Winter is Here

A few days ago, Fort Wayne recieved our first snowfall (pretty early for accumulation) but today resorted back to the typical grey Indiana winter. It wasn't quite cold enough for snow, but we did get freezing rain. At least snow would have been pretty for pictures! Instead I was scaping sheets of ice from my windshield.

In Search of a Good Bag

I have been wanting a new purse for a while now and can't seem to find one that I like that isn't over my budget. Who pays $300.00 for a purse? I am too fickle to spend that much on something that will only last a year. These are the 3 I am eyeing right now.



I also need a new dress to wear to J's annual work party at the end of December. Last year, it was below zero for the evening with a very chilling wind chill. Looking at dresses only makes me cold.

It has been forever since I posted a blog on this site... I have been a little better on my feyphotography blog but not that much. I have been contemplating switching to wordpress since I have heard better things about them. Will never switch to typepad- not free! Since I haven't been posting here is a list of fun things rotating in my life:

1: Really want new camera. Eyeing the new Nikon D300 but I am waiting for some reviews- just came out a week ago, and I need a few more $.

2. I dogsat my sister-in-laws puppy this weekend. Sweet as can be. I NOW WANT A DOG! The cats don't feel the same as me.

3. Target is awesome! If you look a bit you can find more environmentally friendly products everywhere. They have organic sheets, recycled gift bags, soy wax candle, Nicole by OPI nail polish (to see rant click here), etc. I am also eyeing this rug but in white ( the white picture didn't show up too well). You also have to imagine a baby crawling on it. Would be an awesome portrait prop.

4. Thanks to my husband we have new tile down in the kitchen. No pictures until the whole room is finished.

5. Have been working more than ever to get a little holiday cash so I have had no time for blogging or thinking. The laundrey will take over the house eventually. Since the tempature was 50 degrees today I did do some holiday shopping.

A Disturbing Trend

Twice today on my daily blog stalking, I came across two disturbing events that have been happening on some of my favorite photographers' blogs. Mean people are effecting their blogging. Susan Stripling has to censor all posts left on her blog due to rude (aka jealous) people and Stacy and Mary are now no longer posting work related pictures due to rude phone calls from clients (mad because a photo they didn't like was posted). The former I really don't understand because when hiring a photographer, you should know what type of images to expect from them. As for posting rude comments, if you don't like- don't look. No one is forcing you to look at the blog. People are weird.

On an unrelated note... look how cute Andy and Chelsea are.

Do We Really Need Trees?

Because they are seriously causing me some allergy pain. Yuck my throat tastes gross and I can't breathe again.

Tired Flowergirls

Weddings are a long day for everyone. These poor girls just needed a nap :(

Also, it doesn't help that some strange lady keeps shoving a camera in your face.

I Really Should...

...be working on Devon and Anahi's wedding photos but I am just too excited over the Kalamazoo wedding. The Gilmore Car Museum is an awesome venue and you just can't go wrong with doing your wedding there. I want to be able to move to Kalamazoo because all the images I did there turned out amazing!

I am NOT an Idiot

About two months ago, I went to buy a new flash for my camera since my other one had a mysterious death. Two hours after reading the manual multiple times and being almost forced to tears with frustration, I gave up. I haven't touched it since until a last week. Still no luck. Finally, I took it to my local camera store and was prepared to meet humiliation ( I was sure they were going to do something in about 30 seconds and have it working). I am not a technical person. Well... I am not an idiot after all. It took them about 20-30 minutes to figure out it out. It was suppose to be set on Channel 3, not channel 1 like all other cameras. Who knew?

But in the last week, I was able to update Isaac's porfolio now than he has turned 5 and got a new sassy haircut. Can boys have sassy hair?

20 days...

to break down and buy a new lens. Check out how hot my husband's foot is. I can't wait to put this baby to good use!

Itchy Fingers

I am trying to resist buying a new camera lens. My other new lens is great but I am looking to get one specifically for portraits and I am such an impulse buyer. The lens that is tempting me is the Nikon 50mm 1.4 lens. My reasoning for wanting it is for low lighting situations and to be able to create bokeh in images. Don't know what bokeh is? Neither did I but I knew that is what I wanted to create.

Bokeh is:

borrowed images from Wikipedia

See how the background is completely free from detail- that is what bokeh is.

We will see how long I will be able to resist.

Procrastination

Since I am about to get really busy this month, I am procrastinating on my own wedding photos. I did order some already just to make sure the color was accurate with the lab. This is to avoid me editing all of the images only to find out that I am glowing red or something.

But... for your viewing pleasure, enjoy this albino duck. Isn't he cute?

