Bon voyage blessed beard

So I had gotten a few comments about the volume of my beard. It was too loud for some I guess. I loved it. I felt cozy and secure. I posted recently how I feel slightly naked with a clean-shaven face and it is especially so when it is cold outside. Granted, some might think that 40 degrees is not cold but that is freezing in Texas. I didn't shave it completely. There is a little left... well, just see for yourself.



BEFORE



BEFORE/AFTER

Thanksgiving

Thanksgiving was great. I know I am a little late posting this, but I have been crazy busy, just how I like it. :-) Turkey, pecan pie, beer, football, great weather.... what else do you need? The kids loved helping to decorate the tree and they are getting pumped about Christmas! It was a needed break.

Model shoot

Here are a few from a shoot I just did with Vanessa Filkins. We kind of collaborated and both got some great shots out of it. Kristin (model) was great and was very open to our crazy ideas. We all had a lot of fun I think. This was my first model shoot and I learned a lot just from trying different techniques and lighting setups. I want to do these more often so if you are interested let me know!

Kevin, Shannon, and Beckett

Jeremy told me I could be the guest blogger for this post since this family is near and dear to my heart. (This is Jeremy's wife Robin, by the way). I got to tag along on this shoot last Saturday afternoon with the Kramer family and I had so much fun watching them interact with each other. I met Shannon a few years ago when she interviewed me for a receptionist job. We had just moved to Austin and I had given up on finding the perfect job because at that point I just needed to work. Little did I know then that this company would be exactly where I needed to be- a perfect fit for me at the time. I remember talking to Shannon in the interview and thinking, "We would be friends in real life!" She was so much fun, so full of life, and super down to earth. I was offered two other jobs that paid more, but I took the one with Shannon mainly because of her. Sounds crazy, but I just had a gut feeling that it was the right place for me.

Shannon quickly became a friend, even though she was my boss. I always looked forward to seeing her stop by my desk in the mornings and tell me some funny story about her son Beckett. Not long after I started that job, I found out I was pregnant with twins. The entire office was so supportive of me...I could easily understand why I felt like I should've taken that job. When we had our twins, we found out that our son was very sick and the doctors weren't sure he would pull through. When it comes to that time in my life, I have very vivid memories of things people said and did for us. It's one of those situations where you find out who your true friends are, and Shannon will always be counted as one of them. She was on the phone or the computer constantly wanting updates on Estlin. I remember one time she called to check on him and Jeremy and I were driving into the hospital parking garage to go see him. It was the toughest day, I think, because the doctors had just called with a very negative report. I can still almost hear what Shannon's voice sounded like (not to be weird or creepy :-)). It was just so assuring. She said, "He will be okay. He will be fine, Robin. He will. Okay?" I'm well aware that she was not convinced of that, but it is exactly what I needed right then. Then, in typical Shannon take-care-of-everyone mode, she asked if I needed for them to pay for our parking bill for the garage. Then she asked if people from the office could come up and donate blood to Estlin. Just going back to that time puts me in tears immediately. I will just never forget the way she was there for me.

So there you have it-my sappy explanation of why this family is important to me. :-)

Hope you enjoy the photos. Aren't they just so darn cute? Beckett was a little ham. He really knew how to work the camera. What a cutie.

Ghost Bikes

Ghost bikes are memorials for bicyclists who are killed on the street. A bicycle is painted all white and locked to a street sign or pole near the crash site to serve as quiet reminders of the tragedy that took place.

The first ghost bikes were created in St. Louis, Missouri in 2003, and they have since appeared in over 100 locations throughout the world. They appear in such places as Australia, Germany, Spain, Mexico, UK and even here in Austin. Austin has a huge biking community and I felt like it would be honoring to showcase these powerful landmarks for the art benefit that I mentioned in an earlier post.

