"What the catepillar calls the end of the world, the master calls a butterfly." ~Richard Bach
"The catepillar does all of the work but it is the butterfly who gets all of the publicity." ~Attributed to George Carlin
"Happiness is a butterfly, which when pursued, is always just beyond your grasp, but which, if you will sit down quietly, may alight upon you." ~Nathaniel Hawthorne
"If nothing ever changed, there'd be no butterflies." ~Author Unknown
From left to right we have Audrey Woulard (Chicago), Tamara Lackey(North Carolina), Laura Novak (Delaware), and Lena Hyde (Palm Beach, Florida). These four fabulous women are like Rock stars in the photography field. If you are into photography but didn't know of these four women until now, then you had to have been hiding under a rock for the last 6-8 years. For myself and the other 59 photographers who got to spend all last week with these women, it was truly the experience of a life time. Literally! Unfortunately, they are no longer doing LEARNFEST so I got in on the very last LEARNFEST to ever be offered. To think that I almost missed out on that opportunity makes me physically ill. I'm so glad that I was able to go and that the stars and the moon aligned for me in order to make it happen. It was tough to be away in the middle of the week like that but in the end, I decided it was worth the juggling and worth the chaos of planning to be away for that long. And boy am I thankful that I did it. WHEW! I'm still reeling from the excitement and can barely contain myself. I spent all weekend with my nose in my laptop - working with my graphics girl, Crystal, to design and order new marketing tools - new business cards - changing up my website details and so forth. I've sat down and strategically planned on how I intend to hit not only the Indiana market but the Southwest, Florida market as well. Beings that we are at the Florida house at least once a month, there is no reason why I shouldn't be tapping into that market as well.
I snapped this shot as one of our models was jumping in mid air. I believe the Mom to this little girl emailed me here on the blog yesterday - inquiring about the images all of us photographers took at Learnfest. If that was you, feel free to email me directly at Angie@AngieSeamanPhotography.com if you are interested in the image. When we did the model shoots, I eventually quit shooting and just decided to sit back and take in all that the instructors were doing. Normally I am so eager to get a shot that I jump right in and go to town with the shutter. However, I quickly realized that this time...I was in the company of some extreme talent and didn't want to miss a beat in regard to how they shoot, why they shoot what they shoot, their personality interaction with kids, parents, etc. I became a sponge and monitored their every move...just trying to incorporate that vibe then somehow bottle it and take it home with me. Ha ha! In the end, the biggest thing that I learned is that people are paying you for "you." Not for your images, not for your prices, etc. They are paying for "you." Sure they can go down the street and find some prices that are cheaper. But in the end, they want "you." Therefore, gaining the confidence to carry that "you" trait is a work in progress for me. The hardest thing about photography is one...finally calling yourself a photographer and meaning it. Secondly, it is being confident enough in yourself to step out there, and jump - allowing your wings to catch your fall. So many times as a photographer, you second guess your abilities. So from here on out, I'm working hard to not second guess my skill level and I'm just jumping. Just like my painting says...jump and you shall find out how to unfold your wings as you fall. Love that!
Above, these are just some of the awesome photographers that were in my RED group at Learnfest. As I mentioned on Friday, there were 60 photographers at the event. They then took those 60 and broke us down into four separate groups. These ladies were just a snippet of my group. Did I mention that the RED group rocked??? Ha ha! These wonderful women have now become some very dear friends and I know without a shadow of a doubt that I'll be able to lean on them as we all embark on this journey together. It is so awesome to share the same passion. We all just sat and talked for hours on end during our stay at the Chateau Elan while at Learnfest. Not only was the hotel amazing but it had grounds that went on and on forever. There was so much to the location that you couldn't do it all in one trip. The grounds were stunning. Just stunning. And the inside of the property made for a great local when it came to long chats about photography with my new peeps. Did I mention how good the food was there too? Yes, we got to eat with our instructor and our groups each morning as well as for lunch. They had an amazing breakfast buffet especially. I'm not normally a breakfast girl but they whipped me up some "mean" egg white omelette's while I was there each morning. :)
Above is Tamara Lackey. This woman's energy is like nothing else I've ever seen. She actually got herself and one of her groups booted out of one of the banquet hallways for being so loud during a model shoot. Ha ha! Love it! I also loved her thinking that she passed on to us. She said..."If you as a photographer, aren't getting kicked out of places, then you are doing something wrong." HA! So funny! We all know how I have been kicked off properties and such by now. Guess that isn't such a bad thing after all. Check out the energy and the vibe between Tamara and this little boy below. This is talent people...talent! And yes, they are inside the hotel water fountain. Hysterical! Remember what she said about "getting kicked out of places..."
