding and support. Understanding this is much easier then having the patience and perseverance to make this work...
Please share how you approach it, find both courage and endurance for raising these irresistible adorable cuties into the amazing (and, yes, happy) human beings we'd love to admire as grown ups!
This is the most amazing reproduction behavior story I’ve ever heard. It involves a very carrying mothering. It involves… fire. It involves… a tree. And the tree is not the place for some hot loving… actually, I am wrong: the tree is the place for the hot loving. AND the tree is the one who does the loving. Yep. The hot one.
Douglas Firs grow to be some of the oldest trees in the world. Do you know anybody else (plant or, ha-ha, fauna), who can beat the 1000 year old record? These trees find it a piece of cake.
The sycamores and redwoods in California can accomplish some of these feats. They grow really-really wide. The Douglas Fir does no such thing. It is a modern fashion diva: slim, tall and sexy, with its gorgeous mane of gentle looking needles more than 300 feet up high in the sky. While she is young, they bring joy and beauty to the littlest Canadians: young Douglas Firs make the most attractive Christmas Trees. And the mature, fully grown beauties would be a bit hard to decorate with Christmas lights: the tallest one today holds a record of 316 feet high! It hurts the neck to tip the head back far enough to see this treetops disappear in the clouds.
This gorgeous tree-diva is not just tall. She is a true sun worshiper. She hates the shade, she has to be fully bathing in the sun beans for the whole world to admire her beauty. And the little babies that she sprouts here and there, follow her lead: they desperately crave every drop of sun there is.
This amazing tree-diva is the most devoted mom I’ve ever seen in in a plant world. She helps her babies to get more sun. How can she do that?
Through extremely careful family planning.
And really hot reproduction practices.
Literary hot. She needs a… fire.
Yes, the terrifying forest fire can be incredibly beneficial for the natural forest lifestyle. Douglas Tree is welcoming it with all its might.
Why would a tree be welcoming fire, you would ask? Can’t it burn?!
That's the thing! It can’t. Once it passes 30 year mark, it… can’t. It is a FIREPROOF TREE! Have you heard of anything like this?! It’s bark has some unique structure and easily withstands really passionate and fiery moments. Days. Weeks.
She does more than that: Douglas tree heats up inside so much from all the passions raging wild around her, her sap and insides just boil like a tea kettle. And just like a tea kettle, she wants to let off the steam. With a bang.
So Douglas Tree uses the tree-burrowing insects’ tunnels to let off some steam. Again, just like the kettle, steam is escaping with a great sense of rush and strong flow. It is covering everything in the 25m radius with it’s hot, steaming fluides… that are not so fireproof as the bark of the tree. Quite the opposite - it is extremely highly flammable!
So everything in the 25m radius around the Douglas Fir is starting to burn even with a greater passion. So great, actually, that by the end of the whole messy ordeal, the only one who remains - is the sweet tall Douglas tree in the middle of the ash covered meadow. Ash covered - the most fertile soil you could think off…
Time to release the babies! This tree’s cones and seeds are too hard to open up even for squirrels. But after days and days of raging fires below, they dry up quite nicely, fall down all the way from the top, and both from the strong aftermath of such a long fall, and from dryness - open up like seashells to the waves. The new little seedlings take on growing quite comfortably and surprisingly fast, enjoying every bit of sunshine their loving tree-mom just opened up for them.
I’ve got to admit, that I was absolutely smitten by this incredible story. We work so hard on getting creative in the tiny little things that we do… and this tree just outdid us all, ha-ha!
My boys were in awe as much as we were. Thanks to the amazing Catalano Suspension Bridge guides, they were fascinated with nature much more than I could ever dream of. It puts yet another big point to our “traveling with kids” argument… with impressions like these, they just bound to grow more caring and compassionate to the world around them, aren’t they?
I absolutely cringe at over-retouched images. Yet, how much is enough?
When I am bringing the finished images, I am often asked how they come out looking so beautiful. “Photoshop”? No, photoshop gets a bad rap today due to its potential, overuse and sheer mystery of its powers.
Photoshop is an important part of the work, but a good image start in camera. “You have a good camera, it must be taking great photos!” Oh, yes, it is a very good camera, but the photos that it takes - are as good as the person holding them can make it. If I give you just a few tips, your own shots will improve drastically as well, really!
It starts with the right lens choice, posing, lighting, backgrounds, even clothing and makeup. With an extensive preconsult, often in person, we start with the clothing selections that are the most flattering and photograph best. Then I select the right backgrounds to help bring out all the attention to the face.
Lighting is huge! Posing is even bigger - you often hear me say during the sessions “it feels awkward, but looks great”! Weird moves with the chin, mouth, hips, ("lift up!", "lean!", “bottom back!”), feet, eyebrows, - elongate necks, add shape to the body, hide imperfections, create visual flow: make a world of difference when added to camera angles and the right lens selection.
Add the most important ingredient - expression. Expression topples everything: lgihting, posing, clothing. I ask gazillion of questions, give surprising directions, blurt out total nonsense - all to get the confident, fun, mysterious, soulful or just plain happy look.
And once it’s done - it is Photoshop’s time. Your pores, your wrinkles - you get to keep them. They are part of who you are, what you’ve been through, what made the unique and special blend that your loved ones want to see every day. Slide over to see the details of the eyes - it is all there. I can lighten them - to attract less attention, but they are all still there with you to stay. You earned them. Cherish them as a part of who you are.
I do remove a lot of insignificant things. My merit? If it doesn’t define who you are and how you look, it can go. We don’t notice those things, yet everybody has them, from newborns to elderly: bags under the eyes, acne, leechy lines on the necks, fly away hairs, shiny spots on the skin. When it comes to scars and birthmarks - that’s your call, depends on your self identity: some people are eager to remove them, some have memories attached and see those things to be part of their image.
Before sending an image to print I'll take a few more steps - remove the veins in the eyes, even more stray hairs, adjust colors based on lab profiles to ensure the skin tones print out correctly.
Another gigantic part of any retouch: adding toning, coloring, artistic touches that make my images look… mine.
And, finally comes the last component: love. I am blessed to meet those people who always have something fascinating about them. Everybody has something fascinating about them, and I love to find it during the preconsult, photo-session, and make it come through in the retouch.
Look at these eyes!!! They glow with gentle warmth and deep understanding. Yet, there is so much strength and determination! She is a mom, she is a business woman, she is a professional like no other. I am fascinated, inspired, captivated. I am truly in love. Can't you tell from these images, ha-ha? "All you need is love"...
All of this takes time… and it takes a lot of practice… and I keep learning and hope to get better at it with every job, every class, every image. Come back to me in a year, I'll be able to discover and bring out something new and even more amazing in you!
I finished my last story at the part, where’s beautiful French maiden thought she couldn’t be bothered with by the mad changes of the European political map, when she suddenly was greatly bothered by the appearance of impressive looking former-Viking-nowadays-French-Well, none of this was customary at that time. So the Duke, being a Duke, a Norseman, a former Viking, and an ex-pirate descendant, of course, said...yes. Yess!!!! Sure, honey!!!
The funniest thing is, while the actual first encounter is part of the mystery and has some variations, both Duke’s intentions and the maiden’s demands are documented in historical documents!! White horse, pretty dress and even the facial bushery! While it is less clear about the wife, the girl did get her horse, dress and the main gate parade.
And soon afterwards, she had her reward in an the infant-currency: she had a sweet little boy, named William. Billy-boy. Whom Duke loved dearly and named his heir.
And they lived happily ever after.
Wait, not everyone was so happy about this. They were so unhappy about this. Some of those weird blokes called him bad names and even plotted some really nasty games for little Willie, very much like the charming looking lion Scar does in Lion King (as I explained it to my children, who were so fascinated by the whole tale, that even stopped impersonating little vikings for a moment and stopped to listen about some relatives of the big ones; moreover, some other people were swooped up by the breezes from our distant past and brought their own little ones into our train compartment to hear more about these fascinating medieval encounters... and boy, did they become even more fascinating!!! My own kids weren't fighting for the entire 45 minute of a train ride to hear more about what was about to happen!!!)
But that’s a subject of another story :))
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One of our recent trips was in Mystic, CT. The plan was incredibly simple, the trip - rewarding on so many levels that we are still rolling in the positive feelings about it. The most surprising part of the trip? Vikings!!! Yup, Vikings in Connecticut!
Mystic Seaport has tons to offer to a family with kids. And I'll be thrilled to share the details with those who are curious to retrace our footsteps and entertain their own budding travellers with absolutely immense amount of educational fun... but first, the history geek in me is totally eager to share a story that we learned during our trip. It begins in... Europe. A long time ago. Even before that. Actually, around 11 century, for those who are even geekier about numbers than I am about history.
Love history. Take history of one of the Viking conquests: once upon a time, a French girl was washing clothes at the nearby river. Little did she think of the latest developments in the medieval European map changes: the violent and powerful raids of the Norse men, voracious Viking warriors, totally changed the European coastline. Their swift and powerful attacks were exhausting continental dwellers and French king, Phillip The Simple, decided to take a really not so simple solution: hire a squad of Vikings to defend his coastal cities from... other Vikings. Excellent idea, except the Vikings now had the insider’s knowledge of the defenses and were happy to put that knowledge to use during the next raid! Phillip The Simple wasn’t as simple as his name would suggest, and had an even better idea: he decided to give up some of his lands... to some Norse former raiders. Now, once they were finally defending their own territories, they were a lot more diligent at protecting it. I’d even say faithful. And... as voracious at it. That’s how the area of Normandy was born with the leaders of former pirates as the new Dukes.
Well, a French girl was innocently washing the clothes when suddenly, a scary looking Viking ship decided to make a landing right beside her. The intentions - are perfectly clear to anyone, they were commonplace. But the results... were anything but. And they had so much implications on the entire world history, that it totally blew my mind. But that’s - tomorrow: our car is pulling into the driveway and I am running out of character limits at this platform!
Once upon a time there were three little... no, not pigs, not even piglets. Still, they loved to squeal, roll in a mud, make silly sounds, play around all day long and behave like three silly little pigs. They even enjoyed building little houses that were not from straw, sticks or, thank God, bricks, but were just from pillows. One of them was sweet and loved unicorns, the other was naughty and loved aircraft carriers, the third was creative and was a good friend of Santa. Well on this rainy day these three little friends (no, not piglets) already tried every possible good game they could come up with and were about to get really silly. Their three loving mommies didn’t want to turn into the Big Bad Wolves from all the pig-like silliness and offered a simple and fun craft... that would be fast, cute and creative.
So these moms...
1. Preheated the oven for 300F (oh, 200F would probably be enough)
2. Got some old beaten up crayons and a silicone heart shaped baking sheet (oh, so they thought).
2. Got paper off each of the the crayons with a knife, nails, teeth, and sheer determination (oh, not that big of a deal for a determined mommy)
3... and broke those crayons in small pieces. (pliers really help with that)
Then they called the three little troublemakers, who...4. Filled the baking sheet heart-shaped holes with crayons (oh, they loved this part so much!)
