Nectar & Light

~ my beautiful baby girls; they light up my life and their tenderness, warmth and patience stirs the greatest of emotions within me and keeps me constantly striving to not only be a better mother - but a better human being;

~ my husband whose understanding, patience and love i could not fathom being without;

~ my family - their unconditional love and support has shaped the woman i am today;

~ my extended family whose love is whole and utterly pure;

~ my brother whose selfless soul brings me to tears - whose heroism is boundless;

~ the amazing friendships with the most caring and generous of souls all over the world through this blog and flickr;

~ our health - the desire to continue to take care of ourselves in a way that benefits our bodies, our souls and mother earth;

~ our home; the warmth of a glowing fireplace, the smell of cinnamon, the softness of our beds - i am so grateful for this little cottage we call home;

~ the touch:  of little fingers on my skin; of calloused fingers on my face; of the pool every morning - beckoning me; the warmth and softness of our blankets;

~ the smell:  of a spicy chai as the sun fingers it's way into the sky; shampoo that lingers in baby curls; the lavender that clings to the sheets as they emerge warm from the dryer;

~ the sound:  of their laughter - each is so unique and melodic; of new music that touches your soul; a friend's voice on the phone when you have helped her smile again after a difficult week, the crackling of the fireplace;

~ the taste:  of my mother's sweet scones - a recipe i have never been able to duplicate; the first sip of chai in the morning; sweet kisses on baby bellies;

~ the sight:  of unbridled happiness and joy that emits from the girls when they play together; watching my husband's truck pull into the driveway safely every evening; of giving, sharing and loving - it is all around us;

~ you my dear readers - i am thankful for you.  for your support, love and understanding, i thank you.

have a lovely thanksgiving, full of warmth - let your heart open and embrace the sweet, small moments that are the most precious.

xoox~jla

the fieryeyed photography holiday shop is now open!  i am so excited to bring you our first calendar, two new sets of notecards - one in sage greens, and one in winter whites - 12 brand new specially priced polaroid prints and the cutest little polaroid notebooks you have ever seen.  everything is sealed in our signature vellum envelopes and sealed with a snowflake kiss.  i do hope you enjoy friends - happy holidays!

xoox~jla

p.s. if something looks to have sold out - don't worry, i will relist it as soon as i can!

a quick sneak peek of a happy addition to the holiday shop coming on monday... have a lovely weekend!

xoox~jla

a quick hello - a very busy week in front of me wrapping up some overdue projects and beginning some new ones.  though i do have a bit of news to share - the holiday shop at fieryeyed photography will launch at 10am CST on monday, 24 november.  watch for 12 brand new limited edition prints at a special holiday price and some wonderful surprises i know you will love.  see you then!

xoox~jla

p.s. if you are aching for magic and bit of faerie dust, do visit here - a favorite new find of mine.

today i am remembering.  i am thinking of the altering event that was my life while serving America.  i am remembering my best friends - friends that would lay down their life for your own; i am remembering the pride that coursed through my veins every morning seeing my father leave for work in his naval officer uniform; i am remembering the tears that were shed when i lost friends - when my husband lost friends; i remember the unquenchable sense of adventure that only being out on the high seas can create - the whips of wind and sprays of salt water; i am grateful for the path i was blessed to have followed - leading me to the edges of the world, leading me to my husband, leading me to myself.  and above all, i am praying,  praying for my brother who does dangerous things in dangerous places - i pray for him all day everyday and those prayers are laced with gratefulness that he is so alive and happy when he is doing what he does.

thank you.  thank you to those of you who have always supported our military efforts.  thank you to those who have watched their sons, daughters, friends, fathers, mothers depart for destinations unknown and filled their duffles bags with nothing but unconditional love and support.  and thank you to those of you who have ever worn a uniform - you are the blood and tears of America.  thank you.

xoox~jla

the shots above were taken on our first anniversary - i was stationed in england at the time and we drove to the highlands for a holiday - the skies of the scottish highlands are unmatched by anything in the world - anything.

he has been teasing us, flirting - grazing his cool fingers over our faces, then withdrawing in a heated moment shocking us with warmth and sunshine.  but this morning, he brought us blankets of the thickest grey wool, kisses of the coolest breezes - he shakes his lover-trees with fierce embraces - their flaming golden locks falling to the ground.  and most importantly, he brings his mistress - snow flurry.  yes, autumn has come to stay - how long before his mistress uproots him for the stage herself, we shall see soon.  in the meantime...

~ i can't stop listening to honey honey and lay low;

~ i am wearing this in honey & the moon -the name alone makes me want to do cartwheels;

~ i can not live without my morning ritual:

~ i am loving photographs by bea de giacomo and ada augutyniak;

~ i am so happy to read matt's new blog - and alana's too;

~ i would love to share this new etsy find;

~ so lustworthy {via CC}

have a wonderful weekend my friends - stay warm...

xoox~jla

 

xoox~jla

our november theme for the photo trade sounds simple:  one.  but, truly it can be anything but.  the challenge is to photograph a single object in the most aesthetically pleasing way possible.  you must consider not only the subject itself, but it's surroundings and how they should compliment and highlight your chosen object.  do something unexpected - challenge yourself to look through the lens in new ways.

please remember the new rules applied to the october trade.  we are opening up this month to 40 participants.  i ask again that you when you sign up you send not only your name and mailing address, but a short statement that you have read and will be adhering to the new rules.  i unfortunately do not have the time to go back and double check those who signed up last month, so please just make it easy on me and note that you indeed comply with what you have read here.  if you are new - all rules must be read here.  additionally, please do NOT forget to send your address.  this month, if you fail to include it in your email, your slot will go to the next individual who signs up and provides all necessary information.

i have a pretty busy day and i may not be home to cut off sign-ups.  therefore, if you have been selected to participate this month, you will receive a confirmation email by tomorrow afternoon.  unfortunately, i do not have time to reply to all emails.

thank you friends, you have truly raised the bar with the october trade - your work was stunning, thoughtful and full of fall!

happy trading...

xoox~jla

hello friends - i hope you enjoyed your weekend.  ours was a bit rocky - a bee sting, a bloody nose, fevers, sleepless nights - but a lot of sunshine and afternoon naps ;)  i am finding myself newly motivated to scrub the house top to bottom to prepare for the inevitable hibernation mode that we will, in all likelihood, succumb to soon.  i need things fresh, clean and in some cases altered - as you may have noticed with the blog banner - i can not seem to stop trying something new.  but that is what a turn of the season does for so many of us - we turn our eyes inward and contemplate what new canvases we can paint.  happy painting friends. 

and do vote tomorrow - i have restrained myself from getting into politics in this space as my opinions tend to get rather heated and that is not what this space is for - but remember the great alice paul and what she sacrificed for this right - go vote.

the november photo trade theme will be announced at noon cst tomorrow - we are accepting the first 40 individuals who sign-up - but please, before you do, keep the new rules in mind.

have a wonderful afternoon!

xoox~jla 

p.s.  and thank you for the love amanda - you are MY hero!