According to the Learnfest website, Tamara's work has appeared in a variety of publications such as Vogue, O Magazine, Elle, Town & Country, Martha Stewart Living, Parenting Magazine, The Knot Weddings, Food & Wine and Inside Weddings. She regularly shoots the cover images for Adoptive Families Magazine, Premier Baby & Child, Endurance Magazine, and Carolina Parent. Her photography has also been showcased on The Martha Stewart Show. Tamara is also an author. She has a new book out regarding children's portraiture. You should grab a copy. I promise it won't disappoint!
Tamara is a vibrant spirit with an amazing heart. She talked to us about all of the ways she did her photography business wrong in the early years. Then she told us how she did it right, sharing each of her reasons to her success as of today. I loved her vibe, her energy, how she interacted with the clients, and her passion in general for the industry. She is also the instructor that discussed how important it is to get your images out there and share them with the world (i.e., via a blog). It is thru her blog that images of President Obama were viewed after she went to a press event. Following the viewing of those images, she was ultimately hired to come work on his campaign trail. She shared an image with us that she also took of Maya Angelou and Mrs. Obama together. It was beautiful!
I also liked Tamara because she wasn't afraid to get down and dirty for her shots. I can't tell you how many times I come home looking like I've rolled in pig slop following a shoot. As photographers, if you aren't ending up in some funky positions on the ground while shooting, then you aren't going out of the box to capture some really cool angles. Get down, get dirty, get crazy. The client will love you for it - especially their child. The kids think it is a hoot. Following Tamara's hard earned posed below, she got up with some mud on her feet but she was still rockin' it out. The grass was so wet and muddy from the rain that day that she her hands and feet were squishing and sinking in that stuff. Too fun!
Now let me introduce you to Mrs. Audrey Woulard...
Audrey is going to kill me for posting these pictures on my blog of her with the rain bag on her head. She even said..."I better not see these on any blogs." Ha ha! However, I just had to post them because it just reconfirms what a rock star she is. It was pouring down raining that afternoon and she grabbed a bag from the hotel bellman, wrapped her camera in it as well as her hair and went to town. Now that is taking charge of a shoot! Not stressing about the rain, the lighting, etc. She just worked it! Many of you are familiar with Audrey. She has pretty much taken over Chicago when it comes to children's portraiture. Her talent is a force to be reckoned with. For those of us in the photography realm, we love her style, her edge, her attitude...we just love it all! According to the learnfest website, along with Audrey's portrait work, she is also commissioned for high profile kids commercial work for clients such as Pottery Barn Kids, Toys R Us, Advocate Hospitals, and The Disney Store. In the shot below, this is one of the moms of our model holding the umbrella for Audrey as she worked the shoot.
These shots above and below are more images of my gals from the RED group during our model shoot under the instruction of Audrey. Love my RED group girls. Did I tell you that the RED group ROCKS? :) If I didn't, let me just say that....the RED group ROCKS!!!
Here is Audrey working her magic with one of our little models. Again, this is talent people - talent. You either have the personality to carry a photography session or you don't. This is clearly someone who exudes talent...
And this one below is of Audrey too. I can't remember what she was doing here but we were all on the hotel floor out in the middle of the atrium laughing about something. There were a lot of laughs during the week. Sooooooooo much fun!
And here we have the fab "four again." I was sad that I wasn't able to get any other shots of Lena or Laura. Unfortunately, they did the "business and marketing" part of the conference and therefore didn't have a model shoot at all. Tamara and Audrey were the only two instructors who shot for the week. Laura is 2nd from the right. According to the learnfest website, along with gracing the mantles of families nationwide, Laura's photos can be found on the pages of many publications including Brides Magazine, People, The Knot, Modern Bride, My Day Magazine, Philadelphia Elegant Bride, Professional Photographer Magazine, Rangefinder and the Wedding Photographers Handbook. In 2007, Laura was named one of two photographers nation-wide as Kodak's Photographers, recognizing her ability to capture spontaneous, intimate and emotional moments like few others in her field.
