kristi mcmurry

Painting with a Twist Party

2012-02-10T13:01:00.001-06:00

Last weekend I mentioned that I was going to a bridalshowerbacheloretteparty (it was a hybrid I suppose) for Stephanie. Well I survived without too much damage from the lingerie shower part of the night, and I actually ended up enjoying the painting part more than I thought I would!

They set up little stations for everyone in the big room. There's an easel, canvas, brushes, and paint set out, and one painting that everyone will paint. The instructor stands at the front and basically just walks you through all the steps for whatever painting was chosen for the party. It was fun because I didn't have to think too much! I just kind of did what the girl up front did, and trusted that it would turn out well. While it didn't turn out anything like the example painting, I actually like it!

My egg was a little crooked, but I think crooked eggs probably exist, so we're going with that. Rhett couldn't even tell what it was, but I DON'T CARE, I LIKE IT. Also, wow I'm so great at straight lines...check out those table edges. I don't know if you guys have ever done anything like this, but if you get the opportunity, you should. I'm glad I didn't pull a typical Kristi and decide before it even started that I would hate it. I decided to give it a chance, and I ended up enjoying it.

Stephanie and me after she'd already put her pjs on. I just feel like I should clarify that she didn't wear a t-shirt to her bacheloretteshowerpartything. Her wedding is in TWO WEEKS! I can't believe how fast time flies.

Magnets and Coasters Are All You Need

2012-02-08T14:59:00.000-06:00

I got another batch of things to photograph for MableMae the other day. I always love the things she sends! She's gotten to be a pretty successful little Etsy shop, hopefully thanks in part to my photos. :)

Here are some of my favorites from the most recent set of products she sent:

She's got mostly magnets and coasters now, it seems. I have a set of the coasters, and I have to say...they kind of brighten my day. I hope you guys like them, and I hope you're all having a WONDERFUL week!

Read a Book a Month: January

2012-02-07T11:19:00.000-06:00

One of my things to do in 2012 is to read a book each month. It's something I always aim to do, but I never make time to read. Having it on an actual list is really helping! I finished The Beautiful and Damned in January and I'm almost finished with my February book (I'm planning to actually read two this month).

If you guys like The Great Gatsby, you might enjoy this book, also by Fitzgerald. I didn't get very involved until the main characters began their relationship. The character whose point of view the story is told from was rather dull until that point! Once the two of them (Gloria and Anthony) became involved, it got a lot more interesting. The story focuses on the lives of these two socialites in the 20s, at the emergence of the Jazz Age. I can honestly say I would NOT have wanted to live in that era. While the fashions are gorgeous and everything appears glamorous, underneath it all lies a lot of corruption and hardship. By the end of the book, I wanted to jump in there and shake the characters for their lack of work ethic and morals (and outrageous consumption of alcohol). They are what we could call "spoiled rotten brats."

While I don't think this book is as good as The Great Gatsby, it's definitely worth reading and very well written. Margaret has it right now, but if any of my followers would like a free copy, let me know and I'll get it in the mail for you!

Cardinal

2012-02-06T11:28:00.000-06:00

The other day, I busted out the dress that I wore to college graduation. I picked it out (from Goodwill) for the event because it's red, which is my university's color...well actually our color is called "Cardinal" but let's face it, it's red. I haven't worn it much because it was a bit tight, and I didn't like having to worry about ripping a seam. I didn't feel like wearing any of my clean shirts, so I grabbed the dress to wear. It wasn't tight anymore so I was pretty excited.

Since it's sleeveless, I jumped at the chance to wear a blazer. I have so many blazers, but I hardly ever wear them! Why not? I don't know, because I LOVE THEM. A few things:

1. I'm no longer letting my hair be so unruly and ridiculous. I'm fixing it every day now...I'm tired of it getting stuck in seat belts and under my water bottle and inside my bra. It's just got to stop.
2. Less than an hour after these pictures were taken, I broke my toe...and I still wore those shoes the rest of the day. Call me crazy, or call my brave...I prefer brave. The toe was injured in a relatively low-key game of office kickball, if that tells you anything at all about my clumsiness.
3. LOOK AT THEM CALVES! I know most people don't care to have athletic calves, but I like it.

I think that's all the things...I will probably have more outfit posts from now on, so I hope that's alright! My friend Margaret and I are going to start trading photos, so from now on, my pictures will probably improve because I'll be taking a little more time on them.

details:

dress- thrifted (Goodwill)

blazer, tights, necklace- Express (necklace was a gift from my sweet friend Emily)

shoes- Kohl's (only one size left. 8.5)

dry scaly hands- courtesy of industrial strength bathroom soap

Chris + Stephanie, Engaged

2012-02-04T18:00:00.000-06:00

Since my Saturday is going to be spent at Stephanie's bachelorette party-ish shower thing, I figured this was a perfect time to post their engagement pictures. We are going to a place called Painting with a Twist first, then dinner, then a surprise lingerie shower. Don't worry, I'll schedule this to post late enough that I won't spoil it! I don't know how I'll feel about the painting stuff, because I've never done it. I'm kind of guessing it won't be my scene, but Stephanie will love it and that's what matters!

I KNOW I will love dinner, but the part I feel like I will have to suffer through is the lingerie shower. Steph, if you're reading this, know that I love you and that's why I'm attending such an awkward event for you. I DO NOT like the idea of buying someone sexy underthings, nor do I like the idea of anyone ever buying those things for me (future Kristi shower planners, take note). It's not that I place some sort of negative stigma on sex, it's just that I don't want to picture people wearing or using these things! Since these events are a fairly regular occurrence, I must be in the minority. Let's just accept that I have my quirks, and we'll move on.

I had everything working against me that day...wind, sun, an unfamiliar location (Downtown Memphis, by the river)...ok three things. I was actually pleased with these despite that. Stephanie and Chris were totally naturals! They both expected the process to be torture, but they ended up enjoying themselves. I'm going to go ahead and pat myself on the back for making them feel comfortable *pat*pat*

I hope you all enjoyed the pictures, and I hope you're having a WONDERFUL Saturday. Right about now, I'm probably sitting wide-eyed and embarrassed out of my mind watching my friend receive lacy bra and panty sets and goodness knows what else.

First of Many

2012-02-03T08:00:00.000-06:00

A few weeks ago, Rhett's family got together for his sweet little niece's first birthday party. They had a gathering at a local community center complete with lots of little ones, plenty of food, and a gorgeous cake! As you can guess, I often fall into the roll of event photographer at family functions :) Here are some pictures I took at the party.

A bakery here in town made this cake (Shirley's). I thought it turned out so cute! The smaller cake was perfect for her to just dig in to. One of her favorite shows somehow involves Mickey...or Minnie...I don't know, one of those Disney mice. Whenever it comes on, especially the hot dog song, she dances, so that's why the Mickey theme. "Hot dog, hot dog, hot diggety dog..."

I couldn't resist putting the last picture in. She makes these hilarious faces when she is upset about something. It's REALLY hard not to laugh. I think at this point she was ready for a nap!

Pink Bouquet

2012-02-01T17:15:00.000-06:00

The other day I went way back in my Etsy favorites in the hopes that I could purchase something I'd had marked for a long time. Obviously if I haven't deleted it from my favorites by now, I must really want it! I use my Etsy favorites as a sort of "save for later" list and go back through it regularly. Anyway, this adorable necklace from Dreamy Vintage was the last thing on my list (meaning it had been on there the longest). I decided to go for it! I absolutely love it, and I can't believe it took me this long to buy it.

You can see some closer pictures of it here in the listing. I just thought the pink bouquet was just the right amount of feminine touch for me to add here and there. I don't tend to wear very girly things, but I like to throw them in occasionally.

Rhett snuck in a picture while I was putting my hair up, and I thought it turned out cute :)

details:

sweater- Pierre Cardin from Mousevox Vintage

necklace- Dreamy Vintage on Etsy

Michael Senior Portraits

2012-01-30T13:00:00.001-06:00

Sometimes I forget how much I enjoy doing portraits. They are quick, relatively low-stress, and I get to meet great (most of the time) people! Michael is a senior here in town, and his dad got my name from another client of mine. We met up at Casey Jones Village and shot his senior portraits.

Most people around here get their senior portraits done at one of the more traditional (read: very expensive) studios in town for the yearbook and then some come to people like me to get something a little more creative and affordable. I like being able to give people a fun shoot where they can actually afford to get the pictures without taking out a second mortgage on their house! Is that a real metaphor? I hear it a lot...so I wanted to use it. Anyway, hope you guys enjoyed the pictures. Michael is a great kid, and I had fun photographing him!

Austin + Rachael

2012-01-26T08:39:00.001-06:00

By now you all know that I enjoy shooting weddings. You got that from this blog, right? Good. Something that makes shooting a wedding even more awesome is when it's a group of people that you know! I had the extreme pleasure of shooting my friend Rachael's wedding this month. We both majored in DMS at school so we had several classes together. Rachael is one of those people that is just so fun to be around. She always seems to be in a good mood, and she's got a great sense of humor, not to mention she's gorgeous! She and her new husband Austin were a joy to work with, and I'm SO EXCITED to finally share the pictures.

Austin's gift to his groomsmen: pocket watches!

Emma of The Fiercest Lilliputian

Thanks so much to Austin and Rachael for choosing me to document such a huge day in your lives! I enjoyed every last minute of it (and the turtle cheesecake...omg).

Surrounded by Claydies

2012-01-24T15:31:00.002-06:00

I think I've mentioned it before, but both of my roommates are clay artists. (claydies=clay ladies...see what I did there?) They are both immensely talented and creative, and I have known them both since the beginnings of their craft. I can tell you it's incredible how far they have come! We have some of their earlier work at the house, and it always stirs a little laughter.

Marilyn's Art School by Paige | Tea set by Kelsey

This Thursday, they are putting up a joint show at a local University, and I photographed a piece by each of them for the gallery postcard (above). I wish you all lived around here, so you could come to the reception with me on Thursday! I haven't seen most of Kelsey's pots, but she's been working on a gorgeous set of vases that I know will look amazing. Paige just finished up a sculpture last night that I'm curious to see. She's always adding such interesting details to her pieces! I don't see Paige being able to sell her pieces online since they're worth like a grand a piece, but I am working on getting Kelsey started on Etsy! She said after the show would be a good time, so here's hoping :)

The Fiercest Lilliputian

2012-01-23T13:34:00.001-06:00

This Saturday, while enjoying a most delicious cup of tomato basil bisque at Urban Flats, I made a discovery. The bride from the wedding that I was about to do video for HAS A BLOG. I know this isn't like the biggest surprise ever, since a lot of people have blogs, but not very many people that I know in "real life" actually have blogs. Anyway, Emma has this sweet little vintage fashion blog called The Fiercest Lilliputian. I've already discovered that we have a few of the same followers...which just blows my mind. I wish I'd known about it sooner, because I adore it.

Oh, for goodness sakes, could she be any cuter? The Lucille Ball costume is by far my favorite post of hers. I used to be OBSESSED with I Love Lucy! Most of her posts are focused on her gorgeous vintage pieces, with plenty of references to her amazing hair styles.

I was THRILLED to be a part of her and Tyler's wedding day. It was a day to be remembered by all in attendance. Since Tyler is a videographer, he is going to take my and Margaret's footage from the day and make a montage. When it's done, I will definitely post it here! You guys just really need to see all of the amazing details at their wedding and the joy that is so obvious on Tyler and Emma's faces. If I happen to get a hold of the photos before the video is done, I'll share them here. You will not be disappointed!

Keeping it Clean

2012-01-19T11:30:00.000-06:00

source

In my dream world, I have a beautiful open bathroom with a large walk in shower, great natural light, and two sinks...but that's not what this post is about so I'll move on. I wanted to share this great bathroom cleaning schedule that my coworker told me about! I'm not sure who she learned it from, but I'm pretty sure it was a blog. I wanted to share it with you guys since the schedule has really helped me stay on top of keeping my bathroom clean! I used to go for weeks without cleaning...gross, I know.

This breaks each task down so you just do a little bit each day. It really helps not to have to block out a huge amount of time! I just take 5 or 10 minutes each morning and get it done.

Mirror Monday, Trash Tuesday, Wash basin Wednesday, Toilet Thursday, Floor Friday, Shower Saturday, and you rest on Sunday! I'm sure there are other variations on the days, but this is what I use and it works well for me. I hope some of you find this as helpful as I did! Also, that shower...omg.

(the 6 day images are linked)

2011 Favorite Photos

2012-01-16T18:07:00.002-06:00

I remembered the other day that I did a post last January about my favorite photos from 2010. I thought it would be fun to go through the 2011 photos and do the same thing! I think I shot a lot less in 2011, but I'm ok with that. I took more time to spend with Rhett and volunteer, which I feel is important. In all honesty, I don't see a whole lot of improvement from 2010 to 2011. I might need to start looking into ways I can improve in 2012!

