Ode to a Dandelion

What's this thing we have with dandelions?

Wish II - Nature Photography by Beach Bum Chix

We try to eliminate them as weed ...

Wish I - Flower Photography by Beach Bum Chix

Pluck them as flower ...

Wish III -Macro Photography by Beach Bum Chix

And wish on them as seed ...

Hoping that as they escape our fickle attentions they carry our dreams on their gossamery shoulders, gently drifting to some fertile ground to begin the process again.

That moment when you blow a dandelion into the breeze and watch it peacefully release from its moorings with complete, weightless freedom ...  deserving of greater appreciation, right?

The answer, my friend, is blowing in the wind.

I know ... I couldn't resist.

Breezy Beach Photography

Breezy Beach Photography by Beach Bum Chix

Delray Beach is such a fun place to hang out. It's just 10 minutes south of my hometown. The beach itself is a very wide swath of fine white sand. Cute little beach-y bungalows line the coast.

Everything you need for a full day at the ocean is there ... live music, great food, cold beer, sailboats for rent ... not necessarily in that order.


This image was shot as we road our bikes up the bike path along A1A and stopped to enjoy the balmy breezes, ocean view, and beautiful puffy white clouds gently floating by ... such a gorgeous day!

You can escape to this place ... bring salty aired serenity home, frame it, and hang it on the wall where you can drift away on a tropical trade wind any time you have the time!


We offer this in the Beach Bum Chix shop as an 8" x 10" photo print, but it can be special ordered in just about any size and now we're offering our photography printed on canvas.


If you have any questions, just ask ... I'm always happy to help.  Remember to leave a comment ... I'd love to hear your thoughts.

Are You an Open Book?

Open Book

Let our lives be open books for all to study.

- Mahatma Gandhi

Gash or Gold?

Exhaust the little moment ...

Grazing

Soon it dies...

Golden

Be it gash or gold...

Thinking

It will not come again...

Kissing the Lens

In this identical disguise.

- Gwendolyn Brooks


Wishing you lots of exhausted moments this weekend!


p.s.  Love to hear what you think about this new series of horse photography I just added to the Beach Bum Chix shop ... or anything else you'd like to chat about ... leave a comment below.

Wise Words from a Wise Woman

Horse Photography - Beach Bum Chix

Above all,
be the heroine of your life,
not the victim.

~ Nora Ephron

Paradise Framed

Paradise - Beach Photography

Really ... does it get any better than this?

Calm turquoise water of the south Florida Atlantic Ocean, coconut palms swaying gently on a salty breeze, you reclining in a beach chair, your face shielded from the sun under a wide brimmed straw hat, toes in the sand...

This place really does exist ... I promise ... and this photograph proves it! It's my favorite spot again ... Oceanfront Park in Boynton Beach. Taken on a typical day in paradise.

I know normal daily life is comprised of other things, but you CAN bring salty aired serenity home, frame it, and hang it on the wall where you can drift away on a tropical trade wind any time you have the time.


Someone said the only thing missing is a frosty drink with an tiny umbrella ... anything else?  Let me know in the comments.

Happy Father's Day

Daddy's Girl

"There will only be a few people
who will have the courage
to love what is untamed inside me.

One of those is my father."


Happy father's day to the man entrusted with the sacred opportunity {ok, sometimes challenging responsibility} of loving the pilgrim soul in his daughter ... and her mom!

xoxo

your beach bum chix

Blog Feature!

Etsy Item of the Day wrote a really nice feature of Beach Bum Chix shop.

I so appreciate the kind words and encouragement and I wanted to {humbly} share it with you.

This is the image she chose as her favorite from the shop ...

Pier 2

That brings me to some important questions I've yet to ask you ...

What's your favorite image from our shop?  Is there something you'd like to see more of - subjects, sizes, sets?  Let me know and I'll make it my mission to find it and provide it!

Looking forward to hearing your suggestions in the comments!

With gratitude ...

Summertime

Summertime | Beach Bum Chix

Summertime is always the best of what might be.

- Charles Bowden

Walk for Miles and for Myself

Beach Rail

"I read ... and walked for miles along the beach,
writing bad blank verse and searching endlessly
for someone wonderful who would
step out of the darkness and change my life.

