This One’s For You, Chitown Bride!

If you haven’t checked out Chitown Bride’s blog, head over there now - her wedding pictures are beautiful!  She made a gorgeous bride!  Her hard work planning really paid off, as you can tell in the details. 

One thing that grabbed my eye that I don’t believe she originally planned on having were the peacocks that attended her wedding…she writes about them HERE, it’s funny how she tells the story, check it out.  Even if they did attend uninvited, she still got some great pictures with those lovely white birdies!

After seeing her wedding photos, the peacocks inspired me.  They were SO beautiful!  Maybe you don’t want actual live ones at your wedding, but you could probably find some fabulous pretend white peacocks to incorporate into your decor, along with white floral accents.

I’m loving this tablescape I found at www.housebeautiful.com!  The peacock behind the table really makes it look so elegant, doesn’t it?  Now don’t forget to check out the peacocks at Chitown Bride’s wedding!  Congratulations Mrs. Peacock!

Made This Summer Backyard Bridal Shower One To Remember!

Sunflowers, lots of sunshine, great food, a hand-made tiki bar, family, friends and one happy couple - that was the setting for my cousin’s bridal shower this weekend.  It was lovely! 

The food served was cooked my my amazing aunt and made perfectly light & tasty for summer.  My uncle acted as bartender serving mimosas and bellinis, behind his new tiki hut.  Can you believe the tiki hut was hand-made by my cousin?  He had given it to him on Father’s Day, and it really worked great for the shower!  Too cool.

I love how the tables were set up, with soft yellow tablecloths and white place settings.  The favors were a hit - sunflowers were glued to the tops of these great smelling soaps from Bath & Body Works!  What a creative idea!  Each table was complete with a carafe of ice-cold lemonade with slices of lemon floating inside.

 One of my favorite gifts the couple received was the beautiful quilt that my grandma hand-made herself!  She started making them for my cousins and I, for when we get married.  I was the first one to get one, when we got married 5 years ago. 

We all tease her about how she’ll have to start making baby blankets soon…ha ha!  She’s going to have a ton of great grand children once we all start having babies!  She keeps saying, “Oh, don’t tell me that…I still have so many more quilts to make!”.  You know she loves it though!  The question is, “Who’s going to be first?”.  You never know!

So there you have it.  One amazing shower!  Congratulations to the fabulous couple, we can’t wait to see you at your wedding!

Thanks to Denise at Bellis Studios for some of the pictures!  She’s way better at photography than I.

…Inspiration For Your “Must-Take” Photos

To say these photos are only beautiful would be an understatement.

Captured Beauty.

Captured Faith.

Captured Dreams.

Captured Moments.

Westerman Photography.

…Grace Ormande At Wedding Style Inspires Us To Get Pouty!

Scheduling a boudoir photography session for either before your wedding or the morning of, is the new very sexy trend for brides right now!  In fact, it’s part of the Always A Bridesmaid blog’s Sexy 10!

“Boudoir comes from the French word ‘to pout or sulk’ and refers to a woman’s dressing room, bedroom, or private sitting room - all of which can lead to thoughts of beautiful things: the sweet smells, the gentle lighting, the stillness, and the woman inside preparing delicately for something wonderful that is about to happen.” - The Wedding Photography Directory

Maybe it’s something you choose to have done before the wedding, so you can give the pictures to your fiance the night of the rehearsal dinner. 

This sexy gift would give your man yet another reason why he’s so lucky to be marrying you, along with something to look forward to in your future together!

Or, perhaps it’s something you choose to do the morning of your wedding, while getting ready.  Not only as a gift to your husband after the wedding, but as a gift to yourself - to make you feel sexy before you take the big walk down the aisle! 

Every bride is beautiful, but imagine the confidence it would give you as you walk towards him to say “I do“, after having a very sexy experience, knowing how excited he’ll be when the pictures come in!

I understand that not every bride would feel comfortable with this idea right away, but keep in mind with a professional photographer, you can choose exactly how revealing you want to be or not be, based on how comfortable you feel.

