Sparking the Creative Juices
Creativity webs and flows….
Right now, I am in a web which seems perfectly natural. I am surrounded by chaos of unopened boxes, unmade beds, and unorganized rooms. I love it in life when I am just “naturally” creative. You know, I just feel it without having to work at it. But at times like this, it needs to be more of an intentional process, and that’s ok. So, this afternoon, even though its raining for the 3rd day in a row, and there are so many things on my to-do list at this new house… today, I will take my camera and go exploring. I noticed a road sign not far away that intriqued me the first day I drove here. It had an arrow and read, “Chebeague Island ferry landing.” So, I will point my nose in that direction, see what I find, and hope that the creative juices start to flow. I’ll let you know!
Love to all from our new abode,
Nanette
You are Cordially Invited..
For those of you who love children’s literature as much as I do, I thought I would share my book review column for the May issue of Model Life Magazine. The magazine’s theme for May is Weddings!
You’re Cordially Invited…
I’m excited about the opportunity to share my love of children’s literature here in Model LIfe Magazine! This month, we are focusing on stories about weddings. As most of us, and our children, are familiar with all of the popular Disney books which include weddings, Beauty and the Beast, Cinderella, etc, I thought I would look at some lesser known books and authors. Children of all ages feel very special and excited about being invited to a wedding. And it’s even more amazing when they are asked to be a part of the wedding!
1. Wedding Flowers, by Cynthia Rylant. Gr. 2-3. Rylant is a wonderful storyteller. This book is part of a series called the Cobble Street Cousins. Three young cousins, Lily, Tess, and Rosie live with their Aunt Lucy on Cobble Street for the summers. In this story, Aunt Lucy is getting married to Michael and all three girls, with their sweet, cooperative enthusiasm, work together to create an unforgettable wedding day. Adorable illustrations. This series was one of my daughters’ favorites!
2. Lilly’s Big Day, by Kevin Henkes. K-Grade 2. Remember Lilly, the mouse from Lilly’s Plastic Purple Purse? Well, she is back again, and this time has her heart set on being the flower girl in her teacher, Mr. Slinger’s upcoming wedding. She practices and dreams of the day, only to find that Mr. Slinger’s niece has been invited to be the flower girl. But Mr. Slinger has plans for Lilly, and in the end she feels very special about her wedding day responsibilities. Funny, spirited, and a wonderful story about dealing with things when they don’t go quite as you had planned.
3. Junie B. Jones is (almost) a Flower Girl, by Barbara Park. Grade 1 and up. Junie B. is a hilarious character who creates chaos wherever she goes. In this story, her Aunt Flo is getting married, and Junie B. finds a way to get the attention she wants after not being asked to be the flower girl. From teaching 2nd graders, I know many children think Junie B. is very funny, and they love all the trouble she gets in. As a parent and teacher, I feel the Junie B. character may not be the role model we are hoping for our children. But that being said, Park does entertain us with her Junie B. Jones series.
4. Miss Spider’s Wedding, by David Kirk. Ages 4 and up. This story will be enjoyed as much by the adult reader as the children. Beautiful and vibrant illustrations tell the story of true love blooming in the insect world amongst the Spring flowers. Some reviewers felt the subject matter somewhat above the 4-5 year old level, although I felt it a perfect way to introduce children to nature’s ways. If you have enjoyed other Miss Spider stories, you will love this one. The last line of the story says it all…”How can we fully recognize the beauty seen through true love’s eyes?”
5. Flower Girl, by Kathy Furgang. PreK-Grade 2. A sweet story with more illustrations than words. Little Anna thinks her aunt’s upcoming wedding will be boring. She would rather ride her bike or go swimming. That is until her grandmother, mother and aunt head to the attic to unpack her mother’s wedding dress and grandmother’s veil. The story explores the anxiety children may feel when asked to participate in a wedding. Soon, Anna gets in the spirit of the celebration. I love how the author wove generational traditions into the story. The lively illustrations are colorful and charming! Well worth the read.
In this upcoming season, many children and their families will be invited to celebrate weddings. Some may be asked to participate as a flower girl or a ring bearer. I think all the stories I have reviewed would create excitement for the children about the wedding, give them an idea of what to expect, and help to alleviate any possible fears. Happy reading! Enjoy!
Nanette is a photographer, writer, and collector and lover of children’s literature. She is the owner of Nanette Faye Photography. You can find more of her work at www.nanettefayephotography.com.
Happy Thursday, Friends!
Lots of love and happy reading!
Nanette
Moving on to New Adventures…
It goes without saying that I will miss all the great places to have coffee, lunch, dinner and beer.. It goes without saying that I will miss those dear friends I have reconnected with during my two school years living here. And it goes without saying that I will miss those new friends who in a very short time have become such an important part of my daily life here…
What may not be so evident are the other things I will miss…
4 am alarm clocks that buzz upstairs over my head as she gets up to finish her homework for the day
being woken up at 6am asking if I might run to Dunkin Donuts and get her favorite “medium hazelnut iced-coffee with skim milk and an egg-and-cheese on a plain bagel.”
