This one seemed to be a top pick – along with its quoted card!

I’m am super pleased, however, to announce the two winners chosen by Random.org…

Of the laminated print, the winner is……#50 Lauren who commented:

I’m happy for you and feel good about this move you made. Of course you should sell your photos! I love the one of the frog… He did look like a zen master there on that long leaf… good luck with everything! I love your blog.

Of the set of cards, the winner is…#122 Rebecca who shared this on Facebook:

Tara is someone I have been inspired by (her life and her photography) and have been following on Flickr for I think 2 years. She is now opening up her own photography shop – and giving away two prints I entered the giveaway and so should YOU! My fave is ‘Boxcar Dreams‘. Anyone else have a fave?

Thank you to everyone who entered! You have truly, truly filled my heart.

I’ve been up to something.

Something both yummy and provoking that challenges my self-doubt and insists I push through the fears I’d rather avoid, thank you very much. It’s exciting and terrifying in the very best of ways.

I’m now selling my photography.

The idea fell into my head several months ago with such determined assurance I felt for sure it hadn’t come from me. And the way it quickened my heart and stirred up my fears confirms (as it always does) that it’s exactly what I’m suppose to be doing.

Of course, as is my fashion when I’m confronted with facing my own self-loathing demons, I procrastinated a good four months. But thanks to Visionary Mom and her awesome teams, I’m finally moving forward with a dream I’ve only toyed with for several years.

I’m still wracked with doubt. As a self-taught photographer, there is much I have left to learn and I seem to insist on perpetuating my doubts by comparing my work to the work of the many other fantastic, experienced artists doing their thing.

I almost gave up completely until this quote was whispered to me:

“Use the talents you possess: the woods would be very silent if no birds sang there except those that sang best.” – Henry Van Dyke

I am very, very far from the best. You could write encyclopedias on what I’ve yet to learn. And some of my attempts make even me laugh. But occasionally I stumble across a shot that lights me on fire, and am in awe to hear it do the same for others. So, this is me singing my little bird song, adding my voice to the chorus of very best in the woods.

To add to my awe and amazement, within a week of putting my prints for sale, I sold my first! Not only did I sell my first, I sold it to someone in the UK. And I don’t care what anyone says, no one is bursting the bubble of excitement I create by calling myself an international photographer.

So without further ado, I’d like to introduce my RedBubble.

It’s where you can find my favorite prints, and order them to your specifications. You can also find cards and postcards with some of my favorite shots combined with some of my favorite quotes. And if there is something you’d like to see added, let me know!

The Giveaway!

I can’t wait to share my prints with TWO lucky winners:

• The first winner will receive an 8×12 laminated print: you choose your fave photo and border color.
• The second winner will receive a collection of each of my cards: you choose either postcards or notecards or a combination of the two!

How to enter:

There are FIVE ways to enter:

1. Leave a comment here telling me your favorite print or what you’d love to see me place on RedBubble
2. Tweet this giveaway (you can use the ReTweet button below) including the name of your favorite print
3. Share this giveaway on Facebook, including the name of your favorite print
4. “Like” The Organic Sister on Facebook
5. Blog about this giveaway, linking back here and to my RedBubble account, as well as sharing the name of your favorite print.

Be sure to leave a separate comment for each entry for them all to be counted!

The giveaway will close August 31st at 8pm CST and the winners will be announced shortly after.

Good luck!

I hate even putting it out there because I know the tendency for life to hand me route changes. But if I’m going to accomplish even half of what’s on that list, I need to get moving and a little public humiliation accountability may just be in order.

I also love all the hooping inspiration that’s been traveling the ‘net and hearing so many new families picking up a hoop. It’s just fun! And if Sara can put her (admittedly much more awesome than mine) practice video out there, we can too.

Things to know about this video:

1. I think we laughed as much as we hooped. Then we watched the videos and laughed some more.
2. This was filmed at five weeks, which is almost two weeks ago. Because that’s how long it takes to edit and upload a photo these days.
3. Stick around to the end for Justin’s hysterical performance. I wish I could add captions or turn up the volume on what he said. So much of his hilarity is in his tones.
4. Notice how my child steps on an ant hill and I go right back to hooping? Mother of the Year, that one.

Hooping @ 5 Weeks from Tara Wagner on Vimeo.

Here’s the one of the elbow to elbow pass we talked about in the above video:

Hooping Practice – Elbow Passes from Tara Wagner on Vimeo.