As I was creeping up on this little guy, I ran a herd of ducks right into the parking lot, blocking this car in for a few minutes. I am sure she was cussing at me because it was quite obvious I was to blame.

We Have Arrived Safely

After a week of being in sunny St. Martin, we are officially back in Indiana. We had a great time, didn't want to leave, and couldn't be happier.

The wedding was also spectacular and more images are to come.

The Tomatoes Have Taken Control...

they have reached the roof of the garage.

Silly Me

All weekend I have been cursing blogger and I totally have to apologize. I've been trying and trying to post and not having much luck with anything. Then I deleted my temporary internet files (which took 5 minutes) and now I have my great highspeed internet working properly again.

But here is a picture of the little guy I got to photograph this weekend.

Plan "B"

Now that I have less than two weeks from my big day, I have come to the realization that I am not a good "bride". I haven't been on time with really anything (especially the invites) and now my centerpieces are a lost cause. Not only am I a bad bride but I am a bad gardner (no green thumb for me).

In the beginning of July, my BF and I started growing grass in wood containers and for a while, hopes were really high. See example below, beautiful, green grass.

Then... these bad guys showed up in the grass.
Then one day I came home and all my containers looked like this. Over 24 hours my grass went from healthy to deathly.

And if you are thinking, "How come her tomatoes look so great while her grass has bit the dust- literally?" it is because Jason is really the good gardner (carpenter, plumber, electrician, general helper) around here. I can barely get laundrey done every week- which I don't do consitantly.

A Rainy Day (Finally)

It is actually really raining here in Fort Wayne. We haven't actually been classified as a drought but we have been close. We keep getting spots of rain here and there but nothing like today. Here are some boring, rainy day images.

The Garden of Plenty

We are patiently waiting for our tomatoes to turn red. Unfortunently our cilantro is over for the season but fortunently we now have coriander seeds.

New Toy

After being on a wait list, I finally have a new toy! A new lens! The other one just wasn't cutting it. Check out some practice shots.

PG-13 Rating Post

A couple of weeks ago, I took a few sexy images for one of my friend for her anniversay. With the final images, I got the okay to post a few. Very subtle sexy.






Notice the waterfall. Guess where it is... A housing development! It looks like we are somewhere more exotic than where we actually are. Just don't mind the cars driving by.

The Return

It's been a while since I have blogged but now I am back. Woohoo. I love being able to do photo shoots with siblings. You get to see great family dynamics and their personalities shine through. Also, it is always great to pick a location where you can "kind of" let the children run around and be children and then be able to grab them and organize them when they are doing something cute. They end up looking a lot less posed AND they are much happier that way.

They are so *cool* in this image.

I'm a sucker

After writing the last blog, I went out on the internet to figure out which type of dog my neighbors have because I make general threats to no one on a daily basis that I would like to steal their dog. Which I wouldn't since it you would end up in the local paper as a dog kidnapper (see story here). But there is a problem with getting a pure-breed dog. I don't believe in breeding animals for money. I like to save pets, not help create more of them.

Well... problem solved. I found out the dog is a Brittany and their are rescue organizations out there dedicate to the Brittany. So if you want to check out some really cute dogs go to http://nbran.org/searchresults.asp.

When reasoning doesn't work, try puppies.

Jason and I have been having a dispute since we have been together about when we are going to get a dog. My answer, "when we have the time". His answer, "NEVER".

Now, I see this as unfair because I pretty much love most animals to a fault. Plus, I need a walking partner. Recently my mom has been my walking partner but she isn't there first thing in the morning giving me sad puppy eyes and telling me that I need to get out of bed and exercise.

This weekend I finally broke him. We were at the pet that Jason's sister manages picking out fish for our new *free* aquarium and I busted out the "look how cute the puppy is". This then escalated into me holding and playing with the puppy and Jason seeing how happy I was with the cute puppy. Then the puppy pooped and we ran away leaving Jason's sister to clean up the mess. Once situated with fish and on the way back home Jason agreed to a dog once the house is finished and we fence in the yard. Think 1.5 years.

And for the people out there that are just as crazy about animals as I am and wonder how I can play with a puppy and not take it home. He was $700.00 and he pooped.

Birthday Celebrations

My BF's birthday was last week and due to scheduling conflicts we celebrated it two weeks ago. And I am just now getting around to posting some photos.

1st we had to start off lunch right with a few martinis.


I love dirty martinis but can't stand olives. It is more a texture thing. This is why my martini has a lemon wedge- just to make it look prettier.

This is Annie and Bobbi. Roommates for 8 years now.

And this is why other people shouldn't be allowed to have my camera. My lens is finicky and only likes me behind it.

Charleigh

This is one tiny tot!