About to spend an evening with this adorable kid and hopefully new photos of him will follow...
Starting tomorrow, I'm starting a full 6 weeks of travel with only two nights in my own bed! Living out of a suitcase used to be more familiar than owning a dresser (which I guess I still don't have) with no place to really call home. But now, I've discovered that someone, not someplace, is home and he doesn't fit in my suitcase. Visiting some of my old stomping grounds for weddings, teaching, and work, makes the distance bearable for I can't wait to see familiar faces and places. So if you're in Kansas City, Manhattan (both little and big apple), Wichita,...
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I'm not stranger to blogging. I started back in 2003/04 as a true web log of my european travels just as wordpress, blogger and typepad were gaining their own start. In the years that followed, I've gone through writing spurts and famines as life has snowballed along from Kansas, Europe, India, San Francisco Bay, South Sudan, Oman, and now to Pennsylvania. Each chapter has forced me to reinterpret the purpose of this online space and ask myself again and again who my audience is and why the hell do I still keep this space around. Then, without really a thought, I posted...
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We had a quick and unplanned wet weekend away to Washington DC this weekend to see Preston's high school friends expecting their first child and to visit Preston's brother, Lawson. We crossed a couple more places off of our DC list (take it from us, the National Building Museum is not worth visiting but the Hishhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden definitely is) and enjoyed the blue skies before the rain and cold arrived. Below is my iphone 4s photo narrative of our artistic explorations... (above left & below: Need Tower Sculpture by Kenneth Snelson, above right: Graft by Roxy Paine) (above: Carlos Cruz-Diez, "Chromosaturation," 1965, refabricated 2010) (only...
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Only 10% of the world's population has access to designers and architects. Rather than continuing to cater to the world’s wealthiest 10%, a reorientation is occurring in our profession to serve the needs of the other 90. The global population is anticipated to increase to about 9 billion by 2050 and the United Nations estimates 2 billion of them will be living in slums. With such ominous predictions, issues of shelter, infrastructure, and the environment will soon be at the center of public concern. Designers and builders have the power to holistically address some of humanity’s most critical issues but...
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While I was away in CT experiencing my first Easter vigil mass with my in-laws (of which no one told me it was the longest mass of the year... ), a few of my photographs were shown at a downtown Allentown arts vigil on the eve of Easter. The theme was RISE and "a hopefulness, or uncertainty, or vigil-esque feel" was my direction. It was a bit open ended, but then again, most artistic inspirations are. With the theme of hope buried into my heart this lenten season, here are a couple of my submissions to the event... TINY DANCER (above) 9...
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For two years, I lived in a beautiful Berkeley apartment with the most scrumptious flower garden outside all four of my bedroom windows. My landlord coached roses into their voluptuous being, built homes for humming birds, and gave us a bountiful supply of never ending lemons. I enjoyed all of the fruits of her labor from behind the glass but never planted, watered or pruned a single plant myself. I just don't think I have it in me. My mom once said she could only keep so many things alive and thankfully, she choose her children over her plants. I...
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One of my goals since graduating with my MA in Intercultural studies has been to find a way I can add my research back into the world, further contributing to the body of knowledge that has taught me so much. This month that goal was achieved as a summary of my capstone was published in the Association of Interdisciplinary Studies quarterly journal! Since the electronic journal is password protected, the following is a copy of the article. There is only one image included in the actual article (the four principles of integration) but the others have been added for your...
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My journey to becoming an architect started before I even knew how to spell it. I’ll never forget the day I was invited into the world of design as my father handed me a pile of leftover architecture magazines from his construction office. My fingers thumbed through the glossy pages of buildings as I perused the images and studied what would later learn were floor plans. Pulling out my graph paper, I drew and redrew designs with an uncanny intuition. As I slid walls, extended rooms, and articulated space as the act of creation connected to something deep within me....
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I don't have to wait for much in life, but when I do, I'm not very happy about it. I get impatient when my phone takes longer than 2sec to load a page. I get frustrated as I wait in line as people try to use their credit card for what appears to be the first time. And I find my heart rate rising sitting in any kind of traffic where the car is not moving. For many of us, December is a month of urgency and expectancy. Finals will soon be over, vacation is around the corner, presents will be...
