the blonde photo 2009 holiday card!

once again, the super talented + fun quinn peyser has created a phenomenal holiday postcard for blonde photo! yay!

i’m officially closing down the office and heading out on the road tomorrow – traveling the up + down the east coast, visiting family + friends and celebrating the holidays! i’m sending out hundreds of these joyous little postcards, but if you’re not on my mailing list please enjoy this e-version and have a fabulous holiday season!

here’s to love, life, and memories worth capturing!

above: feed 100 bag :: www.feedprojects.org

LEAVE A COMMENT, MAKE A DIFFERENCE.

with the holidays upon us, and christmas right around the corner, everyone is super busy preparing for their celebrations and gatherings with family + friends. however, no one works harder during this time of year than the charity organizations who serve the neediest members of our communities. i try to make charity work a year-round effort, yet the holiday season always brings the less fortunate to the forefront of my attention.

as i take inventory of all that i am thankful for this year, i also realize how much i have to share. i believe it is my civic responsibility to help my community, both locally + globally, in every way that i can. more importantly, i’ve realized along the way that donating doesn’t have to be complicated or extravagant in order to be effective. in fact, i’ve been so impressed this season with all the creative ways that retailers are making donating *easy* for customers. i’m thrilled that williams-sonoma and other shops are enabling lots of people to donate a little (just $1!) to awesome organizations like st. jude’s research hospital at the register, and are raising millions. i loved how easy anthropologie made it for me to participate in their local toy drive by offering adorable stuffed animals for around $15 to add to my purchase at check out. and just this week i discovered that for the cost of the ingredients for a few batches of christmas cookies, i was able to purchase a feed 100 bag (above) from whole foods which will provide meals for 100 school children in rwanda.

i feel great about all the little ways i’ve helped to make a difference through these donations. however, what i really love is the ability to make a visible impact by volunteering. my favorite organizations to volunteer with are habitat for humanity (the dc chapter is amazing!) local food kitchens like miriam’s kitchen, and any organization that works with children + education. doing this type of work makes me happier than anything else – i feel fulfilled knowing i am making a positive impact through my efforts. i believe that everyone needs to feel a sense of purpose and a connection to the world that can be achieved through volunteerism, and that this work is essential to the human spirit.

because volunteerism is so important to me i love hearing the ways in which people give back in their lives. there are people who give their time, people who share their talents, people who donate money, and people who devote their entire lives to helping others. from the venerable duties of the hospice volunteers, to the incredible efforts of the food bank workers, the tireless social workers, the driven community organizers, and the quiet philanthropists everywhere – i applaud you, and i thank you.

i honestly believe we shape our lives by the choices we make. therefore, i choose to be inspired by that which is good in this world. 

so today i say to you: INSPIRE ME!

i’m asking that everyone leave a comment and share your feelings about volunteering. tell me about your favorite charity or organization or someone that inspires you through their service. or better yet, share a personal experience volunteering and how it made a difference in someone’s life. 

there are two reasons why your comment is important, check it out…

1) i hope to learn about some fantastic new charities + organizations and to be inspired by your stories of goodwill.  

2) i plan to donate $1 for every comment left on this post to one lucky commenter’s charity of choice, in their name!

so what are you waiting for? leave a comment, and then pass this post on to a friend, and tell them to leave a comment! remember, the more comments left the more i donate!

let’s make a difference together – one comment, one idea, one dollar at a time! 

please click here for hilarious holiday cheer. 

me + john dancing in the north pole.

enjoy!

a big YAY for holiday parties!

the venue…

the hosts…

the santas…
 

the ladies…

the party…

and, of course, the mistletoe…

*guests: click here…to view/order/enjoy all photos from the event!*

happy holidays!