Stacie Dunn Photo Blog

Officially Time for the Change

2008-04-28T23:10:00.002-05:00

Hey blog readers, time to change those bookmarks and links!! Cause I know you all have me bookmarked at least 3 times for easy access. Click HERE for the new blog or go to www.stacienicoleblog.blogspot.com.

Old friends and zipper flaps

2008-04-24T22:30:00.003-05:00

This past Saturday I attended the funeral of my friend, Charlotte's, grandmother. She was such an amazing woman who lived a great life, and it was truly touching just to be there. I had not seen Granny in years and years, but of course, I went for the support of Charlotte and her family. She is one of those old, old friends - well, she was one of my very first friends. She is in my memories for as far back as I can remember. She tattled on me for drawing on the wall with crayons for goodness' sake! I mean who does that?!? : ) Anyway, Charlotte and her sister, Katie, spoke at the service. And it brought back a flood of memories. Her grandparents had a little greenhouse in the yard that was the 'flower house.' We played out there for hours and hours. There were real pots and pans, so we would 'cook' with real vegetables and play house. We convinced Katie that life was much better outside of the flower house. Hehe. We were so mean to her, but she wasn't an angel herself. I had not thought about those times for years, so it was good to remember. I did not expect to cry, but geez louise - I was a basketcase. Old friends really are the best, because most of the time your friendship just never changes. It's always special.

So this will (surprisingly) lead me into my LAUGH for the day.
First of all, I must give a shout out and THANK GOD for ZIPPER FLAPS! I hope this has happened to someone, so you will know what I'm talking about. For some reason, it happens to me far too often. I came home that day and was about to put my blue jeans back on to go outside...when suddenly I realized that my zipper had been down during the entire funeral. Yes, I am SERIOUS. Really...what can you do? I just shook my head. Add another embarrassing moment to my bank. Then I truly thanked God for those flaps of fabric that are attached to the side of the zipper (you know - they lay under the front of your pants.) Their purpose is to protect people like me from the world seeing your underwear! GENIUS!

Shannon & James at Birmingham Botanical Gardens

2008-04-24T13:19:00.004-05:00

Last weekend (as I mentioned in a post below), I shot some engagement pictures of Shannon, James and Alec (Shannon's son.) We went to Birmingham Botanical Gardens - sooo beautiful this time of year. I am seriously in love with the red bridge in the Japanese Gardens. It took a while for us to find it, but we finally figured it out.

I will be shooting their wedding in May up in Athens right on the river. Doesn't that sound fabulous? I think it's neat that they are getting married near the river, because they actually met on the lake while both of them were hanging out on boats. They have a boat and are still out on the lake as much as they can be. Alec is a master wakeboarder, of course. But I'm sure they would be impressed to see my own wakeboarding skills. Well, not really....cause I've never actually been. But I bet I would be pretty good at it...ha. I'm pretty excited about the wedding, because they are very relaxed when it comes to pictures and laugh so easily. Those are such great combinations.

So here are a few pictures from their session along with a link to a slideshow at the end. And yes, I probably include too many pictures on the slideshow, but it's hard for me to take them out!!

If you would like to see more pics, click HERE! And just in case you're wondering - yes, my website has changed names but I have not transferred my blog yet.

TODAY'S LAUGH includes a conversation between Reba and me at work sitting in the kitchen eating lunch from Panera.
Stacie: I am really liking these black olives in my salad right now, and I don't usually like olives.
Reba: I don't like green olives, because of that red thing they put in them. Whose bright idea was that anyway?
Stacie: uh...I don't know...God's??
Reba: (super confused look in my direction) I don't think God is the one who pit the olive and put a pimento in it!
Stacie: what? haha...oh...I thought they came that way.
Reba: No, but it might have been God's idea that He gave someone to do that...but they don't naturally come that way.

Ch-ch-ch-changes

2008-04-23T20:39:00.002-05:00

Hello all. First, I would like to announce that YES I am an Aunt of two beautiful babies that were amazingly born on the same day. It was crrrrrazy. Lily was born on Monday at 2:15pm and Sophie came in right behind her at 6:12pm. They were in the same hospital just down the hall from each other. They are both absolutely precious, and I will post pictures soon.

If you have ventured to my website today, it is currently offline due to domain changes. I am changing the name of my photography business. I like Sozo, but I really just want to be comfortable with the name. So I'm using myself this time - Stacie Nicole. I think it is more appropriate and more identifiable. It just makes more sense to me. Not much is changing, but I will have a new link to my blog and will share that soon. So maybe this will be the last time for a while that you will have to link elsewhere. I think this is like the 3rd time I've changed blogs! Sorry people. One day I'll be settled.

What's the Big Idea?

2008-04-16T22:05:00.003-05:00

I can't remember who it was but a child of one of my friends would say this. "What's the big idea?" And I think that is so cute. Kinda like hey what's the big deal?

Anyway, the big deal is this: I am going to be an AUNT! And that would be x2 because 2 babies will become my nieces within a week. My stepsis and sister-in-law are due just days apart, and it's looking like the big day could be this weekend. We'll see. I will just flip out (as will my family) if they have them on the same day! Little Lily and Sophie will be celebrating their birthdays together for all their lives! ....Hmmm...will this be a good thing? I guess it will just have to be. As the time draws near, I am getting much more excited.

And just in case you're wondering - my South Beach diet has drastically improved. I have been quite successful in Phase 2. No more cucumbers and eggs...thank God. And seriously - didn't He create wheat for a reason?? BREAD helps the world go 'round, people.

My LAUGH for today happens a lot. I think it about it often for some reason but only hear it every now and then (and say it as well.) I think we have created a new word in the English language. And that would be "a-whole-nother." It's embedded so much that you probably don't notice it at all. But once you notice, you'll always hear it. "Can you believe I ate a-whole-nother piece of pie?" - "Man, it took me a-whole-nother day to finish that book." Is this a Southern thing or what? I just heard a lady say it on the cel phone in the grocery store.

Weekend Update

2008-04-13T21:29:00.008-05:00

Hello there super fabulous blog readers. Are you serious in telling me that the weekend is already over? Geez. It was a lovely one though. I ended it tonight with one of our 'friend dinners' in Cullman, and they are always so enjoyable. We try to schedule them once a month, but this one came together due to 2 more 30th birthdays. That number 30 is shootin 'em down like nobody's business. It's weird when you have a group like us who have grown up together, are all the same age, and it happens to each one in just a year. I've got a LOOONNNGG way to go though...second to the last - WAAAYYY in September. I knew that 'youngest' factor would come in handy one day. Hehehe.

Anyway, here is a brief summary of my activities this weekend, because I know you are just dying to find out. *Friday: tornado weather. Yuck. *Saturday: Clear skies and beautiful. In the morning, I shot some engagement pictures of Shannon and James at Birmingham Botanical Gardens. Shannon's precious son, Alec, came for the shoot as well and made it even more fun. I'll be shooting the wedding in May, and I'm so excited about it. Engagement pictures are such a great way to get to know the couple and what they are like together. Shannon, James and Alec were so relaxed, upbeat and better yet - goofy. I loved it. I haven't edited the pics yet, but here is one of my favorites. I love love love catching people in a moment like this:

*Sunday: Headed north for some pictures of one of my favorite babies (who just turned 1): Anna Hampton. I have had the privilege of shooting her portraits since the week she was born! She gets cuter everyday and smiles like you would never believe. This was a favorite today:

And last but certainly not least. My dad asked if I would take a picture of him for his business card. He owns part of a barbecue business but does real estate on the side. If you are looking for a realtor in Cullman, give him a call! He's one of the best. But of course, I'm biased. He is one of the most outstanding dads a person could ask for...as well as a genuine, lively, all around excellent, loving, talented man with the best personality imaginable. I mean - how do you think I turned out like I did? Geez...seriously. So I have to post a picture of him!

