Angelica Grace Designs

MONDAY MUSINGS - NAPLES, FLORIDA CHILDREN'S PHOTOGRAPHER

2010-03-08T14:52:00.007-05:00

Hi friends. Long time no blog, eh? Sorry about that. You can always tell when my new photography classes start up because I get M.I.A over here on the blog. I apologize. I definitely haven't forgotten about you. I'm just devoting my spare time to my newest students and hoping to provide the best instruction to them possible.

With that said, thought I'd jump in and say hello really quickly. I spent the morning on the beach. Shelling over on Sanibel Island as well as over in Captiva. I took my camera along so I'll be sure to post photos later this week. It's a beautiful 75 degree day here today. I'm vegging out by the pool now with my Mom while waiting for Kenidi and Brennen to get off their bus in a few minutes. It was nice to take today for a relaxation day as my heart and my sanity needed it in a bad way. That heart of mine loves to pump out of my chest when I'm stressed out. Therefore, the smell of sunscreen and suntan oil is a sure fire fix for that when I go to the beach. If even for that moment only, it makes everything in life all better. Ya know?

On another fun note, I got to meet some wonderful new friends this weekend. I hooked up with the Naples Photography club here in Florida and have begun attending events, classes, and workshops with them. They are a great group of people and I had a ball shooting with them this weekend. It's awesome to have others that share your same passion whom you can get out and shoot this incredibly beautiful environment with. I loved it. I was a bit nervous going into at first. I felt like the new kid on the block. Because I was. However, they were all extremely welcoming and made me feel right at home. I can't wait until our next outing together. It's great to have something to focus on and look forward to that is just for me. And me only. Rarely do we Moms or women get that in life. We are always so busy with kids and husbands and daily day to day life that we forget who we are and what we love. Photography has helped me remember who I am. And I am so thankful for that.

Oh yes...and this little girl up above and below...??? She was my beautiful subject during a candid photo session at a local park here the other day. I'm not one that typically cares for any kind of fencing or background clutter in images but her cuteness helped me forget that we were on a playground instead of at a location where I would have rather been. These are just a couple of sneak peek shots from our session. And her hair...oh the hair...

It goes without saying that she was an absolute doll!

For now, I'm headed out to take Brennen to football practice. I'm looking forward to hanging out on the bleachers in the sunshine this evening. It's a great night for football. :)

PS...Thanks for your patience last Friday when someone hacked into my AGD blog and AGD website. Thankfully my web gals (Amy & Crystal) got the problem fixed within an hour or so of me discovering it. And actually I didn't discover it, my dear sweet facebook friend and blog reader, Amy Dana did. Thanks again Amy. I appreciate the heads up girl. And for Amy & Crystal...huge kudo's to you two for being such ROCKSTARS in the web design field. You girls are my life savers. I don't know what I would do without you. Thanks again for all of your hard work - on a whim - and on the fly like that - regarding the hacking. You two are no match for those crazies. Soooooo appreciate you both.

xoxo, Angie

THE B-STER! (NAPLES, FLORIDA BEACH PHOTOGRAPHER)

2010-03-03T11:30:00.002-05:00

His stance couldn't look anymore like a 16 year old here than it does.

His aggravated look on his face because of my cameras presence couldn't scream teenager anymore than it does.

His style couldn't be anymore handsome than it is. Quite a good lookin' kid if you ask me. I know you didn't but I'm just sayin'...!

When he wears his under armour sunglasses he reminds me of the movie TOP GUN. GQ'ish and stealth like. Which character is he..."Goose" of course. Cocky and good lookin'! The hair is almost an exact resemblance.

I love that I convinced him many many years ago that real men wear pink. To this day, he'll throw on a pink polo and not even think twice about it. Oh yes...one day he is going to make that wife of his a very lucky girl.

In 10 days he will be 11 years old. It feels like just yesterday that the doctor looked at me and said..."He's breech. We'll need to do a C-section." That was my first clue that nothing about Brennen would ever be of the norm. He is a special kid. One who is madly in love with the idea of protecting his baby sister. (except when she comes into his room and dumps all of his cars) I'm so blessed and thankful for his caring and loving spirit. He has an overflowing heart filled with compassion which is just out of this world.

I love how he shares my same love of music. We share Itunes songs back and forth all of the time. He loves everything from Christian music to hip hop - just like his Mama. Yes, this child knows a good tune when he hears it. He makes me smile when he cranks the computer in his room and listens to my playlist on this here ol' blog. I hear him belting out tunes and think..."yeap, that's my boy."

In 10 days, he will be eleven. In 3 months, he will graduate from being a 5th grader in elementary school to a big 6th grader in junior high. I basically have three months before our world gets turned upside down. Let's face it...middle school was the starting point for all of us. The start of the distance which ensues between parents and their children. It makes me cringe at the thought. I want him to be 2 all over again. I want the chili bowl haircut back. I want the blues clues videos back that he would dance to, and the sound of his little voice when he would say "Close the gate Papa, close the gate!" (old joke amongst him and my Dad) Geez...one minute he still looks so very small, playing like a child would when I gaze out at him...

and the next minute he stands so very big, straight, and tall - looking like he is 10 going on 25.

I'm clinging to each day - hour by hour.

Yes, he is growing up right before my eyes. They always do. Today I'm feeling it a little more than the usual. Because of that, I came here to journal those feelings and embrace them. Embrace the growth and the power of life. I love this boy. Love him to the sun and back ten gazillion times over.

Much love, Angie

BEACH DAYS - NAPLES FLORIDA BEACH PHOTOGRAPHER

2010-03-02T15:24:00.004-05:00

Oh what a day. It was gorgeous for the most part. I began my day listening to the warm Florida rains pour down like a raging waterfall. That type of rain is rare here. While taking in the sounds of quiet other than the rain, I cranked up Ray Lamontagne in the house and rocked out to his mellow tunes while listening to the rain outside my windows and while finishing some final edits on a few images. It was a blissful morning. Relaxing, peaceful, and slow going. Loved that. There is something to be said for warm Florida rains, having my laptop in my hands doing what I love (editing photography) and jammin out to good ol' Ray. I found myself saying "Thank you God for warm Florida rains, for my camera, and for Ray...of course." LOL!

The rain quit after about 30 minutes and then the sun came out full force. Typical Florida weather. When that happened, I grabbed "Big Pappa" and headed to the beach with Ray now jamming on my stereo in the car on the way. It was a stunning day at the shores edge. I went scouting out some new photography locations. Found some good ones too. A perfect day.

On another note...I visited a new cardiologist down here in Naples yesterday. I've been having some really strange episodes of palpitations in the middle of the night. They are three times as intense as my older ones and my blood pressure drops way down when it happens which sends my pulse racing - ultimately waking me up from a deep sleep each night. The cardiologist seems to think I might have a specific kind of palpitation that could ultimately result in needing surgery to be treated effectively. He says I am too young to be going thru this at my age. I agree. I am being sent to an electrophysiologist now. I don't see him for another three weeks which makes me nuts but apparently this doc specializes in only patients with severe palpitations. I'm nervous yet eager to hear what he thinks and what he has to say. Please pray for me, once again, regarding these heart matters. It was almost a year ago when I was diagnosed with the PFO issue to do with my heart. Now this. I'm trying to remain upbeat but it is scary at times. Scary at night a lot. I'm tired of being tired and tired of worrying. Just trying to have faith that God is in control and that hopefully this can be treated without a surgery - maybe with a different prescription or something.

