Yesterday I was sworn in as the Affiliate Representative for the Jefferson County Association of Realtors. As a business owner, I was asked to join the Board last year so this is actually my second year on the Board. While I'm the only member of my family who did not take Real Estate as a career path joining JCAR has me involved with others in this profession here locally. There are many other local businesses that are also JCAR Affiliate members. http://jcarwa.com/affiliate-members.html

A FB memory came up today that reminded me that my brother Bob was honored last year with The Wisconsin Realtor Association’s Distinguished Service Award recognizing REALTORS® or WRA employees who have committed several years of leadership and service at all levels of the REALTOR® family and the community. 

This December at JCAR Members' annual fundraiser they raised over $11,000 which goes to help hundreds of children in need in our four school districts and to support REPAH (Real Estate Professionals for Affordable Housing) to help low-income homeowners in Jefferson county make emergency repairs and safety improvements to their homes. To learn more about JCAR, and the REPAH projects they contribute to locally, visit this link. http://jcarwa.com/repah.html

Deja Webster Port Townsend Photographer

Everyone should be so lucky to have that one special person in their life. 

“Someone asked me what the most difficult thing about having a dog was. I replied – the goodbye” – Unknown

I remember taking this photo of Sherman back in 2019. It was late February and the yard was piled with leaves with touches of green weeds here and there. I had left my camera on the kitchen table after a portrait session and went over to the kitchen sink for something. I looked out the window and saw Sherman laying in a shady spot by the studio, a place I had never seen him lay before. He usually loved laying in the sun and following its path as it moved across the yard during the afternoons. I was struck by the variety and intensity of the different colors in his fur and how the leaves seemed to accentuate just how handsome he was. His beautiful round brown eyes were the biggest eyes I had ever seen on any of my dogs. I grabbed the camera and stood on my tippy toes not to get the window frame in the photo. I had to zoom in a bit to capture what has turned out to be one of my favorite photos of him, only topped by the photo of him in the snow just weeks before he passed. Today is the one-year anniversary of losing him so he has been on my mind for several days. Sure miss him.

January is the perfect time to consider updating your Professional Headshot. While the weather may be frightful right now, with our cooler temps, wind, and rain, but my studio is warm and toasty. My Port Townsend portrait studio is located just down from Jefferson Healthcare. I photograph many of the Jefferson Healthcare employees along with local Port Townsend local real estate agents and even local authors needing headshots for their book jackets. I love taking headshots. I'll put you at ease and capture a business portrait you will be pleased to use on social media or as a business card.  Give me, Deja, a call today to set up an appointment. You can reach me at (360) 385-2662 or email me at [email protected] I can send you a handout with tips for your headshot and information on the process of having your photo taken plus a map to my studio, located just down from the Hospital. 

“Rainy days should be spent at home with a cup of tea and a good book.”
― Bill Watterson,

I took this photo one year at the Port Townsend Film Festival. This gentleman was waiting patiently in line to get into the theater to view a movie. If you live in the Pacific Northwest you don't let a little rain stop you from having fun. Today I'm enjoying being inside curled up on the couch with my dog, a cup of coffee, and a good book. 

What a perfect way to start the year out by registering for a free live author talk with Dana White. The Jefferson County Library, in Port Hadlock, is offering this online class on Tuesday, January 17^th from 11-12 Pacific time. Several months ago I discovered White’s book, Decluttering at the Speed of Life on Amazon as part of my monthly Kindle Unlimited subscription. It is one of the best decluttering books I have ever read. Instead of thinking of decluttering your home or office and how your things will fit into additional pretty Rubbermaid containers or renting a new storage unit, think of your space as limited. If your home is really a container with limited space then when "full" consider some of your things as items to be donated or off to the trash. There is a  has a great Facebook group called Buy Nothing Port Townsend, WA which is a great way to gift ones treasures instead of tossing them. White tackles the subject with common sense advice, repetition of tasks for each room and a real sense of honesty, and most of all humor.

A link is attached above to register for the online class. I have already registered for the class and look forward to being inspired as we head into the new year. Here is another link directly to her website. The image of her three books are from her website. 

Thank you to everyone who voted for Deja View Photography. The notice listing the winners of the Best of Jefferson County came out in the Peninsula Daily News in the fall but recently I received this lovely certificate. It is an honor to have my photography business recognized as Best Photographer, especially with so many talented photographers in our area. I started my business seventeen years ago selling cards and prints at the Farmers Market. After several years I left the market to focus on offering portrait photography in my Port Townsend studio. Currently, I specialize in professional headshots, family photos, event photography and High School Seniors. Again, thank you to all who voted for me and who support my business throughout the year by using my services. It is a joy to be part of our community.

If interested in setting up a session with me just give me a call at 385-2662. January is the perfect time to think about an updated professional headshot. My Port Townsend studio is located just a few blocks from Jefferson Healthcare. 