If you’re not comfortable with showing a lot of skin, or don’t think your husband would feel comfortable with a stranger taking revealing pictures of you, you could always opt for a cute pair of cotton pajamas, too!

Remember, being sexy isn’t always about showing skin…it could be something as sweet as wearing your fiance’s shirt and boxers to something as sophisticated as a long black silk robe. For some, being sexy is looking risque…everyone is different!

Do what makes you feel good.  After all, in the end, that’s what it’s all about!  To see more fabulous wedding boudoir photography, go to:

 Grace Ormande’s Wedding Style

To learn more about this sexy new trend, read this article:

 A Bridal Boudoir Story by Liesl Clark.

…No, Wait!  Nevermind, You Could Carry A Totally Stylish Umbrella!

These days, I swear the weather man is looking out the wrong window half of the time.  So if it does happen to rain on your beautiful wedding day, hopefully you have an alternative plan for your fabulous soiree. 

And hopefully you have a very cool umbrella to use and take pictures with, like this one from Mod Cloth!

If it does rain on your big day, just show off that sassy umbrella of yours, and consider those raindrops as millions of blessings from the sky!  Can’t find a sassy umbrella?

Read THIS article on how to make one out of an ordinary umbrella, from Better Homes & Gardens!

Now sing with me, “under my umbrella, ella, ella”…riiight, I forgot people aren’t too fond of my singing, whoopsie daisies!

This, That and YOU!

While thinking about inspiration and where it comes from for each of us, I started to wonder where brides might get theirs from when choosing their wedding colors.

Whether it’s found from blogs, websites, magazines, the color most likely to be found in your closet, a garden, a shoe, or a belief…inspiration is all around us.  Here’s what inspired me to share with you today, dear readers!

Photography by One Starry Night!  This blog reminds me of life, love, and hope.  Which of course reminded me of marriage.  Be sure to check out the rest of her blog, it’s personal, real, and soulful.

 If you’re a bride who’s still trying to decide on wedding colors, try getting inspired by the beautiful photography over at www.onestarrynight.com!  You’ll love it.  I promise!

It’s Life.  Sometimes It Just Gets In The Way!

A fellow blogger, Kal Barteski (from I Love Life), explained my feelings perfectly when she said, “It seems that just when we get a delicious little routine we love - there are all kinds of things to mess with it “. 

While we love life, and accept it as gracefully as we can as it sometimes comes crashing in on us, I couldn’t agree with her more.  To read more of her post, go HERE.  But don’t forget to check out the rest of her amazingly creative mind and artistic talent by reading her very sweet BLOG!

So that’s what it is.  It’s life.  Lately life has been so hectic.  A happy hectic though.  A good life.  Just a hectic, happy and good life!  Lots of things on my mind, and plenty of creative ideas to share with you, along with some things I’ve made.  As for now, check out Kal’s creative, life-inspiring blog.  She’s a wonderful artist!  Have a lovely day!

(I) Love Life.  Get Inspired.

Kim Calakoutis - Photographer, Design Specialist & Owner Of KC Photography

Recently I had the pleasure of talking to photographer Kim Calakoutis, who owns KC Photography in MA. Kim has been working on her photography profession and building her portfolio for the last 10 years, and is excited to have finally opened her own studio in Saugus, MA.!

She specializes in photojournalistic photography to capture your story, but makes sure to get those beautiful traditional shots as well. On her site is stated, “We keep our promise simple. We promise to take really beautiful images of your wedding day“. After viewing her work, you can tell she is true to her word, as it shows through her pictures. If you’re ever looking for an amazingly talented photographer in the New England area, she’s your girl!

Here is some of her work, along with some of her replies from my interview with her. This girl not only has talent, but she’s got a great personality too! She’s also very funny! To read the entire interview, go HERE! Enjoy!