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Most of my professional interactions these days consist in the form of emails and conference calls. So when I found out the A Better World by Design was going to practically be in my backyard, I jumped at the chance to meet and speak with like-minded people in the flesh. I also volunteered to take photos for the event as I've learned after many conferences under my belt, this behind the scenes access provides more interactions with the participants and speakers. (Plus, it's way more fun than sitting the whole time!) In summary, the A Better World conference aims to connect...
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Wait... thanksgiving is next week?! Are you sure? I didn't even think we'd entered the month of November yet... wow. The last 6 weeks have sent us all over the country and brought some of our favorite people to us. We've been living nomadic lives, out of the packs on our backs or the suitcase in our hands. There are stories of crazy Greyhound bus trips, historic battlefield sites, new people and projects as well as soul-good conversations with old friends. Since this blog ultimately began as a travel blog, here is abridged the timeline of our travel, with some of...
Read MoreThis has been quite a year for me... I got married, graduated with my masters, and will soon turn... drum roll, please... 30!! (yikes. that's the first time I've typed it out) And with each milestone is another reason to celebrate! Culturally, we commemorate these milestones for others with thoughtful gifts, written cards or our most favorite, money. If you know me at all, you know I'm horrible at them all. I'm just not a good giver or receiver of gifts. Ironically enough, I married one as well, in fact the only tangible gifts we've ever exchanged are our wedding...
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The natural thing to do the week after you get married is to honeymoon. Interesting enough, this concept is borrowed from the Indian elite who would take their upperclass brides on a tour to visit relatives who had not been able to attend the wedding... glad that's not still the tradition! Historically known as the the hony moone by the British, the honeymoon was a term used to describe the period just after the wedding when things are at their sweetest.. (this all is predicted to wane after a month... this might still be true :) ) Today, we know...
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I work from home so I guess some could argue that I spend my entire day alone. But for any of you home office writers, freelancers, or consultants, you know you are anything but alone. Your emails represent nagging voices, conference calls transport you into rooms full of other bodies, and voicemails remind you that someone is tapping you on the shoulder for something. But then there are some days where I sit at the same computer with the same Adele Pandora radio station playing and holding the same warm cup (with of course fresh coffee), and all the people...
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i'm a kansas girl and not immune to natural disasters. i can prepare and endure tornados with the best of them. i've survived softball sized hail, monster lighting storms in india, and a few snow-ins in colorado. but this week on the east coast has just been a bit out of the ordinary and worth writing home about. it was the first full week we've both been in town since we moved to bethlehem, pa and i'm going to forever remember it as our HURRI-QUAKE WEEK. a double whammy punch from mother nature in two forms i had yet to really...
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it's official. all things wedding are now behind us (oh, except those ever present thank you notes... it's like those never end!) and i cannot tell you how good it feels... (unless you're married and were the main one planning the wedding then you know how i feel). while it's one of the best days of your life, it's also the most stressful. i feel like it's a big unspoken hazing you must survive before you can truly be man and wife. it's as if society says, oh, so you really want to do this forever thing? how about you...
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JACKIE COOPER PHOTOGRAPHY As a photographer myself, I know that wedding photography is not just a business but an art. Understanding the events of the day is only the beginning. The emotion, the significance, and the power of weddings requires a photographer who understands the deeper layers of his or her assignment. A photographer can understand those layers better when one connects with the wedded couple. The more comfortable I am with the family, the more natural the photos become and the more emotion I communicate through my photos. For all of these reasons, there was no better photographer choice for...
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All of our print materials created by Megan Sornson… best graphic designer… EVER. (and we’re not biased at all :) and here are the details according to megan and photos courtesy of Jackie Cooper Photography: "This ain't a threat but I think I better warn ya, Gonna fall in love if you go to California." Greener Printer: Berkley, CA 150 invites | 150 programs | 325 dollars one week production 105lb reincarnation matte book - 100% recycled, 60% post-consumer waste processed chlorine free, FSC certified paper with soy inks When Jill and Preston asked me to design their wedding materials, I was thrilled. They're an amazing couple...
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I, (Preston/Jill), take you, (Jill/Preston), as my (wife/husband). I will love you in action and in words. I will honor you above myself. I will serve God by serving you. I will be joyful in the hope of our shared future. I will be patient with you, in good times and in bad. I will be faithful to pray for you and with you in the seasons to come. I will use the gifts that God has given me to build you up and better your world. I will be strong where you are weak. I will embrace your strengths which compliment my own. I will live a life of...
