Beautiful Calendars, Address and Notebooks

BE PREPARED AND LOVE 2013!

 

Hawaii calendars are on sale through February for ONLY $10 EACH. Feel like you are in Hawaii everyday while you enjoy your new calendar, or maybe use it to plan your own trip!    PLUS, all Address Books and Note Books 10% off through February!

Admired Artist for January 2013

Glass Garden Jeweler - Mark Slaven
http://www.wegotglass.com/

Mark makes beautiful wire wrapped dichroic pendants.  You can find Mark and his wife at art shows throughout the United States and every July, right here in Ann Arbor at the Ann Arbor Art Fair!  His work is beautiful and very affordable.   I have many pieces myself.

Please note, you don't have to wait for an art fair to come to your area, you can easily order online.  There you will find a collection of pendants, bracelets, earrings, ring holders and chains.  Mark's Glass Garden has many great gifts for others and at these prices, don't forget to treat yourself!

2013 Calendars

UNIQUE 2013 CALENDAR

made exclusively for you or as a special gift

 

Schedule a fun photo session for $75 (price applies to 1 hour calendar photo sessions only)

or send in 20 to 40 photos representing your life in 2012.

Additional photo fun. "Mark the date" with a photo for special occasions, such as a birthday.

All custom wall calendars are 8.5"x11"   $29

 

Hawaii wall calendars also available   $25

Add "mark the date" photos to the Hawaii calendars for birthdays, anniversaries  $29

Happy 2013 to everyone!

As we enter this new year of 2013, many of us make promises to do something good for ourselves, such as lose weight, spend more time with loved ones, travel more or to do more volunteer work to help those less fortunate.  Some of these attempts will fall a little short, as we fall back into our old busy schedules, while others of us will find that new and exciting adventures await around the corner. My plan is to do all of the above and more, as I continue to work on my ZEN Lifestyle.

Whatever your choices, I wish you good health and I hope you find a great peace and happiness in your heart throughout the year. May you become closer to your loved ones and friends and may those around you see a stronger, happier, more ZEN-like you.

I also hope to see you this year!  My wish is that my joy of photography, whether taking photographs of you or creating heritage books, will create or strengthen a bond between you and your loved ones for years to come.

Many blessings to you in 2013,

Janice K. Nelson
Z.E.N. Photography Lifestyles

Charity of the Month for January

ADHD Awareness                                        

http://www.add.org/

Having a son with ADHD has brought a lot of awareness to this cause for my family. It took us years before we finally gave in to the label, but honestly we are now traveling down much happier trails. With support and knowledge and sometimes medication, life can get much easier.

Our extremely bright son has a great memory, but has short-term memory problems daily.  His organizational skills are a huge struggle, yet he can remember details with facts in no time.  His tic sounds, coughing and movements are questioned by many and varying in degree day to day.  These are difficult for others to understand at times, but we've been told he will outgrow these in a few years.

Many times it is very difficult for others to understand what a child with ADHD is going through and what the parents and family deal with every day.  The simplest of requests can turn into a number of guiding yet ultimately exhausting requests to get one thing done.  As parents, we learn that our child may need more time to walk away from a task that he is engaged in, or that he may get more frustrated when he doesn't think he's being heard. We've learned and we are still learning how to deal with the emotions of our son.

It's never normal at our house, whatever that is, but as my cousin says, we have a drummer that marches to the beat of his own drum and we embrace that beat every day with much love.

Bring Change To Mind

Originally I was going to share this site Bring Change To Mind in my January Charity section, but in light of what has happened recently in Newtown, Connecticut, I am posting it earlier.  My blog site is not meant to be political or opinionated about big issues.  It's to show the wonderful lives of the children, families and our pets enjoying our ZEN Lifestyles.  I think this tragedy has touched so many in our world that I feel it important to share a site that a friend had recently posted on Facebook.  Her son, like so many other sons, daughters, parents and grand parents struggle with mental illness. My own mother suffered for years with bi-polar disease, so I know first hand how difficult it is to be the helpless one trying so desperately to find the right help for your struggling loved one.

