Friday, April 30, 2010

Bonnet House


Today, Rio and I drove up to Ft. Lauderdale to explore The Bonnet House Museum and gardens.  I decided to just pay to stroll around the grounds because it was such a gorgeous day and skip the house.  What a lovely place... So much lush foliage and there's a lagoon with a little hut.  I was in heaven taking pictures and Rio was a little angel (thanks to that apple I gave her).  She even took a little nap in her stroller at the moment I discovered two beautiful swans in the lagoon.  What gorgeous creatures they are.  We walked around for quite a while and I decided to stop in this shady area so she could walk around and explore.  There was this awesome older lady there who started talking to me and she was just amazed and so happy to hear that I'm always taking my daughter on little adventures.  She said, "Most parents are so busy and don't have time to enjoy their children.  Good for you for staying home with her."  She even asked to shake my hand.  Well, she turned out to be a volunteer tour guide and she told me to follow her.  She snuck me into the house and gave me a private tour and told me the whole history of who had lived there.  Fredric Clay Bartlett a famous artist from Chicago lived there for many years with his third wife and it's so cool how whimsical the house is.  There's an open courtyard in the middle that all the rooms lead out to with carousel animals from the 1800's lining the wall outside.  He painted murals on the walls and ceilings and his art studio was amazing.  I was so happy to meet this lovely lady, she was so sweet to take us around because I would have never gone inside the house if it wasn't for her.  I love it when special people enter my life for just a brief moment.  I will definitely never forget her.

Wednesday, April 28, 2010

Tomorrow's the Big Day!




Tomorrow is my handsome hubby's Birthday!!  So I got him a few little presents, but I think he's really going to like these sweet little pics I took for him.  
This is for you Papa... We love you too much  XOXO

Tuesday, April 27, 2010

The New Park



There's a new photographer I've been working with recently who has a studio five minutes south of me and every time I've gone there, I noticed a park right next to the building.  So today I took Rio there to walk around.  The park is right on the bay so there are beautiful view of Miami and there was a good mix of people.  I saw two other Mama's there with their babies walking around and then I saw some sketchy people as well.  At one point an ice cream truck drove by and stopped and I saw these two young guys run out of the bushes to buy something and then they walked by me very slowly while I was taking some pictures.  I just gave them a "Don't mess with me"  look.  After a while I saw those same guys again, riding on a red bike with two big wheels in back and they kept whistling but I wouldn't even look at them.  Little punks.  
I wasn't too impressed with this place anyways.  Now I'm on a mission to find a cool new spot for me and Rio to go...

Monday, April 26, 2010

Drum Roll Please...



I've been working my little tushy off on my photography and last night I finally finished my Etsy shop and I started posting photographs to sell.  I know it's the first step on a long road but I'm willing and excited to make the journey.  I built up my makeup career from scratch and it took time and patience.  Everything worth having takes hard work so all I can do is accomplish small goals every day.  Life has changed and the most important thing in my life is my family, therefore I knew I had to find something that would make it possible for me to be a very present Mama and wife as well as be creative and fulfill that aspect of my life as well.  Wish me luck on my new path!

Thursday, April 22, 2010

Spanish Monastery





For the past few weeks I've been wanting to go to the Spanish Monastery where my husband and I got married.  It's such a beautiful place with so much history and I wanted to take Rio to the place where Mama and Papa became husband and wife.  It was hilarious when I got there because as soon as I walked through the entrance way, I looked up and saw 30 nuns and an entire film crew.  The two actors looked over at me and it's kind of hard to make yourself invisible when you have a baby with a stroller.  I had to roll over these huge cables and the wheels kept getting stuck.  So I finally made my way past the craziness and into the cloisters where we had our wedding party.  I got a little emotional, it was just as beautiful as the day we were married.  And I was there with our little girl which was pretty amazing in itself.  The lighting was fabulous and I was just walking around taking pictures and remembering what a perfect night that was... Maybe a ten year anniversary party there?

Tuesday, April 20, 2010

Water Baby


She loves water.  There is this look of excitement and pure joy on her face when she's kicking her way around the pool and I couldn't let it end just because class was over.  So we made our way to the beach at sun down right before the rain came and it was just the cherry on top for her.

