ARE YOU AUTHORIZED PERSONNEL

GIVE YOURSELF PERMISSION TO TRY:

It's all about perspective.

There's this person I know.  I just adore him.  He's got the best perspective on life I've ever known.  When I first met him many years ago, he joked that he IS authorized personnel.  He lives his life on his own terms - with his own permission.  He authorizes himself to be the boss of his own life - to take a risk, to attempt, to keep moving forward, to try something new.  No prior approval necessary and no what if regrets.  This can do attitude has taken him far in life.  His winning attitude is also a gift to those of us who know him.  He's had a big impact on  me.   His motto really speaks to me, especially in my professional life, when I meet with obstacles and find myself wanting to give up.  It's given me the courage to find my opportunities.

For Today:

Here's to saying yes, instead of maybe.

Here's to making our own luck in life!

Until next time,

~Cate

INVESTING IN A NEW TODAY

TIME + JOY = ABUNDANCE

If you could have more time in your day today, what would you spend it on?

Art?

Fun?

Family?

Friends?

Chores?

Work?

Sleep?

Hobbies?

Blogging?

NOW, FAST FORWARD TWENTY YEARS.

TIME HAS FLOWN BY!

WHAT IF:

What if we could wave a magic wand and go back in time, right back to today!

What would you spend your time on now?  Oooooh!

How are you spending your new today?

E n j o y.

~Cate

SAVOR LIFE

HOMEMADE PHOTO GOODNESS

"Taking pictures is savoring life intensely, every hundredth of a second."

-Marc Riboud

LIFE IS IN THE DETAILS

CITY MOUSE OR COUNTRY MOUSE

Nature is Calling

I was raised in an itty-bitty town.

Now I live in a big, big city.

Both are special to me, in their own unique ways.

I travel  - a lot.

For work.

For pleasure.

My passport has seen some miles.

I can honestly say that there are many places on this earth I could happily call home.  

Many others places I would love to try calling home.

I created the image above, near where I grew up, surrounded by forests & lakes, hills & rivers.  

Nature, for the most part, still untouched.  

Every now and then I get to go home - to the place where I was raised.  

Where do you call home?

Until next time,

~Cate

MY FIRST CAMERA

MY FIRST CAMERA

I was in grammar school.

I treasured this beautiful piece of photographic equipment that had been gifted to me.

I still do.

Little camera - you have served me well.

Thank you.

FINDING COLOR IN THE COLD

FINDING THE BEAUTY

{with my lensbaby & nikon d700}

"You, whose day this is, make it BEAUTIFUL.

Get out your rainbow colors,

that it may be beautiful."

-Nekossa Indian Poem

DISCOVERING YOUR REMARKABLE WORLD

THE SWEET LIFE

{look closely & you can see bits of pollen still clinging to the fruit - macro photography is fabulous fun}

"Seeing, in the finest and broadest sense, means using your senses, your intellect, and your emotions.  It means encountering your subject matter with your whole being.  It means looking beyond the labels of things and discovering the remarkable world around you."

-Freeman Patterson

POWERS OF OBSERVATION

BLACKBERRIES

{two different treatments of the same photo}

"When you begin viewing the world through a camera lens, your senses sharpen as your mind and eyes are forced to focus on people and things never before noticed or thought about.  I discovered that even if I didn't always take a picture, the simple act of carrying a camera and searching for something to photograph greatly sharpened my powers of observation and allowed me to experience much more of life."

-Kent Reno