5. ... and excitedly watched mommies place the tray into the oven.
10 minutes later, mommies discovered:
1. Crayons completely melted, creating very pretty colorful shapes.
2. Cute little silicone tray turned out to be intended for ice and not baking, so it was getting melted too, and it’s shapes were not as pretty.
So mommies quickly grabbed the tray from the oven, splashing some crayons along the way... Three little (not piglets!) haven’t demolished the rest of the house yet, but came running back to admire the colorful liquid heart-shaped creations and even more colorful and almost liquid tray.
To add to their excitement, three magical mommies unleashed the magic of pixie dust: they got out the glitter. The three little ones, who weren’t piglets, squealed as loudly as the real pigs and almost became airborne with all the glitter flying around. Mommies were smart, and covered the area with trays and paper. Little ones were even smarter, and shaked the glitter bottles vigorously enough to cover all the surrounding area in gold. Oh, not such a big deal, they loved waiving brooms afterwards just as much.
And as soon as crayons dried (which is surprising, considering how many times the little fingers poked around to find out if they are ready), they were... wonderful. So beautiful, that even a Big Bad Wolf would turn into a Sweet Little Puppy and would wish to bring one of them to Grandma for a Mother’s Day.
And silicone tray actually survived too.
Happy Mother’s Day. Skip the ice-cube tray, head for a real silicone baking one and enjoy this really easy, creative and fun craft with even the littlest sweet (Not a piglet!) of yours!!!!
Ah, the magical prom times. Girls, flowering with colorful and stylish dresses; guys - for the first time trying out a GQ look. The phones go clicking with constant sharing and praise... all the nature around is joining in on the celebration with happy colors and vigorous blooming... what a happy moment, isn’t it? Oh, what a hell of a stressful day!!!
Childhood! We are used to see it through the rosy sunglasses of our own distorted memories as a blissful and happy times. Not a worry in a world... just love, games, magic and excitement as kids move from one amazing activity to the next... and our teens? Haven’t they been dealt a lucky ticket? With all the technologies and new activities, with a court of devoted relatives dancing around them, with all the amazing opportunities, the horizons with in their grasp like never before!!! Just thinking of our own happy times years and years ago... Ow, wow... oh, wow!! Boy, does our memory play a naughty trick on us!!!!
Neither childhood nor teen years are easy-peasy bliss, as our own deceptive memories and overexaggerated efforts make it seem. Every Tom and Becky can tell you, that these are the times of thousands worries, frustrations, constant turbulence that the new innovations just triple and quadruple. What are their worries compared to ours?! They don’t have mouths to feed! Yet, every LEGO ship that doesn’t work out or a friend’s remark that burned a whole in a little self confidence - are killers. Add all those overbearing adults with all their expectations, rules, and limits!!... And the ones who get an especially hard one - are the teens. Every worry comes multiplied by a hundred, every expectation - drilled right through them with a chainsaw, every piece of technology and opportunity - is a hungry harpy on their back. I had a truly blissful childhood and teen years full of independence, love and support: so it seems today. It didn’t feel that way back then. Never would want to go back or, god forbid, trade spaces and worries of my adult life with today’s kids’ ones.
Prom times: picking the right dress: not too sexy, not too boring, not like someone else has, not totally out of today’s high School fashion and vibe. Add instagram pressures into the mix.
Next come the the self-confidence worries: too far, too flat, too short, too tall... my nephew came up with three stunning ways to invite a girl for a prom. Why three? Because despite being told “yes” every time, he, somehow, ended up in a necessity to go through it again, trying with a different girl... “Almost didn’t go at all”: is a phrase I hear every single time, despite countless preparations and anticipations.
The school are not making it easier in the girls: they leave such a ridiculously tiny time slots for them to prepare and impose such harsh regulations to avoid kids skipping school altogether that day! Getting hair, makeup, flowers, getting ready on this day is an acrobatic trick on its own.
Now add the peer pressures, parties, celebrations, some of which seem to trigger more anxiety than excitement.
In the end... I dare to think, that taking pictures turned out the most relaxing and fun moment of them all. Validating the beauty, crowning all the preparations with special memories, creating something tangible and stunning in the midst of all the chaos.
As a wishful thinking, these images don't have in them a thousand worried texts, soggy grass, eyes full of tears from worry. It has only the most beautiful captures of a girl so fun, playful, graceful, glamorous, wise beyond her years and blessed to be surrounded by those who love her so much. And in the end, that's what we want to remember, since this is what is more important than all the reasons for that worries...
I love how photography helps to chisel out in our memory only the most important: as the time goes by, the little unsettling everyday difficulties fade away. All of those little worrisome moments that overfill our patience, burst frowns all over our foreheads, fill our hearts with doubt... What stays - is the most important. Painful difficulties pale and subside or turn into the humorous stories.... Images help to reflect that; they even get us to this blissful place in our memories faster. The place that years and years from now will appear so valuable, heavenly beautiful and unforgettably touching!!!
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Tamara Lackey.
Thank you for contacting Dream Come True Photo! Yes, I am so excited to hear from you and help you to design a special experience to boost and preserve your brand, your self-confidence, your unique personality!
I know, we've already talked about our session in depth, settled on some goals and budget, time to discuss the juiciest details: your outfits, dear!
Even I've got to admit: when it comes to clothing selection, Glamour and Personal Branding photoshoots are the most fun to prepare. With just a few basic guidelines to keep in mind, this is that one session where you can get the most adventurous, the most authentic, the most elegant, the most stylish, the most daring and the most... YOU!
What do you need?
Think 4-6 outfits. Think variety of textures and styles. Think accessories. Think hats, scarves, necklaces, rings!!! Skip shoes. Ok, ok, I got it! That pair is too precious, yes, it belongs with the outfit and yes, of course I'll figure out a way to incorporate it into a shot. No, we don't have to photograph each of those, but it is better to have a selection...
Wait, darling! Not every outfit is right for the job: we'll cover in detail what photographs best. Yet, even before you head into your closet, I have a created a special Questionnaire that helps my clients (and me!) identify their goals for the session, stylistic preferences, unique personality and create the look that would work best for every single one of those. What, you already filled it out? Good gracious, you are the best!!! Yep, once you have a clear vision what we are about to create, let's get those zippers cracking, those heels clicking, those saches flailing!
And... this is the spot where every one of my clients usually says they have absolutely nothing to wear. Yep, its' true... and then they show up with a suitcase full of hundreds of combinations and outfits! That's fine, I like options. I'd photograph them all if the time allows, but we can always pick the best options together...
What you really need to remember:
- It is not that complicated! I promise!
- I am here to help you at every step. Yep.
- Still in doubt? Call me, text me, email me, send me a snapshot and you'd find me even more excited to listen and discuss the details than your girlfriends. Still not sure? Bring it all. Things that would not work as well, we don’t have to photograph. Things that you don’t bring, I can’t photograph.
- Moreover, ask me about my Design and Style Consultation - I absolutely love to meet you in person and help you hand-pick every item that will be the right choice for your special experience.
Feeling better? Then let's get to...
4 Types of Outfits to Bring
Just like the bride needs something old, something new... you need: something light, something dark, something sassy, your trademark! Yep, silly, but easy to remember ;)
- Something Light: I love both light colors and light fabrics (not necessarily in one package). Silky flowy pieces that fly in a breeze, shimmer and sparkle as you give it a go, allow you to play with it as you dance and have fun.
- Something Dark: nothing can beat the elegance of all dark outfit. Your favorite business suite, or a little black dress, or a navy lace top over jeans, or a long velvet
gown - awwww, all of them are timelessly stunning. - Something Sassy. Or Sexy. Or something you like to wear for going out. Or THAT special dress you are still waiting for THAT rare occasion to wear!
- Your Trademark! Your very special look: not something you get to wear every day, but something that looks like it is "you and all of your dreams"... think of your favorite designer, style icon, movie character, celebrity, magazine, personality traits, things you love to do: is it going to be Chanel or Anthropology? Lace or sequin? Audrey Hepburn or Lady Gaga? Short bohemian tutu or long pair of ripped jeans? Your dance flowing skirt or workout yoga pants? We've created looks based on a work attire, Halloween costumes, gym comfies... it is all about You!
Quick and Easy Dressing Dos and Don’ts
These are not hard and fast rules. These are my favorite guidelines for getting the best look in the images. Still, keep in mind, that if it is special for you, true to your personality, I’ll find a way to make it look good in a shot. Some of these may look familiar... some may be specific to this janra.
5 Quick DOs:
- You can pick as many outfits, changes of clothing as you like.
- Don't forget your accessories: hats, scarves, necklaces all make your look more personal and the experience - so much more fun!
- Find things that you love, make you feel good, stylish, fun - whatever the feeling you'd like to portray. Feel free to go shopping. No need to cut the tags - still images allow us to hide them. Or...
- Use your home as an inspiration! I am notorious for fashioning curtains to look like skirts, scarves as strapless tops, even dresses out of throws... keep in mind colors in your home: thinking of spaces where your artwork can be displayed can help you integrate your clothes style and color scheme with your favorite interior design decisions.
- Please stick to solid color clothing - clothes can be as much fun as you'd like, but it is YOU who is the most important. Contrasting colors can distract from faces. Feel free to pick bright, fun, anything that suits you, but in one outfit Vary the TEXTURES, not colors.
- Get layers - blazer or vest over a blouse (as additional option), two-piece, shawl over a dress... more variation!
- Keep it timeless! You want to enjoy looking at these clothes 10-15 years down the
road.
3 Easy DON’Ts:
- Please skip patterns, stripes, letters and trends. Stripes and patterns create optical illusions. Logos and letters are really-really distracting. Minute trends date the images. I’d like to create portraits for you that are as pleasing to the eye in 10-20-50 years from now. Timeless. Emotional. Touching.
- Avoid loose or baggy clothes: it is all about shape! No matter what size you wear, stop hiding your body! I can shed 10-20 pounds with lighting, posing and a gentle retouch. Form fitting clothes make you look slimmer while baggy ones... well, you got the point.
- When it comes to colors, avoid extremes: too bright, too contrasty. Again, these images should be about you.
Review more clothing ideas on our Glamour Pinterest Board and use them to create your own!
That’s it! Really!
Still stumbled or excited? Time to give me a call: 732 595-2121.