Lena Hyde is on the end, on the right. According to the learnfest site,
Lena's international clients come to her year after year for an experience they know they cannot find elsewhere. Her studio revenue has multiplied by over 1500 percent in the last four years and Lena is more than happy to share her career experiences and lessons learned with her students. Before shooting people, Lena was an art educator in San Francisco and wrote an art column for the SF Chronicle. Her experimental photography has been internationally exhibited in galleries and museums, including Southeast Museum of Photography, San Francisco Museum of Modern Art Gallery, American Embassy, Harare Zimbabwe; and Casa Fotografia Fuji, Brazil. Lena also has eight years experience teaching art and photography. Did I mention that Lena also shoots clients like Tiger Woods and other athlete's families? Very cool!
Above, some of the gals from my RED group again - having fun. This one is out of focus but I had to share it anyway.
And lastly, above...the entire red group all together. Don't mind the bad "ghost" job at the top left. It was a horrific shot of me so I politely removed myself - quickly - from the image. Hey...at least I was there in "spirit," eh? Ha ha! I know I'm going to catch h-e-double hockey sticks for this one. :)
My Mom gave me some flowers as part of an early birthday gift from her and the kids last week. Brent gave me some roses as a "just because" the week before when we first got down here. Love those "just because" moments. I finally began taking photos of the abundance of flowers in the house and really liked how this white one turned out (shown above). Love that macro lens!
Also, I wanted to share with you why I love the "SWOOZIE'S" store here in Bonita so much. I always make a trip to the location at the coconut point mall at least once when here. They have the coolest stuff, the best "gur-fren" gifts, incredible stationary, and adorable beach decor. Needless to say, their store pretty much sums me up. I've talked about the Swoozie's store before here on the blog but if you don't know about Swoozie's or have never been to one, find one quick and RUN to it! I'd sleep there if I could. Yes, that is how much I love Swoozie's. :) With that said, check out the cute little books I found when there the other day. Are these "me" or what?
LOVE, LOVE, LOVE them!
And speaking of new, cool, finds...check out philosophy's new BEACH PARTY line of products. Yeap, found them at the Sephora store here when I ran in to grab a much needed new tube of mascara. (Black Out Dior Show - best there is!) I saw their beach party line and fell in love. All of you AGD blog readers know I have issue's with people who don't keep their feet soft and issue's as well as an obsession with keeping lips soft. I am totally OCD when it comes to lotions and lip balms. Well lucky for me...Philosophy's new BEACH party line has a lip gloss. YAY! Try it! You will love it!
And lastly, speaking of Grandma Sue...here is the only real shot I got of her and the kids last week when she was here. We took this right before she left for the airport. Nevermind the fact that Kenidi's hair isn't fixed and that she has a spoon in one hand and a mermaid doll in the other. This photographer uses a wide variety of props on the job. HA! Hey...whatever works, right?
For now, I'm off to finish fixing my hair so that we can get out the door for dinner. I'll be in touch soon. Oh and while I'm thinking about it...run to your nearest taco bell as well and ask for their new pina' colada frutista freeze. YUM-O! It's another new favorite find of mine. I'm hoping for your sake that they aren't just Florida flavor. Indiana didn't have them when we left there back in May. So hopefully all of the stores are now introducing them. They are the best things EVAH! And my girlfriend Shannon that you all know from Texas...you know my sista' from anotha' Mutha'...well she improvised the other night and bought the pina' colada frutista and added her own malibu rum to it. Although we don't drink in our house, I thought her idea was pretty clever. And like I told her, I'm sure they are much cheaper than the real thing. So go try one. I promise they are the greatest thing since sliced bread! Especially when you are sitting poolside with your favorite book or on the beach under an umbrella. Wink wink! ;o)
xoxoxo, Angie
PS...There are only 3 remaining spots in the online photography workshop. Space is dwendling. Sign up while there is still room! See Angie Seaman Photography to register.
Because I love my blog readers, I thought I'd post a quick bout' of "color for your Sunday" all the way from good ol' Florida. My Mom is flying in this evening to stay with us thru Friday so I'll be sharing her beautiful face in the week ahead - I'm sure. In the meantime though, I didn't want to leave you guys hanging without a blog post for this gorgeous Sunday, June 7th, 2009.
I snapped these flowers while out on a walk with the fam a few evenings ago. Unfortunately, I am so illiterate with flowers and plants that I have no idea what any of the names are surrounding these gorgeous beauties. One of my readers might be able to help us out with that. Any takers?
