A Glimpse Into Some Beautiful Souls: Arts & Dreams Visits Passages Academy

My heart was opened a bit more this week as Laura Baran and I took our Arts & Dreams empowering art workshop to incarcerated youth at Passages Academy in the Bronx. These are kids who made an unfortunate mistake and got caught and now they’re paying the price. 

They made me think about the mistakes I’ve made in my life and how fortunate I was to not get caught. We’ve all been there. Did you ever think what your life would look like if you got busted doing what you weren’t supposed to? Would you want a break? A second chance? Not have your whole life judged by this mistake? What would you hope for?

I watched their faces transform as they got lost in thought about which positive affirmations to choose. And as they painted, the struggle in their faces, worn way too early in their young lives, began to dissipate. And I saw their innocence and their innate beauty and their need for love. And I wanted to hug them and take them all home with me.

Unfortunately I cannot show you their faces because we need to respect their anonymity. However, I can share their artwork with you and provide you a glimpse into their beautiful souls.

I’m sharing just a few here. For more photos and a description of the day’s events, please go to our website: Arts & Dreams.

I’d like to take this opportunity to publicly thank a few people: Nikki Walker and Zyambo Phillips who co-facilitated the workshops with us and made us the Dream Team! You guys were beyond amazing! Your words, gestures and kindness wrapped each of those kids in love. 

And Anja Kennedy, our dear friend who is the librarian at Passages, and opened the door for us to enter a few years ago - I am in pure gratitude and awe. The love and respect that you bring to each student fills them with pride and self-love. You add such integrity to their lives. What a gift you are to them and to us.

Lastly I want to thank all of our Arts & Dreams donors. Without your generosity, we would not be able to do the work that we do. Thank you so very much!

Big Love,

PatriciaG

For more pics and information on the workshops and our organization, please visit our website: Arts & Dreams

Feel free to share the blog with friends and family. And if you feel inspired, please leave a comment below.

Romeo & Juliet: A Valentine's Day Ice Sculpture

I had the pleasure of watching these talented guys from Okamoto Studio carefully transform a block of ice into an embracing Romeo & Juliet. It was part of the Central Park Conservancy's Ice Festival.

As the snow fell, and music played, these guys used chainsaws, ice picks, water, snow and their hands to beautifully craft this design. It was absolutely delicious to watch and I thought I'd share some of my photos with you. 

At one point, Juliet's ponytail fell off. How do you glue back an ice ponytail? See the video at the end. It is freakin amazing!

We all gasped when Juliet's ponytail broke off. Who knew you could "glue" ice back together! How? Watch the video to see. A little Whitney in the background is a bonus. These guys are amazing!

Feel free to share this with friends and family. And if you feel inspired, please comment in the section below. I'd love to hear from you. Big Love, PatriciaG

PS: If you'd like to see the actual statue in Central Park it's mid-park at 80th Street near the Delacorte Theater. Here are some photos courtesy of  NYCGov Parks

Ciao Ciao Firenze

After the beautiful snow yesterday (Thank you!!) it rained all night and it is once again raining today. In fact there was even thunder & hail this morning. And I love it!

I know this may seem a bit self-indulgent, but I feel that Firenze is a little sad that I am leaving, and I take some solace in the fact that we both shed tears today. The rain will help to hide mine as I take another twirl around the city, walk my bridges, and dance along the Arno one last time. It is my special alone time with Firenze that has become a nightly tradition. 

Truth be told, I could walk the Arno a million more times and I will always want one more, and one more, and one more. And for this reason I know I will be back. I will always return. And in the interim I have my memories, my journals and my photos. 

I have loved sharing my photos with all of you. Thank you for taking this journey with me. It has touched me in so many ways and I am so grateful for all of you.

Last night I spent some time uploading new photos to the website to share. I knew I’d want to get an early start today to soak in Firenze just a little bit more and take a few more twirls around.

Check out the Italy and Food sections particularly, but feel free to peruse the rest of the site as well. 

