The beautiful boneflowers ladies: Lux, Erika, Jamie and Marie

Born out of a love for all things rusty and broken, an unusual taste in clothing and a passion for creating, this little shop got its start in July of 2009 and has been evolving ever since. Carefully curated by Jenna Schmidt, a purveyor of the weird and the wonderful. For the perfect gift, that special dress, that amazing necklace, Boneflowers has just what you were looking for!

Freedom

Words escape me, on describing this Haiti Trip.
Cruel Poverty.
Beautiful Strength.
Raw Survival.
Laughter.
Love.

I know I need to go back, again and again to fully understand what is happening. Not on a political landscape. But a human landscape. This is truly what life is about … and I am so far removed from real life in my air conditioned SUV, in my air conditioned fully stocked supermarket, in my automatic overdraft online banking deposit a check through the iphone, in my new shoes and dresses, in my cook-what-I-feel-not-what-I-have for dinner, in my quest for self-actualization rather than survival.

ALL you need is love.
I love you Iyiti.
Thank you for reminding me who I should be and how to get there.

Mwen ren men ou.

My best Gift?

Getting to play with a little girl named Olivia.
She’s my three year old niece with a big personality, lots of charm and she likes to do things her way.
Everyone tells her she’s crazy.
In most photos she is a blurry hurricane of energy.
Just like I like it.

I love you Dr. Livy Bop Schilling, my little mini mimi.

Geert van Mil

This beautiful dutchman came smiling through my front door a mere 72 hours ago. I am begging him NOT to leave, he keeps my girlfriends and I howling with laughter.
Since he has to leave in a few days, I’m making plans to visit Holland this summer.
In the meantime, enjoy a glimpse into Breakfast at Carroll Gardens.

Check out Geert’s music and storytelling project in Rotterdam.

About Opzien: De Spoorzone in Delft verandert nu iedere dag, terwijl de stad wacht op het nieuwe station. Opzien aan het Spoor trekt alvast het bouwterrein op met een verrijdbare bushalte: een podium voor muziek, dans, theater en verhalen. Iedere week vanaf 23 juli in de avondspits.

grateful, every day, full

Today I am thankful for the ability to see things from different perspectives and angles.
I am thankful for the ability to ooze love and kindness into situations that might not warrant it, but desperately need it.

Today, I love you.
Yes. YOU.

An and Wootie

My youngest cousin Wootie has autism.
I’ve been watching him since he was born, but I got serious with him about five years ago.
Five years of constant kissing, hugging, wrestling, cuddling and watching him play DS so I can read the ads to him.
Five years of five afternoons a week.

My heart burst into a thousand tiny more hearts when I saw him sitting and cuddling another little girl in his class. He tends to zone out and not acknowledge other humans. This little girl was actively engaging him. Relentlessly engaging him, so he had no choice but to giggle and cuddle her. She wouldn’t leave him alone.
Fascinating to watch it unfold.

I love you Wootie. Happy Halloween <3

What is autism? How is it defined?
Answer: Autism is a pervasive developmental disorder. Its symptoms include differences and disabilities in many areas including social communication skills, fine and gross motor skills, and sometimes intellectual skills.

Autism is also a spectrum disorder. In basic terms, this means you can be a little autistic or very autistic. At one end of the spectrum is Asperger Syndrome, sometimes called The Little Professor syndrome. At at the other end of the spectrum is the disorder that is most often called classic or Kannerian autism, which often includes profound developmental delays and challenges. In between are a variety of pervasive developmental disorders including Rett syndrome, Fragile X Syndrome, and pervasive developmental disorder not otherwise specified (PDD-NOS).

Not only is autism a spectrum disorder, but recent studies suggest that there may be more than one type of autism. While some autistic people have additional symptoms such as gastrointestinal issues, seizures and even mental illness, others have no such symptoms. The jury is still out on the question of “many autisms,” so for now the term “autism spectrum” covers a wide set of differences and disabilities.

the love of my life. . .

Happy Special Needs Week

“People need to understand that children with special needs are not sick, they are not searching for a cure, just acceptance. This week is for special needs education. Ninety three percent of the people will not copy and paste this. Will you be part of the seven percent that will and will you leave it on your wall for at least an hour?”

Old School House

I shot photos of Drew and Fifi last week on a splendid Sunday Afternoon. I met up with their moms (kids in tow) at a sweetly restored old school house in Danville.
A little bit about the magnificent school house:

If buildings could talk, the Tassajara School House would tell of children reciting lessons, ciphering and singing in a classic one-room school. Students from Tassajara Valley ranches attended this school from 1889 to 1946.

Students from first to eighth grade walked, rode horses and took buggies to get to school. In 1889 Richard D. Williams was the teacher and 41 students attended that August. Roger Podva (born in 1884) began school in 1890 and said there were 42-75 students at the school when he attended, sitting two to a desk. They learned mental arithmetic, reading, geography, spelling and writing. A picture of George Washington hung on the wall.

Today the School House sits in rural, restored splendor on its original site at 1650 Finley Road in Contra Costa County’s Tassajara Valley. A belfry with bell, old outhouses, a restored stable, picnic tables and a new redwood water tower complete the picture.

Shauna Cox, Wedding pt.2

Babies, Babies, Babies

More adorableness from Templar and Aurora.
Happy Beautiful Sunday.