joy in bloom...

ever had one of those days that unexpectedly brings you joy?  joy from clarity - clarity from what you see and what you believe...working together to conspire a paradigm shift in your heart and you mind - a paradigm shift that frees you from holding on to expectations that can only lead to disappointment?  

ya, today was one of those days & it was awesome.

peace & bliss, 

amy

cute freakin' kids!

"allow children to be happy in their own way, for what better way will they find?" 

~ samuel johnson

i have had the pleasure of photographing some really cute kids...some brand spankin' new to this world, others a year or two into life.  all of them really freakin' cute.  

even more fun to photograph newborns with the bestie...

we make a good team amy a.k.a. amy lee photography!

enjoy!

peace & bliss, 

amy

sweet baby 

lucky  baby girl...two cool big brothers

mr. personality

brothers for life

wherever you go, there you are...

"wherever you go, there you are...but your luggage is another story."

honestly, none of us enjoy dealing with things that make us feel uncomfortable - seems much easier to avoid or deflect from the real issues so that we don't have to deal with it.  i admit, i have been a superstar "avoider" in my life.  unfortunately, those "things" avoided don't disappear - they just get swept under the rug and eventually that lump grows until i can't ignore or avoid it any longer.  no matter how hard i try, i always trip on that lump!

avoidance is not a positive coping skill for life.  in fact, it is pretty bad. you may think that you are changing circumstances and situations, but it is all just a facade.  unless you commit to facing whatever "lumps" you are avoiding & change yourself, you will inevitably continue to deal with  & trip on the same old stuff.

this is not easy.  typically, we resist what we want and need most - after not having it for so long (or avoiding it for so long), our brain associates that "stuff" with pain.  when it does show up, it may scare you or even piss you off - so you avoid & disassociate. we are drawn to the familiar no matter how desperately we want different...

today is the day to stop trying to avoid your "stuff" - time to spring clean and sweep out that lump under your rug that keeps tripping you up.  unpack that "luggage" - open yourself up to the possibilities because wherever you go, there YOU are!
peace & bliss,
amy

help...

I walked through the wildwood, and what did I see
But a unicorn with his horn stuck in a tree,
Cryin’, “Someone please help me before it‘s too late.”
I hollered, “I’ll free you.” He hollered back, “Wait--
How much will it hurt? How long will it take?
Are you sure that my horn will not scratch, bend, or break?
How hard will you pull? How much must I pay?
Must you do it right now or is Wednesday okay?
Have you done this before? Do you have the right tools?
Have you graduated from horn-savin’ school?
Will I owe you a favor? And what will it be?
Do you promise that you will not damage the tree?
Should I close my eyes? Should I sit down or stand?
Do you have insurance? Have you washed your hands?
And after you free me--tell me what then?
Can you guarantee I won’t get stuck again?
Tell me when. Tell me how.
Tell me why. Tell me where….”

I guess that he’s still sittin’ there.

i'm not sure when i was first introduced to shel silverstein books - i believe it was in elementary school...maybe 3rd grade?  any old way, i fell in love with his original poems, quirky illustrations & his books sit on the shelf in my office to this day.

this poem, "help!" takes on new meaning at this point in my life...both personally and professionally.  sometimes i am the one walking through the woods hollering "i'll help you" - while other times i am the unicorn with his horn stuck in a tree asking "how much will it hurt? how long will it take? are you sure that my horn will not scratch, bend or break?...and after you free me--tell me what then? can you guarantee i won't get stuck again?" 


at one point or another, we all become attached to moments associated with people or experiences that keep us "stuck" in conceptualized constructs - our perception allows us renegotiate what "happiness" means - what "happiness" feels like.  and through this continuous recalibration of what "happiness" is, we create a tolerance for the status quo & stay stuck...
are you a unicorn with his horn stuck in a tree?
if so, it's time to get help...time to be free...

peace & bliss,
amy

freud meets buddha...

"why couldn't buddha vacuum under the couch??

...because he didn't have attachments!"

today i had the pleasure of attending day #1 of the "freud meets buddha" conference...i knew it was going to be a good when i was 15 minutes EARLY (i know that my loved ones are shocked) and live music and comedy kicked off the workshops of the day.

my favorite speaker of the day was therapist & author john lee - he presented with humor and creativity - two elements that are important in my own social work practice.  he quoted freud who once said, "everywhere i go i find a poet has been there before me..." - illustrating the connection between melancholia, depression, despair and the introspective creativity of poetry. he shared both personal and clinical experiences with depression and despair, as well as creative examples.  here is one poem that he shared with us and i want to share with you...

"i am not i"

juan ramon jimenez

i am not i

i am this one

walking beside me whom i do not see,

whom at times i manage to visit, 

and whom other times i forget; 

who remains calm and silent while i talk, 

and forgives gently, when i hate,

who walks where i am not,

who will remain standing when i die.

john encouraged participants to "think outside of the box" - he said poetry is one way into despair and poetry is one way out of despair.  he promoted thinking creatively, borrowing from those you love and admire, but most importantly to be yourself.  

today was a cultivation of loving kindness, humor, and authenticity.  

ready for day #2...

peace & bliss, 

amy

keep your heels, head, and standards high!

"there is not royal flower-strewn path to success. and if there is, i have not found it for if i have accomplished anything in life it is because i have been willing to work hard." ~madame c.j. walker 

are you looking for someone in the real estate profession?  if so, i present to you two hard working professionals who have the knowledge and ability to help you reach real estate success...

angie roe & kristi ball.

these two business women literally stand behind their motto - 

"keep your heels, head, and standards high" 

with several years of experience and successful results.  

creativity + hard work = success

i was especially excited to do this shoot for their promotional shots & feature these two during the month of march to celebrate women's history month...kudos ladies!
women in business rock...
keep up the good work!
peace & bliss,
amy

watch and do your part...

i am both outraged and encouraged.  

i am reminded that 

"a bunch of littles can make a big difference...

as a result, the unseen become visible."

educate yourself & donate here.

peace & bliss, 

amy

celebrating our "she-roes"...

The first problem for all of us, men and women, is not to learn, but to unlearn.

-- Gloria Steinem

see no evil, hear no evil, speak no evil <3 bliss

march is women's history month...

kind of blows my mind that it originates back when Congressed passed Pub. L. 97-28 which authorized & requested the President to proclaim the week beginning march 7,1982 as women's history week. it wasn't until 1987 after being petitioned by national women's history project that congress passed Pub. L. 100-9 that designated march 1987 as "women's history month."

seems like this should have been something that happened a long time ago - before i existed...not in my lifetime?  but yes, it did happen in my lifetime.

The purpose of women's history is not to idealize women. On the contrary, the stories of women's achievements present a full view of the complexity and contradiction of living a full and purposeful life.

Learning about the extraordinary achievements of women helps diminish the tendency to dismiss and trivialize who women are and what they accomplish. In celebrating women's historic achievements, we present an authentic view of history. The knowledge of women's history provides a more expansive vision of what a woman can do. This perspective can encourage girls and women to think larger and bolder and can give boys and men a fuller understanding of the female experience.

Thus, women's history becomes a story of inspiration and hope...A story of courage and tenacity…A story of promise, possibility, and purpose.

Women's history is our nation's story. It is the story of how women have changed America and how they will continue to do so.

(from national women's history project)

who is your "she-roe?" it may be your mother, grandmother, aunt, girlfriend, sister, teacher - any women achieving and overcoming obstacles to shine. whoever she may be...tell her!  and tell us...

i will be sharing the "she-roes" in my life throughout this month. 

peace & bliss, 

amy