As I walked around, I just couldn't get over all of the colors. Everything is so vibrant here - as always. So very powerful! The views in southwest Florida really pack a punch - that is fo' sho'! I'm getting emails from multiple readers who are full time Florida residents that say things like..."how are you finding such amazing shots? I live here full time and don't see that stuff." Truth is, I bet its a lot like us who live in Indiana full time. Once you've seen one snow or one farm, you've seen them all. I think most Floridians breeze past the beauty now if they've lived here long enough. They don't see it like we Midwesterner's do. We take note of it all because it is so very different from what we have in our neck of the woods. Stunning is too mild of a word. Magnificent is more like it.
And yes, those do appear to be teeney, tiny, little, itty, bitty snails on the yellow flowers above. Funny thing is, I never saw them when I was shooting the shot. It wasn't until I went back thru the images on my computer that I noticed them on the petals in the upper right hand corner. The joys of a macro lens on a camera...Again...you see things you never saw before when behind the lens.
For now, we are headed out to lunch and to spend the day roaming before my Mom's flight comes in this evening. I hope each of you enjoy your Sunday. Make it a challenge to yourself to find as much color in front of your eyes today as possible. Take it all in and savor it. Color is a good thang'! Be back tomorrow with more images...
Hugs, Angie
PS...Regarding photography, I've had an over abundance of emails lately requesting for me to offer a photography topic for those wanting to learn more about cameras and photography in general. I've toyed around with the idea recently and would love to put together a forum of some sort and possibly offer a class to those wanting to participate. If this is something you might be interested in, please email me, facebook me, hit me up on twitter, etc. If we end up having enough interest, I'll put some plans in place. I'm no pro in the photography realm by any stretch of the means but I truly believe that it isn't the camera that takes the picture, it's the photographer. With a little help/guidance and a bit of know how and knowledge behind a lens, any one of us can take good pictures - no matter what kind of camera you might have. :)
Well, in just a few short hours...we'll be taking flight again - just like my beach B/F/F above. I'm way behind on emails - with blogging - with my to do list - with pretty much everything. However, I'm getting there. I have had a ton of emails come in since posting our kitchen pictures in regards to decorating and such. I promise I am answering them. I'm making my way thru each one and you WILL here back from me. It's just taking me a bit longer than normal with all that is on my plate this week. I'm currently in the process of packing and can't talk long. I did want to update quickly though before we head out. We depart at 7am sharp tomorrow morning from Indianapolis International Airport. Where we headed? You guessed it! Back to Bonita Beach/Naples. We will only be gone from Thursday thru Sunday for a quick Mothers Day weekend get-a-way with our kiddo's and another couple friend of ours. Remember the family we went to Gatlinburg with last October? Yeap...this family (shown with Brent and Kenidi below)...
Joe, Tamara, and their son Derek are who we will be sugaring our toes with over the next 4 days and we couldn't be more excited about it.
If you have followed the blog long enough, you'll know that Joe and Tamara's son (Derek) is Brennen's best friend from his old school. We've cruised with their family before thru the Caribbean and toured Gatlinburg with them last year. Now they'll be coming down and spending Mother's Day weekend with us in 'Angie and Brent territory' (Bonita Springs/Naples). We are thrilled to be vacationing with them again and the boys are beyond excited. I am NOT excited about the fact that I have to be up at 3:30am though in order to make it to the airport by 5:30am tomorrow morning. I'm also not thrilled that it will once again be raining as we fly. You guys know how much I detest crummy weather when I'm in the skies. Please pray for smooth travels for us, will ya?
We should touch down in Southwest Florida by 9:20am tomorrow morning and have all day to soak up the rays, stuff ourselves beyond recognition with surf and turf over the weekend, and embark on a sunset cruise Friday evening. The weather man is calling for 90 degree weather the entire time we are in town and I couldn't be more thrilled. The hotter the better. :)
We'll return from Bonita Sunday evening and will then be back home in Indy for two weeks before heading back to Bonita/Naples for the summer on May 29th. Needless to say, with only two weeks in between, those few days are going to be quite chaotic. We also have end of the year school festivities to tend to during that time with Brennen and Kenidi's school. I cannot believe that Brennen will be a big, bad, 5th grader in a couple of weeks and that our little baby girl will be in 1st grade. Where has this year gone, eh?