Another New Victory Theater masterpiece, “William Shakespeare’s Long Lost Play” by Reduced Shakespeare Company. The great bard was either spinning in his grave like a fan on steroids, or died all over again from laughter. Cause these guys’ interpretation of his works took them shamelessly far. They started off declaring that today’s Disney stories are based on Shakespeare’s ideas... well, think about it: an evil uncle is cunningly murdering his brother, marring his brother’s wife, and sending a young prince on a wild trip of doubts ending with a revenge to sort this mess out. What is it? Hamlet? Nope! The Lion King. Wild twin adventures? The Parent Trap. Midsummer Night Dream? Fantasia. Othello? Alladin. Alladin?!! Yep, it has scheming Yago! Ok, it is a bit of a stretch, but really funny how much of an impact Shakespeare’s works had on today’s culture.Well, they didn’t stop at that. Three absolutely brilliant actors (truly remarkable!!), turned the entire body of work of the great bard into a wild medley of characters and stories, all intertwined, all hilariously funny, all filled with majestic Shakespearean lines, all naughtily and charmingly transformed. No humorous tools were left behind, high or low. “Mom, is there going to be sword fighting?” - asked my son on a way to the theater. Not really... but there were water guns! The Shakespearean lovers were either quivering their lips as were leaving the theater in the middle of the performance or laughing so hard, that their faces were wet with tears long before the actors started spraying their audience with water guns. What an introduction to this body of great literature.
Well, my son loved it! To him, the name of Shakespeare no longer sounds like a boring old fashioned torture device.
Besides... Shakespearean stories are really not my favorites. Unlike the literary founders from Russia (Pushkin, Tolstoy), Shakespear didn’t have surfs to feed him. He had to feed his family with his craft. His plays had too appeal to everybody: royalty, Gentry, commoners, who would otherwise practice their rotten tomatoes throwing skills. And they did. He always has some rich and miserable, and drunk, common, silly, funny characters. He always had an over abundance of drama, tears, pathos. Just like “Titanic”, he loves large scale tragedies. Just like modern soap operas, his Richards and Henrys are endlessly shedding their tears from troubles. And just like a modern sitcoms, there is always a place for laughter, political pokes, satirical moments.
This play had it all! So, I think modern day Shakespeare would’ve looked exactly like this! He’d have some epical “either everybody dies in the first 10 minutes or does it long and tear-squeezing” scenes; he’d have these shamelessly funny productions. Who knows, may be even water guns 😉
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I hope those who know this family very well wouldn't be surprised by my choice of an image to accompany this story. Those who know this family will feel their heart squeezing with sadness, as they remember the beautiful girl, happily admiring her little ones... in the last months of her devastating battle against cancer. She will always remain in our memories. I still have hard time to speak about it... ... I think this was their last outing together, it all went downhill so quickly and so painfully right afterwards... that we all feel blessed to be able to share those special moments together. Blessed by every moment they enjoyed. Blessed by more amazing things still in store for them as the life goes on despite the pain of the loss, despite the difficult times. It could always be worse. It will always be better. Even in a silly way.
And while I believe that this story was written quite a share of irony... I find it true. This is how I live. This is how I try to live. This is how I want to live! Life is wonderful and we really should hold on to every positive moment while we can!
Life is Wonderful
Life is quite an unpleasant business, but it is not so very hard to make it wonderful. For which purpose it is not enough that you should win 200,000 roubles in a lottery, or receive the order of the White Eagle, or marry a beautiful woman -- all these blessings are transitory and are liable to become a habit. But to feel continuously happy, even in moments of distress and sorrow, the following is needed:
(a) To be satisfied with your present state; and
(b) To rejoice in the knowledge that things might have been much worse.
When your matches suddenly go off in your pocket, rejoice and offer thanks to heaven that your pocket is not a gunpowder magazine.
When your relations come to pay you a visit during your holiday in the country, don't turn pale, but exclaim triumphantly: "How very lucky it is not the police!"
If you get a splinter in your finger, rejoice that it is not in your eye.
If your wife and sister-in-law practises scales on the piano, don't lose your temper, but be grateful for the joy that you are listening to music, and not to the howling of jackals, or to a cat's concert.
Rejoice that you are not a tram-horse, nor a Koch bacillus, nor a trichina, nor a pig, nor an ass, nor a bear lead by a gipsy, nor a bug.
Rejoice that at the moment you are not a prisoner in the dock; that you are not interviewing your creditors, and that you have not to arrange the question of fees with Turba, the editor.
If you can live in a place not so remote as Siberia, can't you feel pleased at the idea, that by mere chance you might have been deported there?
If you have pain in one tooth, rejoice that it is not all your teeth that are aching.
Rejoice that you can afford not to read the 'Daily Citizen'; that you have not to drive a sewage cart, nor to be married to three women simultaneously.
If you are removed to a police cell, jump for joy that it is not the fiery gehenna that you have been taken to.
If you are flogged with a birch rod, kick your legs in rapture, and exclaim: "How very happy I am that it is not nettles I am being flogged with!"
If your wife has been unfaithful to you, rejoice that she has betrayed merely yourself, and not your country.
by Anton Chekhov
1885
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If trapeze was the scariest thing I ever tried, then the waterskis, definitely was the hardest. Ever.
I am not one of those people who is just a “natural” at this or that. Getting a great deal of flexibility, I was spared from strength, coordination and an ability to retain a level-head during an adrenalin rush. Nope, none of those.
Though, I’ve got super loads of stubbornness. You can call me persistent, willful or even obstinate, but I don’t quit. Whether i am pursuing a Photo that eludes me, reading a book that I find annoying, or trying a new skill that just doesn’t work out.
Like words in a song, things “don’t come easy to me”, so I am particularly good of making a fool of myself. Again. And again.
When it came to waterskis, I wanted “just to try and see if I like it”. Well, I never expected to fail so epically. Yep, all four times in a raw. “Don’t push”, - advised the guy (all muscles and sunglasses) at the wheel of a motor boat. Oh, trust me I didn’t push at anything!! As the boat was going straight, one of my water skis was racing to head left and the other was as eager to rush in the opposite direction! I am sort-off attached to both of them, so instead of choosing either one of them to chase, I would just flip face down into the water, smile meekly, and wonder where did I go wrong again.
The guy was already dragging me back to the pier, when I accidentally actually got up and started riding!! It was horrible. Painful. Uncomfortable. Ugly. But I emerged from the water triumphantly and gave myself a word that I would give it one more chance just to prove to myself (and all the onlookers at the pier) that I am not such a useless dork afterwards.
Boy, did I present quite enough of proof. In my next (5!!!) attempts, I couldn’t nearly stand up even once. Even remotely.
Struggling a smile through the clenched teeth (only to keep tears from turning this version of Home-funniest video into lousy soap opera), I was ready to pray to all the river gods, boat ones and weird feet attachments there could possibly be, just to grant me a few seconds of being successfully dragged behind the boat and to be free to leave this forsaken place forever.
Religious rites turned out unnecessary.
One of the sweet guys in charge of the pier, took me aside to show me “the ropes” again. I tried to complain that doing it on a ground is not the same: here, nobody is trying to knock my feet away from me, or pulling my legs in the opposite directions. So he made me pull the bar and even himself (I didn’t know I could do that!!) off the ground just to get a better feel for it. Yep, as weird as it gets. He was trying to be helpful so much, that I just couldn’t say no...
So I slid back into the water, clumsily got my bearings, aligned the skis, cursed my own stubbornness, and... suddenly got up!!! Yep, got up and took a ride across the whole river!!!
I was so much in shock, that I didn’t even leave... i made a fool of myself a few more times, took another big ride, hastily slipped out of my safety jacket and started a bee line to the exit, when the same sweet guy caught me by surprise with a question if I’ll come back tomorrow. Ha-ha, so sweet, so innocent. How do I tell you, dear, that this is absolutely the last time I am subjecting myself to this torture and embarrassment? Hm, would it be “definitely not” or “never again”? Well, I mumbled something along “I see how it goes”...
... and was back the next morning.
... and the next.
... and the next.
And I’ve got it!! No, I didn’t learn to ride gracefully or skillfully, I still look like a drunk wading duck clutching the rope for her dear life. But I did learn to get up on a first try, turn without taking a flight head first into the water in the opposite direction... and the most important - to really enjoy it!!
Am I coming back again? You bet!! They have quite a number of torture devices in their little shack - boards, single skis, etc - that will allow me to repeat the wonderful experience of making a fool of myself... and hopefully learning to love it in the end :))
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"This is one of 10 most important archeological and historical sites in the world," - declared our guide. Apparently, humility isn't part of this tour. Well, wait, people, I've heard something along similar lines in many places all over the world, so, let's see...
Jamestown. The cradle, the epicenter of the beginnings of the entire United States of America. You can point to Jericho, Mesopotamia region, entire Nile delta, Mycenaean remnants, Roman forum or Japanese early settlements... but in no other country in the world you can point to a little spot, couple of feet wide, and say with an absolute 100% percent certainty, that's where it all started.
The first British Colony overseas. 5fth attempt. First success. John Smith realized, that if this colony would fail just like the first four... this attempt would be the last one.
He started this colony with 150 pioneers in 1607, 13 years prior Mayflower hitting the Plymouth Rock.
Everything that could go wrong with this colony - did. Lack of fresh water, unfamiliar climate, prolonged drought, shipwrecked and lost supples, hostile Indian tribes. Famine and desperation lasted almost three years.
This is place where Pocahontas tried to get the history of Indian and Europeans relationships from the right foot. Sometimes successfully, sometimes not so much. But her name is known from our coast to Siberia.
After a few years of one disaster following another, out of a colony with 250 people, survived only 50. They've had it. It was time to call it quits. So, the remaining starving colonists, packed their families and scarce belongings onto a , abandoned Jamestown and... left.
And as their tiny vessel glided over the wide expanse of the James river, with the sinking hearts they suddenly spotted another one. Very small ship was heading right towards them. That was the supply ship, the one that actually made it.
It was a matter of moments. A few more... and both ships would miss each other. The unhappy settlers would reach the ocean and finally set the course back to their distant homes on the British coast. The supply ship would find an abandoned settlement and place a big cross on British attempts for expansion.
Just imagine how different the map of the world would have been if they didn't turn around and decide to come back after all...
This one single place shaped so much if the world that we know it.
Ok, I am convinced. It is one of 10 most important archeological digs in a world. And my kids are totally digging how fun it is!!
You?
Share your comments. I'd love to hear them!
I am a planer. Oh, I plan everything to the tiniest detail. And then some more. This is how this session should've gone: a sweet little one year old arriving with his mom a tiny bit earlier than the rest of the family. And, of course, he is very excited to see the charming, imaginative, stylish setup that I created right on the bank of the river and jumps right into exploring the gorgeous ship I built out for him while I lose no time in snap-snapping every special moment and experimenting with my beloved image flares. Happy mom is gazing at her little one so lovingly!... Snap! Got that one. His older brother is kneeling by the side, making funny faces, his head perfectly aligned with the sunlight. Snap! Grandma is overwhelmed with this sheer cuteness and gently walks into the shot to scoop her dear little grandson into her arms for that special hug that only a grandma can deliver. Snap! Dad with the other older brother arrive and the whole family gathers in a shade as they laughingly enjoy the beautiful day and I keep going snap, snap, snapping this perfect moment… except, it didn't go that way. Of course.
