It's Grammer Time!

(terrible, terrible pun, I know.)

But it's finally time! Time to reveal a little preview of the nuptial festivities of Mr. Sam and Mrs. Allison. The Grammers.

I won't opine for too long, just know that it was an AMAZING time and I'm SOO SOOO glad that Allison wanted me there to document their special day. (I knew I was training her well during our year on Fifth Street...)

Hope you enjoy!!!

Cruise Nostalgia: Part Two

[Kind of ironic to be posting this while I'm in Hilton Head, SC in a hotel on the beach for work, but hey - I've got the time and I didn't want to skip this when it comes time to post beach shots!!]




Above: Market in Nice, France...pretty sure these were spices. Pretty sure they were awesome.



Above: Big jacks in the water on the Amalfi coast. They were sweet.




Above: One of my faves...getting warmed up in Venice on our first day.




Above: If you can't beat him, join him. That's how he stands in pics, so I will stand with him. That's the kind of sister I am.




Above: A real fruit smoothie...that's how they roll on Princess. On Carnival it's up for a more loose interpretation...like "a plate of fruit."

Anyway, just a smattering of the 6000+ I took on the trip - maybe someday I'll get big phatty prints done. After I get back from the beach, taking family photos, doing weddings, and not having a job...soooo...never.

Cruise Nostalgia: Part One

Due to all of the wonderful times I've recently had with people I'm no longer living in direct community with, I have started to develop a bit of nostalgia. When it comes to the "big photo-worthy" events in my own life (I know, you're thinking do I consider any of my life's events not worthy of photos...? There are different levels people - let me get to the point!) anyway, I tend to get overloaded with photos and then never do anything with them (in term of printing them or making any lasting memory with them. Thanks to technology, I can do my social networking service (ministry, some may call it) by posting an excessive amount of photos on the internets immediately following a quick sort-and-edit routine. Then I get my giggles when other people see them and like them and comment on them and it's all fine and dandy and I feel all warm and fuzzy because the photos served their purpose in bringing [at least an immediate] joy to people I love.

All that to say, it's a temporary high. Those photos get covered up the next week (when I was in school) or the next month...or two...or three (now that I'm 'real'). Either way, they aren't in the forefront and therefore, I believe, are not serving their full purpose. At least not to me.

PLEASE don't think that I'm complaining about people losing interest in the photos I take! That's not the point. The point IS that I spend SOO much time taking photos and loving every second of it, but when they are my personal photos (i.e. not ones people pay me to take, a whole 'nother category entirely. (I feel like I can justifiably use " 'nother" because I acknowledged its ridiculousness with the apostrophe.))...anyway, when it comes to my personal photos I don't dwell after the moments have past. Not that I want to spend more time dwelling in the literal past, but I wish that I spent more energy completing the process of preserving the memories originally captured for that purpose. (And because my friends sometimes hated it. Another 'nother category).

Anyway, here's a shoutout to that. Pretty sure I could have said that in 20 words or less. My blog, my blah blah blah. You know how to scroll... :)

Pimp Daddy Cruise '08 - Oh the drama...





It almost makes me cry just looking through these. And I'm only half kidding. I should rename it "Cry Baby Cruise." (Just remember, VIP line...thanks to my waterworks...)





Gosh we were tan/fried. And sharing dresses. And teasing hair. And teasing Chase. Because he was a pimp daddy. And who could forget...




The best [only] napover I've ever had!!! It was our backup plan for the all-nighter plan. Best idea ever. This picture captures all six of us napperoverers (Mel was almost invited via moving her mattress whilst she slumbered soundly on it...we drew the line at messing with a sleeping Mel though.) and anyway, I thought the sheer handiwork of getting everyone in it (or their awesome plaid shorts) was pretty neat.

Now, goodnight for real. More Cruise fun to look forward to...

The Kroger Engagement Shoot | Colorfully Accurate

Thanks to the guys at work, I have solved my color crisis!

















[and apparently I've overstepped my 'line' of not blogging on the job...it's totally relevant to other areas contained by my profession!]

I draw the line at blogging on the job...

...since it isn't actually my job to blog. (Erin, you are of course excused.)

All that to say, sorry it's been so long. Sorry that I haven't quite adjusted to the new schedule of my life yet and still have nights where I can't sleep until after 2 a.m. and still have to get up before 8. At 8? A little after 8...late! Or close to it. More days than not. I'm working on it.

Work? Yes, that's what I've been doing. A little more lately. In fact, today I wasn't twiddling my thumbs waiting until it was time to go, I actually had to stay a little bit later to finish something. I like that. I feel useful and productive it's nice.

So I was going to wait until it was official (as in printed stack in my hand) but they're taking too darn long. Here are what my business cards will look like!!!


I didn't design them, they're a standard university version, but the two-sided gold thing really has me going! The front side is a little top heavy, but what can you do? I didn't have to pay for them...I'll only have a thousand, so I'm sure they'll be going fast. If you're lucky you might receive a limited edition autographed version. If you're really lucky you might get one with a lipstick print too...


And for a little sample of something I do on my job, below is the first 'new' thing I did at work (new as in not just an update or reprint of an older job):



Yep, they're pretty pink. I didn't think it was the greatest thing ever but I'm willing to cope with that since it was so well received by my superiors and coworkers. Woo hoo! They were just small posters and handouts for a rec class event. Kinda fun.

What's really fun though was who I got to see this weekend...MOLLY!!! I have to confess, it felt like she'd been on a really long vacation and she was back at home for good. Unfortunately for me, she's back on extended leave again and I'm left feeling like I didn't soak her up enough. :( Guess that just means I have to go to Nashville for rizzles!!!



