The Wisdom of Sundays with Oprah Winfrey

Well, if Oprah is sharing the book on Ellen, then I guess it's official!

I'm incredibly excited to finally be able to announce that I had the opportunity to take part in this very special project earlier this year. My role as the photographer was to create imagery that would compliment the life-changing insights and Aha moments shared with Oprah by some of the world’s most highly-regarded thought leaders who have appeared on her three-time Emmy winning show, “Super Soul Sunday.”  The photos featured in the book range from images that capture the most intimate and treasured locations on Oprah's property to photos taken on my world travels. To say I was humbled is an understatement. I also admit to being a wee bit nervous at the beginning!

Together with Melcher Media, Flatiron Books has created a stunning spiritual handbook - one that you won't be able to put down! The book will be released in stores October 2017.

Reconnect

It's been over a week since I looked at a calendar, which for me, being a type A scheduler, is quite a feat. In fact, we were flying across the International Date Line for NYE, and our new year began in a completely different hemisphere. It was important to us to start the year off with strong minds, committed hearts, and renewed intentions that will help lay the foundation for creating a prosperous year. So we decided a month in Bali would be the best place to achieve that. This past year was one of the busiest of our lives - greeting the newest constellation to our family, Maximillian, travel to Europe, Mexico and Asia, our wedding, moving homes, and working with incredible clients around the world doing what we love. But first and foremost comes family - which brings me back to Bali. This month will be about reconnecting this little unit. About making time for real conversations with my husband (new parents, you will understand this point), and having our son experience life as a family, instead of just one of us at a time. It's also about taking those moments for ourselves to tap into that space that gives us peace. This morning I awoke to waves crashing and birds chirping, a sliver of a moon fading into the pink and orange sunrise. Sitting outside, I took a moment to breathe and stretch, to reconnect with my body and mind. In that moment, I could feel my body begin its healing, my mind begin to settle. I am reminded of how important it is for me to experience that. I am reminded of so many things that I have put off this past year. I am excited for this next month of reconnecting and exploring, but moreso, I am excited for this life ahead. I am filled with so much gratitude for all the people and moments responsible for helping me shape the world that surrounds me today. I know the power lays within me... and that is everything.

I'm going to check out (as much as a type A can) for a moment, so I can fully be with my family, however I will still make time to reply to client emails (please give me a days grace in this regard!). I look forward to meeting and working with all the new couples coming into my world! I hope you all can take the necessary time to reconnect with whatever part of your world you need to in this moment, and start this year off in a beautiful space. Much love to you all xoxo.

(photo taken in Baja this past year - we seem to have a knack for finding those dilapidated shacks...)

2013 | A year of shifting and growing

This has been a different January for me. It doesn't necessarily feel like the end of something and the beginning of another. I think I've been in a transition zone for the past year, during which I have felt out of balance and slightly out of alignment with who I am and what I want. The real shift began in the Fall and has been an ebbing and flowing of energy and emotion since. Somewhere along the way I found my footing. This time rooted in something different, a new path with a stronger foundation. Part of this shift has been about entering into a different phase in my life. Part of it has been about really understanding what I want to do and how to do it. And the last part is about getting to know and understand the woman I have become, and the woman I want to be. It's been a big year of growth... and like most good things, it hasn't come easy.

I am so thankful for the experiences and challenges that instigated this shift, for the people that have supported me along the way, and the clarity and strength I now feel because of it.

I feel a deep-rooted strength in this new foundation. I have a new clarity of what truly brings me joy, a better understanding of what lights me up, what is important and what I want to create. Life looks different. I feel different.

I'm excited to see how this shift changes what I capture... and what I create. In images. In art. In love. In life.

Here are a few moments along the way of 2013. Although I had my challenges, I was also blessed with incredible experiences of travel and family and friends and love.

Indonesia Instagram

Yes, I know. This year has been off to a slow start for blogging. But I’m ok with that. Knowing the imminent wedding chaos is around the corner, I think I will relish in the quiet of where I am. Right now, that happens to be Indonesia. A couple days in Bali and now on the island of Sumbawa, I am a week into my adventure. Loving the heat, the white sand beaches and the sweet frangipani that seems to linger in the air.

Moroc-o-gram

Some fun instagram shots from Morocco...

♥ 2013 mantra ♥

It's a new year, which I suppose means new goals... but this year I am going to keep it simple. Yes, there are a few big ones I will write out on my wall so I can work towards them everyday (shoots I aspire to, places I dream about), but this year I want to focus more on the journey itself. By that I mean living more presently with more intention. So I wrote a few things that I will keep as my mantra for the year to create a more meaningful and happy world :)

♥ laugh often (I can get quite serious, laughing always brings me back to the moment)

♥ love deeply (is there any other way? give give give)

♥ forgive all (let go and move on, from big to miniscule)

♥ dream big (if your dreams don't scare you they aren't big enough!)                            

♥ live with intention (don't live passively. Create it!)

Wishing you all an extraordinary year of good health, abundance and laughter!

Essaouira | Morocco

A rare stormy day of rain and dark clouds greeted us the morning we were to drive over the Atlas Mountains to Marrakesh and Essaouira. It seemed as if the tiny villages made of red earth and rocks could dissolve and wash away into the deep gorges at any moment. It was a treacherous drive through the mountain range along the narrow road comprised of endless switchbacks and sharp corners, dodging huge tour buses that hogged the road and boulders washed down with the rain. Relieved to finally reach the flat empty lands around Marrakesh, we continued on to Essaouira, dramatic skies creating epic backdrops for the shepherds and small villages. We arrived in Essaouira as the sun's rays finally succeeded in piercing the dark clouds, shining warm light onto the ancient walls of the small seaside town. Even the thousands of gulls seemed to revel in the beautiful light, swooping and cawing high in the sky. Yes, it was nice to be on the ocean again.

Essaouira was the perfect place to end our month long adventure in Morocco. It had the grit of Fez and the beauty of Chefchaouen. We wandered the narrow streets, in perpetual awe of the depth and texture, stumbling upon local shops and markets, loving the endless stream of exotic smells and sounds. Around every corner was sight that excited all senses.

We stayed at Dar Skala, a guesthouse with a tiny entrance that takes you up winding passages until you reach the rooftop patio with one of the best views in Essaouira. Jorge and his son Pablo were incredible hosts, adding a personal touch to the beautiful home they welcomed us in. We rose with the sun and ran along the vast stretches of beach, followed by breakfast on the roof and full days of exploration (always taking a break for a coffee and croissant in the main square, of course). Inevitably we would end up watching the sun sink into the ocean with a glass of wine, lulled by the evening prayer, eventually venturing out in search of kefta tagine. Yes... the days were perfect...