Tracy and Jason–Couple’s Photography

I’ve known Tracy for what feels like my whole life. Our families were very close when we were growing up. And we’ve reconnected as adults and I’m glad to count her as a friend. I took pictures of her and her husband Jason just before they had their daughter, Nadine. (See some of these images in this post.) And when we were there for a visit a couple weeks ago I asked them to get in front of my camera one more time. These are some of the images we got, and I really love them. Just the two of them. See the full album here.

Thanks to both of you for opening your home to us, letting us get to know you better and for getting in front of my camera again. It was a pleasure to spend these few minutes capturing your love as it is right now in your journey together. Love you guys!

Project Life : Weeks 7 and 8

I am so in love with this project and this way of memory keeping. I’ve been keeping up really well and just going with the flow. I look at lots of other people’s pocket pages online and get really inspired, but I find that I always come back to my style when I’m doing my own pages. I’m learning to embrace it.

Here is Week 7.

This week Holli and I had been working hard to get the program created for The Lone Star Love Potion performance at Masquers. We took it over from Bev and so far we’re a really good team. One day she came and sat close with me on my computer to really crank it out and she was watching on Kayo that afternoon. It was just a blast to see him and Gibson play together! He’s such a cute kid. Chris traded me his phone upgrade to allow me to get an iPhone. It was just the right choice to make for work. I got a bright pink iPhone 5C and so far I really love it! My parents celebrated 18 years of marriage last month and as a gift for my Dad I scripted a lyric from their wedding song and framed it for him. I love how it turned out. 

The weekend was spent with my parents helping them out…we drove Dad to Wenatchee for an appointment and did some things around the house to help them. Then we went to the meeting in Twisp with them Sunday morning. There was still a ton of snow up there!

Here is Week 8.

This was a really enjoyable week. It started with a little date night and we went and saw the Lego Movie. It was pretty funny. And I still get that “Everything is Awesome” song stuck in my head. There were a lot of blast from the past moments this week with a FB message from a girl I went to high school with, sharing some old pictures of Chris and I when we were dating and finding some of my artwork from high school while organizing my closet.

It was also a special week because we had a visit from a Russian Circuit Overseer and his wife from New York. Their names were Craig and Jenny Wilson and they were very kind, encouraging and real. They were a lot like us…around the same age and we had some shared experiences. I got to have lunch with them just the 3 of us one day and I was able to share a bit of the struggles I’m dealing with. They were good listeners and it was a blessing just to share. Craig gave his second talk on Sunday in English which was helpful because so many of us in the Russian group here don’t understand enough Russian. Glad for their visit and for our little group.

The Hair Diaries–Platinum

It took one more bleach processing and a good half an hour with my purple toning shampoo on it, but I’ve finally found my platinum sweet spot. For so many months I’ve loved Whippycake’s hair, and I think now I’m just about there! She can style it like no other, but she so inspires me.

Here are my before and after pictures from this round of The Hair Diaries at Hannah’s home salon. Its my favorite place to get my hair done.

This has been one of my favorite styles. I love the short, easy to style cut so much. So many times it just takes a little dry shampoo and some flat iron action and I’m good to go for the day. I love the Suave brand for dry shampoo. Smells good, works great and is really inexpensive. I also use a little Spoil Me by Bed Head. It adds lots of moisture back into my very processed hair. And once I have it doing what I want I spray it with my favorite hair spray, Kenra Volume Hair Spray to hold it in place all day. Quick and easy. And really playful.

Fresh hair makes me really happy.

What is a hairstyle you’ve been wanting to try?
What are your go-to styling products?

My best friend

Something I made for a Project Life spread that I thought I’d share… its been a really rough month. I am so glad to have little Gibson as my constant companion and friend. The quote is so true of our friendship and my life with him in it.

Hopefully I’ll feel like blogging again sometime soon. There are good things to share… and that’s what this blog is about for me: celebrating the little joys in each day, even when the days are long and hard.

Miss you. 

My new camera

My sweet husband decided that now was the right time to buy me a new camera. I have a hard time making big purchases like that, but he insisted. He said he didn’t want me to keep him from giving to me. He was right, and so kind. He’s so good to me.

I’ve been rocking all my sessions with my friend Marta’s old old backup camera with 8 megapixels since 2010. It really was time for an upgrade! After a lot of research and back and forth between the full frame Canon 6D and the 70D (which would still work with my current lenses) we went with the 70D. Its my early anniversary present.

I was so excited that we were able to make the purchase of the camera, plus the amazing 85mm lens just before my first wedding shoot of the season. It came in the mail and I was so excited to open it! Chris grabbed my phone and took a picture of me with the box, and then (without me realizing it) kept taking pictures while I opened it.

I guess you could say I was a little bit excited about my new equipment! Using these new tools I’ll be able to further my photography, learn and grow and improve in my skills. So thankful to this husband of mine.

Here is the first picture I took with my camera…my favorite ever-ready subject: Gibson.

This lens is like butter. I can’t wait to utilize this lens in my future portrait work.

What is one of your favorite gifts you’ve been given?
Do you have a favorite piece of equipment you work with?
Yay for good husbands!!