For my Firenze friends - thank you so much. It has been an amazing experience and you have helped me to grow probably more than you know. I love you! Ci vediamo a presto! 

And for my NY peeps, I smile at the thought of seeing all of your beautiful faces very soon. Looking forward to the hugs and the kisses and the shared stories in catching up. Prosecco is on me!! Love you.

Big Love,

PatriciaG

A Visit with Patrizia: Take a Twirl Around My Apartment

Ciao Tutti! Hi All! I can't believe I'm in Firenze almost 2 weeks already! Time is going by uncharacteristically fast, per Firenze. This visit has encompassed many ups & downs. It hasn't been all fun, games & gelato. There are moments of great loneliness, which of course kick in the insecurity gene. 

Some of you have written saying that you could never do what I'm doing. It made me think that perhaps you think I'm better at this than you. I am not. Admittedly there have been moments when I've wanted to get on a plane and come home. There have been tears and fears. It's not always easy being out of your comfort zone, and being at peace with vulnerability. It's also not easy to part with the desire for perfection. Tough one to let go of, but you must!  

Even though this may all sound bad, I still wouldn't trade it for anything in the world. Challenging yourself forces you to visit those dormant parts that lie deep within. They hold the nuggets of courage, strength and wisdom. There is no greater gift that you can give yourself. For real!

Allora, experiencing a myriad of these thoughts and emotions the other day, a thought came to me...what if I had a little visit with all of you? Realistically I know only a few of you can physically visit with me here. But what if I gave the rest of you a twirl around the place? So I made a video. I hope you enjoy!

I encourage you to do something out of your comfort zone this weekend. It doesn't have to be out of this world...It can be one small step that maybe makes you feel a little uneasy, but you know will make your heart smile when you're on the other side of it.

If you feel inspired to do so, feel free to share in the comments section below.

Have a great weekend. Buon fine settimana!

Sending You Big Love, PatriciaG

"F" the Resolutions

Happy New Year! Buon Anno! I feel so blessed to be writing this blog and beginning 2015 in a place that I love so dearly - Firenze, Italia.

In my thoughts about the new year, what jumps out at me is the act of making resolutions.  It has become a tradition to make them at the beginning of each year. And part of that tradition is almost always breaking every single one of them within weeks of making them. It is extremely self-defeating.

So my suggestion to you is to not make any resolutions this year. That’s right. “F” the resolutions! Instead pay attention to what you're thinking and doing right now in the present moment. What is it that will make you feel good right now?

Maybe in this present moment you eat something healthy, or go take a walk, or sign up for that class that you’ve been thinking about, or apply for a new job, take a bubble bath, play with your cat, listen to music that inspires you. Do it…right now. Not tomorrow, not next week, but right now. This is how you create big change in your life, through the small baby steps of life and in the small moments that bring you pleasure.

This morning, I was fortunate enough to watch the sunrise and welcome the day with the first sounds of church bells; which happen to be one of my favorite sounds in Italia. The random bells stop me in my tracks no matter what time of day and I breathe in their beauty and let them wash through my body. They are a reminder for me to reset my thoughts and actions and get back to baby steps. (I’m including a small sampling here for you. Feel free to borrow and enjoy)

Uploaded by Patricia Geremia on 2015-01-02.

It’s these baby steps that brought me to Italia in the first place. Not some big, earth shattering, resolution creating decision. No…a simple, present moment created the desire for me to take action, rent an apartment, book a flight and sign up for school. Promises to ourselves in the present moment can create magic and miracles. It is my mantra for the year “In Pursuit of Magic & Miracles - Magia e Miracoli!”  

So dear friends, rip up that list of resolutions. You can live the life of your dreams. In fact you are meant to….one present moment at a time. 

Big Love to you in 2015 & Always,

PatriciaG

If you feel inspired to share, please do so in the comments section below. I would love to hear from you. Grazie!

