It’s a leap year so I might as well take a leap…right

My original post can be found by visiting, http://www.blogging.lifebehindmylens.com/2012/01/03/its-a-leap-year-so-i-might-as-well-take-a-leap-right/.  I wanted to put this post on both blogs!

Well most of my friends now that I am a leap year baby and with being said...I am taking a huge leap!!  I am putting myself out there and hoping to be one of the six finalists chosen to attend the Zach and Jody Gray’s Wedding Weekend creativeLIVE EVENT!!! Yes I am super excited that they will be on creativeLIVE and that we will all get to stream and watch this for free–yes free–but I would SO LOVE to be there!!  I have wanted to learn off camera flash from these two for almost two years and it is SO hard getting into their workshops.  Not all of them fit with my work schedule and when one does, BOOM, sold out. Seriously, there plus class sold out instantly at WPPI 2011.  I was bummed.  They are amazingly talented, humble and down right awesome.  I enjoyed meeting them while I was in Vegas but I would love the opportunity to learn from them with a hands-on experience like this!  Wish me luck guys!  2012 is a big year for me, as I am developing and finalizing a new brand, new website and so much more.  My fingers are crossed and I would love some of Zach’s coffee but if it’s not meant to be me, I truly hope those six individuals realize how AMAZING of an opportunity this is and are truly grateful!! I would like to give a huge THANK YOU to Nancy Dodich for her wonderful graphic skills! She made this cool coffee photo for me and I love how it turned out! She is a woman of many talents!  Thank you again creativeLIVE, as well as Zach and Jody!  XoRo

“The happiest people are those who think the most interesting thoughts. Those who decide to use leisure as a means of mental development, who love good music, good books, good pictures, good company, good conversation, are the happiest people in the world. And they are not only happy in themselves, they are the cause of happiness in others.” ~William Lyon Phelps~

Sneak Peek: Matt & Sharon ♥

First off, I would like to say a special thank you to Peggy Jiral! Thank you for EVERYTHING that you created, setup, designed and just for simply being you!! Saturday I had the pleasure of photographing Matt & Sharon’s engagement photos and I must say it was a great session! These two are such a cute gorgeous couple and their love shows when they are together.  They have their own way of communicating and it is hilarious that they understand one another…whether it is a noise or a look, they know what the other one is thinking!  These two share the same Alma mater, Baylor University and their jersey’s are from Freshman year 2005!!  Yes Sharon did indeed find Mr. Wright!  We laughed, we fought the wind, we listened to Matt’s stomach growl and we captured some really good shots!  Sharon had some of the cutest Fall ensembles and Matt’s choices were dapper as well. Here are just a FEW of the many photos that I took!  There are SO many that I love and cannot wait to share!! This is definitely part one of a Matt & Sharon blog post series! Sharon you are amazingly gorgeous! You truly. You are a rare soul with a good heart–a gem.  Matt…”Matty” you are lucky to have Sharon and she is ever so lucky to have you as well!  You are a great partner, as well as person, and major props again on the ring!  Unbeknownst to Sharon, Matt designed her ring  and totally surprised her when he popped the question.  It’s always best to catch a woman off guard guys!  I wish you two the absolute best in life, love, health and prosperity.  Thank you again for allowing me to capture these moments in your lives! XoRo

“For it was not into my ear you whispered, but into my heart.  It was not my lips you kissed, but my soul.”  ~Judy Garland~

Album Design and Upload Fail…

Designing an album is not easy as most people may think.  Templates do  help but it is still quite time consuming. There is nothing like taking the time to design an album, get the pictures exactly how you would like them and then bam…. → the album does not upload or uploading it is extremely weird.  Thankfully my representative called and walked me through the process on her own time.  I truly appreciated it.  I am new to this particular print lab and wanted to see if their albums would work best for me and my clients.  Do not get me wrong, I love the labs that I use, but it is always good to  try new things.  I only hope that the album turns out amazing!  It’s pretty much a Boudoir studio album so we shall see how it turns out!

Happy Tuesday!  I hope everyone has a great day! Ⓡ

I had to share some images from a recent Boudoir shoot that I did for a client as her anniversary gift to her husband–and herself!  I cannot show the other ones that LOVE that truly show how sexy and gorgeous this young woman is but these are some that I can share! 
“The world’s a rollercoaster and I am not strapped in. Maybe I should hold with care, but my hands are busy in the air.” ~Brandon Boyd~

New year so I am changing it up↓

So, I have decided to change things up a little bit! Hey you have to do that from time to time! If you don’t shake things up a little bit, they tend to get a little dull! I have a new blog, don’t worry all of the posts from this blog were imported over but the new blog has a completely different feel and look to it. Please head over and check it out!
Thanks for stopping by! ®

♫Merry Christmas to You♫

First and foremost, Happy Birthday Jesus.  Thank you for allowing us with this wonderful day to be spent with friends, family and loved ones.  With God’s continued love I can say that I am always and forever grateful for this day and for every day that I am blessed to see.  A day of togetherness, love and faith.  Knowing the beautiful reason for this beloved holiday would be the ultimate sacrifice of him later giving his own life.  I am and will always be forever grateful and thankful for his sacrifice.  I hope that everyone has had a wonderful, safe, blessed, happy and enjoyable Christmas day.  ♥

For those of you that need a little hope to go along with your faith…here you go!