TODAY'S LAUGH: Everytime I have thought of this moment over the weekend, it makes me laugh. So it's got to go down in history. Friday during the bad weather, I was at work. We could have gone home early but there were still 4 of us there. Drew was watching outside and yelled back that it was hailing. Well, I just freaked out because when I looked out the window, the trees were swirling like I have never seen. The rain/hail was sideways, hitting the windows, and it was just a pretty terrifying sight. You know when you're in a panic and you just end up standing or running around like you don't know what the heck is going on? I was there...yelling what are you doing? what are you doing?!?! But what cracks me up the most is when Drew yelled something I didn't understand. It sounded liked "Kejlskrejsij CAR!!!" And he was like a vapor who vanished in the wind. He ran through that office faster than Speedy Gonzalez and was GONE. He didn't give a rip about the tornado but wanted to move his car away from hail damage. The front door stopped him though when it got caught in the wind. Well, and then it stopped hailing. Maybe you should have just been there, but I can't stop laughing about this!

Torture Update

2008-04-09T21:53:00.002-05:00

Disclaimer: Please don't let my personal opinions stray you away if you are considering the South Beach Diet. It is truly a wonderful, healthy way to lose weight. And Tracie, you should stop reading this right now.

But.....here's the thing. I'm already ready to quit this horrific diet, and it's only day 2. SERIOUSLY...I'm such a wimp. When I'm sitting there eating my 87th bite of cucumber, I think "am I this set on losing weight?" "Why not just exercise? That is really what you need to do." I'm a pretty healthy eater most of the time anyway...I guess. Yes, this plan is great, but I'm just not as excited as I was. Understandably.

I made my eggs differently this morning and used canadian bacon and cheese. I drove to work with my fork and bowl and ate them along the way. Nice and safe, yes. I was so excited about making these vegetable quiche cups, so that I could take one right out of the freezer and pop in the microwave to eat on-the-go. Nope. They'd probably be good on another day with all that spinach. I'm so hungry right now, because I don't want to eat anything that I can eat. I don't think this is the way it's supposed to be. I'm going to bed!

I think I might just start on Phase 2 after 2 days instead of 2 weeks. I've had enough!

Won't you be my neighbor?

2008-04-08T21:22:00.003-05:00

I'm happy to say that my beach trip was fantastic. The weather was ok on Friday, yuck on Saturday, beautiful on Sunday. My Dad and Ann had to leave town early Saturday, because they had some serious damage from the tornado (or whatever it was) in Cullman on Friday. Ten trees fell all throughout their yard! I'm talking up-rooted, landing just feet from the house...but certainly not ignoring the back deck that was badly messed up. Geesh. I'm so grateful nothing actually hit the house.

Anyway, that means I had all day Saturday and Sunday to myself. It was nice to do nothing. I took my camera but didn't take one single picture.

Also, I officially started the South Beach Diet today. I don't know if I fully realized until just a while ago that I have committed to not eat bread or sugar for two full weeks....Hmmmm...I'm wondering how this is going to go. It is otherwise great. Very practical and pretty easy. You can still eat good food (and drink coffee & tea - which is highly important.) I'm looking forward to my wardrobe expanding (instead of me! har har...) There are quite a few pairs of pants that I'd still like to wear - I'm not done with them yet - but they aren't working with me, you know?

And in case you are wondering - no, there is really no topic or pattern to this post. It's just been a while since I blogged, and I wanted to update.

Moving on...
I have always wanted to go through some pictures I took while playing Rook with my family. So I decided to post a couple of them that I liked. If you play Rook, you would know that I was pretty excited about getting this STELLAR hand......

And here is an action shot of my dad dealing......

TODAY'S LAUGH: This actually happened on Sunday. I was trying to hang out on the beach until the very last second before making the 4-5 hour drive home. While sitting in my chair with my ipod, I noticed these two older women walking out onto the sand with bags and beach chairs. They stood for a moment as if waiting for someone else and tried to decide where to sit. As they unfolded their chairs, the older woman (probably 60-70 yrs old) sat in her chair and immediately fell back - head to the ground, feet up in the air right in the middle of the beach! The other woman quickly helped pull her chair back down to the ground. Just as they couldn't stop laughing, neither could I! She was okay and knew that people saw her...just a bit embarrassed. It still makes me laugh just thinking about it right now. Oh it was absolutely hysterical!

It's that time again...

2008-04-02T19:19:00.004-05:00

Well, the last hour of my life has been transforming...really! I said GOODBYE to my winter clothes (sayonara suckers...good riddance big bulky sweaters...au revoir itchy wool pants...) And it didn't take me long at all. I wasn't sad a bit. It was quite a refreshing moment that I've been looking forward to for weeks. What a reunion my summer clothes and I had when I released them from their storage bins. Woooooo...

So anyway, the main reason I had to changeover is because I'm headed to the BEACH tomorrow - oh yeah, I am. It's the first official trip of the season. I haven't been since November. And really I don't care if it rains the whole time. I just want to wear flip flops and see the sand. Well...and get my book and ipod and umbrella and a huggie with a good refreshing drink in it. Then sit there all day long and maybe fall asleep. Ahhhhh...

Speaking of ipods: I have to give a shout out to mine, because my ipod and I have such a quality relationship...amazingly loyal. I have a 'mini' that I don't think are produced anymore. It's probably at least 3 years old. I haven't used it in about 8 months. I dusted it off and tried to charge it. Well, it had some issues. But I gave it a little pep talk and some time. And that little puppy started right back up like old times!

TODAY'S LAUGH is regarding my above references to personal relations with inanimate items. What the heck??

In honor of my beach trip, I will post some pictures I took last time I was there. These were just for fun...

A Palm Tree...

A Road Sign...

Free Advertising...

The view of a sunset from a pier...if you were an ant...

Mary and Michael in Nashville

2008-04-01T21:09:00.008-05:00

I hope you are having a lovely Tuesday.
I think I have set an editing record for myself. I am finished with Mary and Michael's engagement pictures from Sunday. We had so many different backgrounds in downtown Nashville...it is definitely not lacking with color or uniqueness. So here are a few of my favorite shots and a link to the slideshow at the end. (And I still don't know why the pictures are pixel-y when I post them on here. If you click on them, they are much clearer. Maybe one day I'll figure it out.) .......

Aren't they so cute? It's easy to edit when your subjects are naturals! Haha..
Click HERE to see the slideshow.

And I don't know if my life is just not funny anymore or WHAT but I don't have a big LAUGH for today. I suppose I can count last night when I played Guitar Hero for the first time. Watching my friend, Lori, was hysterical. She would do well until you started talking to her or distracting her...then it was all downhill. Or our messed up plug would come out of the back of the TV causing it to go black in the middle of a song. Then all heck broke loose.

Nashvillian things

2008-03-30T21:14:00.003-05:00

Happy Sunday to you - I am going to have to go back to work to recover from this weekend, but it has been a blast. I headed up to Nashville Saturday morning and hung out with my friend, Christi, all day. We went to a spa. I've never been much of a spa person...I don't know why, because it's fabulous. But let me tell you - if you have never had your feet dipped in paraffin wax, this is a must-do. I've had pedicures but never one that lasted this long. It was heaven. And I had my 1st facial...which could be a story for Today's Laugh. I would doze off during the facial, but when she pressed her fingers against the sides of my nose, it cut off my air supply - therefore, waking me up! It was hilarious. Hanging out with Christi is always a riot too. She's the type of friend who makes you feel so funny, because she laughs at everything you say. We have the most fun together.

I also shot some engagement pictures of Michael and Mary today in downtown Nashville. I worked with Michael at a restaurant when I lived up there. We always had the most fun working the counter. Anytime a margarita order would come up, we'd have our own little fiesta - yayayaya eeee!! I finally learned how to roll my R's. Anyway, I met Mary there too, b/c she would come to hang out. I love them both - they are so much fun and such great people. I was honored when they asked me to shoot their wedding in June in Cleveland, Tennessee. Here's a single pic from today that I like. I haven't finished editing them but thought I'd post one...

