.Reveries and a Cup of Chai.

.it's been a long day.

2009-11-14T23:29:00.002-06:00

Tonight's post is going to be short.
And sweet.
:o) Hope this finds you groovy!

.look out! toddler with a camera!.

2009-11-13T22:59:00.003-06:00

Today, I am convinced we've got a little photographer-in-training in our household. Earlier this afternoon, Miss A. and I made a trip out to McKay's Used Bookstore to sell some old DVDs we wanted to get rid of. We walked in, gave the clerk our blue bin full of miscellaneous movies, and then sat down on what was probably an old, wooden church pew, awaiting the moment when the numbers #743 flashed on the screen. I decided not to browse around this massive store with hopes that A. would stay in one place and behave. I did not even want to imagine the scenario of her going berserk, running up and down the aisles, pulling out books, and screaming for whatever reason, because at times, that's what two year olds like to do. Let's not be THAT kid today, okay? As we made ourselves comfy as one can get on wooden pews, I felt it was only fair to the little one to allow her to play with my little PowerShot camera to help pass the time. I've let her play with it before, but there was something different about this time. I noticed that she tried hard to remember to NOT put her fingers over the lens. Also, she was looking at her surroundings through the LCD screen with more concentration before pressing the button. She was too cute. It was as if she was a mini photojournalist.

One of her last shots was of a girl playing a hand held game standing beside a little boy wearing a maroon colored cape that she walked up to. I made her ask their Mom if it was okay to take the picture first. A. was mesmerized. Soon, our numbers appeared across the screen. I went to the clerk to pick up what monies I actually got from the movies and started to head towards the exit. She started to throw a fit as she realized we were now leaving the place full of books and where the little boy with the maroon colored cape was. As I'm carrying her out the door I reminded her that she had pictures of the place and of the little boy in her camera. The tears stopped. She smiled a big smile, and then everything was groovy. :o) The above photos were all shot by her, without any influence from me. Not bad for a two and a half year old, huh? ;o)

.when the sun goes down.

2009-11-12T22:16:00.005-06:00

There's just something so beautiful about sunsets. The display of color on a canvased sky. The way the sun casts its golden hue upon everything it touches, giving them such a magical radiance. In Autumn, that radiance gleams a hundred fold. I love this time of year. I have to admit, I'm gonna hate seeing the last leaf fall.

.norah jones::fall.

2009-11-11T22:25:00.005-06:00

I want this album when it comes out.
Also, I want that RUG!!

View Norah Jones' new single, Chasing Pirates, here.

.whew! that was close!.

2009-11-10T21:49:00.003-06:00

Alright, so far so good. I'm on Day #10 with this NaBloPoMo thing and I'm not about to give in! Today has been "one of those days," you know the kind where nothing goes the way it should. Plans thrown out the window and stress levels increase. But it's all good now. Kat is calm, collected and nackered! Ha! And as much as I'd like to chat a little longer, I'm gonna have to call it a day! Hope everyone is doing oh-so-groovy out there!

.thanks, mom.

2009-11-09T09:36:00.005-06:00

When I think about all the reasons why I love photography, I think about those childhood memories of my Mom taking constant pictures of my younger sister and I, making us pose in front of some landmark before allowing us to roam. Ha! At the time, especially if we weren't in the mood, it was hard to appreciate what she was doing. "Oh crap, Mom's bringing out the camera again! Hide!" But after the film was developed, we would all huddle on the couch, passing photos back and forth to each other, laughing our butts off as we remember the fun we had that day. Those pictures, especially of happier times spent with our friends and family, are worth more to me than all the riches in the world. We wouldn't have had any of them had it not been for my Mom and that camera of hers.

Lastnight, I stopped by her place after taking some photos of my very pregnant best friend and her husband. I wanted to show my Mom the pictures I took of my daughter and the mess that she made of the living room floor. During this excursion to my blog and flickr site, my Mom became enamored with my photos, going through each and every page. "It's like flipping through a huge album. Wow, YOU took these? I'm impressed." I couldn't help but feel like that little girl who just came home from school with an art project she just finished. There was a feeling of pride mixed with humility. My mother approved, and even though I didn't ask for it, I was grateful. So Mom, if you're reading this, thank you.

.not quite the milky way.