I think I've got a pretty good grasp on light (natural most of the time), so maybe I can really focus on getting good poses and angles this year...that's always hard for me. I'm seriously THE WORST at telling people how to pose. It goes like this: "Ok stand here...lean a little bit like this...no the other way...no turn towards me...I mean away from me. Ok turn your head back this way so the light hits your face...like...ok...now...turn...ok...wait...ok....ok I think that's good." Seriously, ask anyone that's ever worked with me...they know. I usually just end up demonstrating!

Ok I'm done rambling. I hope you like this set of photos from 2011! (view photos on flickr)

Craspedia Crazy

2012-01-11T15:32:00.001-06:00

I am so happy that I had a pretty relaxed December, because so far January has been busy. I like that life goes back and forth like that. I do enjoy having things to do, but too much of that can make me a little bit crazy! I also find that I'm more successful in maintaining healthy habits when I have fewer tasks to worry with. Since I've been so busy, I haven't had a lot of time to prepare the posts I want to do! I have so many things I want to show you guys, but the time will come :)

source

For now, I want to post about Craspedia a.k.a. Billy balls! I absolutely love them. I don't know if this is normal or not, but I've totally been planning my wedding in my head for several years and I'm pretty much set on having Craspedia in my wedding! They are so simple and fun, and I love the color. I just hope they aren't too expensive :)

source

I really like the way they look paired with succulents, and you know what's easy to take care of? SUCCULENTS! What do you guys think? Have you ever been to a wedding or event where Craspedia was used? I think it's such a great little bud (flower? seed? i don't know...I'm plant ignorant). Who knows what I'll think when I actually do get married though...

Terry and Tenille

2012-01-08T13:28:00.000-06:00

This weekend has been BUSY. I shot the wedding of a friend of mine yesterday, then I have portraits and a real estate listing to shoot today. I guess it doesn't sound like much, but I feel like I've been going going going. I had time yesterday to finish up editing a wedding from a few weeks ago, and I wanted to share some of my favorites here. I shot this couple's engagement pictures a while back, and it was great to work with them again for their wedding.

The programs with the pictures I took on them :) It's always fun to see your pictures out!

One of my favorites. I love her sweet smile in this one and the way the sun softened the picture.

I hope you all have had a nice weekend! Let's hope I have a little down-time after I'm done working today :)

My Native Gift

2012-01-05T14:00:00.000-06:00

First outfit post of the new year! I know you've seen this boxy black top before, but bear with me. That amazingly gorgeous native skirt was a gift from my boyfriend. I had it in my Etsy favorites, but I never really know if he's going to shop from there or not. It's basically the perfect skirt, and I will definitely need more in other colors.

The fabric is super soft and stretchy enough that I can walk around very comfortably. You know how a lot of pencil skirts don't have any give? It's nice not having to deal with that! It's actually a few inches longer than I'm wearing it. Since my shirt is so loose, I rolled the skirt up a couple of times so it would hit right above the knees. Right above the knee has always been my favorite length!

details

skirt: handmade by ArtAffect on Etsy

top: estate sale

necklace: Lucky

tights: Express

Boots: Madden Girl (Marshall's!)

Ring: flea market

Maybe it's overkill, but I decided to wear one of my funkier necklaces. I don't really like the boots with this outfit, but I was taking way too long deciding on shoes this morning, so I just threw them on. I ALWAYS feel like I don't have any shoes to wear. Is that common? I actually do have shoes...lots of them, but none ever seem to be a perfect match for what I'm wearing. I should really just be thankful that I have shoes at all!

If you guys are looking for a good pencil skirt, definitely check out ArtAffect! The skirt is available in a lot of colors, so there are lots of options. Would you wear the Native pattern? That look has been one of my favorites lately!

Things to do in 2012

2012-01-03T16:57:00.000-06:00

Well it's here! Yeah, I know it was official 3 days ago, but it's just now sinking in for me. It always takes me a couple of days to get adjusted to the fact that it's a new year. I have never been a resolution maker, but I thought it would be fun to make a to-do list for the year. Something with a few things that were totally do-able and a few that would be a stretch. Some of them are just "keep it this way" things too, so it's not a true to-do list :)

I thought it would be fun to share my list here, and you can all keep me accountable.

Raise $1500 for St. Jude. I'm raising money for them through my next race. It's a great platform to raise money for a wonderful organization! You can donate or share my page if you want to help me with this one :)
Maintain running and good eating habits. I've been doing surprisingly well keeping up a healthy lifestyle. It doesn't even feel like work anymore! I'd love to maintain that for the rest of the year, and my life.
Watch 100 movies in my book. This shouldn't be hard... For those that don't know what this means, I'm trying to watch all the movies in this book.
Get the garage organized and keep it that way. Hopefully my roommates will help me with this one...I don't like spiders.
Learn how to sew and make something. This one will be a stretch...but even if it's something as simple as curtains, I'll be happy!
Switch to a king size bed. This is something I want when I get married. I'd like to get married this year, so I guess this is my way of having "get married" on my list without actually having it on there.
Paint the kitchen. I'm tired of the bright green...ready for something a little more muted!
Lay laminate floor in the studio. This will make my studio so much better! If money allows, this will definitely get done.
Keep the house clean. Hopefully this is something I'll think about at least weekly. I'm not super clean (just really organized), so it might be hard.
Change pricing and structure of photography. I want to change the way I do my freelance work to make it more worth my time.
Keep taking my vitamins
Do more photo challenges. I need to enter some contests or something.
Read a book a month. This is totally do-able! I am actually really excited about this one.
Last but certainly not least: Do good things for other people. I think this is a good general rule for life, but it helps to put it on a list :)

I feel like this year is going to be a really good one. I hope you all are off to a wonderful 2012!

Sister, Sister

2012-01-02T16:12:00.002-06:00

I am pretty proud of my gift idea for my Dad and Tina this year. I decided to have my friend Alanna Taylor take some pictures of me and my sister to give to them! We ended up only having a few minutes to do them (we really wanted to make it to the Muppet Movie), so we just traipsed around in my backyard. I was happy with how they turned out, and Dad and Tina loved them :)

I can't get over how cute she is in that last one. I mean seriously! I framed the one of her on my back (the one from farther out, where we're looking at the camera) for the presents, but I also put them all on a disc for them. If you can't tell, we have a lot of fun together. I always wanted a sister growing up, and I finally got my wish when I was 15. I couldn't ask for a better sister!! I hope that I can be a good mentor for her as she grows up.

Christmas 2011 Recap

2011-12-31T17:25:00.000-06:00

Hey friends! I just wanted to share a few pictures from Christmas this year. It was a pretty good one. I will admit it felt like something was missing since Papaw wasn't there. It was great to spend time with the family though. There's really nothing better than getting together with family!

Tina got a bike!

My sister and cousin goofing off on Christmas Eve

Sister kisses

My Nana Emma has a knack for giving us some very eclectic gifts. This year we got these crazy furry house shoes and some hats. The house shoes are so crazy (and warm!) and I kind of love them. I will probably wear them a lot around the house when it's cold. We had to get a picture of all the girls in their house shoes and hats :)

I also went to Rhett's on Christmas eve. It was fun to play with his niece on her first Christmas. She's so adorable...I just...I can't even explain. She's got the cutest personality! Anyway, Rhett gave me a Roku, which I can use to stream Netflix to my tv! Hooray! No more watching Netflix on my ipod or computer. I've already been using it a ton. He also got me a gorgeous skirt from Etsy. I might wear it when we go out to eat tonight!

It was a rather non-Christmasy Christmas here in West Tennessee. Blue skies, nice and breezy. I'm not complaining, but it's weird for it not to feel like winter. I enjoyed playing with Mom and Guy's dog though. He got hit by a car recently so he's not moving around much. I gave him plenty of snuggles and belly rubs though! He kind of reminds me of my childhood dog, Moose.

In addition to my gifts, mom sent me on a scavenger hunt for cash. It was a lot of fun! The undesirable chore in the first clue was polishing her silver. I always point it out. haha! I'm a terrible daughter...anyway, she had hidden a 20 and another clue in one of the silver pieces (it's a serving set). The Christmas angel/large black cat was Dudley. Dudley is from the movie The Bishop's Wife, so I found the dvd and there was a 20 and another clue in there. The next clue led me to coffee mugs, and it was in one that my roommate made. It was a fun little game to play on Christmas morning.

The last two pieces from our Star Wars Lego "advent" calendar. Definitely not your traditional advent calendar, but it was fun to put the pieces together for each day. Also, Yoda looks like a gremlin.

I hope you all have had a wonderful holiday season! I can't believe it's about to be 2012 already. I say that every year, but it always feels like the year went by way too fast! Everyone have fun and be safe tonight. See you in January!

Arlington Bowling

2011-12-27T20:20:00.001-06:00

You guys! Christmas has come and gone...and it was a whirlwind. It was so nice getting to see family and eat delicious food, but it's nice to be settling back down. I'll definitely get a recap up once I have a chance to get pictures off my camera. In the meantime, I wanted to share some pictures from an evening of bowling a while back.

This is at the old bowling alley on Arlington, and as you can see, it's not busy! This place is mainly used for league bowling these days, but I like it much better than the newer bowling alley in town. If I wasn't such a home-body, I'd probably bowl a lot more often!

You see that 165?! THAT'S ME! That was after two games of not breaking 100. I will admit, the first strike wasn't me. Mark accidentally bowled under my name and let me keep it. But after that I was on a roll. It'll probably never happen again, so I had to take a picture of it.

I love the weird retro mural on the wall. I can't remember if it was there when I was a kid...but I imagine it probably was. I would recommend this place, but I don't want to be responsible for sending people to that part of town. Also, the men working aren't the most friendly...they aren't mean or anything. I actually like them a lot, but it's an old establishment so they aren't going out of their way to make anybody happy. Haha! I feel bad saying that...but it's true. But if you go when my Nana Emma is working, she'll be a sweetheart, I promise :)

I hope you all had a WONDERFUL Christmas. I will share some of my pictures (and gifts) on here in the next couple of days.

Being a Waitress

2011-12-23T10:10:00.000-06:00

I hope my title isn't misleading. Being a waitress is something I could never ever do...in a million years. I'm impatient, I'm not compassionate, and most of all I'm clumsy. But a while back, I got the chance to give it a go when T and Pop hosted a rehearsal dinner at their place.

Those are the three tables that me and Kelsey waited on. I think I did ok, but I did almost fall into the pool a couple of times. I also poured water into the bride's seat...luckily while she wasn't sitting there. Apparently when I pour with my left hand, my right hand mimics the action. Since I know how clumsy I am, I didn't even attempt to carry more than two plates at a time. I was also glad that it was dark by the time we were serving so people couldn't see my face as well. I'm not good at holding a smile, especially when I'm concentrating, so people always think I'm not friendly.

I think all the red looked really nice in the outdoor setting. I'm pretty sure they used the rose petals for the wedding too, so it was a cohesive weekend...decor-wise. Don't you love those lanterns?! I wish I had a pool so I could put those around it...because they look awesome.

The waitresses (minus my mommy) enjoying the quiet before the big dinner. That's Kelsey in the red, me in the black, and Paige in the yellow. We always have a good time when we hang out. I think Kelsey was the best waitress of the night. She's the only one that was asked for her number.

After everyone left, T and Pop gave us our own little desserts! Honestly, it's been a while, so I can't remember exactly what was in them. I think it was some kind of pudding with berries and such. Whatever it was...it was GOOOOD! I always say, if you're going to eat dessert, don't waste your calories on something mediocre. Well this was definitely worth the calories!

I really enjoy doing things like this. It's just nice to get out of my routine and away from the house. I know it's not some grand adventure, but even being a waitress can be a nice little relief from ho-hum life!

Also, I'm off work until January 3rd...be jealous :)

Rejuvenating

2011-12-21T08:00:00.000-06:00

In my last post, I mentioned that I got to go visit Shepherd's Haven a couple weeks ago on my day off. At work we get our birthday off, but we can take that day whenever we want, so I decided to take mine a couple of weeks ago and drive to Memphis! Of course my first stop was Shepherd's Haven.

This is Elizabeth, my friend Emily's sister. She's the reason I even got involved with Shepherd's Haven. I love that girl! It was so nice to see her and chat with her while she painted ceramics. I'm totally her favorite :) I also got to meet some of the newer Shepherd's Haven artists while I was there. Joy and Angelica (below) were just a couple of the sweet new faces.

