Friday Five - Bubbles and Blue Skies

♥ Happy Friday to you all! ♥

The weather has been warming every so slightly. Sunny, with clear skies, but still a slight chill in the air. The outdoors seem to call to me when this beautiful...beckoning me to enjoy it.

Last week we were playing with Ella in the backyard.

Blowing bubbles, watching her chase and try to eat them.

I felt like a kid again, in awe of the rainbow of colors bouncing off the glass-like bubbles...

...Watching as the wind carried the bubbles in different direction,

bobbing and swaying like they had their own mind...

...Giddy when the delicate bubbles

somehow managed not to pop when they landed...

...And amazed when I saw a reflection of the house in the bubbles.

Sometimes it feels so good to just act like a kid. Pretend there is nothing to worry about, and just play. It is easy to take life so seriously, but it's the little things that can remind you that you need to allow time to make happy and carefree.

Tell me, what sense of child-like wonder have you come across lately?

Leave a comment or click below to post a link to photos or a blog post.

F.I.N.E

While I was in the desert I saw this ant.

All alone, carrying a stick almost 4 times its size, falling over with the weight.

I, like the ant, try to do too much by myself. Between cancer, recovering from knee surgeries, and debilitating back pain, I have spent over half of my life relying on the help of everyone else to get me through the most basic things. I appreciate everything that has been done for me, would not be here without that help, and have formed some incredible relationships as a result. That being said, I wouldn't change the course of my life for anything. But it has led me to a default setting of taking on too much at once. Call it being intractable, or an inability to ask for help, or an innate survival mode. But however you want to characterize it, the simple fact is I have an overwhelming desire to be independent and live without relying on help for everything. It is like I have an aversion to the feeling of being unable to do things myself.

But I have realized there is nothing wrong in asking for help, people want to help. When I was sick I had a constant stream of visitors not because they had to but because they loved me and wanted to provide help and support wherever they could. I am trying hard to learn not to carry the load on my back alone, but to instead share the brunt of it all. There is no shame in asking for help to keep your head above the water.

This matter is mine

Don't worry I'm fine

This matter is mine

This matter is mine

Don't worry I'm fine

{Kina Grannis "The Goldfish Song}

Hearing the chorus of this song from Kina Grannis was like listening to myself talk. Something that has always stuck with me...every time I would say "I'm fine" my friend and fellow cancer survivor, Zac would quote the movie The Italian Job:

"You're Fine? You know what "fine" stands for, don't you? Freaked out...Insecure...Neurotic...Emotional"

I want to know...are you good at asking for help when you need it? Or do you try to do it all yourself and tell everyone you are fine when you really aren't?

Friday Five - Spring

Bright new colors are showing up all around.

:: Hello Spring ::

I love how each day I see a new patch of flower somewhere,

something pretty to look at while driving, something to brighten my day.

I associate each season with different feelings, different mindsets,

different visual memories.

Spring is light and airy, sunny yet chilly, with colors abound.

Spring brings a freshness, a coolness, a newness.

When I see a field of wildflowers I imagine it as a watercolor painting.

A sea of beautiful colors.

Do you have any photos lately that say Springtime to you? Share your link below!

(Click the frog)

InLinkz

Sweet Escape

There is nothing quite like a quick getaway to clear your mind, and make room for new inspiration, new ideas, new paths. A spring cleaning of sorts. Sometimes I feel bogged down in the day to day, and need a little refresh.

While in the desert visiting my grandma, I had the opportunity to meet up with friends I met through the blogging and photography world. Incredibly inspirational and talented, I felt I had known these women forever.

Sharing a passion can spark a lifelong friendship in an instant, and I feel like a passion shared is a passion that grows. I get excited when I meet others who love photography as much as I do, share my desire to seek beauty through my lens, and go to great lengths to get that perfect photo. It deepens my love for all things photography.

Great food, great friends, great conversation, great photo ops, great time. This mini overnight vacation was just what I needed to clear out the dust and get back into the swing of things. Have you had any sweet escapes lately?

Scavenger Hunt Sunday

♥ Happy Sunday to everyone!! ♥

{1. High Key}

I love the look of a single flower in a tiny vase. Makes me happy. The high key lighting makes it feel so ethereal.

{2. Bedroom}

The light of a lamp at night is so warm and inviting to me. Snuggled in bed reading a book...

{3. Something Tiny}

I love hearts and I love tiny things. This is a little silver heart pin I found that is no bigger than my pinky fingernail.

{4. In the Distance}

This is the Ocean House in Carlsbad, CA. It used to be called Neimans, and it is famous for its Sunday brunch. It is a historical building that is supposedly haunted, and we have been going since I was a kid. I love the Victorian architecture.

{5. Stripes}

Along with the high key, something tiny, this shot was taken at one of my favorite little gift and art stores, Grow Studio in Carlsbad, CA. So much to look at, everything bright and cheery and beautiful.