from me to you.

I am filled to the tippy top with gratefulness and love and thank you each and every one for being in my life no matter how tiny or grand.

I am also still and always thankful for these 100 things with no time this year to post 100 more...

I wish you and yours a long delicious love-filled holiday weekend :)

Mason, this pure talented delight of a young man, close enough to feel like my own, goes into an eight hour spinal surgery to correct his scoliosis at 6am pst tomorrow (Monday, 11/23).

If you would, please keep him in your thoughts and send him juicy healing love waves?



thank you, my love-filled blog friends :)

**UPDATE - tuesday morning** all is as well as can be expected! the surgeons were "beaming" about how well the surgery went :) scariest part over and now the road to recovery...phew and hooray!

well, at least for one of us!

the persimmons are ready...

a storm is brewing.

You can search throughout the entire Universe for someone who is more deserving of your love and affection than you are yourself, and that person is not to be found anywhere.

You yourself, as much as anybody in the entire Universe deserve your love and affection.

- Buddha

I am inspired and excited to join Kristin and Dani's new Walk With Me project and Flickr group!

After a long day yesterday, I needed to get the heck out of the home office and thought my usual quicky-clear-the-head walk around my block was the perfect first contribution...I am lucky enough to live just North of San Francisco, two houses away from our neighborhood park, and in a quirky little corner of town. The walk starts at my desk, heads out my back door and ends up at my front gate.

click here for the slideshow :)

Have a lovely weekend everyone and get out there for a walk!



p.s. the prayer flag shot is a tribute to my lovely friend Kristin :)

I was recently chosen for the Photographer Spotlight at Sacred Lotus Photography :)

Thank you so very much, Nicolle!

Hello my lovely friends! The wall calendar for 2010 is now live.

These are by the same printer so are the same great quality as last year but I am excited about what is new this year - all new images, of course, but you now have a choice of three different sizes! I love the way the biggest size really makes the images pop but thought having options to suit everyone was the best way to go. Please pick it up in my new Zazzle store by clicking here!

the dimensions available and prices are as follows:

$20.45 + shipping for the 7"x11"
$22.65 + shipping for the 11"x17" (this is the same size as last year's calendar)
$28.00 + shipping for the 14¼"x22"

These measurements are for the full calendar hanging open so includes the image on the upper half, calendar page on the lower (as shown in the examples below). You do have to set up a login with them to purchase but it is pretty straight forward and much like Etsy.

I am so happy with how it turned out and hope you are too :) If so, I would be forever grateful if you would share the love and spread the word!

at my new favorite place to eat.

because if you are smart, you line up before they open.

and grab a table in the mad rush through the door.

then they serve their beer in mason jars.


and they are lovely, these people who work here.

with their driftwood covered walls.

and their proximity to the foggy blustery san francisco beach.

they close for the night when they run out of their organic-sustainable-like-home-but-better food.


be warned, dear visitors. this is where i will be taking you for dinner. and you will be converted to the ways of the outerlands.

...still kicking!

Today started off with singing from one boy, purring from another, birthday cake for breakfast:


four phone calls, a visit from my best friend with food and a gift I've wanted for so long, and then my gift to myself:


Watch out 42, we've got some ass-kicking to do.

Funny, I keep taking pictures of this little love and all I get is serious face or sleeping face. I've come to the conclusion that perhaps most of his funny loving expressiveness is best experienced in person. We shall see as he grows...but here's a little video tidbit to help you all share in the true cuteness :)



OH! And his name? We went round and round trying to think of one and almost all of mine were summarily shot down by my lovely teenager (I swear one day I will have a pet named Zissou). So when Riley brought out a bunch of his favorite books and video games and pelted me with the endless list of character names I finally gave in...

Iggy: Riley's favorite character from the Maximum Ride series of books. I tried for Ziggy but, you guessed it, shot down.
Stardust: in honor of Rocket and was originally to go with Ziggy - I stood my ground.
Gordon: Riley's favorite video character - I kept this from being the first name - but barely.
Lindell: fairly self explanatory :)

Less kitty, more other stuff soon...and a Happy Halloween Weekend to you, my peeps!