It was just fantastic to get to visit! It always rejuvenates my desire to keep running their Etsy shop. I know how important it is to keep that place going. It means the world to all of those wonderful people.

After I left there, Emily and I went to eat lunch and shop around for a couple of hours. I always enjoy visiting with her, no matter how short the visit is. We ate at Firehouse Subs, which was amazing! I'd never been there, and I was so impressed. I wish we had one in my town!

Shepherd's Haven Shop Update

2011-12-16T10:00:00.000-06:00

It's been a while since I posted a shop update for Shepherd's Haven. I have added lots of new things lately, but several of my favorites have sold already! It really gives me so much joy to see sales going well for them. Here are some of my favorites that are still in the shop...

Most of these are my favorites because of the color. I love all the fun glazes they've been using (especially the blue on that cross ornament). Isn't that bowl so great?! I feel like it looks very Easter-y with those pastel colors. I don't care much for the pink on the spoon rest, but I know it's right for someone. I just love that we have a spoon rest in the shop! And let's talk about that awesome drip glaze on the soup mug...wow. I really love functional pieces that are also decorative. That mug is the PERFECT size for soup, or even an extra big cup of coffee (we all have those days).

I hope you all like these! I am looking forward to seeing what they come up with next year :) My visit to the Shepherd's Haven Day Center last week was so much fun. I'll definitely post some pictures for you guys. I took lots of the people working on their ceramics. They were having so much fun!

Critiquee Becomes Critiquer

2011-12-12T15:30:00.000-06:00

Scott critiquing a student

If any of you have been in art classes, you know how important critiques are! It's when you get to show off your hard work and hope that your professor/client has good things to say about it. It's good to get some constructive criticism (that's kind of what it's all about), but you definitely hope for more positive comments than negative.

Since I work a little bit on graphic design at Union University (and the other designer was out that day), our creative director asked me to go with him to a typography class critique. This is one of the things I love about my job! It's actually not that uncommon for me to get to participate in other aspects of the campus. It just makes work so much more fun to be able to contribute in other places. For this class we were critiquing the chapel guides that the students made for consideration. They do this every year, and it's always kind of fun to see what they come up with!

students presenting their chapel guides

Our favorite was the one from the girl on the left. She did some drawings of places on campus and made a great collage of these places. That attention to detail and her nice layout really impressed us. I think the Spiritual Life department will definitely pick hers.

I really enjoy getting out of the office and doing fun things like this. I'm thankful every day that I was able to get this job! It's really a great place to work, and the people I get to work with are pretty alright :)

ALSO. I'd like to draw your attention to the very top button on my sidebar! I decided to be a St. Jude Hero for the Country Music half marathon on April 28th. I'll do another post about it closer to the time, but I wanted to point it out. I know I set my goal really high, but I know I can do it! By clicking that button, you can give any amount to sponsor my run (every dollar helps!) Even if my awesome readers can't afford to give (which I totally understand), I will be forever grateful just for folks spreading the word :)

Clayton Family

2011-12-08T08:09:00.001-06:00

We got snow AGAIN yesterday! It's been kind of surprising to get snow twice already this winter, but I'm not complaining. A few weeks ago, I took some pictures of some friends of mine. I'm lucky that a lot of people I know actually want me to take pictures for them. The extra income helps with my Etsy addiction :)

Braylen was NOT wanting to get his picture made that day, but we did manage to get a couple of good ones. I took these at one of my favorite Jackson locations, Casey Jones Village. There's so much there that you can get all kinds of backdrops! There's also usually a good amount of shade on sunny days (like this day) so I can still get decently lit pictures.

I hope you're all enjoying your week! I think I'm might take part of today off work and go visit Shepherd's Haven. There are a couple of new things I want to pick up, and it's actually a nice day.

Build Your Wishlist

2011-12-06T15:00:00.000-06:00

Hello friends and wonderful followers! Thank you to everyone for the sweet sympathy for my family after my last post. It means a lot to me that you guys care.

source: DelightfullyNoted

Today I want to talk about wishlists. If you're like me, your family member/friend/partner is always asking what you want for Christmas. I can almost never think of something off the top of my head, because at this point in life I just buy things I want. I don't mean I have an unlimited supply of money, but if something comes up that I need/want and is within budget, I get it.

I hope I'm not the only one that can never come up with anything. I'm usually thinking of things I need for the house, like a blender or a vacuum, but I feel like most people want to give something more fun and personal. So my solution to this is to create a wishlist on Etsy and Pinterest to keep up with things I like throughout the year. I usually include things that I would love to have, but can't justify buying for myself. Luckily, this is the perfect type of thing to ask for! (Confession: a few of my favorites are actually things that are so ridiculously expensive, I would never ever get them...but I still wish for them. haha)

I love this headband from Branchbound. It's close enough to my hair color so it would be a subtle accessory, which I would love. This is the kind of gift I would suggest to someone who asked.

This gorgeous ring from vdeux is something I would ask for from my boyfriend. We've always stayed around $100, so this is just about perfect! Of course it might be weird for him to give me a ring that wasn't an engagement ring at this point :)

How do you guys keep up with your wishlists? Do your relatives/friends/partner ask for some ideas?

Holiday Cheer

2011-12-02T12:00:00.000-06:00

I've had a rough-ish week, guys. I don't want to be a bummer on such a beautiful Friday, but my Papaw Jerry passed away this week (step-mom's dad...don't let the "step" fool you, they are absolutely my family). He has been sick for over a year, and just the last few weeks have been really bad. Anyway, I needed a little cheer in my week so we decided to decorate the house last night.

We put up the old tree in the living room and a few ornaments. I'm still building up a collection, but I love the ones I have. I think over half of my ornaments feature cats :) I also put some stockings up and some little figurines around the room.

I'm planning on making a curtain to cover the fireplace since we don't use it. It's on my to-do list! Also, don't you love the tree skirt?! My Granddaddy's sister made it years ago...I think it's absolutely gorgeous.

I also tried to put Dudley's Santa costume on, but in true Santa fashion he was too big for it. Sometimes I forget that my cat is twice the size of a normal cat! Anyway, we also put some lights around the porch outside and garland on the stair rail. I made a wreath last week and I'll post all about that another time. I'm really proud of it, I just wish you could see it from the road. It blends into the door...I'm tempted to paint my door. Is that a little extreme? (Yes...it is, I'll answer my own question).

All the holiday cheer did make me feel a little better, but I know the holidays just won't be the same this year. Rest in peace, Papaw! I'm glad you're no longer suffering.

Heit Family

2011-11-30T08:03:00.001-06:00

Well, folks, the snow has stopped and the soggy ground is showing through. It was fun while it lasted! I hope this is a sign that we'll have a snowy winter this year. I really enjoy snow...well I enjoy looking at it. I don't enjoy that it's wet. Anyway, I digress...

A few weeks ago I took some portraits of my curly headed coworker's adorable family. Scott is a great guy to have around the office...especially when Sarah and I are freaking out over something. He's the voice of reason, and he's always SO DANG NICE. Of course his family is just as awesome! They have four adorable kids, and I was excited to take some Fall portraits of them out in the country.

It's kind of amazing how much the twins have changed since they were newborns. Babies grow up so fast!

So can anyone believe that November is ending already?! 2012 is just around the river bend, guys! I need to hurry up and get my Christmas stuff up since apparently time moves so fast these days.

Nava(SNOW) Jacket

2011-11-28T15:35:00.001-06:00

It's still November here in Tennessee and we are smack dab in the middle of a snow storm! Ok, "storm" is an exaggeration... it's just snowing a lot. I heard a couple of people mention that it might snow today, but I was like "pshh, yeah maybe ONE FLAKE." Well, I was wrong...it's full on snow!

We usually get this kind of snow way later in the winter, so I was definitely taken by surprise. I was glad that I decided to wear my new wool blazer today. I am nice and cozy! Oh, speaking of MY NEW WOOL BLAZER...check this sucker out:

I have to say, this is probably one of my favorite items in my wardrobe. I got it from the wonderful DearGolden on Etsy. She posted a link to the listing on Twitter and sent me into a spiral of "should i? SHOULD I?!" for the next several hours. I ultimately listened to my print-loving heart and ignored the tiny bit of frugal-ness that I have in me. Since the print is so spectacular, I went totally simple with the rest of the outfit. It's perfect for frolicking around in the snow!

Something about snow makes me act like a little kid! My silliness is out in full swing today. I'm talking weird dances, crazy voices, needless squeals, the whole shebang. I don't know what it is! But out of all the silliness came my blog title (thanks, Scott). We're great at puns.

details:

jacket- DearGolden

scarf- handmade by my grandma

pants- Target

shirt- H&M

boots- Rack Room

District Devin: Second Edition

2011-11-27T11:06:00.001-06:00

Hey all! Devin from OooohShiny here again. I hope everyone enjoyed their Turkey Day (or, for those of you not in the US - Thursday).

I’ve never ever ever gone out at the crack of dawn for Black Friday sales. I’d much rather do my shopping on my couch in my pajamas where I don’t have to worry about getting trampled. And oh boy - did I do some shopping. I think I heard my PayPal balance sobbing earlier.
I’ve been trying to do as much shopping as possible on Etsy. Today I’m going to share with you some of the fantastic presents I’ve gotten for others as well as some of the gifts I’m hoping to receive myself.

1 - A Little Bird Told Me Bird Mobile from Jahje at BabyJivesCo: For the baby niece.
My niece’s room is an animal-jungle type theme and I’m so excited to see this bird hanging from the ceiling. It’s obvious how much work Jahje puts into these. I kind of want to keep it for myself.

2 - Skeletor: Cuddly Plush Toy from Jennifer at HandmadeStuffs: For the geeky boyfriend.
We met Jennifer at a comic convention earlier this year and Nick stopped at her booth approximately 18 times to look at her plush dolls. They’re large and in charge and I’m not quite sure where Skeletor is going to live in our apartment, but he’s pretty awesome nonetheless.

3 - Zodiac Embroidery Kit from Jessica at MiniatureRhino: For the best friend.
I showed this to my best friend right after I started embroidering and she loved the idea. So I’m making her one. And then I’ll probably get another to make one for myself. I love the idea of kits - all you need in one package.

4 - Whoville Red Dot Christmas Dog Collar from r.e. at restowe: For the puppy.
I don’t (and won’t) have a child, but my pets are close enough. This collar is awesome. There’s magnets involved so you don’t have to worry about that flap of extra collar that sticks out. Plus, they’re super cute.

All for me.
1 - 2012 Desk Calendar from Jessica at JessicaDoyle
I bought one of Jessica’s desk calendars last year and it greets me every day at the office. It’s so bright and cheery! All of Jessica’s artwork is amazing, so the calendar is like getting 12 mini prints for a great price.

2 - Heather Eco Resin Transparent Ring from Jessica & Gwynne at RosellaResin
Yes, I make jewelry, but I don’t work with resin, and this ring is something that I could only dream of making myself. I love how delicate the heather is inside the chunky ring. I pretty much want everything in this shop.

3 - Pisces Rising Jersey Scarf from Jody & Karl at blackbirdtees
For some reason, I’ve become obsessed with wearing scarves. And while I don’t actually believe in astrology, I’ve always identified closely with my sign. And I think constellations are very cool.

4 - Pisces Brass Constellation Cuff Bracelet from Julie at JulieNolan
Regarding the fact that it’s a piece of jewelry: see #2. But sub “resin” for “metal” and “ring” for “bracelet.”
Regarding the constellation: see #3.
And I really love big chunky bracelets.

I hope these gave you some ideas for the loved ones on your list (or yourself, if you subscribe to the “one for you, one for me” gift-buying thought). You can go back to your leftover pumpkin pie now!

xo
Devin

----------------

Thanks for the great ideas, Devin! I'm certainly more excited about Christmas shopping now :)

Thanksgiving Special: Etsy

2011-11-25T12:57:00.001-06:00

Hi, friends! I hope you all had a very pleasant Thanksgiving. Mine was actually not too busy this year, so it was nice to just enjoy the day. In honor of one of my favorite holidays, I've set up a little Thanksgiving special in my Etsy shop! I know a lot of people do discounts, but I decided to do something a little different.

With every purchase of a 5x7 print or larger, you get a $5 off coupon code for your next purchase! This is a great excuse to buy a Christmas gift and then come back and get a little something for yourself later :) If you'd like to take advantage of this offer, check out my shop here.

I also added a new print to the shop this week. It's called "Have Your Cake and Be In It Too." I hope you all enjoy it!

