Project 365 Community Is Helping to Support Doctors Without Borders

Good morning folks, hope everyone is enjoying their weekend and that perhaps it is sun filled like ours here in the northeast United States! Matt and I have a full day today running around seeing friends who just moved back to the area, other close friends having a little get together and going to check out my mom’s photographic contribution to the “Images of Arlington” show over at the Arlington Center for the Arts.

In the spirit of supporting my mom’s photography, I thought it was high time to tell everyone about a really cool project she is involved in. The name of it is Project 365 and the premise is for all the photographers who are involved to snap and share one photograph a day. Might sound easy but 365 days is much longer than one might think when trying to find fresh ideas for photo subjects!

The group had the great idea to take a sampling of the captures and bind them together into one very awesome coffee table book which is available to purchase through blurb. The book is:

365 Community: A Photo A Day

There are professional photographers and everyday picture enthusiasts (and everyone in between!) featured in this book, but the best part of all is that all the proceeds from the sale of the book will be sent to support Doctors without Borders!

DwoB is an organization operating in over 60 countries worldwide and their main goal is to provide quality medical care to those who are unable to acquire it in their region due to threats of violence or the trauma of living in a post catastrophe environment. Doctors from all regions of the globe, and from all walks of life, come together to provide healthcare in an impartial way to those who need it most.

In March alone the Project 365 book helped to raise $86 for DwoB! Now admittedly that is awesome but I’d love to see that figure jump a mile! Photos are always a wonderful gift and what better way to give that gift than providing over 190 pages of unique photos from some amazingly talented individuals?

My mom has 5 photos featured in the publication; this is what the pages look like inside:

Think Father’s Day people! Don’t get dad another tie, golf club or fat filled meal, give him a gift that really counts and will bring a smile to his face! Not to mention the faces of those people who will benefit the most from access to medical care.

The book is only $46.95 for the softcover but I say go for the image wrapped hardcover version for that extra classy touch since it comes in at only $65.95.

Thanks so much Project 365 for donating your skills to such a worthy cause as DwoB, every dollar raised is a tremendous help and I’m proud that my own mom is a part of it!

♥love♥

Redefine Christmas, For Every Occasion

For the past couple years my Mom has been both giving and receiving charitable donations as gifts for Christmas. Not only has it helped all of us to pare down the stuff we receive at that time of year but it makes us feel great to know that we are helping out another who truly needs it.

This year I had asked her to locate her favorite charity who’s mission was to keep music in schools. Sadly she was unable to find something so specific that was not regionally based (and outside of our own country at that) so instead she donated to the Surfrider Foundation; considering I love the ocean and music about equally it was a great choice!

For Matt a donation was made to the National Parks Association and it made us both feel pretty great to realize that both land and sea were taken care of this year.

My aunt replied to the email my mom sent out thanking her for her generous gifts and mentioned the organization Redefine Christmas. Apparently these folks have been getting a lot of press as of late as their message and thought is the exact same as my mom. Fantastic!

Partnered with JustGive.org and Changing the Present, the folks at Redefine Christmas help provide links to so many different charities there is surely one to fit every single person in all of our lives.

Many of you might be thinking it is odd that I am commenting on a Christmas charity just after that holiday has come to a close but I say no way! Let’s consider all that is coming up -- Valentine’s Day, birthdays, Passover, Independence Day, Mother’s Day, Father’s Day, heck I bet there are holidays in a calendar year that people celebrate that I’ve never even heard of! What better way to show someone how much they mean than to give through them to someone truly in need?

I pledge this year to be the year of charitable donations, no fancy gift wrap, no expensive and newly created items that may or may not ever be used. No, instead for all of those holidays and more, this year is the year I give generously in other people’s names!

Who’s with me?

Thanks for the festive photo and the inspiration Mum, you are truly a pioneer!

Eco Fashion Friday Halloween Series Costume Creation Tips

Here are some more tips in the continuing series here at GLR about how to create a more eco-friendly Halloween this year!

eHow has a great article on ways to be Earth friendly this Halloween. My favorite tip of all here is raiding the closets of family and friends. Some clothing buried deep in an older family member’s closet could be perfect to complete a retro look, or pieces from their collection might just be the perfect accent like a brooch or a nice pair of shoes.

Get creative in your own closet! Last year my husband, in the business for thirteen years, went as an Out of Work Mortgage Banker. He got dressed as he normally would for work but put on pants that had shrunk, wore a pair of really scuffed shoes, un-tucked one side of his collar shirt, buttoned it askew, tied his tie haphazardly and messed up his hair. I think he even had a folded up resume in his pocket. It was hilarious and timely and did not cost a dime.

Trade costumes with a friend. One of the biggest bits of waste on Halloween is in fact the costume. Worn for just one night then given away we can greatly increase the lifecycle if we hold onto it and exchange with a friend or colleague the following year.

If you must buy new, think of going with something handmade. One of our favorite shopping experiences here at GLR is the community of unparalleled artists and designers over at Etsy. I typed the words “Halloween costume” into the main page search field and got a hit of just under 13,000 results. Chances are there will be something there to suit every need or desire imaginable. Not only is it nice to support independent artists but most items are going to be one of a kind (OOAK) so you won’t arrive at the party in the same outfit as a friend!

Sew your own. In a week or two I will be sharing the makings of the costume I am creating for myself this year out of a little creativity and a couple T-shirts. I am still working on sketches and the overall concept but stay tuned for at least half of a costume created from very simple sewing techniques as well as extremely inexpensive items from thrift shops or my very own closet!

Photo thanks goes out to Judi FitzPatrick Studios again. Thanks Mom!

Little Moments of Inspiration

Whether it is a wonderful quote, a photo or a short movie I am inspired daily by the little things that people put out on our great web of internetworking. Here are a few of those very things for everyone to relish and enjoy. I hope your day is sunshiny even if it is raining outside your door!

This soft and delicate rhododendron was photographed beautifully by my favorite photographer Judi FitzPatrick as is called, appropriately, Rhodi. No I am not at all biased just because she is my Mom, she is a kickin’ artist! It can be purchased in her online shop and gazed upon with a smile forever as it hangs gracefully on your wall.

One of my favorite styles of poetry is the limerick. There is an interesting structure to a limerick and the rhyming is in the 1, 2, 5 / 3, 4 (a-a-b-b-a). The syllables dictate the timing, or beat, of the poem and there is always a set rhythm to each. It is a style I have never been able to master, as five lines is far too short for me to tell a story that includes a punch line, but they are so much fun to read because they are almost always humorous. Well at the least a little tongue in cheek. Here is an anonymous limerick to give you a chuckle!

There once was a fly on the wall
I wonder why didn't it fall
Because its feet stuck
Or was it just luck
Or does gravity miss things so small?

It is no secret I am a fan of Jason Mraz. Many know of his music but not as many read his blog. He is an inspiring writer and I greatly look forward to diving right in when I see a new post pop up over at the Freshness Factor Five Thousand space. Lately he has been on a super kick for happiness and gratitude, practicing it and preaching it alike. Here is a wonderful quote from a recent post:

“If everybody’s mama hugged him or her when they were young, this world might be a big musical breaking out in song more often. But that ain’t always the case. So let’s start hugging some folks and give love and hope to those that need it.”

Disco Jakes video will blow you away with his astounding ukulele skills. I was mesmerized the entire five and a half minutes; I have never seen someone’s hand move quite that fast across strings.