And lastly, I was skyping with my Dad the other night and he had a girl scout come to his door selling cookies. I told him that I hadn't seen any girl scouts here in Florida yet. I was craving my favorites...the thin mints. Low and behold...about 3 days later...look what showed up at my front door...

Wait for it...

Waaiitttt for it...

Yeap, not only did he get me some thin mints and shipped them to me but my StepMom made homemade chocolate chip cookies and homemade brownies for me too. Well...for the kids and I anyway. Ha ha! Guess it is good to share, right? LOL! Don't hate. You heard me...don't be a "hater." Do I need to get you guys some hater-ade? Hee hee! Yes, I am absolutely spoiled rotten. I have wonderful and amazing parents who definitely take good care of me. It was great to get a little taste of home. Thanks Dad and Cath...I love you guys so very much! Needless to say, the cookie and brownie stash was gone in two days. I had 1.5 brownies and one cookie out of it before the rest was depleted by little monsters. Gotta' love em'! They saved my hips for the week. Bwwwaahhhhhh!

Hope all of you are having a great week thus far. Enjoy hump day tomorrow. Hugs, Angie

NIGHTS AT THE BEACH

2010-02-27T09:14:00.004-05:00

One of the best things about living in Florida is basically having the beach at your back door. For example, whenever you have a free Friday or Saturday night (or any night of the week for that matter) and you want to pack everyone up & head to the sand & seashore to witness a gorgeous sunset and let the kids frolic in the sand, you can. Thankfully our home here is just down the street from the beach. The road our development sits off of leads right straight down into the gulf of Mexico. A 5 minute drive to the beach makes everything in life that much better.

There is nothing I love more than stepping down into that sand and feeling the grit of it all between my toes. The sugaring process...ya know? The sound of the waves lapping and the smell of the sea salt in the air is almost more than my heart can handle. There is also nothing I love more than seeing my kids enjoy the beach as much or more than I do. I managed to get Brennen to stand still a few times while there Friday evening. This is now one of my new favorite images...

There is something to be said for footprints in the sand. Not just because of the famous poem either. The rushing of the waves and their ability to wash away a footstep is a perfect word picture for how important life is. How short life is. One minute it is here. The next minute it's gone.

I just love photos of toes in the sand. Images of flip flops at the beach.

Brennen wasn't happy with me for posting this image of him below. He stuck his toes in the water and found that the gulf was freezing. However, I just had to share it. :) I focused my camera all on him this particular night. I just love this boy...

When I look at this shot below, it is hard to believe he is going to be 11 in just two more weeks. In some ways he looks so much older here - but in other ways he still resembles that little baby of mine who ran around with a chili bowl haircut for so long and who adored Blues Clues as a toddler. The years just fly by.

He is such a little stud-man now. Girls calling and texting. Females in his class leaving "I love you" verbage on his Valentines, etc. How quickly they grow up. It is nights spent watching the sunsets at the beach that make me so thankful for the time I do have with him. One day he'll be wanting to bring his "best girl" to the shoreline instead of his Mama. No fear...I'll be hiding out in the sea oats with my 70-300mm telephoto lens. Poor girl...she'll have no idea that his Mom mimics the Paparazzi until its too late. Ha ha! Poor Brennen...his life is forever doomed. LOL!

Hope you are all having a spectacular weekend. Even if you don't have a beach near by, go sugar your toes in the snow with your kiddo's. It will melt soon. Again, life is soooo short. Much love, Angie

PS...Thank you to all of you who've signed up for the Angie Seaman Photography class that begins this Monday. The class has once again sold out. There is now a wait list going for the next class being offered in May. I'll announce details on that one soon. For those still interested in the workshop I'm doing here in Naples in September, there are seats available. Click HERE for details. It is going to be an amazing weekend!

FIX IT FRIDAY - SANIBEL ISLAND CHILDREN'S PHOTOGRAPHER

2010-02-26T10:11:00.001-05:00

It's fix it Friday over at I heart faces again this week. The above image is the shot they gave us to try and "fix." The shot above is the before shot and the shot below is my post edit fixed shot. Here is my "after..."
Here are the two of them side by side...

I love any image with blue skies and bright colors. This one was no different. Thanks Caroline for letting us play with your image. :) To see more fix it Friday examples, visit HERE.

Have a FAB weekend...Angie

BIRDS ON A WIRE - NAPLES FLORIDA PHOTOGRAPHER

2010-02-25T15:54:00.002-05:00

Here is another one of those shots where there is just beauty in the mundane. Call it my obsession with lines again, I donno. Whatever it is...I just love when birds are all lined single file up on an electrical wire - let alone on a pretty day - right above the beach with blue skies AND pretty white fluffy marshmallow clouds. I took these image several weeks ago and something lead me to share it today. Although it means nothing to you guys, it makes me smile. Can you imagine just chillin' with your B/F/F's all day long up in the blue pillow-y skies with the beach down below? WOW! What a rough life that would be. Real, real, rough. Fo' sho'! :)

In the end, this is just another example of how we pass this type of stuff daily and the images never register with our brains that they mean anything or that they are beautiful enough to be noticed. The beauty in the mundane again. The stuff we see day in an day out but never truly "feel" when we see it. I snapped this image because I wanted to remember what I felt when I saw it and I wanted to feel the smile that it brought to me when I thought about hanging with my gur-frens on a live wire all day long. At.the.beach! This was another scene that being a photographer taught me to see that I otherwise would not have.

For now, I'm off to tend to my littles - my Kenidi Grace - who has been home sick since Monday. She is sitting right here beside me eating chex mix and popcorn now that she finally has an appetite back. I'm just glad to see her eating - I don't care if it is bucket loads of chocolate at this point. Hoping you are all having a great week.

PS...I'm starting to get lots of calls from clients about wanting professional beach portraits done when they travel here to Florida for Spring Break next month. If you are heading to the Ft. Myers Beach, Naples, Marco Island, Sanibel Island, or Cape Coral areas for your upcoming travels and would like to schedule a session with me...shoot me an email. I'd be honored to photograph you, your family, your children, etc. A huge thanks to all of you who continue to pass on my name to others in regard to photography needs. Your word of mouth referrals are priceless. I can't begin to express how much they mean to me.

Much love...Angie

FREE CANVAS

2010-02-24T11:04:00.003-05:00

Hi friends. Just wanted to post a note here real quick and let each of you know that "Canvas People" are giving away free photo canvases right now. They are on a mission to earn the business of everyone in the market and then some. Therefore, they are offering an awesome deal for free canvases. I must say that I ordered two for my office and I received them a couple of weeks back. They turned out OK but they definitely aren't the quality that I'm used to with my professional photography lab. These canvases are thin and skinny, not the 2" wide heavy duty canvases some of you might be familiar with. Their lab coloring was way off and actually produced a bluish tint to my images as well as some dark areas but beings that they were free (or one was), I'm not complaining. For the FREENESS, they are just fine. I'm appreciative of their gesture to give so many free canvases away. I'm just one that will knit pick a bit more because I work with color labs and can distinguish what tints are normal in a photograph and what aren't. These are horrific shots of mine that I grabbed real quick and on the fly but I at least wanted to give you an idea of what they looked like.