2009-11-08T00:00:00.006-06:00

It's so easy as parents to get bent out of shape when our little ones get themselves caught up in a round of mischief. Say like when your toddler decides to sprinkle the entire living room floor with a new bottle of baby powder and then proceeds to dance in it while you are in the kitchen washing dishes. Or, dare I say, on Facebook? Did I mention that you just swept and cleaned the hardwood floors? After a brief moment summed up by the words "what-the-hell?!" and a Little Miss Thing being put into time-out, you walk into the living room, broom and dust pan in hand, and realize just how interesting this mess of lavender scented talcum powder looks on your floor. The tiny, random splotches suddenly become faraway galaxies, and miniature footprints become a sign of alien existence. Super Nanny would have probably lectured me for what I did next, but I didn't care. I pulled the little one out of time out, and for just a few minutes, let her dance amongst the stars. . . that is. . . before they were swept away. . . as *stardust*.

.help-portrait.

2009-11-07T08:19:00.002-06:00

Vision. (n) the act or power of seeing.

Compassion. (n) sympathetic consciousness of others' distress together with a desire to alleviate it.

When these two come together, something beautiful happens. Barriers are torn down. Hope is strengthened. Connections are formed. Lives are changed.

On December 12th, hundreds of people across the globe will be taking part in a photographic experience known as Help-Portrait. A vision inspired by Nashville based photographer, Jeremy Cowart, photographers off all levels, make-up artists, and just folks that want to lend a helping hand will be working together to create a portrait of someone who may not otherwise be able to afford one. The soul of this project is not just about pictures. It's about connection. Community. It's about bringing to light the beauty of people and helping others to see that beauty. Both inside and out.

.holidays are approaching!.

2009-11-06T13:04:00.006-06:00

I picked up a couple of my favorite import lifestyle magazines yesterday, Marie Claire Idées and Country Living UK. Of course, I ate up all the wonderful images! Now it was while I was browsing through these fabulous, glossy pages that I came upon a spread for the Country Living Christmas Fair in London when it truly dawned on me. HOLY CRAP! Christmas is just around the corner!! Is it just me or did we like miss a couple of months somewhere during the year? Is it the fact daylight savings took place in November instead of October that has totally thrown my seasonal holiday clock off?! Or perhaps is it the fact I no longer work in the retail craft world where Christmas rolls in off a 51 foot trailer in the middle of May? Makes you wonder. I guess it's time to get excited and get crackin' on some Holiday gifts. Hmm. . . got any ideas? I like this gift idea I found on Beryl's blog. She's also running a contest on this item, so you'll need to check that out!

This will definitely be a much more sentimental Holiday season for me and my family. Money is tight, as I'm sure many of you can relate, so there will be much more thought going into the gifts this year. But isn't that how it should be anyway? How about you? What kinds of neat Christmas gift ideas do you have?

.music::anna ternheim.

2009-11-05T21:29:00.002-06:00

I am loving, LOVING the latest album by Swedish musician, Anna Ternheim. The above clip features the acoustic version of one of my favorite tracks on Leaving on a Mayday. The album was originally released in Europe at the end of 2008, and finally reached the States last August. For those of you who may not have heard of Anna, I would say she is "Lisa Hannigan meets Dido." Beautiful, wispy vocals and dramatic melodies. Totally diggin' it! ;o)

.the clutter.

2009-11-04T00:10:00.000-06:00

This photo best describes how my mind feels like at times. A clutter of just miscellaneous stuff on the verge of falling over. I walked into my "craft room" and cringed at the sight of my baker's rack. . . and my desk. Books, glue, hairspray, more books, brushes. . . you name it. Did the craft goblins create this mess while I was resting peacefully in my bed? I'd like to blame them, but no. For some reason, I felt compelled to take a snapshot of it. As I look at this photo, you would think that I was knee deep in arts & crafts projects. I wish. Thoughts come to mind like, "Oh that's where that Jane Eyre book is hiding," and "I so need a better storage system," and "Why the hell did I think selling some of our shelving units before we moved down here was a good idea again?" Oh yeah. To make room. . . in the U-Haul. Smart.

