11.27.2010

GOOD REMINDER:

my friend emailed this to me the other day, and i really appreciated reading this.

11.22.2010

EXTREMELY PRECIOUS CARGO =

MY HUSBAND.



f






i just got a roll developed, here are some shots from our great road trip from sodak to los angeles. they are not that entertaining, more like documentation, or what i do when i am driving by myself : take pictures from the drivers seat. we drove both our cars - my old ass mazda that has been a super TROOPER; i've had here for almost 10 years now, and driven her across the US and back a couple of times, no problems. but as one can imagine, driving by yourself can be quiet and...uneventful. but it was beautiful. and utah is SUCH an exceptionally beautiful state.

sending love from socal to you, my dear readers.

11.18.2010

I HAVE MADE A SWEET DEAL WITH MYSELF:

I WILL EXIST AT THE INTERSECTION OF CREATIVITY + IMPACT.

(one hand of mine even shook the other one to seal the deal.)

11.13.2010

LAYLI MELIA SAMIMI-AAZAMI IS EXPERIENCING INSANE CULTURE SHOCK


wow. LA. who woulda thought i'd be living here? in this place where it takes 30 minutes to get anywhere? isn't it funny how we (i am including you, dear reader, though i might just be doing this to console myself) don't fully realize how much we were blessed or how much we loved and appreciated a place until you know you are about to leave? this happened to me to a certain degree, the last month and half that we were in sodak.

it was like, i kept putting off leaving, making excuses, making plans that were past our departure date...lesson learned, universe, lesson learned. now i have to make a pact with myself that i will try so damn hard, no matter where i live, no matter what i am doing, to feel gratitude, constantly, always finding the positive, the blessings that have been bestowed upon you...i mean, i think i did that pretty well when i lived in sodak.

my oldest friend told me, "layli, you can move anywhere and make it awesome, that is such an amazing quality you have". ha. and then i think about all the processes that go with finding a home, leaving a home and making a new one. constructing it, detaching yourself from the comforts....home is such a crazy concept, and soooooo critical to our survival, especially mine. i think with having my family ALL over the world [haifa, beijing, st. paul], i have had to really find my comfort and safety with the home that i create for myself; i pour my heart and soul into the place i live... and now i am in limbo...waiting, and looking, listening and praying...impatient and curious to where we will find ourselves next. i mean, its exciting, right? sure it is, but sometimes i remember that i am a grown adult and i FEEL like i need to have a PLAN. wtf is that anyway? a thing i can tell people so that they know where to compartmentalize me and my life and make sense of things? i think when people ask us what we're doing, i am going to tell them we are going to live in our element down by the river.


our "send off" from rapid city was so damn humbling and overwhelming; i was so struck by how blessed we are, and how our lives are truly precious and that there are families waiting to include you and love you and adopt you, no matter where you are, there are lands and skies, clouds and waters that are wanting you to pray at, to gather at, to call home. just waiting for you, to open your spirit with gratitude, question, attentiveness and awareness, all the while, trying to experience grace.

wish me luck.

11.05.2010

HEADIN' OUT

you'll always have my heart & soul, sodak.

thank you for a BLESSED, AMAZING, RICH, HEART EXPANDING, REALITY CHECKIN' two glorious years.

your clouds and your sky, your forests and your wind, your people and your golden fields i will always, always treasure.

onward & upward!

11.03.2010

"There are four qualities which I love to see manifested in people: first, enthusiasm and courage; second, a face wreathed in smiles and a radiant countenance; third, that they see all things with their own eyes and not through the eyes of others; fourth, the ability to carry a task, once begun, through to its end."
- Baha'u'llah

more adventures with elsa - polaroid stylie

she had her "baby" pumpkins in her hands. too much:

her frog rain boots we got her for her second birthday:



too bad this one didn't turn out better!!! :
she is soooo much fun and such a good little one! she just chilled with us and had her "coffee" while we sat and talked. amazing.
elsa, mommy mo and the baby twins! :
i even have a holding hands is boss photo with my niece. sahhhweett.

just thought i'd share. who doesn't like seeing a brilliant little child?? if you don't you're pretty lame dude.

11.02.2010

I AM AN AMAZING PROCRASTINATOR

i really don't mean to brag or anything, BUT i am an AMAZING PROCRASTINATOR. LIKE, AMAZING. you'd be so very impressed. i took part of this all day workshop earlier this year, and did all these tests (part of my old job) and found out i am what is called a "quick start", meaning i succeed best when i am multitasking, and have my hand in like, 6 pots. cos i have 6 hands. and that the friction/tension caused by procrastinating, makes me one of the best at getting things done, with the highest success rate. i know that makes no sense, and i can't be bothered to break it down for myself so that i can properly articulate it to you. sorry. like, my buddy towfigh, sent me this article titled, ...something, something, procrastination, and the...benefits...or something like that. i was like, oooh that looks interesting...and i had it an open tab for literally two weeks. then my firefox crashed and it was lost. and i never bothered retrieving it. hahahah. i found that to be so amusing.

anyway -- so to get to my main point. we're meant to be packing for our big move to LA and each day goes by and we're still not done, maybe because packing is my LEAST FAVORITE THING TO DO EVER. so when i am not packing, or visiting someone for the last time, i am making what is called an etsy treasury. for those of you that don't know, i make super rad jewelry called LISH and my etsy shop is here. my buddy towfigh mentioned them to me the other day, and suggested i give it a whirl. well, turns out, its damn fun. you make a collection of some of your selected favorite things on etsy. and you can theme it or what not. i totally geeked out the last couple of days and made two seriously kick ass treasuries. come take a look, and support all the wonderful artists in the world, allowing their creativity to rule them and make unimaginable, droolingly beautiful things:

1. this one is called: LISH'S EXTREME FAVES FOR FALL 2010!

2. this one, i created today. its titled, BRINGING THE FOREST INSIDE:
I AM REALLLLLLLLLLLLLLY excited about all of these items and can't wait to get a job again so i can support these wonderful artists!! what is your favorite item?? most favorite??

;)