Laura Gail & Steve at Independent Presbyterian in Birmingham

2008-03-26T20:19:00.013-05:00

Hello friends and neighbors. Today's post is dedicated to one of my dearest friends, Laura Gail, who married Steve last Saturday here in Birmingham. I met LG back in 2004 through a small group at our church. And she's had an amazing impact on my life ever since...in more ways you could imagine! My most valued and appreciated aspects of our friendship are heart-felt honesty and inspiration from such a fabulous woman....but on a not-so-serious note, I don't think I've ever had conversations with anyone like I've had with LG. Talk about some outrageousness! And we've always had so much fun.

Laura Gail and Steve met for the first time embarking on a trip to Israel to visit the Holy Land. He lived in Tulsa, and she lived in Birmingham. They anticipated returning home with changed lives but not necessarily in the area of romance! I remember not really knowing what to think about it but Steve seemed like an OK kind of guy....so I was alright with it. : ) Ha! Like I had a say in the matter! But then LG moved to Israel for 6 months to do some amazing work and get 'refined in the Furnace!' Their relationship only strengthened...consisting of a couple of visits, ichat, emails and phone calls...it didn't take long before she was back in the US with an engagement ring! It's hard to express how excited I am for them to begin their lives together...finally in the same city! I love them both!

This church was one of the most beautiful that I've seen. LG has always wanted to get married here, so it was extra special. I wasn't the official wedding photographer as they had a friend of the fam offer to shoot it at no charge. But I did get to follow her around all morning and tell a bit of a story of the day. So here are a few pictures and a link to a slideshow at the end...

The Reception Hall at the Church:

Beautiful cake...

Geez at the buttons!!

The stunning bride...

and the ever-so-studly groom...

Anticipation...

Probably one of my favorites - waiting for the grand moment...

LG and Steve, I certainly wish God's best for your lives, and I'm positive that's exactly what you'll get! I'm definitely coming for a visit to Tulsa as soon as I can!

Click HERE for a slideshow if you'd like to see more of the pictures. The song playing is by the David Crowder Band and is a very special song to LG and Steve.

Even though it has absolutely no relation to this post, we certainly can't go without TODAY'S LAUGH...
Cause it is preeeeetty funny right now. I was just sitting here thinking - what is today's laugh? hm...how sad that you can't think of one. Is it bad that you've gone all day and not had a good laugh? Yes, it is....Wait, where did those notecards go? (That I just bought at the store tonight.) I need to do that tonight. They weren't on the kitchen counter. They aren't in this bag. OH NO! I threw them away! Great. Well, haha...there you have a laugh. That's pretty funny. Write about that. (Get up and start digging through the garbage, find some liquid gross stuff, find the plastic bag, pick it up. They're not in there. Find another plastic bag, leftovers from the restaurant, yuck...) WAIT A MINUTE...they're in my purse! (Go to room, look in purse. Sure enough. There they are. At least I got a laugh.)

He's not here!

2008-03-23T22:55:00.007-05:00

Hey hey people. I hope your Easter has been lovely. And that your Easter Frock came together in spite of the cold weather. Some of you may have purchased springy/summer-y clothing and probably got a bit chilly today.

I'll start off with TODAY'S LAUGH since it is relevant to the holiday we are celebrating. I went home to Cullman yesterday. So I woke up at my parents' and went downstairs. The first thing my dad said was Happy Easter!
Me: Happy Easter!
Dad: He's not here!
Me: ......Who?.....the Easter Bunny?? (I thought he was rubbing in the fact that we don't get Easter baskets anymore - boo...)
Dad: No......Jesus!!
Me: Oh, ha! Ahh yes, He lives!
And so all morning we were singing...Up from the grave He arose (He arose)....
I thought it was funny.

Last weekend I shot some Senior portraits for my gorgeous and amazingly talented cousin, Mallory. I was excited to do this and was hoping we would end up with some really cool pictures. We surprisingly found some great spots in Cullman (including their house)...who knew there were so many locations with color and cool stuff? So here are a few of my favorites:

A little winky wink. Haha!! (Sorry, Mal, I had to put this one up!)

Very awesome red on the back of a shoe store...

As we were driving off, somebody spotted these pink doors!

She is super fabulous beautiful...yes, I know...

Spring, Ring and Contrabands

2008-03-19T21:58:00.006-05:00

Hello and Happy 1st Day of Spring to you! It's so funny how we always say we didn't have a Spring and completely forget about weather like we've had the last week or two. Do other states experience the "turn your heat on in the morning then turn your A/C on a few hours later" like we do? I wonder about that.

And I'd like to give a big fat CONGRATULATIONS to my friends, Julie and Gavin! At the end of an eventful scavenger hunt, Gavin proposed to Julie at a spot somewhere really high up in the sky - I currently cannot remember where! Haha. From the stories I've heard, he's a super duper creative guy. I'm very glad because Julie is super duper special. This will be a fun time for them. And for me because I get to shoot the engagement pics AND be in the wedding! Yes, I'm special too. Anyway, they were at our apartment Sunday night and had not taken a picture on their Engagement Day. Of course, we had to make that happen. So here are two pics from the big day:

This is Tracie barely getting in a thumbs up. She approves.
It is quite appropriate that Julie & Gavin are sitting on the LOVE seat, eh?? And I know you are jealous of our beautiful rustic-colored loveseat. No, you cannot buy it because it is priceless and not-for-sale (...and currently the only piece of living room furniture we have.)

TODAY'S LAUGH: This laugh is from Saturday. I remembered today though, and it still makes me laugh. So that counts. My stepmom, Ann, has such a way with words. Our family has started to call them Ann-isms. It will be difficult for me to tell specific stories, but sometimes she will mispronounce a word or use a totally different word that has such a different meaning. Don't get me wrong - she is an intelligent and very talented woman. She means well, and it is a common mistake that all people can make. But for some reason, when she does it, it is absolutely hysterical. For example, referencing Muslims but calling them mausoleums. The result is usually a puzzled look on our faces and breakouts of laughter when we realize what the word was supposed to be.
Anyway, I was talking with her and my Dad about attending church on Sunday. And she said there would be contrabands at the service. (Oh I am laughing even thinking about this.) My dad and I didn't get it. What are contrabands at church? Well...what she meant was...the kids who go through confirmation classes and are 'confirmed' during the service. We really got a kick out of that and of course, gave her too much of a hard time.

Greenie

2008-03-17T20:59:00.002-05:00

First of all, I just have to tell you something very important. And that would be that everyone should be exfoliating. I don't care who you are - go get one of those loofahs and use it everyday. After a month, I promise you will thank me. Or you will thank something or somebody, b/c it makes the biggest difference! It shall be your first step on the way to summer.

Tonight I went to see Horton Hears a Who, and it was fabulous. I didn't expect to like it as much as I did, and I recommend to anyone. Very cute.

And today I wore green without thinking about St. Patrick's Day. Yay for me! I was so glad when I got to work and realized it. Therefore, I did not get the pinch.

I love not being cold. It is absolutely fantastic that the weather is getting warmer. I can't fully describe how glad it makes me. Almost beach time!

