Start Where You Are a Journal of Self Exploration By Meera Lee Patel

Welcome back to my blog...
Today I'm bringing you a happy, sweet and bubbly fluke. a little while ago I went to the bookstore with an aim of finding something that would inspire me and make me want to work on myself and my blog more often. I picked up a number of books that are written by my favorite motivators. As I was browsing books I heard the announcement that the store was about to close, and just as I was leaving my eyes met this beautiful little book with a beautiful watercolor design on it and I had no idea what it was but I had a good feeling about it. On my ride home I opened the book and was in love with it, every page, every idea just made me turn one page after the other and today I will sum it up to you!

The mind behind this beautiful piece is a beautiful illustrator named Meera Lee Patel whose a self-taught artist raised by the New Jersey shore, where she swam the bright waters and climbed cherry blossom trees until she grew old enough to draw them. Her illustrations are inspired by the magical mysteries of nature, the quiet stories that lace through everyday life, and the bold colors of her native India. 
Her first book, DAILY ZEN, was published by Ulysses Press in October 2014. 
Her second book, START WHERE YOU ARE, was published in Fall 2015 by Perigee (Penguin USA).

Now let's beak down this book!

So, this book is written and illustrated in watercolor. on each page there's a beautiful illustration with a quote and on the opposite side of the page there's something for you to do. 

while going through these little tasks you'll see that you're starting to think about things a little differently and possibly you come to realize the small things a little more.

flipping through this journal is an unstoppable motion I pretty much finished it in one day and wanted more!

While researching Meera I found this video of her paining as a collaboration between her and Free people. it's beautiful to watch.   

These beautiful illustrations and more can be found on Meera's Etsy 

Check out Meera's Website

Follow Meera on Twitter - Instagram  - Facebook 

 Buy her book from Amazon - Indiebound - Powell's - Urban outfitters -

My final thoughts about this book is it's a beautiful, thoughtful and very deep personal book. although it can give the illusion that the targeted audience are young adults, I enjoyed it a lot and it really put a smile on my face and was a great inspiration! I give this five stars and will buy this as a gift to a loved one. 

for more information you can email me at reemwrites@gmail.com 

don't hesitate to tweet me at @reemsjournal    

Something Blue: things to train your brain that are blue :)

Today I wanted to talk about a number of things that have two things in common. the first is that they train your brain and make you feel great and the second is that they happen to be blue!



First on my list is my new addiction the Elevate App!

Elevate App as described in their website is a new type of cognitive training tool designed to build communication and analytical skills. Members are provided with a personalized game-based training program that adjusts over time based on performance.
Elevate has been selected by Apple as the App of the Year for 2014. Since launching in May 2014, Elevate has been downloaded more than 10 million times on the App Store and Google Play.
for me this app is so much more!
First of all, the app is very elegant. the graphics are so crisp, clean and simple. the layout is pretty easy to figure out on your own. 
After you download the app, you are required to create an account which only takes few moments. after that you are free to use this app! 
Everyday you take three different tests and they vary between math, writing, memory and focus and more! 

After each test your result are kept to determine your progress over the weeks. you can schedule your sessions according to your plans and choose to be notified when the sessions are available.
when you finish your sessions, you can still practice the same categories that same day. however the next day is usually a different one! 
with time you will find it easy to go through each session with minimal mistakes. this app not only made me develop skills I needed, but also made me more confidant and happy with myself.



                                                                               ...

Next app is my all time favorite and will forever be << maybe that's a bit much but I'm like that

it's Monument Valley

it's described as an illusory  adventure of impossible architecture and forgiveness . its a puzzle game developed by USTWO .
You lead princess Ida ( the main character) through mazes of optical illusions that are beautifully 
 inspired by Japanese prints, minimalist sculpture, and indie games Windosill,Fez, and Sword & Sworcery, 
and was compared by critics to M. C. Escher drawings and Echochrome.

