Craft Faire and Book Signing and Where to Find Biggest Little Photographer

Posted on December 19, 2016 by Camilla

November 27 2016:

Mr. Minifigure Photographer gets to attend the Magic of Santa Craft Faire next Saturday, 12.3! Thomas and I and the Biggest Little Photographer will be part of the Book Blast! space.

We will be there from 10-4. Stop by for a hug and a book if you’re there!

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November 28 2016:

Thank you Natalie Gorden for surprising us on Saturday. I so very much appreciate you stopping by to see us and to buy a few books at the book signing! Oceans of love to YOU! xoxo

So far Biggest Little Photographer will be in five local shops: The Discovery Museum Gift Shop, Don’s Pharmacy, Buy Nevada First, Galena Creek Visitor’s Center Gift Shop, and NeverEnder.

If you know anyone, we are looking for connections to gift shops in Reno, Virginia City, Tahoe, Incline Village, and Sparks; including Nevada Historical Society, Wilbur May Center, visitor centers, casino gift shops and hospital gift shops. xoxoxo

Worlds of thanks to everyone for the connections to local shops in regards to stocking Biggest Little Photographer!” xoxo …. Blessings abound to everyone!!

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November 30 2016:

Wednesday is post office day for Biggest Little Photographer. Safe, quick travels Mr. Minifigure Photographer! Have fun in Carson City, Nevada; Mountain View, California; and Youngsville, Louisiana!!! xoxo

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November 30 2016:

Thank you Coral Wilcox for coming by to see us on Saturday and buying a book. I’m incredibly happy we finally got to meet! Thanks, also, for the hugs! Oceans of love to YOU! xoxo

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December 1 2016:

Delivered books to Neverender today. What an absolutely beautiful shop! So many locally created items. I’ll be back to get some of the amazing soy candles in recycled bottles. WOW! For now, this is the place to get the book in Mid Town. Thank you Melanie Crane for your trust, kindness, and having such an awesome shop!

The other locations around town are: The Discovery Museum Gift Shop, Don’s Pharmacy (delivering next week), Buy Nevada First (delivering next week), and Galena Creek Visitor’s Center Gift Shop (delivered today).

So far that’s 6 “Yes!” and 5 “No” responses and several waiting to hear back from! Plus, one book signing. I say that’s a success.

Heck, just asking is a success. Even further, simply creating the book is a success. It’s interesting that all but one of the “No” responses were not referred and don’t know us. All of the “Yes” responses were referred or know us.

Oceans and oceans of thanks to those of you who have purchased a book or referred us. Books are certainly not a “popular” item and it’s difficult to get those who don’t know the story to not lump this in with past experiences with books.

I’m not sure I’ve seen a 365 photo a day project that was done by an 8 year old made into an actual published book with ISBN and LCCN numbers.

Every day I open my eyes and put my feet on the ground is a success. Today was a success!! xoxo

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December 2 2016:

Thank you Todd Kihara for coming by to see us on Saturday and buying a book. We hope your Dad loves the book!!! Let us know!

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December 3 2016:

Our magic is complete for the day! Home from The Magic of Santa Craft Faire. We were part of the Book Blast magic!

One person who bought Biggest Little Photographer is a photographer for magazines and he LOVED the book!

Thomas and I had our art fortune read and created by Pan Pantonja … our table mate. Thanks LRP Printing Publishing & Business Center for inviting and including us.

Thomas and Camilla November 2016 Date Day

Posted on December 18, 2016 by Camilla

December 2 2016:

Thomas and Camilla November 2016 Date Day … wee bit late – last stop –Great Full Gardens South Meadows Reno: We were only going to get Thomas dessert. Surprise! Happy Hour with half price appetizers!! So we added Vegan Stuffed Portobello mushrooms. Words cannot even describe how yummy these tasted! Thomas dessert: Bread pudding! Our plates were all but licked clean!!!!

1st stop – Galena Creek Visitors Center. 2nd stop – Galena Park

It was so cold …. about 15 degrees … that my phone went dead after the magical tree picture. Perhaps so that I could truly soak it all in without distraction. Phone came back on once we got back down Mt. Rose Hwy. xoxo

Simply love this area. So peaceful and serene ….. incredibly beautiful and majestic with gigantic pine cones. I am hugely blessed this is what Thomas chooses for Date Day.

Gratitude Letter and Paper Strip Pumpkin and Cheers

Posted on December 12, 2016 by Camilla

November 22 2016:

For the past 3 years we have created a daily gratitude poster for the month of November; with each day adding an expression of our gratitude to the poster. I was moved to do something different this year.