saying good-bye to her for the day but knowing she will call if she needs me
taking Autumn out for many walks around town and through the woods..lately he has become quite the rabbit hunter
Kitten sitting in the window box looking in the window, begging to come in for breakfast after a night out adventuring
turning on the propane stove and cuddling in my chair with a special blanket to write, think, edit photos, drink coffee and catch up with friends
meeting the sweet neighbors on my street to chat about dogs and town gossip. Once this winter, I said to my neighbor, “Can I ask you a question?” He said, “Whatever it is, the answer is yes…” xo
hearing a friend stop by to visit and talk to Autumn in the front yard even when I am not out there
getting a phone call to meet in 10 minutes to walk, talk and let our pups socialize
how the light dances on the kitchen floor in the morning, and streams in through the living room windows in the late afternoon
being able to open my front door and watch magnificent sunsets or snow falling on the big old oak tree
having her pop in during the day when she has a “free dot.”
sitting on the front stoop in the sunshine watching the world go by
going to sleep listening to not-so-far-away live music and the voices of happy bar goers
hearing my daughter come in every night at 9:30pm from school and holler hello
Saying good night to her before she calls it another day..
I am grateful to have had this special time. And now we move on to new stages of our lives and new adventures.
Until next time,
Lots of love,
Nanette
Dare to Dance the Tide..
“So don’t you sit upon the shoreline
And say you’re satisfied
Choose to chance the rapids
And dare to dance the tide…” ~ Garth Brooks
www.nanettefayephotography.com
My week in Instagram ~ and Happy Mother’s Day!
I’ve stayed a little closer to home this past week which has been a nice change. I’ve been loving all of the new blossoms on the trees, and flowers in the woods and fields. If you follow along on Facebook, you may remember I’ve had an assignment this week for a class I am taking to create a self-portrait. Included in my collage is a “soft” version of the original. Have you tried taking self-portraits? Not such an easy thing but a great exercise for many reasons.
Hope you all have enjoyed your week! It’s been a little rainy in my neck of the woods although today was sunny and gorgeous!
Wishing you all the happiest of Mother’s Days! May you relax, enjoy your children wherever they may be, and celebrate the joys, and trials, of motherhood. I will be thinking of my own sweet Mother tomorrow, and feeling blessed I was to have her as my own.
Lots of love,
Nanette
www.nanettefayephotography.com
Fiddlehead Picking with my Father
This time of year always brings back memories of going down along the river to Dad’s special, “secret” spot to pick fiddleheads. We would go after he got done work for the day. One of the things I remember most is that the black flies would just about carry me away. He always claimed he wasn’t bothered by the black flies, and it was “mind over matter.” I didn’t quite agree but loved this special time with him enough to push through being chewed . He would take his packbasket along, and we weren’t done picking until it was filled to the brim.
After we arrived home, my Mom and Dad would make an evening of it, cleaning the fiddleheads, blanching them quickly in boiling water, and then packaging them up to freeze for dinners when they were no longer in season. Usually, they would leave just enough out for dinner for the next evening. And if Dad or one of my brothers had caught a fresh trout to go along with them, this Spring dinner was just about perfect.
When my dad passed away several years ago, my mom asked if there was anything of his I might like to have. I chose his packbasket, his fishing creel, and his old dinged silver flask. Spring necessities!
It used to be that I would only eat fiddleheads with lots of vinegar and salt. Now, I just love them lightly steamed with some real butter and salt and pepper! And I follow Fiddleheads on Facebook to keep track of when and where they are ready to pick!
Special Spring memories….what are yours?
Love,
Nanette
www.nanettefayephotography.com
Staying Open to the Possibilities ~ part 2
Last summer, I wrote a post about the advantages, and sometimes exciting outcome, of staying open to all possibilities when heading out to shoot (or in life for that matter). You can read about it here. Today was another one of those days. Maybe not quite as exciting as the experience I wrote about before, but in my mind, just as important.
I left home at 6am yesterday morning heading to Southern Maine to watch my daughter ride in a horse show. I had charged my iPhone and my “big girl” camera knowing I would want to take lots of photos of my daughter and her teammates while practicing in the ring, competing, and then just relaxing with their horses. And I did shoot lots!
After my daughter and her friends had completed their competitions, I was walking back to my car to hit the trail home. I had to pass by where other riders and horses were doing their last minutes preparations before entering the ring. I noticed an older man sitting in a folding chair furiously doing something with his gloved hands. On getting closer, I could see he was sketching. I asked if it might be ok if I took a couple of photos of him. He was very hard of hearing and just nodded his head and said, “I am drawing these most gorgeous animals.” I again asked if it was ok to take a couple of shots. He chuckled and said yes but why would I want to do that? I told him I loved watching him draw, and that his work was amazing! I took a few images of him working feverishly, his pencil moving quickly across the paper, head bent down close to his work, and then looking up quickly at the horses. He worked FAST and his sketches were gorgeous.
After a few minutes, a young rider came out of the ring from finishing her riding, and she met her parents right in front of the artist. The older man tore off the sheet he was working on and grabbed another sheet, starting a new sketch of the horse now in front of him. The young girl looked down at the older man and said, “I love your pictures of my horse! I still have three on my frig from last season!” He just smiled, tore off the one he had now completed, and got up and gave it to her. He then picked up his folding chair and supplies, and moved to a different vantage point to continue sketching…
It would have been so easy to have finished photographing what I had planned, tucked my camera in my bag, and walked to my car completely missing this inspiring artist, his beautiful work, and the sweet interaction between the him and the sweet young rider. I’m so glad I didn’t…..
Until next time ~ Expect the unexpected, and stay open to all possibilities!
Love,
Nanette
www.nanettefayephotography.com
Sweet McGregor