 The art was designed such that each frame would be worthy of  public display. After a closed beta test, it was released for iOS on April 3, 2014, and was later ported to Android and Windows Phone.

The game received generally favorable reviews. Critics praised its art and sound design, but noted its lack of difficulty and short length. It won a 2014 Apple Design Award, was named Apple's best iPad game of 2014, and sold over two million copies by January 2015.

why is it good for your brain? 
this is not a game. it's an experience. the graphics, the music and the simplicity made people all over the world fall in love with this beautiful piece of art! so many people loved the story line of this game that they decided to create fan art about it. the official Monument Vally Tumblr account shares fan art from all over the world.

                                                                   an example of fan art by painted castel 


                                                                             ...


My list can not be completed without a book! 

and my little Blue book is called : This book will make you mindful by Dr Jessamy Hibberd and Jo Usmar . 

what this book is really about is how to be mindful. how to live in the moment and really enjoy it. how to have better control of your emotions and feelings. 
I recommend this to everyone who'd like to have a better life emotionally and truly live in the moment.
full book review coming up soon! 

Thank you so much for reading this. I really hope you enjoyed it! 

please don't forget to follow my
 instagram @reemwrites 
and my Twitter @reemsjournal 
leave me a comment or email me at reemwrites@gmail.com

February favorites 2016

This month I'm posting my favorites on time because I'm better than the person I was last month :P

So this month my favorites are pretty random so..., Let's get going

  My first item this month is an Old Navy sleep shirt. I bought it two sizes bigger to feel cuddled by it.

I pretty much live in it these days! I usually pair it with a fluffy robe I got from New Look and a pair

of thick socks.

My next favorite is an activity! I'm finding my passion for cooking! Believe it or not I'm starting to enjoy creating healthy and yummy meals. I'm obsessed with food network and cooking blogs! I found this blog with very easy recipes! Take a look 

.

Another food related item is organic greek yogurt with rhubarb by Rachel's. I am fighting pneumonia at the moment and I felt like crap for the past week, just yesterday I ate an entire cup of this and felt a lot better after that! I do recommend it!

My next passion is adult coloring books! I know it seems so un-adult like but it's quite soothing and relaxing! My favorite is art therapy coloring books for adults. It comes with a very detailed illustrations for you to color. Some pages come with few details already  colored to help you decide your color scheme and others are 100% all on you!

an unfinished picture 

the work I'm so proud of 

The only thing that made me a little upset was the fact that the papers can not handle Pro Markers and I have a small collection of Pro Markers that I'd like to use but I can't because it bleeds through and that means that you lose the page on the back and with that said I can say that my next favorite item is my faber castell watercolor pencils artist grip 36 pencil set. I love this so much! What I love about it the most is the fact that you have the choice to use it as colored pencils or paint over them with a damp brush to blend the colors beautifully. I'm kind of addicted to it but it is truly relaxing and therapeutic.

 Moving on to my film of the month

Room 

I wanted to see this movie for a while now and I'm so glad I did! This movie gave me so many feelings! The level of acting is amazing by all actors and this is the type of film that you can watch years from now and still love it!

Spoiler alert! Story line ahead

ROOM tells the extraordinary story of Jack, a spirited 5-year-old who is looked after by his loving and devoted mother. Like any good mother, Ma dedicates herself to keeping Jack happy and safe, nurturing him with warmth and love and doing typical things like playing games and telling stories. Their life, however, is anything but typical--they are trapped--confined to a windowless, 10-by-10-foot space that Ma has euphemistically named Room. Ma has created a whole universe for Jack within Room, and she will stop at nothing to ensure that, even in this treacherous environment, Jack is able to live a complete and fulfilling life. But as Jack's curiosity about their situation grows, and Ma's resilience reaches its breaking point, they enact a risky plan to escape, ultimately bringing them face-to-face with what may turn out to be the scariest thing yet: the real world. Written by A24

My next favorite is a new Tv seires at least to me called Wired Loners

It's a comedy about  four relationship-phobic people are unexpectedly thrust into one another's lives and form an unlikely bond in a townhouse in Queens, NY.This is not the type of show that you'd get anxious if you miss an episode. This is the kind of show that you'd enjoy while multi-tasking. It's funny, kind of awkward and sometimes even very relate able.