Monday, April 19, 2010

The House


Last year my husband and I, with our newborn baby, drove around for months in our neighborhood looking at the houses for sale and wishing we could find the perfect one.  We looked at this one house about four blocks from us that was in foreclosure.  It has over 2000 square feet and it looked like it needed a little TLC.  When we finally saw the inside of it, oh my god, my jaw dropped to the floor.  It looked like the inside of a fetish club.  The walls were all painted black and there were no doors anywhere, to the rooms or bathrooms.  The kitchen was like the kitchen to a restaurant and the master bedroom was on the second floor with these very narrow steep stairs you had to climb up... I was such a baby when I had to climb down, I thought I was going to fall off because there was no railing.  
Thank god we found our house.  
So Rio and I were walking around our neighborhood today and there it was.  The house.  Somebody bought it but it still looks like a wreck and on top of that the house next to it and the house across the street are empty.  The whole street is overgrown with palm leaves and branches covering the sidewalk and street... but it looks eerily beautiful.  
Poor house, I hope whoever bought it puts some love into it.

Sunday, April 18, 2010

I heart Miami




I love Miami.  I really do, and I couldn't imagine living anywhere else.  It rained for most of the day today but close to sundown it stopped raining just long enough for us to make it over to South Point Park and walk over to the beach.  You could see in the distance black skies and clouds but there was a beautiful light right over us and I took some photographs of a Miami that usually doesn't get captured.  
My Miami.

Friday, April 16, 2010

Questions Answered


I love looking up galleries and artists online to not only see their work but to read their artists statements.  A brilliant artists statement really gives you an opportunity to really "see" a person and understand their process.  I've never sat down with a pen and paper to write one for myself but I sometimes try to write it in my mind and I can never get past the second or third sentence.  How am I supposed to write about myself?  I don't want to speak highly of myself, because that comes off as being conceited.  Is humble but passionate the way to go?  I stumbled upon a blog of a woman quite similar to me...  she does photography and makes pendents with her photography.  She also happens to be a stay at home mom.  So she wrote a list of questions: Does your artwork have a theme to it?  What does creating art mean to you?  What goals do you have for yourself as an artist?  Is there a special technique or process you have to make your work unique?  
Maybe it's time to break out the tape recorder and just talk.  Somethings got to come out of that... right?

Thursday, April 15, 2010

Patience is a Virtue


It would make my life so much easier if I was computer savvy.  I'm sitting here trying to open up my online store to sell my photography (Yeah!) but I need to make a banner to go on my home page.  So I find a website that does them for free but the image I want to use is to large and I don't know how to shrink it!  I know, in about two years Rio will be running circles around me on the computer.  I really should know so much more than I do but what can I do... Hmmm, take a class maybe?  Maybe I will, a computer class and a business class.  Then maybe I'll be a little less clumsy, just a little.

Wednesday, April 14, 2010

Angels



So I finally opened a flicker account and posted some photos today.  To see them go to www.flicker.com/photos/malindaballesteros    
Step by step I'm getting my photography out into the world.  I love creating art and I love coming up with a concept and seeing the path it takes and what it ultimately becomes.  I always have thought of artwork as having a life of its own.  Once the steps are taken to bring it into form, that is when we have to release our notions of what a "right" outcome is and welcome all the perfect imperfections that are made.  Just like magic...

Monday, April 12, 2010

Rain


This is what happens on a rainy day...  We play dress up...  We play with toys and play with toys some more until she falls asleep... on top of them.  
Love her!

Friday, April 9, 2010

Inspiration


I found this great blog  blogs.photopreneur.com and am feeling very inspired.  He created a list "60 Sources of Inspiration for Photography" including everything from shooting at a different time of day, giving yourself a theme, revisiting your past, or even using yourself as the subject.  Writing a blog was on his list as well and I do have to say that I completely agree.  It feels good to see my photos posted somewhere even if it's in my own blog and it keeps me motivated because I want an image or two to share for the day.  Photography is an artistic medium that works perfectly into my life at the moment because I can create while I'm with my little girl and I don't feel like I'm neglecting her.  Actually most of the time I incorporate her.  She really has become my inspiration and it's funny, when I shoot her the images have such a lovely child like quality in comparison to my other work.  She has made me see the world in a different way and opened my eyes therefore I am experimenting and I'm excited with the outcome most of the time.  At the moment, I feel as if a door has opened and there is this constant flow of inspiration and it's exhilarating really.  It makes me excited to see what tomorrow brings and what can be created...