I started this shortly after my own wedding. For the photography business I was doing things like going to bridal fairs, and meeting other vendors. Brides at the bridal fairs were telling me that they would go to photographer’s websites looking for ideas. Having just been married I was really in tune with what it is like to plan a wedding right now. I did so much of my planning over the internet. There was one day I spent my whole day driving from the north of Boston to the south of Boston (This is not physically far, but it took me hours with traffic). Basically it was a waste of a whole day. I just realized I was in a position where I could really help brides. I am already being exposed to so many great wedding ideas. And I know how tough and time consuming planning a wedding can be. The idea was actually just really obvious to me. I just had to kick it up a notch!

Thank you so much for sharing your work and talent with us, Kim!!!

There are no words to describe the breathtaking photography found on the Don’t Box Me In blog.  

Ok fine, maybe I’ll try.  The photography you’re about to see defines love.  It captures seductiveness.  It’s playful.  It’s sexy.  It’s hot.  It’s definitely outside the box.  Now hurry up and get ready to say “wow”. 

So go right now, and see for yourself. Sssshh….no words needed, as your jaw dropping will be enough.

*One more thing, don’t forget to check out their new blog, Don’t Box Us In!

If you haven’t seen Matt Adcock’s amazing wedding photography blog yet, you must check it out.  With several of his weddings being on the beach, you’re sure to find the perfect inspiration if you’re planning a beach wedding!

Matt Adcock really has a way of showing the emotion behind his pictures…filled with color, energy, and romance, this blog has pages upon pages of pure enjoyment.  So make sure to take the time to go through each page…because there are also some truly HILARIOUS ones that will have you on the floor laughing!  I’ve already looked at this blog 3 times.  LOVE it.

Here are a few of my favorites, to view more, visit his blog HERE.

#1.  I love how he captures the photographs of his brides…

#2.  Can we say, “awwwwwww….”?

#3.  “Nice Stems!”  What adorable wine glasses…lol.

You had your camera.  You dropped it.  You missed the shot of that perfect moment.  You took another picture after you picked up your camera, luckily there was another perfect moment.  You later forgot your camera in the cab.  Now you’ve lost your pictures.  Bad day?  Don’t fret! 

Lost your pictures but still want to share them with others?  Why not write about the pictures, describing the settings, details and stories behind them? 

“This is a picture I did not take of a bride, standing in the middle of Canal St. in New Orleans at midnight, lit-up by the headlights and honks of approaching cars, and the turning sirens atop a police cruiser, in which sat her groom, who was shown the back seat after being pulled over for revving his Pontiac at a stop-light, and then burning out to liven things up a bit on their way to the reception, but cops on Friday night don’t always have a sense of humor, and quickly pulled the couple over, so quickly the Pontiac ran-up the curb onto the sidewalk, and when the cops found a plastic bag of something in the front seat and threw the groom in the cruiser, his bride, standing in traffic, holding her bouquet (her dress an immaculate satin & shining in the police lights) had a look her in eye that said this whole marriage thing just might be going nowhere fast.” - Michael David Murphy from Unphotographable.

Thanks to www.photojojo.com for sharing this Unphotographable website and idea with us! 

To see more, and read more, check out www.unphotographable.com!

Check out THESE wedding pictures! 

There are so many different style weddings these days.  To name a few: classic, traditional, fun & flirty, madhatter, country, modern…and to add to the list, GOTH!  This bride’s got style…she even designed her own dress!

I have never seen such beautiful gothic wedding pictures in my life, until I stumbled across these from Alazar Soiree.  This ”Goth Wedding” was done so right that it could nearly kick Dita Von Tease off the map! 

In an earlier post, I introduced you to my friend Natalie, who is currently road-tripping it through the U.S. While on her way, she experienced black ice on the roads, with trucks out of control just inches away from her.

Click HERE to read her terrifying story of driving through the Rocky Mountains.

Read it, view the pictures, and take her advice: During the winter, opt to fly over the Rocky Mountains, never drive over them. This reminds all of us, mountains or no mountains, to play it safe while driving this winter…and stay out of the way of trucks!  And of course, wear your seatbelt, and say your prayers!

