In Remembrance

" The mystic chords of memory, stretching from every battlefield, and patriot grave, to every living heart...should swell into a mighty chorus of remembrance, gratitude, and rededication..." - Abraham Lincoln

Memorial Day takes a special place in my heart. I come from a family of honorable men who sacrificed their lives to make this day possible for me. After all, my own existence has been one that was borne out of political turmoil.  And as I write, my heart remembers seeing the grim, melancholic expression on my husband's face when we last visited his military base to pay our respects to his fallen soldiers, yet another solemn reminder that our freedoms of today have not been without its price.  And so, today, as many of us take a reprieve from work, I am taking some time to honor and remember our brave men and women who have served, thereby making their ultimate sacrifice to our country.

Fallen Soldier Memorial | Schofield Bks, HI | Photography via Chandara Creative

Published on SMP Living: Entertaining with Oysters

I'm absolutely thrilled and giddy beyond belief that my first styled shoot with my favorite briny friends was published today over at Style Me Pretty Living.   Many thanks to the fabulous Silvana di Franco for capturing the beautiful day. 

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Oftentimes, whenever we do something new, we talk about and embark upon grandiose goals, but truth be told, when I woke up this morning to this tweet, my heart jumped up and smiled like I'd just won the lottery. No, no money involved, but just this crazy passion of mine doing backflips to the nine. I still remember drooling over the features from other amazing creatives they'd highlight, and wondering if perhaps someday, if I ever created something just as amazing, that just maybe...I could grace the SMP Living blog, even for a split nano-second, that would be uber-fantastic in my little world. And so today, when my feature did just that, I realized that these small, incremental moments of happiness are what I live for...these milestones that serve as a recurring reminder that doing what makes me smile is really why Chandara Creative was born and why I know, it will continue to shine on.

Don't have an oyster set? No worries. I used a drink dispenser stand and a small plate to re-create my own. No biggie.

See the full feature at SMP Living. 

Appreciating Apples

If you can read this, thank a teacher.

I have so much respect for teachers. 

My mother is a pre-school teacher; my sister was a kindergarten teacher; my friends have dedicated their lives to a humble (but immensely rewarding) teaching profession, and quite frankly, I don't know where I would be today without my first grade teacher, Mrs. Cooper -- who graced me with the gift of literacy at the tender age of 6. I picked up my very first book and read it from cover to cover. I loved every bit of it, and haven't stopped loving it since then.

Back then, my family didn't have money to go on lavish vacations, so books became my portal for traveling to wherever my imagination would take me, and goodness gracious, the possibilities were endless. I remember tilting my head up and wishing meatballs really would fall from the sky as it had in Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs; I remember envisioning a room filled with golden silk threads with a little, old, wrinkly man riding on a spoon after learning about Rumpelstiltskin, and I remember feeling my first pangs of injustice seep in after finishing my first chapter book, Roll of Thunder, Hear my Cry. To this day, I gift all of my friend's children with childhood literacy...it is truly the only gift that keeps on giving.  And when I do travel, my hubby and I collect children's books in different languages, from different countries.  We would love nothing more than to create our own multicultural library in our home one day, and judging from the stockpile we've amassed over the years, I know we're well on our way.   

" You're never too old,
too wacky, too wild,
to pick up a book,
and read to a child! " 

 -- Dr. Seuss

For all my teachers who have helped nourish my passion for reading, 'Thank you, Thank you."
Happy Teacher Appreciation Day...you are the apples of my life.

Stay Inspired,

Chandara

Oh Sweet Pea

English sweet pea tendrils + arugula flower blossom | Watanabe Farms | Photography via Chandara Creative

There are weeks that go by when I don't pick up my camera--it sits idle, restless, completely neglected.  I know I'm guilty of finding comfort in my handy iPhone--it's just so light and easy! But then I begin to wonder if maybe...just maybe, I've managed to forget how to frame a shot in my head, how to play with luminous light, or how to capture the essence of my subject. And then there are days like yesterday when I have a reason to get snap happy...when I get to work with an executive chef on his portfolio and when I'm entrusted to deliver simply nothing but my best work..and it happens.

I get inspired. All over again. And I clap (yes, I clap).

And I fall in love, hopelessly, in love and smitten with...my art.

And I have to keep on telling myself: Oh sweet pea...it's just like riding a bike.  You still got it. Yes, you do.

Fab Friday

Oyster bedding [Tomales Bay, CA]

This week was a whirlwind....there's been such devastation in the news, but on the bright side, there's so much good to be had. While I can't tell you everything (just yet), I'm elated that an upcoming trip to the East Coast to meet and eat with some amazing creatives is in the works; an editor from one of my favorite new magazines has rekindled my literary fire; and I had the amazing opportunity to style a shoot with an amazing new photographer friend who I'll be introducing to you shortly.  Above is a little snippet of what's coming up and of course, I'm over the moon for this weekend as I'm helping my dearest friends with their baby shower.

So, go out and enjoy your Fabulous Friday!  I know I will!

LOVE for BOSTON

Via

It's taken me a couple of days to process what's happened...and I'm not sure any words can really relay my feelings, but the recent tragedy in Boston breaks my heart.  To think that somebody can be filled with so much hatred that their only recourse is to take to the streets and lash out on innocent lives leaves me in sheer disbelief.  I can only hope that despite the senselessness of this heinous act, we can still spare room for compassion in our hearts.  Because this act of terror is further evidence that the proliferation of hate only perpetuates a vicious cycle of destruction, obliterating all in its path.  Our lives are much too short to be consumed by hate.  So with each passing day, if we can learn to love deeply, forgive often, and fill our hearts with more light than darkness, then perhaps we can pass these values  on to our own children because....

"No one is born hating another person because of the color of his skin, or his background, or his religion.  People must learn to hate, and if they can learn to hate, then they can be taught to love, for love comes more naturally to the human heart than its opposite"-- Nelson Mandela

Happy World Creativity & Innovation Week

"Creativity is key to driving economic growth." -- Adobe 2012 State of Create Study Nobody likes Mondays, but this week, let's make an exception in celebration of the International Creativity & Innovation Week! I'm not kidding..it's a real celebration that's backed by...get ready for it...empirical research done by Adobe (those same awesome people that got you hooked on their Creative Suite). Yeah. That's right. Now, go!