5x7 metallic print (other sizes are available, just not listed quite yet)

First Half Marathon Re-cap

2011-11-22T14:15:00.000-06:00

As you'll recall from my post last weekend, I did a half marathon with some of my friends. I just wanted to let you guys know how it went! Sorry if you follow me on Twitter and you've already been bombarded with tweets about it :)

my feet turn out when I run...I feel like that's not right, so I'm going to try to correct it

We ran at a pace slower than what I'm used to, so as far as fatigue, I was golden! I stuffed myself full of carbs all week, so I had plenty of energy to burn. My legs, however, did not hold up all the way to the end. About halfway through, I started really feeling it in my knees. It wasn't really that bad though...so I just didn't think about it. I also had some pain on the top of my left foot that made me really ready to be done. Other than those two things, though, I felt pretty good. As you can tell from the picture, it poured rain on us a few times. I actually didn't mind running in the rain at all! It felt pretty refreshing.

finishing!

The last mile went by really quick. Once I saw that 13 mile marker, I took off. I was just ready to be done and eat some cookies! I think our final time was 2 hours and 54 minutes. We could have done better without the rain, but just finishing is good enough for me! I am looking forward to my next one. I have no doubt in my mind that I can beat that time for my next one.

I'm so glad that I got to do this with my friends Emily (1077) and Libby (2336)! The whole thing would have been a lot more boring without them to talk to :) Here is a before and after of us:

We took our ice bath together in Emily's huge tub. This may look like torture, but 15 minutes of torture is a fine trade in for being sore the following days. I was SLIGHTLY sore yesterday, but I'm pretty much back to normal today...two days later. I would probably still be hobbling around without that ice bath.

I'm so thankful that I decided to do this! The whole process (training and racing) has taught me that I can do pretty much anything I put my mind to (besides being president as Libby pointed out). I'm convinced that running largely mental...you just have to tell yourself you CAN! I know it sounds cheesy, but it's so true.

I hope you guys enjoyed hearing about it. I'd love to know if any of you have done one and if you have any tips for me for my next one! Also, I'm going to post my favorite songs from my playlist for you all later this week.

Giveaway over at Yellow Bird, Yellow Beard

2011-11-21T15:52:00.001-06:00

I'm in the Christmas spirit already this year, and one of my favorite parts of Christmas is giving gifts! Finding something unique for each person in my life is so much fun. In the spirit of giving, I'm participating in a couple of giveaways this month. The first of which is on the Yellow Bird, Yellow Beard blog. They are hosting a HUUUUUUGE giveaway to celebrate 500 followers, so hop over there to check out everything that is up for grabs.

I'm giving away an 11x14 print of Popsicle Pond, so if you'd like to win it, make sure and enter the giveaway! There are so many great things available :) Thanks for including me in the giveaway, Janee! (all images from Yellow Bird, Yellow Beard)

What's In My Race Bag

2011-11-19T13:49:00.001-06:00

Tomorrow I am going to be doing something that I set as a goal over two months ago: run a half marathon. I watched one of my best friends do one, and it inspired me to do it myself. Me, Libby, and Emily will be doing a half in Memphis tomorrow, and I'm so excited I could just burst! We're going to be doing 3:1 intervals (run 3 minutes, walk 1 minute) so we're guessing on about a 2 hour and 45 minute race. It's going to be a lot of fun!

I thought that it would be fun to show you guys what I'll be taking with me to Memphis for the race.

First of all, I need something to calm my stomach down! I don't know if it's possible, but I think Rhett's nervous stomach has rubbed off on me. Any time I have something exciting or scary coming up, this little bottle is my bff. I am also bringing my vitamins to take that morning. Can't forget those!

Ok...this stuff is pretty important. A long run requires carbs, LOTS of carbs, so we're going to have pasta tonight for dinner. I've also got some Clif bars and a banana so I can eat a good breakfast before the run (clif for some energy). The granola will be in my pocket during the run so that I can nutrify myself when I've burned up my intake from breakfast. I'll also have some Gatorade around!

This guy will be around my waist during the run. I know it looks SUPER goofy, but it's nice to just be able to grab water from around my waist when I really need it. I'll also have my id and phone in case of emergency, and the granola will go in one of the pockets.

Attire! I've got two sets of clothes because the weather could change. It's probably going to be pretty warm, but we're expecting storms. I honestly have NO IDEA what the best thing to wear in the rain would be. It's also going to suck if I have to run in the rain and end up ruining my shoes. We'll see what happens I guess!

A lot of runners prefer not to run with music, but I've always enjoyed it. I've got a good little playlist made, so I'm excited! I'll share that with you guys after the race. I sure hope I can run with this guy...if it rains I might have to leave it at home.

Well that's it! I hope that the next time I post, I'll be posting about how awesome the race was. Wish me luck!

Fall Senior: Candace

2011-11-16T15:44:00.001-06:00

Most senior pictures are taken in the summer, but I got to take some in October this year! I was kind of excited to get some of the pretty Fall colors in these pictures. Candace is a senior at the school my step-dad teaches at, so that's how she knew about me. She plays three sports...THREE! Since she's athletic, we incorporated her sports uniforms into the pictures, and I am pleased with the result. Here are some of my favorites from the shoot...

They had these adorable miniature angus cows that we got to hang out with! It was crazy how short these guys were. I know cows seem super gross, but they are actually really cute. I also took some pictures with Candace's really sweet dog, too. He was so loving!

The one where Petey (I think that was his name...) was yawning/smiling made me laugh out loud when I saw it. I'm beyond happy that I caught that face.

Goodbye, Fall! I'm sorry to see you go so quickly. I feel like this season doesn't last long at all. It's already getting rainy and chilly, meaning Winter is elbowing it's way in. Until next Fall, I guess I will just look back at some of my Fall pictures and reminisce :)

Branchbound

2011-11-14T15:06:00.001-06:00

A week or so ago, I traded blog buttons with a friend of mine. It was simple...she put my button on her blog and I reciprocated! Since I'm SUCH a fan of her jewelry, I wanted to bring it to your attention, just in case you missed it.

Lace Bow Necklace - Corinne in Silver

The shop is called Branchbound, and it's run by the adorable Sarah Louise. I thought I would share her awesome jewelry with you guys. I actually gifted a friend of mine with one of her necklaces last year, and as far as I know, she loved it! So go check out her shop, and get started on your Christmas shopping already...I mean for real, it's mid-November!

Lace Headband Ariadne in Teal

L.B. and Melissa Engagement

2011-11-12T08:05:00.001-06:00

A few weeks back, I took the engagement pictures of a couple whose wedding I'm shooting next May. Melissa is a family friend, so I was excited when they asked me to be their wedding photographer! We took the pictures at my Mom and step-dad's place in Trenton. It's a pretty rural little place, as you can see. We were NOT blessed with good light, so I just worked with the bright, blazing sun the best I could. Thank goodness for trees!

After we took some at the house, we drove down the road to Gibson County High. They have this great little pioneer village there. My step-dad actually helped build it when he was in school! They actually dress up in period clothing there and demonstrate the lives of people that lived in the 1800s. It sounds really interesting! I wish I could have seen them out there, but this was a Saturday...so it was closed.

L.B. and Melissa were really great to work with! I can't wait to shoot their wedding. It's going to be down the road from my parents' house at Melissa's house! Her dad built this great little pergola by their pond...it's going to be gorgeous.

UPDATE 02/08/12: Wedding was called off last week. I'm keeping the pictures up, though because I like them.

I hope you're all having a fantastic weekend so far!

Garner Pies

2011-11-10T14:04:00.000-06:00

Well, folks, yesterday was my birthday. I haven't handled my last two birthdays very gracefully for some reason. I don't enjoy getting older. I think I'm just in this weird middle phase of my life where I'm out of college, but I haven't really moved on to the next thing yet. Don't get me wrong, I'm perfectly content where I am...I have great friends and family, and this town is...ok.

Anyway, I was worried that I might be a little bit lethargic when my birthday came around, so I planned ahead and ordered some pies from a local baking magician named Lisa. She makes a lot of baked goods for our campus coffee spot (Barefoots), and she sells pies that can be delivered. Come Wednesday morning Lisa delivered my pies to Barefoots and I trotted over to pick them up.

adorable cards (and a little bit of coffee that I spilled on the box)

gingersnap pumpkin and cinnamon crumble apple

I was right, they really made me feel better about life :) Both were extremely delicious! As you can see, the pumpkin pie has a layer of....wait for it...cheesecake(!) at the bottom. My coworkers were grateful that I shared my birthday gift to myself with them. We're still eating on them today! Of course once they're gone, I'll be back to my diet.

Locals: If you need a dessert for a potluck or family gathering, Lisa Garner is your gal! Check out her site if you want to order.

Bag O' Frump

2011-11-08T10:57:00.001-06:00

details:
camisole- Express
sweater- Kenar (from Marshall's)
pants- Target
shoes- Franco Sarto (from Marshall's)
locket- antique
ring- Rose Corbett (friend from college)
hair bow- Kaelah

For the last year-ish, I've been really drawn to baggy tops. Of course if I'm sporting a sack on top, I need a little definition on the bottom, so I like to wear slim pants. I have been told that this look is "frumpy" which I resent (I'm looking at you, boyfriend). I don't think it's frumpy, but hey...if it is, I'll own it. This particular sweater is one that I picked up at Marshall's one day. It's super fragile, so of course I've already snagged it a couple of times. Luckily, I'm not one to freak out about a little snag, so it's all good. Other than it being easily destroyed, I love this sweater! The color is great, it's relatively comfortable and warm to be so sheer, and it's got some cute little pockets on the front.

I wore one of my favorite hair accessories to compliment my sweater: a bow clip from Kaelah! I bought it when I went to visit her Honeybean mobile boutique at the Nashville Flea Market. I loved the fabric, and it fit so perfectly into my wardrobe that I had to get it. I am not very girly at all, but sometimes I like to throw a bow in there just to mix things up. I am pretty sure they're going to be offering some things online soon, so I'll try to remember to post a link when they do. I'd love for you guys to be able to get a bow clip like this one...it's so cute and easy to wear!

Birthday Week Coupon

2011-11-07T10:19:00.002-06:00

Because I am SOOOOO generous, I'm offering a discount in my Etsy shop during my birthday week! Obviously, I'm turning 24 (even though I'm still telling people I'm 22), so the discount is 24% off which is the largest discount I've ever offered. So if you've been on the fence about buying a print or piece of jewelry, NOW'S THE TIME!

I have another motive for offering this happy-birthday-to-me coupon...to you: I'm only 21 sales away from reaching my 2011 goal of 300 sales! I am pretty excited about being so close. I am also planning a giveaway when I reach that milestone, so stay tuned for that.

I hope everyone had a nice weekend, and enjoyed that extra hour of sleep!

Homecoming

2011-11-05T11:57:00.001-05:00

I mentioned in my last post that this weekend is homecoming at my alma mater, Union University. They kind of re-arranged the festivities this year, so a lot of stuff was going on last night. After work I packed up some of my jewelry and prints and headed out to the Great Lawn for "Union Night." A lot of departments and organizations had booths set up with food, coffee, etc. I set up my wares with some other students and alum of the art department. I didn't sell anything, but it was fun to socialize and such!

My stuffs set out on the table (as you can see, I didn't do much in the way of preparation)

My roommate's pottery and illustrations by another alum

Shinae (shinaynay, shinequa, shaneenee...she has a lot of nicknames) checking out my prints

The art department's booth

They had a rock wall, dandy jumper things, a band, and a hot air balloon for people to do out there. I wanted to go up in the hot air balloon SO BADLY, but the line was long and I needed to stay at the booth. It looked like fun though!

The whole event was from about 5:30 to 7:45. At 7:30 they did a big fireworks show near the Great Lawn. This was a first for Union (since I've been around anyway). I absolutely love fireworks, so I was super excited about this part of the night. Kelsey and I watched them from the parking lot, and it was a great show! To be completely honest, I expected it to be a dinky display, but it was pretty nice. The finale was even crazier than the military show I saw on July 4th.

To end out the night, I headed over to the chapel for the homecoming concert. The headliner was Jon Foreman, but one of my favorites, Brooke Waggoner, was opening for him! I used to listen to her all the time when I worked in the Cedarway office. Good times. Anyway, she was wonderful! She even played some new songs from the album she's working on. I only stayed for a few Jon Foreman songs, because Kelsey was waiting on me. What little I heard sounded good though!

All of the homecoming festivities were a great way to kick off my weekend. I hope you all are having a similarly eventful weekend!

Jon and Ashley

2011-11-03T19:12:00.003-05:00

Hey friends! I have another wedding to show you. I had a VERY busy October, which is why I've been posting so many photos lately. For this particular wedding, I was a second shooter with Heather. Usually if I'm second shooter, I am there for 2-3 hours, but for this one I was there for 10. Yes....10....you read that right. It was an incredibly long day, but it was also a lot of fun!