It never crossed my mind that
that person could be me."

- Anna Quindlan


I hope to do a lot of walking on the beach over the next couple of weeks ... Filling those cracked open places with the "putty" of salty air, beach sand, and ocean water.


"Giving back my heart to itself, to the stranger who has loved me all my life."

- paraphrased from Derek Walcott


What about you?  Any big plans?

Joy Deep As Sorrow

Gracie

I should never have written about peace.

There's a verse from the Bible...I think it's Psalms...that says something like, "Lord, teach me to know joy as deeply as sorrow."

The first time I prayed that verse I thought I had known all the sorrow one single soul should ever have to...that it would be a call to joy...boy was I wrong.

Sorrow comes first.  As Kahlil Gibran said, "The deeper that sorrow carves into your being, the more joy you can contain."  In other words, that empty chasm you think you feel when you're experiencing grief is real.  Your insides are being hollowed out...into a vessel that will eventually contain something else.  If you can suffer nobly, as they say, and wait patiently, joy will come and fill the parts of you that have been carved away.

But, these are just words when you're in the thick of it...when the fist of fate is wringing your heart dry.

Gracie brought me comfort during wretched times, she was a child to me when I was told I would have none and my daughter's other mother when I did, she was a protector, a confidante, she was mine, faithful and true.  I miss her.

Her passing has caused me to reflect on how I spend my precious little time. Not sure I'm pleased with what I've done with it recently. Other people make a living telling us what we must do with each moment if we want to be a success. It's so easy to be drawn into the hype.

Gracie gently reminded me that each moment is, itself, an opportunity for my own version of success...turning my face to the sun, providing rest to a weary body, eating something delicious, really seeing what's right in front of me, spending my precious moments with the ones I love.  And to persist in seeking that version until eventually a sorrow-sculpted vessel is filled with peace, contentment, and joy.

Pull in Your Peaceful Horizon

horizon - ocean photography

Here was peace.

She pulled in her horizon like a great fish net.

Pulled it from around the waist of the world and draped it over her shoulder.  So much of life in its meshes.

She called in her soul to come and see.

- Zora Neale Hurston, Their Eyes Were Watching God


My goal for this weekend is to catch lots of life in my net...to try to pull in my own peaceful horizon.  What about you?  Any plans for slowing down and letting your mind catch up with your body?  Tell me about it in the comments.

p.s. Visit Beach Bum Chix to bring home this peaceful ocean print.

Happy Easter

cross carved into stone at a church

Easter Bells

I think of the garden after the rain;
and hope to my heart comes singing,
At morn the cherry blooms will be white,
And Easter Bells be ringing.

~Edna Jean Proctor


Hope everyone had a very meaningful and happy Easter!

Hidden Walkway to the Beach

beach photography - hidden

On the east side of A1A in Jupiter Beach, Florida there is a sea grape hedge that separates the road from the ocean. This hedge is so high and so thick you can barely see anything. Typically, the town carves the twisted branches that shade each of these walkways, so every path has its own private canopy of luscious green foliage sheltering you on the way down to the beach.

The last time I was there something had changed and the canopy had been removed. The hedge was re-shaped...every path open to the sky ... beautiful blue sky, to be sure, but no longer secret garden-esque.

There is something suspenseful about stepping onto a salt-worn wooden walkway into a darkened, shade-cooled, tropical tunnel, flip flops clipping along, beach bag over your shoulder ... then suddenly the beach reveals itself so explicitly it stuns.

You may have seen it a million times, but somehow the exact experience escapes being recorded on your brain. Our senses are always overwhelmed by the sea ... the smell of the salty air, the water's incomprehensible shade of turquoise, the sound of waves meeting shore ... I'm grateful for its allure.

On this particular day, I was with my sister. Something you should know about my sister and I ... we are non-giver-uppers. All you non-giver-uppers out there know what I'm talkin' 'bout.

We were convinced that the town of Jupiter had left at least one of these hidden walkways. She drove the car slowly north on A1A and we looked up every path. Eventually our persistence was rewarded when we found one, only one, the only one left from dozens. I hopped out, camera in hand while she drove back and forth along A1A waiting for me.