Last weekend I went over to visit my friend, Sheri, and take a few pictures of her youngest baby, Sam. Her oldest, Jack, also made it into a few pictures. Even though I'm starting to focus more on weddings here lately, I thought I would post them. These two boys are so adorable. Sam looks just like Patrick while Jack looks just like Sheri. Isn't that funny how they're different?

music music

2008-03-11T23:14:00.004-05:00

hello to you. doesn't music just make all the difference? i created a slideshow of pictures from my friend, laura gail's, shower this past weekend to pass around for our friends. you can look at the pictures with no music, and it's good. they are cute. but add some cute music, and it makes it so much more emotional. that is amazing to me. i love it.

today was fabulous b/c i finally purchased a computer bag for one of the loves of my life - my macbook pro. i'm embarrassed to even show someone what i was carrying it around in. maybe that's why the apple on the front is cracked - hmmmm... that's not cool. but that's what happens when you ram a computer into a door. genius! so now it has a special bag and has no worries about injuries.

if you watch american idol, was tonight not just the greatest? i was surprised when they pulled out john lennon/paul mccartney songs. some of them had such a fantastic performance (but yes, some of them were baaaaad.) they all tried though - i guess that's important and such. i'm a big, huge fan of the beatles, so that made me super happy.

TODAY'S LAUGH: i came into work this morning singing a bon jovi song. i think it was 'never say goodbye.' so drew started singing 'you give love a bad name.' and it still makes me laugh to think about it. isn't it hilarious when someone sings the wrong lyrics? i love it. and i'm sure i do it all the time as well. but instead of singing 'shot to the heart, and you're to blame...', drew sang 'shot to the heart, and you're too late...' i don't know exactly why but it was hysterical. we laughed and laughed. and certainly gave him a hard time for quite a while.

Whiteness

2008-03-08T09:55:00.005-06:00

Happy Snow to everyone! Yes, we only got a pathetic little dusting, but I was still glad to see snow. If it's going to be this cold, I'm always glad to have some snow along with it. Might as well! So I went outside this morning around 9:00 and took some pictures just to mark the event. I could already hear it all melting. Here's a leaf:

And more:

Yes, it's not much. You can always count on your car though. It never fails to collect the most:

And while we're on the topic, I just found this picture from December of my mom and Gary's house in Boston. Gary must have shot it. Isn't it cute? I'm glad we don't have as much snow as they do, but it would at least be fun to come along once or twice. I've been surprised at how much my mother loves the snow and wants it to be there all the time. She gets so excited when they are forecast a big storm.

hands and feet

2008-03-06T20:42:00.004-06:00

just some thoughts for today. one of my favorite opportunities to come along while i'm driving is for me to not have my foot on the clutch. a lot of people say that after driving a 5-speed, they grow to love it. well, i'm not of one of those people. i long for the day that i can purchase another automatic. ohhhh the day. anyway, a most wonderful thing occurs when i'm driving the route from work to home: i travel down shades crest, which is basically all downhill. from the curvy part to the red light at 280 (could be a mile?), i have no foot on the clutch and only tap a brake when needed. i absolutely love it.

now to other thoughts: there's a certain body and bath company out there that i love. it ends in "works." but if i could comment to them about something, this would be it: why, oh why, in your soaps (with the pump that you leave at your sink), do you make the tube inside so short that it leaves the 1/2 inch of soap unable to be used and left for dead? i refuse to do it. i will not throw it away. i unscrewed that pump, and my soap bottle is lying sideways on the back of the toilet. therefore, despite the inconvenience, i will use ALL the soap! a-ha!

i was looking through some photos and noticed that i take a lot of pictures of shoes. i may have posted this photo once before - i can't remember right now. but i like it a lot. this is from makesha and shawn's wedding here in birmingham. i think either a groomsman or the best man had some truly uncomfortable shoes and kept taking them off.

For Reeeaaalll

2008-03-04T20:45:00.004-06:00

So sometimes I wonder if I'm seriously a freak-a-zoid. Who goes shopping with the intent of buying something new but can't find one single thing? There are 2 main reasons for this. Let's explore Reason #1: I'm not the biggest style-savvy fashionista (that's really a word in the dictionary.) Trends are great, but I have an issue with getting tired of trendy items very quickly. Therefore, I know I shouldn't spend a lot of $ on them. I usually stay with classics (a.k.a. BORING.) Anyway, I decided today that I need to hire a personal stylist. How much do those cost?

Ok, exploring Reason #2: At this time of year, it's usually evident to myself that I need to shed a few pounds....uh...well like 10 or something. Therefore, going shopping just puts me in a foul mood, and I come home empty-handed. Where are Stacey and Clinton when you need them the most?

I was walking around the mall realizing that ACTION needed to be taken. How do I expect anything to change if I don't take action? Next step: texted 3 friends and asked what the top 2 fashion magazines were. Of course, Laura Gail responds within 1 minute and tells me In Style and Vogue (and a paper called Women's Wear Daily.) I came home and immediately ordered the first two. Yes, I did....By golly, if I don't know anything about fashion (I mean nothing), I'm going to do something about it and learn. Surprisingly, I've come a long way from a year ago.

Next step: Diets are for the birds. I don't need someone (called me) telling me I can't eat something. So here's my plan. I looooove lists. I'm going to make two lists. And the fact that they are lists, will motivate me. Because I looooove crossing things off the list. One list will be things I'm not going to have that day (BUT here's the key: I'm either cutting them or allowing myself to have them again.) Another list will be great things I can eat. Ok, that makes no sense. So I'm not that prepared yet. All I know is I'm going to stop eating stupid stuff.

Um and then I'll exercise. Because that's really the main key. And no, I don't have a plan for that yet either, but I'd like for it to include Pilates.
I feel good just writing all that out. In six months, you won't recognize me. Ha.

TODAY'S LAUGH: I thought I might not have one, but then I remembered this. I was in Reba's office today at work and nearly busted it out into the hallway when I tripped over her heater in the floor of her office. It was hilarious.

Saturday Goodness

2008-03-02T09:52:00.004-06:00

So what's the best news you could hear first thing after you wake up on a Saturday morning?? Obviously...that your stepmother has free tickets to the pancake breakfast at the high school! I think pancake breakfasts are the best thing ever. I drove over in my pajamas and went through their little drive-thru, and it was fabulous.

Wasn't the weather lovely yesterday? I began the day attempting to wear flip flops...mainly because I am so excited about the weather getting warmer that I can hardly stand it. But my feet got cold, and I realized quickly it was not a day for flip flops just yet.

But it was warm enough to shoot some fun Easter pictures for my friend, April. She had found a beautiful green patch of grass, so we trekked out to it through the mud and dodging a crazy, spastic dog (he wasn't really bothering us, but just kept running around seriously like a spaz.) Here are a few of my favorites that we shot:

TODAY'S LAUGH: It's a little early to already have a laugh, but I do. Sometimes do you wake up with a song in your head, and you have no clue where it came from? This morning I laughed because I woke up singing "I've Been Working on the Railroad." What?!?! Haha....

It was snowing this morning

2008-02-27T21:18:00.001-06:00

I feel at least 15% smarter today than I did yesterday - or even this morning. Isn't it just the best when you figure something out that you've been wanting to know forever? I finally found a way to see the stats of my blog and my website. There's a site called StatCounter and it is simply marvelous. It's totally free, and you can drop the code into your site. My life just changed forever!

It has been driving me crazy not having a clue if my blog or website are even viewed at all. There was no way to know! Not now though. I'm closer to the cutting edge - oh yes.

TODAY'S LAUGH: Today I joined the ever-popular Facebook. Please do go and ask me to be your friend, because I would love to! As I was sitting here in my room setting up my profile and friends, I found my co-dweller, Tracie, on there. So I asked her to be my friend. She was sitting in the living room watching tv. As soon as I clicked the button, I heard a ringy noise in the living room. It sounded like Tracie's cel phone. So that made me laugh and I asked if she got Facebook notices on her cel. Yes, she does - and it was my request. Hehe...what a laugh.

Does it feel like winter has been super duper longer this year or what? Is it normally this cold this long? A long winter gives us reason to believe that this year may be better than the last. Get it? Ohhh, I am so clever.

Stuff

2008-02-26T22:27:00.004-06:00

It's difficult sometimes for me to think of one interesting topic to blog about. So today will be random day.