Like most, I am heartbroken for the families who lost their children, worried for the first responders who will never forget what they saw, but did their jobs to help save others and get answers as quickly as possible, and saddened that those with a mental illness have such a difficult time getting help when they need it, before their illness takes over and hurts others..


Bring Change To Mindhttp://bringchange2mind.org/
Adults and kids alike are dealing with mental illness in our world. Unfortunately, most people do not look at it as an illness. Bring Change To Mind is working to erase the stigma of mental illness. You can help by reading their website, having an open mind as to how this illness takes over someones life and how you can help to understand what someone dealing with a mental illness is going through. With this kind of understanding, you can bring awareness and and help remove misconceptions for others. Consider holding a drive or even send a donation their way to help us Bring Change To Mind.

May we find a way to make a positive change for everyone.

Many blessing to you all

Janice K. Nelson

Home and Gardens Slideshow

Southwest Michigan Hideaway

One of our favorite places to stay on the southwest coast of Michigan is at a Bed and Breakfast called Harbert House http://harberthouse.net/index.html , in Harbert, MI. Located near the Warren Dunes, this B & B is run by Nancy, who is wonderful chef from Chicago. The rooms are very comfortable, with a private bathroom in each room. If you have diet concerns, she is very accommodating to making sure her homemade food is perfect for each of you. Believe me; we have carnivores, vegetarians and someone with celiac disease in our family, not to mention picky children! Our entire family has rented all of the rooms and stayed for a week over the holidays! My in-laws now own a home nearby Nancy, but we still have friends and family stay there when we have an overflow at our home, and she has become such a part of our family that we invite her to our holidays. Just tell her Janice sent you!

Changing Seasons

As the seasons change, so will my blog.  I debated a snowy background, but we are still snowless in Ann Arbor and it's so hard to think snow when we keep holding on to the late fall-like weather outside.  Instead, I'm going with a beautiful holiday star. 

From my family to yours, we wish everyone a happy and safe holiday season!

Blessings from The Nelson Family

Book Publishing

I'm excited to share some news with you! I've recently added a new publishing company to my photography business. This will help me to create and publish a variety of professional books, from photography to novels, poetry to memoirs, trips taken, cookbooks, journals and calendar books, just to name a few. I am excited to be working with a company that provides such beautiful heirloom-pro line quality paper and bindings.

Once we have your book created, you can share it, sell it or view it as an ebook. Drop me a line if you have any questions.

Best!

 

Cupcakes in Cadillac!

I got word from my hometown of Cadillac, MI that there is a new sweet stop on the north side of town.  If you are in the neighborhood visit the bakery and deli on the north side called The Sweetest Things. In the bakery they make gourmet cupcakes with a variety of fillings. If you are in the mood for lunch, they also make wraps and panini's served on authentic Italian bread.

 

This is a brand new business with exciting flavors to try, and what a great way to support a local family business. The next time I'm up north you can bet I won't pass this one by! YUM!

Charity of the Month for December

In the holiday season, always important to remember those less fortunate.

Food Gathers

http://www.foodgatherers.org/

We are so lucky in Washtenaw County to have such a place as Food Gathers. This organization gathers food from area stores and restaurants to give to those in need. Food that may have been wasted if it were not for Food Gathers picking it up and redistributing it. I worked with FG through another non-profit organization for years, where I learned the work that they and their volunteers do is just amazing. If you have the chance to go to 1 Carrot Lane, you should take your family and ask them how you can help. You will never forget your experience.

We've Got The Perfect Gift!

 

GIFT CERTIFICATES from Z.E.N. Photography Lifestyles can be a great way for one or more people to contribute to a special gift for family and friends.  

 

To purchase, email ZENPhotographyLifestyles@gmail.com 

 

 

HOLIDAY SPECIAL PRICE Gift certificates purchased by December 16th can be used to save $100 on either of the following Z.E.N. packages.

