Easter weekend

Holidays (for me) tend to magnify the fact that our extended families live in other states. It's the time of year when I feel like I'm watching everyone else gather around a gloriously sepia-tinted facebook table with their moms and dads or grandmas and cousins. I know I'm oversimplifying and turning my friends' lives into Norman Rockwell paintings. And I'm so grateful for my sweet little family unit. Still, when you have nowhere to go, it's easy for holidays to feel like any other day. Which is why we've become quite fans of The Staycation. 

We also got to listen to great music while we were waiting for our restaurant reservation. There's something about this song that always makes me cry. If I was an actor and I had to get into character with tears for a sad scene, all they'd have to do is play this crappy recording. 

Here's another crap recording of his beautiful voice (that sounds oddly like Tracy Chapman). Don't mind my girls and the rude white purse girl. 

We bought a CD because I like to patronize anyone who makes me cry. You can download his music here if you're so inclined. 

And one last thing, look at Fluffy! We came back after a day, and she had wings! Our little transparent baby is growing up so quick! 

Fluffy The Tiny Mighty Easter Birdie

At Christmas time, our wreath was made of styrofoam holly berries. During the day, we thought ghosts were knocking on the door until we realized it was just birds trying to eat them. We all became accustomed to strange rustling. Then I was convinced we had a bat because every time we came home at night something would fly panicked out from under (what we thought was) the roof.

Last week we realized it was flying out of a NEST behind our Fiesta wreath!

 Y'all, THERE IS A BIRD LIVING ON OUR DOOR! I'm not sure what that means. But I'm pretty sure we just won Easter.

Okay, a week ago she looked more like an embryo. Having never seen a bird this new, and being generally wimpy about this kind of stuff, my first reaction was to be stunned and mildly grossed out. But then she became My Sweet Little Ugly Birdie Chickie Baby. I'm serious. The way her whole body moves up and down every time her heart beats. It's like you can actually see her Life force trying to inhabit the tiny space of her two inch body. She still can't lift her head, and her spine isn't thicker than a pin. But there she sits, precariously exposed to wind and rain and the terror of my kids incessant door-slamming. 

This is what she looks like now. A few more feathers and a transparent body that only a mom could love. And me too. I love her because she makes me think about how fragile we all are, what a miracle it is that our hearts even beat at all, and how much trust and strength it takes for anyone to keep growing. 

I'm pretty sure there is no better way to celebrate Easter or Passover. 

I hope you are all enjoying it too. xo

"Joy is always worth it." ~The Bloggess

You know how it feels when you have all these ideas but instead of working on them you spend your free time surfing Pinterest and reading blogs about what everyone else is doing? Then you become so inspired that you're paralyzed into doing nothing but watch Housewives of Atlanta? That's how I've been feeling for months. And last week, after inspiration overload at Alt, followed by days behind the computer, I felt the desperate need to get away from the internet and just make something. Anything.

So I texted Jenny to see if she wanted to keep me company while I decoupaged a wall in my office. Which now that I think about it, is pretty much the same as asking someone if they want to watch paint dry. But that's the kind of friend she is. Not only will she watch paint dry with you, she'll find a way to make it fun. Like the time I was talking about how much I hate exercise and she introduced me to adult-sized hula hoops. Or when we went to lunch and ended up taking frogs to a movie.

Which was nothing compared to the time she wore a wolf to Twilight. Basically Jenny is a magical spice that you can sprinkle on any ordinary day to make it taste better. I love her. And so does the whole world. So much that they're always sending her presents in the mail. Things like fake anthrax and monkey hands and Big Foot costumes. So it's fun to be with her when she's going through it. And last week while I was trying to get the bubbles out of my Mod Podge, she pulled out a red dress that someone had sent for her Traveling Red Dress project. Which by the way, was featured on FORBES ... (y'all she is changing the world).

She went to try on the dress and we both knew that I was done decoupaging. And let me just say that I can't remember the last time I stopped to take pictures for fun. I've tried to schedule it, and end up canceling because of work or life or whatever. It always seems unjustified because of more "important" things. And actually, as I'm writing this I'm reminded of this quote by Brian Andreas:

"There are things you do because they feel right & they may make no sense & they may make no money & it may be the real reason we are here: to love each other & to eat each other’s cooking & to say that it was good.”

I think I would add on as the reason we're here, "to play impromptu dress up with your friend on a random Wednesday."

I know this one's blurry, but I love her expression. Her eyes are so light, she kind of looks like a happy vampire. 

