M A I E D A E: Solo Feature & Giveaway

This month, I got to interview Shaina as my solo feature and I'm super excited to have her share with you her journey through her project "52 Weeks"-- a book she put together of self-portraiture and poetry. You'll have a chance to win a copy of her book below!
And now I'd like to introduce Shaina:

In 2010 I decided to document my entire year through poetry and self-portraiture. My initial intention was to learn more about my camera shooting a subject that was readily available (myself!) and to embrace my poet soul that had been pushed a bit into the background in the years since my marriage in 2007. So, the project's concept was to take a self-portrait and write an accompanying poem for every week of the year 2010. Once the year was complete, I just knew I had to share it...so that's why I have self-published the complete project in a book.

The greatest gift this project gave me was myself. I wrote a bit about this in the first page of my book. I'd love to share an excerpt: "We must create what we most need to find." Sabrina Ward Harrison. What I most needed to find this year was me. And that is what prompted this journey of self-discovery through poetry and portraiture. I turned the camera on myself in hopes of discovering my true nature, the things that made my heart sing, and how I coped with what life threw my way. In between all those things, I found beauty, honesty, and truth. I found my voice.

Probably week26 and it's not just the picture that I love...it's the poem too. It's the combination of them both together and how I can feel again what that moment truly was.

Right now, I am loving being able to share the process of finding a new house, buying it, and making it our home. I've got a series called "In Search of a Home" and it's my favorite right now. I also do a series called {things i love} thursday, which is full of links I've found online and pictures I want to share. I am currently building my photography portfolio, so I post a lot of pictures from my shoots, too. SHADYlane Photography...

...and I'm a scrapbooker, so I post my pages along with the journaling and maybe a technique I tried for the first time, or where I got my inspiration for that page from. My blog is a little bit of this, and a little bit of that. The concept of serendipity is "fortunate accidental discoveries is life and art." That's what my life is full of and that's what I share on my blog.

Most of my wish-list currently consists of house decorating things and ideas. I've got a pintrest board going just for it. I'm working on my office right now and having so much fun!!

See My Home Pinterest Board Here!

Im also dreaming of a new camera body. My wish list camera would probably be the Cannon 5d MarkII but I'll probably get a Canon 7d.

I follow 140 blogs through google reader. I love blogs by creative women, photography blogs, scrapbooking blogs, and recently, hair design blogs. My favorite in each category (currently! ;) ) :

creative women: elise blaha her blog always has fresh, real ideas for crafty things, home design, and just real life. I love her style of living and how she shares it on her blog. Photography blog: bobbi&mike. They are a husband and wife photography team who take incredible pictures of people in love. You just can't help but smile when you see their pictures and they take shots of each other "in action" and share those too. Helpful and cute! Scrapbooking blog: Michelle of Scissor Quirk each one of her scrapbook pages are a work of art. I love her voice on her blog, she feels like a real person, and I love it when that comes through on a blog. Hair design blog: Hair Romance, she's been doing 30 days of "twist and pin" hairstyles for this month, and they are such cute and unique ideas. I love having a place to go each morning for a new idea to try with my hair.