I really enjoy hooping. I enjoy accomplishing a trick I didn’t think I could manage. I enjoy the movement and flow and energy. I really, really enjoy watching this video of an amazing hooper doing some stuff that literally dropped my jaw. I want to do what she can do.

Are you hooping? What new tricks have you learned?

It’s strange how quickly life can change. Wednesday will be two months that we’ve been on the road and I think we’re finally starting to settle into it. I think.

It’s not without its challenges, but such is life. And even during the worst moments, I can’t imagine anywhere else I want to be. Seeing as how I’ve never experienced such a deep sense of belonging, it seems ironic that I’d find it in a continual string of places I technically don’t belong.

These places on the map are not my home. And yet I feel at home.

Have you ever had the impending feeling of excitement? Like a kid waiting for the car to pull into Disneyland. You’re bubbling inside, ready to jump and whoop but your seatbelt is keeping you to a slight jitter in your seat instead.

That was me through most of April. I felt it approaching but the time wasn’t quite right to start jumping up and down. So I allowed it to jitter just beneath my skin.

About two weeks ago, it finally started spilling out. Inspiration. And it’s been steaming from my ears ever since.

I’ve been writing and creating and photographing and building. And it just keeps coming. Ideas and things toward which I feel an undeniable pull.

I’ve felt this pull before: with massage school, with my dreads, with this RV, and many other more personal moments that have forever changed and shaped the path my life is taking. Choices that are challenging and amazing and completely beyond my realm of understanding. And yet they always seem to work.

See, the thing is, I think this may be it. I think we may have found a place for us to be. And it’s not a spot on the map. It is the map.

I think.

And the only way we’ll know for sure that we’re heading in the right direction is if we can make a living while we make this life. And that’s what all this inspiration has been about: making a living out here on the road.

I have so many things to share in the coming months, things I’m working on and things I haven’t yet begun. A new website (!), an e-course, coaching, mobile services, maybe even an Etsy shop. One of these you’ll be seeing within a few days.

Yes, it’s a lot. And if you continue to not see me online much, you can know that I’m jumping up and down inside, whooping quietly to myself and enjoying every ride this amusement park has to offer.

In fact, until last week, there were three truths he held firm to:

1. That only women made good artists
2. That he was not artistic, nor interested in anything art related
3. That at some point in the next few years he would have to outgrow his beloved LEGO collection

He no longer believes any of that.

In fact, several nights ago he declared that he is going to be a sculptor, and that he wanted to go to bed early so he could get started on a new project the next day. The last words he spoke before falling to sleep that night were, “Tomorrow begins my sculpting career.”

Why the change? Zeb met one person who inspired him to view things differently.

His name is Chris. He’s a sculptor and he, his painter wife and their 4 year old daughter are currently living next to us in their RV.

They’ve had fun building light sabers out of PVC and duct tape, and the kids all love the dragons he made out of melted plastic trash.

But I think what first intrigued Zeb was that Chris loves LEGO so much he travels with his collection! For awhile now Zeb had assumed that growing older meant giving up the fun of childhood; Chris and his creative nature prove you can be a fun-loving kid at any age.

Over the weekend, Chris held a “funshop” for the kids, showing them how to make their own dragons from wire and modeling clay. Zeb, the once self-critical perfectionist, is IN LOVE with his creations. He excitedly points out how he executed his ideas, what didn’t work and what he wants to try next time. My heart swells just thinking about it all.

This is what I was hoping to find on the road: awesome people who help us open up and expose more of the world and all its options to our son. Two months into this trip and we’re already hearing things from him we no longer thought we would hear, we’re seeing him do things passionately he once swore he couldn’t do and we’re watching him take pride in his work.

A big, huge thank you to Chris and Becky for your inspiration, patience and kindness.

Between his new-found passion for sculpting, the dozen unschooling kids he’s spent every day with, the endless games they play and the beautiful surroundings, he’s already dreading our upcoming departure date. And with all the fun we’ve had with the NuRVers this past week, so are we.

To see more of what we’ve been up to, check out the Happy Janssen’s daily blog posts.

My mom and I began working on this tiny house when I was about 8 years old. But we had left it just shy of complete and it had sat untouched ever since. As we were packing up our art room it became very clear what we needed to do.

So, Mom and I got to work and lots of glue and sandpaper and one funny trip to the dollhouse store (they have tiny Playg!rl magazines!) later, we finished it up just in time to gift to my niece.