Ashley is actually the daughter of one of my co-workers, Morris. He is the staff photographer at Union, so I've known him since I got started shooting as a student photographer. The best way to describe him is to say that he is a hoot! His daughter is just as fun and boisterous as he is, so it made for a day filled with laughter. Weddings are always more fun to shoot when the people around you are pleasant to be around. This was one of those weddings for sure!

Would you look at that boy's hair?! He was so cute, I couldn't handle it. I just wanted to scoop him up and take him home with me! This wedding was at a place called Green Frog Village, which is a collection of historical buildings and things...it's hard to explain. You can learn more about it on their website. It's actually a hidden gem in West Tennessee if you ask me! It made for a gorgeous place for a wedding.

The violin music was divine...it really set the mood. I also loved the bridesmaid dresses and the red flowers. She used the same red flowers for the whole wedding. I think it was a great idea...it unified everything and probably simplified the wedding planning quite a bit!

After a brief cake reception with family and friends, they drove off into the sunset in a pretty fly black Corvette. I would be sooooo nervous to drive that car around, but what a way to leave a wedding!

I hope you guys are having a wonderful week. I haven't locked my keys in my car again, so mine's going better. Plus tomorrow is Friday! I'll be enjoying the homecoming festivities at Union University (my alma mater) tomorrow, which I'm very excited about! I make sure and fill you guys in on that.

Morning Woes

2011-11-02T09:40:00.001-05:00

Let me tell you a little about my morning. My alarm went off at 6:50, causing much grumbling and complaining. As usual I hit snooze and flopped back onto the pillow...at least I THOUGHT I hit snooze. I woke back up at 7:45 and realized that I must have hit "dismiss" rather than snooze. Awesome, huh?

Wait, I'm not done.

So I just decided I would go to work an hour late and not take my lunch break. I am getting in the car and...wait what? My car is locked?! It's in the garage...it's never locked. Oh...the keys are in there...awesome. *deep breath* I remember that when I bought the car, it came with an awesome warranty with free roadside assistance. *beep boop beep boop* (dialing) "Hello, Mitsubishi? Can you come rescue me?" "Why certainly, Mrs. McMurry! I'm Adam, the nicest person ever, and I will help you out!"

source: Eastway Lock

Now a locksmith is on his way and I will turn my day around. I'm so glad I decided to buy a new car instead of finding a used one. I may be paying on it for a few years, but the warranty that came with it is enough to make it worth it. I also have had nothing but good experience dealing with Mitsubishi. The people I've talked to with them have been nice, genuine, and helpful...all qualities that are rare these days!

This post is a bit different from my normal posts with lots of pictures :) But it's good to mix it up, right? You guys like it when I throw you a curve ball?

District Devin: Art for your Home

2011-10-31T12:00:00.000-05:00

I'd like to introduce a new series to the blog! I'm calling it District Devin because...ALLITERATION IS ALL THE RAGE! Anyway, enjoy. This will be an end-of-the-month segment for you all to look forward to.

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Hi all! My name is Devin and I run OooohShiny over on Etsy. I’m one of those people who love to write and chat and all that good stuff but have tried and failed approximately twelve times to keep a blog of my own, so Kristi has graciously offered me a monthly spot on her blog to do what I want. Within reason.

Since you’re a reader of Kristi’s blog, I assume you either like art / photography or just like Kristi. All of those things are awesome, but I want to focus on the art side of things today.

I’ve recently been on an art spree over in Etsyland, collecting items for the new house that is going to happen one day in the hopefully near future and wanted to share with you some of the amazing things I’ve found.

source: Sometimes I Swirl

Sarah is the genius behind Sometimes I Swirl and I’m in love with just about everything in her shop. She has turned doodles into beautiful works of art, ranging from embroidery pieces to vases. We share a love of all things black and white (and gray) but there are some pieces in her shop that are so vibrant and full of color that they’re hard to resist. I’ve picked up five items from Sarah recently and imagine I’ll be back soon.

source: Sometimes I Swirl

Little Bean Prints is named for Marie’s daughter. Her shops boasts “Art prints for nursery, child or adult,” and it’s true. There’s a sort of whimsical quality in all of her artwork. Her nature-inspired drawings are nothing extravagant, but there is definite beauty in her simple lines and subtle colors.

source: Little Bean Prints

On the opposite side of the spectrum is Lisa from Ellemoss. Hers was one of the first photo shops I ever found on Etsy and I’ve been absolutely infatuated ever since. Her photos are absolutely incredible - dreamy and dark and surreal. There’s a bit of mystery in her art and I believe her images mean something different to each person.

source: Ellemoss

And lastly, we have Trafalgar's Square. My best friend had a daughter earlier this month and I went a bit crazy in Kit’s shop. I mean, seriously - one look at her sweet paintings and you can’t help but smile. And want to hug the nearest fluffy thing in sight (in my case, it’s my dog, who returns the favor with tons of kisses). No nursery would be complete without a piece from this shop.

source: Trafalgar's Square

That’s it for me for now! I hope you enjoyed a peek into some of my favorite things. Go forth and be creative!

xo
Devin

John and Mallory

2011-10-29T10:45:00.000-05:00

I recently had the pleasure of photographing the wedding of John and Mallory. I've sort of known Mallory for a while. I worked with one of her friends when I was in college, and then I lived with one of her other friends a few years ago. Since we had a couple of connections, she asked if I would photograph her wedding. Of course I said yes, and I was so excited! The wedding was at a lodge in Natchez Trace State Park...in the Fall. Perfection.

I love the groom's cake. He's a drummer for a band called Ruacamole, so the cake had drum sticks and music notes...it was pretty great. I love how the groom's cake is always an expression of who they are.

When he saw her coming down the aisle, he started fiddling with his cuff links. It was the cutest thing EVER! I love it when grooms get choked up when they see their bride. That makes the moment even more special.

Mallory was a beautiful bride. She wanted to feel like a classic movie star (I can't remember which one...Rita Hayworth maybe?), and she certainly fit the role that day. Instead of a unity candle, they poured different color sands into one container to symbolize their unity. Mallory, like me, is not very traditional, so I loved this spin on the ceremony.

It was pretty sunny that day, but luckily I was able to find plenty of shade for pictures with all the trees around. During the ceremony there was a stream of sunlight coming right down to the middle, so it was difficult to get good even pictures. BUT they both moved into that sunlight for the kiss, so it turned out great! It's probably one of my favorite pictures from the day.

John and Mallory have a little boy, Evan, and he is so adorable, I can't even handle it. He's at that squirmy age, so getting him to do pictures was hard, but we ended up with some good ones. He looked precious in his little man outfit.

It was such a great day. The colors were just starting to show on the trees, and it was that perfect temperature right in between hot and cold. It really was a perfect day for a wedding!

Congratulations, John and Mallory!

Arguing Color

2011-10-27T12:48:00.000-05:00

You all know there are 3 primary colors of light: blue, red, and yellow. From these colors we get the whole color spectrum...which is VAST. I very frequently find myself arguing with people over what color something is...too often to be normal, I'm sure.

"This is blue, no it's green...blah blah blah."

Today I am wearing a shirt that I consider yellow, but my coworkers say is more green. Now... I realize that it's probably just a mix of yellow and green, thus making us all partially right, but I set out to prove myself right...to myself.

Here's the shirt, with the CMYK numbers taken from the PICTURE (not the color I actually see when I look down at it).

It does have quite a bit of cyan in it when it's on screen, but it's actually much darker in person. STILL a large amount of yellow and not much cyan (which is what would make it green). I held up the Pantone swatches until I found a match, and I ended up with 111 PC. The Pantone that matches the picture and the Pantone that matches what I see are pretty close, so I think I did a pretty decent job of pinpointing it.

The picture closely matches 103 PC, but to my eye it's 111 PC. Why does any of this matter? I don't know..., but guess what? NOWHERE NEAR THE GREEN SWATCHES! I may still be wrong, but I've convinced myself that I'm right...this shirt is yellow...and that's all that matters.

Does anybody else argue about colors? I really hope I'm not the only one.

Gift Ideas for Mom, Dad, and Friends

2011-10-26T11:20:00.000-05:00

I've been the worst blogger this week! I was kind of on a roll for a while, but I guess things have slowed down...I haven't done anything exciting lately. Since I don't have any tidbits of my life to share, I thought I would give you guys some great gift ideas since the holidays are fast approaching (2 months as of yesterday!)

Mom:

source

My mom isn't much of a decorator...bless her heart, she tries though. She has some really pretty pottery, antiques, etc., she just doesn't really know where to start in arranging them. Anyway, if your mom is anything like mine, a great gift would be to help her decorate! I'm planning to help my mom with the wall above the couch. My plan is to do some shelving and framing in a cluster like the one pictured. Her living room is more dark and cozy, but I think the concept will still work.

Dad:

source

My dad loves a good steak! Men, especially my dad, are so difficult to buy for, but I've found that they're almost always happy with food. Omaha Steaks has some wonderful options, and are always running specials. One warning though is that once you buy from them they will BLOW UP YOUR PHONE. They were still calling me a year after I ordered from them. My advice, add their number to your phone so you can just ignore it.

Close Friends:

source

I've discovered that throw pillows make a HUGE difference in a room. They are a cheap-ish way to completely change the look of a room if you get bored with your decor. My friends are at the age now that they are decorating their apartments or houses, so throw pillows are a great gift for them! Of course you have to be pretty close friends with someone to know what they would like. There are TONS of great places to buy throw pillows, but I highly recommend buying handmade from Etsy. One shop I've bought from is pillowhappy...and she offers tons of options! Just be aware that these are covers only, so you'll have to get your own inserts.

I'm not even going to attempt boyfriend...in fact, if any of you have ideas for a boyfriend gift, help a girl out! My honey is so hard to buy for. Unless he tells me EXACTLY what he wants, I'm clueless. Embarrassing fact: For the first (or maybe second) birthday he had after we started dating, I got him a Wal-Mart card. My logic was that he could use it to get gas for his massive truck. Of course looking back, I realize that was a terrible gift, and he will never let me live it down.

Blake and Morgan

2011-10-23T11:23:00.000-05:00

Sorry I left you guys hanging for a couple of days. I was hoping you wouldn't get tired of seeing my cardigan post since it serves as a reminder that it's CARDIGAN WEATHER! Anyway, since I've been taking and editing photos all weekend (and more today) I thought I would share some recent photos from a wedding! My friend Heather shot this wedding, and hired me to second shoot for a few hours. I always enjoy second shooting because it's basically pressure-free.

This was the first weekend of October, so the bouquets were perfect! I love Fall colors so of course I loved these. I don't think I'll use Fall colors in my own wedding, but I think the rich yellows, oranges and reds look so beautiful for weddings this time of year.

I don't think I have ever heard the penny in the shoe tradition, but they did it. I guess it's for good luck? I'm definitely not into traditions, so I don't know a lot about them. I have a feeling I'm going to learn a whole lot about them when I get married...

I've never thought about getting a photo of the mom while the bride was walking down the aisle. Since Heather was photographing Morgan, I thought I might as well try it out. She looks so thoughtful here. She's probably thinking about how proud she is of her daughter :) Ok, sappy moment is over.

I enjoyed tagging along with Heather to this wedding. I'm almost positive that I went to elementary school with Morgan, but I was too shy to say anything.

I hope you all are having a great weekend! I'm doing another set of portraits today and working on editing the ones I did yesterday. Then tonight we're having ribs to celebrate my step-dad's big accomplishment... he was named Tennessee Science Teachers Association educator of the year for grades 9-12! We're all pretty proud of him :)

Cardigans Make Winter Tolerable

2011-10-20T18:19:00.000-05:00

One of the ONLY things I like about cold weather is that it is cardigan weather. I only have a handful of cardigans, but I wear the mess out of them...let me tell ya. Today I wore one of my favorites...it's a Vera Wang for Kohl's purple boyfriend cardigan (at least I think that's what this style is called). I still remember that I got it for Christmas one year from my dad and step-mom! Funny how I can remember that, but I can't remember if I took my vitamins this morning...hmmmm

details:

cardigan- Vera Wang for Kohls

tank tops, flats, scarf- Express

pants- Target

Try to look past how ridiculous I look and see how AWESOME that light is!!! It only lasts for like 5 minutes, but boy it is great. I love the evening sun. You'll also see that I busted out the scarf today. It warmed up slightly from earlier in the week, but I still thought the 50 degree weather called for a loose scarf. My neck will see a lot of this b/w striped scarf this winter.

So, cardigans make winter tolerable for me. What about you guys? What helps you get through this inevitable CRAP season? (examples: Christmas, hot chocolate, all the scary snakes are hibernating...)

