Make Love An Art

All photos by Fiona Conrad

 What better person to turn to on this day than the man that dedicated his life to the study of love, Dr. Leo Buscaglia. I only wish I could have taken his course entitled, "Love 1A", that he taught for many years at University of Southern California! 

Here are a few inspirational thoughts about love by "Dr. Love", Leo Buscaglia:

Love makes us more

"Love encourages us to venture into places in our minds and hearts never before explored and which would never have been disclosed except for love. In essence, love reveals us to ourselves.

In love we find the security which encourages us to risk, to try again, to find new behavioral alternatives for old ways. We more deeply discover ourselves as we discover each other. From lovers we are presented with a new vision, a realization that the world we have defined for ourselves may have been delimiting and we are encouraged to open up to new perceptions made possible only through someone else's vision. 

Love offers us the most fertile soil for growth. We nurture that soil by enriching it with a willingness to give up our old self and our useless preconceptions. In return, we are presented with a broader vision of ourselves and a world of limitless possibilities for our discovery. Love is not blind. It has perfect vision. It makes it possible for us to see as we have never seen before." - Leo Buscaglia, Born for Love

Make love an art

"Many of us have an armchair view of love. We create a fixed, comfortable parameter for our feelings and sit back safely within these self-imposed limits. We don't go to love, we expect it to come to us. We look to novels, movies and television to bring us to love vicariously, content to be passive observers. We are fearful of emotions that make demands on us, that can possibly get out of hand. 

Love is not known to thrive in such an atmosphere. Real lovers do more than just seek the comfort of love, they strive to make it an art. They are fully aware that this will require a continuous expanding of their senses and sharpening of their perceptions in order to keep up with the challenges of love.

Love is a vast canvas awaiting out artistic expression. The work is never really completed, it's always a work in progress. But as with all creative endeavors, as we labor, we are treated to a broader vision, a keener insight, and the joy that comes mainly from the artistic process itself, less concerned with critical judgment and the finished master-piece." 
- Leo Buscaglia, Born for Love

 My own thoughts...

How do you define something so intangible? I don't believe it's possible for any love to be exactly alike. I guess the best thing I can say about love is that I am living in the love that I've always wanted and dreamt of, the love that I've created (and often times beyond what I thought was possible), and that's the best love anyone could hope to live in, the love that personally suits them the very best. Yet, my feelings on love are constantly changing and evolving as I grow older and experience more of life, for me the beauty is in the constant push and pull of love, the give and take, and the anticipation of each other's needs. I make an effort to always be in touch with my own feelings, so that I can make them known. My experience with all different kinds of love has lead me to truly understand the love that I want to give and receive so freely. For me personally, this journey and reward has been the holy grail of happiness.

On a very basic level love begins with two beings just simply being nice to one another. I know this may sound elementary, but not everyone is nice and/or sincere, and love can never grow in that environment.  

Love is as complex as trying to understand the universe. We can talk about it until we're blue in the face, but does anyone really know what's going on out there in space, especially outside our galaxy??! The same goes for trying to understand a human relationship, the complexities are limitless.

All we know is that we need love, we need it to survive. We long for it. Everyone wants to love and be loved...and everyone deserves the love that they desire. 

A day spent without having completed an act of love is a day lost

"We all have so many possible occasions for loving and yet there is so little demonstrated love in the wolrd. People are dying alone, crying alone. Children are being abused and elderly people are spending their final days without tenderness and love. In a world where there is such an obvious need for demonstrated love, it is well to realize the enormous power we do have to help and to heal people in our lives with nothing more complicated than an outsteched hand or a warm hug. Teresa of Avila entreated us to "accustom yourself to make many acts of love, for they enkindle and melt the soul."

Day's end is a good time to reflect on what we have done to make the world a better, more caring and loving place. If nothing springs to mind night after night, this can also be an excellent time for us to consider how we can change the world for the better. We need not perform monumental acts, but act on the simple things which are readily accomplished: the phone call we have not made, that note we have put off writing, that kindness we have failed to acknowledge. When it comes to giving love, the opportunities are unlimited and we are all gifted." - Leo Buscaglia, Born for Love

" There is the same difference in a person before and after he is in love, as there is in an unlighted lamp and one that is burning. The lamp was there and was a good lamp, but now it is shedding light too (and this is its real function)."

- Vincent Van Gogh

Mail Envy: Cat Clinic/Chanel Cat

     

    

 So, this is what I found in our mailbox today....

I was the lucky recipient of a welcome letter from the NOVA Cat Clinic and Peter received a hand written note from Chanel, let me clarify, not Karl Lagerfeld, although I feel like that's not out of the realm of possibility, I mean a note from a sales associate at Chanel's Newbery St. location in Boston.

Meet Choupette, fashion's favorite feline.

Let me begin by saying, my husband is SO much cooler than me, getting mail from Chanel, while I'm over here getting CC welcome cards, and I don't mean the double C that most woman fantasize about.

And secondly, that's what he's been up to in Boston! I thought he had to be there for business, I guess that includes hunting down the hard to find Timeless Classic in beige and learning all about how the bag is lovingly hand-stitched by little old Italian ladies. 

(is my catnip)

So let me get this straight, I commented on how beautiful a Chanel handbag was one time, and that was Peter's cue that I really wanted one...

Alright then, we are officially dealing with a new level of man, I've heard about this rare strain of men in fables, fairy-tales and horrific romantic comedies that usually star Jennifer Aniston or Kate Hudson, but I always thought it was completely made up! Well, I'm here to tell you, that Notebook sh$@ is REAL yo!! Don't worry ladies, ideas of cloning are already underway.