As I type this, I'm thinking of how fun it would be to start capturing images of my surroundings, documenting the life around me as if collecting information for a research project, a cultural study project to be exact. Ha ha! Put these images in a journal, writing notes on the side, kinda like a sketchbook, or scrapbook. Hey, kinda like this blog! I wonder, what does this photo say about me? Do I really want to answer that? Ha! Hmm. . . something to think about.

.struggle of the heart.

2009-11-03T00:14:00.006-06:00

Words cannot truly describe what goes on in your heart when you find yourself struggling between emotions of love, compassion, hope, sadness, fear, and shame. Even now, I don't even know where to begin. How far back do I go to tell you that I've always wanted to help, to be part of something more than myself. I fight for the right words. Bare with me.

I'll take you to yesterday. It's all still fresh in my mind. The emotions still reverberating in my heart. We spent most of the day downtown, child in tow, attempting to capture images of Nashville. But really, my main reason for going downtown was to go to the Public Library. In the courtyard across the street from the library, it is there that many of the homeless gather. As we walked pass them, I couldn't help but be reminded of a video my husband shared with me just a few days ago. Images of those rummaging through trash, those who sleep upon the hard, cold ground, those who have nearly forgotten the feeling of warmth, of peace. Part of me wanted to stop walking, to look up from the sidewalk, but fear stood in front of me as new images flashed across my mind. Images of my camera and purse being snatched, my child being ripped out of our hands, of us getting cornered, mugged. These images slowly lost their strength, fading away as we crossed over and entered into the building. In my relief, I found myself feeling ashamed. Ignorance is not bliss. It is simply ignorance.

Be the change you want to see in the world. ~ Gandhi. I misunderstood that for believing that it meant you had to be overseas, in the midst of a land and culture far from your own. But this is not the case. The world is wherever we are. Whether that be far away in India, or the Rez (reservation), or downtown, or even closer still, our own home.

There will be changes in my world. I am changing. I am seeing. I am feeling. I am loving. I am opening up so that I can bring warmth to you, wherever you are.

.growing.

2009-11-02T00:00:00.000-06:00

Growing. She and I both are. Me, into this role of Mommy. She, into this spunky little girl. Where'd the time go? I'm still trying to get used to mommyhood. I love it, and yet at times I still struggle with it. Am I paying her enough attention? Too much? Is she just being a kid or should I have scolded her for throwing all the crayons all over the floor? Am I too hard? Too soft? Did she just say what I think she said? Did she get that from me?!

Where did my little baby go? Wait, there's that smile. There she is. Walking up and down the steps in her little white shoes that are quickly getting too small for her growing feet. She doesn't seem to mind. She just wants to skip, to jump, to fling her doll into the air and then pick her up when she falls, squeezing her so tightly as if she was afraid, just for a moment, that she would never come back down. She doesn't need help going up and down the stairs "Mama, I do it." She sings We're off to see the Wizard over and over, laughing each time she gets to the end, all the while she is still going up and down the stairs, occasionally stopping to stare out between the posts. Just when I think she doesn't even seem to notice that I am there, she stops at the top of the stairs, holding on to her favorite doll, she looks back and says, "C'mon Mama" holding out her hand to me.

Yes, we are growing. Me, into a more confident and thankful mother. She, into a most beautiful and carefree soul.

.it starts here.

2009-11-01T00:26:00.003-05:00

Today marks my official entry into the National Blog Posting Month, also known as NaBloPoMo. I am determined, DETERMINED I tell you! I will also be posting photos here as well. Thirty days worth of posts. I will do it!

Hope everyone had a safe and fun filled Halloween! Sorry this is such a short and not very thought provoking entry. It's simply WAY pass my bed time, but again, I was determined to put up a post! Ha! Enjoy the rest of your weekend folks!

.hello there!.

2009-10-29T23:43:00.004-05:00

Howdy ya'll! Ha ha! For those of you who have been wondering where I've been, I have actually been putting up posts on my photoblog. My hope is to have more to share there as I seriously need to get off my butt and start shooting again. I have so many ideas in my head that I need to work on bringing them to light. Confidence. It's been something that I have been lacking and honestly, it's been paralyzing. But things are changing. I'm changing. For the better. Perhaps this metamorphosis that I keep saying that I'm in is almost over. Maybe, real soon, I'll be able to fly again.

.deeply moving.