This photograph was taken the moment the sea comes into view and it is for anyone who lives by the ocean and anyone who wants to feel like they do. Anyone who, like us, is just a beach bum doing what you've always done ... enjoying the beauty of the beach and taking a bit of it home.

I love hearing what you have to say ... tell me your story in the comments below.

p.s. Remember to bring salty air'd serenity to your home by visiting the Beach Bum Chix shop. Order this beach home decor now and it will be yours before you can say sunny days and sandy toes!

Catch the Trade Winds in Your Sail

nautical print ~ sail

Twenty years from now
you will be more disappointed by the things you didn't do
than by the ones you did do.

So throw off the bowlines.
Sail away from safe harbor.
Catch the trade winds in your sails.

Explore.
Dream.
Discover.

~ Mark Twain


...wise words. go and do it.

xo

Take Times Square with Beach Bum Chix

So...I need your help...please.

I entered an art and photography competition called Art Takes Times Square.

coconuts ~ one of the images i entered

They're calling it "the most immense exhibition of art in New York City."

There's a cash prize...and I ain't gonna lie to you, that would be a - ma - zing, but the thing that's really exciting is the idea of being one of the artists whose work is chosen to be presented "in brilliant lights on a massive scale in one of the most iconic locations in the world."
Uh, could it get any cooler?!

beach bum chick ~ another entry

As I say in my entry portfolio...I think one of these images of the peaceful, quiet solitude of the beach would create a really interesting juxtaposition to the hectic pace and crowded life of Times Square.

Seriously...and I say this all the time...my goal with Beach Bum Chix is to breathe salty air'd serenity into life.  How could that be better accomplished than by plastering a quiet image of a pelican {above} or a horse on the beach {below} on a giant billboard amidst all the hub and bub of New York City?  A little fish out of water spot to let the eye settle calmly and give the mind freedom to wander to shore.

There's a super cool minute or so video about the contest that is very inspiring...I think you'll really like it.

lazy ~ another entry

Anyway, I need your help to make this happen for Beach Bum Chix...and by you, I mean anyone who has ever read this blog and gotten something from it, anyone who has ever skimmed this blog and somewhat enjoyed it, even anyone who has ever read a title of a post and said, "meh."  You and you and you...I need you all and all I need you to do is this...

Go to the beach bum chix portfolio page to see the nine entries  submitted and click on "collect me" at the top to vote.

...then if you are of the praying persuasion, toss a few words to The Big Guy Upstairs.  You'll really be doing me a big favor and I'll be eternally thankful for your kind thoughtfulness.

With much humble gratitude,

xoxo

p.s.  Let me know you voted in the comments so I can properly thank you!

Bring Salty Air'd Serenity Home with Beach Photography Sets

A question I get asked a lot is...do these photos coordinate?  whether it's subject or color, folks want photo sets that harmonize and balance each other.

Makes perfect sense to me.  After all, the goal with Beach Bum Chix is to breathe salty air'd serenity into a little corner of your life.  So in the spirit of peaceful equilibrium...

beach photo set - beach, boardwalk, ocean waves, seashells, seagull photography

The beach photo set is filled with beach photography from our shop in those coastal colors we all love...the turquoise of the sea and teal ocean waves, the stoney tan neutrals of the shore and shore birds, and the lovely beige, grey, and tangerine of seashells.

And, for those of you who love horses and the beach...

horse photo set - wild horses on outer banks beach

Our horse photo set combines your two favorite things with images of wild horses relaxing on the beach and dunes of the outer banks.  They all blend together in ocean shades of sage and sea foam green, the horses' chestnut fur, and sun bleached tails and manes.  Easy to unwind while staring at these beautiful animals lazily sleeping in the warmth of the sun. 

You can read the story about the horse in the top left image in my previous blog post, Beach Bum, as well as my own story of a special horse, Star.

All of the photos in these sets of four are 4" x 6" and are printed by a professional lab on fuji crystal archive paper in a deep matte finish.  And, right now they are priced at the amazingly low, low price of $15 per set!  Just a joke, but that is actually an incredible price that may go up.

