Namaste

Have you ever tried to do something for yourself, only to find out that it's next to impossible?

A few months back, I started trying Yoga.

Something to center myself,  to relieve stress.

To get in some exercise, without feeling like I was exercising. 

I even found out that my local gym held an evening class!

So I went out and bought myself a yoga mat.

I went to a few classes, and even found a pretty amazing Youtube channel, 

so that I could practice at home. 

Then I remembered {how could I forget} that I have two kids and no sitter!

The class I tried going to was in the evening, but my husband's work schedule is kind of all over the place right now, which means that I am not always able to count on making it to the class.

Yes, my local gym has childcare.

But do I really want to pay for it? Or can I?

To me, that seems to defeat the whole purpose of finding your zen!

Then there is the practice-at-home routine. 

I tried that too!

But of course, it's kind of hard to find your inner peace when your toddler no longer naps, 

and your eight year old is constantly nagging you! 

So, I kind of gave it up. 

Not necessarily in the give-up kind of way, 

but more in the lets-try-this-later kind of way.

Which I fully plan on doing when school starts back up next month!

But until then, I have been trying to find out what finding your inner peace is all about.

How to find that zen feeling, and have been exploring the meaning of Namaste.

The meaning behind Yoga, Namaste and all things Zen, have always spoken to me.

But for some reason, I have never taken the time to explore them.

Shame on me!

I really do love the way I feel afterwards.

It is much more of a workout than I had originally thought, which I consider to be a bonus.

And the funny part of it is, I have no balance and I am not as flexible as I once was!

But oh well! I have to at least try, and I am.

Maybe one day I will get to that point where I don't have to try so hard.

And maybe one day I will be able to reach those difficult poses.

But first, I HAVE to find the time for myself.

But how? 

I have been told to include my little one, to have her join me.

But trying to include my toddler into a yoga practice is everything but peaceful and relaxing!

I have to find a way to be at peace with all that is crazy in this world.

For more reasons than I should probably admit, I need to find inner peace.

I need to find zen.

I need to learn the true, deep meaning of Namaste.

Because sometimes, people just need to find themselves.

This particular journey is all about me.

Me, Myself and I.

The Summer of Change

My vow to write more has obviously drifted to the wayside! 

No excuses here, just life. 

Compared to last summer, this year has been laid-back.  

We have, however, definitely attended our fair share of birthday parties, baby showers and play dates!

We went on a short family trip to Friday Harbor and camped with the in-laws for a couple nights, but other than that, that's about it.

If I had to pick a theme for my summer, this year would be Change.
So. Much. Change! It is happening all around me...

The change started at the beginning of the season, when I was informed by a friend that we would not be going on our annual family vacation with them anymore, due to their impeding divorce.
This unfortunate event has effected me more than I care to admit.
A friend that I was close to, and was only able to see once or twice a year as it was, is suddenly feeling very distant. Very unexpected!

The change continued when my mother-in-laws father passed away.
We went to his funeral, and gathered with their family for a wake afterwards.

Then I found out that a very dear friend of mine, who I have met through Thirty-One, told me that her and her family would be moving back to their home state of Georgia. Her husband had been trying to get a job there for awhile, and God finally answered their prayers!
While this is great news for them, and I am beyond happy for their family, it breaks my heart to not be able to see her anymore.
The worst part about this change was my fault.
I purposefully did not reach out to say a goodbye in person.
I couldn't handle it. Now I am regretting it.
Live and learn, and don't be selfish.

Shortly after they moved, my mom told me that she would be quitting her job, and moving to Eastern Washington where the rest of my family lives. While I do not see her all that often as it is, it was nice to be able to call her up and meet randomly for coffee, or a meal.

I have also found out that two other people that I talk to regularly, are also moving in the middle of this school year! Apparently everyone's getting the hell out of dodge!

I have been trying all summer long, to come to grips with the fact that I have important people in my life, that I will no longer get to see on a regular basis.
I keep reminding myself that I have so many close friends and family that live far away, that this is nothing new, and that it's all good!

Note to Self: It is NOT all about you.

Change is a good thing...sometimes it's just hard to get through...

Rekindling The Hobby

For a hobby that I like to think I am passionate about, I sure have fallen out of it!

But that is about to change. Photography here I come....again!

As a self-taught hobbyist, I think that I am pretty dang good. And for those of you who know me, know that I do not compliment myself well...or at all, really.