If you should want to receive a FREE canvas yourself, feel free to go HERE for the details. Enjoy and have fun.

Blessings, Angie

ONLINE BEGINNER PHOTOGRAPHY CLASS

2010-02-23T16:02:00.004-05:00

Only 4 seats left!

My next beginner online photography class starts this coming Monday, March 1st. As of this moment, we literally only have 4 seats left. If you are interested in signing up, please go HERE to register. Time is running out. If you'd prefer to read a bit more about the details of the class, feel free to visit my photography blog HERE for more information. Should you have any questions, you can email me directly at Angie@AngieSeamanPhotography.com

As you can see, seats are filling up fast. This class is well on its way to being another sold out session. It is a sure fire guess that the remaining slots still open will be gone before the weekend. We've got a great group from all across the country and beyond joining us again. We're going to have a great time and would love to have you join us.

xoxo, Angie

MEET DOTTY...

2010-02-22T18:00:00.003-05:00

Meet Dotty. Dotty is Kenidi's assigned horse each week at therapy. To say that Kenidi loves Dotty would be an extreme understatement. Everyday she asks me about "oohs" which means horse in her language. We think she got horses and cows mixed up somewhere along the way and refers to horses as "oohs" because of the noise that cows make..."mooooo." It is nothing for her to come in with her cowboy boots and her riding helmet asking for the "oohs." I have to count down sleeps with her (days/nights) and remind her that she has 4 more "sleeps" for example before she sees the "oohs" again. These talks have to be the sweetest thing you've ever heard.

The shot above was just my way of capturing the beautiful light that was filtering in thru the barn the other night. It's great to be able to have the weather where she can do this outside year round. Back home in Indy, we had to do it indoors. I was standing right on the edge of the fence and the light was hitting the corner. There is so much to be said about natural light. It really is gorgeous. Thus why I can't stand to use a flash on my camera. EVER!

She looks upset in this shot below but this is Kenidi's shy face. I was snapping photos of her and she noticed me there. She swung that shy look at me and turned away from the camera...

The mundane orange cone below - again just a shot showing the natural light hitting it in just the right way. There is such beauty in the mundane if we are willing to look for it. I love being a photographer because the camera teaches you to look for things you never saw before. To look for beauty in even the ugliest of places...

Those who know me well...know that I love angles. I love architecture. I love lines. Leading lines. I looked up in the barn and saw these lights strategically hanging in a row. Loved it.

And this hook below. Nothing. No significance whatsoever other than the gorgeous natural light that is hitting it again.

I saw this sign on one of the barns. Thought it was very profound. This entire horse facility is run off volunteers. We pay only $10 a week for Kenidi to ride there. The day to day runnings of the facility are done via the help of all volunteers. Even the side walkers you see walking beside Kenidi when she is on the horse are volunteers. This is a HUGE difference compared to the facility that we went to in Indy for her. We loved it there but it was $180 a session compared to the $10 we pay now. Thankfully our insurance paid for most of those sessions back home. The unfortunate part is that many families never get the opportunity to send their child there because it is so costly and they don't have the means to cover it. Very sad!Volunteers ROCK!

These side walkers are there with Kenidi to make sure that should the horse ever act up, they are there to help her. In all the time we've been doing this though, we've never had a horse get out of line. They are what they call "Bomb trained." Meaning even if a bomb were to go off near them, they remain controlled and don't go crazy - especially with a rider on their back. Kenidi tells the horse when to go and when to stop. She is to pull on his reigns when stopping and shake his reigns and tell him to "walk on" when she wants him to go. It is really amazing to see how calm she is when in therapy with these horses.

Now look at these images and notice how all of the locals are wearing coats, muffins around their heads, etc. Kenidi of course just has on a sweatshirt. It was 66 degrees on this particular day - with sunshine. However, according to how the locals were dressed, you would have thought that it was below zero outside. LOL! Of course us Hoosiers are good with a simple hoodie. Ha ha!

It still seems so odd to me to see palm trees with barns and horses. I don't know why. The barns and the animals just remind me of the Midwest. However, they roam where the palm trees grow too...

Now this is what I call one big ol' ceiling fan...

We are so very thankful for all of the therapists, doctors, volunteers, etc. which have now come into our life since moving to Florida. God placed some great ones in our path and we couldn't be more at peace with the individuals we entrust Kenidi with. It is such a scary thing to have to find and recruit all new people to handle the medical issues and the day to day routines (i.e. school) and so forth when it comes to your child. Because Kenidi can't speak to us and tell us her feelings or how her day went, we rely on trustworthy people to make us feel at ease when it comes to her. It is so very tough but when you have relationships with stellar individuals such as these, it makes each day a little easier. Thanks again to everyone who is helping to make us feel so at home here in Florida.

Much love and admiration... Angie

BRENNEN'S BASKETBALL LEAGUE

2010-02-21T13:19:00.007-05:00

This shot above is the rec center where Brennen plays on his basketball league. It's a gorgeous park - as all the parks here in Southwest Florida are. The parks here in Florida put our parks in Indiana to shame. It's really embarrassing when you compare the two. The Indiana parks and rec peeps could really take some advice from Florida's head honcho's. That is fo' sho'! This shot just happened to be of the entrance into the rec center. It's just a small snippet of the beauty to behold at this particular location. Either way, thought I'd do a quick blog about his game Saturday...

Yeap, here is the stud-man himself exuding frustration at one point in the game - those long eyelashes and all...

Here is the gym inside the rec center. They also have a massive fitness center inside this same building with a phenomenal day care that looks like a school. It's amazing. Awesome facility to say the least.

Just a simple shot of the basket I kept seeing while down on the floor. Yeap, I'm that Mom who sits at the end of the court and takes pictures the whole game - sprawling out across the floor when necessary...

Like for this shoe shot below. Look how dusty and dirty that floor is though. GAG! Can you guess which tennies are Brennen's?

If you guessed the third set of tennies from the left, then you are correct. He is sitting next to the kid with the white tennis shoes on - with his hands together.

This next shot was just of a little girl sitting on the folded up bleachers. I saw her feet dangling with the flip flops on and thought it was a cute shot...

Here was a fun succession of shots I took during one of the baskets made for Brennen's team...

SWOOSHHHHH...nothin' but net...!

Here is another one of those moments when I got down on the floor - that dirty filthy basketball shoe wearin' floor - in front of all the other parents watching me make a fool of myself - and captured this shot of all the boys running. They have two girls on their team (it's a co-ed rec league here) and I loved the pink converse that were proudly displayed in this shot along with all of the other "boyish" tennis shoes.

Here is their team with their coach. You can see Brennen dead center - peeking thru...

