the first session...







these were some of the best shots out of the
total number taken...
i was pretty pleased with how they came out
and have been receiving a fantastic amount
of feedback and interest...

which is both exciting
and
a little scary...

i want to leap into this
but feel little tiny threads of doubt
and worry and areyousureyou'regoodenough?
holding me back...

so far, i feel like i have been snipping away
one thread at a time
taking it slow
free photo sessions,
using a free website template,
careful not to invest too much

but part of me
wants to
break free...
wants to go big...
wants to believe that i could be good at this...
wants to believe in me...

rainy day wednesday...


i survived the photo session
even though it was so cloudy
i thought it might rain...

even though
the cub scouts picked that night
to donate their time and random acts of kindness
by picking up litter in the park
that i planned to do pictures in...

even though
every breath i took made my stomach hurt
and i couldn't find my belt so every time i bent down
it felt like my pants were falling down
and i knew i should have put my hair up
because it was constantly in my eyes...

but all in all, it went well...
i realize i need to provide more direction...
this is going to be a hard part for me...
i am more comfortable in the candid and the unplanned...
but that will not always work.

thanks for your support,
i really, really needed all those little hugs
and gently pushes and whispers of you-can-do-it
and you'll-be-fine...

butterflies in my belly...


tonight i take my first
photos
of people
that are not part of my
family...

and i'm nervous...
sick-to-my-stomach
don't-feel-ready
nervous...

i was going to write about the potato salad
and marinated bbq chicken i am making for supper...
or about the great photos i got on my
5 am sunday morning drive...
or how 13 kicked butt on her band trip
(and i only cried for a moment as she left the driveway
to be gone for two nights this year)

but instead...
i've got butterflies in my belly...

my space...



this is where i spend parts of my day...
by the window
listening to the kids playing outside
with great lake swimmers playing in the background...

sometimes a paintbrush in hand...
sometimes a pen...
sometimes just a handful of crayons.



a space for me...
a corner, a nook...
one of my favorite places to be....
i wish you could join me...
{there is room for another stool.}