Granted, she’s still a little young and the front door now needs new hinges. But it was fun watching her eyes light up and I love passing along something we worked so hard on.

More dollhouse photos here.

I also discovered something about myself – and it applies to all areas of my life: I enjoy things much more when they aren’t for me. I enjoyed growing my veggies last year, but loved giving them away even more than eating them. I’m learning to enjoy cooking and when I can keep my focus on giving my husband and son nourishing foods as a gift of love it becomes much easier. And for nearly two decades I put off finishing this dollhouse until I had another person to keep in mind while I worked.

I just hope she continues to love it as much as I loved watching her with it. Something to always remember me by.

And something to remember her uncle by as well…

We didn’t do a lot for Christmas (including blogging about it) but I did enjoy making Justin this Manly Scarf (found here on Ravelry – and also on this blog).

It wasn’t difficult but it did require I pay closer attention. Did you know they make these cool little do-dads that fit over your knitting needles to help you keep track? Yes, you probably did. But I was pretty excited when I figured out what the pieces that came in my teach-yourself-to-knit kit were actually used for.

I made this super long; longer than Justin is tall. Also, the original pattern didn’t call for stripes; that was Justin’s request and my workmanship. Yup! Learned how to change colors! I think I may have done it wrong but I couldn’t find any directions for changing colors when the first stitch is slipped. Anyone?

Something else I learned while working on this: I really enjoy knitting. And it keeps me sane, especially when I’m overstimulated. It gives me something close by to focus on, and something to do, while still being in the middle of any hubbub (like busy family gatherings). It’s centers me, pulling me inward a bit…but not too much.

Yes. It’s my new thing. Now I just need more patterns. But how do I narrow it down??

• Love, love, love this jacket!
• This cowl is calling my name.
• I’m fairly certain this sweater is a must.
• And I’m totally tempted by this skirt.

I’m feeling a bit over my head, but a whole lot of inspired.:D

Organizing our lives into a 22 foot home on wheels is not going to be easy. The shelf Justin built above the cab is going to be a HUGE help. My only clever contribution was the snap-on laptop sleeves.

I got the laptop sleeve pattern from Ali Foster Patterns on Etsy. It was a great pattern, simple (once my mom explained it to me) and they turned out great.

I wanted a safe place to hold our laptops while traveling but also wanted them to be removable for heading out to any free wi-fi spot. So, I added the heavy-duty snaps – one on each corner of the backside of the sleeve – and screwed the other side of the snaps into the benches.

I got the exterior fabric on clearance at the store; the lining was leftover from my old curtains and the batting was leftover from our djembe bags. I’m going to miss not having my sewing machine on the road. I’ve really enjoyed learning more about sewing. I have a few more small projects to attempt before I decide it’s fate (storage or sale).

On the agenda for this week: Installing a water filter, sorting through/packing the art room, finishing my childhood dollhouse to gift to my nieces and…

Taking a maiden voyage! We’re heading out to Death Valley at the end of the week!

I ended up crocheting this, instead of knitting. (I prefer knit but let’s face it, crocheting is FAST.) My sister picked the yarn (and boy was it a PITA) and I decided on the pattern. The blanket is 150 stitches across and enough half double crochets to make it square. The pattern was 5 rows of green, 3 of pink, 1 of green, 3 of pink and ended with 5 rows of green.

The hood was an improvisation and if I was wiser with these things I would have written down what I did. I think I started with 20-30 stitches and decreased by 2 each row. But don’t quote me on that. I finished it with a single crocheted border of green, then pink around the edges.

Zeb tried it out to make sure the size would last her many years. Her 2 year old sister is still using hers, as is her 15 year old sister (my second-ever crocheted blanket!). Hopefully Shelby will love this one as much.

Even with the knit hat I’m making her, I’ll still be left with WAY too much yarn. I guess that’s a drawback of not following a real pattern.

He plans to blog about full-time RVing, sustainability issues, home brewing, and other personal interests. He feels as if he’s at the start of something and wants to chronicle his journey through it, without feeling locked into any one topic.

The problem is he has no idea what to call it!

I’ve given him two suggestions – UnlostWanderer (inspired from the quote “Not all who wander are lost”) and for laughs, SustainInTheMembrane, cuz he’s a Old School dork with a sustainable streak.

But he’s unsure. So, he’s asking for your help. Do you have any suggestions for him?