My list can not be completed without a book and this month my book is also a comedy!

I've been a fan of Shane Dawson  Youtube channel for quite sometime and when I got his book " I hate myselfie"

 I didn't expect much of it but I have to say I flipped through this book so fast! It's straight to the point, got that sassy sense of humor that many find offensive, each chapter pretty much a different story and as a bonus Shane actually included fan art into the book. Each artist was giving a preview of a chapter and was told to create a fan art about it.

I really like this book. It's pretty easy to read and quite personal! Stay away if you're easily offended 

though buy the book here.

Things to come :

I'm looking forward to start working on some of my Keri Smith books. Also I'm still obsessing over Game of thrones that I'm latterly having dreams about it!

Thank you so much for reading this. I really hope you enjoyed it and don't hesitate to leave me a 

comment or email me at reemwrites@gmail.com

Have a nice day!

    

  

January Favorites 2016

I welcome you back after being gone for almost a year. can you believe it?!! A WHOLE YEAR!!
well, I honestly had so much to do and those who are close to me knows well why.
anyways, since its February I decided to make a January favorites (First time ever!!)before its too late. I know my blog is all about photography but this year I'm shifting things around! Don't worry I will still throw an interview here every once in a while.
now, where were we?! ... oh yeah my favorites for the month of January!
Lets do this...

So the first item is something I got last year and still love so much.
my Massimo Dutti clutch bag with a gold chain. what I love about this bag is the amount of details in it, the exterior and how it looks perfect worn in either side.
the inside is also just as impressive with a built in card holder that can hold up to six cards. there's plenty of space to hold your cards, some cash, your phone and a bottle of perfume and even some make up items!

speaking of make up! my next favorites were a happy fluke! I had a fashion emergency and went to a drug store for some make up and found my favorite lip liners and lipsticks!
the shades I love are every shade people are wearing right know. the nude pinks and the nude browns aka Kylie Jenner signature colors. these lip liners are by a company called GOSH (I just heard of them) and they are pigmented and Matt.
the first shade of lip liner is called 001 Nougat crisp it's a nude pinkish lip toned color, the most natural color there is. I love pairing it with a lipstick in the color 003 Antique for  brownish nude lips.
for a nude pink lip  the color combo is lip liner 002 Antique Rose and lipstick in color 002 Rose. these colors are a great replica for the Kylie Jenner lip ket, in my opinion any good Matt lip liner and lipstick will do as long as you apply them the right way. what I love the most about GOSH Matt lip liners is how long they last and how well they go together. I totally recommend them for all skin tones.

here are the swatches 

the first combo will give you this Kylie look 

and the second combo will give you this look 

My next favorite make up item is Benefit They're real Gel eyeliner.

the photo from their official website 

 It comes with this magical applicator that makes winged liner easy for girls like me (aka girls who have one dominant side) you twist the bottom of the liner and it pumps the liner into the applicator and voila! there you have it! its also a long lasting water proof wear so enjoy.

My favorite nail polish forever is by Essence and its called grey-t to be here. I love this color I think it compliments me and looks good with everything.

 and here's a photo of the dress from the official Zara website 

Since we are still in fashion mode my next item is actually a dress! 

I got this dress from Zara and I love everything about it. the fabric is soft and a little stretchy so it complements any curves you have, the colors are just beautiful and at the back there's a sexy back slit as a surprise. I paired this with maroon leggings and brown suede boots.

I decided to join everyone and actually try the magical hair brush that straightens your hair and ever since I got it I couldn't stop using it! it saves so much time and gives that natural straight look to the hair when used properly. I won't be making a review since everyone in the internet already did.