A mom got a little lost, a little late, a little stressed. Unswayed, the baby immediately jumped into my setup... and turned out a little disinterested. Ok, a lot. The only thing this young sportsman was actually interested - was running. And running he did. I always assumed I am little good at it. A little fast… He proved me wrong. Actually he would shame Usaine Bolt into giving up all his medals in favor of this aspiring little athlete.
The only one in any condition to represent a match for this 19 month old was a boisterous grandma, who could not only gently walk in her fashionable shoes, but also run, catch, scoop and deliver her favorite running champion into a desired location. On any terrain. For a quarter of a second. Then he would take off again even before grandma can make it out of my frame and the whole marathon would get started again. Shot with beloved grandma? Only while she expertly pinned the young escape artist to a bench.
Yet there was someone genuinely interested in my setup: the older brother. This 11 year old was completely in love with every piece of it. No, nooooo, of course not for taking pictures! For taking it apart!! The stylish scarf, that I used as a sail in my little cute boat, perfectly color coordinated with mom’s dress, was immediately unraveled from the ship and used in the most appropriate way for an experienced navy seal: as a waving tool to signal other boats. We probably scared them all off our calm little lake with the amount of swaying, swinging, throwing in the air and just general commotion on land.
The middle brother arrived to the scene and immediately declared that he hated taking photographs, will do nothing of this sort, and would walk the earth all the way to the North pole just to put as much distance as possible between himself and my camera. And he was determined to prove it.
Heavy artillery was required to bring order into this chaos. With a swift cowboy flicker of a hand, I whisked my trusty gun out… bubble gun that is. Quacking bubble gun, that looks like a duck and makes the most offensive noises. And immediately gets everyone’s attention. Actually so much, that I lost the bubble gun immediately in favor for some “helpful” budding cowboys, closely related to the junior subject of my imagery. Actually so much, that we’ve lost the bubble juice within minutes.
But it didn’t matter. Mom may had been lost while driving, but wasn’t at all when it came to swift decisions concerning her kids. In went the bananas, snacks and… here comes the magic… cookies! Well done, mom. Just like puppies, kids try very hard to get their treats. They are a little too fast in consuming them, and a lot smarter in wiggling out of some things connected to getting to those treats, but cookies helped A LOT.
And then I pulled the best card out of my bag of treats: sheer fun. Jumping, running, chasing, playing - kids call it fun. I call it a workout. And an excellent tool for getting unique and personalized images.
Loading my gear back into the car I could finally exhale and honestly answer about how did actually go this outdoor family session in a local park with a grandma, two older brothers and a toddler: as usual! A little hectic in the beginning, a little unexpected in the middle, a lot of fun-filled images in the end! Honestly, it was so much fun, that I’d love to keep going and going… Playing and running, jumping and falling, laughing and handing out yummy chocolate chip cookies. And snapping pictures all along the way.
Would you believe this is the guy who hates taking pictures? Do you know what was the first thing he said on his way back? Yep, “When are we doing this again, mom?”
First birthday? You made it! This is a milestone like no other. Milestone for a baby - in just one year your adorable little peanut went from a helpless tiny bundle, who had to learn how to eat, breath, and (most challenging!) sleep… to this giggly, plum cuteness, noisily toddling towards something they just shouldn’t touch… and will certainly do so. Touch, lick, and throw, if they get lucky ;)And a milestone for you. For Mom. For Dad. You become parents with the first (and sweetest ever!) hug that you give your tiny newborn… but you really feel that you deserve those honorable titles once you get through this first year. With siblings or without, with grandma’s help (and advice) or without. You made it.
Both, all three, four, five or seven deserve to capture, commemorate and cherish this special birthday together. And I am thrilled to share a few tips how to make this experience the more enjoyable, less stressful, the most memorable!
- “Divide and Conquer”.
Julius Caesar, one of the best strategic minds of the humanity, had the right idea in mind: as tempting as it is to try to combine the first birthday party and the first birthday photoshoot… don’t. First birthday parties are yours’ to enjoy, and stressful in itself, so removing extra sources of anxiety would make the party more fun… and the images you’ll get from your photoshoot a ton more memorable and personal. - Pick the “Golden Hour”.
The “Golden Hour” for photographers is usually the time of the day when the light looks its best, most flattering: morning and evening. The “Golden Hour” for your kid - is when he feels the most cooperative, positive, happy: right after a nap. Ideally - the moment she awakes and finishes her breakfast. Babies usually feel their best in the mornings, so coordinating your photoshoot around your baby’s schedule maximizes your chances of success exponentially. I am usually willing to arrive while the baby is still sleeping and wait for them to wake up, warm up and be ready to enjoy the best time of their day. - Dress for success!
First year olds are both unlike the newborns, who don’t need any outfits at all and look naky-naky their best; and unlike their older sister, who would be happy to pack a ton of outfits and switch it every second. While birthday suit is still the most adorable - those chubby feet, those naked soft arms, are just heart-melting!, - you can definitely enjoy some cute little outfits. Some things to keep in mind:
Outfit Do’s- Do pick solid colors!
- Do pick those adorable dressy suits for boys with formal pants, vests, bow-ties, regular ties!
- Do pick those sweet fluffy dresses girls go nuts about at every age!
- Do grab those knit little special somethings that grandma gave you - knit textures look amazing in photographs.
- Do enjoy the accessories: hats, ties, bonnets, beads
- Don’t worry about it too much - leave some room for those naky-naky shots, bare chest ones with rows of beads for girls or ties for the boys
Outfit Don’ts
- Avoid logos, stripes, patterns - our eyes go straight to them, missing the baby!
- Avoid too bright or contrasty colors - all those things are distracting from your little one’s face.
- Skip the shoes! Naked baby feet are super adorable and make outfit changes faster and easier.
- If brothers or sisters (or you!) going to be in the shot, pick some neutral, solid color clothes for them, coordinating with your little photoshoot star. No need to be matchy-matchy, just something from the same color family. When it comes to family clothes, vary textures, not colors, and get more tips Best Kept Designer Secrets For Styling a Photo-shoot: Clothing Do’s and Don’ts
- Smash those cakeS!!!
This is not a typo. I do mean cakes. Babies usually are very cautious around things that are new, and most of the ones who never had cake before are absolutely adamantly against this experience. If you plan to do a cake-smash session, please,please, please, save yourself some aggravation and practice. I’d be rich, if I’d be getting a dollar for every time that I hear “my baby loves playing with his food or getting her hands dirty, he wouldn’t have a problem with a cake”, and then I get a baby who is completely terrified of the weird colorful monstrosity in front of him. Even worse - DIRTY HANDS.
I had a youngster whose mom decided to ask her pediatrician’s advice if it was normal, how much her little munchkin wanted to eat dirt, rocks, chicken poo, anything he could find in a park… and he was in hysterics every time a drop of his morning cereal ended up on his little chubby finger! Well, he deemed the cake completely inedible. For the first 40 minutes. And by the time he figured out how much he actually enjoys this sweet weird thing… it was a nap time already. We still got lots of wonderful shots… but save yourself some aggravation.
If you want the baby to smash the cake, do-do-do let him discover what a fun activity it is a few times before the photoshoot: encouraging some exploration with a few cupcakes with cream or even cookies topped by whipped cream will do the trick!
- Get the right cake.
There are a few things to keep in mind when you are ordering a cake: color and texture. Texture: that’s easy - get a buttercream cake and leave it out on the counter overnight to be the softest. Skip the fondant (too hard for baby to break), and the mousse filling (could go sour on a counter, needs to be refrigerated overnight). Color: pick a light colored pink, blue or green. Just like with clothing - avoid bright colors - bright white cake will distract from your baby’ face, bright green will make the baby look like he got some mold, bright blue - will be just depressing, and bright red - like the baby just carnaged some prey. - Get ready to be messy!
It is a great idea to pick an area of the house for a photoshoot, where do you don’t mind getting messy. I usually bring my seamless paper to make the cleanup easier, and keep an assistant close by to catch any runaway cake-smashers to prevent the sofas and chairs to take part in this fun experience.
- Prepare some supplies:
You need baby wipes, some bounty, a spoon (to help move/rotate/pick up the cake when it will be dropped on the floor - and it most certainly will - part of the fun!) and a sippy cup with water - the sweet cake gets somebody thirsty! -
Preparer a bath
I really love to incorporate a bath into a photoshoot: even tired babies usually really appreciate some splashing, it gets you some very cute images, and offers another fun experience for everybody involved. I usually bring a bubble gun and ask the parents to prepare a soft fluffy towel. And, extra paper towels, of course, though seamless paper is a blessing in this one as well - it really speeds up the cleanup! - Grab some favorite blankie shots!
Almost every one year old at that age has a favorite blanket or a special toy. Wrapping them for a last minute shot to commemorate this special friend - is another step in commemorating what they love right now! - Enjoy!
Whether the baby loves the cake and dives right in, whether he starts out cautiously or right out in tears - it is a hilariously funny and irresistibly cute experience! With some good prep work and someone at the camera whom you can trust to capture these adorable experience the best - you’ll have both a memorable experience and some images to commemorate this special moment in both your baby’s and your own lives!
Did you think that snow can only fall from the clouds? The naive ones probably do fall from them occasionally; teenagers and lovers do too, when they find out that love is not an ultimate happiness bestowed on them, but actually a hard and sometimes even painful work, a daily chore to protect its gentle flame.No-no-no. The snow grows on trees, covering branches much like white cherry blossoms blur the tree shapes into a fragrant blurry vision. Much like the lollipops grow on their sticks or better yet - like cotton candy hug their wooden skewers before been pushed into a dangerous proximity of a little and sweet smiling face, impatiently turned towards the sugary goodness...
Snow grows on tree branches, yes, and only then the wind invites it for an exuberant waltz circle on the great sky-high dance floor.
Still don't believe me? I have proof: here it is!
These tree branches were still enjoying the feeling of the ticklish little snowflake hands stretching around the branches’ necks, when I spotted them while balancing my skis, my poles, my mittens and worrying if my phone will take a sudden dive down from the chair lift into the wintery fairy tale below… and I promise you, that they weren't enjoying these morning hugs before, haven't seen them there yesterday!
Just like our kids’ ones, these sweet embraces aren't meant to last. We can't ask why. Just deal with the consequences. But snow is consistent only in its inconsistency. The wind, the sun rays... one of them will seduce it eventually for a wild and very short-lived air tango. Or maybe they would find their own peace and happiness settling down in a snowdrift, snow mound, a soft and fluffy snow blanket… eventually, it will be the branches, trying to hide their icicle tears over their gone little snowflakes...
Skiing makes things look so poetic, doesn't it?
I noticed that parents generally fall into two categories: the first ones see their precious offspring through pink sunglasses, deliriously believing they are the best behaved, the smartest, the prettiest, the most successful and generally could do no wrong. The second go exactly the opposite route: they believe their brood are the only ones to fight, scream, bicker, make worst mistakes, embarrass themselves and offend others. Though, as parents we can definitely fall in either camp, or even trade them according to the situation...