And for those of you wondering if they won or not...here was the final score.

We were the HOME team! YAY!

It was a great game that stayed neck and neck - about 1 point apart - the whole game. (until the end when our team landed a few extras) We love his coach - he's a great guy. Brennen starts football this week as well. It's a spring league. His basketball and football will overlap with one another for the next couple of weeks. He's going to be a tired boy I'm sure. On Mondays for the next few weeks he'll have basketball and football practice - on the same night. It was a fluke thing due to being in two different leagues. However, we are going to play it by ear and see how he can handle it. In the meantime, I am just as anxious to get back out on the football sidelines as he is. LOL!

I'm off to go enjoy the sunny and blissful 76 degree weather here in Naples, Florida today. It has been in the sixties all week so yesterday and today were a great change. Looking forward to a weeks worth of warm temps now that the cold front is gone again. "There is something about the sunshine baby..." (that is a Disney song for those who don't know. It's playing on the movie Starstruck as I type. Catchy little tune if you ask me) Enjoy your week everyone. xoxo, Angie

IN SEARCH OF RECIPES...

2010-02-19T15:01:00.006-05:00

Real quick...I'm on the hunt for some healthy recipes centered around Tilapia as well as some healthy recipes for sea scallops. I've been eating much cleaner lately as I attempt to be back in my skinny jeans by May. HA! However, I don't ever really cook those two items and now I am. I'd like to try out some new recipes with them. You know...shake it up a notch.

If you have any recipes for Tilapia or sea scallops, will you forward them to me? You can link me to them by posting a comment on the blog here (below) or feel free to shoot me an email at Angie@AngelicaGraceDesigns.com - I'd be forever grateful and just might photograph your recipe as I'm cooking it should I decide to try it. Then...I'll feature it here on the blog. One quick thing though...they must be for grilled or baked recipes. No fried or breaded things. Must eat "clean." Must eat "clean." LOL!

Thanks friends. Can't wait to hopefully try some new stuff - via your recipes. xoxo, Angie

FIX IT FRIDAY - I HEART FACES

2010-02-19T08:45:00.004-05:00

Over at "I heart faces" today...it's fix it Friday time. I always say that I'm going to take the time to play along and try this but then I usually end up sidetracked and out of time. So this week, I decided I was going to just make time. And I did. Fix it Friday, for those who don't know, is a play along blog game where someone submits a photograph that needs a little "fixing." It might be overexposed, underexposed, etc. and it is our job to throw our own spin on it and fix it. You can be as creative as you like with it. It's always neat to see what other individuals due to the image in order to fix it. Without further ado, here is the image this week that was submitted for all of us to use...

As you can see, it was underexposed and need some help with the lighting and such. I decided to bring up the exposure, add a bit of honey soaked action to it as well as some haze to tone down the background a bit and then I placed a slight texture over the top of the image. Here is the "after..."

I had fun playing with this. For more I heart faces fix it Friday edits of this same image, go HERE.

xoxo, Angie

THE POOL OF LIFE - SOUTH FLORIDA PHOTOGRAPHER

2010-02-17T10:00:00.003-05:00

As I sit in my office and edit each day or when I'm returning emails, paying bills, etc., this is what I look out over my desk and see. This is part of my view. It's the spa over flowing into our pool. Back home in Indiana we would call these hot tubs. However, in Florida, they aren't hot tubs...they are "spas." Guess that is just another small reason why Naples, Florida was just ranked the 11th happiest and healthiest city to reside in nationwide by USA Today. (out of 162 cities across the country) Even their containers of water sound better. HA!

Either way, something about this small little overflow of water makes my days even better. When I look out into that turquoise mass of water and that stream from the fountain is running, it is calming to me. I eyed it up for weeks before finally deciding that it was camera worthy. I kept saying to myself..."Self, you need to get out there with the camera (a.k.a Big Papa) and take some pictures of that running fountain of peace." So...I eventually did. And these are the shots that came from that moment.

I've come to the conclusion that the reason why I love this simple fountain coming out of the spa and into the pool so much is because the spa fountain is a good analogy or educational word picture for me. It is a daily reminder that life is full of recycled events. Full of running outpours that eventually fade into the great big sea of a deep pool we call life. Streams of events that conglomerate to form one big mass of history. No matter what debris flows from that stream or what beauty sparkles from its grip...in the end, it all ends up in one grand place. In the grand scheme of life - serenaded along side other sparkling moments and other pieces of debris that ultimately get skimmed up and pulled away from the pretty. Away from the sparkling. Even though gone, the debris made the sparkling look even better. Even shinier. Even more refined. The debris and its process helped make the sparkling - the bling of life - all that it is.

I heard a quote the other day from within a song called "Broken." (which is broken on my playlist below right now for some odd reason) The quote reads..."Hitting walls and getting scars only makes you who you are. No matter how much your heart is aching, there is beauty in the breaking." How unbelievably profound, eh? I have a dear friend - one of my best friends from high school - who is beginning a new chapter in her life this week. I am beyond upset that I'm not there in Indiana to ring her doorbell donning a big ol' fat pizza in my hand, a bottle of red wine for her - not me - because she loves a "good red" - all while wearing my pj's - ready for a long night of laughs, cries, and oh so important life altering girlfriend moments. I've said it before but I'll say it again...this is the time - in the era of our thirties - when we realize that our girlfriends are needed now more than ever. This is the age when our parents come down with life threatening illnesses, when marriages are battered and left for dead, when marriages end and those involved must begin new chapters, when dear friends die tragically, when we loose jobs and need to find another, when our children are growing up-putting us thru worry at times and we need to vent to another, and so forth. This list goes on and on. This is the era when girlfriends *must* step up to the plate. You know who you are. If you are the girlfriend that says..."Call me if you need me" instead of showing up and ringing their doorbell before they ever even realize that the other needs you, then you should re-evaluate how you treat and treasure your friendships. We don't get to own the title of "gur-fren" for nothing. Friendships are just like marriages. They are hard work - work that is required by two people - giving and taking when necessary. Depleting and replenishing in a fair way. A balancing act of two souls keenly in tune with one another no matter what the geographical distance.

So when your old chapters in life end and a new chapter begins - when your spa fountain runneth' over into that grand pool of life carrying debris, baggage, or better yet...bling...know that it will all recycle and begin anew no matter how ugly or how pretty. In turn, it will leave you more refined and more polished for the next cup that spills over. We will all have life events or certain individuals that are strong enough to bring us down. Make a valid effort to surround yourself with people, friends, family, etc. that are there to help you prove your strong enough to get back up. And if your on the other side of the spa fountain observing the moments of recycling for others, be sure to be the friend that "acts" rather than just "says" I'm here if you need me. I know from my own personal experiences that the ones hurting never have the energy to ask for help. They are on the floor - barely breathing - when the trenches call. It is up to us to act before they even realize they need us. If you aren't there for your *friends* when they are going thru the depths of hell...when DO you plan to be there for them?

You all know how I feel about friendships. True friends are like rare jewels. Hard to find. Hard to hold onto. Treat them as such.

