Week 33: ME & Patterns (Member Photos)
Sofia Di Trapani - It's my pattern to be serious in self-portraits. Why not break it for a day and smile. I couldn't help the shadows though. I was actually looking to take a headshot for my about page on my new website. Instead, I saw the light pattern and just started jumping in front of the camera. I love my crazy hair! Thank you Jen for helping us break the pattern of speaking negatively about ourselves. www.sofiaditrapani.com
Snow Cabral - When we purchased our home and it needed new floors I immediately knew I wanted to get out of my typical box and do something fun and more unique. As I get older, I feel like my style is becoming more defined and I'm drawn to more bright colors and geometrical patterns. I am obsessed with this honeycomb tile and every time I walk into this bathroom it makes me so happy.
Jenny Parker - Me and baby girl and her little patterned diapers. My sister bought a variety pack of these little diapers for herself in the hopes that she would have a baby girl some day soon. She passed them along to me when her first round of IVF failed. I have had a tough time getting them out and using them because they make me sad for her, but the first time my husband put one on her, I said, "you used the good diapers I was saving for pictures!" I hope my sister can have a baby of her own someday. Mommahood is hard, but it truly is worth it.
Elena Pendell - Every time I think I've broken this pattern, it creeps back up. First I feel fat and depressed so I work out really hard and eat right. I feel better, my pants get looser, my mood improves. I try to convince myself that I love my body and all it can do. I figure since I can keep up with the super skinny ladies in the workout videos and I'm eating how they recommend, I must look like them. Then I see a photo of myself or catch a glimpse of my belly in a mirror or maybe the scale stops moving down or the 'goal' shorts I thought would fit by now are still a smidge too tight. I get depressed about it all over again and beat myself up for focusing on how I look. If I saw another woman with my exact dimensions, I would think she looked good. Why can I not treat myself with the same love that I treat others? I need to break this pattern but I just don't know how.
Emily Ingalls - A nod to the Olympics and all the athletes representing the USA. I can't imagine a greater feeling than representing your country at the Olympics, winning a medal, and draping the America flag across your back. Wearing our red, white and blue! Even with the crazy election year, I see our country coming together, neighbor helping neighbor when tragedy strikes, as I saw in Baton Rouge last weekend and this week. Putting aside differences and helping your fellow athlete when they fall. Cheering for your teammates even when you are competing against them. I hope the pattern of kindness, good sportsmanship, and the helping of others when they're in need continues far beyond the Olympics. www.emilyingallsphotography.com
Adriana Meixner - Today was a super hot and humid summer day so we decided to stay indoors and do some puzzles. Puzzles are a favourite pastime activity I share with my son. We love to sit on the floor and race against time putting piece after piece in place until we've completed the picture.I can still remember the first time he did a sizeable puzzle all on his own at the young age of 20 months. I was so impressed. One day I asked him if when he's doing a puzzle he sees the shapes and patterns first or the colours, to which he replied "shapes and patterns mama" as if it was the most logical thing in the world. I love that we share this commonality...ME and my son, Me and patterns. www.adrianameixner.com
Trish Reschly - My pattern of motherhood. The sweet roll of the waves up and down, in and out, all resound "mama"... I stand in the shadows happy to let the light fall upon my dears. My pattern day and night for the past 12 years. One day it will be a new pattern, a new dance with grandbabies and a husband called "grandpa". Right now I am savoring this pattern while preparing for the next. When my children's children tug on my skirt to show their latest need or treasure.
Briar Marie - Oh there are so many patterns. I am a creature of habit in all the good and bad ways that there are. I am not a fun Mom. I want to be a fun Mom. But I'm just too high strung. Painting is great for kids. But I hate it. Same for virtually everything fun. It's just a mess that I'll have to deal with later. I have such a hard time enjoying the moment because all I can see is one more thing I have to clean later and a million more chances for something to be ruined permanently. I'm high strung and stressed. Un-fun. Sheesh that's awful. Except... when there's a storm. We get all our gear on and head outside. Every time. And I don't even know why we put our gear on. My middle son literally had his rain boot floating down the street. None of them hold their umbrellas over there heads. And when it's windy, umbrellas don't do a lot of good. Honestly, they don't even have their hoods up half the time. But we get all our gear on anyway and we all go outside and run around like kids in a candy store. Sometimes we make boats first and play in the street. When there's a thunderstorm, I break my pattern of rules and routines. When there's a thunderstorm, I put on my super fun fishy patterned rain boots. When there's a thunderstorm, the pavement is a pattern of mini raindrop collisions. When there's a thunderstorm, our pattern is to break all the patterns. www.briarmariephotography.com
