How I plan to fail in 2014

I love New Years!!  Partly because we always have a huge party to celebrate the New Year and partly because I seize any opportunity to re-evaluate my life and ponder and plan what I want to change.   I do this at New Years, on my birthday in March, at the beginning of Summer, start of Fall... pretty much anytime I can as I think it is the key to actually seeing growth in myself.

So after much pondering leading up to 2014, I decided that I will plan on failing on some things this year!!!

YES... I'm planning to fail in 2014!!!

Before you think I've gone a little "cray cray"... let me explain.  I've never really been scared of failure in my life... I fully admit I experience fear (like with spiders, heights, blood, being seen without make-up, etc.),

but I'm not scared of failure... 

if something lights a fire in my heart, 

I am the first to jump on it and go for it.  

If it works out, GREAT, if not, 

live and learn and move on.

There is a pattern in my life of me trying somewhat crazy things... this is what led me many years ago to try out for my college volleyball team despite never having really played (and yes, I made the team)

It's what made me jump at a job in inner city Winnipeg working with street kids (and wandering all alone through some pretty dangerous areas of town... much to my mother's chagrin!!  I just kept telling her "Mom, if I'm meant to be shot, I'm not going to drown".  I'm sure that calmed her!!!!)

It's also what led me to take a chance with this guy who caught my eye one night sitting in Bible Study at church (I still have the note I wrote out to phone him when I knew he was out... I rehearsed it over and over to make sure I sounded calm, cool and collected when leaving a message!!  It worked!!!  He called me back, we talked for hours and the rest is history!!!)

Years later after "finding scrapbooking"... I entered the biggest contest out there at the time... Creating Keepsakes Magazine's infamous "Hall of Fame" contest and got chosen and published in the 2003 edition!!!!  (It was only honourable mention, but it ignited my passions and long story short, led me to my first front cover with Better Homes and Gardens Magazine and regular appearances on TV that I still do to this day!!!

And THAT led me to probably the craziest BHAG (Big Harried Audacious Goal) I ever had... I took a HUGE risk and planned, coordinated and hosted a Scrapbooking Cruise... and I had NEVER EVEN BEEN ON A CRUISE SHIP BEFORE!!!  Talk about biting off more than I can chew... but it worked and I did it again and again as it made for some of the best adventures of my life and friendships that I am eternally grateful for!!!

So you see, I could go on and on about how my life is FULL of taking chances and risking failure (btw, not all of my BHAGs work out!!  Sometimes things don't go as planned... but I don't let it knock me down and out... like our favourite fish says... "Just keep swimming, swimming, swimming!"

And this year, 2014, I am planning to fail because I'm setting up some pretty crazy goals... one I've already failed!!!

Perhaps you have heard about "365 Grateful"... it's a challenge to take a photo each day of something you are grateful for.

Well... I've already failed!!!!  

And it's only January!!!! 

And I'm a photographer!!!

  

BUT IT'S OK!!! I knew full well I would fail!!!  But that doesn't stop me from trying and still taking photos some days and striving to be more grateful in my life in 2014.  In fact, it's my word of the year for 2014 (and this photo is one of the ones I DID take of my orchids from that handsome guy posted above that are blooming beautifully)...

So although I'm planning to fail at the official 365 Grateful challenge, I am NOT planning to fail at being more grateful and taking photos of random things I wouldn't otherwise photograph that make me happy and grateful for the abundant blessings in my life... I just won't do it every day and that's ok!!

And one more way I plan to fail in 2014...

I mean, it's bound to happen...

And I'm bracing myself for it now...

Because I don't want THIS failure in particular to stop me...

I'm going to take a beautiful photo of a beautiful woman... and she's NOT going to like it and she will NOT see it as beautiful or see herself as beautiful.

And there will be nothing more I can do about it except hope and pray that one day she will see herself the way others see her and especially the way God sees her... a beautiful creation worthy of celebration for simply being alive.  So in anticipation of this inevitability, I'm choosing to focus instead on all the women who DO come through my studio who not only LOVE the experience, but also LOVE their photos... like Tanya... wife, daughter, devoted hockey-mom, scrapbooker, friend to many and much more that makes her truly beautiful (inside and out)!!!!

Yup... I am bound to fail in my BHAG of photographing every day women and capturing beautiful photos for them... 

but that's ok... 

and I will persevere 

because I know the truth :)

Getting Closer!!!

So I'm getting closer and closer to being able to "OFFICIALLY" launch the opening of my new studio... since moving over 3 years ago, I've not really run my portrait business (as I have no studio!!) and I've missed it dearly!!!

Yes, I've been galavanting around the world taking photos, teaching photography in hot tropical locations and writing a photography article for Canada's BEST magazine ever (Canadian Scrapbooker Magazine!) and having way too much fun with my camera (and not-so-fun moments dunking it in the ocean!!), but I really really REALLY miss my studio and the ART of creating a beautiful portrait!!!

Yes, it is ART.  It is a beautiful form of ART.  ART that captivates attention when seen.  

I am loving that I can take any and all women and show their beauty... well... MEN can be "beautiful" as well (at least that's what they say in Brazil!!)

But I don't just want the "beautiful" by society's standards to come for portraits... I want EVERYONE... every age, every size, every nationality, every everything... 