So we went to the football game on Saturday and cheered the Tigers on to a depressing defeat. We also got to eat half-baked cookies (mom forgot to save some dough) with ice cream (sosoososooooo good!) and then of course the entree of all-baked cookies with milk. Molly also got to see the European Cruise Slideshow DVD...one full hour of photos and it had been long enough for me that I was actually excited to see them again.

And I realized that even though I've been working 40 hours a week, I've accidentally on purpose taken a break from my 'real' camera. I think I may be ready to take it up again, which is good because I have several reasons to: I love fall, Emily and Mark need engagement photos, I have a long-overdue assignment from Mrs. Duggin, some family shoot opportunities and of course there's always my dogs!!! This will be good for those of you who would rather I didn't write as much and just posted more pics.

We'll see if it really balances out or just causes me to write more...

Weekend with the Girls!

Well what a fun weekend to end my first full week as a working girl! Right after work on Friday I went over to Emily's house to see her and Sheryl who was visiting for the weekend. A nice dinner on the patio at Flat Branch that night followed by "Mare's" delicious chocolate cake afterward and topped off with a good old-fashioned sleep over was just perfect. Well, nothing's perfect, but it sure was fun!

Saturday morning started before 9:00 and I was unpleasantly surprised to find how that didn't seem early to me anymore. Dang. That was a quick transition for someone who you would have thought to actually be better suited for a night job than anything else. At least I still believe that I'm not someone who couldn't sleep past noon anymore. My DNA hasn't changed.

Anyway, the not-so-early-anymore morning began with breakfast at Panera where the two Kirksville Travelers Kristi and Joelle joined us. From there we moved to good old David's Bridal for the 10 and 11 o'clock appointments to find bridesmaid's dresses for Sheryl's and Emily's wedding. (Not to each other, just so that's clear!)

While some would call the appointments a success in terms of finding pleasing possiblities for the intended goal, I found it a success more in terms of this:





Once I find the lucky man, someone please tell him I will only say "Yes" if he's been to DB to pick up MY ring for $6.99. You can't put a price on the real deal, folks. Just look at that quality setting...okay, I must stop drooling. I just can't stop thinking of how buff my left arm is going to be from lugging that around the mansion we'll be able to afford from all we've saved. It'll just mean so much. Okay, seriously. My slap happy hour is a full 6 hours ahead of time now! I don't know how to handle it!

Get through it.

This is the group at Applebee's after some more mall shopping. A delightful meal with delightful company! I can't remember the last time I sat at a restaurant that long past eating - what fun!



Our waitress even offered to take this photo of us after I got my "booth sides" shots. She wanted to be sure that the table was still clean and there weren't any incriminating liquids so as to prevent any internet posting snafus. What a doll. Her name was Jen. I think that's still my name. Sometimes I'm not sure. How do you put your full name on a resume and let everyone think your preferred name is "Jennifer" because you don't think you care? Then one professional phone call comes along and you refer to yourself as Jen and change your mind about everything! Sigh.

I digress again.

Here is a 'before' shot from today's glorious marathon distance bike ride from Columbia to Rocheport and back. What beautiful biking b...uddies! We made amazing time of 90 minutes for each leg of the journey, 3 hours total, with about an hour for lunch at the Trailside Cafe. We'll probably be sore tomorrow, but I still think it's worth it. As I hobble around the house in pain already.




See? What a great weekend! Full of "I haven't done this in so long!!!" moments - from the excessive and satisfying amount of photos, to the sweating this much and working this hard, and just getting to spend a solid amount of time in great conversation with some of my favorite people in the world! (Gosh, I've been so mushy lately! Does that come as a bonus to the earlier bedtimes or what?!?!)

Here's to a productive and challenging second week of work!


P.S. I love comments!!!

Stealth Photographer, Sassy Designer

Here's my second day's outfit – it was a "Business Formal Black & Gold" dress code day. I rocked it. Mom's not so great at the front porch photos (she must have peaked when I hit junior high and just quit trying after that) so I had my own mini(onephoto)photo shoot after work in before my neighbor drove down the street and I pretended like I was just getting the paper. Like a real adult, you know.





And here is MY OFFICE!!! I hear they're pretty strict about photos taken in the building, but since it's my office, no one else is in it, no gym equipment is in it and no one is paying me for it I think it's okay. Don't tell anyone though, ok? Great.





Let's start with my corner back there...two ginormous screens side by side and the aforementioned awesome keyboard. Lots and lots of cabinet and drawer space and believe me I've been reorganizing like a fiend. Nothing like having a guy predecessor that kept 50+ copies of everything...yikes. Bringing the dust wipes tomorrow.

This shot is taken as you walk in the door and turn 90º to your left. Behind are even more cabinets and drawers...unbelievable! The windows are just to the hallway, kept shut so as not to feel like a zoo animal. It's bad enough that my computer screen faces everyone else – I hate when people can see the 'work in progress'!!!

There's a nice tall counter to separate the space pretty well. Perfect for barstools if it were a more socially appealing environment :)

And yes, I've revealed where my snack drawer is...no chocolate yet, but sooooon. Oh so soon.

Someday I will tackle the 'printer/storage closet area (the door is at the end of the countertop and to the right of my desk corner). It's a little scary in there and I just haven't had the strength. I was maxing out on bravery today standing on the rolly chair in a skirt trying to move heavy stacks of magazines off the shelf. Dang. That could have been bad.

Okay, I promise this won't always be about work stuff. But still, there are photos so I guess the blog is still somewhat on target subject-wise. My hope is to periodically add some of the best of the best of the best of the 5000+ photos I took on the Mediterranean cruise this summer. In the meantime, photos of me will just have to suffice!