wonderland

"This is what a Utah winter looks like," she told me as she drove me from Salt Lake City up to Park City, Utah. I marveled from the passanger side as huge snowflakes poured out of the vast bucket sky.

Click, click, click.

Through the windshield I snapped image after image of the landscape that surrounded us. amazed by what I saw. It had rained all day until all of the sudden, it turned to snow. And minutes later, a total transformation from all gray to winter white. I don't recall ever seeing anything quite like it. We could have been on the moon for all I knew.

It was a long and harrowing drive for most of the people on the road that afternoon but not for her. And even if it was, she wouldn't let on. Apologizing all over myself for the amount of time I was stealing from her day and for the traffic and for the weather, she urged, "This is the magic, Tracey. I wasn't going to let you miss the magic."

And I didn't. Those 24 hours were filled with picturesque views, real winter weather, my camera, big boots, bright lights, warmth, inspiration, and friendship. In a word; magic.

Share with us today your wonderland. When you gaze outside your window, what magic awaits you? Let's see the landscape that surrounds you today.

time capsule

As a photographer, I’m a memory gatherer... not just the big stuff like birthdays, weddings, holidays etc… but those everyday moments… the ordinary… the in-between moments… the little things we may not feel are that are important right now, but what we may look back on and realize were big things.

So I’ve been gathering memories, collecting the everyday moments in my life, and using video & photos packaged up into films and freezing that moment in time. I’m calling them time capsules. I know that time flies by, and what happens today, will be different to how life will be next year... in 5 years, 10 years and so on… and I want to remember the little things.

Today I’m giving away one spot on my first eCourse – Creating Time Capsules, where I plan to set you on a journey of discovery and inspiration so that you can make your own, delightful, memory-evoking time capsules... All the details are here.

For a chance to win, please comment below or show me a moment you’ve photographed… what memory have you frozen in time? big or little… something you would add to your imaginary time capsule.  

You have until Saturday 4^th Feb midnight PST and I will announce the winner in this post....

11.11.11 : part one : our morning routine from xanthe berkeley on Vimeo.

on my windowsill

I bought a dozen roses at the super market the other day. I divided them into 4 bottles. I have them sitting throughout our home. It's always nice to have a little touch of pretty in different rooms. Don't you think?

This sits on our kitchen windowsill.... right by the sink. It's lovely to see and smell as I do the dishes.

How about you? Share a little touch of something pretty with us today. 

leaping into february

Welcome, February!

This month provides us with a leap year. It's also the start of the great dreaded month of February in New England: when Vitamin D diminishes, when our woodpile slowly retreats back into the woodshed as we keep our home warm day after day and night after night. Winters are long and February is the peak of cabin fever (so I hear) yet this is me: outwardly (and somewhat annoyingly) positive about this month.

The day I took this it was warm, 35 degrees and sunny. I ventured out in long johns and actually broke a sweat running through the snow from camera to snow fort to snap this shot. All the while laughing, right? This is what I love about jump shots. They change the chemistry of your mood.

This month we are introducing leap as our One Word for the month of February. It doesn't necessarily mean you have to defy gravity. Leaping can mean taking steps in new directions, trying to adventures, stepping outside of your comfort zone.  Leap however you see fit. Leap because it’s scary. Jump because it makes you smile. Leap because it makes your heart race. Leap into life with both feet because why not? Jump because life is not about stagnation. Leap in the face of new adventures. Leap and then leap again.

Won't you play along with us this month? Show us what leaping means to you. Be sure to enter your images in the OWP flickr pool and check here daily to see if your photos have been showcased!

trust

What a great month it has been watching all 'your words' appear here and in our One Word Project pool on Flickr. However you chose it, may your word serve you well. May it guide you, encourage you, remind you, inspire you. May it whisper to your soul when you need it most. May it push you past the not so good days and help you celebrate all life has in store for you. You have only just begun your journey this year,  now you need to have faith that your word is the one, and then trust in the process. Embrace this new year, as you have embraced your word. If you are still searching for your word, it will come, trust in that. Perhaps when you least expect it, or stop trying to find it, it will find you. If you need a little extra inspiration check out all the amazing images contributed this month in the OWP pool, or perhaps re-watch that great video Chris so beautifully curated last week in her "power of one" post. (if you missed it last Tuesday, do click on over now) I love that video, it feels so powerful.

I can wholeheartedly say I really feel my word this year. It was not at all the word I thought I needed.  In the beginning of January when I began contemplating a word for me and my year, I was feeling words like simplify, center, & balance, all good things, but internally I knew something was missing and it was holding me back from fully committing to any one of those words.  Then a dear friend and I spoke and she shared her heart with me and that she too was feeling many of those words but that they did not feel proactive enough. That was exactly it!  As soon as she said that I knew that was what my heart was longing for, an action word!  Those, to me, seem riskier, scarier, therefore making me more vulnerable.  That may be true, but that is just what I need to push myself this year. On my drive home that day my word hit me, become.  Now I am embracing it, fears, nerves and all. My word is speaking loudly and I am listening.

Tomorrow we begin a new month and announce a new one word, but we have right now to celebrate all of our individual words one last time. Tell us, how do you feel about your word, are you trusting in the process? Do you feel it doing its work?