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We have chosen to symbolize our unity through a painting. Around the wedding site, we posted a series of paintings… The first to symbolize our meeting. The second to symbolize our common interests. The third to symbolize our journey. The fourth to symbolize our engagement. The fifth to symbolize our compliments. The sixth we competed on the day of the wedding. The painting symbolizes uniqueness and with different things: such as city and nature or the mountains and the ocean meet they create beauty and unity. By doing this, we are saying ‘we are two unique individuals blending together to create something new, beautiful, and lasting.’...
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I left for the Middle East for research for 6 weeks and while I was gone, Preston wrote me a note for everyday I was gone. Each note was titled with a specific TO/FROM that highlighted our contrasting yet complimentary differences. I loved waking up each morning to open my note see what he had come up with to describe us. I kept waiting for him to repeat one on accident but I found out later that would never have happened... he made a spreadsheet to keep track of them all... of course ;) We used these on our wedding...
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He says... Jill was amazing to me from the start - independent, creative, visionary, compassionate. My first memory of her was when she told a story about a homeless woman she encountered in SF. While the whole world walked by, Jill took the time to listen to a woman outcast by society, to speak words of encouragement into her life, to buy her lipstick to help her feel beautiful like every woman should feel. Afterwards, I caught her taking photos which she told me was her year-long project of taking a picture every day - searching for beauty wherever it could be...
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I’ll never forget the moment Preston walked into my world. A group of us had come together to share what we had been learning as we read through the Psalms individually. He came up to the stage with all the confidence in the world and a goofy grin on his face. Dark haired, tall and lanky with well-worn, favorite flip flops on his feet, he told us of his drive every morning into the Berkeley hills and the opportunity he has to witness the divine moment the sun rises to overtake the night. With a cell phone full of bright...
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(as described by Preston in the fall of 2010) Jill lives for inspiration and is a fountain of creativity. Her eye for photography is only matched by her passionate pursuit for beauty in the everyday. One step into my gallery…er…apartment and you can quickly tell that I’m her biggest patron/fan! Jill has an entrepreneurial spirit, a visionary personality, and an insatiable desire to explore new places and cultures. She’s constantly trying to expose me to the cultures she has experienced and grown to love in Africa, India, Europe, and around the world, as well as expand my worldview beyond that of Southern...
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(as described by me in the fall of 2010) Preston knows no strangers… just future friends. Truly generous and philanthropic, he chooses people over projects. If he had three shoes, he would probably give you two and then invite you over for dinner. He connects with people of all classes, races, and walks of life without a thought of judgment. Becoming the lowest common denominator in any group, he takes a one down approach so that everyone can contribute and feels included. He reaches out a hand to anyone who will take it in genuine compassion and care. One of the smartest...
Read Morefaith is not intended to free us from our struggles but rather to teach us how to struggle well.
It's happening... life is changing. I just walked Natalie to the door and said goodbye. She was the last of 36 roommates I've had (36... yes you read correctly... that's a whole other set of stories) and I turned around to the empty apartment and reality hit... Almost 4 years ago I arrived in San Francisco on my own. I had no idea what or who awaited me here, I just knew I had to come. When I cried out what I was to do next, God had whispered "San Francisco" on a beach in Thailand. So for no other...
Read MoreFor the last few year, I've tried to celebrate the beginning of a new year with a new adventure... 2008: ran across the golden gate bridge (san francisco) 2009: biked up tiburon hills (berkeley) 2010: hiked to the top of mt. diablo (walnut creek) This year, I wanted to spend the first day in 2011 on either the water or in the snow. Since Preston can throw a frisbee into the ocean from his apartment, we opted for the sea and spent the first day of the new year on a boat to Catalina Island. Kind of like a merge of Italy and Hawai'i...
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Processing on Cloud 9
I'm engaged... I--a-m--e-n-g-a-g-e-d. It must still be sinking in as I've found myself mentally living in another world since Saturday. I week ago while celebrating my birthday in Santa Fe, Preston asked me to live the rest of life with him as his wife and best friend. I said YES! without a moment of hesitation and haven't stopped staring at my finger since. (I've also missed my BART stop by 5 stops and spent 20 min wandering around the parking lot looking for my parked car.) The beautiful photos taken by Austin HERE, capture all my excitement and joy of the...
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