And to my gur-fren back home who is beginning a new chapter of her life today...remember..."crazy is yo' friend." I love ya girl!

xoxo, Angie

PINK - NAPLES FLORIDA PHOTOGRAPHER

2010-02-15T16:55:00.009-05:00

I shot some images of some flowers recently and thought I'd share. They remind me of Spring, Florida, color, happiness, pink-ness and everything else a girl loves. I added the rest of them to my photography blog. There are just a few but you can click HERE to see the others.

I'm off to play catch up today. I have several things on my to do list that need tackled. Imagine that! Other than those errands though, there is much going on. I'm working on details for my Naples photography workshop here in September, spending my time in the sunshine with my laptop while educating myself on some new things regarding photography via a very awesome DVD series from some pro photographers, and just conquering daily life as usual. The kids are at school, Brent is at the office, my Mom is at the license branch, and I'm soaking up the peace and quiet time before everyone returns back home this afternoon. Speaking of the license branch, I owe a huge thank you to all of you who gave me ideas on facebook the other night regarding the personalized license plate for my car. I was asking for advice on different 5 or 7 letter words/phrases regarding photography and boy did you guys give me some fun ones. I found many that were available according to the Florida BMV website. Now I just need to narrow it down and pick one. YAY! You ladies know how I love those personalized plates but instead of ordering one that has to do with AGD this time, I'm ordering one that centers around photography.

Lastly, the seats are filling up fast for my next online beginner photography workshop. It begins March 1st. Should you wish to register for it, the details can be found HERE. I've had many questions about when I'll be offering the next class after that. Truth is...I never know when I'm going to do another one until I look ahead at my schedule for the next couple of months. Right now it is tough to say when I'll offer an additional class because we will be coming back to Indy soon for a quick visit, Spring Break is also approaching, my shooting schedule is picking up due to the vacationers coming down, etc. So...if you want in on a class...now is the time to jump because it is the only date set in stone at this moment.

Have a 'fantabulous' Tuesday and be careful for those of you traveling those roads in the Midwest. I hear it is messy there again. Thank God I don't live there for this pounding you guys are taking this season. I'm there in spirit though... LOL! :)

xoxo, Angie

PEACE OUT, IT'S FRIDAY!

2010-02-12T11:25:00.003-05:00

Peace out...It's Friday.

Hot diggity dawg!

We had a great dinner last night with Joe (our friend from Indiana). Although we missed Tamara and Derek - his wife and son - whom we hope will be back down to visit here real soon. Their family is looking to purchase a vacation home down here in the Cape Coral area so we are pretty stoked and excited about that idea. Derek is one of Brennen's best little pals that he has known since his early elementary school days. We adore their family and hope that they'll be joining us down here as residents soon. It would be great to know that they could "beach it" with us whenever they are in town. :)

That little yellow hand in the photo above is Kenidi's. I think she got it from school. She carries it around in her hand and as small as it is, I always find it sitting or laying somewhere. It's literally about the size of an eraser on a pencil. So tiny. It always makes me laugh though because I've been trying to teach Kenidi how to give the peace sign forever but she just can't figure out how to get only the two fingers up and the others kept down. It's too much coordination for her little hands at this point. She did learn to give two thumbs up the other day though and we've had a hoot with her ever since. She walks around giving everything two thumbs up now. I decided to break out the macro and photograph the chubby little peace sign hands because they remind me of Kenidi so much. Love em'! Love her!

And speaking of love...did I tell you guys how much I love that son of mine too? (even though he NEVER lets me photograph him...he gets it naturally I guess) Yeap, for those of you who aren't friends of mine on facebook, you probably hadn't heard that Brennen made the honor roll here at his new school. I'm so proud of him. It brings me such joy to see him excited about school, his grades, and doing well overall. He came home with a certificate the other day for his honor roll accomplishment and let me know that he got to participate in a special luncheon/party for making the school honor roll. Again, we are thrilled with his transition just as much as we have been Kenidi's. He has a wonderful teacher who has really encouraged him in writing. He loves to write and she's noticed that - and has since promoted his want to keep on writing. His grade level took the "Collier Writes" test here this week. It's part of a test that is similar to our I-Step testing back in Indiana. It had a big portion of the test which centered around writing. The top score you could get was a 6. She let it be known that after skimming quickly over Brennen's test, she felt he had scored either a 5 or 6. I was so pleased and yet again so proud. His grandparents spoiled him with cards and letters in the mail for his hard work. Inside those cards...yeap you guessed it...money. He loves the "green" and I just love their support and the unending encouragement they give my kids. (and me) We are so blessed with the family we have. So very, very, blessed.

On another positive note, please keep my Mom in your prayers. She had a job interview this morning and we are hoping that it went well. She should know something within a week to ten days if they decide to hire her. Please pray for favor in this area with us. We are desperately lifting her up in hopes that she gets some good news and lands this job with benefits, insurance, etc. She needs this and it would be a perfect position for her. Thank you in advance for your prayers. We can't begin to tell you guys how much we appreciate them.

For now...I'm off to go take a 30 or so minute walk/run before coming back to edit some images. The palm trees are swaying here in Florida today and I love getting outdoors to here their actual rustling as they sway back and forth like that. I'm weird - I know. However, they have a sound just as the sea has a sound when its waves come rolling ashore. Happy Friday everyone! Have a superb weekend!

xoxo, Angie

UPDATE ON KENIDI

2010-02-11T16:50:00.003-05:00

No time for a "real" photo today. However, I managed to snap this very blurred and out of focus shot the other night and thought I'd use it anyway. This is how I found Kenidi on her bed the other evening. She was intent on watching her "Bear in the Big blue house" potty training video. Even though she is enthralled with that DVD, I'm about to fire Bear in the big blue house because his potty training videos aren't helping Kenidi get anymore excited about learning the technique herself than when we began. Grrrr! Still trying...

Speaking of Kenidi, many of you have requested that I start putting more photos of her and family back on the blog again. I can honor your request for photos of her because most times she is still a willing participant in front of a lens. Brennen detests my camera now days and I have to physically bribe him to cooperate. LOL! As for Brent and myself...as you know...I rarely post photos of my husband on here and NEVER post images of myself - well almost never. I have decided to keep him and any details concerning him and I as private as possible. I'm sure you've noticed that in the past 8 months. There is a certain individual who reads my blog "hourly" and therefore, I like keeping that person in the dark as well as any others out there who feel that they need to get up in my business or know what is going on in my life. People still think that just because I blog about one millisecond of my life each day that they are owed every detail surrounding us, our family, our children, our lifestyle, etc. Wrong! Don't think so. Believe it or not, there is a HUGE part of me that is a very private person. What you see here is a 20 minute snippet of something that my day held each time I post. That doesn't mean I should have to give a full account or run down of my life to anyone. So...I appreciate all of you who want to see more family photos. You are so very sweet. Again, I can arrange that regarding Kenidi's images. However, for the other three of us...it might be pretty tough. Ha ha! I'm not saying I won't share images of us - EVER - but as you know, it is rare. We like it much better this way. God for bid Kenidi ever turn on the camera. Who knows what I could blog about then.