But I really do love to take photographs. I find beauty in the details. The smallest of things that most people will take for granted, and look right past. I enjoy finding just the right angle, or just the right kind of light, to perfect an image. And just to make it clear, I hate Photoshop!

My goal is to keep the image SOOC {straight out of camera}. And for the most part, I do.

There are the occasional instances where some fill light might need to be added, and it is no surprise that black and whites are some of my favorites!

So with that being said, I am once again going to dive in head first to the ocean that is known as photography. I will be picking up where I left off with the Seattle Photography Meetup Group that I was chosen to lead, through Capturing True Emotion.

I will once again start planning meetups, and hopefully end up with good turn outs!

If you, or someone you might know, loves photography and wants to join a meetup group in any state or area, click on this LINK to sign up for the one closest to you!

Keep an eye out for photos!

I look forward to sharing my hobby with you!

20 Facts About Me

OK folks, day two of the 31 day blog challenge: 20 facts all about ME!

{Not quite sure how interesting this will be, but here we go...}

Well, at least for now...

1. I have been a Stay-At-Home-Mom for almost four years now! Geez, that went by fast! 
2. I may, or may not, have a slight case of O.C.D. when it comes to organizing. While there are aspects of my life where you cannot always tell, I most definitely have a place for everything, and everything in it's place!
3. My youngest daughter is almost 9 months old, and almost crawling, but I do not have a child-proof home! Shame on me? Maybe.
4. I have very expensive taste. Do I indulge in it? HECK NO! As my husband would tell you: I have a wine drinkers taste on a beer drinkers budget. 
5. In conjunction with the above statement; almost everything I own {except for my children!} is used! Yup. I am not kidding. But you know what? I kinda like it that way...Everything has already been broken in, and has the kinks worked out by the time it makes it way to me!
6. One of my favorite Summer activities is to go Garage Sale-ing!
7. I honestly cannot handle doing arts & crafts! In fact, I kinda hate 'em...
8. I love, love, LOVE the sun! But don't like the heat that comes with it. Kind of strange, right? Well, I am a heat-wimp! Guess you could call me your typical Washingtonian! 
9. I am embarrassed about this one, but I suppose I can make it interesting for you: I have never mowed a lawn in my life. Nope. Not once. Moving on...
10. Out of the {very} few states that I have traveled to, Montana has always been, and will always be, my favorite. In fact, if you asked me to move there right now, I would pack up in a heartbeat! 
11. I am a little bit of a history nerd when it comes anything having to do with Lewis and Clark. That part of history has always fascinated me. Even as a child. Which is probable why I love MT so much! 
12. I have traveled to Paris, France and Madrid, Spain! For this, I will always be forever grateful to my incredible Mother for making that possible for me in high school!! A chance of a lifetime! 
13. I do NOT like loose sheets on my bed! I cannot stand having them wrap around my legs and my feet...it confines me! Therefore, I never have them on my bed. Just a fitted sheet and a comforter. I must say, it makes making the bed a LOT easier!
14. As much as I would love to have a dog, besides the financial responsibility of them, I selfishly do not want to go through the heartbreak of loosing a pet.
15. I have found that the easiest way for me to loose weight, is to give birth to a child!! Each time my daughters were born, I automatically dropped 2 dress sizes!           Haha! How ironic is that?!!
16. I do not have a defining "style". I am not a girly-girl by any means, but I am not quite a tom boy either...maybe a little in between? Or maybe you could just call it the "Lazy-Mom" style?!
17. My biggest pet peeves: 1) being sticky! 2) being too cold 3) drivers who do not use their blinkers 4) ignorance, and/or close-mindedness 
18. This may not be news to some, but I am a caffeine fanatic! And no, I do not mean pop, {I don't drink pop} I mean coffee!! 
19. I do not deep clean my wood floors as often as I supposed I should. My reasoning? My six-year-old! The second I get them clean, they are literally dirty again. So why bother? Only when there is planned company coming, of course!!
20. My middle name is after the first half of my grandmother's name: Lindsi Jo {as in JoAnn}. And my oldest daughter's middle name is after my deceased Papa: Emma Ray {as in Raymond}.

I am not sure how intriguing that was to you, but if you stuck around to read it all, I Thank You! And I will be back shortly with installment number three of the blog challenge...

LATER!

Identity Theft

We all know how much we love our kiddos. We love them more than we love ourselves {well, most of us}. But I am going to be brutally honest here: having children has somewhat stolen my own identity from myself.