Perfumes are my favorite things in the world. for this month I have two favorite perfumes. the first is Poppy by Durance.
I just love how soft, romantic and feminine this perfume is. its very simple and medium wear. works perfect for people who cannot stand strong perfumes. also, this company became my go to for perfumes because of how simple and elegant most of their products are.

Prodigieux® le parfum by Nuxe is my next favorite this month. if you are familiar with this company you'd know that this perfume and about everything else smells like a beautiful garden! this perfume is very luxurious and rich but yet subtle and soft. I have a bottle of this in my bag at all times.

For skin care I can never give this product enough praise. the bioderma sebium purifying facial foaming gel for acne prone skin is perfect for those bad skin days. it keeps the skin fresh, it gently cleans it with absolutely no irritation . I usually use this product along with the intensive purifying cream for best results.
for removing my make up I use the facial cleanser Sensibio H2O for sensitive skin by biodrema. it removes pretty much all the make up in one wipe and keeps your skin refreshed and soft for the rest of the day!

This month my favorite app is blendoku. it's a puzzle game where you try and figure out where each color should go. It's beautiful, challenging and perfect for artistic people or anyone who loves colors.

The book of the month is the hardest thing for me because once I start talking about a book its almost impossible for me to shut up. the book I picked is called (The power of the heart): Finding your true purpose in life by Baptist de Pape. the thing I love the most about this book is you can learn from eighteen of the world’s greatest spiritual thinkers, writers, and scientists, including Maya Angelou, Deepak Chopra, Paulo Coelho, and Eckhart Tolle. all these amazing mentors giving advice in this one book. this book made me feel excited about life again. no matter who you are and what you do I guarantee this book is going to benefit you one way or the other.

P. S: actual book reviews coming soon!

The movie of the month goes to (The Revenant). While exploring the uncharted wilderness in 1823, legendary frontiersman Hugh Glass (Leonardo DiCaprio) sustains injuries from a brutal bear attack. When his hunting team leaves him for dead, Glass must utilize his survival skills to find a way back home to his beloved family. Grief-stricken and fueled by vengeance, Glass treks through the wintry terrain to track down John Fitzgerald (Tom Hardy), the former confidant who betrayed and abandoned him.
YES! Leo did it hopefully an Oscar this year!

I Have to shamefully admit that I started watching Game Of Thrones about two months ago ...SHAME!!

but I watched all five seasons and now I feel empty waiting for the final season. so the show is about  several noble families in Westeros at war , the children of the former rulers of the land attempt to rise up to power. Meanwhile a forgotten race, bent on destruction, return after thousands of years in the North. << this is the most non- spoiler way to put it since I've seen so many spoilers for the past five years. what I have to say about the show is there's a lot of killing, blood, nudity, sex, creepy family members seeing eachother naked, power and money. but there's something about that show that made me want to see more. this is the first time that I watched something of this sort but I can't wait for the next season.

and that's all folks! I hope to post next month's favorites on time!
thank you everyone for reading I hope you enjoy this. Don't hesitate to share :)

for more info contact me on my email reemwrites@gmail.com

Interview with Fashion Photographer Siyana Kasabova

Siyana is a 21 year old photographer and retoucher based in West Midlands UK.she's originally from Bulgaria but moved to the UK almost 3 years ago to undertake a photography degree. Since then her interest in fashion and beauty photography has greatly developed and she is! hoping to do this for a living one day

I had the opportunity to ask Siyana few questions to get to know her creative process a little more..

lets go,

What is your ideal camera (doesn't have to be real)

My ideal camera is one that is easy to focus (shooting wide open is not easy you know) and which is very light - the weight of the camera I shoot with is killing me sometimes, especially after an all day long shoot.

Do you prefer natural light or flash?

I shoot with natural light mostly - I love the softness of it. I like playing with it - using shades, backlighting, playing with shadows. I hope to master natural light looking studio lighting skills one day

Indoors or outdoors

Definitely outdoors. I am not a fan of low light situations which are often inevitable when shooting inside. I love bright indoor spaces - for example a room with huge windows - the light is very soft and even and helps produce interesting results. However I am a fan of outdoor shooting. I love nature so being outdoors helps me combine my love for photography and my love for flowers and greenery.