This year we are working on three separate activities:

#1 – Writing a letter to our self telling our future self what we are grateful for now. We used dice to determine when we will mail this letter to ourself. These will be mailed in 5 years … November 2021.

#2 – Writing a letter to each other explaining what we are grateful for, enjoy, and love about the recipient of the letter. Again we rolled dice to determine the mailing date. These will be mailed in 6 years … November 2022.

#3 – Write a letter thanking someone for something that we neglected to thank them for previously. Meet with the person and hand deliver the letter.

I plan on adding the mailing of the letters on my calendar with a very important note to self. What’s the note to self? The location of the letters; which I’m sure I’ll place somewhere safe! HA!

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November 23 2016:

Paper strip pumpkin …. by Lillian Darnell …. with a little help from me. Pretty cool!!! YAY Lillian!

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November 24 2016:

Thomas and Lillian are still asleep and I’m feasting on a piece of pumpkin bread and dark French roast. So incredibly thankful … and …. yum!

Next up … Reading and getting The Team TLC blog caught up.

Abundant blessings, love, and peace to all.

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November 25 2016:

Hope everyone had a warm and wonderful time yesterday. We enjoyed a quiet, relaxing, and comfy day at home. Cheers! Here’s to a great weekend, blessings, and a grateful heart. xoxo

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Strong Wind and Mindfulness and Thanksgiving

Posted on December 12, 2016 by Camilla

November 20 2016:

Thomas and I took a walk yesterday afternoon. Incredibly strong wind! It was so great and refreshing and we had a ball playing with the wind. xoxo

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November 21 2016:

This mornings Walk With Me message: Mindfulness …. These tiny little rain drops caught my eye. Great message tree and water. Thank you ….

The practice of mindfulness can be trying … releasing thoughts of the past and future and focusing our entire being into whatever it is we are doing in that moment … it can seem like an internal tug of war. Yet, with practice it gets easier.

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November 21 2016:

Wonderful walk with Thomas this afternoon!!!! So incredibly beautiful!!!! xoxo

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November 22, 2016:

Lillian and I took a walk this afternoon. Just gorgeous! We stopped for a few minutes so she could share a bit about the extensive Thanksgiving post she shared a few days ago. xoxo

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November 25 2016:

Beautiful, peaceful, and reflective walk yesterday. So wonderful that I got to see a blue billed duck. This is where I sat for a bit watching the ducks. xoxo

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Watching and listening to the ducks yesterday. This was going on the entire time I sat there. Nature and animals are wonderful teachers. xoxo

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How to Have a Mindful Christmas Countdown

Posted on December 11, 2016 by Camilla

November 25 2016:

Last year Team TLC had a mindful Christmas countdown. For the past few years we had a “spreading happiness and kindness” countdown and I I felt moved to add another layer to it last year.

Thought I’d share again for anyone interested … Have FUN! xoxo

Sample: Day 1: The word of the day is “Joy” – “Find Joy, Bring Joy, BE Joy” …. in everything you do today. Take at least 5 minutes, or more, to think about a person who brings you joy. Then spend some time bringing joy to someone today. You can do this with a smile, a kind word, helping them, or whatever you feel moved to do. On the outside of the heart the following words are written, “Keep this with you all day”.

Go here for the entire list …

Mindful Christmas Countdown 2015

Amazing Sky and Beauty and Grace and Magic and Trotting and Leaves and Wind

Posted on December 6, 2016 by Camilla

November 13 2016:

Amazing sky greeting us when we got home on Friday. Just WOW!!!

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November 14 2016:

Oh so wonderful walk with Lillian yesterday. Beauty and grace in every direction. Magical! xoxo

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November 14, 2016:

Thomas doing two of his favorite things!!!! Trotting on Meg and Asking Questions! He has certainly mastered the technique of learning by asking questions. Thank you Barbara Richmond Chastain …. xoxo

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November 15 2016:

On our walk yesterday Lillian took a moment to share her thoughts on why the leaves change color and fall from the trees. xoxo

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November 16 2016:

A Team TLC windy walk yesterday. Lillian pointed out the wind was creating waves in our little lake. So … sharing with you ….. xoxo

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November 16 2016:

More from our windy walk yesterday …. Beautiful and brrrrrrr!! Just breathtaking …. xoxo

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November 16 2016:

Wind …. from our windy walk yesterday … Watch, listen, let it blow away …. xoxo

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November 17 2016:

Spa day here I come! So blessed and grateful! This morning I get to trade Biggest Little Photographer for a massage. THANK YOU Michaela Koenig!! Can’t wait!!

