Monday, July 5, 2010 at 1:32pm
In April, we went to Aruba with my best friend Ashley and her husband Jason. It was a trip we had all been looking forward to for months! We spent our days on the beach drinking pina coladas and soaking up the sun. Over the years, we have been to so many Caribbean islands, but none compare to Aruba! The calm blue-green water is so relaxing. The waves are so gentle, you can float on a raft in the ocean for hours. I would highly recommend it as a honeymoon destination! Chad and I extended our stay by a couple of nights because we just couldn’t bear to leave.
On our last day in Aruba, we decided to walk to the shops to look for souvenirs. We passed several jewelry stores along the way. Chad, a self-proclaimed commitment-phobe, asked if I wanted to get rings to symbolize our commitment to each other. I assumed that after 4 years together that was as good as it was going to get! We browsed the jewelry stores for simple bands. After choosing rings, we decided to exchange them on the beach before we went to dinner.
At sunset, we found a secluded spot on the beach that had a covered bench. We sat there for what seemed like an eternity. Chad was unusually quiet. He had the rings in his pocket. I finally broke the silence and told him that we didn’t have to exchange rings if he wasn’t ready for it. He just smiled and shook his head. He suggested that we have a passerby take our picture. I wondered why he was stalling. After our picture was taken, we returned to the bench. I was shocked when he got down on one knee. He had the cutest boyish grin on his face as he proposed. I got choked up and couldn’t even respond. I just nodded. I couldn’t believe it! I have worked with over 100 brides over the years…arranging their day of timelines and photographing all the details of their weddings… I never thought I would be planning my own! After the proposal, we headed to the Taj Mahal restaurant for Indian cuisine. They had the most delicious korma navratan dish!
We’re planning a small ceremony in Aruba next May. Originally, we were just going to invite 4 of our closest friends, but after receiving a little pressure from family (namely my sister!), we decided to extend invitations to our parents and siblings. My mom and sister, Elaine McDonald and Heather Houston, are both wonderful wedding photographers so we’re excited about having them photograph our big day! Stay tuned for all of the wedding planning details…!
Friday, October 30, 2009 at 2:16pm
We went to Petco to pick up a few new toys and treats for Kaya and Luna last night. Jillian can spend hours in that place playing with the kittens and checking out the fish. Just when I think Luna has outgrown the puppy stage (I mean she did just celebrate her 1st birthday)…she surprises me! It has been SO long since she has eaten our shoes, chewed on table legs, jumped from couch to chair leaving a trail of claw marks behind…I really thought she was all grown up! Imagine my surprise when just 5 minutes after giving her a new toy, she had ingested over half of it! It was a rough morning for the two of us. She threw up from 6am-8am. Poor thing! I will have to post a few recent pictures of her later. She has grown to a whopping 50 lbs….cutest thing I’ve ever seen! (For old pics of our little troublemaker click here and here)
Tuesday, October 6, 2009 at 10:05pm
It was nice to get away for Chad’s birthday! We spent most of our vacation in the small town of Taos, New Mexico. Taos was home to primarily Native Americans in the 17th century. The natives were practically eradicated by Americans and Spaniards, but a few of their adobe communities, or pueblos, remain standing. We visited the 1,000 year old Taos Pueblo, a World Heritage Site. Today, you would never imagine that just 150 years ago, the Pueblo was a gathering place for rebels who opposed the American occupation of New Mexico. President Roosevelt stole thousands of acres of sacred land from the native people, but Nixon returned 48,000 acres in 1970. Only a few natives inhabit the ancient pueblo today. Small art galleries and shops that cater to tourists are set up throughout the Pueblo.
The art scene is huge in New Mexico. There are galleries everywhere! The most well-known are those on Canyon Rd in Santa Fe. Chad fell in love with one piece in a Taos gallery and just had to have it. I can’t wait to share it with you all when it arrives. It will definitely raise eyebrows! In addition to visiting the Taos Pueblo and browsing art galleries, we hiked the Williams Lake trail (elevation 11,000!) and toured the ancient caves in Bandolier.
Other than that, we just took it easy and ate out every single meal. I’m not kidding! They had some great dishes in New Mexico. Breakfast was especially delicious-breakfast burritos and blue corn pancakes- yum! There is a culinary institute in Santa Fe that offers classes and demonstrations. I was hoping we could make one of the classes, but the timing didn’t work out. We were only in Santa Fe for a few days.
