This little article about Alice Saunders, a history major who decided to turn other people's stories into functional fashion, can be found in the current issue of country living.
10/16/2013
10/11/2013
opening tomorrow...
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10/07/2013
weddings, funerals and one big baby
This illustration popped into my head today and I really want to share it. It's funny that I have not thought of it in such a long time because I purposefully hung it at the bottom of our stairs so that I would see it every day and measure myself by it. I wanted to make sure that, no matter what the day had in store for me, I would try not to face it with this attitude. For a while I did notice it every day and if I was in a good mood I would laugh at this poor guy. Other days, when I was not in such a good mood I would see it, grumble a little, but still, straighten my back and push forward. And then, for a while, as is the potential with all things that we are surrounded by on a regular basis, I didn't see it at all.
At the bottom of the illustration it says, "I am a sulky and ill-humored man, and in this way I knock my head against the wall." And then, as if the lesson were not clear enough: " The angry protagonist will never butt through that brick wall."
The last few months have been chaotic. I have traveled to Chicago, Boston, Morocco and more. I have embedded myself in other people's families and watched them celebrate the newness and wonder of commitment. I have also watched old friends say good-bye to loved ones - parents who lived a full life and spouses who went too soon.
Then, on Friday, I got to see a beautiful, healthy, GIGANTIC baby be born to my cousin and his (heroic) wife. This birth felt like the climax, the punctation (an exclamation point, of course) to this period of time. It was as if all these stories were told again in watching a woman labor and give birth to a new life that started its own, new, story.
And I wonder, did I stop seeing this illustration because I FINALLY learned the lesson?
9/30/2013
9/24/2013
9/09/2013
on Dr. Seuss and Morocco
Last week I went to Marrakesh, Morocco to shoot a wedding. I will probably do multiple posts about this trip but while I wait for the film to be developed (yep, film) I thought I would get some thoughts down about my experience there. I admit now (as I admitted to many friends before) that I was really scared of going. I have been very lucky to have traveled quite a bit over the years but this was my first time leaving my kids for an entire week and it was my first time setting foot on African soil. Somehow that all felt very overwhelming and scary. In the couple of days before I left, I ran around borrowing suitcases and outlet transformers from various friends, and it seemed that everyone had a cautionary tale for me. A few friends in particular who had spent time in Morocco had long and drawn out stories of being manipulated and taken advantage of. So I boarded the plane not with my usual sense of adventure but with a serious amount of dread and foreboding. The flight, however, was smooth and I managed to get to my hotel (after paying way too much to have a teen age boy lead me through what seemed like an endless labyrinth of alleyways to my hotel). The first thing I did was retrace my steps in and out of my neighborhood (twice), to make sure I could find my hotel by myself. Then, even though I felt tired and paranoid and sad to be away from my family, I still had to eat so I wandered into a bakery and enjoyed some of the most delicious yogurt I have ever had accompanied by some yummy mint tea. Arabic was spoken everywhere and the majority of the men and woman dressed in traditional galabiyyas and hijabs. I felt awkward, but gradually I remembered myself and started making eye contact with the people around me and greeting them in the couple of arabic words I learned on the plane (and, mercifully, in French). I am not sure why I was so surprised, but I really was, that people responded to me with bright smiles and open hearts. Thinking about it on the plane home, a line from What was I Scared of? a great Dr. Seuss book came to mind: "...I began to see that I was just as strange to them as they were strange to me!" I guess that, even as an adult, I still need to relearn this lesson from time to time and after I did, I discovered all sorts of amazing people and things. More on that when the film comes back.
8/14/2013
Gail Travis, New Form Perspective
Super fun shoot with Gail Travis of NFP Studio. Gail designs lovely, versatile, imaginative (yet super comfortable) clothing that will take you from the gym to an elegant evening out. We shot this at Atlas Industries' new building in Newburgh which provided lots of space and incredible light. Hair (Jamie Cook) and make up (Jenny Smith: Twitter: @NarsJennySmith, Instagram: @JennyAtwoodSmith) were a huge part of making this such a dreamy shoot. Oh, and model, Taylor Foster, was pretty easy on the eyes. Thanks to everyone!
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