*Last night I watched one of my favorite movies ever: Father of the Bride II. It is absolutely hysterical. I can't think of many movies that make me laugh, laugh ohhh laugh and then seriously make me cry. I love it. Steve Martin and Martin Short are the best.

*I am registered for a FREE photography conference in Huntsville called RIPE. It's for people pursuing or growing successful businesses in photography. The conference occurs every month. The goal behind it is to help photogs get moving in what it is they are really called to do and to value themselves and their work. What a concept...what a nice thing to do. Heather Bookout began leading this because she feels like it's her purpose to help people figure it out. I like her already.

*TODAY'S MULTIPLE LAUGHS: Last night was a heckuva storm. I woke around 3:30am to tornado sirens. I knew I could count on James Spann in his suspenders to tell me what was happening. Where was he?!? Nowhere on tv, that's for sure - M.I.A.....I was so sad that James wasn't there. I don't understand. But I moved on and checked another station. As I was trying to get back to sleep, the storm truly began and almost ripped us straight out of the apartment right from my corner bedroom windows! (Well, not really.) My room is on the edge of the bldg, and I had to move b/c I really thought something was coming in at any moment. Skeeery!
Anyway, later that morning, my roommate, Tracie, said she told our friend, Lori, that we were wondering where James Spann was. Lori responded: Probably in the closet.
I laughed & laughed at that...

*This week has been free from editing. I've had so much time to research and catch up on some things. Yeehaw...rock and roll. I will post a couple of pictures from my last session with Bennett - one of the cutest babies ever born:

And his beautiful sister, Avery:

Spastic Colon Sunday

2008-02-03T20:29:00.000-06:00

Organizing sure does make you feel refreshed. I spent a few hours last night and this morning clearing out space on my computer, and I'm amazed at how great it was! Before I got Photoshop, I was using iPhoto...which always got on my nerves. I had thousands and thousands of unnecessary photos on my computer. I think iPhoto saves like 3 copies of the file! Geesh! I deleted at least 15,000 extra photos from my computer. That's astonishing! I knew it had to be done, b/c I was seriously running out of room. I've got a lot of them stored other places now too, so more will be leaving my mac soon.

Today's Laugh: I poured myself a cup of coffee right after I prepared a bowl of Honey Nut Cheerios. The little packet of splenda I reached for was intended for my coffee but made it right into my cereal bowl instead! Yuck! Some people may think that would be good, but no, no not me. I scooped most of it out and was able to eat it. It made me laugh though!

And another one: My stepmom and I were watching the Puppy Bowl (yes, sounds stupid.) But it was hysterical. One little puppy was down at the end at the goal post where the water bowl was. Everytime another puppy came up, he would bark at them and not let them have water. The ref gave him a puppy penalty and told him he had to learn to share. Oh it was funny.

When I finish a photo session, it's a great day. I love results and accomplishing specific tasks. So the other night I stayed up way too late to finish Mack David's pictures, because I knew I only had a few left. And I celebrated - yes, I did a little jig. So here are a few more of his adorable face:

A Laugh a day....

2008-01-28T23:20:00.000-06:00

My outlook on life seems to improve exponentially when it gets warmer outside after being so cold. I have always loved cold weather, but I'm ready for it to say bye bye this year. Is it because I'm getting older or what? Who knows. I drink a lot of milk, so I know my bones are not brittle. I don't know why I think that has anything to do with it.

Anyway, I want to remember the things that make me laugh. Ohhh, the favorite parts of my day are laughing into hysterics. It doesn't happen that way everyday, but there's something that makes me laugh at least one time a day. So I'm going to remember it by trying to post it.

Today's LAUGH: Meg's bulletin on myspace that was the Dude commercial from Bud Light. Dude, dude, DUDE! It was so funny.

And one more: Ebbie the cat came into my room. When I walked around the corner, he hissed at me. The nerve! I immediately said out loud...alone...with this cat. "You come into MY room and hiss at ME?!?" (Tracie, I promise we made up after that.)

Here's a picture from a session I've been editing with my friend, Nicole, and her six month old baby, Mack David. Love it, love it, love it!!!

Just Do It

2008-01-27T22:34:00.001-06:00

My big question for the day has been this: What do I do in the face of adversity? When facing big, huge monsters that scare the blazes out of me... It hasn't really been a question that I couldn't answer. Because I run, and I know it. Just dealing with the truth has been pretty profound. If I continue this way, my goals and dreams for my life simply will not come to pass. I can stay in a place of safety and security forever, and that's fine. But am I happy with that? Well, of course not. I'm writing this now to get it down somewhere and not forget it. So many times just in the last two weeks, I've decided in my mind to give up, no more...I can't do it. I've made mistakes and most of the time feel like I have no clue what I'm doing in more than one area. Someone that I highly respect told me a couple of years ago that I give up too easily. I thought he was just crazy and didn't really know me, because that was SO not true. How funny that it took me so long to agree! This is a proclamation to myself that I am moving forward, taking another step and getting myself off this wretched plateau. I'm sure they're not really big monsters anyway.
Yes, this is cheesy, and I hate being cheesy. I am Mel Gibson in Braveheart with my sword and that blue paint. Or Abraham taking his son up to kill him as a sacrifice to God (ok, well not really.) But it just means that I have to do some things that I don't want to do to get to where I really want to be. Or Tom Hanks on the raft with Wilson going over the big waves to escape from the island. Or Frodo carrying the ring to the scary place because he's the only one that can do it. I think I'm getting the point across.
Time to go! But I can't guarantee that I won't use the same method I use when I watch horror movies - and that would be covering my eyes so that I can only see a small sliver of the screen. But at least I'm watching!

Blog Overdue

2008-01-24T20:53:00.000-06:00

I like to blog - I really do. But the last few weeks, when thinking about blogging, I didn't feel that I had anything good to say. Like all that would come out would be blaaahhh. So I ignored my blog. Sorry blog! I still don't have much to say, but I wanted to post.

Here are some things going on:

*I finally launched my new website - www.sozophoto.com. I still have some tweaking to do before a grand, grand, grand announcement. I would like to add some music to it, but every time a good idea comes along, I find a reason to veto it. Do you have any ideas? I want something with a light, happy beat - not cheesy - not annoying - good flowing - meaningful.

*Today my main thought was this: I choose who I want to be. I can choose more than I think sometimes. Maybe I'm satisfied with myself only because I'm lazy and don't want to change. I can make my day better or worse. Or make my life better or worse.

*I love my house shoes. They are soft and warm.

*I need a couch. I looked at one today that I like, but even though it's not really expensive, I want a better deal. Tracie and I only have a loveseat that sits right in the middle of the living room pointing towards the tv. But the brown throw looks marvelous and compliments the orange rusty color of the loveseat.

That's about it.

Hope you have a great day.

moving and warped-ness

2007-12-30T23:48:00.000-06:00

well...let's see. today was moving day for me. kind of a half moving day, because i still have more to take tomorrow. i didn't really do anything (thanks to my brother & scott), but my arms are so sore! after 30 minutes of attempts, my brother and i were never able to fit my couch through the door of the apartment. and no, the legs wouldn't come off (because that's what you were thinking, right??) we took off plaster on the wall! it's funny now, but it sure wasn't then. so the couch came home and is sitting in my dad's basement for the moment. if we would have had a saw, i swear i would have sawed those stinkin legs off!

some other things currently: don't you hate it when you're hungry late at night but you don't want to eat anything substantial cause it's so late? then you eat something like tortilla chips or a pickle, and that just doesn't help at all. it's like you become even hungrier. that just happened to me. and i think there's something wrong with my dad & stepmom's dishwasher, because it has seriously been running for almost 2 hours. hmmm... might need to cancel this cycle.

last night i helped my friend, carla, at a wedding for our friends, makesha and shawn. i haven't really edited the pictures yet, but here are two that i think are funny and different.

right here i was waiting outside to take a shot of the bride & groom coming down the church steps. so i peeked in and realized how neat the windows made them look:

and here i originally tried taking a picture of a few of the ornaments on the tree. i didn't realize until i saw it on my camera that i was in it! so then i had to take a picture of my reflection. fun!

happy new year!!

