Photo Friday: Unexpected

above_islands.jpg
above the islands, Canon 300D

Photo Friday’s theme this week is “Unexpected.” This shot is unexpected beauty..

Some sites I have been perusing lately:

I read an article about the amazing MaryJane Butters in the New Yorker this week and she truly inspired me. Start with a virtual tour of the farm.

An awesome company making biodegradable plastic cutlery from wheat. {via Mark}

Squashco’s image journal. Look for Preacher Larry, the most incredible shot from our wedding weekend in Virgin Gorda. It is also Sasha’s birthday today. Happy birthday Squash!

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Hi, I’m Andrea

On this blog you’ll be learning with me how to use our voices, share our creative superpowers and live life in full color.

As an artist, photographer, life coach + mentor, I’m redefining what it means to be a SUPERHERO — ‘cause in my world, it’s got nothing to do with capes, spandex or sidekicks and everything to do with tenderness, intuition & baby steps of bravery.

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21 Comments

  1. Morgan

    Hey Andrea! I just moved from Moscow, Idaho, where I lived for six years. That is where MaryJane Butters runs her farm. Last summer I was walking into the local food co-op there and in walks MaryJane. She is truly one of the kindest, gentlest women ever. If you want to see an amazingly beautiful place, go to Moscow in June, when the rolling hills of alfalfa and wheat are a mixture of waving deep and light greens. It is breathtaking!
    Morgan

  2. ymke

    The picture is unbelievable! What a beauty…

  3. kristal

    What a beautiful picture!

  4. Darcie

    Andrea, Mary Jane’s magazine looks wonderful. I’d never heard of her until now. Have you ever submitted an article to her site? I think you should! You have such wonderful observations to share. I checked out the virtual tour–don’t you just love those outdoor rooms? Makes me want to move the heck out of the Washington DC area to wide-open spaces.

  5. Jack

    Nice picture, I really like it.

  6. James

    Hi Andrea,
    Its meeee!!! I went to Virgin Gorda too. It was a few years ago. Did you make it to Tortola? They are both such wonderful places. I think we caught the locals ferry from Tortola and a family had a goat with them. It stood quite well on the boat too. Some ex-patriots had bundles of coffee, fruit and lumber and a woman was carrying a bushel of plantains.
    James

  7. maggie

    you seem to have a beautiful life.

  8. Julia

    Unexpected beauty….that’s the best kind!! Great photo 🙂

  9. Anonymous

    mmmmmmmmmm….
    window seats are by far the tastiest.
    Unless of course you have a highly interesting seat partner, in which case it’s okay to have the isle. I once sat next to a velvet-clad, wrinkled woman vigorously chewing nicotine gum. She was so tiny—she took off her knee high leather boots and crossed her legs in the airplane seat and told me she was off to Paris to “max the shit out of her credit cards”.

  10. Anonymous

    mmmmmmmmmm….
    window seats are by far the tastiest.
    Unless of course you have a highly interesting seat partner, in which case it’s okay to have the isle. I once sat next to a velvet-clad, wrinkled woman vigorously chewing nicotine gum. She was so tiny—she took off her knee high leather boots and crossed her legs in the airplane seat and told me she was off to Paris to “max the shit out of her credit cards”.

  11. Anonymous

    mmmmmmmmmm….
    window seats are by far the tastiest.
    Unless of course you have a highly interesting seat partner, in which case it’s okay to have the isle. I once sat next to a velvet-clad, wrinkled woman vigorously chewing nicotine gum. She was so tiny—she took off her knee high leather boots and crossed her legs in the airplane seat and told me she was off to Paris to “max the shit out of her credit cards”.

  12. Anonymous

    mmmmmmmmmm….
    window seats are by far the tastiest.
    Unless of course you have a highly interesting seat partner, in which case it’s okay to have the isle. I once sat next to a velvet-clad, wrinkled woman vigorously chewing nicotine gum. She was so tiny—she took off her knee high leather boots and crossed her legs in the airplane seat and told me she was off to Paris to “max the shit out of her credit cards”.