In the meantime, I'm off to soak up the Mothers Day weekend the best way I know how and that would be by the beach with great friends and with my beach B/F/F's (shown above) of course. How did our Moms react to us being away on Mothers Day weekend you ask? Well...they were very supportive! Brent planned this weekend without realizing it was Mothers Day initially. He didn't consult with his secretary (a.k.a me - his wife) about it ahead of time and therefore didn't realize the significance in the date. In the end though, it all worked out and we are very glad that we have understanding Mothers. (three of them actually...his mom, my mom, and my step-mom) If they weren't, his little goof up could've been a disaster. Ha ha!
I hope to blog while I'm away as normal. If not, I promise to have pictures come Monday once we return. Pinky swear! HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY TO ALL OF YOU FANTASTIC MOMS!
Well, first off...I MUST, MUST, MUST start off by telling all of you thank you so very much for your incredible compliments regarding our kitchen/home in the post below. I was overwhelmed at the amount of blog comments, private emails, new facebook and twitter friends, etc. that came in off of Kelly's "Show us your home" blog tour. You guys are beyond sweet and paid way too many undeserving compliments on things like my decorating and such. I love all of the new "friends" I've met off this post. Kelly's blog alone drove over 1000 new hits to my site in a day and over the past 3 days is just unbelievable. I must thank Kelly herself for the fun and for getting this blog tour going. She'll be featuring different rooms in the home in the coming weeks. She has announced that this coming Friday will be 'living rooms.' I hope to try and participate in that one as well even though I'll be out of town. I might try to schedule an update to automatically post for that event while I'm away.
I also have to thank fellow bloggers such as Edie (life in grace), Rhoda, (Southern Hospitality), and Susie Harris (Bienvenue) for their sweet comments and compliments on my blog as well. They along with Kelly drove more traffic to my blog. When I saw their comments come thru, I about fainted. Literally. Yes, I was blog star struck! Along with Kelly herself, these three women are like true celebrities in the blog world. Talk about talent...these women combined have more talent in their pinky fingers than I would in my entire lifetime. They are amazing at decorating and crafting. Fierce forces to be reckoned with! You women made my day with all of your visits and your compliments. I'm so thankful to have had you here and am officially stalking each of you. Ha ha! And Susie Harris, Yes...I'd be honored to be a guest blogger for your blog girl. What a privilege that would be. Anytime sista' - anytime. You just say the word! For now, I must pick myself up off the floor and refrain from looking and acting like such a "groupie" for all of these amazing women. They are going to end up filing restraining orders against me eventually - you watch. Wink wink! ;)
So tonight...I wanted to share these images of some of my glass bottles within our home. I had several of you email me within the last few days asking me about my love for glass vintage bottles. (mentioned in one of my posts below) A few of you were wondering what I meant by "vintage glass bottles" and asked for me to share pictures of a few of them. Not a problem!
These are a few of my favorite bottles because they house some of the best beach accessories on top of them. Each bottle was an older bottle that carries a story with it. I love the shell, starfish, and sand dollar that are housed on these. They are the epitome' of my love for the beach. The shell bottle even has some sand inside it. You can no longer open these bottles because they are sealed closed with the toppers on the caps. They are made more for looks and to accessorize with.
I keep this particular trio of bottles on our hearth room mantle - just above our fireplace. They go best in here because of their coloring and because of the other beach related items I have in this particular room. Oh...and have I mentioned how much I love my 50mm 1.4 lens when photographing still images such as these? LLUURRVVVEEE it! The sharp, crisp, image that it produces is just amazing. Not to mention the "bokeh!" Don't even get me started on the bokeh it produces. WHEW WEE! I believe I've died and gone to heaven.
On other related notes, Kenidi got the clear from her pediatrician today to fly this week. As most of you know, we are flying out Thursday morning and I was fearful that her ears wouldn't be clear enough in time to put her on that flight. Thankfully the doc thinks that she is good to go. I had him check Brennen's ears though because he has a deep chest cough going on and oddly enough, his left ear was inflamed they said. He told me to give him some sudafed and mucinex in hopes of drying up anything that is trying to transpire in there before we leave. Please keep him in your prayers for a painless flight. He says that his ears are fine and haven't bothered him one bit. I'm hopeful that it is the tail end of something he never even realized was there.
Secondly, I just have to send a HUGE congratulations out to Kenidi's teacher, Mrs. Alison, on the birth of her new baby girl. Ironically, she had her baby on Brent's birthday - April 28th. She wasn't due until the end of May but apparently she decided to come early. Brent is pretty stoked that she made her grand appearance on his birthday. I think his words were something like..."Important people are born on important days like April 28th." Ha ha! We are so excited for her teacher and their family. Baby and Mom are home and resting well after a long labor that ultimately lead to a c-section. Both are perfectly healthy though. What a praise! And let me just tell you that she is STUNNING! I can't wait to pass off a little something from Kenidi to her. You know...one diva to anotha'! Ha ha! CONGRATS Alison!