How important is hair and make up to you?

Hair and makeup are essential for fashion shoots even though I've done many without h&m. Some of my shoots such as the "Summer in November" editorial I shot in June were created with me and the model only - a team of two. I like to shoot unplanned sometimes and see what I can make out of it - in most cases it works. But this is for personal work only - if it's a commercial shoot or a campaign hair and makeup are a must!

What do you look for in a model?

Expression in the eyes and unique features. It's the face that is the most important to me - the model should be able to show different emotions and get into different roles.

Describe your favorite image taken by you and an image taken by another photographer The favourite image I have taken is of a girl named Mila. It was her birthday and we went out to take some photos in a sunny April day. We found some cherry blossoms and climbed a fence to take the shot. It's a portrait image filled with colour and cherry blossoms and Mila in the middle with her pretty face, looking mysteriously. It's my all time favourite from all the images I've taken so far.

Favourite image by someone else? 

This will be difficult to answer… I have so many favourite photos it's impossible to narrow them down to one. One of them is "The escape of the flora" by Bella Kotak - a girl in red cape and with flowers in her hair is running in a mystical colourful forest - it's such a magical image.

If you could be anything other than a photographer what would you be?

I would be a fashion designer - actually that used to be my "when I grow up" dream job when I was little. I would probably design dresses such as those of Ellie Saab or Dolce and Gabbana. Hehe. Only if I had the talent to do so!

Do you read any photoshop related books/articles or watch any online tutorials? 

I read a lot of online tutorials mainly on Retouching Academy and FStoppers. Also, Vibrant Shot Photography's youtube videos are my favourite - very well explained and straight on point

Did photography effect your fashion style?

It absolutely has. Since I started developing interest in fashion photography I started paying more attention to how I look, what I wear, what the current trends are.

If you can photograph anyone or anything who / what would it be?

It would be really interesting to photograph myself as another person. It's impossible, but I am really curious what it would be.

What inspires you the most?

Nature, light, faces, colours.

Who inspires you the most?

Emily Soto, Lara Jade, Sue Bryce, Bella Kotak, Julia Kuzmenko McKim and many more - seeing how well they handle their photography businesses keeps me moving forward - I am looking up to them so to say. Plus, their images are beyond beautiful.

How can you describe your style?

Dreamy, colourful, whimsical.

If you had magical powers (breath underwater/ fly/ be invisible) what kind of pictures would you be taking?

I wish I had magical powers that would protect me from spiders (unfortunately I have arachnophobia :/) Then I would be able to go deep into the woods and take beautiful portraits of beautiful faces in the beautiful bushes.

What types of photography you know you'll never do?

Sports photography, automotive photography, product photography..

What do you like to do on your free time?

Read, do yoga, go for a walk in the park or watch a fun movie (sometimes I like to wash the dishes and clean the house too :D)

Colors or black and whites? Colours!!

Can you share a before and after

How important networking to you?

Having other Internet friends from other sides of the world. For me networking is one of the most important things. In 2014 I have managed to make many new internet friends and also managed to meet many of them in person! There is no better thing than communicating with other creatives with all different backgrounds!

Can you name photographers you admire.

Ella Ruth, Lara Jade, Emily Soto, Julia Kuzmenko MacKim, Michael Woloszynowicz, Bella Kotak, Sam Goodridge, Jessica Larue and so many more.

What would you advice young Siyana that picked up her camera for the first time?

To look straight into fashion photography and not waste all those year trying to figure out what she likes.

What is next for Siyana?

I am graduating this year and I hope to take up photography full time. I hope 2015 will bring me lots of new adventures and I will be inspired to create and develop my skills

Find Siyana at:

Facebook Page -- Twitter -- Behance -- 500px -- Tumblr