In Pursuit of Magic & Miracles

There were so many loving and special moments this Christmas season and I hold them all in my heart. Weeks of celebration culminated in hosting my family at my apartment yesterday. It was truly a special day, filled with love, eating, laughs, reminiscing and sharing. We continue to navigate holidays in a new way since we lost our center and most important person in our family. Mom, and all of our loved ones, were with us in Spirit yesterday as we created new family traditions, building on the gifts that they all gave us. I am truly grateful and feel so blessed. 

Now I shift gears and my sites are set on Firenze. I can’t believe I leave tomorrow! I look forward to seeing dear friends once again, to meeting social media ones in the flesh, and to making many new friends.

I marvel at the fact that I get to start the New Year in my other favorite city. It is a great leap of faith in courage. Once again I turn it all over to the Universe to guide me on a new journey. It worked the last time....and I look forward to seeing what’s in store for me this time. 

My mantra for 2015 is “In Pursuit of Magic & Miracles!”  I believe in both and I welcome them into my life. And I wish the same for all of you in your lives. Happy New Year! Buon Anno!

Big Love,

PatriciaG

If you feel inspired to share, please do so in the comments section below. I would love to hear from you. Grazie!

Mom's Kahlua

The other day my cousin Donna asked me for a few of my Mom's Christmas recipes. I was going thru Mom's recipe box, filled with her handwritten notes of treasured delights that she made for all of us over the years. If you knew my mother than you got to sample one of her homemade treats at some point in time. She was always so generous.

I walked through my life, from early childhood on, as I flipped thru each recipe. I'm so grateful to come from a multi-cultural background as there are generations of family recipes from all nationalities: Italian, Polish, Irish, German. There are even some French recipes in there that she picked up from friends along the way! It's a never ending treasure trove, for Mom didn't just keep her own recipes; she was the keeper of all family recipes. Generations of deliciousness is in this very unassuming recipe box. 

I shed tears as I journeyed through it. Some were sad tears - for obvious reasons. But most were grateful tears. My life has been touched by such beauty, love and nurturing, through a woman that I was so fortunate to have called Mom.

Enjoy your baking and your family traditions this holiday season. They will last you a lifetime. I promise.

One of Mom’s Christmas traditions was sharing her homemade kahlua with the special people in her life. In the spirit of her generosity, I thought it would be nice to share Mom’s "Homemade Kahlua Recipe" with you. Originally I was going to type it out all pretty and neat, but it seemed more appropriate to share it the way she used it - in her own handwriting, worn and with coffee stains on it. Enjoy!

Merry Christmas & Happy Holidays! 

Love, PatriciaG

If you feel inspired to share, please do so in the comments section below. I would love to hear from you. Grazie!

It's a Visual Feast out There

Hi All,

I know everyone is hustling and bustling and time seems to be flying by. I mean, Christmas is 2 weeks away. Two weeks!! What the what??

I’ve had moments of freaking out with all there is to do. But I decided to pull in the reins, (picture the sound of sleigh bells here) and try my best to stay in the present moment. It’s so important to enjoy the twinkly, sparkly and festive deliciousness of this holiday season. It’s a magical and visual feast out there! 

Tis the season to love each other up and celebrate in laughter and song and anything that’s fa la la la la and holly jolly.

So takes a few minutes in your crazy day. Stop and drink in the sights, sounds & smells of this glorious season. Then smile and be on your merry freakin crazy way! 

To get you started, I popped around the city and took some shots of things that especially caught my eye. Including a YouTube video of Saks' display above the hustle & bustle of the crowd.

I’m sharing here with you in the hope that these images make you smile and feel all warm & fuzzy inside. Mostly I hope they remind you to get out in your own community, with your loved ones and have some fun! 

Merry Christmas & Happy Holidays to All.

Big Love,

PatriciaG

If you like what you’ve read, please give me a 'like' at the bottom of the page. And if you feel inspired to share, please do so in the comments section below. I would love to hear from you. Grazie!

I'm Headed Back to Firenze

One day a few weeks ago I was yearning for my beloved Firenze so bad. As a temporary “pick me up” I wrote on my calendar - December 27th go to Firenze. 