Thanks for sharing your experience, Natalie! Best of luck on the rest of your trip!

Lindsay & Brock Engaged 12/23/07!

Congratulations on your engagement, Brock and Lindsay!  

Yet another couple bitten by the love bug!  I’m so excited for the both of you…we all are!  Great news. 

Lindsay, you are going to make quite the beautiful bride, I look forward to helping you plan your wedding!  Brock, I couldn’t be happier that you’ll now officially be family.  Your wedding day is going to rock!

So best wishes, you two, and congratulations! 

Let the planning begin!

I recently was given this award by Denise, over at www.bellisblog.com, and it really made me smile!  Her kind gesture and words were so sweet, and I’m so grateful to have her not only as a friend and fellow blogger, but an aunt too!  So thank you, Dee!  You make me smile, too!

Denise does amazing letterpress work with stationery (check out www.bellisstudios.com ), and is always so inspiring.  She found and followed the dream that found her, and it’s pretty darn cool.  She inspires me, and I look up to her as if she’s the big sister I never had.   If I could give this to her I would, but it seems the rules are to pass it forward, so I will.  It’s time to pass it on!

There are so many bloggers out there that write such entertaining and creative posts, with great ideas and finds, but my favorite blogger (and it was hard to choose) aside from Denise at Bellis is Kal Barteski, over at lovelife.typepad.com.

Kal is a very creative soul, and creates these lovely posts filled with her beautiful, fun and whimsy art and photography.  She is an “artist, designer and a painter”.   She gets you inspired.  She makes you want to motivate.  She awakens your soul to appreciate the little things in life by turning them into art.  She rocks.

Her story inspires me too…as she LOVES what she does!  That has got to be the greatest feeling, to love your work.  Not many people get to do that, but she is one of the lucky ones.  Why?  Because she worked hard so she could literally LOVE her life! 

If you haven’t yet, check her blog out, and also her work!  She even published a book!  But the best little thing she’s created?  Her new baby girl, “Pilot” who just recently arrived.  Welcome to the world, Pilot, and congratulations, Kal!

With Christmas nearing quickly, I thought I’d post this little spot about photographing Christmas lights.  It can be tricky, as I’ve realized, so when I found these helpful tips, I was thrilled! 

To find out how to master that picture, go to Photojojo now!

This helpful site gives you tons of tips on how to take the perfect Christmas pictures, and also has tons of creative ideas for other photo projects as well! Now go get that tripod. Have fun! And of course, Happy Holidays!

 Will Your Pricey Photographer Do This For You?

See this picture?  Photographer Jessica Claire has been there before.  Check out her site at www.jessicaclaire.net.  She really takes beautiful photographs of her clients!  A photographer like that is worth the money, wouldn’t you say!?  One who will really work hard for you.  Isn’t that what we all want?

When choosing a photographer for your wedding, it’s important to interview several before you decide.  There are many “big name” photographers who will give you their pitch, but unless you ask them questions, you never really know how much they’ll end up doing for you. 

Don’t get me wrong, some big name photographers are amazing, and do excellent work.  Well worth the money.  But there are some scammers out there!

With photography being such a huge expense for the bride and groom, be sure when you’re choosing your photographer that they really are worth the money. 

Photographers can charge anywhere from $1000 to $20,000 per wedding (sometimes even more!), and expensive doesn’t always mean the best.  Some of the greatest wedding photography I’ve seen were from freelance photographers.  They do it because they love it, it’s not just another “job” to them.  It’s their life. 

So find out what your photographer is willing to do for you.  Ask questions.  Get answers.  And don’t decide until you’ve interviewed them all.  Ask friends for suggestions.  Look them up on the Better Business Bureau.  Check out The Knot message boards and see what other brides who used the photographers had to say. 