I love my boys madly, but often tend to fall along with the second group. It seems to me that my own boys talk louder, jump wilder, react more mindlessly almost then anyone else. Behind the daily sibling rivalry curtains it is often hard to know for sure: do they even love each other?
I know that the mom of these three guys can sometimes share my doubts. Yet, I've seen the oldest one run in to tell his younger brother first (same one, he was fighting with the day before!), that he won his swimming competition. He lifts him up, twirls him around... and then rushes to share a swimmer-strong hug with the baby.
It is the middle one, teaching the bay a new skill or two. It is the middle one, who refuses to go sleep without his older brother being in the same room.
It is the sweet little toddler, whose eyes light up with unmatchable love and admiration for his older brothers, unmatchable for anyone else...
A few years down the road, the bickering, the fighting will be kindly wiped off our memories. What will we have left?
This: an image of them smiling together, sharing the same bench, the wonderful sunny day, the great love for each other.
This is what really matters.
Love you so much, guys, Irina and Alex. Seeing how much your boys are devoted to each other - despite the daily meaningless little quarrels and silly fights they wouldn't remember the next morning - makes my heart skip a bit, filling with warmth and hope :)
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Usually MET museum attracts my attention for reasons other than clothing, but this weekend it was exactly that: "“Manus x Machina: Fashion in an Age of Technology,” the fashion exhibit that takes a really close look how the modern age technology entered into the world of fashion and what came out of this. And what really came out of this?Traditionally we look at the intricacy and artistry of handmade garments as far superior to the bland methods of mass production. This exhibit invites you behind the velvet curtain of the high fashion designer processes to take a peek what stands behind. Can you really tell what is handmade, what is machine? Which one is going to be more expressive?
We usually appreciate things we know and understand. This exhibit has an unusual crowd: there are some who just plainly curious, some who wouldn’t miss another fashionable event, some who deeply appreciate the intricate details of every designer gown. Passing through the exhibit and listening for the hushed arguments over the differences between the luxury of handmade features as opposed to the futuristic feel of the machine-made ones, I was fascinated by their insider’s view, fanatical devotion. I belong to neither of those visitor categories: I don’t care much about clothing, the words “handmade” don’t send a happy shiver down my spine, “machine made” does not bring devilish associations. Yet I was so surprised and deeply impressed by the artistry, imagination and historical association of the last year’s costume exhibit “China through the looking glass”, that I was expecting something of the same scale from my favorite museum.
Well, those expectations better stay at home: “Manus x Machina” - is very different.
Detailed descriptions of the textile production process, handmade details, machine-made inventions… left me cold. That was a given. But the imaginative videos of the futuristic outfits that change it’s looks based on a push of a button - that was really amusing. Especially exploiting the scenario of a remote control dress. Last week, my sister’s fully automated and amazingly computerized car blandly refused to log anybody into the system, turn on, drive and had to be towed away. Imagine that happening to your dress?! I think the kid with a remote control for the dress enjoyed it a lot more, then the model, who was trying to stroll around in it.
This could scarcely be a place to shop for a prom dress, though a quite a few things barely looking like clothes, were intriguing. A fur-looking coat out of plastic straws wouldn’t keep you warm in a winter even though the straws make it look unbelievably fluffy. We did play with an idea of mounting a school bus in a majestic princess gown with a 5 feet golden-beaded train behind. “I am sorry to be late for school - my train got caught in the passing traffic…” “But I thought you were taking a bus to school?” “Yes, but it was a train, that caused the problem..” My boys would absolutely adore the costume decorated with toy cars and trains. It would be fun to watch bosses’ getting absolutely dizzily hypnotized, while their mind are playing tricks on with the optical illusion suit looking perfect for a Monday meeting.
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Leather, plastic, handmade flowers, rubber, silk, steel, stone.. My dear friend Marina would be fascinated with a colorful dress, that is made out of tiny colorful feathers, creating incredible texture and almost impressionistic feel to it. Bright pleated accordion dress looked fun at every stage: long and extended, halfway up, fully folded into a flat colorful geometric pattern. 
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And almost at the end of the exhibit, we came to the best part: an amazingly stylishly dressed… lady?.. wrapped into an astounding micro-pleated black garment, sailing around her in fabulous geometric shapes. She was gracefully bending in an elegant curtsey towards one of the Channel pieces, to study the elaborate detail. The elaborate designer shoes, the perfectly matching pleated flat little hat with an air of a golden age of southern aristocracy, the attention that she devoted to the dress in front of her… With that much dignity and style, she looked like a Goddess of the High Fashion World, descended to take her honorable place in this Palace of Fashion Worship. Interrupting her careful examining of her subjects to beg for a photograph, seemed rude and inappropriate. You wouldn’t ask a queen, or a goddess! - for a snapshot…
That is question that I get A LOT. And I wish I could just reach out to the shelf and hand you a pretty shiny little thing that is the camera of your dreams. Or send you to the right store. While many stores are right, it is not as easy to find your dream camera, because the selection is just overwhelming: there are itsy-bitsy little ones in pens, toys and paper clips; there is a bigger one that you already have right in your pocket - your phone camera; there is slightly bigger one in your tablet; there are ones no bigger than your cell phone, yet somehow entirely different; there are entry level DSLR, there are pro level DSLR and even some EVIL cameras, that will NOT grab a light sword to perform another futile attempt at world domination… Which one is the right for you?To get to the bottom of this you'll have to answer a few questions as we quickly breeze through this selection. One of the key ones is going to be an ability to print your images. Whichever option you pick, please do take the trouble for printing your images out. You really should: files go corrupted over the years, technologies are making old formats obsolete and unusable. Print, print, print if you wish to preserve them - a flimsy piece of paper if far safer option than any triple-quadruple backup system!
Itsy Bitsy cameras in pens and paper clips.
These are absolutely indispensable if you are one of the following:
- Younger then 13 year old
- Are into spies and superheroes
- Older then 13 year old and work for CIA.
Since you are reading this article, you are probably none of the above, so read on.
Love them. You can totally get away using one of those exclusively if...
- You love the convenience of always having it with you.
- You love sharing your photos with friends and family through email, text or social media.
- You enjoy using filters and other editing apps.
- You do NOT care about printing your photos, or ok with having them rather small.
The last one is a key. Cell phone cameras are improving every second, their images look better and better, Instagram is flooded with magnificent smart-phone photography looking like works of art! BUT, if you want them printed, cell phones wouldn’t take you very far: the camera sensors are small, and images look much better on a gorgeous iphone screens than anywhere else… and most often can’t be printed bigger than 5x5. I can hardly squeeze a 4x6 out of it, so at this moment the cell phones are not suitable for wall portrait production. ON THE OTHER HAND, there are very nice services available that will help you put your little treasures in a small album right on your phone and ship it to you already printed. You can set it up so that they automatically send you a little album of the images you are taking every month, year, quarter (don’t quote me on the quarters).
The other downside of smart-phone cameras is a complete lack of control while taking a photo and a very limited zoom.
Mostly the same applies to the cameras built into the tablets, except you lose the versatility of a small pocket-sized camera that is already included in your phone. Tablet’s cameras do not differ from your phone one all that much, so the images will (again!) look fabulous only on the tablet itself, zoom limitations, and lack of controls will be counterbalanced by the ease of use, convenience of the apps, simplicity in sharing.
These can be a significant step-up from cell phones, so if it might be a perfect choice for you if...
- You want a better quality picture that your phone or your tablet can do
- You want a camera that is small, easy to use, light to carry, and doesn’t drain your cell phone battery
- You want to be able to print your images larger than 4x6
- You want a good range of zoom
- You don’t want to waste a ton of money on other camera accessories, such as lenses, flashes, etc.
In fact, I own one of these! It has an added benefit of being waterproof, so our beach, water park, snorkeling and pool adventures are covered. Can I put a waterproof sleeve on my phone? Potentially, yes, but if something goes wrong with my camera and the water still leaks inside, rendering the camera useless - I’ll be somewhat upset. And I might even be able to recover the images by removing the memory card. If something goes wrong with my phone and the water leaks inside - I’ll feel devastated; I’ll have no way to get my images back; most importantly, common, phones are our life-support today! I am not dipping mine in a pool. At least voluntarily (I managed to drown 3 cell phones - don’t even ask me how, - over the course of one pregnancy, and 2 during the second, so… “not voluntarily” is the key).
Does my waterproof point-n-shoot take spectacular images? Well, it is no match to my professional equipment, but it is descent! And, again: it is the person who holds the camera that matters the most.
Point & Shoot cameras come in all shapes, sizes, quality and price levels. Choose wisely.
Waterproof Point & Shoot to the test: Splashing in a pool
I am ready to move onto my favorite types of cameras: Advanced Point & Shoot and DSLRs. And I certainly will, so subscribe to our mailing list or like Dream Come True Photo on Facebook to ensure you hear about it as soon as it is available!
This rarely warm and sunny day for November in Marlboro NJ, was the second gift for Becky’s 21st birthday. Her first gift was a perfect match for this fabulous weather: a very special photo session.I couldn’t wait to meet the 21 year old birthday girl face to face again. The first time I saw Becky, she was as an adorable little toddler at some summery and relaxing picnic in a park. Becky was a kid that nobody could pass by: a rarely, strikingly, stunningly good looking little girl, with gorgeous blue eyes and an unusually thick and luxurious mane of hair. What a beautiful baby!
Little-Becky was waddling from one person to another, sharing with everyone a plastic cup and the sweetest ever smile, than taking the cups back and sharing it with the new set of guests. Whether she knew these people or not, she was ready to share her sweet sparkle of a wonderful mood with everyone.
The second time I remember Becky, her motherly kindness touched me to the bottom of my heart: a gorgeous little two year old, she was offered to play with some new toys. Becky quickly headed to the swing with a newborn baby, that she just met: “No, I just want to stay with the baby. Shh, he is sleeping...”
I was really excited to see Becky as I was coming up the steps and ringing the bell.
Becky opened the door… Everything about a 21 year old Becky was a surprise.
The fact, that a beautiful baby girl grew up into a gorgeous young woman - wasn’t.
Becky’s kindness, selflessly there for everyone around her - still there too.
Becky’s amazing personality, definitely was one surprise I didn’t expect.
Happiness is a tough bird to catch. I believe that happiness is a skill that needs to be mastered and constantly worked on. Encountering new people, new situations, most of us often find some - fascinating, some - leave things to be desirable, some - I’d rather skip altogether.Becky has a rare gift of being open minded about most of the situations or people she meets: she is able to find something exciting in the company of any age, interests and personality type. New places, people, experiences - fascinate her. Spending time with somebody who has traveled, seen, and (another surprise!) appreciated so many things and places as Becky - is captivating in itself. Add her sweet and easy going style of conversation, and our couple of hours together flew as a breeze.