I'm interested in knowing what you think.  Are there any images that you'd like to see grouped together?  Visit Beach Bum Chix, then let me know in the comments.  I'd really appreciate your input!

Peace and xo

Go to the Lighthouse with Wolff

jupiter lighthouse photography

Ever read To The Lighthouse by Virginia Wolff?  Love this exerpt...

"There it was before her - life.  Life: she thought but she did not finish her thought.

She took a look at life, for she had a clear sense of it there, something real, something private, which she shared neither with her children nor her husband.

A sort of transaction went on between them, in which she was on one side, and life was on another, and she was always trying to get the better of it, as it was of her; and sometimes they parlayed (when she sat alone); there were, she remembered, great reconciliation scenes..."

Happy Friday beach bums!

P.S. Remember to visit beach bum chix to purchase this lighthouse photography :)

Bring the Outside In with Garden Photography

in the garden photography ~ ladybug

in the garden photography ~ snail

I'm enamored with all kinds of beautiful springy things right now and just added these two images to the beach bum chix shop.

I love the vintage inspired, shabby chic, woodland animals vibe and was thinking how cute the ladybug would be for a little girl's room and the snail for a little boy's.

Then it occurred to me...

"What are little boys made of?

Snips and snails, and puppy dog tails

That's what little boys are made of!"

"What are little girls made of?

Sugar and spice and everything nice

That's what little girls are made of!"  

The gears may turn slowly, but eventually they turn...

Wishing you sunny days!

Relax with me on a Boardwalk by the Sea

Boardwalk ~ by the sea photography

This is one of those images I recall when I close my eyes and think of the most peaceful places on earth...to me.

Heading down this boardwalk toward the shore I exhale and prepare to let my concerns drift across the salty air and out with the tide. The moment I reach the top of the steps and begin the descent toward the beach, I feel my shoulders relax, my heart rate drop, and that little space between my eyebrows widen.

The ocean always shares her abundance whether in the form of tangible treasures, like shells and sea glass, or spiritual ones, like a peaceful, easy feeling and sudden zen master ability to be present to the moment.

I think that's why we all take the shells away with us...sensory memory.  Sometimes I carry one in my pocket and when I feel the stress of the world intruding, I rub my fingers across its smooth surface and remember the place where the sea meets the sand.

When you need to decompress where does your mind travel? Tell me all about it in the comments.

Enjoy St. Patrick's Day with Yeats

spring flower photography ~ fuji

Tomorrow is St. Patricks Day, "An enchanted time - a day to begin transforming winter's dreams into summer's magic" as Adrienne Cook once said...maybe that's why everyone is Irish on March 17th.

In honor of the day dedicated to the wearing o' the green, I offer one of my favorite poems and poets...When You Are Old by Yeats.

When you are old and grey and full of sleep,
And nodding by the fire, take down this book,
And slowly read, and dream of the soft look
Your eyes had once, and of their shadows deep;

How many loved your moments of glad grace
And loved your beauty with love false or true,
But one man loved the pilgrim soul in you,
And loved the sorrows of your changing face.

My favorite line is, "But one man loved the pilgrim soul in you"...isn't that what we're all looking for...a witness to and appreciator of our individual pilgrim soul.

I'd really love to hear your thoughts in the comments.  But if you're too busy medicating your spring fever with some kind of healing tonic, I'll completely understand and be wishing you moments filled with glad grace.

Slainte!

Live Well

march photo a day ~ a sign

Still participating in march photo a day challenge.  It's a lot of fun and provides a daily dose of thoughtful creativity during times when the agenda is more about minutia than inspiration.

How's it going for you?  Let me know in the comments.

Live well today and always.

Make Your Coastal Cottage Blossom

shabby coastal cottage photography ~ blossom

Love the shabby chic look...really.  And I love it even more when combined with the laid back, relaxed vibe of a coastal cottage...lots of white with pops of color...shabby coastal cottage decor.

That's the kind of home/room/nook {whatever space you can carve out as your own} I have in mind when photographing places and things.  Makes sense now, right?  A bright image of coconuts or palms trees against a cornflower blue sky in a white or neutral home, room, bookshelf, desk...work what ya got, claim that space as your own and mark it with something that reflects who you are...yeah!