Speaking of Kenidi, she is doing phenomenally well. Eloise, I know you and several others have asked me how she was doing with her new school. She is doing GREAT! Her teacher is an amazing woman with great patience and unending knowledge when it comes to working with special needs children. We love her. She does well on the bus too - has a great driver and an awesome aide on there each morning and afternoon with her. Kenidi has made great strides since starting at the school back in November. She is a completely different child than she was the first half of the year when she was back in Indiana at her old school. We are so thrilled at the smooth transition she made into the Florida school district. God is good!

We have enrolled in equestrian therapy here in Florida just as we did back in Indiana. She looks forward to it every week. Her horses name is "Dotty" and she is completed obsessed with her. The trainers at the barn have commented on Kenidi's exceptional posture and how she has caught on to riding so much quicker than they've ever seen in a child. They are very pleased with her skills and we thoroughly enjoy watching her tell "Dotty" to walk on as she shakes her reigns and then pulls back on them and says "OP" for stop. It is the cutest thing ever. I have some photos from last week that I'll share here on the blog for you guys soon. They are of her riding Dotty. Fun times!

We have begun visiting a new pediatrician down here and he has been a big help in getting us acclimated and introduced to new therapists, a new well known neurologist in Miami, etc. for her. Again, the transition has gone unbelievably well. God is good!

Speaking of horse therapy though, that is where we are headed now. She visits there every Thursday after school - armed with her riding helmet and pink cowgirl boots that every adult there wants for themselves. Problem is...they only come in kids sizes. :( Trust me, I would've already had a pair for myself if they had come in my size. LOL! After we get back from therapy, a good friend of ours from Indiana is coming over for dinner. I'm cooking lasagna for the crew. It's great to have a "Hoosier" in town visiting us down here. Wonderful to see familiar faces. So for now...have a wonderful Thursday evening. Thanks for always inquiring about Kenidi and the rest of our family. My blog readers ROCK!

Much love, Angie

BEGINNER ONLINE PHOTOGRAPHY CLASS REMINDER

2010-02-10T16:44:00.006-05:00

Just wanted to pop on and remind everyone that the next Angie Seaman online beginner photography class starts March 1st. I just finished up a class with some impressive and wonderful students this week and I'm once again blessed beyond belief for the opportunity to have worked with each of them and am now blessed by their friendships. Teaching these classes has been an amazing experience for me and one that I love more and more with every class that starts and finishes. Not only am I teaching them but they are teaching me as well. With each session, I learn more and more about photography because I have incredibly passionate beginners who challenge me to increase my knowledge on the subject. I can't thank them enough for that. Here are what a few of the students from this most recent class had to say about their experience in the "Angie Seaman Photography course...

"I came into this class a true beginner. I never read the manual for my Camera because I was so excited to start taking pictures of my newborn. I really only knew how to shoot in basic auto mode and I was pretty content with my pictures, but wanted them to be better and wanted myself to be better. I truly believe I was meant to take this class because I randomly stumbled across Angie's blog and saw the class info and thought I better sign up immediately! I have learned a ton in this class! Angie is such an amazing teacher and I love being taught by someone who is passionate about the subject they are teaching. You can tell Angie is so passionate about photography and it was really great to learn from her. She was there to answer any and all questions throughout the day and night (for us west coasters). I would take a class from Angie again in a heartbeat and feel so blessed that I was able to learn from her. If you are looking for someone who genuinely cares about your success in learning more about your camera and photography, this class is for you! Thank you so much Angie for everything and I look forward to taking another class from you again soon! Sorry if this is really long, I could have even said more! Ha ha! Thanks for everything!" ~Ashley from San Marcos, California

"I came into this class probably knowing a bit more than the average beginner which made me a bit skeptical to sign up at first. Thankfully I did though! Despite me having owned my DSLR for about 2 years prior, I still simply didn't have the knowledge or the confidence needed to use it to its full potential. I was pleasantly surprised as I started reading into the week's lessons and realized I had been clueless about so many things; things that make all the difference in a great photo. I gained such amazing insight through Angie's class and no longer 'fear' all those letters on my camera's dial! With her class under my belt so to speak I am ready to pull forward and keep learning. (Hint: hoping you'll offer a 'next level up' class soon!)" ~Deanna from Annandale, Minnesota

"I met Angie at a photography workshop and fell in love with her personality and her photography skills, she definitely knows what she is doing! I was thrilled to receive this class as a Christmas present as I have wanted to learn from Angie ever since I met her. Her class answered so many of the questions that I have had about my camera! I was scared to shoot in anything other than automatic (auto mode). I've had my camera for 3 years and I've paid a lot of money for workshops that were way over my head claiming that they were for "beginners". Angie's class was just what I needed. I feel so much more confident in using my "whole" camera instead of just a few buttons. This class was a bargain!! Angie's knowledge is priceless!!! She is a great teacher! I would recommend this class to everyone I know! I'm sad to see the class end!" ~Leslie from Pinckney, Michigan____________________________________________________

If you are ready for a basic, beginner, photography class...go HERE to sign up. Should you have any questions, please feel free to email me at Angie@AngieSeamanPhotography.com. All of the classes in the past have sold out. Don't wait...seats are filling up daily. We'd love to have you join us for this March 1st session. (Session runs for 4 weeks)

Blessings, Angie

PS...For those of you interested in the weekend photography workshop I'm offering for beginners this September, feel free to go HERE for more details. I've decided to offer a payment option for those interested in signing up now. I had many requests for split payments so I decided to set that up for those who wish to use that option. If you are one of those individuals, please contact me at the email address above for details. We'll be teaching by the beach here in Naples, Florida and learning photography under the palms. It's the first ever "We shoot people" tour hosted by Angie Seaman Photography. Along with a weekend get-a-way of fun and photography in the sun, you'll also be given a fun swag bag to boot. I've called in the troops and contacted some awesome sponsors for the event who will be providing some of the incredibly fun and all things photography goodies inside those swag bags. Good times~good times!

WORDFUL WEDNESDAY

2010-02-10T11:50:00.005-05:00

For all of my snowed in peeps right now...

"As I gaze upon the sea, all the old legends, all my dreams, come back to me.” ~Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

Go ahead...reach out and touch it...those wave caps right there. Uh huh...them there things... :)

Stay warm. We are keeping a "hot" spot on the beach for you whenever you are ready for it. :) Happy Hump Day!

xoxo, Angie

CONGRATS SAINTS!

2010-02-08T08:24:00.005-05:00

A big CONGRATS to Coach Payton and his Saints team last night. What a game. To be neck and neck the entire time - the back and forth of it all. WHEW! I was about to have a coronary thru most of it. Not just because I was rooting for my COLTS but also because I had a bet going with a Saints fan on facebook that I'd owe her a drink if her team won. Needless to say, I lost the bet and now owe her a drink. I promised her that my pick, a "BLUE" martini, would be waiting here in Naples for her. LOL! We both decided that since neither of us drink, maybe a dessert would be a better gift. Therefore, "BLUE"berry pie is on me. HA HA!

