whimsical women interview #1

i'm so excited to introduce you to the very first joy rebel...brandi reynolds! not long after my initiation into the blogosphere,  i stumbled upon brandi's joy rebel army and am now a proud member. i could go on and on about how i drool over her photographs and that sometimes her blog posts make me laugh so hard milk comes out my nose, but it might embarrass her.

so, i'll let her describe the essence of the joy rebellion in her own words: "One idea: We could watch the news, read a fashion magazine that calls anyone over a size 6 'plus sized' and become more jaded with every commute through traffic. OR we can rebel; find the beauty, get doggie kisses, make messy paintings, write sappy love songs, compose bold memoirs, forgive radically, hope abundantly, shine encouragingly and otherwise claim the inner joy that I believe is at the core of each of us."  you took the words right out of my mouth....

let's get to know brandi {and her incredible photography--pictured here}, shall we?

as i leave behind my old blog, the year of discovery, i'll ask for one thing you've discovered in the last year?

I’ve discovered a need to get back to basics, to slow down, to breathe and to have fun with other venues of creativity (other than photography). And that I can’t do it all. And that I can’t give up *crack* dr. pepper.

how do you bring fun into your life…anything you do regularly that makes you feel like a kid again?

I laugh as much as humanly possible. Fortunately, both my husband and I have the same 12 year old boy sense of humor so laughing is pretty easy in our house. And whenever I am in water, I totally connect with that joyful kid energy.

how do you maintain balance in your life (IF you do), between creative endeavors and the other parts of your life?

*crack* dr. pepper. Kidding! I’ve figured out that I HAVE to take time for yoga and quietness. It seems that if I can give myself that space and that peace, I am better able to balance everything else.

what does community mean to you? could you describe a community of which you're a part?

I am so fortunate to be part of a community of creative bloggers. People like you, Jodie! And the wonderful group at wish studio and Connie and Darrah. I get so much inspiration, support and joy from this group. And that’s what community means to me as well.

what is the BEST costume you've ever worn?

Dressing up for a renaissance faire was so fun! I was a gypsy.

if you could travel anywhere in the world, where would you go? and who would you take with you?

I’d go to new Zealand and visit all the sites where lord of the rings was filmed. (total LOTR dork here!). And I’d take my husband with me.

tell us something about yourself that only a few people know…

Um….I don’t think that’s possible. I kinda blather about everything on my blog….lol.

and last, what's something you've been working on…or an upcoming project you want to share with us?

Well, I am totally looking forward to the art show with you sweetness! But other than that, I am allowing whatever comes up to come up.

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ahhhh, she mentioned a little thing called the art show...so much fun coming in august my friends. i am kicking off my whimsical women series with a tour of texas, and all the artsy-love we've got going on down here. i'm bringing the girls together for an all-women's show at our studio in one month. and to start the celebration a little early, brandi has graciously donated an incredible print for one lucky winner!

to enter the giveaway, you'll need to either:

1.   comment on this post, answering the question: what makes you feel like a kid again?  OR
2.   comment on tomorrow's flashback friday post

i'll choose the winner from the comments from both days (and yes, you improve your chance if you comment twice!)  and announce it on saturday 7/31.

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thanks so much to brandi for visiting the playground...if you're loving her photographs and can't wait to see if you win "dive," you can peek at her etsy shop here. she also has a fabulous new website she created herself. yes, she is kind of a show off...

but i forgot one very important question: are you more of a swings or slide kinda girl?