I thought that I would be one of those people who needed an empty house in which to heal for quite some time. Then I couldn't bear the quiet, the emptiness, no special little face just around the hallway corner.



Turns out I'm the kind of person that needs a house with chased strings, mid-air body flinging and a soft neckwarmer who apparently never stops purring to help with the healing process.



Already looks like this little boy will be quite the character - I hope my lovely Rocket boy approves :)

one stop shopping.


prepare to dine.


we dare you.

Phase two, the first phase being iWALK, has been shot for our client, Health Action. These are some of the images I love most from this phase of the project - a teaser really as the materials and project don't launch until next Spring. An initiative to get people to grow their own food for an ultimately healthier and happier life.

Lucky me,
my job still rocks :)

...with your seemingly slow progress. Do not try to run faster than you presently can. If you are studying, reflecting and trying, you are making progress whether you are aware of it or not. A traveler walking the road in the darkness of night is still going forward. Someday, some way, everything will break open, like the natural unfolding of a rosebud."

Vernon Howard, 1918-1992
American Author and Spiritual Teacher

_____
(Thank you for this, B.
So very, very much.)

...updated. shiny. new.

Keeping busy and freshening things up is good medicine :)

Feedback on the new look and images is most welcome...

Rocket left us yesterday. I held him as he went, bathed him in tears and assured him that one day we would be together again. He was magic to me and I am not sure how I will get along without him.

I wish I had more words, he deserves so many more words.....maybe one day. But today, I just need time and space. And some fresh air. And reminders to breathe my way through the grief.....

...back soon, my friends.

for autumn color week

for autumn color week

for autumn color week

(it looks much better here :)

my boy.
my goofball.
my sunshine.



(and OH HEY! it's autumn color week and today happens to be yellow! serendipity is awesome.)

...with the loveliest new friend.

Tara is not only one of the most delightful creatures you could ever spend four hours with, she delighted me even further by gifting me with this camera ring last night! Flickr friends for a time, we discovered just recently that we are also neighbors...and as of last night, real life friends...
blessed indeed :)


(and a happy weekend to you all!)

Several of you have kindly asked about the boy and how his trip to Australia went. I am so sorry to have kept you hanging after my lump-throated post about his departure! There is no way to explain the kind of busy we have been so I'll just jump in and give you some tidbits....

His trip was MOST excellent. He came home with some sweet photos of his journey, kangaroo and koala-themed no less...

(PB self portrait feeding litle beasty)

(perhaps not the most common of signs anywhere except in AUS?)

But let's back up a bit. I was kind of holding my breath a little while away in Portland thinking about him, missing him, hoping all was well. I woke too early one morning, flipped open the laptop and there was the best and most important email I have received in my entire life. It was very long so I have opted here to include just the last part of it with you...

".....awwwwwww SNAP! miss you crazy. crazy good food... LEBANESE PIZZA YEEDER. i want to live here. forever. after school. please. dindin! gotta go.
LOTSA luv
From your happiest son,
Riley
PS finished book!
PSS two cute waitresses thought I was 18+!
PSSS I think I am thinking with an australian accent now!
PSSSS more pics up on facebook soon!
PSSSSS LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE"

Um, so, yeah. Need I say more other than absolute deluge of tears of joy ensued? :)


And then there is this...he returned to school, quickly made up for missing the first three days and got into the thick of his sophomore year. He has already produced this self portrait...

which he free handed on the lovely graphic tablet they have in his art class. He went on to create this finished piece using the image...

using recycled canvas, multiple layers of acrylic, fabric and my favorite face in the world :) I know I'm a biased Mama but his teacher was impressed enough to feature it on her website, submit it to his school paper and display it at the Mill Valley Fall Arts Festival this past weekend!


And let us not forget his other love...the water...



oh my, this water polo season has been one for the books so far and Mama is the silly, can't sit still, tries really hard not to yell too much spectator you might expect.