Photo Update

2007-12-20T22:41:00.000-06:00

I've been getting caught up here lately...just a little more to go. Hopefully, I'll be finished with all my editing by Christmas. What a great thought! Anyway, just wanted to post one of my favorite photos from my portrait session with Jeremiah the other day. This was his mother, Kristina's, favorite as well. I wish I could put them all up here. He looks like a different baby in each picture. He has so many precious facial expressions. The effect on this picture (Old Skool Fast) is a photoshop action out of a bunch that I purchased from the Boutwell Studio called Totally Rad! actions. I am completely in love with them...and this baby!!

I was also the photographer for my friends, Meredith and Jeff, at their wedding at Camp McDowell (near Jasper, AL.) It was a whole weekend event and turned out perfectly. They invited their closest friends and had a blast! Here's one during the toasts at the rehearsal dinner:

On Saturday, Ultimate Frisbee was set up if you wanted to join along. They had made these cute cardboard signs throughout the camp pointing the way for the guests:

This is one of my favorites so far of just her. We were waiting for the ceremony to begin in what is usually the cafeteria for campers. She has grown up going to Camp McDowell, so this was a special place for her. Once again...used a Totally Rad action called Derelicte. Isn't she beautiful??

long time, no blog

2007-12-16T23:03:00.001-06:00

good grief. i can hardly believe it's almost been a month since i've blogged. i know you faithful readers are deeply saddened, so i hope this lovely post brings back the pep in your step. i never imagined the last month to be so busy. i've learned a lot. #1 - be prepared. i know what to work on for next christmas, and that would be to be prepared for christmas card portraits. just in a week (well, from friday to the next saturday), i've had 6 portrait sessions. and i work a full time job! it's been bananas. but i'm grateful for all the activity.

other news - i'm officially moving to birmingham on the 30th. yay! no more commuting. and a real home. i haven't seen my stuff since april. i miss my stuff. yesterday i drove to nashville to get it out of storage. thank God for christi and g-love (that would be gregg) because they helped load my dad's truck. g-money tied it all down with a tarp (since it rained all day.) my dad has an avalanche - the kind that opens in the back. so i got to drive about 60-65mph for just over 2 hours hearing the tarp going crazy in the rain with cold air. it was FU-UN. come on...everybody say it FUU-UUN. now my stuff is drying out in my dad's basement!

take note - polar express is one of the best movies ever made.

It's not the end of the world

2007-11-20T22:51:00.000-06:00

What a week, huh? I'm so glad it's only 2 1/2 days for me. Going back to last week, so far I was honked at twice in one day (what the heck?? I guess people do that when you pull out in front of them.) I have a massive bruise on my leg from running into a drawer. I figured out that both pairs of my new shoes make my feet smell (maybe socks would help.) And on Monday I completely broke down in tears after talking to a new client at my normal job at the law firm. I don't know what it was, but his story was so heart-wrenching. I mean really...he's the one that was charged with a crime, but afterwards I was just sitting and crying about him. What is life coming to?!?

Anyway, to really pep up the blog post a bit - I will soon be launching my brand new website! Wahoooo. I've been working on it for about 3 weeks now. I didn't think it would take this long. And tonight my friend, Blake, designed a cool little business card for me. It's the cutest thing. I should have them in a week for you to give all of your friends. : )

Here's a picture from the wedding down at the beach of Rebekah and Shawn. I will post more soon.

random things that happened today

2007-11-14T21:54:00.000-06:00

*i wore a turtleneck sweater, and the high was 78. check the weather, yo!

*i won the grand total points in yahtzee. i'm so the queen.

*a random guy called my phone, asked for me by name. said his buddy gave him my number b/c he's supposed to pick up some stuff from me. um..really? who are you? how did you get my #? where are you? who is your buddy? what kind of stuff are you talking about? a birth certificate, social security card and something else. what a random call. apparently, he did have the wrong number cause he didn't call me back.

*i had lunch at one of my fav places: o'carrs with my friend, sheri.

*i noticed that the leaves changed color overnight.

*i remembered that i really, really need some floss but put off going to the store one more day.

*i heard a small animal up in the attic (where i have to go soon to get christmas decorations.)

*i wore new earrings.

*it stormed.

that's it.

Avery and Bennett in Cullman, Alabama

2007-11-12T20:18:00.002-06:00

A couple of weeks ago I had the pleasure of shooting pics and hanging out with April, Avery and Bennett. Their mother, April, always has some of the most creative ideas...and they always work perfectly. I have learned so much over just the last year or two from shooting Avery and now adding Bennett into the mix. There are a lot of them on here, but it was so hard to even choose these!! We ended up with so many fun shots.

This first one is a little collage of shots from Avery's room -- b/c she is certainly a princess. Her dad painted the crown for her:

She put these shoes on since we walked outside, and I couldn't help but include them in some of these shots. How cute!

Well, it's about cotton-picking time!

2007-11-11T22:11:00.001-06:00

in Alabama that is...haha. Today I was driving home from the beach and noticed a huge field of cotton. Ever since I saw a very cool picture of cotton that my friend, DeAnn, took a long time ago, I've always wanted to take a picture of cotton. So here was my big chance. I stopped off the road and shot away. It was pretty bright outside though. Here are a couple I took:

newness

2007-11-08T19:23:00.000-06:00

guess whose getting a new camera?!?!?! i hope you guessed correctly - me!! woop woop. i've been waiting a few weeks, b/c i thought i would hold out for the nikon d300. it's a mac daddy and is sure to be phenomenal. it's due out in november, but who knows when it will actually be available. i'm very uncomfortable traveling to weddings (especially the small ones i do myself) without a backup camera. (just thinking about my 1st wedding where i only had my film camera....oh it gives me shivers to think about it.) anyway, i decided to go ahead and purchase the d200. it's a good one, and maybe next year i'll look into the d300. i ordered last week and had it sent 2nd day air to be sure to have it before i leave for the beach tomorrow to shoot a wedding. weellll...they sent me an email a day or two afterwards saying it was on back order. WHAT??? i was sad...very sad. called the company who said they had more on the way due sometime in nov. so i was going with the flow and thought 'hey, i've gone this long w/out it...i'll be fine.' (please Lord, pleeasssee don't let anything happen to my camera!) and then the MIRACLE! i got an email yesterday saying it had been shipped and will arrive tomorrow. YAAAAAAYYY!! now i will have about 3 hours to learn how to use it! i don't mind though.

wilson!!!

2007-11-06T21:31:00.000-06:00

the other night (once again) one of the best movies ever came on tv: cast away. i don't know why i like this movie so much but i could watch it over and over. i still think it's a travesty of life that tom hanks didn't win the oscar for this. he was up against russell crowe in gladiator. what the heck?!?! ok, so i liked gladiator but tom SO should have won it. he was the only character in that movie for like an hour or two. and he still made me cry when wilson fell off the raft. oh, it was so sad. what a GREAT movie. i'm so glad they play it on tv so often. really, i could watch a lot of his movies over and over (forest gump, big....) i guess i like him.

a love dwindled

2007-11-01T07:58:00.000-05:00

i thought our love would last forever, but taste buds are sometimes fickle. i have recently discovered my love affair with kellog's special k w/ red berries has ended. i thought i only needed a break and that everything would be renewed after a few weeks. that's when honey nut cheerios came back into my life. my breakfast experience has improved exponentiallly since then. but i was shopping the other night and decided it was time to return to special k w/ red berries. i had a bowl yesterday morning, and i just couldn't do it. the love was gone. this morning honey nut cheerios and i declared our adoration for each other for at least another month. then who knows what's in store! (BTW: this is no reflection of my actual love life! ha!)

