On The Prairie...Modern Prairie Girl...

with so much going on here on my little prairie i have been a little slow doing my On The Prairie Feature for the month...

but this one is definitely worth the wait...

Lara with Modern Prairie Girl was so kind to join me here for the month of november...

Lara gives us a glimpse of being a Modern Prairie Girl and shares her creative journey with us...

so may i introduce Lara...

Hello, lovely Prairie Friends! It is so wonderful to be here with you on Kristin’s gorgeous planet. I think we might be fraternal twins separated at birth…for starters, to find another woman professing herself prairie-worthy, was enough in itself! I just find myself in her posts and it is lovely, lovely.

Blogland has been a highlight for me as I go down this creative path I’ve been traveling for quite awhile now.

I think the thing about blogging is that it brings the “Look! Something Shiny” things into our lives. You know…the stuff that ignites your heart and makes you smile the broad, squinty-eyed smiles. I have a lot of these and at times it can be a bit confusing about what kind of artist I am truly. So I thought I’d slink down this little road of defining this..might be fun to see it all in one place

…and introduce you to my “Look! Something shineys” and give my own version of who this prairie girl is.

I think photography is what I was meant to do. It is in all areas of my life as my job and just for the love of it.

Dogs…

People…

Gear…

Dreamy scenes I wish I could jump in to...

It’s like breathing and I have a camera with me at all times because I just don’t want to forget the image before me…especially when it inspires.

I’m a Barn Sale lovin’ diva with friends in that world who I hold very dear to my heart.

Women, in particular, who lift me up and make me feel like I can fly.

My family is my greatest accomplishment and I am very selfish about the time I spend with them. I know the clock is ticking on how cool it is to “hang with mom”, so I’ll take my two lovelies any way I can get ‘em. Not to mention a husband who I adore and admire…he is the Bee’s Knees, so to speak. On 12 acres of country land we make this home together…cruiser bike rides, camp fires, walks down the lane with the dogs. Decorating this house with my antique prairie-inspired treasures…It’s dreamy and wonderful and I could never go back to city of neighborhood life. I love it here in my Modern Prairie World. I feel very blessed and feel immense gratitude for getting to live this life.

Writing has become kind of important these days as I pour myself out, sometimes without holding back on the blog…but now it actually counts because I’m writing my first book for Amherst Media on how to create a dog portrait studio…pretty exciting stuff, but also a bit “can I really do this?” “Who am I to tell this story?” blah,blah,blah…I will get over it and be excited to do a signing at Borders…that visual is getting’ me through! I also teach and write curriculum for our “Ignite the Heart” retreats on the Oregon Coast each spring. My artist friend, Elida Field, does the collage teaching part and I do the photography tutorials. It’s just the best time.

I love that weekend!

I’m turning 40 and I believe I’m having some sort of creative awakening…I don’t know what you call it, but it’s sprouting in my heart like a dandelion these days. I created an art-making-only room at the studio and it’s all I can do not to retreat in there as much as I can. For now, the art-making comes only when the photo work is caught up, but it really feeds my soul and I know deep down (what Kelly Rae, our modern hero, would call “the whispers”—I call them the “stirrings”) that I will end up there somehow.

Makin’ stuff.

Loving makin’ stuff.

Showin’ stuff.

Sellin’ stuff.

I just have to be confident that the plan is there and patience is the key (not my strong point). It’s hard when the passion is new…like standing on the porch with that new boyfriend saying “goodnight” for 2 hours..you just can’t get enough..but I suppose that’s the lure of it also…that I just can’t devote the amount of time that I want to right now…

And it’s okay.

It will be.

So that’s me…cowboy boot wearin’ , Tiara Friday sportin’, art makin’ prairie gal who is just thrilled to be here today with you all. Yay for blogging and all that it adds to our lives!

As Kristin would say…

”Big prairie hugs”~Lara

dear lara girl~

*thank you* so much for sharing your journey; you are such an inspiration to me...and yes, i deeply regret being to stinkin' shy to walk up to you at barnhouse and introduce myself...ugh...never again!!