good stuff!

I have a shop here:
http://blackbird72.etsy.com

So, I'm asking you as a fellow creative kindred people, to help me to reach out and ask others to sponsor, donate and or have people in my area to walk with me in the MS Walk 2008 at the Rose Bowl on April 6th, 2008. It's not a race, it's a 5K(3 mile) walk, if I can do it, so can others ;) This event is family friendly with food at the finish line.

I refuse to let it get the best of me, my life or those I love! grrrrr! LOLOLOL

I have set aside certain pieces in my shoppe where a portion of the sales will go directly towards my team goal of $5,000.
http://www.etsy.com/shop.php?user_id=5428689&section_id=5282940

I submitted an article to my best friend, Vanessa Holt, the Managing Editor of The Bordentown Register News in New Jersey(my hometown), and she published it.

To view it go to the link:
http://www.pacpub.com/articles/2008/02/20/the_register_news/your_views/doc47b45df048d3e075241717.txt

I volunteered my services last year to help in photographing the event, yes, i walked AND shot pictures!
http://www.deirdreryan.com/portfolios/Pages/ms_walk_2007.html
Happily I will be doing the same again this year:)

So please, I need help, for donations, team members, anything, nothing is too small or large :D

Help this Blackbird to fly!

i have so much to think about today.

i recently got some sad news mixed in with positive news from a good friend. in her case it's hard to be positive, yet she is doing just that. when she reads this blog, she will know that i find her a true inspiration :)

today, i sold 2 sets of postcards for my ms walk fundraising. a portion of the sales from the ms walk section of my shop will go towards it.

i'm exhausted, yet i feel like i accomplished a lot. yesterday i decided that i will finally do weddings. people have told me for years that i should, good money and that i would be very good at it.

so i revamped my site(again) and added a wedding section(with prices), added maternity photos from a session, and raised my portrait session fees.

i still don't have a new printer, yet tomorrow i meet with the tax lady, so i'm being positive :D

tonight is a full lunar eclipse, it's hard to see from where we live as its pretty cloudy, but from what i can see, it's just gorgeous :D

this makes me happy and it will make you happy too!



Peace and Many Blessings!

For The Love Of Oscar!

FOR THE LOVE OF OSCAR! A CCCOE STREET TEAM CONTEST!
A PROMOTIONAL EVENT WITH AN OPPORTUNITY TO WIN PRIZES VALUED AT OVER
$300 EACH!!

California is the home of the Oscars, and what better way to get into
the spirit of this prestigious event than to indulge in some of the
finer things in life? The California Crafters Club of Etsy (CCCOE) is
a group of artists based in California that all have shops on the
Etsy.com website. What is Etsy? Etsy is a place to buy and sell ALL
things handmade, directly from the artists themselves.

The purpose of this promotion is to expose people to the amazing
talent that the Golden State has to offer. We are having a HUGE sale
that runs from February 10th-24th. By making a purchase of a sale
item you are automatically entered into our PRIZE drawings for two
swag bags of items that are valued over $300 each and growing!!
Prizes are
still being added to the SWAG bags on a daily basis!

Each purchase gets you another entry for the grand prize and there are
only TWO winners, so shop to your heart's content! Only purchases
of "FOR THE LOVE OF OSCAR" sale items qualify. Winners will be
notified Monday February 25th.

The Scoop:

When - February 10-24
Where - http://tinyurl.com/2smj6u - this
link will take you to the
items that are on SALE!
For more information and to see the PRIZES go to
http://www.californiacraftersclubofEtsy.blogspot.com

a lot going on here

as you can see by my other blog. but in case you didn't here's a recap:

my large printer is busted. i need to get the printer head replaced, a.k.a get a new printer. it sucks and there's nothing that i can do about it, but generate more sales to my etsy store
http://blackbird72.etsy.com
and sell what i have already. i really need to sell my larger framed pieces. at $200 a pop, even with a portion going towards the MS Walk, i will be able to afford a new printer.

so i'm doing what i can not to get too run down about it. in the meantime, i can have stuff printed at a lab, but not quite the way i prefer.

i have some film that i need to use up, so i've been shooting with my film cameras a bit. also been going through old negs and scanning them.

here are some samples of my newest stuff:

below are from my holga film camera, happy accidents i call them when i get continuous double exposures :D




i have some props to use as a photo project idea, just need to find time to do it without jayden needing my attention ;)

dave and i have been working with a client named frank. i just designed his business card, set him up with a website domain and host. used a template from godaddy.com to get him on the right track so that he can add/delete from home. dave's been working on his reel to add to the site as well.

speaking of dave, he's working hard as usual, keeping an eye open for better gigs. the film he's been cutting is so almost done we can all taste it!

i added new stuff to my site:
http://www.deirdreryan.com
but here is a taste of my most recent photo shoot:



ok, thats it for now :D

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

i've been posting on my new blog:
http://positivethinkingeveryday.blogspot.com/

sure i can still rant and bitch, it's our God Given Right as humans.

