She's got sass, that Sarah does

A few weeks back, I got a message from my good college buddy Jon Scott, telling me I should think about "reconnecting" with a college pal of ours, Sarah.

To be fair, Sarah was more Nick's friend than mine (they still like to talk about their freshmen year in college together) but now we share our friends (and our French fries) 'cause that's what married couples do ;)

Sarah is a photographer herself and aside from catching up with an old friend, Jon thought we might have something to talk about.

DID WE EVER!

Nick and I hung out a few weeks back with Sarah and her boyfriend, Billy, in Indianapolis and we all just clicked (Sarah and I knew we were in trouble when Nick and Billy started geeking out over Fark!)

We had so much fun, Sarah and I had to hook up again and "talk shop," this time with our cameras in hand. So without further ado, here's the fun, sassy, sarcastic, never-afraid-to-speak-her-mind Sarah Brown!

Photographers are always on the hunt for a good mural for a backdrop. Sarah had just spotted this one freshly painted and I'm sure we'll be seeing this on other photographers' blogs soon - it was huge!

How cute is she? Seriously, if you couldn't tell by that big 'ol smile on her face, Sarah's personality is infectious. You can't help but laugh when she's around!

While we were taking these last shots, some skeezy (yes, that is SO a word!) dude drove up in his hooptee trying to hit on us. I was clicking away and Sarah just took it like a trooper. Then again, what dude wouldn't hit on this gal? ;)

Jon THANK YOU FOR PUTTING SARAH AND I BACK IN TOUCH! I'm not kidding when I say this guy (Jon) could go into business reconnecting people like he did us - dude knows EVERYBODY who graduated from Ball State in the past decade!!

And Sarah, thank you for being the same fun person I remembered you being five years ago - you ROCK and I cannot wait to second shoot with you next month!

****To see the shots Sarah took of me, head on over to her blog!****

There she goes again...

What, just because I'm taking more images of people these days, did you actually think I could give up on the flowers?

Nope. Can't do it. I saw these guys and instantly, my brain thought, "Must. take. picture." That's what's great these days. I feel like wherever I go, I'm thinking more and more like a photographer and finding an excuse to make art. I shudder to think of what will happen if — down the line — I can pick up that macro lens I want.

These beautiful poppies belong to a neighbor down the road from us. Ironically enough, his name is Steve Bell. He's a retired BSU t-com prof and was the former anchorman for ABC's Good Morning America back in the '80s. I figured, if he came out finding a person taking photos of flowers in his driveway, at least I could explain that I knew him (and I interviewed him when he retired from BSU, so all's fair I say ...) Anyway, I say this a lot about flowers, but poppies truly are one of my favorites. They are just so gorgeous. I mean, these shots are straight out of camera — and anything this bold and this beautiful deserves to be a favorite in my book.

Hope you all had a wonderful Memorial Day weekend. I've got another fun project to process this week and get up on the blog before Nick and I take off this coming weekend to meet our new niece in Tennessee!

Tracy and Kevin: Part Two

Back when we roomed together in college, Tracy was not just my roommate — she was the best friend I confided to as I fell in love with Nick.

It was an afternoon encounter with Nick at the student newspaper that had me gushing about him to Tracy — about how cute I thought Nick was, wearing a pair of distressed jeans and green button-down shirt, and how I thought we were meant to be. I just felt it that day.

Fast forward six years later and I get a phone call from Tracy, wanting to tell me about this guy she'd met. Turns out Kevin was everything she could have dreamed of — and more.

"Remember your green shirt moment Gail?" she asked me. "Well, I've had mine."

Tracy, here's hoping you always remember that first "green shirt moment" with Kevin. You two are so in love and it was a blessing to capture the joy that emanated from both of you on our sunny afternoon together in the city.

Tracy had asked a co-worker about good places to take photos in Cleveland and was told a popular place to go was the Cleveland Museum of Art. Turns out she wasn't kidding! When we arrived, there were FOUR DIFFERENT wedding parties there, their photographers each vying for the same spot of shade in the same location. We decided to shoot around them and I was pretty happy with what we got being a bit more creative instead:

After walking around the grounds for a while, we headed back to the car. I had told Tracy I wanted to get a few artsy/urban shots of her and Kevin but because both the Cavaliers and Indians had home games that evening, we'd decided to rule that idea out. Until I spotted these student murals nearby....

