Exploring the World with a Smile

Posts

Showing posts from January, 2014

An Entire Year!

Last year at this time I was in labor. We drove an hour south to Hollywood Birth Center. My contractions were so strong - my body and my baby were working so hard together to let my daughter come into this world. I remember feeling in awe over the contractions - everything that was happening inside of me was not anything I was doing. I had to just tolerate the incredible intensity and let my body and baby work together and ... basically, my job was to stay relaxed so they could continue their journey.

We tried sitting in a rocking chair outside the birthing center. My body shouted, "Hell no!" I needed something but I didn't know what. We went back to our room and my midwife and assistant started a tub for me. A warm tub helped my body feel more comfortable but damn, the contractions were SO close together and unbelievably intense.

I didn't know what contractions would feel like. I didn't know how my body would react. All I knew was that I had to stay calm. "…

When it seems impossible ... humanity triumphs

19 January

Would you take in a wounded person if it meant your life was in danger as was your entire village? It's hard to imagine saving someone wearing a foreign military uniform, whose nationality you don't share, whose language you don't share ... yet Muhammad Gulab of Afghanistan's Shuraik Valley did just that for Petty Officer 1st Class (Navy Seal) Marcus Luttrell.

"Lone Survivor" is an intense movie that seems more fiction than reality because for many of us, we don't know about physical and mental conditioning like the Navy Seals or other Special Ops personnel. I may disagree with many, many operations conducted by the Armed Forces but for me, this movie and the guys who hail from these Spec Ops communities portray such refined mental tolerance that they can do what most could never even fathom.
I served in the Army for close to 10 years and I can tell you that the values that Service Members should have, are not always in practice. There's favoritism,…

Relocating to the Treasure Coast!!

17 January

I am so happy to announce that we are moving to the Treasure Coast! And, in honor of this wonderful move, I am raffling off a FREE hour-long photo shoot in Fort Pierce. The raffle is open until February 12th. To enter, simply "Like" Girona Consulting on Facebook, Tweet about it or comment on this blog.

Although the photo shoot has to take place in Fort Pierce, you don't have to be a Fort Pierce resident. You can drive in or submit for the raffle if you plan on vacationing in the area during February 14 - 18, 2014.

The collection from the photo shoot will be beautifully edited, uploaded to a gallery on my website and the lucky winner will have the option of selecting their favorite 5 images that they can use for facebook or email. There will be a small watermark on it but not to worry, if you'd like to print the photos from the collection, it's super easy! A metallic (yes, metallic!) print starts at $8 and goes up. You can order canvas prints. Sizing options are …

Women in Art 278 Magazine ... More to show!

15 January

I cannot even begin to describe how beautiful and how happy I am with the Women in Art 278 Magazine. Each month, I get the honor to collaborate with female artists who bring such wonderful diversity to the magazine. The artists all have their own perspective and own story to share through their art.

Each month I photograph a sample from the printed edition. Since it is print-on-demand, I only order a few copies and all artists and readers order as many copies as they'd like -- which is sent to them in their respective locations around the globe. The print copy is divine! It's thick white pages offer such wonderful clarity, color and depth to the artwork. It's certainly a work of art unto itself.

Enjoy the small collection from our January 2014 issue. If you would like to purchase a printed edition of Women in Art 278 or would like to showcase your artwork, contact me directly or visit www.Art278.org.

Thanks for supporting the arts!

Sample Collection from all issues since O…

Random Acts of Kindess

09 January

As I was leaving the store tonight with my daughter and a heaping amount of bags to load into the car, I noticed it was raining cats and dogs. Shit.

I tossed the blanket I use for my daughter (so she can hold onto the cart without touching that grimy thing) over her and dashed to the car.

The good news? We are in South Florida so it might be rain but it's not too cold. The bad news? Well, who the hell wants to get wet at night then drive 20 minutes home? Not me, not my daughter who is less than a year old.

I pull the shopping cart up to the back of the car. My daughter is trying to yank the blanket off of her. It's pouring down on us. I'm trying to load my things into the trunk quickly. See, the problem with the world is that I couldn't put my daughter in the car and leave the cart for later because someone could come steal everything. I assessed the situation and figured, a little bit of rain on us won't hurt us and it would be less likely that we'd be a targ…

Capturing a moment in time: Salt Dough Ornaments

04 January

I made some pretty nifty homemade gifts for Christmas this year. I don't consider myself crafty by any means. I'm a photographer and magazine designer, which means I'm good at creativity through technology and not, necessarily, with my hands. But, I thought ... let's test this theory!

I found a Salt Dough Ornaments recipe. Why not give it a go?

I constantly photograph my beautiful little girl but I thought a mold of her hand and foot would be a nice treat for her grandparents.

It's a simple recipe and I have these items in my cabinet. Chances are, you do, too!

What you'll need

1 cup flour1/2 cup salt1/2 cup waterCookie SheetRolling pin or something you can use to roll out the dough withPaint or Glitter & a brush (I had to go to Michaels for this one!)If you plan on hanging them as ornaments, you can use the tip of a chopstick for the hole where you'll hang it with ribbon. That being said, you will need ribbon or string if you'd like to hang it as well

D…

Read more

A New Year, New Month, New Day - NEW ISSUE!

01 January

As many of you know, I design an art magazine that features female artists from across the globe. Last month was sheer chaos putting together this issue because the holidays (and traveling) put a lot of constraint on the artists and me. However, I am happy (oh so happy) to announce the release of our January issue. It is beautiful and features many new artists and artistic styles.

Additionally, as a breastfeeding mother, I am so pleased about Jennifer Mourin's artwork on the cover. I know that some artists and readers find breastfeeding controversial but I don't and am very happy to feature her art on the cover. Plus, artwork CAN be controversial. So long as it doesn't harm anyone, it's often good to go! I hope the art you view in the magazine lets your mind feel engaged, lets your heart connect and lets your eyes feel delighted.

--------------- From the Women in Art 278 Blog ---------------

We are so excited to kick off the new year in style ... with the release of o…

Read more

Happy New Year! Another New Beginning.

01 January

Isn't it great that we get so many opportunities to begin again? No matter if it's a new year beginning with a birthday, a calendar year or any landmark that catapults you into a new, fresh beginning ... it's such a great opportunity!

This year is going to be a fantastic year for me, my family and my business. My honey and I are buying a home, we have our beautiful & healthy growing daughter who just lights up our life, I have a business that I will continue growing and a magazine (Women in Art 278) that I am looking forward to growing as well.

So here it is: 2014. I have 365 days to do great things for my family, myself, the environment and everything I am connected to (directly or indirectly).

My personal resolutions are to
Live greener & healthier. I love reducing my footprint on this Earth. We cloth diaper our daughter, we recycle, I have an e-magazine option for the magazine I design instead of mandating printed copies for our readers who would prefer to view …

Read more

More posts