Pumpkins and Pictures

2011-10-19T08:07:00.004-05:00

I took my camera with me to the boyfriend's house the other day to take some pictures of his niece. She is 9 months old already! It seems like she was just born yesterday. Anyway, here are some of the pictures I took. She got fed up with our harassment pretty quickly, so we only got a few. I love the ones with the pumpkins, so I wanted to share them here!

You all have permission to gush about how adorable she is. I don't think I can accurately express how much I love babies...especially this baby! She's like...the perfect child. Of course I don't live there, but every time I'm over she is seriously just an angel! She is always such a happy baby.

I hope you guys are enjoying some nice Fall weather! It's gotten chilly and rainy here, but I'm hoping it will warm back up a little soon. I'm not ready for winter yet!

On the hunt: Curtains

2011-10-17T12:57:00.001-05:00

Well guys, I recently rearranged my room, got a new desk and started painting (started...not finished). I am keeping my blue accent wall, but the other walls needed a fresh coat. I really want to post pictures, but I need to get some curtains first! I've been looking around and here is some curtain inspiration that I've found... enjoy!

That's just a few that I like...I'm definitely not set on anything yet. I might just go shopping for fabric and make my own in the end. Of course, I need to magically know how to sew to do that...or know someone who will sew them for me. Either way, when I finally get some, I'll post pictures of my room!

Running Inspiration

2011-10-15T10:40:00.000-05:00

A friend of mine shared a quote with me once: "No matter how slow you go, you are still lapping everybody on the couch." I try to remember this when I run, because I'm not a fast runner. I still keep up with my time, even though it doesn't really matter...because it's nice to see improvement here and there.

Anyway, the aforementioned friend (Malarie) had a birthday coming up, so I set out to design her a poster as a gift. She had mentioned that this was one of her favorite weight-loss inspirational quotes, so I thought it was perfect.

I'm pretty happy with how it turned out! I don't do much design anymore, so I like to practice every now and then. I don't want to lose everything. Designing posters as gifts is a great way to keep myself from stopping completely.

I hope you all are inspired by this quote as well. It's great to get moving and get your blood stirring, no matter how you do it. Running, walking, going on a picnic, or even jumping on the trampoline (that is actually an excellent way to burn calories from what I've heard). I'll be doing either a 6 or 7 mile run tomorrow...and I'll be repeating this to myself when I feel like I can't pick up my feet anymore!

Batik Pattern Clutch

2011-10-13T17:00:00.000-05:00

A week or two ago, I entered a giveaway on the Branchbound blog for a store credit to BailyBelle's Etsy shop. Well...I won! I was so excited because I just love Vanessa's shop, as evidenced in this post and this post. So I picked out this awesome clutch with a gorgeous Batik fabric, since I already have a ton of her jewelry. It arrived the other day, packed up so nicely as usual.

The colors in the pattern are so fantastic! I haven't decided what to put in it, but I'm thinking I might use it to keep up with my car payment stubs/checks. Hopefully the bright colors will catch my eye and remind me to pay every month! Do you guys have any other ideas for what I could use it for? It's a little small to carry the contents of my purse, so it'll have to be for something special :)

Skating is Great!

2011-10-12T07:46:00.001-05:00

Since I've been posting about birthdays a lot this past week, I figured I would continue the tradition with a post about my sister's birthday party. Her party with her friends was at Magic Wheels, a skating rink that has been in this town since I was turning 8...and who knows how long before. Seriously, this place is ancient. (also, the title "Skating is Great!" is what is on the outside of the building...this place preaches truth, y'all)

I didn't really know what to expect, but I walked in and it was like a blast from the past...NOTHING HAS CHANGED. I half expected to run into the guy that worked there when I was kid. I remember him well...he looked like the love child of Danny Zuko and The Fonz (if that were even possible). He even had the Danny Zuko walk down...it was impressive. I may have had a small crush.

Sister and her friends skated for a while...but there really wasn't much of a crowd. It was kind of depressing how few people were there, but I guess it was good for the party. At least Sister and her friends had a safe, empty floor to skate on.

They also did a little party in one of the side rooms (which also happen to look the same). It was pizza, ice cream and cake. I still remember how hard it was to move around in those rooms with your skates on. You'd try to get up and just plop right back down because you couldn't get going....ahh good times.

They did rearrange some stuff in this area, so I guess they did change SOMETHING

I'll be honest, I was dying to get out there and skate with them, but I didn't bring socks. It would be fun to get a group together and have a flashback skating party here...I'll work on this. In the meantime, maybe I'll throw on my skates and skate around the neighborhood.

I hope you all have a great Wednesday! This is my Friday this week because we get off for Fall Break. That's one of the huge perks of working at a University...you get to take some of the breaks with the students!

I Made Scones!

2011-10-10T16:30:00.000-05:00

First of all happy birthday to my friend and coworker Sarah! I don't actually have a picture of her to put on here, but here is the screen saver and desk full of balloons that she came in to this morning.

She came in earlier than Scott and I, but she said it made her smile when she saw it :) I also made her some scones because she LOVES scones. I have never made scones (or biscuits, because Rhett refuses to acknowledge that there is a difference), but I was excited to try. I just used the basic recipe in the Better Homes and Gardens cookbook and it was SUPER easy! I was one egg short, but I added some extra cream so I wouldn't lose the moisture. I feel like that threw off the dough because it was crazy sticky, but the end product still tasted good. They weren't as good as the scones we get at the campus coffee house, but they were pretty darn good if I do say so myself. I think I'll be making scones again now that I know it's so simple!

Say it with me now... "mmmmmmmmmm!" I wish I could bluetooth you all your own scone, but technology hasn't advanced that far yet. Those are chocolate chips, by the way. The recipe calls for currants but I was like forget that, it's her 30th birthday! Who wants currants when you can have chocolate chips?! If anyone wants the recipe and doesn't have the BH&G cookbook, let me know and I'll scan a copy for you! No charge :)

Mable Mae

2011-10-08T11:27:00.001-05:00

I'm off to a wedding at Natchez Trace State Park today! I'm excited to shoot at one of the lodges there. The weather is perfect, and I know the wedding is going to be gorgeous. I will definitely post some pictures for you all when I get them edited. For now, though, here is a set of photos I did for Etsy seller MableMae recently. She's currently got her shop on vacation, but hopefully she'll be back up and running soon! She's one of my loyal customers when it comes to product shots.

How great are these for organizing your calendar?! They are cute little magnets.

another good idea for calendar organizing. this would really help me keep my to-do list in control!

She had tons of great things for me to shoot this time around! I love the camera magnets...I might have to snag me some of those with my Christmas money this year :)

I hope you all have a wonderful weekend!

Burrito Meal

2011-10-05T12:21:00.000-05:00

Yesterday was the Robster's birthday! Rob (or melodrobmatic, as we like to lovingly call him) is our student designer in the office, and we like to be nice to our student designers occasionally. One of his favorite restaurants in town is this hole-in-the-wall called Burrito Meal, so we all went there. I've always heard good things about Burrito Meal, but had never been myself. It's pretty simple...just burritos and other simple things for $5-6. It's about as plain, simple and jankity as you can get, but it's honestly pretty awesome. I'd rather go here than Moe's ANY DAY (but that's mainly because I detest Moe's).

I didn't want to get too adventurous, so I just got a chorizo burrito. It.was.incredible. The owner uses this sauce he came up with that is just the right amount sweet and spicy...it's delicious. The burrito was so big, I could have made two meals from it, but it was hard not to eat it all. I think next time, I'll plan on taking some home so I don't spend the rest of the afternoon in agony from being so full.

Note to self: burrito and dr. pepper for lunch does not jive well with a late day run.

Ok, but seriously, if you're in town...try out Burrito Meal. It's on Airways currently, but the rumor is that they are moving a little farther North. Don't be turned off by the hole-in-the-wall appearance...in this case you really can't judge the book by it's cover.

My Milk Glass Collection on RikRak

2011-10-04T13:34:00.002-05:00

My milk glass collection is featured on The RikRak Studio's blog today. Check it out here! It's also on Etsy's blog as of 10-7!

Cass and Cate Candles

2011-10-03T16:30:00.001-05:00

I want to show you guys some product shots that I did for a candle maker called Cass & Cate. She sent me several different scents, and it was really hard not to just keep them all for myself! She did actually let me keep the Hawaiian Lei one because I told her how much I loved it. It smells like you are sitting in the middle of a Plumeria tree. Amazing!

Cherry Blossom votive candle

Aloha 9oz. candle

I really enjoyed shooting these. I decided to photograph each candle with something that referenced the scent. It was pretty difficult...and honestly looking back, I probably could have done better. I guess it was alright for a first time though :)

Chardonnay 9oz. candle

I also thought it would be nice to show the candles sitting out in a "home" environment, so I set up a little scene. I used the awesome embroidery that City Birds traded me. I actually really like how these turned out!

If you're looking for great candles to give as gifts this holiday season, check out Cass & Cate on Etsy or her website. I personally sniffed most of the candles she offers, and I can vouch for them! My favorites were Aloha, Hawaiian Lei and Warm Vanilla. Cherry Blossom was nice too...I feel like it would be a good bathroom candle because it has that "clean" smell.

Hope you guys had a nice weekend! I don't have much to report from my weekend, other than I finished a 5 mile run without passing out. It was the first of 8 long runs that I need to do to train for th half marathon in November! Wish me luck :)

Photography Show and Barefoots

2011-09-30T15:32:00.001-05:00

Early in the summer, I put some of my miniature photos up in Barefoots Joe, our campus coffee shop. They've been up a looooong time, but they officially came down yesterday. I got lots of great comments on them! Several people said they enjoyed how much color it brought to the space. It was kind of fun seeing them up when I went to grab coffee (which, let's be honest, is way too often). I just wanted to share some pictures of the show with you guys.

I am keeping three of the frames to use in my living room, but I'm hoping to hang the rest in a local bank with my roommate's pottery! My bank does a monthly(?) art show, and I'm hoping we can do a joint one together. I would link to her Etsy shop, but she hasn't started one yet (hint, hint KELSEY!).

I'm going to go ahead and get new mattes made because the mattes that came with the IKEA frames were a weird size. The space between the photo and matte REALLY bothers me, but I didn't have the money to do new mattes at the time...so oh well! Barefoots patrons are very forgiving :)

Have a good weekend everyone! Enjoy this amazing Fall weather.

Thank Goodness for Thumbs

2011-09-29T15:11:00.001-05:00

Ok...I don't personally find my smashed thumb offensive or gross (it's just a run of the mill black nail), BUT if you think you will, then you should go ahead and skip this post.

We all good? Ok.

So guess what I did Sunday? I decided it would be fun to smash my thumb in the car door! Yeah! No, but really...holy crap did that hurt. Admittedly, I'm a bit of a baby when it comes to pain, but I think this would be painful for just about anybody. So this whole ordeal has really made me thankful for my thumbs. Almost everything I do involves my thumb in some way, so of course life is a little more difficult without it. I decided you guys might like a completely useless list of things that are difficult with a smashed thumb. You're welcome!

COMPLETELY USELESS LIST OF THINGS THAT ARE DIFFICULT WITH A SMASHED THUMB

texting (on a full keypad)
typing (spacebar in-particular)
using the bathroom (tmi, i know...but for real)
buttoning anything (since when do ALL THE THINGS have buttons?!)
pulling clothes from the bottom of the stack (as I so often love to do)
turning the page of a book (shut up you crazy digital book readers)
turning a key (front door, car ignition)
pulling out a wedgie (i do this way too much)
tying your shoes
pulling your hair into a ponytail
picking up my fat cat
opening a soda bottle
UPDATE: making dinner (from CB)
UPDATE: cutting with a knife (from CB)
UPDATE: using a lighter (from CB)

There are plenty more, but I know you guys are yawning now...don't feel bad, I would be too.

What else would be hard with a smashed thumb? If you can think of anything else I could add, let me know and I'll add it and give you credit!

In case you are very concerned about my well-being, fret not. Nurse Paul put a couple of holes in the nail and it is slowing but surely starting to feel better. I'm on the road to recovery!

Friends and Food in Nashville

2011-09-27T15:00:00.000-05:00

I posted about part of my Saturday the other day, but here is the rest! The main reason for Emily and me traveling to Nashville was to see our dear friend Libby finish her half marathon. We parked near 10 mile mark and based on the pace leaders figured out when she might come by. We were there just a few minutes, and all of the sudden there she was! We cheered... she smiled... it was nice. This was only about a block away from the finish line, so we headed over to get a good spot. People were already running in, and we eventually worked our way to the front to see her when she finished.