Tracy is a HUGE fan of America's Next Top Model, so I had been teasing her, telling her I wanted her to give me her best "fierce" pose. I think she could give Tyra a run for her money with this one!

Because we'd headed out a bit too soon in the evening, we went back to the house to relax and wait around for the "yummy" light photographers love right before sunset. These shots on the water of Lake Erie were the perfect way for us to end our evening (actually, the fantastic meal Tracy and Kevin treated me to at the restaurant where they ate the night Kevin proposed was the perfect end - we were just on a high note thanks to nailing these shots!)

To view more images of Tracy and Kevin check out the slideshow!

A sneak peak

On Saturday, I had the great pleasure of taking engagement photos for one of my dearest friends, Tracy, and her fiance, Kevin.

The couple lives up in Cleveland, and it was my first trip to the city, so I loved the tour they gave me. My ONLY regret was not bringing my 5D with me for a trip to the West Side Market. It was SO cool and unlike any place I've ever been. You just had to see it!

We lucked out with AMAZING weather for the shoot and these two are too hot for words! Too bad, when all I want to do is edit their photos, I'm stuck copyediting for a few more nights.

But I couldn't resist giving you guys a sneak peak! Don't you LOVE seeing couples in love? I know I do!

MUCH more to come -- and SOON!

Standing out in the crowd

I know, I know, another photo of flowers. If it seems like that's all you've been seeing on the blog these days, well, that's because it is!

But here's the good news: I have my first engagement session this weekend with my very, very dear friend Tracy (up in Cleveland no less -- hey, I hear it rocks ;) so I am BEYOND excited for the shoot and to post some photos of a beautiful couple on this blog!

Now, I have a deadline for a copyediting project next week, and what stinks is that I know I'm going to want to spend ALL my free time editing their photos but I've got to get my manuscript back first! So be patient ... and hopefully, you'll find it worth your wait ;)

We have a ton of red tulips that have (well, had now) been blooming in our front yard when these little stragglers popped up among them. I just love this shot - reminds me of how nature doesn't always bring with it what you had expected.

With summer around the corner

My good pal Melanie introduced me to this salsa a couple years ago. Now it's become one of those seasonal foods that I look forward to every summer almost as much as not having to wear a jacket to work!

(Anyone else have those foods you crave with the changing seasons? Like pomengrantes in December or my grandma's cucumber and onion salad - also a summer-time treat!)

I thought I'd throw the recipe up here if anyone else thinks it looks yummy. I brought it to a work carry-in last week and had a couple requests to do the same.

For a batch the size of the one above:

1 green pepper, finely chopped
Can of black beans (rinsed and drained)
Can of corn (rinsed and drained)
Half a red onion, finely chopped
2 Roma tomatoes, chopped
The juice of 2 fresh lemons
The juice of 3 fresh limes
About 2 tablespoons of olive oil (to taste)

And voila! A simple summer salsa that's great to eat with pita bread or tortilla chips. It's perfect for a potluck too! (FYI: Mel likes to add cilantro to it and that's yummy too - it's kind of a create-your-own-version concoction!)



Stay tuned ......FUN stuff coming to this blog soon!!!

A cell phone without a camera? Not anymore!

When it comes to being a gear head, I pick and choose what to obsess over.

Camera equipment? Check.

Computers? Check.

Cell phones? Well .... not so much.

I'm not big on talking on the phone (problematic given how many of my family members live far away), which is probably why, in the past 10 years, I have owned exactly two cell phones (and people, we are living in a day and age where people change their cell phones as frequently as their underwear!)

I'd been using my husband's old cell phone (circa 2003) for ages but wanted a new phone with better texting capabilities since, yes, I did what I told myself I would never do -- fall in love with text messaging. I was going to purchase a new phone last fall, after Verizon told me I could upgrade since my contract was up for renewal. So I set up an appointment, went in, and WAITED TWO HOURS in line - even though I had an appointment! I left the store empty-handed, believing if Dante was putting together a modern-day nine circles of hell, the inside of a Verizon Wireless store would have to be among them.

