Inspiration from the boxes

Hello to my new followers and thanks to everybody who came and commented during the Blogging A to Z April Challenge! Sorry I was not very present - I'm hoping to get back to everyone in June. I will be taking the rest of the month of May off as we are in the middle of a complicated international move with several stages ;) Please check out the archives and enjoy! Have a great spring!

Inspiration from Zombies

This month, I'm participating in the Blogging A to Z April Challenge. My theme all month has been Things That Inspire Me.

Since today is Z and therefore the end, I'm making this an anti-inspiration. Zombies. Zombies do not inspire me.

My hubby showed me a "non-scary" zombie movie a couple weeks ago. He covered my eyes at the end, saying, "Wow. I did not remember this. Oh, it ends like that? Huh." Yeah.

I think I've got the basics of zombie survival down, though. Run. Work on the cardio. If anything unliving comes at you, kill it. And double-tap, 'cause it ain't dead the first time. Don't turn on any lights. Don't go anywhere alone. If you go in a building and there's any creepy music or shadows or you just get a weird feeling, leave. Oh, and from what I've seen, if you can last either the night, or the next 28 days, all the zombies will die and you'll be fine.


So maybe even zombies have a spark of inspiration. Still not ready for hubby's next installment...

Inspiration from Yellow

This month, I'm participating in the Blogging A to Z April Challenge. My theme is Things That Inspire Me.


My frequently inspired by kids' movies. I love Despicable Me. I love the anti-hero character of Gru and the ballerina/grunge/big sister characters of the girls and, of course, I love the yellow minions.

Banana break.

Anywho, toward the end of March, in France, all the kiddos dress up for carnival. This is the first year that we've thought about doing it, so the week before, I scrambled to get some costumes together.I searched the house for yellow. Gotta have yellow for my lil minions. I finally found a pillowcase that had a wide yellow edge. So I made bandana thingies with pip cleaner hair and toilet paper goggles.

I hope I can use this story in a book some day. Yellow is such an inspiring color.

Inspiration from That Special X Factor

This month I'm participating in the Blogging A to Z April Challenge. My theme is Things That Inspire Me.

Ok, I admit that I had to be inventive to come up with this subject for this letter. So stay with me. If you like, you may quote the Dread Pirate Roberts and say, "Truly, you have a dizzying intellect."

There's a film from the 1950's with Lauren Bacall and June Allyson, called Woman's World. It's charming as all get out, about three men and their wives competing for a corporate position. During it, one of the men talks about that special something that sets people apart, which he called the X factor. You're not sure why or what it is, but you know when someone's got it.

That X factor of something extra special is what I see in French photographer Jeoffrey Guillemard's photos of Central America. I love the focus of black and whites, the detail and emotion that he highlights. How often do we pass by things without looking AT them? I find art that makes me pause highly inspirational.

I met Jeoff during an evening at his brother's. He told me the story behind my favorite photograph, which taken in Cuba. He was posed for a photo of an old wall with the faces of three men painted on it. I believe it was a political ad. Just then, an old 1950s car passed in front of him. He clicked. You see three-quarters of the car, the shadows of three men inside, the three faces on the wall behind and, through the window, three more tiny faces on the wall. The rule of three reigns in a captured, unplanned moment. 

It's that unknown special something. One could say, "what is it a photo of?" Um, well, part of a car and a wall, with like this graffiti, and it's, well, cool and there's these buildings in the background...

Jeoff graciously allowed me to post it so ya'll can enjoy "Los 3 hermanos" from Cuba in October 2010.

There's a series of photos he did at a wedding that are brilliant as well - full of those quiet moments held motionless in art. He has other galleries in color on a wide variety of subjects, frequently political or social. His photos on Jingoo are here. You can find him on Facebook here.

Inspiration from World Change

This month, I'm participating in the Blogging A to Z April Challenge. My theme is Things That Inspire Me.

On a friend's facebook page, I see this picture of a sunrise with the words, "Just because you have a bad day, doesn't mean you have a bad life." Food for thought.

I tend to be a bit of a complainer. If it hurts, I yell, OW! It's good for me to lift my head a little bit and see just how good my life is, especially when I look around the world at how other girls are treated, how other women are living.

That quote picture came from http://www.sevenly.org/. They organize campaigns for causes around the world, donating money for your purchase of T-shirts and such. There's a new cause each week. Donations for the week I wrote this (end of March) go to help little girls in India who are the victims of gendercide. Sevenly says Every Person Matters.

Next time you need a new T-shirt, or a gift for someone, be inspired to change the world at the same time and check out Sevenly's cause for the week.

Inspiration from Veronica Roth

This month, I'm participating in the Blogging A to Z April Challenge. My theme is Things That Inspire Me.

Today it's author Veronica Roth and her book "Divergent". It was such a thrill, such a wild dystopian ride - I loved it. In an odd twist, it kinda inspired me to think about possibly getting a tattoo. Yes, I wrote that phrase intentionally to say I haven't but I could maybe think about it.
I haven't yet read her second book "Insurgent." It could be dangerous. What might it inspire me to consider eventually thinking about?! And there's going to be a movie? Choose carefully what you read, my friends. You might turn Dauntless.

Inspiration from Being Uncomfortable

This month I'm participating in the Blogging A to Z April Challenge. My theme is Things That Inspire Me.

While staying at my parents-in-laws' house, I saw a book by a familiar author, Paulo Coehlo. I didn't recognize the title, The Witch of Portobello, but since I enjoyed the Alchemist by him and the title intrigued me, I asked to borrow it. Besides, it was in French so it kind of counted as delicious fiction homework.

I'll say right out that I didn't particularly like the book. It was too New Age-y for me, I didn't care for the ending or many of the ideas put forth. And it was really long for not much story, in my opinion.

So why is it in Things That Inspire Me? Because it did indeed inspire me. The main character, Athena, searches for meaning throughout her life, finding many mentors and many methods. What I brought away from it, is that when we do uncomfortable things, things out of our zone, that's when change and growth are possible. It is when we are out of our element, that we can connect with a part of ourselves that we didn't know we had.

Now I being sweaty, or uncomfortable or looking like an idiot. That's why I watched my big sister so carefully to see how she did stuff (thanks sis!) I don't generally put myself in a situation I can't handle. Realizing how fulfilling it can be, how good it can feel, is a new idea for me. I'm testing it, however.

Have you recently done something that tested you, that put you outside your comfort zone?

Inspiration from Tunes

This month, I'm participating in the Blogging A to Z April Challenge. My theme is Thing That Inspire Me.

Growing up, my dad said that Saturday was a work day. He'd start working on a household project for a few minutes, then he'd say, "I need some tunes!"

"Who do you want?" As if we didn't already know the answer.

"I needs some Frank!" Of course, Frank Sinatra.

If he's paying bills, we'd generally put on Hilary Hahn's Bach CD. Violin music. Hey, whatever tunes get ya in the mood.

At the top of my tunes list, is Michael Bublé. I love dat man. He's the only guy my hubby should be jealous of. I seriously considered marrying Michael - he just hasn't met me yet ;)

What's your musical inspiration? What tunes do you put on?

Here's a special delicious Michael treat for you...