“I have found the paradox, that if you love until it hurts, there can be no more hurt, only more love.”  {Mother Teresa}

≈Time flies≈

Wow I cannot believe it’s Christmas Eve. With the rain pouring and the lights glowing, it is starting to feel like Christmas. I hope that everyone has had safe travels to their destinations, wherever you may be headed for the holidays.

I am sitting here reflecting back to when I was stung on the inside of my upper lip by a honey bee. Oh wait, I didn’t blog about that. Well yes I was stung by a honey bee that was inside my can of Diet Dr. Pepper. Ouch yes! Huge swollen upper lip…YES!! I looked like Taylor from the Real Housewives of Beverly Hills!! Well recently I went on a bee farm where there were dozens of honey bee houses (well that’s what I’ll call them). I got out and took photos. Quietly and in a calm manner, I stepped closer towards the honey bees–not too close–and captured beautiful images of a pretty cool process of how honey is made. It was amazing, I felt my honey bee fear lifted! Anywho, here is an image of the bee houses and a few holiday shots!

Happy Christmas Eve everyone!! Have a safe and wonderful holiday. ®

“And a couple things impressed me, I’m a person of faith and I love this country. I’ve seen more flag-wavers here and more people that are God-fearing than any part of the country.” {George Shinn}

♥ It is that time of year ♥

I love this time of the year but I do not enjoy seeing the greed and craziness it evokes in some individuals. I hope you all have been traveling safe. There is business everywhere this time of year. People speeding, driving erratic and after they almost hit you, they have the audacity to look at you like you slapped their mom or something! You can shop online these days and it is not less meaningful…well except if it were diamonds. Those need to be purchased in person for sure. I have to admit, I have been a little slow on the whole “Christmas shopping” this year but it will all come together without any madness.

I do want to take the time out to ask my blog stalkers or anyone who comes across my blog to please pray for a young lady name Rachel Davis. Rachel is a loving mother and wife and last Sunday when she and her her family were getting ready to take their new baby sister home from the hospital, she went into cardiac arrest. It has been a major roller coaster for her family and I have and will continue to pray for her strength, her health and her family. Rachel had open heart surgery yesterday and the procedure went well; she is resting and recovering. Please open your hearts and say a prayer for the Davis family and for Rachel. If you would like to make a donation for her medical expenses, you can do so at Texas Bank.

So, I had this whole idea for my blog for December. I was going to write a post every day about something or a session that I have never blogged about. Well we see how that turned out!!! It’s December 11th and I am making my first blog post! Slacker!!! Seriously I have been busy just living life and things have been great. So I will start off my first December blog post with something I have not experienced in quite some time. Last weekend I attended a wedding as a GUEST!!!! It was great! It was the first time in over five years that I was at a wedding and I was not in it nor shooting it. It was nice to sit back, relax and enjoy the moment. Two individuals expressing their love, “I will!” and admiring all of the details!!! Oh, the deets were gorge! I will blog about that wedding in another post because I did take photos of the ceremony; it was too gorge not to!!!

So I am getting ready to head out to celebrate Kipton’s first birthday. Kipton is on my blog header…inside of his mother’s belly! I cannot wait to see all of the great things his mom will have setup for the party–Katriana already made a really cool rock star cake! Until then, I hope everyone has a wonderful Saturday.  ♥

“The moment a child is born, the mother is also born. She never existed before. The woman existed, but the mother, never. A mother is something absolutely new.” {Bhagwan Shree Rajneesh}

Being Thankful

I don’t know about you guys but Thanksgiving is every day for me–minus the turkey, dressing, pies, baking and holiday decor.  No seriously, every morning I wake up…Thankful!  There is not a month that defines how truly thankful I am but it may for others.  Life is short and can change at any given moment, so for me each and every day is a blessing.  I am thankful for the many people I have in my life, the amazing opportunities God has presented me with and those very trying times when he walks with me.  No I am not trying to spout my beliefs or “preach” to anyone, I am simply expressing my gratitude.

I honestly cannot believe that November is almost over and December is rapidly approaching.   There are so many wonderful events happening in December–two weddings that I am very excited about–and lots of family sessions that I am truly looking forward to.  So while I am on the subject of marriage, a dear and long-time friend will be getting married next weekend.  I am so excited!!  Excited to see her getting ready, in her dress and seeing Ryane and Jake saying “I do” before their close family and friends.  It is going to be absolutely beautiful–I cannot wait to see all of the finishing touches!!! I like to call it, “The Wedding Weekend Palooza!” I was honored to photograph Ryane and Jake after their engagement brunch a few weeks ago.  The brunch was very nice and very yummy!  Who made that quiche Pam?  I want their recipe!!!   I love their wedding brand and the decor at the brunch only gave me small hints as to what is in store on the 4th!
Pam Gosschalk worked her magic and prepared distinct and beautiful decor for the brunch and the wedding!  Pam is a wedding designer by trade and I know that their Fall wedding will be spectacular and truly unique…especially since she is not going to do her usual large-scale Christmas decor this year.