Another big surprise came out as soon as Becky appeared in front of the lens: with just a turn of her head, with a gentle smile, with a serious gaze from underneath of her bangs, with a playful spark in her gorgeous blue eyes, or even just a hint of sadness - Becky transformed the entire mood and look of the image. Her expression and the image we were creating varied from a sweet and open girl, to a hopeful and dreamy young woman, followed by the sexy and gorgeous diva.
Another fascinating aspect of this project was the variety of images we got to take: Becky needed a few images for a modeling agency, a few portraits for herself, and a special series of shots that replicate her mom’s very memorable portraits taken years back, when she was 19. A really-really exciting project: creating something cool, new, yet timeless, to match the old images while still showcasing Becky’s unique personality.
Becky is blessed to be surrounded by a beautiful and loving family. Since Becky’s senior Platinum session includes the photoshoot for the whole family, in the end we had a chance to create some memorable family images, capturing their love, connection and devotion for each other.
Dear Becky, thank you so much, this an absolutely wonderful experience, a true pleasure to spend time with you, and an amazing chance to create these special portraits!!
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Most likely, that is the culprit of the problem: you can barely see it. Our body is the most amazing machine: we can see, when there is barely any light; we can discern shades and colors, that no technology will be able to capture; we can concentrate on our friend’s story even in the noisy street and block out all the distracting sounds we don’t care about; in the busy world around us - we can single out one cloud, one tree, one dear face with the best expression possible and enjoy how they all come together… well our cameras cannot. Even while the light seems plenty to us, your iphone photos become blurry because to your phone’s lens it certainly isn’t enough; even if the colors are so gorgeous from our perspective - our camera needs help figuring out what perspective to use to represent those colors correctly. And this is especially true, to the busy, cluttered environment we are constantly surrounded by.So, it is not the latest and the greatest camera that takes the photographs. It is not the technology to blame. I’ve seen images some really skillful photographers were able to make with their phones that I still have to figure out how to do with my top-of-the-notch photographic equipment. And while there are a lot of things going into the process of creating a really stunning image, there are enough simple things that you can do to create the images to preserve some special daily moments you wish them to remember.
It is a good idea to think of technology as a little baby: it is not your camera’s job to create a gorgeous shot. It is yours.
The simplest, the most effective, absolutely the best thing you can do: Get Closer. Just like your eyes concentrate on the detail that you find the most important, help your camera to do the same thing: zoom in to eliminate everything that is not contributing to the story that you would like to tell with your shot. Sofa, toys, lamp, pillows, chairs may as well be in your room - but, most probably, no place in your image.
Keep only what really matters: the fun activity your kid does, the excited look on her face, the lonely sad tear in the corner of her eye…
We live in the wonderful world of digital imagery: take a few shots from various distances and pick the one that tells your story the best. You can always delete the ones that don’t look so good afterwards. I, certainly, do! During the portrait session with a senior or a little newborn, I usually take about 400 images to deliver the best 30-50.. And during a family session with a few kids running around - up to 700 images, to be able to select only the very best, the most expressive, the most timeless, the most flattering to everyone. Unless you are a professional photographer, ready to commit the amount of time to go through all those images and hard drive space to save them, I wouldn’t recommend taking 300 shots of your baby digging in the sandbox… but a few might offer you a better chance to select the best one.
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| Straight out of camera image that shows the edges of the blanket, the floor, the unnecessary highlight lines that destruct attention from the adorable baby. What you don't see (something I don't even include in a frame - are a swing behind a blanket, some toys in front and a covered grill that I used to strap the blanket to. | In this image I cut out all the unnecessary details, edited it and further cropped the edges to bring out just an adorable baby, his cute naked chubby arms, energetic feet. Both better composition and expression create a more compelling shot. | A close up! My absolute favorite! I do believe it really brings out those gorgeous eyes and adorably mischievous smile! |
Cheers! Share your thoughts, tips, and your own experience!
DreamComeTruePhoto: Sashulya's selfie alteration processEnormous thanks to Sashulya for sharing this fascinating comparison
My dear friend Sashulya is asking an excellent question regarding editing photographs: how much is too much?
Sashulya is an expert when it comes to selfies. Besides being naturally gorgeous, she manages to take absolutely the most flattering and charismatic selfies I've ever seen. Recently, having some unexpected extra time during her morning commute, she set a really fascinating experiment: how far from reality can she really take the editing of her image, armed only with her trusty iphone?
Sashulya took a selfie and played with a makeup app, got her selfie through every golden ring of the beautifying process and and posed an excellent question: where do you draw the line? Is it even still YOU in the image after all the attractive little corrections and add-ons?
Sashulen'ka, you are so right!! I fully edit every image that I present. I always say that I will get you looking your best, but still looking like yourself. Just the best version of yourself. And still, I ask that same question every night, editing photos. And every time I feel I am about to cross the line, really pushing it... people ask for more retouching! Then I feel they are pushing it. And then... I look at my own selfies. Ouch... Just like in one of my favorite stories: just a little less of the nose, a little more of the eyes. Area-wise - the same; but visually - what a difference!.. We see our loved ones in a golden fantasy light; we deceive ourselves that we see them and ourselves realistically. And... yes, we so want to see ourselves as unrealistic cover models!
When it comes to our own images, we want those wrinkles, those years off worries gone; we want those under-eye nightmare, those sleepless nights witnesses - disappear; those double chins, those accomplices of a yummy indulgences - vanish... We want to look young, charming, charismatic.
Somehow, we don't feel that the drabby true-to-reality look shows the real us, how we really feel inside! And... it is not. Not real.
Honestly, even when we look at our loved ones, we don't notice all those unwanted wrinkles, bags, extra chins. So, which image really brings what is real about us?
It is really hard to capture what is real about every person. Obviously, the skin should have texture, not the plastic mannequin feel. Obviously, the face should retain its unique structure. Yet it is the expression, the magic twinkle in the eyes, the beloved dimple, the twist of the eyebrow, the laugh line in the corner of the mouth that defines whether the real, true, one and only trait that makes each of us unique comes shining through.
We still want to look like the hot magazine cover. Sometimes it is our loved ones that notice that The Image. Sometimes it is the photographer that points out… in the end, it is not about the filters or retouching. Or is it really?
What do you think?
Click to find Stan at Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/stan.altshullerDream Come True Photo - Testimonial by Stan Altshuller
About Dream Come True
Dream Come True Photo is a high end, high-touch, full service Photography Company that creates premium custom family photo albums, life-size prints and portraits with a special focus on kids and babies.
Intro
As a father of two (all too quickly) growing boys I have a deep appreciation for the valuable moments we share. My wife and I, often caught up in our daily routines, can’t help but reflect on how quickly these little hyper-energetic beings are growing and changing, becoming who they are meant to be. It’s always been a wish of ours to freeze at least some of the magic moments in time, save a note in a bottle for our older selves to discover and smile, remembering how things used to be.
We didn’t want to settle for just any snapshots, we really wanted to capture the characters of our boys (aged seven and four) and do so professionally, something my own skills could not afford. We wanted to capture their love for life, their charm, energy, kindness and fondness for each other. But also we wanted to preserve the reckless mischief that shines in their eyes, something that both my wife and I had as kids, and something we must admit we are a bit too proud of in our boys. This is why we chose Dream Come True Photo.
Elly has a deep passion for photography and has been honing and perfecting her skills for years with three smashing boys of her own. The vigor with which she approaches her work is second to none and nothing but the absolutely best results satisfy her. And the results speak for themselves, they are truly one-of-a-kind.
Prep Work
Before the photoshoot Elly gathered some information from us to get the most out our session. She inquired as to what we are going to do with these photos – we wanted an album as well as a number of canvas prints for our dining room. She also wanted to know about our kids. What gets them going, what are they into right now? What is their favorite TV show, book, Disney character? At first I was surprised at the level of detail but it all made sense at the photo shoot.
Before the photo-shoot she paid us a visit and held a “photo coaching session” on how to take photos for the very best results. Did you know what “Squinting” is? Well, Brad Pitt apparently does and so should you if you want to become photogenic overnight! We learned little tips that are frankly useful anytime you are taking a picture or being photographed. She explained how to face the camera, how to use light in a flattering way, how to hold your head correctly (I’m not kidding, this really matters!) and how to smile so that you don’t looks like a manikin from Madame Tussauds.
The Session
With all the prep work done and armed with a collection of little fun facts about our kids’ interests, Elly visited us for the scheduled shoot along with her van full of equipment. It was impressive. The set-up was quick, she knew all the locations where we were going to do the shoot. There were pictures with kids in the backyard with the backdrop of our patio wall, some action shots of the kids on the yard, and a few of my wife and me by the front of the house against a red brick back-drop. The natural light was a bit low so we used her own lighting equipment to supplement the cloudy day and chase away the shadows.
Now came the fun part – getting the kids to show their true colors. Elly sat them down on a blanket and with a sparkling flare painted a world of Ninjago (their favorite show at the time) along with characters, a mission, and a mystery to solve. The boys were enthralled and ecstatic to help Sensei battle evil forces of the Overlord and save the little town of Ninjago. They laughed, ran, jumped, whirled, and bounced, all to the perfectly timed, measured clicks of the shutter. When the battle was won they hugged in a victorious embrace that only brothers are capable of, a shot to last a lifetime. Elly also worked with us to get a few glorious shots of the whole family and just the two of us separately.
The Prints
After a fun photo session we took a break to discuss our print options. Elly showed us many sample portraits, photo albums, compilations and books. We were very interested in large canvas prints for our dining room so we selected the photos that would look best in a compilation, together with Elly’s help. She used a software to model the placement and alignment of the canvass prints in a virtual representation of our actual dining room. Even seeing it on the computer screen was exciting.
In a few weeks – the moment of truth! The prints came by mail, and they were absolutely breath-taking. Everything we hoped for and more was captured and displayed beautifully. The array of canvas prints looked absolutely stunning on the walls and the compliments we get from guests are just awesome.
Overall, the experience was fantastic and results blew away all expectations. If you want to capture the joy of childhood and preserve a piece of your children as they are today, don’t settle for anything but perfection. Your children deserve Dream Come True Photo!
Art Neue Galerie: Robert FalkMan in a Bowler Hat (Portrait of Yakov Kagan-Shabshai) 1917
The magic discovery actually started long before. Kandinsky was always one of my favorites and last summer I was thrilled to head to the Art Neue Galerie for their fabulous Russian Modernism exhibition. The exhibition was absolutely fantastic: being of the Russian descent myself, having my own dear grandpas and grandmas suffer through its turmoils and terrifying history of the beginning of the century, I was surprised to see so many familiar faces looking back at me from the walls; to feel the pain or the joy, the fear or the hope, all the daemons the artists from the early twenties were facing.Yet, it were the works of Vasily Kandinsky that genuinely surprised me.