2009-10-19T19:48:00.014-05:00

When I saw this video on a recent post by Rowena, I was absolutely captivated. A brilliant Ukrainian artist, Kseniya Simonova, beautifully creates these emotional scenes with sand animation. In this particular clip, she brings us to remembrance those who lived and died during World War II. . . please, stay and watch.

.pumpkin pie.

2009-10-17T16:59:00.003-05:00

Today was the kind of dreary, chilly, need to cuddle up on the couch with a good book kinda day. Wuthering Heights perhaps. But it was also a "let's bake a pie!" kinda day too. So I did the latter. I realized, in the midst of gathering all the ingredients, that I didn't have a rolling pin. What the heck happened to my rolling pin?! I scanned my kitchen for anything that would work. Empty paper towel roll? Not sturdy enough. Can of green beans? Not long enough. Hmm. . . oh wait! What's this? A wine bottle. Perfect.

I ended up using the recipe that was attached to the Libby's brand of canned pumpkin. Not bad. I've had better though. Do YOU have a favorite pumpkin pie recipe?

.pun'kins.

2009-10-16T09:39:00.003-05:00

Inspired by JPG Magazine's October Challenge. . . Orange.

.take time to.

2009-10-15T14:30:00.002-05:00

Take the time to be courteous.
It is the mark of a gentleman.

Take time to play with children.
It is the joy of joys.

Take time to think.
It is the source of power.

Take time to play.
It is the secret of youth.

Take time to look around.
IT is too short a day to be selfish.

Take time to laugh.
It is the music of the soul.

Take time to read.
It is the fountain of wisdom.

Take time to be friendly.
It is the road to happiness.

Take time to love and be loved.
It is the privilege of the gods.

Take time to dream.
It is hitching your wagon to a star.

Take time to work.
It is the price of success.

Take time to live.
That is what time is for.

~The Los Angeles Herald

I found this worn, discolored, newspaper cutout within the pages of my Great-Grandmother Sylvia's copy of Streams in the Desert. I must say, I most definitely needed this today. Thank you, Grandma.

.a mini picnic.

2009-10-13T22:20:00.002-05:00

Today, the little one and I made a trip out to the lake to have a mini picnic. Orange juice, a handful of almonds, and sandwiches made up of wheat bread, Bonne Maman's Cherry preserves and peanut butter. Yum! The sun wasn't shining today as it had the last time we came here. Also, it wasn't so desolate. We had the whole place to ourselves. . . so quiet. . . too quiet. It kinda freaked me out. ha! I didn't take many photos. As a matter of fact, aside from some of the short videos I took, our lunch was the only thing I shot. I was too nervous. Isn't that ridiculous? Had I been there by myself, I think I would have been fine. But when you've got the wee one with you, "Mama Bear" comes out, ears perked up, and ready to mawl anyone who comes too close. Ha ha! We did have a good lunch though! ;o) How about you? When was the last time YOU went on a picnic?

.just 3 more days.

2009-10-13T09:47:00.005-05:00

The long awaited movie based on Maurice Sendak's classic children's book, Where the Wild Things Are, will finally make its debut this Friday. Yay! Care to join me in a Wild Rumpus?!

Where the Wild Things Are Official Website

.to feel deeply.

2009-10-12T23:57:00.006-05:00

Connection. Passion. True existance. These are things that I have been looking for in my life, especially here lately. Things that I have been looking for in myself. As the days pass, I find myself scraping away layer, after thick layer, the dead skin that has formed this hardened shell over my heart. More and more I realize just how much I miss the feeling of feeling. . . of feeling deeply. I believe many of us wonder how we have reached this point of numbness. At some point in our lives, a decision was made and from that moment on, many more decisions were made, each one bringing us closer, or further from who we truly are. Then we reach another point in life when we want to pick up all the little pieces that have fallen along the way, hoping that they will lead us back to home. Home, to where our heart is.

There is so much more I want to say tonight, but I don't have quite the right words. Maybe tomorrow.

.chicken jalfrezi.