BUT

this is supposed to be my year....year of the rat. so while my daughter calmly drags a heavy wooden chair with her seat in it to her play area in the hall(yeah shes supa strong, like bull!), i've also been networking like a mad woman for my business.

holidays were great, but i really miss home and the east coast. keegan's got the right idea! i miss my parents and i have come to realize that i need to be home closer to family and friends that will be able to help me out more. my fatigue is getting worse, although i have some good days.

i am doing my very best to get work done here, but frankly, i need daily help. my family has found me help twice a week at their expense for a cleaning lady who is a SAINT! i am dog dead tired before noon and my strength isn't what it was last year.

tomorrow i have a shoot(for free, yet again) but its in the spirit of paying it forward. a group pf photographers and i are spreading good karma in the hopes of making this a very good year.

so if you want to see how i really am, check out my other blog:
http://positivethinkingeveryday.blogspot.com/

ok, more funny shit fo yo will be arriving shortly ;)

dad sells son's xmas gift on ebay after catching him smoking pot!

here is the listing c/p in case it ends without you getting a chance to check it out:
http://cgi.ebay.com/Guitar-Hero-III-3-Legends-of-Rock-Wii-NEW-WITH-RECEIPT_W0QQitemZ200181539427QQihZ010QQcategoryZ62053QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem#ebayphotohosting

BRAND NEW Guitar Hero III Legends of Rock for the Nintendo Wii Game System

In Box Never Opened, just bought it a few days ago I will give you the receipt (shown in picture)!

Here’s the deal:


So I spent who knows how many hours of my life trying to get “Guitar Hero 3” for the Nintendo Wii for my 15 year old son who has been begging for it since he was born (well not really but he’s wanted it for awhile). So after waiting in lines and going into every game store in the city over the last 2 weeks (practically being laughed at when I asked for guitar hero 3) I finally got lucky and got one at EB Games (they just got a shipment of them 25 minutes before I walked in!).

So I was so relieved in that I had finally got the Holy Grail of Xmas presents pretty much just in the nick of time. I couldn’t wait to spread the jubilance to my son.

Then, yesterday, I came home from work early and what to I find? My innocent little boy smoking pot in the backyard with 2 of his delinquent friends.

Now I know santa applies the “naughty or nice” paradigm to determine who gets what on Christmas. My son (Isaac) hasn’t exactly been Mother Teresa this year (he got suspended for fighting in the spring, among other things) but I thought I could still justify getting him this present. Maybe it would make him stay home more and “rock out” on this fake guitar thing. He pretty much spends all his free time at his friend’s house playing it anyways (while high on marijuana, I would imagine).

Anyways, I am now finding it hard to justify rewarding him with this gift after he so greatly disappointed me. I know smoking a joint isn’t the end of the world, but if you can convince me that he deserves the gift, then I will end the auction. You will have to be very convincing. I am an elementary school teacher and I know that rewarding bad behavior is just asking for more of the same…

After I caught him getting high on my patio I did the typical yelling, screaming, kicking out the friends, etc… but I had not decided on a suitable way to punish him. As of the time of me writing this, he does not know I got him Guitar Hero 3. I will show him the auction once it is posted and we can watch it finish together. Sort of a “Father-Son bonding experience”. While I doubt this will keep him from ever smoking pot again, I think it will make him think twice before doing illegal (well I think pot is still illegal in Canada) drugs on my property.

I am still considering getting him a game for his Nintendo. Maybe something like Barbie as the Island Princess or Dancing With the Stars. These games are in stock everywhere I go, and I know he will just love them.

Merry Xmas Isaac. I hope you’ve learned your lesson. –Father.


BRILLIANT!

Created a New Positive Thinking Blog

http://positivethinkingeveryday.blogspot.com

Pushing On For The Holidays!

Repost from one of my many networking sites:

Hi everyone!

I'm a photographer here in downtown Los Angeles and I offer on site portrait sessions. I can bring my studio lights or we can work with natural lighting.

http://www.deirdreryan.com

My session fees are low, but that will not last. Take advantage now :)

Portrait Referral Program
If you refer someone, you will receive one 8x10 OR two 5x7 prints free at the completion of their order. Your free print(s) can be used to receive additional print from your past session or you can use them toward your next session.

There is no limit to how many free prints you can receive. This is just my way of saying thank you for giving me the honor to photograph you and/or family.

I also offer wallets, square and large format prints, gallery wrapped canvas, custom holiday photo cards, and photo gifts. All prints are offered in a luster or glossy finish.

I have set up an online proofing and purchasing site:
http://deirdreryanphotography.PhotoReflect.com

Here you can view your proofs, order what you like, and you can also order gift certificates. Your order comes directly to you from the lab, no need to go out and pick anything up!

Among my other services, I also do product photography, perfect for those that want to focus more on their passion and just don't have the time to shoot their own products. Let me do it for you and your products will look great for your website or print campaign!

Do you have a family heirloom photo that you would like to have saved? I offer digital restoration as well. These make timeless gifts!

I also have an Esty shop:
http://blackbird72.etsy.com
Purchase a framed piece and a portion will be donated to the 2008 MS Walk :D

Contact me at deirdrer@deirdreryan.com and set up your appt now to get your photo session and holiday cards and gifts out on time.

Thank you for checking me out and if there is anything you want and do not see, contact me and lets work together and get creative!

give the love to john stone now....

i saw this post on myspace from john:

"It’s a long story, but now it’s finally over.

Rest in peace mom. You'll never know how much you'll be missed. I love you, and will always miss you.

Theresa Joan Brooks 1953-2007

A great woman, with massive potential, too bad she never saw it in time.
Live through your heart, and only your heart, or you will miss the point."