First of all, I am not a professional art critic, art historian or museum collections specialist. My art-history minor contributed far less to my knowledge on the subject that my deep love for certain works, artists, even art-periods. Walking along the Met galleries, I usually feel surrounded by the old friends, winking at me from behind of their heavy frames or sighing with a disapproval over the time we haven’t seen each other. So the observations below are purely subjective, though I did find this discovery absolutely fascinating.
Neue Galerie New York: Vasily KandinskyBlack Form 1923
Right across the two adjacent rooms of Art Neue galerie rooms, it was easy to see the two vastly different directions Kandinsky’s art was undergoing: his famous later years of abstraction… and his far less known years of exploring impressionism, post-impressionism, expressionism while desperately searching for “Kandisnkyalism” - his own path, his own face, his own style.
Vasily KandinskyStreet With Horse-Drawn Carriage
Now, looking at his early works I couldn’t help but compare them to his mature and very abstract counterparts in the room, visible right across the hall.
Vasily KandinskyPanel for Edwin R. Campbell No. 1. 1914. Oil on canvas, 64 x 31 1/2" (162.5 x 80 cm). Mrs. Simon Guggenheim Fund.
Wassily KandinskyStudie zu Improvisation 31909
Vasily KandinskyPortrait of Nina Kandinsky. 1917. Trivium art history.
This Sunday my kids were fortunate to join one of the most wonderful excursion by Boris Kuznetsov in Guggenheim museum in New York. My kids joined his tour - couldn’t say anything but the warmest and most excited comments about the unique rapport Boris and Lena have with kids, the kind and creative charisma that surrounds every lesson, every point, every topic they discuss.
In the meantime, our youngest grabbed daddy’s finger and lead him off to his own museum exploration trip. I had a unique chance to enjoy the museum all alone, without having anybody to rush, or slow me down, or to constantly feeling the need to remind my little companions how we are supposed to behave in a public place. I had a unique chance to read every single text accompanying the paintings from beginning to end, or just as I love it. And so I did.
Dream Come True PhotoAdmiring the Kandinsky's artwork on display at the Guggenheim museum with Dad.
I’ve caught up with my little one right in the Kandinsky's gallery. He just convinced daddy that a cupcake from a museum cafe is making the museum trip far more enjoyable for both of them and was happy for some new entertainment. Kandinsky’s gallery was lucky enough to be adjacent to the cafe, so it was his paintings that attracted my three year old’s attention. My explanations, questions, my usual museum spiel was impatiently waved aside. It was daddy’s turn. My dear husband, the daddy, who is generally not as art-crazy as the mommy, delivered the first surprise, by jumping at the opportunity to offer my little one some explanations. Let me tell you: he did it again. Yep, my most amazing husband, while not the most artistic person in a world, managed to provide our spoiled little budding museum goer with the best possible and educational art-tour a three year old could wish. Ask him who Kandinsky was, he wouldn’t exactly remember. Ask him what he’s seen this weekend - you’d be amazed. Kandinsky would probably be too - I am not sure he ever realized how vivid and imaginative the explanations could be when someone as young as my son was finding something to appreciate about his paintings. Planet systems, ships, fire extinguishing…
Dazzled, I stopped silly admiring the pride of every mother - her dear little boy - and went back for a closer look at Kandinsky's paintings. Imagine my surprise, when the vivid imagery that inspired my three year old, started jumping right at me! The side notes explained, how the artists deeply believed that paintings should be moving into an abstract realm that was previously occupied only by music. He associated every note with specific hues, he named his works according to their musical counterparts. His paintings greatly resemble the slow or passionate, the sensual or wild, the gentle or grandiosze flow of the music with its changing imagery and feelings that we are going through. Did I say imagery? Yep, imagery it was. I suddenly was able to see the embracing couple; the long trembling in the wind like fire on the candles - Russian churches with their characteristic onion-shaped makovki tops; the ship (yep, my boy was right, the ship from his favorite fairy tale about a Flying Ship was slowly finding its way through the crowded space of lines and colors threatening it like the great wave of Hokusai Katsushika - all the linear motives the artist associated with the musical piece that he was listening to)! Like a mysterious puzzle, the new elements, the new hidden secretes were slowly appearing.
 Vasily Kandinsky, Improvisation 28details
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 Vasily Kandinsky, Improvisation 28 details
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 Vasily Kandinsky, Improvisation 28 details
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I was deeply impressed.
Did you really know it was there?
I am sorry to admit - in all those years - I never did! Actually, I am not sorry at all. Discovering this miraculous treasure suddenly opened a totally new artist for me, the one I only thought I knew.
Now, I am on a quest: I am going through every single painting of this period of Vasily Kandisky that I can find and searching, searching, searching, trying to discover the meaning of the mysterious dance of his lines and shapes… and the new magical world of new thoughts and feelings doesn’t hesitate to slowly emerge from the seemingly pure abstractions.
Irina is like a gentle breeze: she moves swiftly, speaks softly, brings life to anything that is blessed with her tender touch. Her large brown eyes are always filled with concern and care. You would want to protect her, hug her little slender shoulders, help her lift the heavy weight she is always carrying. She looks almost fragile, as a graceful and delicate as a crystal wine glass on a tall stem. Yet, don’t be diswayed: this gentle girl has got a spine of steel.
She came to America just eight years ago, with a handful of money and a toddler whose temper was quite a handful. Her husband was busy with work that he started straight away. Ira was busy with settling in her new home, all alone with her little boy. While daddy was surprising everyone by how hardworking and dedicated he could be, Ira surprised moms of other toddlers at the playground with her unusual questions: “How do you teach your one little one MATH?” Her own one year old was learning math, was learning how to read in two vastly different languages, was practicing small motor manipulative skills, was applying his big motor abilities, was testing his mommy’s patience. Luckily, her patience comes in BIG packs. So thin, so graceful, his mom just looks fragile: hiding inside is so much strength, I wish I had a quarter. There is more to her besides gentle beauty and hidden strength: those gorgeous large brown eyes are hungry to see and learn, her tender hands - to try new things, her strong desire grow and to achieve new heights. Her efforts were not in vain: when her little one grew big enough to go to school, he turned out really gifted in math and when it came to swimming - a true champion. Yet, taking care of her home, teaching her baby, making a homemade meals for her family every single night wasn’t enough. Ira was eager to do more, was ready to do so. Every extra penny they earned didn’t go on vacations and exotic gifts. It went straight to the local college, for Ira’s new degree.
College for youngsters is fun. College for Irina was like mountain climbing: every class was a gigantic obstacle to overcome. Yet her initial lack of language was no stopper in English, History, Economics, Foreign Language, or Science classes. Admirable, to say the least. The biggest challenge for this gentle girl wasn’t in sciences or even 8 page essays she was losing her sleep over. The hardest class for this shy girl, uncomfortable with too much attention, turned out to be public speaking. Despite her worries, even this class Ira passed with flying colors: her speech turned out the best one in her class.
Now they both got a job, a beautiful new house of their own, and a new baby on a way. I wish to stop the story there, but the mountains for them to scale were just growing: a rare pregnant woman faces so many physical challenges as Ira had this time around. Despite prescribed bed-rest, despite all the efforts, their second baby came prematurely to this world. Babies are adorably helpless, needing our help on every step. This baby was helpless in a literal sense: a remarkably tiny thing, he didn’t know how to breath, how to eat, how to survive. Long painful weeks followed first in the hospital, then at home. The baby went home with the special breathing monitors and an earsplitting alarm that kept turning a wailing
I wish you could see that baby now. He started out so tiny, he didn’t look completely human yet. Now he is crushing the pediatrician’s growth statistics by towering over 97th percentiles. I wish you could hear his sweet voice, see his big kind brown eyes. See how excited he and his big brother were about the third little baby on a way in mommy’s tummy.
It takes enormous courage to try out for another baby after everything these guys have been through. Yet, as you can see, courage is plentiful in this family . Yes, it was a hard decision for all of them, but now they are really looking forward to welcome their new baby into this world.
Irina is not only smart, hardworking, beautiful: she is incredibly fun. When the constant search for a perfect light took us to the enormous windowsill, Irina suddenly felt playful about her newly discovered pregnancy-appetite and wild pregnancy-cravings. I wish I could say that we ate all these delicious "props" at the end of the photoshoot, but they safely returned to the fridge. If we did, no windowsill will hold us after such feast!;
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Thank you so much, Irina, the girl I admire so much, for letting me share your inspirational story and your beautiful images!
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Happy First Birthday, dear baby Solan!
Wow, one year… It is hard to believe that a whole year already passed since we’ve met for the first time. Yet it is even harder to believe that there was a time when you… weren’t here. My own children love to ask: “Mom, where was at the time of this… or that?” And sometimes to the answer is: “You weren’t!..”
Solan, the magical baby, today you are boasting the sweetest, most adorable smile, spunky red curls, sparkling eyes. In these images you are just a few days old. You’ve changed a lot, dear little munchkin. One thing hasn't: you were irresistibly cute and, apparently, will keep this one for a lifetime!
Solan, the sweetest surprise your family could have. Yes, you were a surprise. No, not because you were not wanted or not expected. Yes, you were expected, and yes you were wanted so badly and for so long, that over the years it was easy to start losing hope. And just when it seemed like the third baby dream is going to stay just a dream… the dream came true. And what a dream baby you turned out to be!
Yep, the dream baby from your first moments: isn’t it every parent’s dream to have a baby on a weekend, when daddy just happens to be home, when grandma has a chance to pick up future big brother and big sister? Isn’t it a dream baby, who patiently waits until all of them are home together, so that mom and dad can go to the hospital without the rush and stress?
I know first hand that having a third baby is not easy. Yet the third baby is always uniquely special: the first baby is so brand new, so fragile, so scary for every parent. Every new little development, every change, every step of the way is both intimidating and overwhelming. You’d think that the second baby is less stressful, but suddenly doubling the responsibility, the workload, the stress and guilt of sibling’s jealousy- can bury the best of us. It is the third baby that turns out to be the most enjoyable: the little difficulties are no longer frightening, the guilt - manageable, and new developments make us exuberantly happy!
Solan, dear, this is what I’ve heard your mom say, when someone was debating if having a third baby is a good idea: “Having the third child, having my dear sunny baby, having my adorable Solan, is the best thing that ever happened to our family: it really brought us together, made us happier, even his older brother and sister finally found one thing they both agreed with each other - that Solan is the most adorable creature in the world!” Solan’s 10 year old sister declared that Solan is cuter then a kitten (unbeatably cutest thing ever before Solan came along); Solan’s 8 year old brother turns into bubbly and cheery puppy whenever he sees them! Grandma adores him, grandpa is in love, daddy can’t resist some cuddles…
… and every new person that meets you, dear little Solan, becomes your greatest fan!
Happy 1st Birthday, dear Solan! Can't wait to congratulate you in person, watch you smash the cake, and capture the sweetest ever one year old smile from world's most adorable redhead!!