1. A spring time photo shoot with photo book Sale price: $250

2. A family heritage book  Sale price: $450

 

Also on sale, personalized 2013 photo Calendars - with photos on the cover, at the top of each month and up to 12 special days chosen for birthdays, anniversaries, etc. Sale price: $40

 

Gift certificates can be purchased for the calendar.  Please note that all calendars will be made in January 2013 with your photos from 2012 or if you would like to add a photo shoot to this package Sale price: $250 inclusive (photo shoot with calendar).

 

What is a FAMILY HERITAGE BOOK?
Bring out the old boxes of photos, you know the ones of you as a child and the other boxes that hold your parents old black and whites! Your intentions have been good to put those in order and into a more organized album, but there never seems to be enough time to do it. Z.E.N. Photography will take care of this big project for you!

We create 3 types of beautiful Family Heritage Books.
1. With photos only
2. Each photo captioned with names
3. Tell your family story. Photos with added journaling about your family.

We believe in taking the time to capture your family stories and trasform these "old photos in a box" into a bound hard covered book that you can share and pass down to other family members for years to come.

How do we do this?
1. You gather all those old photos
2. Put them into a timeline order, as much as possible
3. If you know who the people are in each photo, write the names down on a post-it and stick it onto
    the back of the photo
4. We will meet and talk about the type of book that you invision for your Family Heritage Book.
5. We create and deliver a fabulous book that you will love to share as gifts, for each family member
     to hand down for generations.

To purchase, email ZENPhotographyLifestyles@gmail.com

Z.E.N. Moments

Admired Artist for December 2012

ARTIST - HELEN GOTLIB
http://www.helengotlib.com/
Helen is an amazing artist from Ann Arbor. I have known Helen since she was in the 6th grade. Her love of drawing has taken her across the state, from east to west, north to south in our nation and around the world! If she is not on the road or flying somewhere, you can find Helen at numerous events including the Ann Arbor Art Fair every July or at her studio in Ann Arbor. Her technique is as unique as she is. I have admired her since she was that young middle schooler, but her work makes me smile and feel proud to say that I know her. Check out Helen's work, you may find something that will be perfect for your home!

Miss You, Dad

In August of 2009 I took this photograph of my dad leaning against the gate of his garden. He worked so hard throughout his whole life, and his garden was something that he was always proud of, something that you had to take a walk through every time you came to visit. If it was harvest season, you could be sure to take home lots of fresh vegetables.

It turned out that this would be the last photograph that I could ever take of my dad. In November of that year he fell, while cleaning his chimney and died of severe injuries. This photo means so much to me because it's how I remember my dad throughout his life. I'm so glad I happened to capture him in his ZEN moment.

St. Joseph, MI

Happy Holidays!

THANKSGIVING 2012 - St. Joseph, MI.

Twenty three family members and friends-like-family came together at my in-laws' lake house to celebrate Thanksgiving 2012. Many of us meeting for the first time, we enjoyed getting to know one another, spent time walking the beach and eating lots and lots of turkey! Lots of fun was had by all!

Admired Artist for November 2012

POTTER - ANDREW WOLMAN-SIMSON PHOTOGRAPHER and BEADER - ALICIA WOLMAN-SIMSON
http://oneheronpondstudio.com/about.html
Andrew and Alicia run One Heron Pond Studio from their property in Deming, Washington on Mount Baker Highway. Currently, Andrew makes his pottery for sale at Good Earth Pottery in Fairhaven Washington, the Bellingham Farmer's Market, and other galleries and craft shows in the region. He also teaches classes for both interested beginners and experienced potters. His wife Alicia, a photographer, is also a part of One Huron Pond Studio is busy creating beaded jewelry, which you can also find on their site.

No worries if you do not live close to Seattle, these artists will take your requests, hand make your desires and send it to you with lots of love!

Charity of the month for November

A timely charity for emergency disaster relief for the superstorm Sandy victims
What they are doing today:
http://teamrubiconusa.org/update-operation-greased-lightning/
Team Rubicon unites the skills and experiences of military veterans with medical professionals to rapidly deploy emergency response teams into crisis situations.
To donate go to: http://teamrubiconusa.org/donate/