It's currently 6:05pm here in Indiana and I must sign off for now. I've got suitcases to pull out and begin stuffing. You know I'm good at the stuffing part. Just ask the baggage claim guys who pick up our suitcases and put them on/off the planes. I'm way behind on my to-do list after a fun weekend spent with Brent and the kids this past weekend. Until the next update...enjoy your Monday evening. We'll be routing for Melissa to dance on Dancing with the stars tonight. How about you? Poor thing - fractured ribs - that has to be painful! I'm pulling for her to win the whole thing so I sure hope she can overcome! xoxoxo, Angie
Boy...I sure haven't had a whole lot to blog about lately. I feel like a broken record. Photography, photography, photography. I guess this new course really has it's hold on me. I love that though. I am meeting some wonderful new friends across the country and abroad in places like Australia, Canada, etc., and it's incredible because we all share the same passion. It's so fun to have them critique shots for me and for me to see their work - which is amazing I might add. With that said, it's Friday and I'm just checking in with all of you AGD followers. Nothing much to report. Well, maybe other than the fact that we found out Kenidi is anemic and I'm having a heck of a time getting the iron supplements down her. Can you blame her though? If anyone has any clever suggestions, hit me up, will ya? Her hemoglobin level was 10 (should be between 12-15 I guess) and her ferritin levels were 2.9 - they should be between 150-300. Can you believe that? 2.9? They seem to think it is because she drinks so much chocolate milk. Therefore, I'm having to wean her off it because that is really all she drinks throughout the course of the day. Who would've guessed that milk can "induce" anemia. I swear I learn something new everyday.
On a fun note, I got some tweets (a.k.a. twitter)/facebook/emails from a couple of you this week alerting me that JoAnn's had some new beach items in stock. And...drum roll please...it was all 40-50% off. I love a bargain. So...I mosied that way and found some new accessories for the house. Thus, the photos above and below. I was practicing some shots with one of my camera lenses (50mm 1.4 Nikon lens) and incorporating using my speed flash with it. Therefore, I opted to take some still shots of my JoAnn's loot. The above is a basket with just some nautical style balls in it. The shot below is of some glass bottles that I fell in love with. I have a thing for old, vintage, glass bottles. Although these weren't vintage, they matched the colors in our great room perfectly. And for $3.99 - who could pass them up?
It's still raining here in Indy. Yeap, a week straight of rain. Gotta' love it. With that said, aside from the photography course, I've been reading a ton. I jumped up and down with glee as I was checking out at the grocery the other night and found this new release of a LIFE book on Jackie Kennedy. All of you know that she rates right up there with Audrey (Hepburn) for me. I love them both. Such class, such grace, such style. Thought I'd let you guys know this new copy is out there in case any of you are interested in purchasing it for a coffee table book or something. Like I said, I got mine in the check out line at the grocery. I'm sure they are available anywhere. It houses amazing pictures of her and her life.
So again...not a whole heck of a lot going on. Pretty mundane actually. Next week will prove to be much more exciting. I'm sure of it. We have a pretty low key weekend here starting this evening. Brennen has a friend over right now. Kenidi is sound asleep on my lap - recouping from her sicklies this week and I'm enjoying the free time on the computer while I await Brent to get home from the office. The kids have a school flex day on Monday (snow day that was never used) so they get a three day weekend this weekend and we are all super pumped about that. They will be missing the latter end of school next week (Thursday and Friday) so they really only have a 2 day week next week. More on why they are missing school to come. Or should I say pictures to come. Ha ha!
For now, I'm off to finish some editing as well as to tackle getting some AGD orders ready for Karen. I hope all of you have a superb weekend and that sun shines where you are...cuz' gawsh knows it won't be shining here in Indy anytime soon. Wink wink! ;) I think Mother nature has it out for us Hoosiers this year. All that snow - now all this constant rain. BLEEECCKKK! Soak up the rays for me should Mr. Sunshine show his face in your neck of the woods, will ya?