We all had a great time razzing each other in good fun. The Saints outplayed our Colts after halftime and they deserve the win. Coach Payton lead them to an incredible victory after an incredible season. I know our friends/old neighbors are proud. Their brother in law is now a Superbowl champ when it comes to the NFL and his coaching history. What an incredible blessing! Thankfully for them, they were all at the Superbowl last night to witness history. Soooo soooo fun!

Anywho, I'm taking the razzing about our COLTS loosing like a good sport should. Our team let go of the notion after halftime. They gave up the game. Totally. The Saints ROCKED it and ROCKED it well. No other team is more deserving (other than our COLTS that is).

It is funny to me though how many people can't play along with the razzing "in fun." Some are so over the top about it. It's just a game people. Just a game. To the person who commented on my blog today that rarely does and to the one individual on facebook who can't let it die, I pray you both got some sleep last night. Again, it is just a game peeps. Good sportsmanship and a good rivalry never hurt anyone. Lighten up. Laugh a little. Smile genuinely because your team won and not because you wish to rub their win in the losers face. Life is too short. Way too short for grudge matches. LOL!

With that said, CONGRATS to the Superbowl champs, the New Orleans Saints and all of their fans. CONGRATS to Coach Sean Payton. You deserve it buddy! You really do!

For now, I'm off to go soak up these sunny Florida rays today. My son woke up in the middle of the night broke out in hives last night. Therefore, not much sleep was had in this house overnight. I'm dragging today because of it and just need some vitamin-D to jump start my energy. Hope all of you have an incredible week and that you remember to "smile." ;)

xoxo, Angie

Oh and PS...Peyton and the Blue Crew...

We still love ya buddy. Still love ya. Thanks for another incredible season and for making Indiana (and Florida) proud!

GO COLTS!

2010-02-07T11:49:00.005-05:00

My Dad sent me a bunch of graphics in an email for the COLTS the other day. You KNOW I just HAD to use them for game day today, right? LOL! I can't believe we are just mere hours away till' kick off here in Miami. Seeing everyone in blue and decked out in COLTS gear down here is warming to my Indiana Hoosier heart. And oh yeah...I'm no longer missing the snow. Just my Dad. HA HA! The snow moment was short lived. I must have had a lapse in judgment there for a moment when I was vulnerable. :)

But anyway, as I was saying, it feels so good to see glimpses of "home" here in Florida. We have several people here in our neighborhood that are from Indiana and they would ask right away - when meeting them the first time - "So you are COLTS fans, right?" And of course we ALWAYS reply with "You betcha!" Us Hoosiers stick together now. :) We are going to roll in the doors on the disappearing walls on the back of the house and let the Florida breeze blow in over the pool while the palm trees are swayin' this evening. All while ROCKIN' it out to the Superbowl game and cheering for our Blue Crew!

And yes...the smack talkin' is already goin' down on facebook as we speak. If you are a friend of mine - you've seen it in action by now I'm sure. If not, feel free to friend request me for the fun in it all. And my COLTS fan friends, you best jump in and promote that team of ours. The "ain'ts" think that they can get by with all this smack talk. It takes real Superbowl champs to recognize "nervous jitters" when we see it. When fear presents itself, people tend to run their mouth more than normal. HA! (You guys know I love ya down in New Orleans. Really I do!) In the end, I wouldn't have wanted to see any other team make it to the big game with us other than the Saints.

With that said, it is still going to be a good whoppin' tonight. GO BLUE!

xoxo, Angie

HOMESICK

2010-02-05T20:20:00.004-05:00

No, this isn't me. Found this image online and thought it was fitting.

Tonight was one of those nights. Another one of those nights. You know the kind where you are so homesick that your entire insides ache. For those who've never lived away from home, it might be difficult to comprehend. However, I've had a few of those moments in recent months. Beings that I lived within minutes of my parents for my entire 34 years of life, moving 977 miles away from home hits hard. It's been about 8 weeks since we've been gone. However, nights like tonight make it feel as thought it has been 8 years.

I skyped with my Dad and Cathy a little while ago. It was 80 degrees here in sunny Florida today but it is snowing by leaps and bounds in Indiana right now. They are getting hit hard and totally drenched with a snow storm. The type of snow that made me nuts when living there. My Dad picked his laptop up while skyping and carried it to his front door. He held up the computer so myself and the kids could see outside and into the snow. Behind the snow fall was my Grandma's house. She lives across the street from them in the same neighborhood. Seeing the snowfall and her house made my heart sink. I miss her and Patti (my aunt - Cathy's sister). I miss my Dad and Cathy themselves terribly. And in a very sick and twisted sort of way, I miss that daggone nasty snow. GASP! I know. I know. I said it. I can't believe it either. All of my Indiana friends instantly emailed me on facebook when I said that there and reassured me that I "DON'T" want to be home right now. I appreciate their pep talks. In the end though, there really is no place like home. Not even the beach.

We are making plans to get back home within the next couple of months. Although we've only been away for 8 weeks (basically like when we used to stay in Florida for our Summers), I can't wait to return to Indy - snow on the ground or not. I want to veg out on my Dad's couch, eat Cathy's home cooked food, visit with Grandma Dixie, watch Kenidi play tug of war with Eddie (their dog), stuff myself with my Dad's stash of peanut m&m's in the bowl that rests faithfully on their counter, and most importantly...just hug them. Hug them tightly. Oh how I love my parents. I have the best Dad in the world and I'm so blessed by his support. And although I've ALWAYS known that, being 977 miles away from him now makes me realize that even more so than I had before. I can't wait for them to come visit here, watch Brennen play basketball again, see Kenidi ride her horse at therapy, cheer with her special needs cheer team, etc. It's no longer important for me to have them come here so that we can go to the beach together and such like we always have in the past. Now it is the simple stuff that I miss like the fact that they came to every single game Brennen ever played in. Basketball and football was always a huge family affair with several bleacher rows full of friends and family that were "Brennen fans." Now the bleachers seem eerily empty.

Yes, I am...

I love you Dad!

...your "buckethead" daughter

SHELLS - NAPLES, FLORIDA BEACH PHOTOGRAPHER

2010-02-04T05:47:00.001-05:00

I've had many of you blog readers ask for shells from here in Southwest, Florida. For those who've asked, I've gone shelling to pick them out and then those who want them have paid for the shipping costs to ship them from here to their particular state. While I had another set out today getting them ready to ship, I thought I'd take some pictures of them just for the fun of it. I've been dying to get out and shoot since this weekend so this helped temporarily. :)

These particular shells came from Sanibel Island. My Mom and I walked on the beach over there one day and we grabbed these as we walked.

Sanibel is known for their "shelling." They have gorgeous shells over there - pretty good sized ones too.

We found coral too.

I love the way my 105mm macro lens just picks up every little minor detail of these shells. You can almost feel the grit of the sand still on them.

I found this one (below) still in tact and connected...two halves still attached...

And this shot below...ummm...it's my new fav. Again, the detail that the macro lens provides is nothing short of amazing.

And oh yeah...I forgot to mention that we found some dead star fish on that walk too. I decided to bring them home for Brennen to see. No...I didn't ship these to my blog readers with their shells. LOL! I did take photos of them though. How cool is this shot??? (below)

and another...just a bit further back...