My FAVORITES. ...Jenny you are so gorgeous!

If you haven't seen them already, Jenny posted more here. 

My favorite part of her post was when she said "Joy is always worth it." That's what this whole session felt like. A time out. A reminder that you don't always need a "reason". Sometimes having fun is reason enough. 

iPhone update :)

The photos above were taken from my Alt Summit hotel room. It was a great week filled with equal parts work and play. I took pictures and have lots to say about it. But first I need to catch up around the house and office, and spend time with my favorite people. Seems like every time I'm gone for more than three days, I come back feeling extra homesick for them. 

See you soon. 

Confession.

I hate my photography website. 

When people ask about scheduling and I'm forced to send the link, it's all I can do not to send an apology. Something like, "I haven't updated my site or branding in six years, but I hope you can imagine how much better it could be." Or, "WARNING: mute your computer, the song I used to love which is now nails on a chalkboard comes out of nowhere. Not recommended if you're at work or holding a newborn. And if you make it through the first two songs, there's a super irritating third one at the end by that Hawaiian guy singing Over The Rainbow. You know the one we all thought was awesome for five minutes until every photographer in the universe used it as their gallery backdrop and it became a cliche?" Yeah. I have no idea how or why the kind people of this town are still scheduling with me. 

So my new years resolution is to update and overhaul everything so that it's a more accurate reflection of my current work and esthetic. 

That's a total lie. 

The truth is that I might not get to it this year... (yay for low-bar setting!). Because as much as I love studio work and being on location, I feel like there's something missing when people are dressed up in their cutest outfits smiling at the camera. For sure there's a place for that image. I just think there's a lot more to the story. And I think the other parts are equally, if not more interesting. Like the pictures of Annie and Emily above when they had no idea I was there. I want to be more of an observer, and less of a participant. I want to tell the story of your family in a more real way. 

What would this look like? Well, I've been really inspired by two photographers lately: Erika Ray can make a tossed scarf and a peeled orange seem somehow reverent. She makes the ordinary so beautiful that you suddenly become aware of how much of it exists in your own world. And Christine Pobke. Her overnight sessions are the kind of pictures I want for my own family. I don't have words to describe them; you just have to see.

So this is what I'm thinking for a new kind of session, which is basically me stealing Christine's idea minus the sleeping over part. I'd arrive at your house early enough to capture your family routine, brushing teeth, eating waffles, basically be your personal friendly paparrazzi. Or stalker... however you want to think of it. Then you and your fam can get dressed in your cutely coordinated outfits and we'll do a normal-ish session on location somewhere. That way you have the best of both worlds, including the usual of everyone smiling at the camera. For now, until I get overwhelmed, the pricing will be the same as my normal sessions. Do you love it? Me too. Want to schedule? Let me know: admin[at]relishportraitstudio[dot]com

I'm traveling a lot over the next few months, so we're probably looking at April or May right now. But I do hope to hear from you because 1. If you're reading this, you're probably one of the long time hard-core readers who has stuck it out with me throughout the last year of non-posting. For that, I love you. And 2. I miss stretching myself in different ways creatively.

And in the mean time I will at least delete the god awful music on my website. ...You're welcome.

In other news, I'm leaving for Alt Summit tomorrow. Are you going? If so, let me know. Epiphanie is sponsoring a "Dinner With" on the 18th, and a photobooth on the 19th. If you're going to be there, come have your picture taken! Or at least come say hello. Because I've never been, and that insecure feeling is starting to kick in. You know the one where you're in class and you look down to realize that you're not wearing one item from etsy or a thrift store? Yeah, that one. 

Changing the subject one more time. Have you guys been watching OWN on Sundays? Because I'm addicted. Last week, okay maybe I was pms-ing but, I cried through a marathon of Undercover Boss. But my favorite is Super Soul Sunday. It's just like church, only you don't have to get dressed or have a fight in the car. Yesterday, she interviewed Jill Bolte Taylor. You know, the Neuroanatomist who had a stroke. It was so inspiring that I pirate-recorded this part on my iPhone so I could play it the next time I'm having a bad day.

Y'all, our negative thoughts are just a peanut. 

Untitled from maile wilson on Vimeo.

My other favorite part of this video was when she said that scientifically speaking, all humans are 99.9% the same. Crazy to think that all the arguments and conflict and wars in the world are started by .1% of the parts of us that are different. You can watch the whole video here. Might be a nice way to celebrate Martin Luther King Day.

See you soon. :)