I thought I'd hold out for an iPhone, but I just can't part with that kind of cash yet while trying to invest in camera equipment. Which means I was elated last night when Nick's buddy, Brian, told me about the wonderful perks of buying a new Verizon phone online. And here's what the lame customer service reps at Verizon won't tell you in person: You get a $50 ONLINE REBATE if you upgrade your phone over the Internet. That's on top of the discounts you get for renewing your contract. Since I'd never had a problem with my Verizon phone service, it sounded like a win-win deal. So, for $30 (and no one-time activation fee - oh yeah, you heard me right on that one), check out what the lovely FedEx man will be bringing me this week:





(I know it's silly of me to blog about a cell phone, but I figured if I didn't know about Verizon's awesome online discounts, chances were others didn't either so I thought I'd share this little nugget and maybe help someone else save some cash -- and hours in line in Verizon purgatory -- the next time they need a new phone.

We finished - INJURY FREE!!

Nick and I just got back from running the Indy Mini Marathon this morning. And the best part? I FEEL FANTASTIC!!!

This will be a short post (sorry, I didn't want to drag an expensive camera along to sneak a crowd shot when I was more focused on putting one foot in front of the other -- and not tripping over the other 35,000 runners!) but I'm so happy with how things went this year.

Nick and I ran the 13.1 miles in a respectable 2:13, keeping up about a 10:10 mile. That is a few minutes better than when we did this in '06 and more importantly, I didn't develop a stress fracture this year after Mile 10! :)

To me, running the Mini is about more than just running but knowing I can do something that even up until that gun went off, I still wasn't sure I could do. Breaking down a mental barrier like that? Well, it's one of the best accomplishments in the world.

I hope you all can experience something like that in your life. And if it's not by conquering the physical exertion of something like a long-distance race, well, making the world's best marinara sauce or finally finishing that bathroom remodel should count too.

For the love of etsy

I mentioned before how much I love etsy.

If you're unfamiliar, etsy is this great place where you can buy art, jewelry and crafts from small (some would say "starving") artists (but not "starving" like those creepy "Starving Artist" sales you sometimes see advertised on TV. You know the ones I'm talking about - those gawdy canvas-size prints that "MUST GO" for as low as $19.99? And they're always held in some hotel? Blech ...)

The beauty of the Internet has brought together this fantastic community and, if you're an admirer of all things creative, well ... you'll fall in love with etsy. It's pretty much inevitable.

Until recently, I'd just spent hours looking at all the amazing stuff on this site. But with remodeling the den and feeling the itch for some new art, I went ahead and made a few purchases.

I'm starting to think I'm in trouble now because the whole experience was so, so lovely!

First thing I scooped up? This print from artist John Golden. I LOVE his stuff - and have for a long time - so it was a pleasure to get my Chucks print in the mail.

Then, what does John go and do? He gives me this sweet little thank you note along with this teeny-tiny little robot print. Getting something from an artist when you don't expect it? It's like finding an extra present under the tree on Christmas morning!

Another etsy artist I love is Elizabeth Scott. Her jewelry is timeless and has these great ties to nature. So I had (HAD) to have these hydrangea petal earrings I'd been keeping my eye on for months. And yippy skippy if they didn't come in the most adorable little packaging. SO much more fun than buying jewelry at the Macy's counter!

I've already shown you the great WW2-era "Keep Calm" poster I bought from this artist, so I'll show you my favorite purchase of the lot. For those of you who've been to Nick and I's house, you know we have a retro theme to our kitchen (our house, built in the '50s, still has its original sea-foam green metal cabinets. It sounds gross but our home's previous owners made it work and now we love them). So when I saw these next two prints (knowing I'd been looking for something to hang on a blank wall in our kitchen) well, HOW COULD I RESIST? They are TOO PERFECT!

Their creator, dazeychic, makes really sweet stuff - some of which would be perfect for a little girl's room.

A lot of why I wanted to write this post was to encourage you all to start buying from etsy vendors. It's easy to do, especially if you use PayPal, and I can now say from experience every artist I purchased from got their goods to me quick and went out of their way to personalize the packages with sweet notes or extra gifts (dazeychic included an adorable notecard in her shipment). How great would it be to do your gift shopping from home AND get your friends something they wouldn't find at the mall? Priceless, as those Mastercard ads say.... and if you want some pointers on cool artists, give me a holla!