wind chimes. this is the sound that takes me back to my childhood. when I was little, my grandparents lived out in the middle of nowhere in pleasanton, tx. on windy days, their backyard transformed into a musical wonderland. the tranquil sound of the wind chimes was the soundtrack to my playtime hour. it was especially beautiful in the spring because wildflowers would literally go…wild. my days were spent exploring out in the field plucking vibrant bluebonnets, indian paintbrushes, poppies, daisies and sunflower bouquets. their property was whimsical in it’s own special way and my personal make believe paradise.

meet my grandma, sallie allen. I couldn’t step foot into my grandparent’s home without getting attacked by her infamous “pinches.” most grandmothers give hugs, kisses or tickle attacks to show their love for their grandchildren. nope, not my grandma… i always knew upon arriving to their home what was in store for me. oddly enough, i always seemed to look forward to it.

her birthday is this month and she is turning 80 years old.

happy birthday grandma. i love you.

when i wasn’t playing outside, my family would play yahtzee at their kitchen table for what seemed like eternity. i would always take this time to sneak into their candy jar. i remember many times sitting on their porch and listening to my mom and grandma tell old stories of the past and laugh hysterically during their conversations.

these are the memories that i hold deep inside my mind. a piece of the puzzle to my life, and it’s beautiful.

i think this picture was taken during one of my pinch attacks.

i believe the years spent here really helped my creative imagination grow. this is where my inner-artist was born. i discovered the definition of peace here. i also discovered my love for photography in the ocean of wildflowers. to this day, when i hear wind chimes, i close my eyes and travel back to this beautiful place.

every good action, and every perfect gift is from god. these good gifts come down from the creator of the sun, moon, and stars, who does not change like their shifting shadows.

james 1:17

january and february tend to be my slower business months. i’ve had so much going on in my life, so i actually see it as a blessing. this year, i have started a 365 project and i’m so happy with my first month of photographs! this project has taught me how to see the world differently. i find myself looking more for beauty in unexpected places. some of my best photographs from this month started out with an idea, a thought, which then transformed into something completely unexpected. i love the surprises that jump out at me. it has been difficult from time to time i won’t lie. i wanted to capture my everyday life, but also do a good portion of artistic photographs to challenge myself. i think it will be interesting to see my collection of photographs grow in the months ahead.

this month was filled with amazing things. day 1, i captured my sister’s engagement ring. truly a magical way to start off the new year. day 2 is titled “moonribbons” i photographed the light of the moon with my shutter open, and swiveled my camera around to make an abstract light design. it’s also a double exposure and i just love the way it turned out! many of the images are focused on bits and pieces of things that i love – playing guitar, 1 corinthians 13:18, my puppy mia, coffee, downtown life, rain, flowers, and of course… lipstick. ha!

what’s your favorite image from this month? leave a comment below!

i would also like to note that some of my favorite images will now be up for sale at my website. i will be updating my gallery every month with new photographs. visit my online print shop to view and select your art pieces!

today is january the 18th. twelve years ago, one of my best friends passed away.

my uncle michael.

he was really a kid at heart. from flying kites to swinging on an old maypole, my uncle always had a fun activity for us to do up his sleeve. i always loved to be around him because he had such a cheerful soul. he had such a beautiful outlook on life and viewed the world as an empty canvas to paint a colorful masterpiece on. he always had a way of bringing laughter to any conversation, and was always so kind to others. whenever he was around, it was inevitable for him to say “mufasaaaa!” the lion king was the first movie i ever saw in theatres, and my uncle michael was notorious for doing funny impressions to get a laugh out of me.

i really believe he made a lasting impact on my sense of humor and inspired me to not take this life for granted.

yes, that would be me flying in the upper left hand corner of this picture. looks fun doesn’t it?

he was truly an artist. he was a genius at working with stained glass and custom made some of the windows at excalibur in las vegas. he was a painter and a poet, but among all of his talents, his music is what i remember him by the most. he taught my mom how to play guitar, and she then taught me when i was around ten years old. i still play to this day, and on the very guitars my uncle used to play on when he was alive. in a way, i see it as his legacy. this is a piece of him that will always be on this earth. my favorite song he ever wrote is called “why” you can read the lyrics below.

why

written by: michael reese allen

why does my heart go on beating? why does the soul go forth seeking?

why? the questions pose. seek, that the truth may unfold.

why are the stars brightly shining? why is your heart humbly hiding?

why do rainbows grow? why, cause god has made it so.

why do the trees keep on growing? why is a snowflake a floating?

this, i’ll tell you so. why, cause god has made it so.

why do the waves keep on breaking? why do you let your heart keep aching?

seek and you will find. a love of truth that’s divine.

why does the sun keep on rising? why are a bees wings a buzzing?

why, i’ll tell you so. why, cause god has made it so.

look at the stars deep in heaven. taste of the bread that’s unleavened.

drink of his holy wine. seek my child and you will find.

why are there whales in the ocean? who placed the planets in motion?

seek and you will find. then you’ll have your place in time.

i will never know exactly why my uncle had to leave this earth so early, but as he wrote in his song,

“because god has made it so.”

we may never find our answers to all of life’s questions, but we need to trust in god’s plans that he has for us.

in you, lord my god, i put my trust.

psalm 25:1