Again, the benefit is for Empower Art, a new organization dedicated to teach abused kids to express themselves through art. Art is within us all and I believe whole-heartedly in this idea and it impacted me in a significantly, as I have personal experience in this exact situation (better to be told in another post). Art helped me greatly to express myself and put my feelings on paper.










**For more information please visit ghostbikes.org

Austin

I was talking to Robin the other day and neither of us can imagine living anywhere else now. Austin is definitely our home. We moved here together in September of 2006 and have just fallen in love with the town. It really is a big small town. Some of the biggest events in my life have happened here: the birth of my kids, culinary school, 2 tornados, first house, and many more to come. I know we will travel more as soon as the kids are old enough, but this town has enough adventure in it to keep anyone busy. Here are just a few of my favorite things about Austin (not in any specific order):

- Enoteca Vespaio (more specifically, their bone marrow!)
- The many greenbelts
- UT football
- Home Slice
- Alamo Drafthouse
- There are dogs everywhere!
- Art culture (even though that contains my competition)
- Music culture
- You can get beer at the grocery store (I grew up in the Bible belt folks)
- Mozarts
- Hey Cupcake
- The green movement


**Taken by John "Fat Guy" Houston

Can beards be Bedazzled?

I have not shaved with a real razor since I was in high school. I only did it then because I had to....eh, I was supposed to. I usually got away with not shaving. I just can't stand the feeling of a cleanly shaven face. It makes me feel kind of naked. Don't get me wrong, being naked is not a horrible thing! I don't want to offend any nudists. I just like the feeling of having a hairy face. Well, I have been keeping it closely trimmed during the summer months and the weather has finally dropped below 70 degrees, so here it comes. I don't actually plan on shaving/trimming any time soon. I have a bet with a friend to see who can go longer without shaving or trimming, neck and cheeks included. "Oh no!" you say? It is true, the hair will soon connect between my beard and my chest, but that is quite alright. I live in Austin. I am just "keeping it weird". My beard is my favorite accessory and if I could bedazzle it I would.

Empower Art

I was asked by one of my clients to donate a photograph for a non-profit organization called Empower Art. They are holding a charity event to help raise money and I am honored to help. The organization will help give troubled and abused children an artistic outlet for their feelings and emotions. Empower Art will have art classes of all kinds, including painting, drawing, crafts, and hopefully photography. :-)

I want to take a "run" of photos, maybe 3 or 4 that portray love and encouragement. My inspiration comes from my own childhood. I had parents that could not have been more encouraging. They were, and still are, the most supportive and giving parents I have ever seen. Robin always brags on how they would do anything for any of their family. All you have to do is ask. Sometimes, that isn't even necessary. Being adopted actually brought about some of the best qualities in me and I give full credit where credit is due. Mom and Dad, if you are reading this, I love you.

This event will be held on Nov. 11, so I have 2 and a half weeks. I will be posting possible photos here for input. In the meantime, I would love to hear any impact that art has had on your life, good or bad. No judgement here!

Sweet Berry Farm

On Sunday we all decided to go to Sweet Berry Farm in Marble Falls. It is only a 45 minute drive from Cedar Park and a beautiful one at that. We told the kids we going to a pumpkin patch so that is what they said aaaaaaallllll day, "pumpkin patch, pumpkin patch, pumpkin patch." It was cute... When we got to Marble Falls it was time for lunch so we went to a restaurant that was right on the lake. We couldn't have asked for more beautiful weather. The kids got to see the water and eat a hamburger, which is very unusual for them. We do our best to feed them well. Side note - yesterday Olivia and Estlin both didn't even want a cookie when I gave it to them. They picked at it for 10 minutes. I have Robin to thank for that.