There is so much more but I will refrain. I have attempted to hit the balance between just-an-update and outright-gushing in this post. But then again if I perhaps lean too hard towards the gush, you might all forgive me?

Yeah, that's what I thought :)

...and this is why:

the story begins several weeks ago with an exacting client, a tough shoot. our first concepting meeting with them long and arduous, B and I decided to stop at a cute little corner spot offering wine and beer. we befriended the sweet jolly funny bartender until 'joey' arrived and everything changed. he walked in behind the bar and started giving shit to our new buddy. in true leslie form, i chimed in to our new buddy's defense and got some true belly laughs out of EVERYone except joey. oops - we went home fairly quickly after that.

fast forward to yesterday. that tough shoot completed (phew!) B convinced me to stop at the same spot for a celebratory beer on the way home. and of course joey was the only one behind the bar when we arrived. ahem. then that young handsome co-owner of the bar named joey gave us the 'don't mess with me' look - oy - he remembered. but again in true leslie form i just charged ahead with friendly chattiness until he asked us what we did for a living...i explained what we did, where we had just been...his cards still close to his chest but a glint in his eye, he asked me what i shot with and when i answered with "i'm a nikon girl" he burst open with the most genuine smile. he went on to explain that he shoots with a D3 (a D3 people!) and we talked endlessly of lenses and such. i told him that i'd rather give him my money to try out lenses than any lens rental service and that's when he said....
"i won't take your money,
if i can help out a photographer that's enough for me,
i'll email you a list of my lenses tomorrow
and you can borrow them anytime you want."
and then he wouldn't let us pay for our beer.

and i was reminded yet again of serendipity, and fate, and the power of a really good genuine smile.

There are many, MANY reasons it has taken me so long to get all these Portland posts up. Not the least of which is the fact that I had thousands of photos to wade through to come up with my favorites. Having said that, there were thousands of photos that never got taken. Like more of Ward (sorry bud, what with you workin' so dang hard I certainly didn't see enough of you...next time, next time...)! Or of the beautiful sky, always changing, always interesting...

Day 5

...or of the estate sale that I dragged these lovely Jenkins to on my last full day in town - a good 25 minutes from home. There was so very little on offer but I scored anyway...vintage electric ice cream maker, vintage 35mm camera, red pyrex bowl and more - nope, no photos of that. Or how about the black vintage bicycle for sale and parked in front of Rerun? But, then, there are these...

Lunch with these two lovelies and their lovelies was so delicious,
my oh-so-gifted girl Andrea...


and just look at Jen Downer!

Jen is such a wonderful talent, has glowy sunshiney energy and is one of the best huggers on the planet. I so enjoyed meeting she and her gorgeous family on this trip - they are damn good, loving people - and she is one DAMN good photographer.

We finished that lunch, shared many of those aforementioned hugs, and on our way to the car, I happened to catch our little Miss Ava as a garden fairy...


then off to Ampersand...


to catch Robert E. Jackson's show featuring his collection of vintage photobooth shots...


oh, is this one ever my favorite from the show...


or, no, probably this one is my favorite at the show :) ...


How fitting for me to be there with Andrea since photobooths are how she and I first became friends back in our early blogging days. The show and the shop are truly great - do visit when you are in town! I must admit it was a little hard for me not to blurt out to the awesome owner how he should ask Andrea to do a show there, though. I mean come on, right?

And the photobooth fun wasn't over yet...off to Ace Hotel and their vintage photobooth next...

and was it ever the most beautiful booth I've seen! When I stepped inside, there was this...

Oy, I am telling you, after all these years, Andrea and I still don't have a strip together!? So you know what I did right? Dragged her in anyway, turned my Nikon around and made my own. Behold the fauxtobooth strip...

satisfaction.