For the past six years, my life has been completed and utterly devoted to my daughter. And now that has become plural. I love them more than anything! But there are times when I will look back and wish that the younger, carefree version of Me could emerge! 

2006

 Now, that is not to say that I enjoyed that version of myself better, it is just to say that those were less stressful times. The days that for me, were filled with what I believe is a permanent fixture of myself: Music.

Me back then, consisted of: good friends, dive bars, live music, and a lot of festivals! And I would be lying to myself if I said that I do not miss some of that. Because I do! 

However, the life I lead now is the path that I was destined to travel. I truly believe that, and would not change any of it! But who doesn't, from time to time, wish they could take a breather to do what they enjoy the most. Guilt free!! 

Because back then, it was guilt free! There were no children to feed. Or tuck in, or read to. In fact, me just writing this already has me feeling guilty for just thinking these thoughts! Let alone admitting them publicly! And why is that? Is it just me?!

Back to the subject at hand: Now this is not to say that I do not get to occasionally partake in some good ol' fun! And granted, the definition of "fun" varies from person to person. But for me, myself and I, fun consists of the following: live music, concerts, music festivals, and yes...the occasional dive bar {from time to time}! As cheesy as this may sound to some, when I am in the moment, I become completely  engrossed in every note, and every lyric, of the music that I am listening to. And in that moment, I am not just listening, but I know that I am meant to be there. In that exact moment in time, to soak it all up. Every last second of auditory excellence!! 

2010...Best. Concert. Ever.

See what I mean? I miss it! Not being able to make my own money to spend on a whim when I see one of my favorite bands or artists are coming into town! Because that is what I used to do. I used to live it up, and now I don't. Instead, I throw myself into my days by being completely submerged into all things Kindergarten. All things baby.

So how do I treat myself these days {well, really the past six years}? Well...I BUY my music, and I really listen to it. I am a total lyric-listener. I really listen to what is being said. The story that is being told. And yes, I play the air drum in my car, and I sing out loud!! And nope, I am not ashamed, and I do not hide it! 

And when I say I BUY my music, I mean it. I do not pirate it, and I do not steal it. Granted, I might burn a CD from someone on occasion, but I always purchase music. And why you might ask? Well, because I am truly a believer that music is an Art, and I want to do everything in my power to support the Artists that I love. I believe in them and their art form, and I want to support it. So yes, I purchase every tune, and I proud to admit it!

To sum this all up: while I couldn't imagine my life without my children, and I would not change a thing, I miss a few certain aspects of my old Self. Which in a way, feels as if a minor case of Identity Theft has indeed taken place. 

These words may be a little..."extreme". But if the shoe fits and all that...The best part of my absolute LOVE for all things music, is that I have already passed it on to Emma! And now I am "working" on Haylee! Not that it was intentional, but it happened, and I couldn't be more Proud of my child's admiration for the Artistry of Music! If I do not do anything else right in this whole parenting gig, I will at least know that I did this one thing right!

*ROCK ON*

I am Me.

I recently read a blog post over at The Paper Mama, that has inspired me to write my own post, all about Me...

To start off, here is a recent Self Portrait...

And now for all the things I am currently...

Obsessing over…
All things photography! Business ideas, photo ops, places for shoots, the new camera and gear I am getting soon! Meetup ideas for my photo group, and all that Jazz!

Working on…
A fresh business plan. Goals, ideals, new perspectives, more Goals and logistics of how to work it all out!

Thinking about…
How busy I will be within the next few months! While I wouldn't have it any other way, sometimes it gets overwhelming!

Anticipating…
LIFE. It throws so much at me, everyday! It is hard to NOT anticipate what waits around the corner, and what is lurking in the shadows. Good or bad!

Listening to…
The She and Him Pandora channel. I totally "stole" this idea from The Paper Mama! I love She and Him, but had never thought of looking up their channel until today! It's a good one...for sure!

Eating…
Nothing at this exact moment in time...But my new favorite obsession is chicken sausage! I like to cook it up, and throw it into the mix with any meal! Yummm!

Wishing…
Well, there is a lot I am wishing for this year:: a successful business, success in getting my name and art work out into the world, and having a second kiddo sometime within the next year or two.

Hopefully this has inspired YOU to write about YOU! 

Because more times than not, we tend to forget about ourselves. 

And if YOU are not important, than who is?!

TAG! You're It!