I once had a friend who paid thousands of dollars for her wedding photographer.  He gave her the greatest pitch ever.  In the end, however, they were disappointed to see that the photographer left the reception and went home, RIGHT after dinner!!!  So they missed all the fun shots & all the dancing afterwards.  Luckily they had plenty of guests who also took pictures.  Double check that contract.  Know how long your photographer is willing to shoot for.

It’s one of the biggest days of your lives, so choose carefully.  Get what you pay for.  And have memories to last a life time!

To learn more about contracts and what questions to ask, check out the post by Melissa DiStefano, at
Masterpiece Weddings!  And thanks to Liene at Blue Orchid Designs for informing me who the photographer is in that picture, so I can share with all of you!

Browsing blogs is truly a joy for me, especially when they have to do with weddings!  When I stumbled upon this photograph through a blog, I realized the “wow” factor it had.  It is truly such a classic, timeless photo. 

I remember when we were planning our wedding, we gave our photographer a “must take” photo list, pictures and shots we really wanted captured from our special day. 

I knew our photographer was an expert, but there were still a few we’d ask her to make sure to get, and she did.  We were so pleased! 

So if you’re planning a wedding and happen to find photos you love, don’t be afraid to ask your photographer to take them!  Not only will you end up with an array of amazing photos from their point of view, but you’ll have been able to add your own special ideas too.  Happy planning!

To read the story about how this photo happened, and to see more great photography, check out this awesome blog, www.photographs.wordpress.com! 

It’s truly one of the coolest blogs I’ve seen!

Can you guess what this is?  I found it to be so beautiful.  Maybe beauty is in the eye of the beholder, but I love it. 

I love how the leaves formed into a perfect circle in the bird bath at my grandparent’s house.  The color of the leaves, against the stone, I had to get a picture!  Sometimes you just find cool things, you know?

I’m not saying I’m her biggest fan or anything, and I know everyone has their own opinions about her cream denim Valentino wedding dress.  However, I have to say, Pamela Anderson still looked absolutely ravishing at her latest wedding, don’t you agree? 

If you haven’t grabbed the latest issue of OK! Magazine, head over to your local Walgreens and flip through it.  The photography, done by Damon Kidwell- www.damonkidwell.com, was shown in black and white, and really made it look classic…I do love black & white photography!  But in this case, I’m not sure if it was the photographer or if it was Pamela that made the pictures turn out so great!  Either way, congratulations Pam and Rick!

True Love Can Last Forever.

To see more beautiful pictures that show love still exhists in this world, go to:

http://www.veer.com/products/gallery.aspx?gallery=1439

Say “Cheese” but spell “Love”! 

I love the idea of using signage at weddings, for different photo shots, like the wedding party did here for the bride and groom!   Hold up letters that spell out “LOVE” or “JUST MARRIED“.  Get creative & have fun with it.   I’ve also seen where the bride holds a sign that says “THANK” and the groom holds up a sign that says “YOU“, they then use that picture for their wedding thank you cards.  An extra special little touch!

Love this photographer’s work?  Check out her blog to see more great pictures taken by her talented self! 

Go to: http://katetriano.wordpress.com/

Photography by Kevin Teachey ~ unusual, unique, vivid and quite lovely!

Will you look at this picture!  You’d think it was a carriage ride through a winter wonderland, but if you look more closely, you’ll see it’s not winter at all…but rather a photo taken in infrared.  Beautiful, isn’t it?  Kevin Teachey has an awesome portfolio, containing pictures of nature, life, and also some wedding photography as well.  He’s got a unique eye and talent! 

To see more of his stunning work, go to: http://photo.net/photos/kevin%20teachey.

Finding the perfect wedding dress is never easy, until you find the one that just makes you smile and your eyes tear up.  Then you know it’s “the one”.   I knew it with my wedding dress, and hopefully you get that same feeling when you buy yours. 

Sometimes it’s just the little details that make your dress so perfect.  I’m loving this rhinestones on the back of this dress!  Come on, let’s say it together: “ooooohhhhh…..aaaaaahhhhh!”. 

