Summertime and the livin’ is easy. Ah July, where did you go?

“The serene philosophy of the pink rose is steadying.  Its fragrant, delicate petals open fully and are ready to fall, without regret or disillusion, after only a day in the sun.  It is so every summer.  One can almost hear their pink, fragrant murmur as they settle down upon the grass: ‘Summer, summer, it will always be summer.'”
–  Rachel Peden

July was FULL. Full of fun, and travel, and special projects, and family, and client sessions, and oh so full. July, you fill my heart. I can’t believe I’ve completed another month of my 365 Project. I  attribute my success to not thinking too much about it. That might sound weird, but when I started this journey I promised myself that I wouldn’t let it stress me out. I have some sort of camera with me at all times, even if it’s just my phone. And truth be told, some of my favorite images from the last 214 days have been taken with my phone.  One evening a few weeks ago, Cap’n Tony and I were out to dinner celebrating his upgrade to Captain (woot! so proud of him!) and as we left the restaurant, we could see a glorious sunset happening just a few blocks away at the beach. We rushed over to catch the last of it and I was so disappointed that I didn’t have my camera with me. So I did what I had to and used my phone. Darn it if that’s not one of the most beautiful sunset pictures I have taken. I dare you to guess which one it was?

And then there was #OperationLoveLola, the special project I did for Beauty Revived’s campaign for America’s 50 Most Beautiful Children. I’m still flying high from my day with Lola. The magazine is coming out on August 10th and I can’t wait. I promised not to share Lola’s entire session until after the publication comes out, but I cannot wait to share Lola’s images and her story with you. She is one amazing little girl and she has tucked herself into my heart forever.

AND….my 365 Project has inspired me to lead a 30 Day Photo challenge called Summer Twilight starting August 7th. I will lead a group through taking a photo each day and then creating a beautiful heirloom photo book with all the pictures at the end of the 30 days. We already have a group of about 35 people from all over the globe….Paris, Norway, New Zealand, Australia, and of course the U.S. I was inspired to do this by our increasing loss of printed memories. We are the most photographed generation in history, yet the one with the fewest printed photographs. We take photos daily and end up deleting many of them when our phones tell us the memory is full. It’s become my mission to help people to stop deleting their memories! I’d love to have you join us. The challenge starts on August 7th, so you still have time! Did I mention it’s totally free? It also includes a private Facebook community where you’ll be able to interact with the others in the challenge and have full access to ask me any questions along the way. Click here to sign up!

OK! Enough rambling. Here are my Project365 July images!

“Summer is the time when one sheds one’s tensions with one’s clothes, and the right kind of day is jeweled balm for the battered spirit. A few of those days and you can become drunk with the belief that all’s right with the world.”
–  Ada Louise Huxtable

Happiness often sneaks in through a door you didn’t know you left open.
John Barrymore

Two peas in a pod. Congrats Cap’n Tony, my love.

Happy Birthday, America!
Land of the free, home of the brave.

Smoothies, flowers, and Tasty Salted Pig parts, oh my!

Heart of my hearts…Operation Love Lola.

Beans and Biscotti from my favorite Italian market, Mazzarro’s.

Summertime and the livin’ is easy.

Views of summer. Smoke from a Yosemite forest fire filters the afternoon sun.

Siesta Key sunset. My happy place.

Summertime work station.

A few of my favorite things.

Thank you for joining me on this journey, friends. I hope you’ll play along with Summer Twilight: 30 Day End of Summer photo challenge! Click here to sign up!

“That beautiful season the Summer!
Filled was the air with a dreamy and magical light;
And the landscape
Lay as if new created in all the freshness of childhood.”
–  Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

be joyful,

michaela

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