This is my daughter Arielle. She's 15 months old and loves to dance. Whether she's in a good mood or bad, when she hears the beat of music, she can't help but stop and get her groove on. This photo is of her mid dance move while we were visiting family in Reno, Nevada. So far she prefers disco, 60s classics, Taylor Swift...

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Hey you! I wanted to tell you something!!  And no, it's not about my daughter Arielle being a total ham, even though she is... No this is about YOU. Yes, YOU. Do you know how special you are? How precious you are? Yes, you are!!! Don't argue with me!  In all seriousness, I just felt the urge to write and share with each...

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I saw this video floating around Facebook and it's another wonderfully profound video by Dove that highlights how women specifically see themselves in contrast to how others see them. We are always much harder on ourselves than we should be and we fail to see the true beauty we each have.  God made us fearfully and wonderfully and we are all beautiful!!  So...

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Have you ever come across tips and tricks that literally blew your mind or changed your life?  Well, I know I have!! Though some of the following "life hacks" are ones I'm sure you've seen, there are quite a few to peruse and I'm sure you will find something helpful and inspiring to help you streamline and organize your life!  (The fitted sheet...

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Not everything you see is what you imagine or assume it to be.  Sometimes the greatest beauty can be found in the least likely of places.  In a world that places so much emphasis on the aesthetics of beauty, how does one see beyond the facade of it all?  True, there is beauty everywhere and usually it's the obvious beauty that catches the...

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I decided to take Alaka'i on a drive around the island on Saturday.  It's good to get out and about and to see the beauty of the island in all it's forms.  We left with hopes high, cameras ready and bags of lunch and swimming stuff packed for the ride.  Though we hadn't planned to go swimming, my Alaka'i being the water baby...

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It is with a heavy heart that I write this post tonight.  Why, why do such needlessly tragic acts of violence happen?  Why?  Today I picked my son up from school and explained to him that there was an attack in Boston at the marathon where two explosive devices went off and at least 2 people died and dozens were injured.  I explained...

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Just a quick bit of a post..nothing long or pretentious... just a virtual "hi" to all of you, my lovely friends.  Alaka'i just got home from camping with his uncle about a half hour ago and we are all ready to go to church.   Going to church really just gives me such a reset.  Though we read our Bible every day, being...

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I've always been a fan of sharks, a lover of their great power and majesty. I think it started when I was a child and my dad let me watch Jaws.  Every since then, I was absolutely obsessed with sharks and for years, contemplated becoming a Marine Biologist to study them.  As the daugther of a surfer, however, I was raised to beware of...

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Nine Tips to Create a Killer Silhouette  [source: FStoppers.com] Southern California photography team Brett and Tori love shooting silhouettes and over the years have picked up some simple tips that help them nail killer shots time and time again. Read on to discover 9 of their great tips you can use on your next shoot and see some of the beautiful silhouettes shot by Brett...

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Today's Photo inspiration comes from one of my favorite websites SLR Lounge.com! This is a shooting tutorial that was submitted by Andreane Fraser on the SLR Lounge forums. If you are interested in having your work featured on the SLR Lounge site, post your work on the SLR Lounge Constructive Critique section and we will take a look at it. About Andreane Fraser My love story with photography...

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"Nothing in the world can take the place of persistence.  Talent will not; nothing is more common than unsuccessful men with talent.  Genius will not; unrewarded genius is almost a proverb.  Education alone will not; the world is full of educated derelicts.  Persistence and determination alone are omnipotent."  --- Calvin Coolidge 1872 ...

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Freedom isn't free and it isn't cheap.  Throughout the history of our nation, thousands and thousands of soldiers died defending our freedom.  My grandfather Henry fought in World War II in the Navy and his ship got hit by a kamikaze Japanese plane.  He survived that crash but many of his friends and fellow soldiers lost their lives in that war.  He later died from...

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Do you ever have the chance to stop and take notice of how beautiful the world around us is?  Even if you're in a large city with few trees and lots of smog, there are still so many beautiful things you notice as you walk along.  It could be a beautiful sunset, a pretty flower or the smile on the face of a...

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This quotation is both beautiful and true.  We at times are our own worst enemies.  Sometimes we try to hurt others or try to get away with things we know are wrong without first thinking about the effects of our actions.  Even though we don't intend for our actions to come back and bite us in the butt, they almost always do. ...

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I love this photo of water droplets with the light spectrum gleaming through each drop.  The bokeh effect in the background adds to the allure. Just a little inspiration and art in an otherwise dull and busy day... (photo courtesy of photobucket) ...

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Yet another breathtaking shot down the barrel of a wave in Hawai'i. Clark really is an amazing photographer. I want his camera... Then again, he's a surfer so he'd know exactly when/where and how to capture these amazing shots. Photo © Clark Little ...

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