This photographer did a great job at catching just the right detail needed for the shot…see more of their work at: http://abrittonphotography.wordpress.com/! 

Happy dress hunting!

You’re getting married, but why listen to everyone else?  Whatever you do, make sure YOU have the wedding that YOU want.  Dress how YOU want to, make it your OWN style.  Gone are the days where you can only wear pastels in the spring, and darker colors in the fall.  Be bold, be you.  You want to wear white?  Then do it.  You want your girls to wear black in the spring, or pastel pink in the fall?  Go for it.  

Make it your day…because it’s nobody else’s.  Wear that tattoo.  Why cover it up?  It’s a part of you!  Rock your wedding like a rock star…and make it your own.  I love how this bride made her day unique and about her.  She definitely rocked it, and so did her whole wedding party! 

This is one of the coolest wedding parties I’ve seen.  Check out www.offbeatbride.com, for more pictures!

Aren’t these fun to look at? 

1st Photo by: http://sfphoto.wordpress.com/

2nd Photo By: http://katemcelweephotography.wordpress.com/

Events can come together so nicely, with just a little creativity! 

Weddings by:

http://ocsfinestweddings.blogspot.com/ :

I’m loving the paper lights couples are having hung from ceilings in different colors, and at different lengths, it really creates a dramatic effect!  I also love the idea of putting candles with hurricane glasses around a fountain, makes for a stunning romantic atmosphere!

I’ll never forget, when I was in high school, I created a HUGE collage on my wall.  It  was a work of art that I took great pride in.  I’m still amazed to this day that my mother let me put tape on that wall…but I’m thankful. 

My collage was made out of art, magazine clippings, articles, words, everything I’d find that described me, went up on that wall.  No pictures of people, just art and words. 

Today, I enjoy creating collages on other items, such as bottles, vases, boxes, frames, you name it.  I just enjoy making them personal, as each one is different to describe the person it’s being made for.

I’ll show you some of my work soon, but for now I want to share another artist who makes amazing collages, with portraits.  Michelle Caplan.  I’ve seen this work done before, but never so beautiful as this. 

Go to http://michellecaplan.blogspot.com/, to see more of what I’m loving!  Her work is breathtaking…it really captures the moments, and creates a beautiful treasures to forever hold onto.  Here’s one piece she did…check it out!  Tell me that’s not true love!

For more information on this artist, you can also check out her shops:

www.michellecaplan.com and www.mcaplan.etsy.com.

Check out Giselle’s brazillian shoe ad…for Ipanema.  When I look at these pictures, I don’t really find myself fascinated with the shoes, but rather the photography.  To read more on her ad, go to www.fabsugar.com!

Now where do I go to get this dress?  I’m sure my husband would love it! 

I came across this picture from www.artfotoblog.com, and it immediately caught my eye.  If you look closely, it almost looks as though the bride’s veil is making the shape of wings, making her even more “angelic” looking than she already was that day.

There are so many amazing poses for photographers to shoot.  Some, however, are best when the people in the picture are not even aware the shot is being taken. 

Make sure before your wedding day that you interview several photographers, ask them tons of questions.   Handing them a “must take photo” list can come in handy the day of, to make sure your photographer gets the shots taken that are really important to you.

  If you are worried about photography poses taking too much time out of your wedding day, no worries!   Several brides choose to have their pictures done ahead of time, sometimes even days or weeks ahead! 

This idea works great for portraits of the bride, many will put that dress on in advance, get those pictures done, so on their wedding day there is less time posing and more time enjoying their actual wedding day.  After all, it only happens once! 

For ideas on what questions to ask photographers, or for “must take photo” inspiration, check out www.theknot.com, a very useful and helpful wedding planning site!

So many friends getting married, so many events to plan and look forward to, so I figured I’d start a blog…of all things creative &  inspirational, to do with event planning, art, love, life, and yours truly.  Enjoy!