Guess what? Yeap, a whole bunch of randomness again. Two days in a row, eh? I know you guys can tell that I'm just bustin' to be outside. Today it reached almost 80 degrees here in Indy. So...after a very exciting business meeting I had with Brent and a soon to be introduced person/organization, I left bee boppin' out the door today for another photo shoot before the kids got off the bus. I drove around in my car, killing time, and scoping out pretty things to snap shots of. Out of the corner of my eye, I spotted these tulips at the entrance of a neighborhood near ours. I did a hard left - then a u turn - and ran back to the spot where I'd seen them. After pulling over on the side of the road and parking up the street, I hoofed my way back to these beauties and captured these shots...
It was smack dab in the middle of the day so there was tons of harsh sunshine hitting my lens which then equals tons of shadows - ugly shadows. However, I just couldn't quit snapping away. Shadows or not, I was embracing the sun.
Love how this little guy (see below) had a streak of red growing inside of it. Nothing like standing out - having an "out of the box" look. Why be normal? Dare to be different as I like to say. Ha ha! Too fun!
(To see more pretty tulip shots, go to my friend NATALIE'S blog. She does Iphoto friday and has a great collection of images going there too. Also, my blog friend, Beki, does Fingerprint Friday each week and thought the flowers would be a good depiction of God's fingerprints this week. Go check her blog out to see lots of other cool photos of peoples ideas of finerprints from God.)
Then, yesterday Brennen had some tutoring at a teachers house in a neighborhood close to ours. As I dropped him off, I saw this stunning little park area inside the center of their sub-division. What did I do? I dropped him off at the session, ran back to the house and grabbed my camera, then took Kenidi back there so we could kill some time while waiting on Brennen. There was an area above my head that was screaming to be photographed at one point. The sun flare was amazing. I just had to capture it. Also, see those lines and angles again? Yeap, love love love them!
In the little park area of their sub-division, I found these brightly colored adirondack chairs that immediately propelled me to somewhere else. Somewhere like Bonita Beach maybe. Ha ha! They were all different colors and just screamed to be photographed. Again, this was smack dab in the middle of the afternoon so there are horrible shadows everywhere (even with my lens adorning its lens hood). However, I couldn't pass them up. Someday soon I plan to go back on a more overcast day and grab some REAL shots of these again.
I'd love to capture a shot similar to this one below on an overcast day and then have it made into a big canvas for our house (minus the shadows). I think it would go great with the beach theme.
These colors are just amazing, aren't they? Sooooooo yummy!
Speaking of Bonita Beach, I snapped these shots (shown below) while there a couple of weeks ago. I wanted to share them with each of you. Ya'll know how much I love my palm trees, right? Well...because of that...I just thought I'd post these here and share. I got a polarizer & some step rings for my camera lenses recently so I can't wait to go back and try them out against the blue skies at the beach in a couple of weeks. They will really help to make shots of the sky like these POP!
Why can't we have palm trees in Indiana? It's so not fair!
And just for fun, I thought I'd post this very candid shot of Kenidi (below) talking to me yesterday while in that sub-division playing in their park. She had me cracking up. She has become really animated with her hands and arms lately as she is trying to verbalize. This was a great depiction of what she looks like when communicating these days. One of her aides sent home a note from school yesterday letting me know how she has made HUGE progress in her gross motor skills since last Fall. I would totally agree. Kenidi has come a long way since enrolling her in their new school back in August. And although I, as her Mom, am totally struggling and missing her REAL teacher (Mrs. Alison) because she left on maternity leave a couple of weeks ago (as she awaits the birth of her first child) and won't return until next January, I still know that Kenidi is in great hands with the aides in her classroom. Did I have a big ol, sobbing baby, cry in the shower the morning her teacher called to tell me? Yes...I sure did. She called me at 7:15am the morning we were set to fly out for our Spring break vacation. Our flight was leaving that morning and she called before we left for the airport to tell us. After I hung up with her, the tears began to flow and I ran straight into the bathroom where Brent was getting ready and just cried like a two year old. We were both extremely sad and were very heart sick in the pit of our stomachs that she was leaving so soon. We always knew she'd miss the last couple of weeks of school due to her pregnancy but now she was not only leaving sooner than planned, but she also wouldn't return until the 2nd semester of next years school year. Like I told Alison, I feel like I've lost an appendage. (nothing like making her feel bad, eh?) Like someone has cut off my arm or something. We miss her dearly! However, I know that she needs this time away in preparation for her new little one. I'm glad that she has the opportunity to be a stay at home Mom as she welcomes her first child. The real test will be whether she will EVER come back though after having that new little baby at home by her side for almost a year straight. I must confess that for my own selfish reasons, I'm so worried that she'll decide to quit her job and become a full time Mommy at home with her new baby. Thus meaning that we'll never have the opportunity to have her in our lives again. I pray that if that should that happen, I'll have the maturity level to not throw myself down on he floor, kicking and screaming, and begging for her to change her mind like a mad woman. I can almost promise that it won't be a pretty sight if it does come up so get ready and be prepared Alison. Ha ha! We love and miss ya tons girl!
