My dream "Mommy Moment"

When I ended up in this spot on my blog crawling travels today, my eyes opened wider. Am I jealous? Nooooo (a little bit. yes.) But this is such a perfect dream to me. Me and my Meg, picnicing on the lawn in Paris. It sweetens things to discover that this lovely family is living in Paris for a year, which is, actually, my dream.

Get ready to add another blog to your list!

Home Inspiration x15

This is a quickie post--I have a few hours worth of photos to edit and do not deserve blogging! But this is worth it: Refinery29 has posted a list of  the best home design websites and online magazines and I can't wait to study every last one. Some of these are already favorites of mine (The Shelby, Rue and Lonny are on my weekly list) but some are new to me or forgotten treasures. So here you go, get reading:
Best of the Best: Home Inspiration!

More Vintage Wedding Stuff!

Yes, I guess I'm on a kick. Here is a great fun idea from a super fun couple (who I follow on Facebook, Instagram and via their blog). This is Ron and Dominique, the genius pair behind Love Me Sailor, which is one of the photography blogs I "stalk" on a weekly basis. I can always count on these two for fresh ideas, inspiration, and big fat smiles (I love a photo that makes me smile). When I learned that they were getting married themselves, I was intrigued. What will their own wedding be like? I was not disappointed, and you can see it all on the website of their chosen photography team, Joielala.  The 50's theme was quirky and fun, and full of all the details we would expect from such an inspiring pair! I just adore her partially-vintage dress (his suit is vintage as well!) and shoes and her handmade (by her of course) star headpiece! And don't miss the sparkly pineapple table markers and pink flamingoes!

Get ready to smile!

Wedding, anyone?

No, I'm not getting married (I just celebrated 14 years married my sweetie, so I'm good, thank you very much!). But I've been photographing more and more weddings lately and searching for photographic inspiration along the way. Of course I stumble on so many gorgeous and stylish weddings in my magazine and internet travels, and at some point my girlie-girl heart melts over the endless possibilities. This morning I found this picture of shoe-clips on Etsy, and suddenly I pictured an entire wedding around them! So to satisfy my vision, I made this little story board:

I just adore the idea of a vintage wedding with little details so pretty and photograph-able! I also believe in simplicity and practicality, so why not invest in flower vases and other details that can be later repurposed in your home? I love the idea of something so casual yet beautiful and used to create such a  special warm touch. When done right, vintage can be, of course, completely modern and I love love love.  Love.

All items found on Etsy (as of this morning), click for shop links: diamond ring, shoe clips, Pink Depression glass vase, headswraps and little gift pouch, Avett Brothers necklace (I & Love & U), Milk glass planter

Sweat and Tears

Well, not tears. But a good deal of sweat and hard work has been poured into the creation of my new photography blog! I'm super excited to have a little functioning business happening now but I can always use an addition to my cheering section, so please stop by my photography site and say hello!

Hello Friends

In these last few months I've stepped away from this blog in order to concentrate fully on 1) my photography and 2) my growing, energetic and active five-year old (Who needs something to do every minute!) I've missed this space in my life however, a little pocket of space which allows me to in some way organize my creativity that gets mushed up with the rest of busy life and often gets lost or forgotten. That's what this blog is about for me, and I've missed it!

So my big comeback post is about Richard, the self-described "Real Rasta Man." We met him under a shade tree at the Round Hill Resort in Montego Bay, Jamaica, weaving baskets. He supports his children by selling his baskets to the guests of the resort. He always smiles and laughs, and after talking to him on our first day he waved and greeted us each time we passed. He was gentle and kind to all the children--teaching a little basket making class in which they got to make a sweet little basket (much loved in our house), and he was always happy to allow me to join him for a chat under his tree.

Maybe it was the fact that this vacation was for me, a truly soulful experience. I had been running on empty for a while and I truly needed a break. Unwinding, being still and quiet and enjoying my family was healing, as it should be. And Jamaica ain't so bad a spot to do just that, let me tell ya. It was the first time in months that I actually felt inspired and thought about writing the blog again. The ocean, the air, the rain forest, the food. . . all of these things added up to "soul food" for me, and cleared a little space in my mind. 

Sitting under his tree with him, I asked Richard how he defined the Rasta Spirit, since he spoke of it so freely. He waved his hand around to indicate everything around us, including his pile of palm leaves to be woven into baskets. "We are all a part of this, of nature. Rasta accepts all that nature gives us. We take life from the trees and the plants and all the gifts the earth has to give us, and we take care of the earth, we give life back. We are all a part of the earth and we all bleed the same blood, we are the same. We respect everything and everyone  in nature." I quoted him on that, but I admit I didn't write it down.  I think I got it about right. In any case, it was a beautiful reminder to me about the specialness of our earth and the preciousness of life and those around us. I don't think I had forgotten, but that's just the sort of thing that often gets pushed to the back of my mind when I am racing around town with the pressures of the world upon me. 

And here is Richard posing with my Meg with his hair down ("Mommy, his hair is longer than your hair!")

I'm Still Here

My last post was on December 12! And here it's March. Sigh . . . okay, but I think my preoccupation is pretty legit. In the last few months I have been spending very much energy developing and redesigning my photography blog, website and plan for business! I think I am finally ready to push myself into that wide and scary world of--wait for it. . . . self-employment. Discipline. Financing. Client Management. Marketing. For me this is a huge and frightening step! Anyway, Muse Margaret is a blog about inspiration. My inspiration: I have enlisted the help of Shari (see her blog here ) who creates gorgeous, unique and fresh blog designs. She redesigned HamtonToes several months ago for my dear friend (and cheerleader), Lisa. So when I decided it was time to clean up my public persona, I enlisted her help.

May I just say what an amazing feeling it has been to see my work combined and transformed into the design that Shari has come up with for my photography blog! I have been so inspired by what she has been able to do with my very own work. I sent her several dozen images to chose from and anxiously waited to see what she would choose. It felt like being naked.

 It's funny how you can stare at yourself for years and not see the very thing that needs to change to create improvement. Then some fabulous stylist or something come along and says how great you'd look with a new haircut. And you do it. And it's amazing. Someone who never even saw you before made you feel new.

Shari has taken my work and made me see it afresh again. She sends me samples and I get goose pimples--how amazing my photographs look in this or that arrangement or design! I'm excited again about photography and about going out on that limb, because I can see new beauty and I can feel new confidence building and I know that this beautiful blog will be backing me up!

I'll let you know when it's ready and I can't wait to share it. And hey, let me know if you're getting married because you know what? I'm a photographer. And I'm actually pretty good at it and I might just cut you a good deal. :)

Thank you Shari, for not only designing a gorgeous new deign for my blog, but for infusing me with new confidence to go out and chase my dream.

P.S. : Contact her. She is wonderful.