January 26, 2012

Some days…

feel like I’m walking through tar…

and the tar is up to my chin.

I’m wading and I’m wading.  I think…am I in a dream? What the heck am I doing in tar? Where am I? How do I get out?

I need someone to pull me out but it’s just me.  I’m the only one around.

The day is not even half way done and already I need a do-over.  I’m wishing I could push the restart or reboot button on my life and my day.  It’s one of those kind of days.

I just got back from a walk.  While I was out there I was praying that my mind would get a reset and so would my feelings and maybe even my personality (that’s my psycho voice in my head talking, I know, but sometimes she gets her word in edge wise).  And I kept praying. And walking the circle of roads right by my house. I was breathing and walking and hoping that in the breathing and walking the freshness would reach my brain and my heart.

And I said to myself, “Tell me three good things that have happened today.  And if you can’t think of that then just three things you can be thankful for.”

In the state I was in it took me a minute to want to switch over to that way of thinking…to want to see something good.

Sometimes, I just want to stay bugged and negative.  Isn’t that ridiculous?

On Sunday, Mike said, “It takes a lot of work to stay bugged.”

And so why do we pick that path?  Why does it feel oddly…something…to just be negative?

I made myself stop with the list that wasn’t making things better and I made myself think of one good thing. I fought with  myself to do it. One good thing.

And then another came to me.  And then I easily had three good things. Now they are coming to me fast and furious…enlightening-glad-they-happened-today-things on my list.

Having to make myself see something that on other days is blindingly obvious and that just yesterday I felt great about tempts me to have yet another reason to say something mean to myself today.

Gentleness.  (and prayer)

I need it. You need it. Especially with ourselves.  A little grace.  The kind we’d give someone else.  It’s for us, too.

When we give ourselves that we open our life to a more grateful heart.

It’s 1pm and I’m starting my do-over day.

What action do you take when you need a do-over day when it’s already 1/2 over?

xoxo,

Davina

PS Love 15 launches next week!

Woohoo!  If you want to know some details about Love 15 before the launch make sure to get on the Love 15 list.  Just click the yellow square over in the sidebar or click here. ——>

 

Posted January 26, 2012 by Davina Fear. Filed under A Happy Heart, Everyday Fun | Comment (1)
January 25, 2012

This is the Stuff

so in love…

with this song by Francesca Battistelli that I discovered via Meaghan.

How could I not love a song that sings about me losing my keys and asking someone to call my phone so that I can find it?  Sometimes, it’s the little things that cloud the good stuff.

What songs or music help you to relax, feel fun, or get perspective again?  I want to hear! I need some new music.

Tell me your fave tunes in the comments, pretty please!

xoxo,

Davina

 

Posted January 25, 2012 by Davina Fear. Filed under Uncategorized | Comments (6)
January 23, 2012

Family Fun Night: Time Capsule

words…even crazy ones.

Rabbits.  This is the answer to any and all questions that may be posed to Emmett.  Will you be staying after school today? Rabbits.  What homework do you have? Rabbits.

He’s 14. He has words.  He uses them.  They make no sense.  They make me laugh.

Over the last year words have come and gone.  At one time it was cows then cheese.  There was waka and now it’s rabbits.

Silliness that makes the girls laugh and can become a game.  Sometimes I think I’m going to go crazy if I hear rabbits as yet another answer to a question and then at other times I play my own little rabbit mind games. Mostly, it’s fun. I want to remember that.

It goes in the time capsule.

A time capsule is for remembering and for dreaming.  There’s nothing set in stone about it.  The memories we put into this little metal container don’t have to have a reason and the dreams don’t either.

On little strips of paper we write our dreams for the year coming up and put them in a little fabric bag.  Folded cardstock wrapped with a ribbon have written inside memories we want to remember.

What will you put in your family’s time capsule?

*Familyness Inspiration right here.

Posted January 23, 2012 by Davina Fear. Filed under Family Night Fun | Leave a Comment
January 20, 2012

Familyness Inspiration Cards


 last year…

Familyness Inspiration Cards [limited edition]*

As most of you know, in 2010 I realized that I wanted to focus more on familyness (although I didn’t know I was going to call it that back then..) and in January 2011 I had an idea.  I wanted to send inspiration to my  clients.  Inspiration for them in their families and I wanted that inspiration to last for the entire year.

It wasn’t about photography. It was about familyness.

I began focusing on the ways families connect, enjoy each other, and have fun together.  I photographed them, wrote a little, and created these familyness inspiration cards.  I’ve become addicted to them creatively and the familyness that’s inside each of the ideas.  My clients received these last year…one each month.

Now it’s a new year and I want to make them available to you.

I’ve had them on side tables around my house, coffee tables, and the fridge.  My sister visited last summer and I had one of them on my fridge.  We were both looking at it, saw all of the happiness and fun, and decided we needed to make that moment happen again with the cousins.  It was the perfect inspiration in such a subtle way.

It’s my hope that they’ll do the same for you.

 

Who would love these ?

Everyone, I hope! :)

A young family

A family with teenagers

Grandparents who would like ideas for fun adventures with their grandchildren

Photographers looking for a little extra inspiration at family photo shoots

As a gift for any of the people on this list

 

Many of these ideas made their way to my blog.  Sometimes, though, it’s so much nicer to be able to hold an idea in your hand, see inspiration when you open the fridge, or chat about them while you cuddle on the couch.

 

Familyness Inspiration Cards

Add to Cart

$29

(includes shipping)

 

*limited edition = I have only a small number available.

Posted January 20, 2012 by Davina Fear. Filed under Yellow House | Leave a Comment
January 20, 2012

Date Night Adventure: 5 Love Languages

how do you like to get love?

Eye opening is a great word to describe this little book, The Five Love Languages.  Mike and I read it years ago and took the test (although we are going to take it again tonight…I want to see if the results have changed…).

Our love languages:

Mike’s was a tie between: Words of Affirmation and Touch

Mine: Time Together

 

What is your love language? What is your true love’s language?  I thought you’d never ask! Take the tests:

Wives Here.

Husbands Here.

You’ll discover  (page down a little for details on each language) what your love language means and how you like to receive love.  You’ll find out some insightful things about yourself.

The best part about this little quiz (it will take about 10-15 minutes for each of you) is that you get to learn what makes the person you love feel the most loved.

So maybe you’ve been doing the dishes for someone who really needs to have you compliment them like crazy.

Or possibly you’ve been giving gifts to someone whose love tank is filled up by a hug or a touch on the arm as you walk by.

Like I said…it might rattle your world.

Once you take the test each of you spend 10 minutes making a list of your favorite ways to receive love based on your dominant love language.

Now, give your list to your spouse and you take your spouse’s list.

Spend the rest of the evening giving your spouse their gift of love by choosing things from their list. (See how many times you can fill them up with love from their list for the week until your next date night.)

Have fun!

And I want to hear what your love language is!!  Tell me in the comments!! (Pretty Please.)

Happy Date Night!

xoxo,

Davina

 

Posted January 20, 2012 by Davina Fear. Filed under Date Night Adventures, Featured | Comments (7)
Past Adventure, please

  • MEET Davina

    By day, I photograph families. By night, I build forts the size of elephants with my family. I live in a yellow house. I believe real life is the best getaway ever.

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