Then, the obligatory, heart-shaped foamy coffee...


in the best. hotel. lobby. on. earth...


and, suddenly, it was time. Time to go. Time for one more night's rest before my ten hour drive back home. Back to my kitty. Back to sweet Pickleboy who was readying to board his very long return flight. From Australia to Mama. So in the car we piled, back to Andrea's we headed, beat. I mean truly exhausted and then as I was stopped at a red light I glanced over, lunged for the camera one last time and captured this all drive-by style...

do you see it......yeppsirree...there it was...the capper to one of my favorite trips of all time...
A(ndrea) & L(eslie)
...for a reason.

A really, really good reason.

as I mentioned,

Day 3


started with a solo sunrise walk filled delightful surprises...






and as I wound my back to pack up and say goodbye to Denise I felt a pang to leave my lovely no-longer-an-acquaintance-now-a-real-friend. I also felt excited to visit with a long time friend whom I had never shared physical space with. So I waved a melancholy goodbye to Denise and Koko, we promised to see one another soon and I headed on my way.

If you cannot tell who I visited next from these first two photos...




then perhaps this one will give it away...


ah, yes, the ever-lovely Alicia Paulson...and her girl Clover Meadow (pictured here)...and her guy Andy. I have to tell you all that despite having been very sick and still not feeling well, Alicia insisted I come by for a visit. Which shouldn't surprise you if you read her blog, but was so very appreciated by me. We sat and shared all sorts of things about life and our work - a little girl talk thrown in. And if you were wondering...all three of them really are all that. Thank you, thank you dear Alicia for carving out some time for me and sharing your family, fantastic home and wonderful self with me. I am holding you guys to that trip down here so I can reciprocate very, very soon, ok?!

Yet again, the time for me to go came too quickly but, also again, I was excited to see the next set of dear friends...the Jenkins. It was a perfectly hot afternoon when I rolled up in front. We all hugged and squeezed and squealed, Ward sadly had to head back out, but then Andrea and I just plain settled in, left our cameras packed, and talked talked talked about everything under the sun. Until that sun started to fade, Ward came home, and they trekked me out to see the Falls. Because it isn't really a trip to Oregon without seeing some Falls...


We drove back home in the dark and talked some more until all of our eyes drooped and we could talk no more.

Day 4

I awoke early yet again and as the sun slowly rose, I took time to capture all sorts of delicious vignettes and corners of this place they call home...






this shot being a nod to Andrea's straws...oh, she always has straws...


we packed up the kids and off on another adventure to Cargo...


this place is SERIOUSLY dangerous for the pocketbook. we wandered aimlessly, separated, came back together...each choosing our own special treasure to take home. And then there was this treasure waiting for me around the corner when we walked out...


Ward met us for an old-timey pizza lunch downtown and then we all needed a rest...


but - hey - not done with Day 4 yet...Andrea and I headed back out to the lovely LeHappy


to meet the inimitable Jen Downer!

We spent wonderful HOURS visiting and comparing notes and giving pep talks and discussing how photography was the impetus of so much in each of our lives. We left our cameras sitting quietly that night but - never fear - I got some SHOTS of these lovely ladies the next day at lunch...

...hustling to get caught up from being away and also prepping for some exciting upcoming jobs...more Portland to come but for now, day 3 started with a solo sunrise walk and this self portrait.

back with more soon, my lovelies!

There is no other way but to take a page from Andrea's book when they came down my way last Summer...break this trip out into pieces...feed them onto the electronic page bit by very big bit...this post only constitutes days 1 & 2 and it's a doozy in itself.

I mentioned my need to get away as salve. I would miss PickleBoy, yes, but I think the more important reason to go on this trip was that my eye - my camera - needed it. In search of inspiration, to see in new ways, to shake things up. And it really, truly did.

Day 1
Out on the open road, a 10+ hour drive completed in 9.5. Averaging 80, smoking hot temperatures, windows down, a combination of 'This American Life' episodes and crafted playlists to sing me along.

Denise heartily urged me to stay with she and Keith...she being a dear friend of my wonderful B...we had shared a meal together earlier this year during she and Keith's visit to the Bay Area. Upon me asking last minute if it might be ok to stay, "Come on up!!!" came her email reply.