I bought Chad yet another camera for his birthday this year. It’s teeny-tiny and we both just love it! We normally pack at least 2 SLRs when we travel. This time, we brought only 1 SLR with 1 lens and barely used it. I forgot what a joy it is to shoot on AUTO!! OMG, the camera does everything for you! No need to worry about aperture or shutter speed or white balance…..wow! Very nice for a change. I took the last pictures below using macro mode. Really? -I can shoot macro without changing to a macro lens!? Oh yes and then some! Check out how close I was to the pine cone below. Pretty sure I could shoot an entire wedding with one of these. I’m tempted to try it- any volunteers? ;-) Definitely get one of these if you are in the market for a small, affordable camera. This one even has smile detection mode- we tested it and it works! The moment you smile at the camera, it takes your picture. What a clever little contraption! I don’t think we’ll be leaving home without it.
Here are a few pics from our trip. I asked Chad to pull over every morning near this golden field so I could take pictures of the statuesque horses roaming it.
Taos Pueblo
The “Darn Near Anything” store in Angel Fire, NM where kids enjoy 4-day school weeks:
How can anyone be this happy at 11,000 feet?! Look at that dashing smile- melts me every time! ;D
Chad’s birthday at Graham’s Grille. This was one of my favorite restaurants in Taos (trust me, we tried them all in 6 days!)..the food was amazing and our server made the night special when she included a candle in the key lime pie for Chad’s bday. =D
Macro Mode:
Tuesday, September 22, 2009 at 9:17pm
I’m about to start packing for our trip to New Mexico for Chad’s birthday. It will be so nice to get away! I really don’t know what to expect. We’re going to spend most of our time in Taos, Santa Fe, and Albuquerque. I haven’t had any time to research any of them so spontaneity will rule this trip. I never work on his birthday weekend because we always try to plan something fun together. I was a little surprised when he chose New Mexico, but hey I’m up for anything! We always have a great time traveling together. He just completely completes me *swoon* and I can only say that because he doesn’t read my blog! =D I’ll be back to work (and refreshed!) on October 1st. Then, I have photo shoots for 4 days straight, along with a wedding on the 3rd, so things will be a little hectic. I should be back on track with print orders, emails, and album designs the week of the 5th. I hope to have a ton of amazing photos to share from the trip. …..And because I decided that every blog entry must have a picture included, here is the latest of me and my little one at the fair last week. She had a blast on the rides and I really enjoyed the funnel cake! =)
Friday, June 12, 2009 at 4:19pm
In April we went to Turks Caicos with our neighbors, Clay and Jen. We stayed at the Somerset Resort on Grace Bay. The resort was very peaceful compared to other places we’ve stayed in the Caribbean…it was almost like we had the entire place to ourselves! For the most part we just relaxed on the beach.
The only activity we scheduled was a snorkel and conch dive excursion. The water was so rough that most of us ended up seasick! Jen and I finally worked up the nerve to jump into the choppy water with our snorkel gear on…only to hear the guide yell, “Shark! Over here everybody!”
Jen and I paused and looked at each other. We had the same idea. We raced back to the boat as fast as we could! The tide was so strong that no matter how hard we swam, we were barely moving. It was such a relief to finally catch up to the boat. Chad, on the other hand, sped over to where the shark was. He is definitely the risk-taker in our relationship! =)
Another day, we took our rental car to a well-hidden resort called Amaranya, where rooms and villas range from $1,200 to $17,000 a night. As we followed the dirt road, we began to imagine scenes from movies like Turistas and Hostel. There was no sign of life anywhere. We didn’t even pass other vehicles. None of us had a cell phone. Chad reassured us that he knew where he was going. Finally, after what seemed to be an eternity, we reached a guard station. Chad’s charm is hard to resist…the guard allowed us to pass through to take a look at the property. It was pretty amazing!
In the past few years, we have been to the Bahamas, Aruba, Grand Cayman, and Turks Caicos. Of them all, I would only return to Aruba. It was definitely my favorite! Clay and Jen vacationed with us in Aruba a few years ago. They plan to return at some point. Chad’s favorite Caribbean destination is St. Thomas. I’m hoping we will make it there some day.
Somerset:
Amaranya:
Monday, May 11, 2009 at 12:37pm
I have been a huge coffee drinker since high school. I really thought I needed caffeine to clear my thoughts every morning before beginning work. I routinely work in front of a computer for 10-14 hours a day. I used to think that a second pot of coffee would keep me sharp and focused for that amount of time. I could always find a great excuse to visit Starbucks for a midday caffeine boost. My head would throb if I didn’t get my fix by noon- I was addicted!
