Category Archives: Meet The Diva

You Gotta Be: Ask Away Friday with Tamara Camera Blog

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Well, hey, there, blog! Remember me? Yes, blog, you’ve been neglected but admittedly, I have a lot of distractions right now. Like this storefront. Hey, readers!  I miss y’all! Want to take a look at what lies beyond that building permit? Yeah, I’m loving the purple and green. And when you come to visit me this summer, (see how I’m not saying “if” but “when?”), there will be photos Swami Satchyananda at the opening ceremonies of the Woodstock Music Festival and of Jimi Hendrix and John Lennon adorning those purple walls. You want to see something else? Meet the face … Continue reading →

Saying Goodbye to the Skull Cap

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Every now and then, I get this crazy idea in my head about getting together with friends who live in different parts of the country. As a blogger, I have met people, at least in that virtual sense, from every corner of the US. During the meetups I’ve had with blogging buddies, both formal and informal, I have a hard time with goodbyes. I’ve grown close to many of you. My business website has been on my to-do list for a few months now and since the fall, I’ve had a note to get a professional headshot taken. Yet every … Continue reading →

Upside Down

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“I fell in love,” I said, wrapping my hands around my coffee cup. “Well, that was a mistake,” he replied, shaking his head from side to side. “You can’t do that when you go into business. “ I looked out the window of the coffeehouse, which faced the main drag through town, and recalled the moment it happened. I had given up on finding a commercial space to rent through a real estate agency.  The broker listings were scarce, they stood in undesirable locations, or commanded too much rent.  One morning, feeling particularly frustrated with my choices, I drove the … Continue reading →

A Tale of Two Pizzas

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“How’s your pizza?” “It’s excellent.  You’ll love it.” “No seriously, how’s your pizza?”  I lean in a little bit.  “I’m from Jersey,” I add, as I toss my unruly hair, still unsure how to behave with its newly acquired southeastern frizz, over my shoulder.  “Pizza’s important to me,” this last statement delivered with a reverence typically reserved for a discussion about someone’s church, or their family, or the Superbowl. That’s how the conversation began when, one night, on our way to Walmart, I noticed a tiny storefront set back from the road with a sign outside advertising pizza.  Since landing … Continue reading →

Tangled

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Change is hard, y’all. From having to drive 40 miles to get to the nearest Target and 600 miles to find good pizza, to having to deal with my massive tangle of unruly hair, due to Southeastern humidity. It’s a war y’all.  Every day, it’s a war between me and my hair. I have this blow dryer you see, that could probably be classified as a lethal weapon.   My hair dryer could take down anything you buy at the gun and ammo shop, for sure. It weighs at least ten pounds, people.  At least. I spend a good fifteen minutes … Continue reading →

Jersey Girls Don’t Pump Gas

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Have you heard?  I’m a southern belle now, y’all. I’ve left the land of landfills and urban sprawl for quieter pastures.  For a quiet island, to be specific. It’s a different world down here.  I haven’t found a decent slice of pizza since I’ve ventured below the Mason Dixon line,  but I’ve seen more gun and ammo shops than Snooki’s seen the inside of Seaside Heights motel rooms. I like island life, yet it means if I need something more than a kayak rental, I have to drive for it.  The only game in town is a Walmart, and by … Continue reading →

My Aha Moment from #BlogHer’13: Thank You Sheryl Sandberg

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I could feel the woman in the seat next to me stiffen as she tapped her trim, pink nails against her Kindle.  Crying makes people uncomfortable, especially when they’re sitting next to you on an airplane.  I had tried to keep quiet about things, face the window and go about my cry in silence, but it’s a cramped space on a plane.  It’s hard to remain an anonymous crier. I cry on airplanes often when I fly alone.  I’m out of my element when airborne, out of the place where I feel the need to be strong and composed.  On … Continue reading →

Ordinary World

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It wasn’t bad as far as summer jobs were concerned. It was rock and roll, kind of. By day, I babysat, and by night, I looked after famous people, or looked after the people who were there to see famous people. There weren’t many women on the security detail at the summer concert venue where I worked.  The uniform was pretty awful, a short sleeve pinstripe oxford and ill-fitting blue khakis, but I managed to make it mine by wearing a tank top as an exposed undershirt, a wide leather belt, and my ever present Doc Martens. It was a … Continue reading →

Old School Blogging A – Z

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We bloggers know how to have a good time.  Really, we do!  For the past few weeks, we have been tagging one another in a blogging game, where we are prompted answer the following questions, that cleverly, follow the letters of the alphabet.  This prompt was originated by Elaine, and last week, I was tagged by Kim, Christine, and Christine to play along. I was thinking about writing this post three different times, once for each tag, but I’ll spare you the agony!   Here we go: A.  Attached or single? – Single…unless today’s the day JT finally comes around … Continue reading →

Late One Night

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There had been no doubt that he had broken things off with me. So when he showed up at my doorstep with a bottle of wine, it was surprising. Square jawed and dimpled, he stood a foot taller than me.  He had grown well into the fortyish version of himself. Why are you here? I wanted to ask.  Why now? But he walked right past me to the kitchen, opened a cabinet and took two glasses. I had no idea how she got in, but he sat down across the table, from her, and poured the wine. They chatted, in … Continue reading →