Tamara Lackey. When you are getting ready for a black tie event - the rules of clothing are simple and clear cut: black stylish designer gown, suite and a tie for your hubby. Parents night out? A little black dress (or better yet - a striking red one!), sleek looking shirt. Getting ready for a stroll in a park with your family? No brainer: comfy jeans and a sweatshirt. Family dinner? Flowery dress for you and your dearest is pulling a striped polo, sweater with lozenges from a closet. Kids can pick up their favorite graphic shirts - common, that’s who they are, grandma will understand.
And now comes the photo session: which one? All of the above? A mish-mash combination? And what about the kids?!
Actual answer is: none of the above. I love designer dresses, comfy jeans, and my kids’ closet is filled with colorful graphic shirts. When it is time for photographs, my closet simply would not work.
Before I totally freak you out, let me assure you in 3 things:
- It is not that complicated!
- I am here to help you at every step. Yep.
- If you finish reading this and still unsure, feel free to give me a call me, text me, email me, send me a snapshot and I’ll be thrilled to give you a hand. Still not sure? Bring it all. Lay it out on a sofa and we’ll sort through together before the beginning of the session. Things that would not work as well, we don’t have to photograph. Things that you don’t bring, I can’t photograph.
Are we good? Then we can jump right into the basics, and once you are done, feel free to review our Pinterest Clothing Guide for inspiration!
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Quick and Easy Dressing Dos and Don’ts
These are some good things to keep in mind as you are putting together your family’s outfits. In the end, if certain colors/patterns/clothes attract you despite all these precautions, bring it on! If it is special for you, true to your personality, I’ll find a way to make it look good in a shot.5 Quick DOs:
- You can pick as many outfits, changes of clothing as you like.
- Find things that you love, make you feel good, stylish, fun - whatever the feeling you'd like to portray. Feel free to go shopping - it is fun; you can even return it later. No need to cut the tags - we'll hide them in pictures.
- Please stick to one color scheme - clothes can be as much fun as you'd like, but it is YOU guys that are the most important. Contrasting colors distract from faces. Feel free to pick brights, fun, anything that suits you and your family, but stick to one color tone for a more homogeneous family look. Vary the TEXTURES, not colors.
- Get layers - t-shirt, shirt over it (as an option), tanktop underneath, sweater... more variation - Use the colors in your home for inspiration! Thinking of spaces where your artwork can be displayed in your home can help you integrate your clothes style and color scheme with your favorite interior design decisions.
- Keep it simple! You want to enjoy looking at these clothes 10-15 years down the road.
2 Easy DON’Ts:
- Please skip patterns, stripes, letters and trends. Stripes and patterns create optical illusions. Logos and letters are really-really distracting. Minute trends date the images. I’d like to create images for you that are as pleasing to the eye in 10-20-50 years from now. Timeless. Emotional. Touching.
- When it comes to colors, avoid extremes: too bright, too white, too dark. Anything lighter then your skin color, or just very bright, or too contrasty - distracts from the face. And blacks are easy to lose detail. Again, these images should be about you.
Got the basics, let’s get some specifics:
Dressing for your Newborn Session
- This little guy (or gal) is the easiest: newborns look so precious when they are naked, and so lost in the clothes, that their wardrobe doesn’t need any fuss.
- Based on our Pre-Consultation discussion and the answers to your Questionnaire, I’ll bring everything the little one needs, you can just relax and enjoy.
- On the day of the shoot dress your baby into loose fitting clothes to avoid clothes lines on the body.
- I do believe that less is more when it comes to such little precious darlings, as your little one. Yet if you have some super special accessory that you would like to incorporate - a headband you just fell in love with, a tutu skirt that melts your heart, a hat that grandma knitted just for him - I’ll definitely find a way to incorporate it into a shoot.
- Mom: don’t worry about extra weight and the lack of sleep! We’ll wrap Mom in some fabrics for extra special shots with your baby. As for your own clothes - non-baggy solid/neutral color tops with sleeves will make you look slimmer. For everything else - there is posing, lighting, and in the worst case scenario - Photoshop.
- Dad: bare chest images make dads look super close with their new babies. For everything else there is… no, not Photoshop this time: please pick soft colored tops with no buttons, not to scratch the baby when you hold him so closet!
Dressing your Kid or Senior
- If you have a toddler, then please Check out Dressing your Newborn section. All of this still applies.
- Certain clothes look terrific on babies: jeans, corduroy pants, knitted dresses, tutu-skirts, overalls, sweaters. Same principle: less color variations, more texture.
- Hats, hats, hats! Hats look great on babies, dads, moms, sisters - they really add character. Love hats.
Dressing the whole family
- First, look through Dressing Do’s and Don'ts again.
- Now, Do’s and Don’ts are actually easier and more lenient for families: while logos, trends, letters are still distracting, stripes and patterns can suddenly offer a much needed variation or bring other family member’s colors together!
- Keep everyone in the same/similar color scheme: one daughter in purple dress among grey-sweater brothers can look like she doesn’t belong… add a purple scarf to mom’s grey dress and a purple shirt sticking out from older brother’s sweater - and it all comes together very nicely. You don’t have to (and shouldn’t, if it is not yours!) limit yourselves to a single color, but limiting their numbers and avoiding contrasts make the group look related, creates a connection.
- Avoid matchy-matchy - all the same clothes often make people look like orphans on a stroll. Despite all my reasoning still wish to hit the whites as a “safe choice”? Substitute the white shirts for everyone for a some textured dresses, sweaters, scarves… and, of course, now a shirt would be a great option for one or two family members. Variation helps everyone preserve their individuality.
Best tip: how do you know it goes together well?
Lay it out everyone’s outfits on the sofa, squint and let them blur together. Do they all mesh together? Or does one or two pieces strikingly stands out, as a bright orange pumpkin the middle of a green grassy field? Neon green skirt (one of my favorite colors, really!) among soft and sweet olive counterparts?
You changed things around and the top you really would love to wear still jumps out at you? Please, wear it. Yep, absolutely! Just... throw a scarf or cardigan on top to blend it to everyone else’s look and try to add a dash of this color to someone else in your family - a ribbon in your daughter’s hair? A scarf or a vest for your son that will also cover those graphics?
Review more clothing ideas on our Pinterest Board!
That’s it! Really!
Here are some samples of color combinations that I've created:
Still stumbled? Time to give me a call: 732 595-2121.
This newborn baby boy came in wide awake, with a serious philosophical look on his face. The political situation in the world is no joke, and this little guy has to think it through really thoroughly. He is up for the task. His eyes look wise beyond the years (what years?! This little guy has been in this world for just a couple of days!). Yet it is not the serious expression, that attracts the attention at first: the Cheeks, the biggest ever, the yummiest and softest cheeks, was the first adorable thing you could see! So big, so soft, so cute - they look as if they are resting on his shoulders!
With an adorable and dignified seriousness he accepted being changed from his pretty little coverall and into the most adorable of all newborn outfits: his birthing suit.
“I doubt he’ll sleep,” - commented his mommy, - “but you are welcomed to try.”
Yet he did. All babies like to sleep in my arms (except my own ones. My own boys could fall asleep with daddy).
“He wouldn’t sleep long, - cautioned his mom, - but we can see what we manage in the time he does sleep.”
He had a wonderfully long nap; long enough to get all the special shots and woke up the minute I had to step out of the door.
“That hat? I don’t think it will fit at all!”
Especially for Nathan, I had prepared an especially lovely hat, making him look like an adorable baby-blue teddy bear with cute rounded ears. You wouldn’t find a picture in that hat: his mom’s prediction was totally true. I knew his height, weight, the head size - all his sizes at birth, but, apparently, little Nathan did not. Whatever those sizes were back at the doctor’s office, all of my newborn hats could fit his tiny wrinkly ten-day-old foot in the best case scenario, definitely not such a big, smart and serious head.
We started off with mommy. No hat. The big guy deserved a big hug. And while he was too big for my newborn-sized hats, while he looked too big to his mom at the time, he still would never be this small again, making this moment especially precious.
We ended up with a teal hat, that I originally made for a three month old photoshoot. That one was perfect. I knew that I’ll get to see Nathan in three days, so I used that size to make the one exactly like it, looking like a polar bear, to surprise his mom. Three days after the photoshoot, a polar bear hat, in a christmassy looking little bag appeared on their doorway with a little card, saying that Nathan suddenly got a Christmas in July: or almost July. His mom was flattered. She loved his hat. But she could fit this on only on his tiny wrinkled two-week-old foot. “How come?! This is the same size as the hat I photographed him three days ago?!” The doctor’s appointment the next day proved that Nathan managed to put on another pound! What a guy! And what a MOM!
Nathan really loved his sleepy time in a basket. So peaceful, yet still with the look of wisdom and seriousness beyond his years. An important future senator. Right in a basket. Get your votes ready, guys, this is the future.
I loved every moment with Nathan. So sweet, so adorable, so charming. Looking forward to watch you grow and see great things in your future - this adorable little guy deserves only the biggest success!
... he can crawl. Yep. Usually that one presents a challenge both for a mom - nothing is safe anymore! Time for serious babyproofing the house! aaaaahhh! - and for a photographer. Oups, the subject is no longer in a picture. Would you like an empty picture frame for today, mom?
Yet, this wasn’t the challenge we faced today.
Anthony missed a nap. A huge no-no in a baby world, though it is hard to tell from this sweet little face.
Oh, wait, not so little: the doctor refused to assign a percentile to Anthony during their last appointment! He may have started in this world as unusually tiny newborn, but now this baby-giant is breaking all percentile records with his weight and height records. 97%? 98%? Don’t ask. Those are too small for this big boy!
Nevertheless, the missing nap still caught up with him at the very beginning of our session. "Happy dude" took a sudden flight and we’ve got Mr. Sleepy and Mr. Grumpy instead.
As it turned out later, Anthony was coming down with a virus, so Mr. Happy had a very good reason for abandoning us so suddenly.
No worries, mommy! We can always try again, once Anthony feels better and ready share his delightful smile with us again!
I rarely have a chance to attend the gymnastics competitions. I wish I could change that: it is incredible. It is captivating, fascinating, amazing. And watching what amazing feats these little gymnasts do - looks unrealistic. Watching my dear friend's son - is a special treat: this boy is destined to go big. He is persistent, he is patient, he is talented. Add a perfectionist streak to the mix and a great recipe for success is right in front of you. Good luck, buddy!
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This sunny baby is erupting in smiles! Smiley one month old - still so soft and sweet, like a newborn, but with a tiny fleeting smile, most dear gift for a mom or an older sister. Irresistible. This is going to be a really fun 12 months together: I can't even contain my own joy!!
Solan has a serious case of baby acne, but his little face so adorable, his eyes so bright and unusually for his age - focused, his fleeting smile - contagious. Nobody will remember the baby acne. Those other amazing things should stay in our memories forever.
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