Everything in the Beach Bum Chix shop is available as a 5" x 5" or 5" x 7" for $15 or under.  There are even a beach postcard or two for $3 and iPhone wallpaper {bogo} for $2.  So you have every reason to treat yourself to something special.

I think this pastel pink spring flower photography is luscious and the vintage-inspired details make it perfect shabby coastal cottage material.  At 5"x7", it will fit whatever size niche you've created for yourself.

I'll be adding more images like this over the next few days.  Follow me on facebook to stay in the loop and receive your daily dose of salty air'd serenity.

Do you like the shabby coastal cottage look?  Tell me how you use it to decorate in the comments.

Fly to a Secret Sky with Rumi

I've seen a lot of blog posts that take a day of the week and do something special with it, and I like it.

So here's my version ~ Friday photo and quote. Hope you like it...

seagull photography ~ fly

This is love:

to fly toward a secret sky,

to cause a hundred veils to fall each moment.

First to let go of life.

finally, to take a step without feet.

~ Rumi

If you like this combination, check out the quotes and photography section of Beach Bum Chix and share your thoughts in the comments...I love hearing from you.

Happy weekend!

Float to a Perfect Day

pool photography ~ beach bum chix

Imagine...

A cool blue salt-water swimming pool,
a cushy white raft warmed by the sun,
sunglasses and swimsuit donned,
frosty blended drink in hand,nobody but you,
and nothing to do, but perch yourself on the top of that raft and float 'round the pool...
...all day.

Build Memories with a Photo a Day

Have you ever participated in a photo a day challenge?

Maybe you've heard lots about them and what you've heard sounded like lots of work.  I know, for me, the last thing I want to do is turn my love of photography into a creativity-sapping daily dose of drudgery.

However...I've been converted!

Beach Love Under a Palapa

Can you picture this?

beach photography | iPhone wallpaper

You're being lead to your spot on the beach by a very kind gentleman whose job it us to tie that thick terry towel around the back of your chair.

Star - Life with a Horse

When your horse follows you without being asked,
when he rubs his head on your head,
and when you look at him and feel a tingle down your spine...
...you know you are loved.


~ John Lyons

horse photography

A lovely horse is always an experience,
it is an emotional experience of the kind that is spoiled by words.

Shelter Your Beach Bum Dog

Did you know beach bum chix offers dog house plans?  yep, we do.

The Cape Dog House

The Cape Dog House is our first, very popular, set of plans and they give the idea of being in the dog house a whole new meaning!

Created by our resident industrial designer, it's a whimsical twist on traditional style.  

Everybody Loves a Beach Bum

horse photography - beach bum

This original photograph was taken on the beach at currituck in the outer banks, a stunningly beautiful place truly  weathered by sun, sand, and salty air.

Sing Like the Birds Sing

inspirational quote photography - sing

I love the poems of Rumi and am always looking for an opportunity to remind myself of the wisdom of his words.

This photography of seagulls resting on a dock near the beach,

Love Imposes Rhythm on the Ocean Tides

beach photography, inspirational quote art

I took this photo one evening as I walked along the beach.


It's so easy to be at peace watching, and listening to, the ocean waves gently rolling onto shore..isn't it?  Easy to release our white knuckled grip on life's concerns and allow them to be swept up in the coastal current and washed out with the tide.

O, To Be Under a Blue Beach Umbrella

If you're a beach bum, then you'll love this beach photography of one of the regulars along the shore ~ a blue beach umbrella. 

beach photography ~ blue beach umbrella

On this stunning day, the beautiful turquoise water was so clear I could see the sand and shells gently tumbling along the bottom with the warm coastal current.


Between the peaceful sound of the ocean waves gently rolling up onto the sand, the calm horizon of the sea, and the abundant sunshine bathing me in warmth, all I needed was the ideal spot to lay back and relax.

Shabby Coastal Chic Beach Photography

Just added a couple new images to the shabby chic, beach photography section of Beach Bum Chix and I'd love to know what you all think.


First up,  a shabby starfish photo. it's coastal cottage chic and dreamy. Perfect for a beach bum's coastal cottage.

starfish photography