'Q&A's Tuesdays': 25 Random Facts About Me

25 Random Facts About Me

1. If I was a superhero my name would be Turbo Nerd. But that would make me more of a superdork I suppose...
2. I think I was a cat in my former life...it might explain why I love them so much!
3. I dearly love to laugh. The tummy hurting kind.
4. Trust does not come naturally for me and I love those few people who make me behave unnaturally.
5. I want to hug the man who invented the camera. I want to hug him and take his picture.
6. I collect photo frames, shoes and panda bears.
7. Ireland will always have a piece of my heart.
8. I'm a salsa dancing fool.
9. If I went back to school it would be for culinary school. Coincidentally, I want to own a bed and breakfast one day. Preferably in Ireland. :)
10. The 5 year old and the 80 year old in me are in constant battle.
11. If I could sleep in to 11 everyday I would.
12. My name means "delicate" and I believe that accurately describes me.
13. Don't ever sneak up on me or try to scare me...my first reaction is to start swinging. You've been warned.
14. I could carry on a conversation in Spanish but I don't have the courage to. It's such a beautiful language and I don't want to butcher it with my Indiana accent.
15. English is my second language. Sarcasm is my first.
16. I've traveled to 12 countries and counting. I want to see as much of the world as I can before I leave this place.
17. I'd rather be behind a lens than in front of a camera.
18. I love to cook almost as much as I love to eat. True story.
19. If I had to choose my last meal, it would be black beans & rice, garlic picanha, bread, fried bananas and a piña colada. I'm going out Cuban style, baby! ;)
20. I don't like to be cold and I don't like to sweat. Either extreme makes me grumpy.
21. Driving aimlessly with the windows down and some good tunes playing is my idea of a good time.
22. I never leave the house without my camera. Ever.
23. My nephew made me a believer in love at first sight. It was the dimples, I'm sure of it.
24. I believe in love.
25. God has blessed me beyond my wildest dreams.

'Mental Vitamin Mondays': Trust. Believe. Soar.

An eagle's wingspan is so large and so heavy that it can only bear to flap its wings a few times before becoming tired and weak, so they have to rely on soaring through the air on the faith that they won't fall to their death. In other words, they put all their trust in the idea that they are so wonderfully made that when they spread their wings, with faith, they will soar with grace in the perfect way that God intended.

"but those who hope in the LORD will renew their strength.

They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary,

they will walk and not be faint." Isaiah 40:31

trust. believe. and soar.

When the idea of moving to Switzerland was first introduced to me. I must admit...I was scared to death. I have lived in a foreign country before,(I lived in Brazil for about a year) where there was a language barrier and a different culture and way of life. It was tough. And all of those struggles and trials resurfaced in my mind. My initial response was "Can I really do this?" I prayed about it and God revealed to me not only that this was His will for my life, for our life, but that He would take care of us and be with us every step of the way. As we get closer to really taking that leap of faith and moving, those anxious feelings and inner fears resurface from time to time. But I am always brought back to center and find peace when I read, understand and trust God's word. This verse in Isaiah and the connection with the soaring eagle really helped calm and restore my spirit this week. My hope is that it does the same for you.

I now also have "Fly Like An Eagle" by the Steve Miller Band in my head! :)  Here's a video of the song so you can enjoy it too! :)

'Things I Love Thursdays' - Photography

"If a day goes by without my doing something related to photography, it's as though I've neglected something essential to my existence, as though I had forgotten to wake up." -Richard Avedon

For those who know me well, my love for photography is no secret! When I picked up my first camera as a child, it was like love at first flash! :) And now, years later, I can't seem to get enough of it. I've always had a love for the art of photography but my first professional/paid photo shoot was in 2005. I still can't believe I get paid to do what I love...how many people can say that? The idea that I can capture moments in time and freeze frame them to cherish  for a lifetime never ceases to amaze me. Meeting new people and sharing a little sliver of their joy with them is what makes my job as a photographer feel less like a job and more like a fulfilling adventure! I get to see people at their happiest and capture those happy moments so they can share them with generations to come. How fantastic is that? I feel truly blessed to be doing what I love. Check out my website: www.behindalens.com and you can also follow the link from there to my photo blog where I post my latest client and personal photo updates.

Along with my love of photography, I also have a love for vintage cameras and other artwork or handmade items that are photography related. I enjoy collecting things that reflect my passion for the art. Below are just a few images from various artists who share my love for photography. I labeled each image with the link to check out more work by the particular artist. Etsy.com and Flickr.com are great places to find talented people's work. I recommend you check out those sites if you haven't already! A few of these have inspired me to extend my creative side and start crafting! :) I'll be sure to share any creations I make here with you.