...because EVERYONE has beauty 

and deserves to be celebrated simply for being who they are right now.

And so while getting my studio ready for "official launch" (COMING THIS FALL!!), I've been taking courses and intently studying and practicing with many wonderful women to refine my ART.

And I think I'm going to try a "Photo Friday" where I will post a beautiful photo each Friday and perhaps share a bit of their story... 

So this is my beautiful niece Kayla... and she just graduated and is taking a year to go on an amazing adventure through Canada first semester and then off to Guatemala next semester where she will get to do humanitarian work and really grow and learn about herself and our world!!!  I am so excited for her and seeing this beautiful picture of her makes me smile as I can not see only see her outward beauty, but more importantly her inner beauty that simply SHINES out through her smile :)

Seriously?!?!?

I just noticed that I have not blogged for over a month!!!!!!!  SHOCKING as I have so much to say and share and tell and show!!!  Where does one begin?????

Let's start with MEXICO!!!!  I'm leaving in just a few days to drive on a bus (yes a bus) to Mexico with about 30 of us to go build houses for 2 needy families!!!  The above layout was in my latest Canadian Scrapbooker Magazine article and tells of how I had a full circle moment during last year's trip to build in Mexico... so very powerful.  And here are the families whose lives will be forever changed this year...

FAMILY#1: Single mom, Lourdes (30) and her three boys, Reynaldo (17), Fransico (3) and Antonio (2). Lourdes works when she can, whenever she can get someone to look after Fransico and Antonio. In the afternoons she goes to school to finish her education. Lourdes works hard to keep her oldest son, Reynaldo in school and he is in the process of finishing up high school

FAMILY #2:  Bulmaro (24) and Isabel (19) and their son, Cristian (3). Bulmaro works 5-6 days per week in the fields and when childcare is available Isabel also works 2-3 days per week in the fields. Isabel comes from a very large family (we're talking 29 kids!!), many of whom live in the same area.  Their current house is made of sticks, cardboard and plastic. Somewhere you would not even keep your lawn care tools in! 

What's really cool is that the moms are sisters and live right next door so we will get to be VERY CLOSE to both families as we build their new homes right beside each other :)  And we will get to go back and visit the family we built for last year!!!!  HOW FUN IS THAT?!?!?!

And I am excited as this year, instead of going with my entire family, I'm taking my 15 year old son and 3 of his friends with me... yup... I'm going to be "Momma Orthner" for this adventure to 4 teen boys!!!  Can NOT wait!!!  If you'd like to follow along on the adventure (especially if you'd like to join me on something like this in the future!!), I'll likely post a fair bit on Facebook while in Mexico and here is a link you can also go to:

http://livedifferent.com/blog

Next... GRADUATION!!!  Well, sort of... Lindsey attends a middle school so graduation comes at the end of Grade 8 and next year she is in the High School (YIKES!!!)  But we had tremendous fun taking some grad photos with her and a couple of friends...

And one final topic for today... CROP AND CRUISE!!!!  Things are getting super exciting as we are planning all the fun details for this November in Hawaii!!!  Great sponsors are already coming on board...

And this is only the beginning!!!  Our featured instructors Christy Riopel, Jill Hildebrand and myself are cooking up some delicious treats for all our attendees!!!  We are capping both the LAND event and CRUISE event at 50 scrapbookers each and currently only have 10-15 spots left at each so if you were thinking of joining us for this ultimate vacation, REGISTER SOON!!!!

You had me at Aloha!!!

That will have to do for today as I am off to Banff for my 3 month check up with my knee surgeon!!  I am hoping that I will be given the OK to do most (if not all) of the activities while in Mexico!!!

AND... I still need to chat about the AMAZING Scrapbook Your Heart retreat we had this past June!!!  We were abundantly blessed in so many ways and by so many wonderful ladies... I will share soon, but here is a layout (yeah for Bo Bunny!!!) that shows just a small glimpse from our "Lessons from the Garden of Life" theme...

It's Time to Book Your GRAD photos!!!

One of my all-time favourite photos to do are GRAD photos!!!!

Whether it is for Grade 9 or Grade 12, I just love working with this age as they are game for having some fun!!!

When doing INDIVIDUAL photo shoots, we get to focus ALL the attention on YOU... different outfits, different poses, locations and looks...

But just imagine how much fun you can have with your friends during a GROUP photo shoot...

And we must not forget the classic look of some dramatic BLACK & WHITE images...

Be sure to contact me soon to book your special day!!!

More Grad Photos!!!

So my niece graduated from grade 9 this year and wanted to have her Auntie Allison do some fun photos for her and some friends and of course I complied!!!!  

I seriously LOVE LOVE LOVE doing photos of teenagers... know why????  They actually love seeing themselves in photos!!!    It's sad, really, that somewhere between this age and my age (44), women begin to hate having their photo taken and "almost always" dislike themselves in photos.  Really sad.

I love how teenagers are so keen and eager to try almost anything for a fun photo including climbing a tree or dancing and twirling and jumping in the air.  I wish all clients were so carefree because that's when you can really capture some unique shots!!!!

And nothing beats a great studio shot!!!  This is where the close-ups are magic :)

Thanks to all the lovely ladies who played with me and my camera today and a super special thanks to my niece for simply being the delightful friend of so many... it's no wonder you won a special award today at school... soooooooo proud!!!!!