I walked around for a few days with the pretend trip giving me that wink wink moment and it put a skip in my step. I loved the skip so much that fantasy quickly turned into intention, and I started taking some action steps. Just for the heck of it, I began glancing at apartments, thinking about the various neighborhoods, and which one I’d like to live in this time around. It was so much fun that I thought, why not take a quick look at some schools...maybe instead of taking the next semester of Italian class here in NY, I’ll go study in Firenze. Hmmm and let me just peak at airline tickets. 

I knew exactly what I was doing. I know how powerful the Universe is. I’ve seen this before in my life and know for a fact that when you start putting action behind your intention, magic always happens.

And it did! Yes, I am headed back to Firenze and I cannot stop skipping or smiling! Soon I will be walking along the Arno and sitting on my bridge - Ponte Patrizia - actually it’s called Ponte Santa Trinita, but those in the know....well....know. I look forward to reuniting with dear friends, and making new ones, and finally meeting my social media friends face to face. I look forward to studying and speaking Italian, to eating the delicious (non GMO) food & drinking Prosecco. I look forward to seeing Christmas decorations in Firenze - a first!

But most of all I look forward to the rhythm, il ritmo, of the city that I love so much. I love it as if it were a person. And I look forward to sharing my experiences with all of you, through my photos and this blog.

I leave you with this - listen to that little voice in your head. It’s your true self guiding you. Then set the intention and take action. Magic will happen - I promise you.  

If you like what you’ve read, please give me a 'like' at the bottom of the page. And if you feel inspired to share your dreams, please do so in the comments section below. I would love to hear from you. Grazie!

All of my photos are available for sale on my Etsy shop. 

A Homeless Man Gave Me a Loaf of Bread

In a time when race is such an issue, a simple exchange between 2 people of different backgrounds confirms that we are better than what we seem to be at this particular moment in time. A small glimmer of hope for humankind is confirmed. 

David is a homeless man who graces the corner of my neighborhood on 27th Street & 3rd Avenue in Manhattan. We share chats from time to time and I help him out with a few bucks here and there. The other day as I sat with him for a bit, he told me how invisible he feels sometimes. He didn’t say it with anger or judgment, just very matter of fact. He continued to tell me a story about a woman who stopped in front of him to give her dog a treat. He was so hungry that he was tempted to take the treat from the dog. He chuckled and shook his head. “Some people tell me they’ll get me later, but later never comes,” he said.

As I got ready to leave, he handed me a loaf of bread. “What’s this?” I asked. “A woman gave this to me earlier, but I want you to have it,” he said. I insisted that I wasn’t going to take his bread. But he was adamant. “Please take it. It makes me feel good to give you something for a change.” So I took it. I took this loaf of bread from a homeless man. 

In this small exchange I see hope, love, light, compassion and unity. I share this story to convey that we are bigger and better than this ugly piece in our history. That we are capable of dissolving the hatred and fear. That we are all connected in this world and our similarities outshine our differences. 

Welcome to My New Website and Blog

Welcome to my new website and blog. I’m so happy to share this with you. 

Since I’ve returned from Italy I’ve been doing some soul searching to identify the theme of my work. When I’m photographing I get the most pleasure from capturing architecture, food, nature, street photography, NYC and Italy - especially Firenze. 

The creative process awakens the desire in me to capture & celebrate the random moments in life that are visually powerful, and that reveal the beauty and soul of our world.

My desire is for people to be nurtured, inspired and moved by my images. In capturing shared moments in time, I hope to show that we are all connected in this world and that our similarities outshine our differences. 

Here in the States we’ll be celebrating Thanksgiving next week. It’s a great opportunity to practice gratitude, and to come together to share a meal, laughs, conversation, hugs and much love. But the truth is, we don’t need big holidays to do that. We’re given the opportunity to create & celebrate special moments each and every day. And I hope to be there to capture as many of them as possible and to share them with you.

Eat/Live/Love - it’s as simple and profound as that. Enjoy!

Love,

PatriciaG