I arrived all wonky and discombobulated from that long, long drive. Denise being a girl after my own heart, we took the lovely Koko for a walk through the neighborhood to stretch myself out, chat our way towards each other. And ended up at a local bar. Sidewalk table, nice cocktails in hand, toasted our B, clinked, tipped back...


and then I looked up and saw a very good sign of things to come.


back home to visit with Keith, to a delicious dinner, delicious conversation, deep into the night...only to arise to an epic day. One of those days you couldn't successfully recreate if you tried. A day more full than any vacation day I have experienced. I tell you what, you should ALL have Denise as a tour guide...let's do this in list form shall we?

Day 2
1. D took Koko and I on another walk. A perfect walk with delight around each corner. It started as a meander through the dreamiest field of my life thus far...

no surprise that we found love there...


2. and then straight on through a tunnel to the old-timey Oaks Park with it's French carrousel...

and it's mirrors full of shall we say "perspective"...


3. on through the park, we found the gate, the steps down to the riverside to give Koko some hearty air time...

and to give me this vision of downtown Portland...

sigh.

4. a delicious Lebanese lunch and then, why not?

5. a quick pop into the 'outdoor' store for a little wander. If this Finnish gas mask weren't so pricey, you KNOW it would now be mine...


6. on to the bead store, lovely but not much luck and D says,

7. "Hey, want to check out this art exhibit I heard about", I say "yes!" Ok, you guys, this exhibit deserves a whole post of it's own, which it will get one day soon but I will give you a teaser now and say this. Wow!! A musty old retirement home, creepy and damp, over 100 rooms, each one taken over by a different artist to do with what they wish? Brilliant. It was called The Manor of Art at Milepost 5. Here is a sampling of some favorite snaps from there...





I need some help and a bit of time to properly credit these artists. I will be linking and giving credit where it's due soon soon soon...

8. Beat. Ready to rest. We stopped in and walked the halls of Kennedy School. SO GOOD but also very quiet on a late Tuesday afternoon...I asked D if we could move on instead to grab a locally brewed beer, a smooth cool sit down and she happily took me to

9. Amnesia Brewing on Mississippi Avenue where I ordered an ale named 'Copacetic' just for it's name. Seriously, if I were to move to Portland, THIS would be my neighborhood. LOVE.

10. Off to drag Keith from work a bit early, for tapas and happy hour...YUM.

11. Then D and I walked along the wooden sidewalks of The Pearl,


visited some of the parks in which Keith is responsible for overseeing the art...


people out and about everywhere, trying to stave off the heat...


12. Heading towards home, a stop at one of the many food cart corners to see what was on offer. Alas, they weren't quite open yet, we were pretty full and tired, yet I will be forever grateful for one of my favorite shots of this trip...

Time will be made on my next visit to try these crepes as well as some of the other infamous carts of Portland.

13. A quick stop at TJ's.

14. And then home in time to say goodbye to the light...


And THAT, my friends, only gets us to the end of my first full day. Yeah, I KNOW, right...?

I would like to add here how very much I appreciate Denise and Keith for their kindness and generosity. It would have been grand indeed if they knew me well, but that they knew me lightly and still rolled the carpet out in such a flourish? Gah! I arrived a happy acquaintance and left the two mornings later with new friends of my own. Hey, you two lovelies! You are welcome to take over my home any day, any time. Although, I suspect B and I may need to arm wrestle over you. Just remember that I am stronger than I look :)

and LeThrilled
and LeGrateful
and LeLucky for this perfect trip and
and yet LeSad
to LeLeave
my LeLovelies
but still LeReady
to get LeHome
and to LeSqueeze
my little LeRocket and then
pick up LePickleBoy
at LeAirport and really
LeLove on him...
now off on the LeTen-Hour-Drive towards home...
LeTHANKYOU, my wonderful Portland friends!!!

...and oh so many LePhotos to share over the next weeks!

...can you tell?

do the hula.