Where are you Mrs. Alison? I miss you! Love, Kenidi
PS...A ginormous thank you to all of you caring and oh so loving souls who've emailed me about my new friend, Mr. Migraine. Your concerns and caring spirits never cease to amaze me. I didn't discuss it much here on the ol' blog because I'd been --- well...very frustrated and in total irritation of it all. After not having had to go to a doctor for basically 33 years of my life, I've now seen the inside of an Emergency Room twice in the past 60 days. (the heart related issue and then the head problem) After a week and a half of a severe migraine - nonstop I might add - which I've never had before - along with my eyelid suddenly swelling and then drooping/dropping on a whim due to the migraine, the doctors then thinking it was a massive cluster headache following a healthy CT scan, etc., I'm happy to report that I believe the miracle drug, prednisone, is now working. I hate to speak to soon or jinx myself but for the first time today in 11 days, I'm not feeling the pain as I had before. And although the prednisone prescription threw my heart into a very unexpected and not so fun synus tachycardia rhythm (heart palpitations with the rapid pulse and extra beats) which had to be addressed, I'm glad that I'm at least feeling some relief now from Mr. Migraine. For those of you who suffer from migraines, I feel so bad for you. I've never experienced anything like this and was totally down and out about all of the doctor visits I'd been having. I just couldn't fathom how I could be healthy for 33 years and never have to go to a doctor - to now all of a sudden having to endure multiple doc visits, ER trips, CT scans, heart testing, blood work, and so on. In my own personal rolodex I now have every doctor you can think of at the touch of a speed dial. Cardiologists, Neurologists, family doctors, and so on. Not only that but my measly one medication (birth control) that was the only pill I've ever had to take, has now grown to a full fledged drug house with 6 new bottles of pills. If someone came into my bathroom right now, they'd probably swear I was freak if they saw the amount of prescription bottles living on my counter. It's depressing beings that I'm not a pill girl and don't like to take medicine as it is. I've not handled it well at all. Let's just leave it at that! I've been mad, ticked off, frustrated, in wonderment, confused, stressed, worried, tired, and every other emotion under the sun. Oh and might I add that at the same time all this is going on, I also ended up at the dermatologist with two skin spots that popped up on my chest after our vacation which now have to be monitored and watched over the next two months. If they aren't gone before we head South again next month, they'll have to be removed and biopsied. Although my dermatologist feels that they don't look like anything to worry about at the moment, of course it is hard not to worry. I'm praying and trucking on like normal - knowing that God is in control. Oh and before I get the sunscreen lecture from my friends out there who want to harp on me about lathering up in protection, my dermatologist tells me that this isn't suncreen/sun related. We had a long talk about my love for the sun and believe it or not, he assured me that in his opionion, I was ok to keep soaking up the sun like I always have - even without sunscreen. Yes...I was shocked to hear him say it too. However, he thinks (his opinion only) that sunscreen will not keep you from getting skin cancer. He believes it will help slow your aging process due to sun damage but he said if you are going to get skin cancer, you are gonna' get it with or without the sunscreen in the end. He asked me if I'd rather age with my age or stay indoors with sunscreen on all the time and have the rest of my body look like my butt (no joke - these were his exact words) and then end up with osteoporosis when older from my bones being so frail due to lack of vitamin D. (sun) He told me it was my choice. He is a direct guy - very dry in personality - but I love how he tells me like it is. So...in the next few weeks, will you just be praying that my health gets back into "normal" gear and that I can stop having to worry about these issues? I'm using up a ton of my prayer quota with regards to the big man upstairs in the last 3 months of this 33rd birth year of mine. Guess I'm making up for all of the other years when I wasn't swinging my way in and out of ER hospital doors. I'm sure the good Lord above is about ready to cancel my membership up there if I continue to keep being so needy. HA HA! Nevah! I know better than that. Again...I can't thank all of you enough for your undying support and caring hearts. It means more to me than you'll ever know.