I absolutely LOVED these cupcakes.  Seriously, they were the best EVER and I love Sprinkles cupcakes!  Not to mention the unique design and hand work that went into making these–true talent.  Ryane, I am so glad that you found your match.  You and Jake are truly a beautiful couple.  You guys are also hilarious but Ryane has always been able to make me laugh!  She will always be my little homie!  There were lots of laughs, smiles and jokes and these two love one another so much.  I love the story of their engagement–he definitely caught her off guard!

Ryane’s ring is absolutely gorgeous! It is an antique ring that is over 100 years old.  Jake, you did a great job!  Not only did you choose a ring that screamed “Ryane” you did it without her even having the slightest clue! Ryane & Jake, I wish you two the absolute best in life.  I could not wish for a better partner for either one of you.  You truly are each others match. I look forward to sharing your special day with you–see you guys in a little over a week! I hope that everyone has had a wonderful, safe, happy, fun and enjoyable Thanksgiving holiday.  Be safe and good luck to all of the you “Black Friday” shoppers! I hope that you shop friendly and you have a game plan already!

“Find a guy who calls you beautiful instead of hot, who calls you back when you hang up on him, who will lie under the stars and listen to your heartbeat, or will stay awake just to watch you sleep.  Wait for the boy who kisses your forehead, who wants to show you off to the world when you are in sweats, who holds your hand in front of his friends, who thinks you are just as pretty without makeup on. One who is constantly reminding you of how much he cares and how lucky he is to have you.  The one who turns to his friends and says, “That’s her.”

The Three Day

Tomorrow one of my best friends will be starting her participation in the Susan G. Komen Three Day Challenge.  This is not her first rodeo at the 60 mile walk, nor will it be her last!  I just want to say that Amber I am very proud of you–I have always been. Your continued devotion to this event makes my heart melt.  My grandmother suffered from breast cancer and just like almost every woman [or at least I would like to think so], I WANT a cure!!!!!  In the meantime, I will continue to commend individuals like yourself, Laura and your other team members and all of the individuals who participate, donate, support and love this cause and this event.  Enjoy the beautiful Fall weather and walk your heart out!!!  Truly happy and inspired!!!

To all my Breast Cancer fighters and survivors, I commend you.  To those who lost the battle, I miss you–as well as your loved ones–but you did not die in vain. ♥

“My sister was diagnosed with breast cancer in December, so this became very personal to me.  From this, I learned something I really should have known before:  Survivors are special people.” Larry Campbell

Refreshed and Relaxed

There is nothing like a good pedicure to make you feel SO much better!  After a long week, a long day or when it’s time to give those rough lovely feet some attention.  I personally enjoyed my pedi.  I mean, you cannot beat $25 for a Spa Pedicure that includes a paraffin wax as well as a hot stone leg massage, all whilst sitting in a comfy massage chair!  I melted like butter!   After the pedicure, I felt revitalized!  I seriously needed it!  Sigh of relaxation.  I am sitting here watching the season finale of On The Road With Austin & Santino.  :-\  I am sad that it has neared its end but I cannot wait until they come back next season.  Awesome fashion, great stories, funny moments and just overall entertaining! Hint to Lifetime, the show is awesome!!!

On another note, I had the pleasure of capturing Andrea behind my lens and luckily, I will get the chance to do so again in the near future.  Our first attempt was interrupted by dark cloudy skies with rain that turned into tornado like weather!  Andrea was traveling from over an hour away and by the time we started shooting…it started raining.  Most women would shrill or say, “Oh my gosh my hair is getting wet, my clothes….etc!”  NOT Andrea!  She rocked it out and was taking photos in the rain.  She has the most beautiful smile, personality and attitude and it shows in every photo that I capture.

It was only fitting that she be captured in the sunlight.  Saturday came and as I drove to meet her this time, I was in awe of the beautiful sunshine and gorgeous Fall weather.  We are kindred spirits and had such a wonderful time.  We laughed, joked, got to know one another even more, got annoyed by creepers & strange onlookers who got a little too close for comfort!  Overall, it was a great day.

Then she gave me some fierceness! Andrea you are so beautiful–flyaway hairs and all. I only think of one song when I look at these photos Andrea and it is a song by Justin Timberlake from his FutureSex/LoveSounds album–track number 8!

Andrea, thank you for allowing me to capture you behind my lens.  You have a strong & beautiful soul as well as personality. I am glad that I met you and that I have gotten to know you.  I always feel that God brings individuals into our lives for certain reasons and photography has allowed me to meet so many wonderful people.  Thank you Lindsay for sending Andrea my way; if it were not for you I don’t think I would have ever met this remarkable young woman.  I will have to make another post in the near future titled “Creepers…Do you take photos?”    Until next time, I hope everyone has a great Friday tomorrow!

“Through humor, you can soften some of the worst blows that life delivers.  And once you find laughter, no matter how painful your situation might be, you can survive it.”             {Bill Cosby}