  13. Anonymous

    mmmmmmmmmm….
    window seats are by far the tastiest.
    Unless of course you have a highly interesting seat partner, in which case it’s okay to have the isle. I once sat next to a velvet-clad, wrinkled woman vigorously chewing nicotine gum. She was so tiny—she took off her knee high leather boots and crossed her legs in the airplane seat and told me she was off to Paris to “max the shit out of her credit cards”.

  14. Anonymous

    mmmmmmmmmm….
    window seats are by far the tastiest.
    Unless of course you have a highly interesting seat partner, in which case it’s okay to have the isle. I once sat next to a velvet-clad, wrinkled woman vigorously chewing nicotine gum. She was so tiny—she took off her knee high leather boots and crossed her legs in the airplane seat and told me she was off to Paris to “max the shit out of her credit cards”.

  15. Anonymous

    mmmmmmmmmm….
    window seats are by far the tastiest.
    Unless of course you have a highly interesting seat partner, in which case it’s okay to have the isle. I once sat next to a velvet-clad, wrinkled woman vigorously chewing nicotine gum. She was so tiny—she took off her knee high leather boots and crossed her legs in the airplane seat and told me she was off to Paris to “max the shit out of her credit cards”.

  16. Anonymous

    mmmmmmmmmm….
    window seats are by far the tastiest.
    Unless of course you have a highly interesting seat partner, in which case it’s okay to have the isle. I once sat next to a velvet-clad, wrinkled woman vigorously chewing nicotine gum. She was so tiny—she took off her knee high leather boots and crossed her legs in the airplane seat and told me she was off to Paris to “max the shit out of her credit cards”.

  17. Anonymous

    mmmmmmmmmm….
    window seats are by far the tastiest.
    Unless of course you have a highly interesting seat partner, in which case it’s okay to have the isle. I once sat next to a velvet-clad, wrinkled woman vigorously chewing nicotine gum. She was so tiny—she took off her knee high leather boots and crossed her legs in the airplane seat and told me she was off to Paris to “max the shit out of her credit cards”.

  18. josephine

    that is a wonderful photo. it just screams of aniticpation! hovering above the island, knowing it’ll soon be all yours… lovely.

  19. Steph

    Thank you for sharing the link to MaryJane Butters’ website — I had never heard of her or her fabulous farm. Did you see that she offers a week long apprenticeship? I am now having organic farming fantasies! It looks like an incredible opportunity. (Just wish I could afford it.)

  20. Buzz

    Hi Andrea – Love the site and journal as always. I hate to be the lone contrarian here, but I was really surprised to hear your positive response to the MaryJane Butters piece in the New Yorker. I read it, too, but my response was: boy, this woman and her “farm” (they don’t really grow food there, they just process it in a factory hidden in the barn) are so… depressing. I mean, she spent six hours preparing a picnic, supposedly as a sendoff for her daughter and son-in-law, and then she spent the whole evening photographing it for her magazine and getting annoyed if people tried to eat anything! Sorry, but while Butters may be a nice person, the vibe I got from the article was that her main strength is as a marketing savant and industrial manufacturer who is very, very good at selling things. There’s nothing wrong with that, but she’s not quite the innocent, wholesome “Farmgirl” she works so hard to be seen as. Hey, it’s just one person’s opinon. xo Buzz

  21. andrea

    Buzz!
    good to hear from you as always. 🙂
    I must have missed the part about
    not actually growing food there! ack!
    and I do agree about the picnic she prepared
    and all the fussing and not eating or enjoying
    the time with her family. I found that strange and
    wondered if her family gets annoyed or hurt by
    that or if they just chalk it up to ‘mom doin her thing’
    I guess I was inspired by her drive, her ambition & chutzpah
    (asking the owner of Patagonia for a loan)
    and all of the creativity and work that goes into
    the farm/magazine/brand she has. I am also excited
    about someone who is successfully marketing organic farming
    and think the more we can stay connected to where we get our food,
    who is growing it, etc. the better. (of course, in this case it seems
    she’s not actually growing it!)
    I also love reading stories of women who create
    careers for themselves out of a desire to be at home with
    their kids.
    and let’s not forget to mention that the photo of MaryJane
    for the article was exquisitely beautiful. Maybe in the end, I was
    seduced by that.
    thanks buzzy!
    I love hearing from you.
    a

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