We are so proud of her! She worked really hard, and did so well. Her mom was walking it, so we hung out for a while and waited to cheer her on as she finished. It's really hard to describe the atmosphere at this race. I've been to races where people cheer you on, but this was insane. A lot of people finishing celebrated with cartwheels and other things that require much more energy than I would have after 13.1 miles. I don't think most races have this much hoopla, but they should!

After Libby got cleaned up and rested, we went to Elliston Place Soda Shop. Libby had passed it during the race and decided that's what she wanted. Who are we to deny a girl that just ran a half marathon?! I'm so glad we ended up going there because it was adorable. The waitress that served us was an absolute sweetheart, and the food was delicious as well. Of course we also indulged in some milk shakes...yummmmm.

Jukebox on the wall. Unfortunately it didn't work...I wanted to play Boogie Shoes!

This past Saturday was exactly what a Saturday should be. I got to see my friends, get out of town, shop, and eat great food. The perfect (though slightly hot) weather also had a lot to do with how much I enjoyed the day. I hope I get to have another "perfect" Saturday again soon!

Colonel Mustard and the Purple Socks

2011-09-26T15:23:00.000-05:00

Yesterday I posted about shopping at Honeybean, and today I'm wearing one of my purchases!

details:

shirt- Honeybean

tank- H&M

belt- thrifted

necklace- estate sale

pants- Target

shoes- Aerosoles

Yesterday I wore the blue skirt to church, but I didn't leave it on long enough to take pictures (it was a sweatpants around the house kind of day). But today I sported the mustard yellow men's shirt that I picked up! I know it's weird, but it reminds me of my granddaddy. He always wore button down shirts (though never in mustard and always with suspenders) so I feel like I'm channeling him with this outfit.

Since it's a men's cut, it's not really practical to button it all the way down unless I'm tucking it in. The bottom button barely fastens because I have wide WOMAN-ly hips :) I figured wearing it open with a tank and a belt would be just as good! It's easing me into cardigan weather, which I'm actually pretty excited about.

Ok, now I'm going to share another outfit on another girl!

This is my dear friend Margaret. She is a senior at the school I work at, and we've been buddies now for a couple of years. One of her current assignments is to photograph a staff member in their environment, and she chose me! Since my environment is my desk...that's where she photographed me. If she sends me the photo, I'll post it for you guys.

Margaret has always been one of my fashion inspirations. She has a quirky style and always finds the best pieces at thrift stores (like those booties)! Since she was kind enough to take a few photos of my outfit, I decided I would share hers as well. I just love the over-the-knee socks! I tried it once last year, but I have a hard time making it work. Margaret pulls the look off perfectly.

Thanks, Margaret, for choosing me for your project! I hope it turns out well. And to my readers, I hope your Monday is going swimmingly...or as swimmingly as a Monday can go (so I guess maybe dog-paddlingly)

Visit to Honeybean

2011-09-25T08:00:00.000-05:00

My Saturday was one long string of activity. I'm going to break it up into two posts, so I don't overwhelm you guys with pictures and words. I will still do you the favor of summarizing some of my day, though...because I know you're on the edge of your seat!

Emily and I woke up bright and early and drove to Nashville. We made it to the Country Music Hall of Fame in plenty of time to see our friend Libby finish her half-marathon. She did so well! It's inspired me to do one in November with Emily (I know...I don't claim to be completely sane). Anyway, we left Libby to rest for a while and we went to the flea market to see Kaelah with her Honeybean! I didn't have the good sense to find out where on the Fairgrounds they were located, so Emily and I walked around for a while...and there was PLENTY to look at.

Emily resisting the urge to buy ALL THE BEADS

I am not even kidding when I say the LAST booth we came to in the entire flea market was Honeybean. I had tweeted to Kaelah in despair just seconds before I looked up to see it sitting there in all it's glory. Am I surprised I walked around the whole flea market before I found them? No...The sad part is that it was really close to where we walked in, I just didn't walk down that particular row.

BUT IT WAS SO WORTH THE WAIT!

I introduced myself and chatted with Kaelah and Mike for a few minutes and then hit the racks. I found a great blue pencil skirt, a men's mustard button down, and an adorable handmade hair bow. I think I'm going to wear the skirt tomorrow, so an outfit post may be in order.

This was a soft opening for honeybean, so I'm hoping to go back again soon! She said they would have other designers and sellers participating, so there is sure to be tons of variety. I love the shopping environment and the aesthetic of their booth. I always appreciate it when people carry out a "look" in every aspect of their business, which I definitely think Kaelah and Mike have done.

Emily, me, Kaelah

Yes...I'm wearing a tank top and jeans, but I was walking around outside all day, so I'm excused I hope. What you don't know is that I was radiating "outdoor smell." You know the one...it's not pleasant. I hope my odor didn't offend (though I'm almost positive I wasn't the worst smelling person out there. This is the South after all). Anyway, Kaelah looked absolutely adorable, as usual! This was my first time meeting a blogger in person, and it was so fun! Kaelah and Mike were so much fun to talk to, and hopefully I'll run into them again soon.

If any of you guys are local, stop by and see them at the flea market. They're nice people, and they're selling some great vintage and handmade! If you're not local, you can certainly pop over to her blog and say hi.

New on Etsy

2011-09-22T08:38:00.000-05:00

That's right, I'm now carrying jewelry in my Etsy shop! Each piece is made of antiqued silver plated brass, glass, and features various photos from my miniatures series. There are necklaces on 30" chains, stud earrings, and simple adjustable rings to choose from, and the photos I'm using are Lollipop Forest, Cupcake Mountains, Hungry Policemen, and Woodland Crafters 2. (Coupon at the bottom! Be sure and scroll down for that.)

I'm totally beside myself with excitement about this! In fact it's really hard not to put at least 10 exclamation points after every sentence...and capitalize ALL THE WORDS!!!!!!!!!! Ok, it's out of my system. Anyway, here are some pictures of the pieces for your viewing pleasure.

You can see them all in my Etsy shop here.

How it happened:

One of my favorite things about Etsy (besides makin da monies) is the community. It sounds geeky, but I've actually made myself a few internet friends in the Etsy community! One of those friends happens to also be a photographer and runs a shop called jerseymaids. We were chatting one day about making photo jewelry, and I told her how I had tried once and BIG FAT FAILED. She proposed the idea of collaborating, and it went from there. She made all of these, and they are such good quality! I'm really impressed with her skills, and I hope this partnership continues and even grows in the future.

I'd love to know what you all think of these! I personally love them. They actually fit into my style, which I think is pretty important. I don't think I could be excited to sell something that I wouldn't wear myself. Since this is a new adventure, I'm offering free shipping on these until further notice! Use the coupon code MINISSHIPFREE (minis ship free with no spaces) when you checkout.

I also want to thank you all for your support and wonderful comments. <3 you all!

Terry and Tenille

2011-09-20T09:00:00.000-05:00

Word of mouth is the best marketting tool that any photographer can have. If you do your job well and are a generally pleasant person to work with, you're get more customers! Tenille and I have a mutual friend, and she came to me to do her engagement portraits. I took them downtown at just the perfect time of day! The day had that end-of-summer look to it, and I loved it.

I am actually really happy with the way they turned out, which is rare. I'm usually pretty critical of my own work, and I just pretend to back it up. These I genuinely like! Terry and Tenille liked them too, and ended up asking me to shoot their wedding as well, which I'm very excited about! They were a great couple to work with, and I really look forward to their December wedding.

Les Misérables at The Orpheum

2011-09-19T08:00:00.000-05:00

My very generous step-dad bought tickets for him, my mom, and me to see the matinee of Les Misérables at The Orpheum on Sunday. I first went to The Orphuem when I was (insert young age here) to see The Phantom of the Opera, and thus began my love of the gorgeous venue and of on-stage musicals. This is the second time I've see Les Mis, and it's a very different show now than it was a few years ago, mainly because of the major changes in the set.

I am one of those people that tears up at those moments when the music swells and the actor reaches that note...you know the one. Les Mis has several of those moments. Heart-stopping, take-your-breath-away moments. The actor who played Jean Valjean, J. Mark McVey, was especially good in my opinion, as was Jevert, Andrew Varela.

publicity photo. not mine

I noticed two major differences now that they've updated the set. *spoilers, but you should all know this story by now anyway* 1. The suicide scene. IT WAS AMAZING. They got really creative and made it a lot more dramatic than I remember it being before. In fact, I barely remembered it at all after the first time, but I assure you I will remember it this time. 2. The battle scene at the barricade. Eh...I think this scene lost a lot of it's impact. I just remember this epic moment at the end when I literally stopped breathing, and it wasn't there with the new set. It was still an effective scene, it just wasn't as...epic. Overall, though I think the show has improved a lot since I saw it last. If you saw it with the old set, you should definitely see it again.

I really could go on and on about this, but I don't want you all to think I'm a nut. I guess this is the first time I've ever blogged about a musical. Now you know a new fact about me: I am a huge fan of musical theatre. Now I'll go back to listening to the soundtrack :)

Prunella

2011-09-16T09:03:00.001-05:00

25 Wrapped Soap Favors

I want to share with you guys one of my favorite soap makers. I started buying bar soap on Etsy a couple of years ago, and have never gone back to store-bought. I just love the huge variety of scents that are available, and I always love to help out small businesses (Rhett would say this makes me a hipster). One of my favorite sellers so far has been Prunella.

Ginger Red Rooibos Tea Soap

Choose any 10

I always order multiples because I don't want to be buying soap every few weeks. Three bars will usually last me several months. Anyway, I got her "choose any three" option and chose Peppermint Vanilla, Tea Tree Lime and Blood Orange Ginger. In addition to those, she sent me a couple of samples. So far the sample of Rosemary Peppermint Lavendar that she sent has been my favorite. I rarely gush about things like soap, but OH MY GOODNESS. It smells like...well rosemary, peppermint, and lavendar...which is a killer combo! The rosemary also makes it like a massage bar, which feels great on your back especially. I just opened the Peppermint Vanilla the other day and am really enjoying it as well. I think scents with mint involved are my favorite, and vanilla is always pleasant.

Rosemary Peppermint Lavender Soap

10 Soap Favors

Another aspect of Prunella that I love is the branding. I appreciate a well thought out "look" for a brand that doesn't include an ugly font. Prunella has beautiful packaging right down to the cushioning material, gorgeous shop photos, and great product to back it up. This really is small business done right...all of you entrepreneurs should take note.

Blood Orange Ginger Soap To-Go

*all photos from Prunella soap shop on Etsy

If you guys are looking for some great soap and like to buy handmade and want an overall pleasant experience, I highly recommend Prunella!

a wedding guest

2011-09-13T15:00:00.000-05:00

I can only think of a few weddings that I've been to as a guest. I'm usually the photographer, and once I was a bridesmaid. It's actually really nice to be able to just go and enjoy the celebration. This past Saturday I went to a wedding with Rhett. The bride is his step-cousin by marriage and a friend of mine from high school. It was a nice wedding and the weather was perfect for the outdoor reception! We didn't stay long enough to see it, but they released sky lanterns during the reception. I saw some pictures and it looked so neat! Anyway, here are a couple of pictures from the night. I actually got Rhett to take one good picture with me...success!

...and a silly one. The sunset was making everything there look bright pink.

Tulum

2011-09-12T10:30:00.000-05:00

I am a little ashamed that it has taken me this long to blog about my favorite restaurant in town. Tulum is a Fresh Mexican Grill place that has a really beachy, light-hearted feel. If I can look past the Comic-Sans branding you KNOW I must love the food. (This is coming from the girl who will choose not to buy something based solely on the font on the label...usually Comic Sans, Curlz, Jokerman, or *shiver* Papyrus)

Anyway, enough about ugly fonts. THIS PLACE IS THE BOMB...yes I said it, the bomb...we all loved the 90s. It took me a couple of visits to get up the courage to try fish tacos, but OH MY they are good. I also love the tortas there, carne asada or machacha. I had fish tacos this Sunday because I'd recently eaten the ones at Cheddar's and needed to remind myself what a good fish taco should taste like (sorry, Cheddar's...you just don't measure up).

There they are in all their glory...fish.tacos. Obviously I couldn't restrain myself from taking a few bites before I took the picture. There are other things I love about Tulum other than the great fish tacos. You order at the front and they bring your food out, so it's pretty quick usually. I like that you can get your own salsa and drinks too. The tomatillo is SO GOOD. The back patio is also pretty nice. I've only sat out there twice, but I love the atmosphere. I do think they need a water installation or something out there to drown out the cars. Other than that, though, it's pretty perfect.

For those that read my blog and live here, you need to try this place out! If you don't live here, you should hop on a plane and give me a call. I'm buyin'!

Kaleigh

2011-09-08T21:54:00.000-05:00

Dear blog, I'm so sorry that I'm still neglecting you. One of these days I will get back to regular posting, but in the meantime here are some senior pictures that I took recently.