So I guess the mail discrepancy worked out in my favor....;-P


Thanks Karl, oh, and one more thing, how do you keep your black clothing so perfect and fur free??? What's your secret?? The magic of Chanel I guess...or you probably spend 10 million to breed a special pristine white non-shedding cat with blue eyes.

 I'm sorry to say Karl, your sweet little Choupette can't pose like my Dublin. Show um how it's done, Dubsman!

Now that, is style.

 One would think that because of Choupette's upbringing, you know being born and raised in a glamorous catteux in the country side of France, or maybe it's Monaco, well either way, you would think that being able to strike a pose and smize would come naturally. Although, she is a prolific tweeter @ChoupettesDiary!

 Dublin's records would show that he was born and raised in the rough streets of DC for the first two years of his life, until he eventually found his way to The Washington Humane Society animal shelter, much like Coco Chanel herself. Do you think that would stop him from being able to appreciate the finer things in life, like a handmade leather good? I think not.

Dublin's Pedigree...he's so original that they created a new word to describe him. He's so chilt.

        Chanel Cat Competition: Choupette vs. Dublin

     VS.











I didn't attempt to put Dublin in the purse, seeing how he's twice the size of the bag. I'll need a solid 10 years to save up enough money to buy a Chanel tote large enough to fit sweet Nammy...Until then! Please feel free to submit your feline photo to the Chanel Cat Competition here.

Nice purrrrrrrse...sorry, couldn't help myself!

"There is, incidentally, no way of talking about cats that enables one to come off as a sane person." - Dan Greenberg

Wild Animals of Africa Part I

Animals Of Pattern

Giraffe
 

According to our guide Joe Kibwe, the giraffe is the national animal of Tanzania.

We enjoyed watching them stretch their necks to get to the most delicious leaves at the top of the acacia tree.

The giraffes really enjoy the art of the stare down, who will blink first?!

Well hello, I adore those gorgeous long lashes ;-)

Zebra

This is one of my favorite photos that I took during the trip, thanks to the zebras posing in this perfect line. 

I wondered why the zebra has never been domesticated like the horse and donkey, Joe told me that unlike the horse, the zebras back is very weak and can't hold much weight. 

Too often these gorgeous animals tend to be dinner for the more powerful animals in the wild  :-(

Obviously zebras like to stick together in large herds, they're very social animals.

Cheetah

The female cheetah is likened to the independent feminist woman, she prefers to fly solo, when she's not raising her cubs she is always alone, for her entire life. This female cheetah was absolutely stunning.

The difference between the male and the female cheetah is in the size of their heads, female cheetahs have smaller heads.

I sensed the slightest bit of sadness in her golden eyes, I can't understand how difficult and stressful it must be to live her life, constantly having her guard up, never sleeping, and bearing all of these feelings alone.

0 to 60mph in 3 seconds, making the cheetah the fastest land mammal.

Bachelor pad - two male cheetahs relaxing under a tree.

S + P

Wedding Night - Photos by: Fiona Conrad

      

 "Though we travel the world over to find the beautiful, we must carry it with us or we find it not." 

- Ralph Waldo Emerson

Hot Air Balloon Safari

We woke up at 4am, packed our bags, and bid farewell to Faru Faru and our very favorite server/friend Paul, he greeted us in the main lodge at 5:30am just to see us off and make sure that we had breakfast before we left. 

We both gave him a huge hug and thanked him for his unrelenting kindness and karibu sana. I'll never forget his smile, so blindingly white and genuinely full of joy. There is no smile in the world quite like a Tanzanian smile.

 We drove for 10 minutes in complete darkness, until the sky started to turn light blue and we could dimly make out the half moon shape of the striped hot air balloon on its side, slowly filling with air.

 We were greeted by our pilot who taught us how to sit/lay on our backs until the basket is pulled upright by the force of the balloon. So we laid there with the flames right above our heads until all of a sudden we were pulled upright, and then ever so gently lifted from the earth.

Just as we took off the sun started to peak over the horizon and it was so peaceful, so quiet. When the pilot wasn't blowing air into the balloon it was completely silent, and we glided over the tree tops and herds of gorgeous animals. 

The Animals from Above

Water buffalo grazing on some delicious Serengeti grass.

A family of seven lions roaming through the plains, we met up with them after the ride was over.

Come on this adventure with us! Your Hot Air Balloon Safari Awaits!

 I made my first imovie from the (iphone only) footage that I took during the ride. This video is entirely my creation including syncing it with the piece of music that kept playing in my head during the balloon ride, Mahler 1!

What to look for:

Notice the herds of animals running in the opening of the video w/the trumpet fanfare. The birds that you hear in the background are the original audio from the video, I felt like the real chirping birds fit in perfectly with the music!

Notice the giraffes and zebras having an early morning snack on the hill side.

Later in the video notice the 7 lions that are frolicking through the plains, the cubs were adorable!

During the part of the video with the balloon shadow, notice the lines in the earth, those are elephant tracks, elephants actually cause quite a bit of damage to their environment and they often knock over trees as well.

Last but not least did you see/hear that the hot air balloon flames at the end line up perfectly with the music?? That was not planned at all. Love it!

Thank you to our guide Joe Kibwe for taking these gorgeous photos from the ground as he followed the balloon in his Land Rover.

"A symphony must be like the world. It must contain everything."

- Gustav Mahler