If you haven’t checked out “The Nest”, do it now!  Go to www.thenest.com, to see what all the hype is about.  This site is excellent for couples living together, whether married or not!  With topics such as love, life, and living…from recipes to buying a home to taxes or sex and arguments, www.thenest.com has all the advice you need for every situation. 

 Check out boards such as “Love & Romance”, “Health & Fitness”, “Babies On The Brain”, “Money Matters”, “Decorating & Renovating”, “Trouble In Paradise”, “Parenting”, or more.  Or just read up on the articles posted!  Either way, you’ll find this site helpful in every aspect of your life together.  Enjoy!

Congratulations Laura and Rob!!!

Time sure flies when you’re having fun, and that’s exactly what happened yesterday!  September 1, 2007, my best friend Laura got married to a really great guy named Rob.   I couldn’t be happier for them, as their day turned out to be spectacular! 

Laura looked gorgeous in her wedding gown and veil, and Rob dashing in his tux.  But the two of them together….breathtaking!  The wedding itself was absolutely amazing, too!  Everyone had a truly wonderful time socializing, eating, dancing, and watching - with tears of joy, the bride and groom as they enjoyed their day! 

The ceremony and reception site were both so elegant, the dinner and cake delicious!  I have so many pictures and details to share, but I’ll save those for the next post.  As for now, I’m going to just sit back, enjoy my Sunday and reflect on yesterday…my best friend’s wedding.  Congratulations Laura and Rob!!!  I’m so happy for you!!!

I loved their custom invitations, done by www.bellisstudios.com, they turned out so beautifully!

The storm came up on us so quickly I tried to drive away from it but did not have time, so I parked my car and ran into Best Buy to take cover…not the best place, but this storm gave me no choice!  The tornado warnings were going off, it was getting really dark out, and soon enough, the shopping carts were being driven by wind in the parking lot, people’s umbrellas were turned inside out, horizontal rain was flying everywhere!

Storms are exciting, yet terrifying to me when they get bad.  As I took cover inside the store, I prayed while shaking.  I tried calling my sister and husband to make sure they took cover, but could not get ahold of anyone, as the phone service was out everywhere.  I know not to mess with Mother Nature, but I do enjoy taking pictures of her!  Look at this storm front coming in….this was the first storm.  Around 3pm.

After the first storm, I drove north to try to go to my sister’s house.  Traffic was so terrible, all the lights were out from the storm that had just passed.  So instead of being stuck in traffic, I waited out rush hour inside of Target.  Sure enough, a new storm was brewing…so I went outside before it hit and took some more pictures….these were from the second storm, that lasted forever!

I freak myself out wondering if any of the clouds I saw were funnel clouds.  It got very green and black outside. 

When I said it got black outside, it got BLACK!  As if it were midnight.  Keep in mind, these pictures were taken about 6:30pm-7pm-ish.  I lost track of time, it was such a long lasting storm!  The picture below, well, that is NOT the sunset.

In this picture, below, I can’t help but wonder if that was a really large funnel cloud, or just a really large cloud….what do you think?

Target had a great storm plan.  They kept in touch with the local police department, and were ready to shove us all into a reinforced storm hall in the back of the store.

And finally, HERE is your sunset.  Absolutely beautiful…I wish I was a better photographer and new how to capture these pictures better, but I tried my best!

Creative idea for events: Instant Photo Guest Book ~ www.theknot.com

An idea I might use for my friend’s upcoming bachelorette party next week!

So as my friend’s wedding quickly nears, I’ve been thinking of fun and creative things I can do for her.  Although she already has a guest book for her wedding, I thought this idea would be fun for the bachelorette party we’re throwing her as well! 

I am thinking of maybe taking everyone’s pictures as they are in action at the bachelorette party.  Whether they are drinking, dancing, doing something goofy,  smiling with the bride, eating cake, giving a gag gift.  All those great moments then autographed by the stars themselves for a truly memorable gift to the bride!