In April, Chad and I decided to kick the habit. We switched to decaf and ended our love affair with Starbucks. I had a daily headache for almost a week, but now I don’t even miss the caffeine. We found Dunkin Donuts to be a delicious alternative to what we were drinking. In fact, it tastes better than most of the caffeinated brands out there.
After three weeks without caffeine, I no longer experience midday dips (you coffee drinkers can empathize!) or insomnia. I’m much more rested now and wonder why it took so long to make such an obvious choice!
Monday, March 30, 2009 at 7:52pm
Tuesday, March 10, 2009 at 8:38pm
Friday, March 6, 2009 at 7:34pm
I think everyone reaches a point in their career where they question if they have chosen the right field. I reached that point last year. It’s not that I don’t love what I do- it’s that I don’t feel that my work as a photographer really makes a difference. This is very hard for me to admit on my photography blog~! Last year, I started looking into graduate programs in the human services field. My GRE scores expire soon, so for me it’s now or never because I am not retaking that monster of a test! =) I have had to ask myself some pretty serious questions over the past year. Do I really want to continue a career in photography? Or is it time for a career change? I know who I want to be. I want to be a person who inspires, encourages, and lifts others up. Does photography allow me to be that person? I don’t think so.
After months of introspection, I finally came up with a solution. Why not continue a career in photography and volunteer a few hours a month to a good cause? Last summer when I was looking into local nonprofits, I stumbled upon the Guardian Ad Litem program. What in the world is a Guardian Ad Litem (GAL)?! Never heard of it. The more I read about the program, the more excited I became.
A GAL is a trained volunteer who investigates and determines the needs of abused and neglected children. They advocate for a permanent and safe home for every child. They visit the children at least once a month and prepare court reports that give the children a voice. There are over 400 children a month in the Mecklenburg court system for abuse and neglect cases. Hundreds are still unrepresented.
So what did I do after reading about this program? I submitted an application! My three references were contacted by the GAL program. Then, I was contacted for an interview. Shortly after the interview, I received a letter welcoming me into the program. I signed up for the Feb/March training sessions. The last session took place yesterday. I’ll finish up my court observation hours on Monday and be sworn in on Tuesday. I have already been contacted about taking a case! I know this work will be challenging, but at the same time it will be so rewarding! I can’t wait to get started.
I volunteered for one other local organization in January. I met Kerry O’Leary at the NC Conference for Women. Kerry is the Director of Dress for Success in Charlotte. Dress for Success is an organization that provides professional attire for disadvantaged women. Their goal is to give women the tools they need to gain employment and to become successful. Last year, the Charlotte division suited 400 women. Monetary donations and clothing donations are always appreciated! More information on how you can help here: http://dressforsuccess.org
If you are interested in becoming a GAL and can commit about 10 hours a month, you can find the application here: http://www.galcharlotte.com
Monday, March 2, 2009 at 10:57pm
I began work early this morning so I could spend most of the day with Jillian. I promised her that I would be finished in the amount of time it would take her to watch a movie. About thirty minutes later our electricity went out. So much for work and a movie! We had already been without hot water for three days and now no electricity?? What’s a girl to do?! I gulped down a second cup of coffee while it was hot, grabbed my snowboots, bundled Jillian up, and headed outside. We had so much fun in the snow! It made me wish that our electricity would go out more often, because then I would be forced to stop working and to enjoy life a little!
I realized today that I have got to stop obsessing over work so much. I have such a strong work ethic that I cannot relax when I have projects to complete. Instead, I just work. And work. And work. And guess what? I never get caught up because the work just keeps coming. Every week, there are new galleries to build, albums to design, emails and calls to return, accounting, taxes, print orders, photoshoots, marketing, blog entries…it’s never-ending! I fall asleep thinking about work that has to be done as soon as I wake up. This cannot be healthy! =) I am going to force myself to step away from the computer for at least 6 hours a week to do something that I enjoy. Zumba? Taking the dogs to the dog park? Riding my bike? Practicing acoustic guitar? Oh the possibilities!! A few pictures from my time off today ;-):
Our snow-covered house (disclaimer: that is not my gas-guzzler in the driveway!):
Luna really wants to come out and join us!
Neighborhood snowpeople:
