June Flowers

I can't believe June is almost over already. 

So You Think You Can Dance - Going to be a Good Season!

First Belly Dancer to make it to the Top 20.

#78 - Finding My Mojo - From a Year of Blogging Ideas

These days I always seem to be looking for something - my keys, sunglasses, iPhone... I experience a few minutes of frustration, but most of the time I find them. (Although I have been known to spend a long time looking for my lip gloss, only to find it in the refrigerator and the milk on the counter.) 

Some days I lose something more important - my mojo. Now that's not a bleep. I get downright panicky. "I'm getting old. I've hit a creative wall. No one will ever license my work again. It's over." I know - hyper dramatic!!!!

Over the years I have found some ways to get that mojo back when it wanders away.

1.  All time best - guaranteed to work - dance around my kitchen for 30 minutes. If I don't have 30 minutes I make it 5. It always helps.

2.  Usually #1 works so well that I don't have to do anything else, but for a particularly bad case of mojo interruptes, I head to the beach...

3.   Or to an art gallery

4.   Actually a drive almost anywhere helps

5.   So does a bubble bath

6.   Or I take Lola for a walk. (Although I have to say it helps her mojo more than mine.)

7.   In weak moments I search for something to eat...especially chocolate, but this often just makes things worse.

8.   Having coffee with a friend who makes me laugh a lot, adores me and will slap me on the side of the head when I need it is a good way to chase down that wandering mojo. 

9.   I have been known to buy an airplane ticket somewhere. But that can get pretty expensive. 

10. Or a take a book outside to read - a really great novel, an inspiring biography, anything by Seth Godin.

11. If all else fails I take a nap - especially in a hammock.

What do you do when your mojo is nowhere to be found?

You can download A Year of Blogging and Journaling Ideas here. It's free. There are 365 ideas. I don't do them in order. I just choose one that hits me on that particular day.

A Year of Blogging and Journaling Ideas

A while back I started collecting blogging and journaling ideas. Originally they were on a stack of index cards, then merged to the notes app on my iPhone and iPad. Now they are a free ebook. You can download the ebook (with 365 ideas to get the creative juices flowing for your blog, journal or other art) here. 

I also have just started a Facebook group where people can link to the blog posts you created by using A Year of Blogging and Journaling Ideas to jumpstart your ideas. If you want to post, just let me know your Facebook id in the comments section and I will add you as a member/poster to the group.

Cynthia

My Favorite To Do App

I have lost count of how many To Do apps I have downloaded for my iPhone. Some are too complicated. Some are ugly. Some have too many features. Really...I just wanted a simple little To Do app that helps me remember all the things my aging brain tends to forget in the time it takes me to walk from one room to another. At last...I found Clear.

It is simple to use, fun to use, colorful. It has terrific instructions so I was able to figure out how to use it in just a few minutes.

The only thing I have found wrong with it, is that it doesn't sync with my iPad yet. However rumor has it that syncing is coming.

Try it out. I think you will like it.

Blog Wordle

I used to play around with "wordless" quite a bit. Haven't thought about them for awhile. I put my blog url in the create box and this is what wordle came up with. I must use the word "just" a lot! You can make your own at the wordle site. Use a url or type in the words you want.

2012 London Olympics

Okay I just downloaded my official London 2012 Olympics app to my iPhone. Opening ceremonies are July 27th. Closing ceremonies are August 12th. Are you going to watch? What are your favorite events?

Helping to Bottle Wine

Yesterday I helped to bottle wine at Sones Cellars. Bottling is the California wine country's version of a barn raising. It's lots of fun with lively conversation, wine to drink and food to eat. If you don't know Sones Cellars, they are a terrific little winery with fabulous award winning wines. They even have a rebottling program with their Hedgehog wine, where you bring the bottle back and refill it straight from the wine barrel. How fun is that? They have a wine tasting room so be sure to check them out next time you are heading for the beach in Santa Cruz!

Did You Know That on Your Mac You Can...

...swipe with two fingers to the right and it reveals your top sites screen? I didn't know that and did it on accident. Something new with Lion or has it been there all along? By the way if you want to capture a screen shot hold down command-shift-3.

The Kick Lighting System for the iPhone

This is very cool. They are gathering funding on kickstarter.

Fifteen Tips For Going After Your Dreams - Summer Blog Challenge Day 14

Day 14's Challenge is to share 15 Tips For Getting Through Life. I am a bit late with this one as I wanted to think about it for awhile. I have spent many years following my dream as a photographer. I have learned a lot (mostly by making mistakes). Here are 15 things I know about following your dreams.

1.   Dreams build from previous successes was well as previous failures. They spiral around each other. Know how to use them both.

2.   You have to show up over and over again.

3.   Overnight success is a myth.

4.   You are the one who cares about your dream. You have to be the one that drives it forward. Everyone else is busy with their own dreams.

5.    If it was easy anyone could do it.

6.    If you want it badly enough, you don't give up even if you have to take some detours.

7.    Learn to handle rejection. It's part of the package.

8.    Live simply so you can invest in yourself.

9.    There will be times when you are going in the wrong direction. It happens. Turn around.

10.  Sometimes you have to ask for help.

11.  Obsessing - Sometimes it works for you. Sometimes it works against you. Know the difference.

12.  Going after a heartfelt dream is difficult. Not going after it is intolerable.

13.  Dreams don't happen in a straight line and that's actually kind of a cool thing.

14.  Going after your dreams will inspire some of the people in your life and will freak out others.

15.  If it's the right dream it's mostly joy.

One of My First Animated Photos - Day 15 of the Summer Blogging Challenge

Summer Blogging Challenge - Day 15 - Post a photo you are proud of.
This is one of my first attempts to create an animated gif. It lead to my animated greeting card site Hula Hoop Press. My animations got better and more complicated, but I like this one because it too so much persistence to figure out how to do one.

Apple Has Filed a Patent for Changeable Camera Lenses

Okay, this is super cool. I have been a professional photographer for over 25 years and haven't used a regular camera since I got my iPhone. I currently use the Ollioclip and like it a lot. It will be interesting to see what Apple comes up with, however.

Something is Seriously Wrong with Me...I Am Obsessively Cleaning Closets

This is my office closet. I'm even labeling.

Keeping Both Feet on the Ground is Highly Over-rated -Summer Blog Challenge Day 13

Wednesday June 13th - How Do You See Yourself By the End of the Year? Because I am on Weight Watchers and because I am trying to Dance Around My Kitchen for 30 minutes each day...I see myself as being physically smaller and emotionally bigger - with a huge smile on my face.

Summer Blog Challenge Day 12

June 12th Worst injury ever?
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Summer Blog Challenge - Day 11

Day 11 - The Best Day Ever
Okay this one is hard. At my age there are so many memories of best days. I decided to focus on a best moment...when everything came together and I felt wonderful. The above is a picture of that moment. I had just come back from taking my first big travel adventure by myself. I had flown to Brazil - first Rio and then to Northern Brazil to visit my friend Marilyn. Before I left on that trip I purchased my first camera, and while there developed my passion for photography. I remember feeling so happy, brave, capable, healthy, and most of all loved.

This Week's Favorite Shoes - Sandals of Course

Love the striped heel and back on these sandals from Zara. $99 with four inch heel.

Summer Blog Challenge - Day 10

June 10 - Cost aside, famous art piece you would have in your home.

I chose Dale Chihuly's $1.5 million lap pool.

Dance in the Movies 1921-2010

Summer Blog Challenge - First 9 days in one post!

I just decided to join the Summer Blog Challenge. Yes I am late but better late than never. So I am going to do catch up in 1 post...

June 1-- Why are you doing this challenge.
Simple answer to this one. It sounds like fun and gives me the opportunity to engage with other bloggers.

June 2-- Post a picture of you smiling.

June 3-- 15 interesting things about yourself. 
Okay this one is a bit tougher.
1.   I have a dog that dances named Lola. You can see a picture here.
2.   Years ago I figured out that I can improve my mood by dancing around my kitchen. You can read about it here.
3.   How I know I can improve my mood is I keep a chart of my mood before and after. You can see the chart in the left hand column of my blog.
4.   I started blogging on Friday the 13th March 2009. My first post was called Do These Jeans Make My Ass Look Big?
5.   I have been a professional photographer for over 25 years.
6.   For the past several years I photograph almost entirely (professionally, for my blog and for myself) with my iPhone.
7.   I am an Apple Geek. I have a MacBook, and iPad and an iPhone and I have lost count of the number of apps I have downloaded.
8.   The song Louie Louie by the Kingsmen always gets me up on my feet and dancing.
9.   I also have a group blog called Coffee On the Patio.
10. I like to make animated e-cards for Hula Hoop Press.
11. I recently joined Weight Watchers. What finally got me to do it is the WW app (where I can track what I eat and points) and several women friends doing it with me. We encourage each other, laugh a lot and have as a goal...going shopping in San Francisco together, in December, to buy fabulous Christmas outfits for our new skinny bodies.
12. I sometimes help my friends bottle their wine. They have a small winery and tasting room in Santa Cruz, CA called Sones Cellars. It's fabulous wine and lots of fun as a whole group of us will get together to help. We've even helped to pick grapes once in an emergency. It's kind of like California's version of a barn raising. Everyone helps out and then we eat and drink wine.
13.  I have lived in California since I was 6 years old...mostly in Silicon Valley and the Wine Country. I think it's a beautiful place to live.
14.  I have traveled a lot while photographing including, Alaska, England's country gardens, up the Amazon in Brazil on a small boat, the farmer's markets of Provence, taking salsa lessons in Cuba, Panama and more. I love combining two of my favorite activites photographing and traveling.
15.  Blogging has added so much to my life. I love the blogging community.

June 4-- Meaning behind your blog name.
Easy peasy...it's my name and I blog...thus...Cynthia's Blog.

June 5-- Short term goals for this month and why those goals. 
Keep up with the Summer Blog Challenge
Keep on track with Weight Watchers
Dance in my kitchen every day
Start working on assignment for 2015 calendars.

June 6-- Nicknames you have; why you have them.
I only have one nickname Doodle. Richard has been calling me that for years. It started out DearyPoo, then for some reason evolved into PooperDoodle and ended up Doodle. So glad it didn't end up Pooper!

June 7-- Picture of something that makes you happy.
Making animated e-cards using iPhone apps.



June 8-- Not including blogging ;) your favorite guilty pleasure.
Watching So You Think You Can Dance (preferably while eating Ben and Jerry's ice cream, although these days it's a 4 point Skinny Cow).

June 9 -- My worst cooking disaster
There are too many to count. I am not the best cook in the world and do best when keeping it simple. I do however have as a goal this summer to become the Grill Queen. Tonight's menu - grilled salmon, grilled asparagus, grilled peppers.

Lola Dancing

The Power of Habit

I just finished this book and loved it. Really got me looking at the things I habitually do in a different way. Why do I do the things I do? Why are bad habits so hard to break? Why is it hard to make new habits stick. I don't very often think that one book can make a major change in my life, but this one just might do it.

 

Keep Calm and Dance

If there ever was a motto for my life this is it.  Of course an alternative saying could be Keep Calm and Go Take a Picture with Your iPhone. But, it's not quite as catchy.

My friends Lois and Michael told me about the Keep Calm and Carry On poster created in England during WWII. Lois then found a neat little Keep Calm and Carry On app. It tells the WWII story and you can make your own customized poster.

So remember KEEP CALM AND DANCE!

Two Favorite iPhone Photography Apps

The Diptic app has recently done a major update with a feature I really like. You can grab the borders to change the sizes of the boxes. Pretty darn cool feature. I then played with the color and texture in the Jazz app. Both of these apps are ones I use all the time...on my must have apps list. (Actually I don't have an actual must have app list. Think I must post one soon.)