early summer brought three amazing events with the lexington cancer foundation – below is a peek :) i’m so very taken with this incredible group and the generosity of their hearts.
kindness in words creates confidence. kindness in thinking creates profundity. kindness in giving creates love. [ lao-tse ]
i love catching up a wee bit on blogging to share some of these fun sessions with you! and i l-o-v-e sibling shoots…maybe because i love my own brother so much, and i love the transformation that happens from age 8 when you’re complaining to your mom that your brother got into all your stickers to what is now one of the truest and deepest friendships there is. love you, matt!
i can only imagine how happy this trio made their parents with this *surprise* they planned for them. their brilliance is obviously coupled with thoughtfulness :) what a sublime pleasure! thank you, thank you for allowing me to share this beautiful early evening with you! warmly, -melanie-
To the outside world, we all grow old. But not to brothers and sisters. We know each other as we always were. We know each other’s hearts. We share private family jokes. We remember family griefs and joys. We live outside the touch of time. [ clara ortega ]
so, i remember how several weeks ago it seemed like the summer would stretch out before us endlessly…i saw this sweet 101 things to do in the summer, and i think i’m going to post it to our fridge next year because it’s just about the loveliest of to-dos :) gratefully, we’ve done pretty well – i think that’s the mark of a summer well spent (insert happy sigh here).
1. Picnic under the shade of a tree
2. Star gaze
3. Fly a kite
4. Set up your own lemonade stand
5. Throw an outdoor party
6. Play in the rain
7. Go to the zoo
8. Surprise someone you love with a special gift
9. Make homemade ice cream
10. Plant a flower, watch it grow
11. Lay on a big blanket outside and read
12. Trace your body and footprints with sidewalk chalk
13. Make s’mores around a fire
14. Go on a treasure hunt
15. Climb a tree
16. Walk to a gas station and get your favorite treat
17. Ride your bike to the supermarket
18. Doorbell ditch a friend with treats
19. Discover a new park
20. Make fruit smoothies
21. Paint something
22. Make chocolate covered strawberries
23. Take a million pictures and make a stop motion movie
24. Rollerblade
25. Take your conversation out to the front porch
26. Memorize a poem and recite it to someone
27. Camp in the backyard
28. Enjoy a candle light dinner outside with friends
29. Go barefoot for a whole day
30. Drive with your windows down and sing really loud
31. Study and learn about an ancestor
32. Run through the sprinklers
33. Go to the county or city fair
34. Write a poem
35. Visit a neighbor
36. Play ghost in the graveyard
37. Collect rocks and paint them
38. Do play dough outside – use bark, cement, leaves, grass and sticks to make imprints and patterns
39. Have an outdoor movie night
40. Read story books outside
41. Make an “egg carton” garden
42. Set up a bird feeder in your yard
43. Wash your car in the driveway
44. Make a homemade candle
45. Go on a hike
46. Photograph nature
47. Walk to a park
48. Eat corn on the cob
49. Make boats out of popsicle sticks and race them
50. Sleep out on a tramp
51. Open your windows during a rain storm
52. Bake a loaf of homemade bread
53. Make homemade jam
54. Go fruit picking at a local orchard (try www.upick.com)
55. Go to the zoo
56. Hang up post it notes that say “you are loved” all over in a public place
57. Drink lots of water
58. Throw rocks in a lake
59. Join a book club
60. Turn off the Television
61. Play dress up
62. Watch the sunrise
63. Eat at a café that offers live music
64. Keep a journal
65. Blow up balloons, put kind notes inside of them and hand them out to friends or strangers
66. Play in the mud
67. Visit a museum
68. Change up your hair style, even if it’s just a little
69. Paint your nails a bright color
70. Make and fly paper airplanes
71. Make homemade cards
72. Blow bubbles
73. Spend a day at the pool
74. Donate unwanted things to charity
75. Discover some new music
76. Hang white twinkle lights up somewhere in your house or yard
77. Stay up late and dance with lightening bugs
78. Attend an outdoor performance
79. Hang up wind chimes
80. Reconnect with an old friend
81. Sit out on the roof
82. Create and go on a scavenger hunt
83. Make a paper kite
84. Have a water fight
85. Feed some ducks
86. Drink from the hose
87. Paint a birdhouse
89. Go backpacking
90. Help someone with house or yard work
91. Invent a new dance
92. Read to someone
93. Go canoeing
94. Build a sand castle
95. Make a time capsule
96. Write a song
97. Start a collection
98. Write a fairy tale
99. Arrange a beautiful bouquet of flowers
100. Take a road trip
101. Live in the moment
Happy Summer! warmly, -melanie-