Scruff and Sadee Photo Shoot

2007-10-21T22:33:00.001-05:00

How about that ballgame? I still can hardly believe that Alabama beat Tennessee. It just blows me away each time I think about it. Glad they will have a rest this weekend before LSU. I'll be attending that one, so I hope they can do it again!

My dad & stepmom went to the game, so I was the dogsitter and stayed at their house. I purchased another lens for my camera. This time it was the 28mm f/2.8. Soooo you know what the combination of new lenses and dogsitting brings? Well, of course...photos of the dogs! I am a fanatic about pictures of animals. They never get tired of it. Here are a few of my favorite animals on the planet: Scruff and Sadee. Can you guess which one is which?

What a rough life:

She's such a poser:

He woke up when I bent down to him but had no problem falling asleep as I was snapping away:

Wedding at Hargis

2007-10-16T21:44:00.000-05:00

This past weekend I had the chance to help out and second-shoot at a wedding at the Hargis Retreat in Chelsea...down Highway 280 in Birmingham. My friend, Carla, and I had lots of fun hanging out for a little while with Erin and Zach. Here are a few of my favorites:

The inside of the chapel...so pretty.

The happy couple after exchanging vows and merging the salts (which was a pretty cool thing to do that I've never seen.)

This cute little flower girl had a message for her mother on the 2nd row!

Taking communion...

The next images were shot with my BRAND NEW LENS! I have never used a prime lens before and let me tell you...it was a different experience. For those that don't know, a prime lens has a fixed focal length. Which means...no laziness for you zoomers! And I'm a zoomer. I've gotten so used to staying put and moving my lens however I need it. But the lens I purchased (50mm f/1.4) is so sharp. I can really tell a difference even in the focus of it (can hardly wait until I actually know what I'm doing with it!) And the aperture goes way larger than my everyday lens. Anyway, here are a few of those:

This chalice has been passed down through their family for generations (it's pre-civil war and beautiful!)
The stunning bride...

A First

2007-10-14T22:44:00.000-05:00

After 2 decades and 9 years, you don't really think of having many more 'firsts' in your life. You know, first tooth lost, first high school dance, first concert, first time to drive a car, first time to live on your own...to name a few among many. But the other day I had a FIRST. I was driving home from Birmingham, pulled off the exit to Cullman. There's a farm belonging to a family I know off to the side of the road. Usually, there are a few pretty horses in the pasture that I enjoy seeing, but I couldn't recall ever seeing any cows. Well, at the top of the hill, there it stood...huge, black & white, with big ol' horns. It was the first time I've ever seen a BLACK & WHITE BULL. I could hardly believe it! I wish I had a picture. It was quite a moment for me.

When you think Tim McGraw, think of me...

2007-10-10T21:05:00.000-05:00

Isn't it interesting how one item (whether it's a food, drink, smell, color, etc) can bring one specific memory into your mind everytime you see it or remember it? That happened to me today as it always does when I think of a Big Mac. Here are some that come to mind:
*When I think of a Big Mac, I think of the Chicago Marathon (really only 1/2 the marathon!)
*When I think of Dr. Pepper, I think of Middle School (particularly 7th grade b/c I consumed so much Dr.P then that I can hardly drink it now.)
*When I think of a photo booth, I think of the Alabama Thrift Store in Alabaster.
*When I think of geraniums, I think of my grandma.
*When I hear the song Come On Eileen, I think of the Winter Park Pub.
*When I hear or say the word status, I think of Dr. Hickson my communications professor who always pronounced it 'stay-tus' and it drove me nuts!
*When I drive over 2 small bridges in a row on I-65 between here and Decatur, I think of when my dad let me drive the truck at 15 yrs old for the 1st time on the interstate. I was scared silly b/c those bridges were in a curve, and I had no clue what I was doing. (Funny side note: I used to think that I would be a great driver b/c I was so good at maneuvering the buggy at the grocery store...ha!)

Anyway, that's just to name a few! Funny how each person will have different thoughts and experiences and how many varieties there can be even within a small group of people.

Today

2007-10-09T22:26:00.000-05:00

For the first time in about 2 years, I truly feel like I have a specific direction that I'm heading. What a great feeling to have specific goals...and goals that are way beyond what I could physically produce for myself. Really..nothing is impossible. I enjoyed the stage of my life in Nashville that I originally thought was 'wasting time' but little did I know what was really going on. Sometimes I think God is just as excited for us to think and dream for a while to get an idea of what really lies in our heart...those big dreams. So that time up there was never a waste...it was such a great foundation for ideas and inspiration that has been absolutely necessary for what I'm doing right now. Yay!!

Oh yes...and another side note: I have a car for sale if anyone needs one. It's great for someone wanting out of a car payment and to just have a car to get from here to there (not so much a drive-across-the-country type vehicle), but it runs great! It's a Honda Civic 1997, 4 dr, kind of a green color, manual. I just spend some substantial cash-flow 'renewing' it, so it's good to go for quite a while. About 170,000 miles. Buzz me if you're interested!

Tis the Fall

2007-10-07T22:01:00.000-05:00

A new season has officially begun for me because......today I had my first Pumpkin Spice Latte of the year! Bring on the cold!

I had that Latte on the way to Nashville for the first service of Life Church (www.lifechurchtn.com.) Everything was marvelous. I'm excited to see how they grow. Then Lori, Kelly Ann and I had a lovely lunch at Jackson's. My antenna in the car doesn't pick up very well in low-populated areas. So on the way home through those areas, the only CD in the car was my stepmom's copy of Anne Murray's Best Hits...So Far. What a classic!

I think I'm a genius

2007-09-25T21:58:00.000-05:00

Sometimes I laugh at the random thoughts that swirl around in my head during the day...as I'm sure most people do. So I thought about them today and decided to let you hear a few of them. Here are the non-work-related random tidbits from my day:

*Oh my gosh, this is the best cup of coffee I think I've ever had.

*Kelly Clarkson has such a pretty voice. I wish I could sing like that other than when I'm driving in the car by myself.

*I've been more physically productive in the last month than I have in the previous 6 months all together. I think my mind is on overload.

*My next car absolutely MUST be an SUV. Sitting up high seriously rocks. (I've been driving my dad's truck while my car is fixed.)

*I wonder if it's hot outside today.

*Oh my gosh, my feet are hurting so bad I don't think I can take one more step.

*Aaaahh, flip flops are my best friend.

*I've got to figure out how I can keep this plastic straw from jumping right out of my canned diet coke.

*If birthdays were like Christmas, today would be Christmas Eve!

*I can hardly believe how much I love to take pictures and how rewarding it is to get them printed really big and mounted on white boards.

*This is probably the best chicken sandwich I think I've ever had.

*Why won't this pen work? It should work. Oh look...here's a pencil...even better.

*I wonder if these truckers will get mad if they see me writing while I'm driving. I'll just stop it when they pass me.

*Oops...where did that car come from? Am I driving with my lights off?? No, I'm not.

*What on earth do you buy someone for outdoor entertaining? I'm sure someone else will think of a croquet set.

*Where do bugs come from and why won't they just leave me alone?

Yes, I know...BRILLIANT!! I can only imagine what tomorrow will hold!

Fall means Fair!

2007-09-21T23:04:00.000-05:00

Wow...it sure is amazing how many people you see that you know when you go to the Cullman County Fair! Last night I met some of my friends there (after graciously and patiently watching my stepbrother change my flat tire for me...thanks, Todd!) While walking past the deep-voiced men on microphones persuading you to spend $15 throwing a dart at a balloon to win a 50 cent teddy bear, you have to look closely at the faces you pass. I saw at least 3 people that I went to high school with! Maybe that doesn't sound like many, but it is when you were expecting none. I haven't been to the Fair here in so many years. The rides were the best part back then, but I'm not as trusting of them these days. Apparently....because I rode zero! Without any prior planning, I also ran into my Aunt and cousins. So I was able to follow them around a while and take some pictures. Here are a few of my favorites:

This is Sara Claire jumping all around:

What's a night at the Fair without a self-portrait of a bunch of monkeys?