Okay, back to my story... So after we ate we went to the festival and waited in line on the road for about a mile away from the farm. It was packed. People were everywhere and it wasn't that big of a place. We parked and immediately got in line for tickets to go on the hay ride. The kids loved that. We did sit at the front where we were nice and dusty by the end from the tractor, but this was just the beginning of the dirtiness. We crossed the road and walked around for a bit, taking pictures. Robin wanted the kids to get their faces painted so we waited in line for around 45 minutes for that. All the while Olivia proceeded to wallow around in the dirt like she was trying to coat herself. Estlin would just run off and realize that he was surrounded by people. They were good though, no fits. Olivia got a Unicorn painted on her cheek and loved it. Estlin almost started crying when the girl tried to paint his face so she just painted a tractor on his hand instead, and he barely let her do that. He was happy afterwards though, and proud. Afterward, we went to go pet the goats. This was my favorite part because I know that they both absolutely love animals and were just beside themselves. I was proud that they both actually petted them.

Finally, it was time to go home. We were all pooped from the walking around and the sun. It took only about 5 minutes and they were both sound asleep in the car. It was a good day.



Yes, he is choking me. Strong little fella.

Philip, Ashley & Roxie

Today was a perfect day for a photo shoot. I went with Philip & Ashley down to Town Lake to do their engagement photos and we had a great time. They brought their dog Roxie, who was not fully comfortable with me, but we made it work. We got some great photos today and I am looking forward to their wedding. It has been raining so much here and it was really nice to enjoy some sunshine and 70 degree weather.

Sand Animation

World War II is one of the most, if not the most historic events in this century. I have seen almost every WWII movie and it is something that has affected my life greatly. I would have to say that, besides Star Wars of course, Band of Brothers is my favorite series. I have watched it straight through probably 10 times and it never gets old. Side note - Colin, if you read this I want my box set back, I need to watch it again! :-). Anyway, blah blah blah. I watched this video on Youtube and was moved by the art and the story, the passion, vigor and power that is within Kseniya Simonova. She moved me.

*You can see more if you search "sand animation" on YouTube

365

#20. This photo is from a wedding I did over a week ago but I wanted to say what a great idea I think pedicabs are. I met Nathan with Metrocycle Pedicabs at the wedding and he seemed like a really nice guy. Whenever I have seen these downtown on the weekends or during SXSW I always think of the opening scene in Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom. Nicole and Ernie got to ride from the reception all the way to The Mansion at Judges Hill, where they were staying that night.

If you are getting married or find yourself having to park 2 miles away from 6th street on a Friday or Saturday night, take a pedicab.

Weekend

This weekend was good. I got to spend the entire 2 days with my family. Estlin and Olivia were in great moods and we had a great time playing. On Saturday I got up with the kids while Robin slept in. I usually make pancakes and over-easy eggs for the kids, but we actually had that for dinner on Friday night so I made cranberry orange scones instead. Saturday evening we went to the park (see below). This is a great park because it is kind of hidden and there is rarely anybody else there. They really enjoyed crawling through the tunnels and shouting,"Daddy, where are you?" Hide and seek is our favorite game. Saturday night I watched UT pull off another win, waiting until the second half to show up though. They need to stop doing this if they want to beat OU. Today we played inside the whole day due to the rain and 55 degree weather, but we made the best of it and built a fort out of all the blankets we could find. I love their imaginations. It's inspiring.

Ernie & Nicole

Ernie and Nicole are great. They were very easy going and super easy to work with. I shot their engagements a while back at the park where Ernie proposed to Nicole and we had a blast. I think their wedding was one of my favorite so far. The ceremony was traditional yet sincere. There was nonstop dancing for hours and everybody there seemed like they were my best friends. I met lots of people and the best part was that I actually felt like a guest.

Here are a few shots from the day. I haven't even uploaded them all and I am already excited for them.



The first time I got to take photos of the brides dress.



And shoes!



They are almost glowing. No post production effects here by the way.

Paci Party!!