2009-10-07T22:37:00.011-05:00

Ask anyone in my family and they will tell you that I will eat just about anything. I LOVE food! I love that food is a wonderful and colorful way to be introduced to a new culture. Perhaps this is why I find myself dreaming of running away with a Mr. Anthony Bourdain, to become a foodie on one of his No Reservation trips. Take me with you, Anthony, for I too long to sink my teeth into some good ol' street food! Tonight, I decided to be adventurous! Before heading home from work today, I found myself buying a cookbook on Indian dishes. Now I have only had Indian food twice in my life. Both of those times, all I can remember was the plethora of aromas and distinct flavors doing this number on my tastebuds! After scribbling down some items that I needed (like many of the spices) I headed over to a local Indian grocer to make my purchase. If you have ever shopped at an International market, you will find that many of the spices (and produce) needed for a particular dish is usually less expensive if purchased there than at your regular grocery store. With a sack full of spices, curry paste, and some Ovaltine biscuits for the little one, I headed home to make this delicious and fairly simple dish: Chicken Jalfrezi. Mmm. . .

Chicken Jalfrezi

1 1/2 pounds chicken breast fillets
1 tablespoon oil
1 teaspoon cumin seeds
1 onion, finely chopped
1 green bell pepper, seeded and finely chopped
1 red bell pepper, seeded and finely chopped
1 garlic clove, crushed
1/4-inch piece fresh ginger root, finely chopped
1 tablespoon curry paste
1/4 teaspoon chili powder
1 teaspoon ground coriander
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon salt
14-ounce can chopped tomatoes
2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro, plus extra to garnish
plain rice, to serve

1) Skin the chicken breast portions and remove any visible fat. Cut the meat into 1-inch cubes.
2) Heat the oil in a karahi, wok, or heavy pan and fry the cumin seeds for 2 minutes, until they sputter. Add the onion, peppers, garlic, and ginger and fry for 6-8 minutes.
3) Add the curry paste and fry for about 2 minutes. Stir in the chili powder, ground coriander, cumin, and salt and add 1 tablespoon water; fry for another 2 minutes.
4) Add the chicken cubes and fry for about 5 minutes. Add the canned tomatoes and chopped fresh cilantro. Cover the pan tightly with a lid and cook for about 15 minutes, or until the chicken cubes are tender. Garnish with sprigs of fresh cilantro and serve with rice.

Makes 4 servings.

Recipe from Best Ever Indian Cookbook, by Mridula Baljekar, Rafi Fernandez, Shehzad Husain and Minisha Kanani.

.caught up in a fine frenzy.

2009-10-02T23:43:00.003-05:00

The latest addition to my ever expanding iTunes collection is the newest album by A Fine Frenzy, Bomb in a Birdcage. I have absolutely fallen in LOVE with it! Alison Sudol's gift for poetic lyrics and kick ass tunes can only mean that when this fiery red head merges these two together, you are left with nothing less than fabulous music! Below is a clip of her song, Blow Away. Yes, the video leans a little more towards "cheesy", but the song is just too much fun not to listen to!

.breezy days and pumpkin bread.

2009-10-02T14:43:00.004-05:00

Every window in my home is wide open, inviting all the cool Autumn breezes to flow through every room with ease. I LOVE it! I love the sounds of trees rustling in the wind, birds singing their little hearts out, an ice cream truck playing . . . is that the theme to the Godfather? These are sounds that remind me so much of home. . . bringing me back to childhood memories of afternoons spent in my Tutu's kitchen in Kailua. What shall we bake? I ask. The answer today is Pumpkin Bread.

Pumpkin Spice Bread
3 c. sugar*
1 c. vegetable oil*
4 eggs, lightly beaten
1 (15 oz.) can of solid pack pumpkin
3 1/2 c. all-purpose flour
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. ground cinnamon
1 tsp. ground nutmeg
1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. ground cloves
1/2 tsp. ground allspice
1/2 c. water*

In a large mixing bowl, combine sugar, oil and eggs. Add pumpkin and mix well. Combine dry ingredients. Add water to pumpkin mixture. Pour into two greased loaf pans (9-in x 5-in x 3-in). Bake at 350˚F for 60-65 minutes or until bread tests done. Cool in pans for 10 minutes before removing to a wire rack. Cool completely.

*Alterations: Based on some of the reviews on this recipe, I did some alterations. Instead of 3 cups of sugar, I used 1 1/2 cups of white granulated sugar and 1 cup of packed light brown sugar. I used non-sweetened applesauce in place of the vegetable oil. Lastly, 1/2 cup of orange juice was used in place of water.

Recipe found on AllRecipes.com