This is Kaleigh, another of Rhett's cousins. I have noticed a trend...I photograph people who I know most of the time. That's probably because I don't advertise or have a photography website :) I guess word of mouth is a pretty good advertisement! Anyway, I was really happy with how the pictures turned out. I took them at Casey Jones, one of my favorite places in Jackson, and the sun was tucked neatly behind the clouds all morning. Thanks, sun!

I know I'm a little late, but I hope you all had a great Labor Day! I spent the day with my friends Emily and Libby. They ran the Chickfila 5K in Memphis that morning and then we did some shopping. It was an absolutely perfect day! I will share pictures soon...you'll die when you see the lake by her apartment. It's ridiculously gorgeous.

Mini Golf

2011-09-02T10:00:00.000-05:00

Ok confession: I LOVE MINI GOLF! I hardly ever play it because I don't really know anyone that will play with me. I'm sure if I asked, they would...but anyway. The last sport that Special Needs Athletics did was mini golf. It was 5 weeks but I only got to go to one week of it. I just wanted to show a few pictures here. Everyone seemed to have a lot of fun...it's a nice leisurely activity. Hopefully I'll convince someone to go play mini golf with me sometime this Fall.

that's Marissa in the middle...I wish I could just take her home with me...she's so adorable!

Fall baseball has started up already and it's been fun so far! Look for pictures from that in a couple of months. I hope you all have a fantastic Friday and super long weekend!

Thai Cafe

2011-08-31T20:07:00.000-05:00

This little town doesn't have a ton of good places, but the few we do have are really good! This one local place called Thai Cafe is definitely one of my favorites. I love the bright colors inside, and everyone has always been extremely nice there. They are slow sometimes and they have really limited hours, but the friendly atmosphere and great food make up for it. Rhett and I have been there together a few times, and love their noodles.

I hate that the local places are always the most deserted. I enjoy places like this because it's unique to the area instead of being just like everything else. I think Jackson just isn't a good place for people to start a business...most of them don't survive. I think a lot of it has to do with locations (people can't afford the prime locations that corporations can get) and lack of advertising. I don't get why people don't see the value in advertising. It's ESSENTIAL for getting customers. Speaking of local business...my favorite local coffee roaster/cafe is closing on Friday. It's mostly because the owner moved and couldn't find anyone to buy it. I know it's dumb, but I'm actually really upset about it. I guess life goes on, but Gusta Java is going to leave a huge hole in the Jackson coffee situation.

At least I still have Thai Cafe though, right?! *please don't close please don't close please don't close*

Hunter

2011-08-29T20:51:00.000-05:00

These are some senior pictures that I did of Rhett's cousin this summer. They live out in the country, so I had lots of good scenery to work with. It was extremely sunny and hot, but I think the pictures turned out pretty well. My favorite is the one of him climbing out of the barn. I hope you guys enjoy them! It's making me wish summer was going to last just a little bit longer...I can tell Fall is just around the corner.

Everyone have a great week!

Mmmmm Sandwich

2011-08-25T14:21:00.000-05:00

I love food. Eating is probably one of my favorite pastimes, and one of my favorite things to make/eat is sandwiches. I figured I would share some of my favorite sandwiches with you and make you hungry with me. I actually had a great sandwich today from Honeybaked Ham, but I didn't take a picture.

This is one I made at home using all things I bought at the Farmer's Market. It was toward the beginning of the summer when I was going to the FM every weekend. I got the bread, sourdough, from my favorite bread lady. I also got eggs, tomatoes, peppers, and chives that day. I threw it all together and made myself a little ole egg sandwich! It was absolutely delicious.

This is a veggie sandwich from my favorite cafe in town, Gusta Java. It was pretty cheap and very tasty...a perfect lunch meal.

Another Gusta Java sandwich...I think it's called the Piggy Bank. SO SO SO good! The ham was so tasty and I love the bread they use.

Ok, sorry about making you all hungry. I'm going to go make a sandwich now...

Tennessee Evening

2011-08-24T08:00:00.001-05:00

One thing I love about Tennessee is our sky. I've never lived anywhere else, but I think Tennessee has some really gorgeous evening skies, and there's really nothing better than just sitting outside while the sun goes down. I think it's best in the summer, but we have pretty good sunsets all year round.

Despite the heat I occasionally venture outside around this time of day to read or mess around in the flowerbeds and potted plants. I don't have a lot going on in my yard, but I like to pretend I do. I feel like I'm making myself sound like a 90 year old woman (funny coincidence: my insurance company had my birthday wrong until recently and thought I actually was a 90 year old woman).

How are the sunsets where all of you live? I may just love Tennessee's just because that's all I know :)

Last Friday Night

2011-08-22T11:00:00.000-05:00

I don't think it's a secret that I am a Katy Perry fan. She's silly and fun, so of course I like her! I went to see her a couple of years ago at the Cannery Ballroom, but this time around she's hit it big time and played at the Bridgestone Arena. The other show was standing room only, and I had to plant my feet hard in place in order to not get knocked further from the stage. For this show I had my very own seat! Not only that, it was an aisle seat, so I had plenty of room to jump up and down and dance like no one was watching (because really, no one was).

So...this is what I did last friday night.

Rachael, Alanna, and me before the show

Who Am I Living For

Pearl. This one was jaw-dropping. SO BEAUTIFUL

Thinking of You

California Gurls finale! Lots of glitter and some kind of spray

...and beach balls

This was quite the production. The whole place smelled like cotton candy, and she had a clever little video story to guide you through the show. It really almost felt like I was watching a really fun play. I feel like we definitely got what we paid for, and more! I was also surprised by how much better she sounds than the last time we saw her. She probably has a little help from back-up tracks, but still...she's improved her live singing a lot. Honestly this was probably the most spectacular show I've ever been to....entertainment-wise.

ALSO...a public service announcement: if you go to a concert, don't get there super late and don't walk in and out 5 times during the show. You WILL get a little elbow action from your fellow concert goers when you have to climb over them. Thanks!

this public service announcement has been brought to you by kristimcmurry

Behind the Scenes: Blooming Variety

2011-08-17T17:54:00.000-05:00

This post has been 3 months in the making, but it's finally here. Back in May I tagged along with the wonderful Abby Ott, who was doing a project involving a fashion shoot. We sort of have a partnership in this type of thing. We have done a few shoots together in the past few years; she helps me and I help her. (Previous shoot)

Abby asked if I would be willing to sharpen my video skills on her project, and I happily agreed. I have only experimented with video a few times, but I love it! I am planning on practicing a lot more in the near future, especially since I'm shooting footage for a wedding video in January. But without further...rambling...here's the behind the scenes video I shot for Blooming Variety:

This video was quite a learning process for me. I couldn't do what I wanted to do with my safety net, imovie, so I had to transition to Final Cut Express. It was so great learning how to use the program! I will definitely be using it more in future projects because you can do so much more with it. I would also like to showcase Abby's talent. Here are just a few of the images she took for her project. She shot all film, and I'm super impressed with the results.

Special Needs Athletics - baseball

2011-08-14T08:00:00.001-05:00

Earlier in the summer, I photographed some Special Needs Athletics baseball games. SNA is an athletic program here in town for people with special needs. It's a wonderful organization, and I really enjoyed spending time with all the players and volunteers! I did a photo essay on the season, which you can see on JPG magazine's website here. I wrote a few paragraphs to go with the photos that explains them a little better. Here are most of the photos that I included; they are some of my favorites from the 10 week season.

Squash Pizza

2011-08-12T13:44:00.000-05:00

Last night Kelsey and I made some squash pizza. She had some pita, I had some squash...it just made sense! Kelsey put some olive oil and lots of herbs on the pita, then we added the squash and some mushrooms. I had a little bit of mozzarella and Kelsey had some cheddar, so we put some cheese on two of them. I didn't try the cheddar, but the mozzarella was AMAZING. I also added some fresh basil, oregano and rosemary on top of the cheese.

We cooked it on 350 degrees for about 8 minutes. Try it! Kelsey thinks we should have cooked the squash on the stove a little first, but I like it firm, so it was good with me. It all depends on your preference.

Eli

2011-08-11T07:25:00.000-05:00

I'm so sorry that I've been neglecting the blog lately. I honestly just keep forgetting to post! I guess I'm getting old...

Here are some pictures from a shoot a did a couple of weeks ago. Eli is the son of my friend Lauren from high school. I haven't really been in touch with my high school friends, but we're starting to to talk more lately and it's been great! Eli is such a cutie and so much fun to photograph.

Thanks, Lauren, for asking me to take Eli's pictures! I had a blast :)

the boy getting crafty

2011-08-06T17:00:00.000-05:00

The other day I went with Rhett to his grandparents' house to hang out. I love going over there, they always have great food and lots of love to go around. Grandparents really are the best :) Anyway, on this particular day Rhett was taking a stab at making his own gun holster. If he is ever going to make anything, the best place to do it is in his granddad's shop. You can find any tool you need in there. I got to watch them make the press, melt the kydex, form it to the gun and put the pieces together. I think he still has to sand the edges to the right shape, but he got a lot of the work done that day.

Aunt Angie, Rhett and Grandad

It was fun watching them make the holster. I don't know anything about making that kind of thing, so I guess I learned something. Isn't the workshop neat? There's so much in there! I think I like it so much because it reminds me of my own granddaddy's tool collection. He would carry everything around with him in his pick-up truck with the camper on the back.

I'm glad to see that my love of crafting is rubbing off on my other half. Next thing you know he'll be sewing on greeting cards with me! Ok...that's a bit of a stretch. Anyway, I have another reason for posting this today...it's Granddad's birthday! If you're reading, happy birthday Granddad :)

I hope you all didn't miss me too much these last few days. I was in Tuscaloosa, AL ,with a group from my work. It was great! I might do a post about it in a few days. We didn't have easy access to internet while we were there, so I spent my time there completely unplugged. It...was...amazing.

Sublime Stitching

2011-08-02T16:00:00.000-05:00

A long (long, long, long, long, long, long) time ago, I won another blog giveaway. It's been so long now that I honestly can't remember which blog the giveaway was on. This fact doesn't come as a surprise to people who know me outside of blogging...I have a terrible memory. Anyway, this other giveaway I won was some fun embroidery patterns from Sublime Stitching. I had done some embroidery on paper before, but I'd never tried patterns. I was really excited to try it out! I did a couple of designs before I got too busy, but I actually bought several more patterns after I tried out the ones that I won.

The patterns in the first picture are the ones I bought, and the ones already embroidered are some I did with the patterns I won. It was a collection of fun crafty patterns. I love it! I'm planning on displaying these somewhere eventually. I cut the excess fabric and covered the back, now I just have to decide where to hang them. I also need to do some more with my other patterns! I think they'll be fun to use for gifts and cards and such whenever I get the time to sit down and do it again.

Speaking of time, I'll be out of town until next week, and I'm not sure if I'll have internet or not. If I'm not about to post, I'm truly sorry...but I'll be back soon!

Justin and Coco

2011-08-01T08:00:00.001-05:00

Earlier this summer I had the pleasure of photographing Justin and Coco (Coleen)'s wedding. They are such an adorable couple to be around. They are so obviously in love, and their love just bubbles over to everyone around them. It's hard NOT to smile when you're around these two! I was friends with Coco's brother, Jesse, in high school and Coco was also a student of my mom's. We've sort of known each other for several years now! I met Justin when I shot their engagement photos last Fall.

The wedding was in a really cute area of Troy, TN. We had a nice mixture of nature and urban scenery to use as backdrops. Coco had a very unique vision for her wedding, which included the photography. I have to give her credit for some of her fun ideas, like the bridesmaids shot from below. I was happy that I could bring some of her ideas to life!

We had to squeeze in most of the photos between the ceremony and reception, so FOCUS was the word of the day. One of my flaws as a wedding photographer is that I'm not very assertive. I can tell people what I need from them, but I don't have the force behind it to make people listen. Luckily, there were a lot of great people at this wedding that helped me corral everyone together and get the pictures done quickly. Justin and Coco were champs– they endured the heat with me the longest, along with Coco's dad, who helped carry the train.

appropriate cake topper for the thespian lovers

There was some very enthusiastic dancing at this wedding. Honestly, pictures could not possibly capture the life of this party. I hope that a few people got some video, though even that wouldn't come close to actually being there. I think over half of my pictures for the day were from the reception! It's hard to put the camera down when there is so much going on, you know? Anyway, Justin and his friends are very theatrical, so there was a lot of fun to be had.

I hope you all enjoyed the pictures, and I hope you had a great weekend! Thanks Justin and Coco for such a great wedding experience <3