The Seattle Wedding Show has thousands of attendees each year. I found attending on Sunday you’ll find things a bit quieter than Saturday, opening day. The show offers the ability to see and chat with wedding service providers, view the latest trends, pick up free literature like the latest bridal magazine and often even try on wedding gowns. My friend Kay and I always had fun attending. Kay was my second Photographer when I photographed weddings. The high-energy fashion show was one of my favorite parts and it happened several times each day. I would plan my day around making sure I caught one of the shows.

Port Townsend Photographer

Each year it was interesting to see how the cake and flower venues worked in the Pantone Color of the Year into their creations. The Pantone Color of the Year for 2023 even influenced dresses, mainly those for bridesmaids and mothers of the bride. It will be interesting to see this year the color is Viva Magenta.

Port Townsend Photographer

Most couples from the Olympic Peninsula will pick vendors and venues closer to home. However, this show offers couples a chance to ask questions of Photographers and other vendors that could help them in their decision-making process as they plan their wedding using local services.

One of the weddings I photographed years ago had a small cake that the bride and groom cut and then offered different flavored cupcakes to their guests. Locally It Takes the Cake in Sequim offers both delicious and unique wedding cakes and cupcakes. They have made cakes and cupcakes for several of the weddings I have photographed. Owners, Sue and Paul were great to work with. 

Port Townsend Photographer

Thank you to all my friends and clients who have helped to make 2022 such a wonderful year. I can't wait to see what 2023 holds for all of us. 

My friend Skip shared these beautiful words from Author Melody Beattie.

"The journey of a year is drawing to a close. Cherish the moments, all of them, even the ups and downs. Cherish the places you've visited, the people you've seen. Say goodbye to those whose journeys have called them someplace else. Know you can always call them back by thinking loving thoughts. Know all those you love will be there for you when you need them most. Honor the lessons you've learned, and the people who helped you learn them. Honor the journey your soul mapped out for you. Trust all the places you've been. Make a scrapbook in your heart to help you remember."

Did you know what you can do after you have made a FB post and catch a spelling error or want to edit your post? I often see people make a comment after they realize they have made a spelling error without realizing what tools are available if you click on the 3 dots to the right of your post. It took me forever to realize the power of the dots. There is also a free tool with Grammarly that helps when writing and editing one's posts. https://www.grammarly.com/

To edit a post you've shared on Facebook:

Go to your post.

Click in the top right of the post.

Click Edit post.

Make your changes.

Click Save.

If photos are included in your post, keep in mind:

In most cases, you can delete photos without deleting the entire post. Hover over any photos you'd like to delete and click in the top right of the photo.

To add more photos, or other items to your post, click Add to your post.

You can't delete photos from your post if you shared your post from a third-party app (example: Spotify, a news site) or a photo album.

You can't delete photos from your post if you shared your post from a third-party app (example: Spotify, a news site) or a photo album.

We had several inches of snow this week and I found myself feeling melancholy about seeing the beautiful snow covering the trees and my backyard. Just a year ago I captured probably one of my best photos, of my dog Sherman, playing in the snow. He so enjoyed just laying in it, it was hard to get him to come into the house despite the cold. He looks so perfect in this photo. How could I have known that a month later the Vet would find he had a tumor in his tummy and that cancer had moved into his lungs. So in February, we had one more short week together and then I said goodbye to him on the 8th. I have this image blown up as a print on my wall and truly treasure the nearly five years we had together. I was grateful the snow only lasted a couple of days and then the rain moved in and everything melted. Luckily we don't get snow very often here in Port Townsend but it will take me a while before I can view snow again without being sad. 

I love the poems Mary Oliver wrote in her book Dog Songs.

“And it is exceedingly short, his galloping life. Dogs die so soon. I have my stories of that grief, no doubt many of you do also. It is almost a failure of will, a failure of love, to let them grow old—or so it feels. We would do anything to keep them with us, and to keep them young. The one gift we cannot give.”
― Mary Oliver, Dog Songs

What an honor to have Deja View Photography win "The Leader's Readers' Choice as a Finalist for Best Photographer in Jefferson County for 2022." Thank you to everyone who took the time to either drop off or mail in their ballet at The Leader. I feel very blessed to get to do what I love and work with so many wonderful people. 
 

Who knew there were so many wonderful quotes about apples?

"Comfort me with apples, for I am sick of love." ~ Solomon

"Why not upset the apple cart? If you don't, the apples will rot anyway." ~ Frank A. Clark

"An apple a day keeps anyone away, if you throw it hard enough." ~ Stephen Colbert

"If life gives you lemons, make apple juice and make people wonder how the hell you did it." ~ Gurbaksh Chahal

"Why not upset the apple cart? If you don't, the apples will rot anyway." ~ Frank A. Clark

"If you put good apples into a bad situation, you’ll get bad apples." ~ Philip Zimbardo