Happy Easter 

:)

It's very tempting to just post one image today:

I've nearly finished off two (yes, I said two) of these little ice cream pints on my own this week. Two. And they were both chocolate. I used to think this was only maybe allowed after a bad break up. Or perhaps after running a marathon. But no, Chad and I didn't break up. And I've barely ran a enough in the last three weeks to even begin burning off the calories I gained from eating the ice cream. It's just been one of those weeks. Or even months for that matter. You know? The kind where you try putting your bra on over your shirt (yes, I did this.) The kind where you have no time to answer any emails and you cry a couple times at the most inappropriate times. The kind where you are so stressed and emotionally tired that your body feels ill. Luckily, my boyfriend bought a hammock recently and established a rule to go with it that I really like: 

"There are no problems allowed in the hammock. Problems don't exist in the hammock."

So, yesterday I laid there and did nothing. Then I laid there again later and read my book. I have to say it was exactly what I needed. And because you have all been amazingly patient with me lately with my lack of picture sharing and all, I'll be nice and share with you more pictures than just a half-eaten carton of ice cream. :)

Here are a few moments from my lately...

Thanks to everyone who left a comment or sent a beautifully sweet email after my last blog post. You are each so dear to my heart and such a vital part to my creativity and motivation.

xoxo

tangled.

On several occasions lately I have laid down with my eyes closed and very deliberately tried to clear my mind. It sounds simple right? I start breathing with the back of my throat like I do in yoga. It's like trying to fog up a window with your mouth closed. I tell myself, "Hailey, just listen to your breath. Just think of nothing but the inhalation and exhalation. Pay attention to nothing but the rise and fall of your chest and the way each muscle begins to relax and melt into a puddle of stillness." But of course upon the first exhale my thoughts wander....

"I should probably get Daphnie to the vet soon to check that bump on her face. She also needs a bath. Yeah but that's so much work and it makes my back hurt every time. And it's raining this week and she'll just get dirty again anyway. What's up with this weather lately? I miss Oklahoma thunderstorms this time of year. But Durango summers are so much cooler. I can't wait to float the river soon. We only floated once last year and the tubes were so uncomfortable. We'll probably use them again though because they were cheap. .........Oh yeah. Breath..... ........inhaaaaaaale........exhaaaale........it's so hard to keep this breathing up while I'm in yoga. I'm gonna miss my yoga teacher while she's away this month. It's a good excuse for me to start doing it at home again. That was, after all, on my new years resolution list. Holy cow it's already April!? I need to pull out that list and see how good I'm doing. But when am I going to have time to do those things? I just started a part time job and I need desperately to work on SEO for my web presence. I feel like my photography has become like a neglected child. Gosh this makes me sad. Angry. I'm exhausted. Oh yeah.....I'm forgetting to breath...."

Welcome to my mind.

I once spent almost an entire yoga class thinking about how to make a slipcover for my ugly couch. Pathetic and highly unimportant. And this is truly only a tiny example of what it's really like. I haven't blogged in over two weeks. Part of that is because I was out of town on a camping trip and I started a new side job. The other part of that is because I haven't been using my camera. And worst of all?? I don't feel anything when I do. I don't feel inspired. I feel unbalanced and overwhelmed. I feel pressure to be great, to create, and to inspire.

So why am I telling you this? Because I feel like being honest and real with my fans and my clients. People have been emailing me, friends and strangers alike, asking me if I'm ok. They haven't seen my usual Sunday blog and really miss it. They "look forward to it" every week. I wanted to thank each of you. Each and every one of you who I often forget are silently watching and supporting what I do. I often feel like my life on "Everyday Sunday" comes across as so perfect and charming. And yes, it's charming, but far from perfect. Just like any other writer or artist I too can let my life get out of control and get creative block. And one of the many things that helps is for me to literally not turn on my computer, not pick up my camera, and do something entirely non-photography related. 

So bare with me as I make lists, bake a cake for no reason, spring clean, and take my dog for long walks in silence. Bare with me as I try very hard to clear my tangled mind. Bare with me as I throw myself onto the floor in tiny pieces and slowly pick them up and put myself back together. Bare with me as I collect myself. I promise I'll start creating and blogging soon. And it will be awesome. :)