Focusing on Life - Week 1 - Self Portrait

 
Sally Russick over at the Studio Sublime offered up something that sounded like a wonderful way to get in touch with myself and my surroundings this year and become a bit more 'aware'. Not to mention, help me with editing some photos on a regular basis.


  
She's hosting a photo challenge entitled "Focusing on Life - 52 Photos" and each week she's sending us a 'prompt' of what to focus on and capture in a photo.
 
Our interpretation can be literal, figurative,...whatever we see fit for our word that week.  I think it might turn out to be a self-guided tour of my inner most 'me'.  I hope you'll join along and have some fun with with us!
 
 
Focus on Life - Week 1 - Self Portrait




 
This is me.  I twirl.  I'm a twirl-a-holic.
 
 
I twirl when I'm tired, when I'm thinking, when I'm happy, when I'm worried, when I'm excited, when I'm bored, anxious, upset, calm, contemplating, sick, sad, content, inspired, creating (yes, somehow I find a way to twirl even when I create jewelry believe it or not!), watching movies, playing games, listening to music, driving (It's almost as bad as texting, I know!), when I'm waiting in line, cleaning house, figuring things out, grocery shopping, talking on the phone and even when I sleep (yep, had my fingers tied up so tight in a knot in my bangs one morning I thought I was going to have to cut them out of my hair!).

  

 
 I'm sure if a psychologist/psychiatrist got a hold of this one they'd have a field day and haul me off to the nut house.
But this is me,...I twirl!  And I like it! 

  
I can actually twirl my hair with both hands at the same time while tying knots in my hair,....but that's probably another post!

 
 
 
Thanks to my niece Misha for snapping these pics last night while we were at here Mama's house celebrating her upcoming birthday  (hope that isn't cheating - but I would have never been able to get a pic of myself being my true twirling self!).  She perfectly captured the moments of me worrying how I was going to get home given the fact that the freeway was shut down back up to Phoenix and the detour route through the Indian Reservation was also shut down (due to another accident )and both were expected to stay that way until very late. All the while I was playing with her kiddos, talking with her and enjoying cake and ice cream and twirling! 



 
Thanks also to my nephew who let me follow him back up to the Valley via Maricopa (a route I had never been before) while I twirled with anx and frustration as the semi-driver behind me had his headlights up my ass,......

Until Next Time,

Peace, Love and Happy Twirls!!

Cheers,
~Shel~

*P.S. - Special thanks to all the girls over on the Flickr group who told me how to get my pics uploaded here on my blog via html,...since blogger's being a stinker!!
I sooooo appreciate all your help!!

42 comments:

  1. Happy New Year Michelle! It has been a long time since I visited, hope your holidays were wonderful. Happy Twirling through the New Year! Looking forward to more pics...

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    1. Regina - I'm so glad you stopped by! I miss seeing your comments! I need to get off my butt and over to your blog too - nice to connect w/you again. Have a wonderful New Year!!

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  2. Hahaha :-) This is SO cute :)
    And glad you got home safe and sound!

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  3. Blogger ate my reading list for an entire week..., so it's doing different things to different people! Wouldn't want life to get too boring! And yes getting someone else to take the picture is cheating, but I won't tell! Love the pictures! What did you use to do the collage

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    1. I feel bad for cheating, but I figured a self-portrait was a 'portrait of self' in any form! (That's my story and I'm sticking to it!) and, after my niece emailed me the pics, I just edited them in picmonkey real quick and did the collage in black and white on picmonkey, too.

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  4. Love these pics because they show who you are! I twirl too and it is great to have long hair again to do it. Glad you made it home alright! Can't wait to see your photos the rest of the year!

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  5. I love it! Twirling is ok... just don't let it slide to pulling on hair... I knew someone who did that once...let's just say she slowly thinned out her own hair!! Love the pic monkey collage... love pic monkey, I used it to make my polaroid shot, too. See you next week,
    jenni

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    1. Oh Jenni, I'm not only a twirling fool, but a twirl and then tug at my hair fool!! I'm thinning,...thanks to age and sadly, my twirling habits!

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  6. You little twirler you, I had no idea lol!! I'm glad you mentioned flickr, I totally forgot to go over there and load the pic/s.

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    1. I almost forgot too, but when I couldn't load my pics earlier today, it made me think of it!

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  7. I love the hair twirling! The photos are awesome.

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  8. Cool shot into yourself, Shell. It's your comfort zone . . . love it!!!

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    1. It's very much my comfort zone and I truly do love it!

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  9. too funny! my daughter was a twirler when she was little ... she has natural curls (from my husband) and she twirled it into dreadlocks - literally! I had to cut it short enough that she couldn't get it around those little fingers of hers -ha! Great view into you Shel! LOVE it!

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    1. Oh,...you cut her hair so she couldn't twirl? (huge gasp from me!!) I'd have with-drawals,...and have because of that same thing! My hands don't know what to do and my brain doesn't function unless I "wind it up"!!! LOL!!

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  10. The photos are fabulous, but more than that, you are fabulous for letting us know this about you in such a fun way! I think every time I see a comment from you, I'll be wondering if you're twirling!

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    1. Of course I'm twirling when I read,...did I leave that off the list? Always when I'm reading,...always! (Even reading blogs and surfing Pinterest!)

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    1. Yes, well any self portait of me would be incomplete w/out the hair twirling,....

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  12. Well Hello fellow twirler!! :-) Yes, twirling is much nicer than shouting at idiot drivers,...especially w/kids in the back of the car!

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  13. Fun! Especially love the photo with the Christmas lights in the background. Sounds like you're quite the multi-tasker, too. You can link up to this post on Sally's blog.

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    1. My sis still had her tree up while her grand-babie were there and it made a nice back drop indeed. Are my links to Sally's blog up in the start of my post not working, or is it the link I have w/these photos on Sally's blog that's not working??

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  14. I too, I twirl. More often though I sweep and tuck hair behind my ear. I love that you captured this part of yourself. Something could easily never be known to those of us across the internet... not seeing you in motion

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    1. Yes,..with the exception of having posting the statement that I twirl on my 'Shel' page here on my blog,...people who've never met me would have never known!

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  15. twirler...do you have a baton and sparkle suit too? Love the shot...I really think you should attempt a photo yourself and post the result! LOL !

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    1. I so need a baton and sparkle suit, don't I? I tried to capture a pic, but it always came out blurry and didn't get the twirl part, or my hand,...or just got the side of my head w/no hair in my hand,...it was a lot harder than I thought It'd be, so I enlisted help,....

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  16. This! Is! Awesome!!! I love how you so perfectly incorporated such a huge part of who you are in your self portrait! Fantastic! =)

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  17. Love your self portraits-really clever and fun!

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  18. I love these shots and hearing the story behind them. My hair is thinner now and everytime I would try to twirl, my fingers would get stuck and I had to pull them out sideways. You have elevated it to an art! :)

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    1. Oh Laura,...the elevation I've accomplished is quite funny actually!!

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  19. I love your words and your twirls! My son used to do just that, all the time. I loved it. I especially love the shot with the tree in the background!

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  20. I love your shots and sharing a bit of yourself, looking forward to our journey this year!!

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  21. My older son does this as well and ends up with a huge cowlick at the front of his head! Very cute idea!

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  22. Seriously cute twirling shots! How imaginative and I like how you have captured one of your habits, a part of your personality!

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  23. I love, love, love your twirling photos! They came out well and bring a smile to my face. :)

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Thanks for sharing what you have to say - I love hearing your comments!