This afternoon I get to float in bliss for 90 minutes. I WON a 90 minute float session at Healing One!!! So looking forward to this! It will be my first time!

Thank you … Bring it on … I’m so grateful …. And, yes, I’ll have more …. Thank you ….. Hope everyone has a GREAT and LOVE filled day. Signing off til tomorrow morning … xoxoxo

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November 19 2016:

Thomas and I decided to take a walk about an hour ago. WOW!

Strong winds and drastic contrast between directions. Storm clouds vs blue skies.

We got blown around almost like rag dolls, got rained on, saw the most white caps I’ve ever seen in this little lake, saw a huge, gorgeous rainbow, and laughed a ton!!!

Wonderful and beautiful!! xoxo

Post Office Gift by Camilla Downs

Posted on December 5, 2016 by Camilla

November 18 2016:

The Post Office Gift

As Paige entered the post office she was greeted with a line extending nearly to the door. Internally she breathed a sigh of relief knowing she would be using the self-serve kiosk. With only one person waiting ahead of her, she contentedly stepped in line behind him.

He turned to face Paige and with contempt said, “It may be awhile. This lady is having problems. She’s been up there for ten minutes.” He was referring to the customer using the kiosk. Paige spent a few seconds taking in the situation.

The woman at the kiosk seemed to be looking for something and holding her arms up in confusion. Paige could sense the woman’s overwhelmed feelings penetrating the already flat energy within the foyer.

Without hesitation, Paige approached the woman and asked, “Can I help you?” With a slight hint of desperation the woman said, “I can’t find my postage.” Having used the self-serve kiosk an absurd number of times over the years, Paige had become intimately familiar with it.

She knew exactly where the postage was dispensed. If you’ve never used the kiosk before, you wouldn’t know that you cannot visually see the postage once dispensed. One must bend down, placing one’s hand inside the dispenser box to pull the postage from the dispenser. It does not release and drop on its own.

The woman was quit relieved and delightedly thankful. She moved on and the long waiting, irritated man moved forward to take his turn. His frustrations mounted so that he could not get his credit card to work in the card slot.

Paige gently approached and asked, “Can I help you?” He pushed his card towards her and said, “Sure, give it a try.” The card once again did not work, yet, most likely due to having been tried repetitively. Paige felt he simply needed to go back one step and come around again to the payment screen, yet, his frustrations had grown too large for his patience.

After confusingly hesitating a couple of times to thank Paige for her help, the man decided to leave. He seemed to be torn as to whether to throw in the towel, expressing his thanks, and giving it another try.

Paige felt a wave of peace and compassion flow into her entire being as she knew in another time, another place, she had stood in both the man’s and the woman’s shoes.

She was also aware of times in the past when she had been deeply lost in her own thoughts and worries; times when she didn’t even notice that another being was in need of help.

After getting her packages posted, she departed with a joyful, peaceful heart with the hopes that anyone watching was inspired to spread loving kindness in their own way and their own time.

2016 Camilla Downs

Lillian and Camilla November 2016 Date Day

Posted on December 4, 2016 by Camilla

November 16 2016:

Lillian and Camilla November 2016 Date Day – First ….. Dessert! Pink lemonade bar for her and chocolate covered almonds and pretzels for me.

Then home for lunch. Next, a walk at Virginia Foothills park. It snowed on us!!!! Fun!!

Finishing with window shopping and goofing off at Learning Express!

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Weirdest People

Posted on December 1, 2016 by Camilla

“We’re the weirdest people I know.” ~Thomas Darnell (11.8.16)

Indeed Thomas! Indeed! Wahoooo!!

Biggest Little Photographer to Meg and Buttercup

Posted on November 25, 2016 by Camilla

November 11 2016:

Thank you Barbara Richmond Chastain!!!! We got to deliver three books to Barb this afternoon! She bought one for herself and one for Buttercup and Meg since they are famous now!!!!

Actually, she’s very excited to be gifting the books to her grandkids. Barb’s place has its very own section in the book. We love you Barb and Buttercup and Meg too!!

A visit to Barbara Richmond Chastain’s place is always a treat. Thomas says, “Every time we come here, you two spend more time talking then I do riding Meg.” Told him that I was sorry about that and he said, “That’s okay. I wasn’t complaining. It was just an observation.”

Barb: Your grace, patience, kindness, and acceptance of Thomas and his abundance of and nonstop questions is wonderful. Thank you. xoxo