For $59.95 you can purchase one at www.theknot.com, which includes archival pages that feature a custom-cut mat that perfectly frames instant photos, with plenty of space for best wishes!  You can also personalize it for an extra $6.00, with the bride and groom’s name. 

Or, you can create your own for a whole lot less!   Purchase a regular scrapbook and use scrapbooking corners for the pictures, found at most scrapbooking stores.  Then decorate and personalize the book with fun paper and paint markers, ribbon, and lots of other pretty little things!  I better get cooking, before I run out of time!!!

 Konica Minolta Dimage Z6 with 6.0 megapixels:

My first digital camera!  Now if someone could just teach me some tricks and show me the ropes, I’d be good to go!  As for now, it stays on “Auto”, I press a button, and hope it comes out nice.  But I want to learn more!!!

My husband’s parents got us this camera for Christmas last year, and ever since I have been in love with it.  It goes everywhere with me, almost like a silky blanky!   While trying to learn all of the features, I am constantly taking pictures.   It has really peaked my interest in photography! 

Here is one more picture I have taken, pretty simple, but pretty beautiful!  Flowers are easy, I’m sure, but hey, it’s a start!  I love how vibrant the color is!

 A picture of the moon I took while standing in my aunt and uncle’s backyard one night…

I love pictures.  I love art.  I love being creative.  So one would think I would love photography, right?  Well, I love looking at it, and I would love creating it, however I’m lost when it comes to technology in cameras. 

I took a photography class in high school, but the only pictures I took for homework were the ones of my feet in the hallway right before class because I’d decide the night before to go out with friends instead of going to the park to take cool pictures.  So of course the pictures I’d develope in class were far from interesting.  Which made it boring.  So did I pay attention in class?  Of course not…not only because I didn’t do the homework, but also because I had a cheap 35 mm camera, whereas the rest of the class owned all these fancy high tech ones.  This was of course, before digital cameras became so popular.  

Now that I’m older and actually interested in how to take cool pictures, I have no idea where to start!  I read all these blogs on “how-to” but the terminology scares me away…as I have no idea what a “shutter speed” even is or if my camera even has that function.  My camera has these switches on it: P, A, S, M, Auto, then some icon pictures.  Can you guess my favorite switch?  Yep, it’s “Auto”.  Don’t ask me what the others mean.

My husband’s parents got us a Konica Minolta Dimage Z6 for Christmas last year.  I have absolutely loved taking pictures with it!  I still, however have a hard time knowing what all the functions on it are.  And I’m sad to say the directions on how to use it are in storage from when we moved.  So now I’m stuck being confused for a while.  Unless, of course, I can find instructions online, which is what I’m about to research.  Wish me luck!

For Steve’s 31st birthday, our friends from Omaha came to town to visit, and took us out for a night on the town!   Here’s a pic of Steve and 6 of his friends starting the night out.  This was one of my favorite pictures I took.  While I’m not a great photographer by any means, I think it came out pretty good!  Chicago.  What a beautiful city!   Even though we’re from here, I still look at it in awe like a tourist!

We had met our friends who were staying at The Palmer House Hotel in Chicago, Tuesday night.  The night turned out better than I had planned, we truly had a great time!  First we went to “Stone Lotus Lounge”, then finished the night off on Rush and Division at “Bootleggers” and “The Original Mother’s”.   His best friend Dan even came out later to hang out with us, that really meant a lot to Steve.

My husband had a great time, we all did…and I got to do a little dancing which I haven’t done in forever!  Though now that I’m older, I remember why I don’t go out like that anymore…the next day I was just a TAD little exhausted.   Staying out ’till 5am isn’t as easy as it used to be.  Next time I think we’ll make it an earlier night. 

Even though it was a late night, we had fun nonetheless, and so did the little Omaha kiddies, so it was well worth it!  I’m just glad my husband had a good time…he’s had a rough year this year, so he needed to have some fun!   Hopefully being 31yrs. old will be a better age for him and a better year all together!  Happy birthday babers!!!