And this last one...another one of my favs...

Hoping that the receiver of this package of shells loves them. They sure were fun to find and collect. Any afternoon in the sand, sun, and surf makes for tons of fun though. :)

xoxo, Angie

ORIANTHI

2010-02-03T10:20:00.003-05:00

You guys know how much I love to share my music with each of you. I'm an animal of variety by nature. I love all different types of music and not one do I love really more than another. If you listen to my playlist at the bottom of this blog page or check my ipod/iphone, or pulled out the CD's in my car, or examined my preset radio stations...there is one thing you will notice in common amongst all of them. Variation. I have a HUGE variety of music within my soul and will jam out to anything I feel is deserving. When I say jam out, that is nothing short of blaring it with my top rolled back and my windows down. That "jam out" list includes Frank Sinatra all the way down to Metallica and everything else in between. Be it Christian music, rap, jazz, blues, hip hop, pop, country, etc. I love it all. Well I don't love all of it but certain tunes within those categories anyway. For example, I struggle with country. Country really has to have songs that grab me and pull me in - otherwise it sounds like a bunch of whining and crying to me. Y'all know how much I dislike whiners. :)

With that said, I wanted to introduce you to one of my newest fav's. Orianthi. Some of you might have already heard her tunes here on my playlist as of late. You might have also heard about her due to the fact that she landed a spot on Michael Jackson's "This is it" concert tour as one of his lead guitarists. Yes, she was the ROCKIN' little blonde that piped out all of that brilliant sound in his "This is it" movie. If you saw the movie, then you know EXACTLY who I'm talking about. When I took Brennen to see that show in the theater, I came home that night and researched her name only to learn that she had her own CD about to be released in the fall of 2009. And what a CD it is. Orianthi is a 25 year old Australian born singer and guitarist who has crossed over into America with an astounding impact. She was hand picked by Michael to play lead guitarist for his tour after he found her on YouTube.

Orianthi is gaining notoriety and attention quick. Her first single, "according to him" is climbing the charts and happens to be one of my favorite signature songs of the moment. It's currently playing at the top of my playlist right now if you have your volume turned up. This is a girl after my own heart. I admire a woman who can throw on a pair of blinged out black cross encrusted boots and some black fringe but yet can still carry and pull off a classy look rather than morph into a Goth or heavy metal chic. I admire a woman who can wear knee high biker boots one minute and then turn around and wear stunning heels with a pair of well fitting jeans and a tee the next. All while continuing to be true to herself as well as 'sophisticated' no matter that the attire she dons at that moment. This girl is beautiful and can ROCK it out with the best - such as Carlos Santana and Eric Clapton. She is one I definitely feel is deserving of my windows being rolled down and the roof rolled back while jamming to her tunes at notch 25. Yes, I am the "Mom" who still resembles a teenage kid by blaring my music as you pull up beside me at the light. Yes, I am the "Mom" who still cruises into her neighborbood and pulls up in her driveway pumping out the base from which thumps the walls in the garage due to such loud octives before shutting off my car engine. Don't hate! It's how I roll. Oh yeah...the elderly here in Naples really love me. LOL! Some of my favorite Orianthi tunes/tracks right now - aside from the already mentioned "According to him" single include "Suffocated, Believe, & God only knows."

Go download her CD from iTunes or go buy her CD from the store. No matter how you get your hands on her music, you won't be disappointed. I promise.

xoxo, Angie

LITTLE MISS MATCHED

2010-02-02T15:49:00.005-05:00

I know all of you Indiana people are still experiencing winter at its finest as well as the rest of you across the Midwest. I'm sure that hearing about the ol' groundhog seeing his shadow once again didn't help your mindset when it comes to hurrying the days along to Spring. Here in Florida, we've got 80 degree temps forecasted on the board for this week. Therefore, we aren't really having that problem right now. I'm just sayin'! LOL! Sorry - had to go there beings that I'm a Hoosier/Midwesterner at heart.

With all that said, I realized that there have been several things I forgot to blog about given the move, teaching photography classes, trying to get my business off the ground here in Naples, etc. With it being so cold in the Midwest right now, I thought many of you would appreciate a good ol' "favorite find" of mine right now. It's been a while since I've shared a favorite find of any kind so I thought now was as good a time as ever. Meet Little Miss Matched! I love this store. These images are of some items I had gotten for Kenidi last year back at the start of winter. Needless to say, we never have really gotten to wear them much down here in beautiful sunny Florida. I had ordered her some things for a few photo shoots back when we still lived in Indy. Little Miss Matched sells cookey miss matched socks, leg warmers, leggings, flip flop socks, etc. for girls and adult women. They have very reasonable prices and are great at running specials too. For any of you considering a photo shoot with your daughter soon, these would go great with some funky high top tennis shoes. We pair Kenidi's with her converse, a cute tutu or skirt and a crazy tee to boot. They are all so adorable.

One thing I have done here in Florida is pair the knee high socks on Kenidi with her skirts and short little daisy duke shorts. Again, adorable. I know you guys will love their things. They also sell very cute miss-matched bedding and such too. Definitely a company worth checking out if you haven't already. Have fun!

xoxo, Angie

SEEING RED - NAPLES, FLORIDA CHILDREN'S PHOTOGRAPHER

2010-02-01T19:49:00.005-05:00

Hi all. It just dawned on me that I hadn't blogged this session from back in Indiana as of yet. Thought I'd share. You can find more of the sneak peek images over HERE. Such a fun session with "G man" and his Mom that day.

It's been cloudy and rainy here in South Florida so I don't have any new images to show you from the past few days. I'm working on that though - hang tight. Lots going on down here lately. Brennen started on his new basketball team - we are busy with practices and games again. It feels good to be back in that groove. I've missed his sports. I've been helping my Mom try to find a job. Unfortunately, she isn't having any luck. Although we've been to the beach 4 times since arriving here 8 weeks ago, 4 times isn't enough. Ha ha! However, we are trying to spend each day looking up jobs online for her and scour places for employment for her. If anyone in the Southwest Florida area knows of any entry level positions somewhere, let us know. We'd be so appreciative. She left a 7 year job at a hospital back in Indiana and had hoped she could find an entry level medical position somewhere to start out with down here. Again though...nothing. It's a horrible time for her to be looking given the economy. Seriously though...if someone knows of a job - anything she might be able to jump into - we'd be so grateful for the lead. Feel free to email me at Angie@AngelicaGraceDesigns.com should you know of something that might be up her alley.

I'm going to help her keep looking. We never guessed it would be this difficult for her. In the meantime, I've been hitting the hotels and retail establishments in regards to my photography business down here. I made some rounds again last week, approaching the hotels on the beach as well as all of my favorite children's boutiques, a local cupcake shop, etc. and introduced myself. Thankfully they were all so very nice and allowed me to leave my promo cards and business cards with them so that they can refer clients to me. I'm so grateful for their willingness to help get my name off the ground down here. God is good. I'm "jumping" and he is giving me the wings. And as my painting says...I'm learning how to unfold them as I fall...

xoxo, Angie