Quiet moment on Tonle Sap Lake.

Just moments before, this young man was teasing his sister and then smiling broadly for a portrait. Near Saigon.

Shopkeeper in Saigon, kindly taking a break for a photo and a chat. Sir, thank you for your time and conversation.

I take a lot of self portraits. Why? I’m a free model. It allows for self expression.

Surreal self portrait. Went for creepy, which means big hair, which means a lot of product. Also, the person who sold me this terrible “cat” on Etsy had to know it wasn’t a toy.

A professional photographer encouraged me to shoot self portraits, so I combined two things that do not go together — eating + bathrooms.

See Eating in bathrooms - pulled pork. Still weird? Yes.

I love taking photos of people the most. This young girl had an old soul.

My other favorite model is always someone I love. He’s a great sport and always understands the assignment.

I love it when friends ask me to shoot their family photos. Well, also I get very nervous. But I do love it, and I love them.

I also shoot events in a pinch. I still try to find the quiet moments, even in highly active spaces.

The quiet moments in a busy space. The human moments. The connections. The joy.

The best projects are the silly collaborations with your favorite people. How he kept a straight face, I’ll never know.

Crouch down, pull back a rock, find tiny life in all the small spaces.

In addition to events, I love visiting sites like this urban farm. I favor images that are close in, quiet, often overlooked.

There’s green in there, too, but the blues and gold really steal the show. I love how crocheting brings me out of my head and into my task at hand — literally.

Wool yarn and felt sheep. This adorable combo was fun to pair up. This scarf is another one row repeat pattern that you don’t have to think too hard about, which means you can still watch your favorite show while you make it.

My mother taught me to crochet when I was seven years old. I have yet to dive deep into this artform, but it truly is one of my favorites.

One and done — so far. Embroidery is another slow-paced, meditative artform that I deeply appreciate.

If you lived through the 70s and early 80s, you remember how prevalent macrame was. I love the natural cord on organic shapes, like this found wood.

The most unintimidating sweater pattern to make — the granny square sweater. This is my first complete crochet garment. Please, please try making one. It’s easy, it’s fun, and it’s (almost) timeless. Oh, and it’s very warm.

So cute, so fast, so rewarding. It makes a great gift and goes together in a short amount of time. Plus, they are absolutely darling in this size. What’s not to love?

If you’re like me and intimidated by woodworking tools, let me reassure you that you can learn to use them. A friend showed me how to use a table and miter saw, and I made a bookshelf I’m so proud of.

One day, I stumbled on furniture flipping on Instagram. It looked fun, and it became a hyperfocus for an entire summer and fall. This darling chair was old, beat up, and stained dark brown before being flipped.

After the tiny chair flip, I went out in search of a coffee table. I picked one up at Restore, and I transformed it from a deep, dark stained table with coffee rings to a medium brown wood with forest green painted details.

My new obsession with spoon carving rivals my love for crocheting. Another meditative artform, you’ll also love bringing something to life that you can use or give as a unique gift.

Make a tiny bookshelf to live on your actual bookshelf. Why? Because it’s cute. Don’t ask questions; make yourself one!

Choose a random object from a thrift shop, like this small lamp, and reimagine it into a hot air balloon high above the clouds.

Want more than just a bookshelf? Make a mini room scene! Make a tiny macrame, as well, to bring the room together.

Just make it up! Simple felt shapes create the flower that sits on top of a crochet and felt pincushion. Fun gift idea for a creative friend.

Find inspiration on Pinterest. I do all the time. Simple flower shapes cut from felt and hand sewn onto a felt backing to make this sweet bookmark gift.

I found dried flowers at the grocery store, so I thought framing them might be nice. I repurposed a frame I found at Goodwill, unearthed leftover gift tags, and grabbed my washi tape.

Looking for that perfect, meditative project that always turns out beautiful? Try a flat lay composition with any organic elements you can find.