#18. Robin decided to take the pacifiers away from the kids today. They only used them to take naps and sleep at night, but we still needed to bite the bullet and "send them to Santa Claus to give to other babies". We had a "party" tonight where I made strawberry shortcake to celebrate the kids triumph...... Well, triumph might not be the word since, as I type, Estlin is crying "Momma! Momma!" in his bed. It's kinda sad, but it's what has to happen I guess. I commend Robin for being strong enough to deal with stuff like this. It's hard to hear your child scream bloody murder, even though it is over a plastic nipple thing with a handle. :-)

I am uploading my photos from the wedding I shot on Saturday and I am excited about starting to edit them. I should have a few ready tomorrow to share.

On another note, cold weather please come soon!

Weekend

This weekend the kids went with their Grandma to her house. Sleeping in is a forgotten event in our house. Robin and I got to sleep until 9 a.m. on Saturday and 10 a.m. this morning. It felt good to just wake up and lay in bed until we were ready to get up. On Saturday, we went to the outlet mall and looked around for some Halloween costumes for the kids. We almost bought them Mickey and Minnie costumes, but changed our minds when we saw the price tags. Robin bought her long awaited winter coat. She waited too long last year to buy one she liked and was able to find a great one at J. Crew that was on crazy sale (see photo below). Robin got the one in grey and white, not orange. I bought some more dress pants for weddings and we had a blast just taking our time.



I shot a wedding later that evening downtown and it was a wonderful wedding. I met Heather Hill with Hill Country Event Planning and was very impressed by her ability to take charge and keep everything rolling. She was great. The bar tenders were also with her company and were very nice. There was dancing for close to 3 hours and the floor was never empty.

Today Robin and I met up with some of her high school friends that were in town for ACL and went to Kerbey Lane for brunch. I had the Eggs Francisco, as usual and about halfway through the meal it started pouring. Torrential downpour folks! We all decided to then to see Whip It since it was raining so hard. ACL did not seem like a good idea to anybody. The movie was really good. It was cool to see shots of Austin here and there.

Home Alone

Grandma took the kids for the weekend. What to do... what to do... Tonight Robin and I went to Trudy's to have some scrumptious dinner and margaritas (see below). After catching up on The Rachel Zoe Project, we are now watching Return To Me. Well, Robin is watching it and I am typing. Tomorrow we are just going to take it easy. Who knows... I have a wedding to shoot tomorrow downtown, which should be fun. It is quiet here... too quiet. We are used to yelling and laughing and crying. It's good to have some silence some times, but I miss my nuggets.

Self portrait

Photo of the day #16. I was just messing around with a snoot. I made it out of the box my flash came in. Lots of fun.

p.s. I don't love my own face, I just like playing around with new techniques using an off-camera flash. I got a lot of inspiration from Zack Arias, who is a great photographer up in ATL. He has a great work shop called One Light. Check it out!

I heart hockey!

#15. The Texas Stars have moved to Cedar Park and the arena is only 2 miles away! It couldn't get better than that. We went to see the Stars vs the Houston Aeros tonight and had a blast. Granted, we did spend 40 dollars on parking and food, but still much fun. We went with Taylor and Leah. Leah decided to root for the opposing team and yelled for them the whole game. It was kinda funny though. The Cedar Park Center is going to be a great thing to have down the street. I will definitely be going to more hockey games.

My wife...

#14. My wife is strong. She is tough. She is soft. My wife is gentle. She is caring. She is smart. My wife is thoughtful. She is nurturing. She is passionate. My wife is mine and I love her. The following poem means a lot to us. To anyone reading this, take time, soak in these words. Love is powerful. It makes the world go round.

i carry your heart with me(i carry it in
my heart)i am never without it(anywhere
i go you go,my dear;and whatever is done
by only me is your doing,my darling)
i fear no fate(for you are my fate,my sweet)i want
no world(for beautiful you are my world,my true)
and it's you are whatever a moon has always meant
and whatever a sun will always sing is you

here is the deepest secret nobody knows
(here is the root of the root and the bud of the bud
and the sky of the sky of a tree called life;which grows
higher than soul can hope or mind can hide)
and this is the wonder that's keeping the stars apart

i carry your heart(i carry it in my heart)

-- e. e. cummings