Here's the little cutie pie, Jaylen, sliding down the Fun Slide:

Then I met up with Dyroma and Jamie and their nieces/nephews. I know this isn't the best quality picture but this just cracks me up:

Here is Dyroma holding Anna Hampton while she watches her Daddy win her a teddy bear:

And Jamie sure was excited about giving that to her! Look how precious:

Good Food....

And last but not least, it wouldn't be the Fair without some of these:

Ayyy, Matey!

2007-09-19T08:31:00.000-05:00

I hope everyone celebrates our BIG day today!
You may know that it's International Talk Like a Pirate Day, Matey!
Go to here to check it out.

roll on with the tide

2007-09-16T22:19:00.000-05:00

yesterday i went to probably one of the most exciting alabama games in like 2 years. what an amazing game! if you haven't heard, we were waaay ahead up until the 3rd quarter. arkansas caught up by 28 points. the 4th quarter made all the difference with AL scoring the winning TD in the last 8 seconds. i thought the place was going to explode. everyone went nuts. the teenage guys in front us were the funniest - they were jumping all around, hugging, high-fiving...we even got some high-fives from them. it was so much fun. i wish i had some pictures. if only i had a point and shoot! one day soon.

tomorrow i'm very excited to attend a photoshop seminar at the bjcc in birmingham. i've been looking for some type of ps training locally and have had a hard time. but finally, i came upon this, and it looks fantastic. we'll see! i can hardly wait!

in the meantime, i've become a yahtzee addict. i might need counseling. my stepmom bought the game a couple of weeks ago, and i think along with my dad we've played a total of 20 hours since then. i can't stop! it's the best game EVER. we're all competing for the Yahtzee Queen title. yes even dad. it is sung to the tune of Dancing Queen by abba. we're a bunch of goofballs.

just beachy

2007-09-08T23:21:00.000-05:00

today has been a great day. i've been able to keep to my original plan for most of it -- that was to sit, watch tv and catch up on editing and computer work all day long. there was one exception of touring my friend, nicole's, new house they're buildling. i have watched an entire season of america's next top model! i LOVE that show. my favorite part is the judging at the end. surprisingly, there's a lot to learn from what happens with these girls. and i like hearing the critiques, b/c they're not just about beauty. you can apply the lessons to many areas of life. i was cheering for kahlen in the end and was truly sad she didn't get it. but naima was a good pick.

so...i've edited some new pictures from a beach trip this past weekend with some of my friends. we had such a blast...a reunion of sorts except with 5 small children. a lot different than the old days!! but it has only improved. here you go:

allllll the babies

2007-08-22T19:06:00.000-05:00

you are most certainly about to witness a complete miracle. the other night all of my cullman buddies got together for a cookout. this included every child of every couple there (well, except for mine...cause i don't have any!) we attempted to get a picture of all of these children piled up together. the 1st picture began on the steps. now with 4 babies under 1 yr old and 7 other 'babies' all from 2 to 8 yrs old...this was proven to be a difficult task. please believe me when i say the entire staircase was surrounded by parents holding their arms out ready to catch babies. this 1st picture makes me laugh in hysterics everytime i look at it. i caught my friend, april, in a panic when she realized that her little girl (avery on the very front) was about to drop her little brother (bennett) down the stairs. the looks on all the faces are hilarious:

now here's one that is better. i'm only going to post this one, b/c it has kate in it. she despises picture-taking, but kelly pulled her out from under the sofa table to get her in the picture on the top right. she was NOT happy!

the next 3 pictures are some of my favorites from recent portrait sessions with anna hampton, bennett and mack david. they were all so much fun. i LOVE them!!

we have reached our cruising altitude

2007-08-12T15:49:00.000-05:00

my first week back in birmingham is now complete. in a way, it's been a rough entrance. not really in a horrible way...just busy and hectic. i have wonderful friends who have allowed me to stay in their pleasant home. actually, scott has been gone on a business trip, and kelli hates staying alone. things have worked out perfectly. we are temporary roomies. it's been a little frustrating driving the dreaded 280 in the morning though. it took me just as long to drive from cullman friday morning as it does to come a few miles down 280. absurd.

my job at my friend, joseph's, firm is amazing. i've learned a lot so far, and the people i work with are truly great. i think it will work out beautifully. my apartment off highland avenue will be ready for me to move in this friday. aaahhh, living alone this time around is going to be nice. one more week and hopefully i will be more settled than i have been in 4 months.

so the rough entrance was only temporary. kind of like taking off in an airplane with bumps and turbulence but then once you're in the air (most of the time) it gets smooth. being back here feels a bit different, but i knew things would be different this time around. it's good to be here.

i've done a couple of baby portraits and a small wedding for my stepsister in the last week. i'm planning to post a few of those pictures soon. you know...since this is a photo blog as well!

stay tuned!

Questions Answered

2007-08-01T14:29:00.001-05:00

I've been seriously wondering and wandering for a while now. Not really having an official home where you are at least halfway settled is a bit difficult. And well, why would you really get started on anything if you didn't think you were going to stay. Very quickly all kinds of crazy doors have opened up, and I'm moving to Birmingham THIS weekend! What the heck? Sometimes I'm grateful that God knows how I am and how much I doubt things along with doubting myself. When things come about in my life in such absurd ways, it's a lot easier to know that it's Him...and that it's a good thing...and that it will be the BEST thing. That has been my problem. I know lots of good options. But what is the BEST option? I don't ever know. How on earth would anyone know this for themselves? You just have to try things out really. But what if trying them out costs lots of money? Or makes you stay somewhere a lot longer than you want to stay. Ok, anyway...I have a great job. A great temporary place to stay until I find my own apartment. It's wonderful. So now I'm looking for a place to live...preferably by myself this time. FUN! I'm back, Birmingham! Woohoo!!

No, it's just the beginning

2007-07-29T18:48:00.000-05:00

Here's the kick off! It's time to get moving now, boy. I am open for business! Well, I've been open for business for a while now, but NOW I'm serious! I have spent a massive amount of time researching, b/c I understand that it doesn't take just good pictures to successfully run a photography business.

How amazing that there are so many awesome photographers out there willing to share their deepest, darkest secrets to me! And everyone else as well. I have become the biggest blog-stalker around and have learned about software, lenses, color, networking.

I want this blog to be a mix of my photography and personal life. Really b/c they're one in the same. All I've read from other professionals in the business is to just be yourself. Honestly, I think I've been a little scared to do that. Myself - well, I'm a bit wacky. Sometimes I don't make sense. Sometimes I think I'm so funny but no one else does. Sometimes I don't know the words to use. And sometimes I try to be oh so clever...and I'm the only one who gets it!

I've had so many questions that I keep asking God. A lot of them pertain to my future. Even if the future means tomorrow...or tonight. You know, that soon. It's difficult to live in the present when you have such huge goals and dreams. How in the heck do I get there? Why can't it happen right now? Is this for real? Am I just a freak with an impossible dream?

Then I was reading in this book called 'Get Up Off Your Knees - Preaching the U2 Catalog." It was actually a quote in the book by the poet Rainer Maria Rilke:

"I want to beg you as much as I can to be patient towards all that is unsolved in your heart and to try to love the questions themselves. The point is to live everything - live the questions now. Perhaps you will then gradually, without noticing it, live along some distant day into the answer."

Nice. You have to start somewhere, and this is it for me. I love photography, and I loooove people (most of the time!) They make me laugh hysterically. Thanks for starting on the journey with me! Hopefully it will be a crazy adventure!

Holla!!