Newsletter Giveaway

and the winner of my first Newsletter Giveaway is.......Courtney! She's the lucky winner of a Summer Inspired Surprise Pack from Sara Norris Photography!

8x8 "Shade" print with 11x14 matting 

Just a note-book set: "Seaside Series"

Courtney will also receive a special gift: a new set of greeting cards featuring images from Sara Norris Photography. These won't even be available until next month!

Courtney was chosen at random just by signing up for my newsletter. If you want to be included in the drawing for July's giveaway, be sure to sign up for my newsletter on my blog or visit my website.

There's No Place Like Home

When someone orders a print from me I'm always thrilled. I pack each print up with love and send it off to find its new home. That little piece of me and my world is going to become part of someone else's life. Whether it be a gift for their loved one, or a present they bought for themselves...my print becomes a part of their home and their world.

There is nothing I love more than when its new owner sends me pictures of where my print has ended up. When Irene from Design StILes send me an email today I was so thrilled! She bought my "Once Upon a Time" print. Now I can see where it has found its new home.

Irene wrote a blog post today and included this picture. It looks amazing all frames up on her wall. Take a look at her blog post here.

Do you guys have pictures of where you've displayed my prints? I would LOVE to see them!
Thank you Irene...you made my day!

365 Project: Day 82

I woke up really stressed out this morning. It was the strangest thing. I was in a panic. There was a lot to get accomplished today, but that's not really different from any other day in my life. Sometimes, when I have a lot to do, even though I'm organized and I've made a list of what needs to be accomplished, I lose direction. I'll find myself standing, usually in the middle of my house for some reason, just trying to decide what I need to do first. That's when I start to feel overwhelmed. I'll just stand there or pace around thinking and trying to sort everything out in my head. Then I usually do the dishes or clean something. For some reason, doing the dishes calms me down. Maybe because my hands are busy and I can focus, accomplish something that needs to be taken care of, and burn off some of my nervous energy all at the same time.

I realize its not only the tasks on my list today that are stressing me out, but that's what I focus on. Even though I absolutely love my life right now, there are always those little issues. For one thing, I am exhausted. I don't sleep much or well when I do manage to fall asleep. Money, or my lack thereof really upsets me, even subconsciously. I try not to think about it, but every now and then, it'll creep up on me. There is a reason that the term "Starving Artist" exists, its not a myth. I think it gets to me because I know I'm working so incredibly hard and I'm trying the best I can to pull it all together. I LOVE what I do and that's why I keep at it, but I never seem to get ahead. All this work is toward an ultimate goal, and that's what keeps me going. The tasks on my list, those are the things I have control over. I can complete a list of tasks, but I can't make money magically appear and I can't force myself to rest. Believe me, I've tried to do both. So, every now and then, I have a day like today. A day where all of the things I try not to think about confront me. A day that is overwhelming and upsetting and unbelievably stressful.

Working out helps. I had a long workout today. I'm going to hurt like hell tomorrow, but I feel better right now. Then, I laid down and read a book for a short while so I had time to just breathe. I got to lose myself in Edgar Cayce's life for half an hour. Maybe that's why I like to read biographies. I get to experience someone else's life and avoid whatever is bothering me about mine.

I finished most of the tasks on my list today. I kept up with several of my New Year's resolutions. Those are accomplishments to be happy about. Just as I'm writing this post, I received several positive comments on my photography and an email letting me know that I was featured on a really great blog today! Those are the things that make this struggle all worth while for me. One day all of my hard work will pay off and I will finally get ahead. I know tomorrow I'll be just fine.

Canadian House and Home Magazine

I was so excited when Trina from Decor Addict emailed me to let me know that my "On the Boardwalk" greeting cards were featured on the Canadian House & Home Magazine blog! I was literally jumping up and down.

Thank you so much for including me Trish, and thank you Trina for sending me that email! It made my whole day.

Are you feeling lucky?!

I'm in Las Vegas this weekend! This is my first trip to Vegas and I am so excited! I'm not very lucky though, so gambling is not really my thing. But what about you guys? Are you feeling lucky?

I hope so, because Sara Norris Photography is having its first ever giveaway! 

'What can I win?' you ask. The lucky winner can choose their favorite item from my Etsy shop! Yep, that's right, ANY item! So, what are you waiting for? Hurry up and enter already! The giveaway will end at midnight (PST) on Sunday, September 20th and I will announce the winner on Monday.

All you have to do to enter is:

* Visit my Etsy shop (www.saranorris.etsy.com) and pick out your favorite item. 

* Leave a comment on this blog post with your email and the item you chose! 

The comments will be numbered and the winner will be chosen at random (with a random number generator, of course! haha!). Only one comment per person please and if you don't leave your email address you will be disqualified.

Good Luck!

Thanks Vintage Indie!

I'm so excited!  Today I was featured on Vintage Indie! 

Quote for the day: "Inspiration could be called inhaling the memory of an act never experienced." --Ned Rorem (an American Composer)

Welcome to 2009 baby!

The New Year has finally arrived in all of its balloon dropping, confetti tossing, champagne toasting, kissing at midnight glory!  I love when the new year arrives.  It brings a feeling of a new beginning, a fresh start to another year of your life.  For me its a time reflect on the last year and make the appropriate changes in my life. Its a time to make new resolutions and re-commit to the old ones.  I look at the upcoming year as a blank slate.  Anything can happen and the idea of that is very exciting to me!

This year I decided that the best way to kick off 2009 was with a road trip!  I had everything all planned out, then I found out that it was supposed to rain the WHOLE TIME!  I was bummed, but plans were adjusted and John and I set out on our journey anyway.

We finally arrived at the Sheraton in Petaluma, CA. Which, by the way, was FABULOUS! Its right on the river.  I would highly recommend staying there if you are ever in Petaluma.

After dinner we arrived at the Mystic Theater in downtown Petaluma to see the Tommy Castro Band.  They are an awesome blues band.  If you are in to the blues, you should check them out.

The Tommy Castro Band.

Tommy jammin'

We headed up Highway 101 and stopped in the most adorable historic towns. We took a break in this park next to a river along the way.  It had the most beautiful, fall-colored trees.

This was the bridge over the river.  Then we headed through the woods and to the coast.

The beginning of day 3. It was MUCH colder on the coast.

We went to Glass Beach in Fort Bragg, CA.  The beach is covered in sea glass. It really is an amazing site to see.

We made a pit stop in Elk, CA.  This was the coolest toilet.  It even had skylights.  I was impressed.

We decided about 1/4 of the way down the hill just to take a look over the edge instead.

Luckily it didn't rain nearly as much as we thought it would and we had a great time!  I really want to post all of the pictures we took along the way, so maybe I'll throw some more in another post soon.  Of course I took TONS of pictures along the way!  Keep your eyes peeled, many of the new prints will be available in my Etsy shop soon.  I have a lot of new products in the works that will be for sale throughout 2009.

Happy New Year everyone!  I hope that 2009 brings you all hope, happiness, and all of the great things that you want in your lives.

Quote for the day:

"Cheers to a new year and another chance for us to get it right."

- Oprah Winfrey

The Mary Go Round

Mary from Sun2Create included me in the Dog Lover's Gift Guide on her blog TheMaryGoRound today!

I love her throw pillow covers! Everyone should check out her shop on Etsy.

Thanks for including me! She made my day.

I actually got the quote for the day from her blog:

"Each day comes bearing its own gifts. Untie the ribbons."

- Ruth Ann Schabacker