        1. carlos_lorenzo

             2. ellemoss.etsy.com

               3. japonicas.etsy.com

      4. style-files.com

            5. plushism.etsy.com

                      6. brookeanndove.etsy.com

7. coreymarie

             8. FiveSisterz.etsy.com

               9. dillondesigns.etsy.com

I also want to give a shout out to a few of the photographers that I really admire, who inspire me, and who I call friends. Click on their names to check out their talent for yourself! There are so many wonderful, and talented photographers out there but I narrowed it down to these fabulous folks. (in no particular order)

jasminestar

brandon & katie

samantha

jamiedelaine

bob & dawn

Thank you. You rock!

Laughter Is The Best Medicine

It has been said that "laughter is the best medicine" and I will have to agree. There has been research that shows several important stress relieving benefits of laughter and it is my personal favorite type of stress management because not only is it effective, but it is free! :)

I'm just like every other human being on this planet in that I have my share of stressful moments. With the upcoming move overseas, trying to get things organized for our departure and the dealing with everyday difficult people...I am feeling my share of stress. But it's important to not let stress overcome you. Nobody likes a giant stress monster, particularly those who you may lash out at when you turn into that monster. Instead of reacting ugly or angry towards someone, first identify what is frustrating you or upsetting you and respond in a positive way. Respond, don't react.

How many times have you reacted badly to someone(directly or indirectly) out of stress or been the victim on the receiving end of someone else who was fueled by stress-related anger? It's not pretty, is it? How many times have you or someone you know been down right mean only to discover later that they were really upset about something else entirely and just chose to take their frustrations out on you instead of dealing with the real problem at hand? This is a poisonous approach to stress. Not only did you not resolve the underlying problem but you created more stress in your own life and unnecessary stress in the life of the victim you decided to take it out on. If you genuinely have a concern or someone has upset you, the respectable thing to do is to go to that person directly and peacefully tell them what's bothering you (more often than not they have no idea that they have even offended you), don't be passive-aggressive about it. And if that person does come to you with a concern, whether it be in person or by phone/letter - respond respectfully - it took courage to approach you in the first place and they cared enough to want to resolve the problem.

If we really take a moment to evaluate each situation and ourselves we can discover the cause of our stress and then decide what we can do to reduce or even eliminate it. For many, laughter is a great cure for stress!

My husband is my laughter doctor! :) It doesn't matter what is going on in life, he provides me with my daily dose of humor. I'm eternally grateful for his ability to always make me laugh, particularly when I need it the most. Of course there are also several comedians who's job is to make me laugh and are very successful at it! Here are a few that seem to have a direct line to my funny bone: Jim Carrey, Mitch Hedburg, Ellen Degeneres, Jerry Seinfeld, Tina Fey, Conan O'Brien, Mike Birbiglia....just to name a few.

So good luck if you're trying to get a negative reaction out of me. You're going to have to really try hard because I have a secret weapon...a sense of humor. :)

What makes YOU laugh? I'd love to hear your stories!

'Q&A's Tuesdays': Things I Dislike

For those who follow my blog you know that Thursdays are "Things I Love Thursdays" where I share with readers a few things I really love and you also know that Tuesdays are Q&A's where you can ask me anything you want and this week,  someone wanted to know what I DO NOT love. So today I will list a few of my pet peeves or things I really just don't like. And first on my list is that I don't like to be negative so I'll try and keep this short. :)

• I don't like rude people. It's never necessary to be rude. Ever.
• I don't like squid. The rubbery texture just doesn't do it for me.
• I can't handle bad smells. Potent smells are my form of kryptonite. Unfortunately I have a heightened sense of smell. It's a curse.
• I despise arrogance. I can admire confidence but when it turns into cockiness...that's when you lose my respect.
• Abortion hurts my heart. Abortion reflects that we as a society have not met the needs of women and I believe women deserve better than abortion. I also believe in the potential and the protection of every human life. In fact, I dislike it so much that I started a non-profit organization called Life Inspired Love as an attempt to help end abortion by educating others about it and by helping people make life-affirming choices.
• I don't like being away from my husband overnight. I don't like being apart from him at all but I literally have trouble sleeping unless he's right there next to me.
• I hate shorts! I hate the way they look on me and they are just so uncomfortable to wear! Give me a skirt over shorts any day!!
• I dislike driving long distances. I start feeling claustrophobic and agitated after about 2 hours in the car.
• I don't like waiting. But who does, right? Waiting for answers is one of the most difficult parts of life.
• I can't stand "Drama Feeders". You know...those people who seem to live off of drama. Not a big fan.

So there you have it...a few things that I could personally live without! If you have a question you want answered. Comment below or shoot me an email! I'll do my best to get your questions answered.