I read this on a blog I follow, titled Angel Perry. It looks like fun, so I thought I'd give it a try. Here is how it works:
All I have to do is answer the "About Me" questions, then pass it on to a few other RAD bloggers!
So here it goes, a list of my favorites!


Food: Seafood. Such a treat, YUM!
Color: Green, earth tones, and lately I have been gravitating towards yellow & grey together.
Animal: Giraffes, owls, peacocks.
Dessert: Tiramisu. Totally.
Artist: Depends on which kind of art. I love Chihuly, Picasso, and so many more. I could never list them all. My list grows longer every day!
Pair of Shoes: Cowboy boots, Chucks, Tennies, or flip-flops in the summer.
Outfit: Flowy t-shirt type shirt, with either leggings or jeans.
Skinny Jeans: HECK NO! I have tried, and they look ridiculous on me!
Brand: Doesn't matter to me!
Perfume: L.A.M.B. by Gwen Stefani, or Princess by Vera Wang.
Accessory: Either a piece of jewelry, or a cute hair clip.
City: Well, I heart Seattle {of course}, but I also fell in love with New York and Paris.
Hobby: Photography, music listening, blogging
Beauty Product: Cover up. Trust me. You don't want to see me without it!
Holiday: Christmas. Hands down!
Snack: This preference changes by my mood! I do prefer sweet over salty though...
Movie: I could watch Almost Famous everyday!
Song: There is NO way I could narrow this down - please don't make me choose!

Guilty Pleasure: ETSY. Blogging. Wandering around aimlessly at Target!

TAG YOU'RE IT!

_CARLY_

_STEPH_

_ALISSA_

_MANDY_

_GRACE_

_NIKKI_

_ASHLEY_

_JEN_

_GRETCHEN_

_BRIENNE_

The ABC's of Me

Here are some tidbits about ME, MYSELF and I. Twenty six of them in fact! Just in case you were wondering...

Age:27

Bed Size: Queen

Chore you hate: Laundry!

Dogs: I love them, but do not own one

Essential start of your day: Caffeine!

Favorite Color: Green {and all earth tones}

Gold or silver: I'll take both! But seriously, WHITE gold AND silver!

Height: 5'4"

Instruments I play (or have played): I used to play the violin, but have always wanted to play the drums!

Job Title: SAHM and Nanny

Kids: Emma Ray

Live: Washington

Mom's Name: Darcie

Nickname: Mommy, Mom, Lins, Wilkie

Overnight hospital stays: Yes. Childbirth {mine & my daughters}!

Pet Peeve: Being sticky, being cold, rude/intolerant/ignorant people, and bad drivers {to name a few}!

Quote from a movie: "How come Andrew gets to get up? If he gets up, we'll all get up, IT'LL BE ANARCHY!"

-The Breakfast Club

Right or left handed: Righty

Siblings: By blood? Nada. But otherwise, I have a few sistas!

Time you wake up: On the days I work, 6:45 am. On the days I don't 7:30 am.

Underwear: Heck Yes!

Vegetables you dislike: Peas, Lima beans, kidney beans, the usual.

What makes you run late: MY KID!

X-rays you've had done: MRI's of my knees and head, and some dental x-rays.

Yummy food you make: I make a mean tiramisu during the holidays!  

Zoo animal: GIRAFFE! But do I really have to pick only one? Cause I love Orangutans too! And a lot more...I heart the zoo!

And how about you? What are your ABC's?

For The Love of Blogs!

OK, so my last post was really boring - I apologize! So to spice things up, I recently joined For The Love of Blogs. It's a pretty awesome blog community, you should check it out! When you join with them, they would like you to make a post about yourself. What your all about, who you {think you} are, etc...After all, who am I to break the rules? He, he!

I started this blog to express myself, my thoughts, and as a way to find inspiration. So far, so good! I am trying to find myself and my true hidden talents. All of which I am choosing to write about during my exploration. I believe that anyone who enjoys REAL, EVERYDAY life may enjoy reading my ramblings!



Our Beautiful Girl

The Hubs & I on our Wedding Day

Simply put, I am a wife. A mother. A daughter. A friend. A lover of Nature. An obsessed and avid music listener, coffee drinker, and art lover. I am still {fairly} new to blogging and photography, but we all have to start somewhere, right? RIGHT! So this blog is what one could call, my stepping stone. My leap into the unknown, and what I can only hope to be one of the greatest adventures of my lifetime! 


Me. Myself and I.



My hopes are to make & meet some more awesome, amazing new people on my journey! Won't you please join me?

GRAZIE!