We Survived Ike!

This nasty hurricane blew through Texas as a category 2 storm last week, leaving most of Houston without power and water. We were back up and running in four days, but many will not see power for another two weeks.

Those of us trying to get back to normalcy are still dealing with long gas lines (several hours), empty grocery store shelves, non-operational traffic signals and a citywide curfew.

Here are a few shots of some of the damage and flooding Houston sustained as a result of Ike.

Guess Who?

Here is something to cheer up your Friday. Guess who?

Though I was disguised as a dirty blonde for a few of my younger years, this is in fact a photograph of me. It was taken at about age 3 ½.

Why the old photo? Well, I have been working to compile a few childhood pictures to share with guests at our rehearsal dinner. I always love to see this stuff when I go to weddings :)

Anyway, it has been hilarious looking back at both Kevin and me as kids. Thought I would share.

Oh, and just for fun. Here is a photo of my beau about the same age as the above image.


Ha, ha … Gotta love it!!

While we are on the subject ....

Here is a great example of another very public mistake (see previous post comments). I actually put this picture on my site. Yes, I love it that much :)

I saw it the summer of 2006 on a camping trip in the N.C. mountains. I was actually at the tiny pottery shop in search of a gift for my mother. Didn't find anything, but this little beauty made the stop all worth it. Glad I had my camera. Too funny!!

Fun With Flowers

There have been many times – since my boyfriend's surprise proposal on a sunny beach in San Juan, Puerto Rico in May – strangers and loved ones have labeled me an untraditional bride. I guess I can kind of agree.

From a barefoot oceanfront ceremony to a cake less outdoor reception, I have hit my family and friends with a few bombshells. The latest ... no florist. I thought it might be more special if we just made our own bouquets ... with flowers from the grocery store. I know, terrible right? Well, my mom flew down to help with a few wedding items, and we decided to try our hand at creating the grocery store bridal bouquet.

I love simple flowers, so you will see no roses or orchids here. Though we still have to finish wrapping the stems with ribbon and pinning them, I am pretty pleased with our first attempts.

I just love the beads we picked out to hang from the bouquet.

Love the colors. Simple, but elegant.

This is actually the side to one of several boxes I made to hold cards, sunscreen, etc... for the reception.

A little fun with Photoshop. Not sure if I love it yet. The photo is of my mother as seen through the handle of the starfish card box.

Thanks again, Mom, for indulging me on the flower bit!

Winter Fun

We had a little winter fun over our Christmas break in Michigan. Here are a few shots from our sledding trips. You sure cannot do stuff like this in Raleigh!

Kevin gets some serious air ...

but makes a painful landing.

Cousins Baine and Devin enjoy a break on the tubes at Echo Valley. We spent the day tearing down the tubing hills and roaring down toboggan runs that reach speeds of 60 mph.

A shot just moments before another rough ride down the hill for Kevin.

Control is lost ...

And he is down.

Winter Wonderland

Ahhhhh, Christmas in Michigan. Plenty of slippery roads, cold temperatures and snowy weather I decided to venture out in. Here are a few of my wintery shots.

Sweater Victory!

We attended a friends Obnoxious Christmas Sweater Party this past weekend. I never knew how difficult it would be to locate a male sweater accented with a little holiday cheer. After about six stores we decided I would piece one together.

Ta-da!! All the cutting and sewing paid off. It even sings if you press Santa's nose. That's my fiancé to the left with the trophy. He ended up winning first prize at the party. Go me!!

I even won a prize in the women's category for my snowman button sweater, complete with matching turtleneck. Such fun!

Thanks, John (right), for hosting the affair. We had a great time. It really put me in the Christmas spirit even though I opted out of drinking your homemade eggnog! Now to finish my shopping ...

More Mud, Please...

Look who decided to venture off the trail and into a pond ...

Awfully lucky someone was there to pull him out of the muddy mess he managed to get himself stuck in :)

Irresistible

I saw this gorgeous sunset on my way home tonight. The urge to snap a shot was, well, irresistible!

My First Entry!

I’m so excited to finally have the time to get this blog up and running!

I wanted to add this element to my Web site to allow clients the freedom to see my most recent work, and get to know me a bit better.

So here is a quick rundown:

-I LOVE the beach! So much so that my fiancé and I have decided to get married on the sands of the North Carolina Outer Banks in July 2008.
-I have been writing since I learned to read. Just ask my parents, who have plenty of my earliest attempts at the art :)
-Photography is my other love. It’s something I really got into while still in high school. As you will see on my site and my blog, it is not too often I’m without my clunky bag of camera equipment.
-I am an animal lover, and the proud owner of a very hyper Jack Russell Terrier. His opposite, a pure white Tom Cat, enjoys nothing more than to sleep 23 hours a day. (He has to get up to eat sometime).
-If I have the free time I am traveling. Whether it’s a day hike, weekend trip to the beach, a football game or a weeklong stay in the Caribbean – I’ve never been one to sit at home.

Anyway, there is just a bit about me. I look forward to sharing more about me and my work in the months to come. Thanks for taking the time to consider my services. Hope to work with you soon!