Wednesday, April 7, 2010

day trip to vizcaya



Today I wanted to have a little time with my grandma so I surprised her and took her and Rio to Vizcaya.  I've been there a couple of times because of work but I never got the chance to wander around and really take it all in.  It really is such a magical place, the gardens have shrubs formed into mazes.  There are statues everywhere and the stairs and walls are made of coral.  It's like walking into a little fantasy land and I was there with my lovely ladies.  xoxo

Tuesday, April 6, 2010

first day


Drum roll.......  Today was Rio's first day of swim classes!  She's like a little fish in the water.  The teacher came by every few minutes and gave me a exercise to do with her.  She was kicking her legs and splashing in the water, she was loving it!  I was having so much fun with her, I enjoy everything so much more just by seeing how excited she gets experiencing the world.  At one point while she was holding onto the side of the pool there were three guys (in their late teens at most) standing next to the life guard stand.  When she saw them she actually picked herself halfway out of the water and lifted up her arm and WAVED to them.  My 14 month old baby is already crazy over the boys.  I am in so much trouble...

Monday, April 5, 2010

Words


All the magical words my daughter says:  bye-bye, Papa, Mama, baby, hi, oh-oh, Mini (for Mini Mouse), dog, smiling, turtle, nose, bird, bear, pretty, caca, pee-pee, bread, cooking, Dora (the explorer), tiger, ball, teta (and of course she has to point to my boobs in public and proudly tell the world) and the "sh" part of shoes.  

Oh and of course she knows cookie now too!

Sunday, April 4, 2010

Easter Weekend




Lately my husband, daughter and I have been "living for the weekend" to spend time together as a family.  So when I heard three day weekend because of good friday, I almost did a cartwheel!  On friday, we drove up to Orlando to see family and right after Rio went to sleep we took advantage of having some help and went out on the town.  We ended up getting sushi and then we went dancing.  We are parents and we love every moment with our little girl, but it feels so go to go out every once in a while to enjoy each other and stay out late.  How important it is for a husband and wife to go and steal moments to remind each other how much love there is between them.  And equally important to have adventures as a couple to keep things exciting!
On Saturday we stole another night for ourselves... we saw fireworks in downtown (now that was a surprise) but really good fourth of July grade fireworks that lasted for at least 15 minutes.  
The Easter Egg Hunt was too cute, seeing Rio crawl all over going from one egg to the next, she looked like a little cherub with her short curly blonde hair and puffy dress.  And yes, she had to bite the head off of the chocolate bunnies she found and I had to dive in to get the chocolate and wrapper out of her mouth.  She was showered with so much love from everyone and I think that was the best part of this whole weekend.  To stand back and see how smart and funny she is and how she interacts with everyone.  I really am such a proud mom and Roberto and I would just look at each other and smile.  Watching as she makes everyone fall head over heels in love with her.  What more could a Mama ask for?

Friday, April 2, 2010

Watermelon!


I just wanted to have a watermelon with my little girl yesterday.  So when the sun wasn't so hot, we went out to the back yard and enjoyed a juicy watermelon together!
We're heading up to Orlando to visit my husband's family today for Easter weekend and I will have lots of photos to post on Monday.  
Happy Easter everyone!  Enjoy your families and eat lots of Candy!

Thursday, April 1, 2010

Day Trip



It was such a gorgeous day yesterday I had my head set on taking a day trip somewhere.  So I decided on the Japanese Gardens about an hour north of me.  The last time I was there was last year for a festival but I didn't actually walk around the paths...  It's a mile through all the trees and little rivers, so beautiful and peaceful.  I was so surprised how well behaved Rio was.  She just sat in her stroller while we walked and I photographed for a good hour and a half.  People kept stopping and commenting on what a good girl she was.  I politely thanked them and thought to myself,  "Wow, this place really is magical because Rio is NEVER this patient."  
It really turned out to be an awesome day and anyone living or visiting South Florida I recommend a visit to the Morikami Museum and Japanese Gardens   www.morikami.org