chloe's {almost} 2 year photos.

you know, life got so busy there for a while that i completely forgot to post more photos from chloe's photoshoot (way back in june... wow). anyway, this cutie is going to turn 2 later this month and i thought i should share a few of my favorites!



she is so sweet, but not necessarily up for have her photo taken... she ran from me for most of the morning. i went home wondering if i had gotten any decent shots, and when i finally started editing i knew i had a few keepers.



one tip for anyone wanting to photograph a toddler/very young child... give them something to hold. that will distract them and keep them still long enough to get a few snaps in. obviously, lollipops and flowers were our props of choice.



thanks again to raechel for letting me photograph her sweet little girl again. i hope this becomes a yearly event!!

the wedding cake.

hello friends! i admit, i didn't think i would be back so soon... last week, i really just didn't feel like myself, but thanks to some antibiotics and other drugs, i'm feeling much better now.

i finally got a chance to pull some images off my camera... and realized i still hadn't shared any of the photos from one of the weddings we attended a few weekends back. i didn't take my camera to the ceremony/reception, but i did help decorate the day before and the day of. one of my best friends made their wedding cake (her amazing strawberry cake, nonetheless) and i was up there to help with the finishing touches.



helping decorate a cake is no small task, and i absolutely love the way it turned out. of course, the bride was happy with it too, which is really what matters, right?



unfortunately, the cake attendees (that's a term, right?) were cutting super small pieces... and i didn't think it was appropriate to go back for a second piece...

friday links and books.

a few books i've done recently...

sorry for the absence... life has been... busy. and hard sometimes too. not that i'm the only one with difficulties, but it just seems extra trying right now i guess.

it's really making me question a few things... in a good way. it's making me think about where i am right now and where i want to be in the future.

anyway. hopefully i'll be able to post more soon. i've got lots of things i'd like to show you. just doesn't seem i have enough energy to put those together for you. so lets go for something easy...

here are some links:

words of wisdom has a great article on sugar addiction. i think i need to reread that one.

i have quinoa and have only cooked it once... but mint's got a recipe that looks like a great lunch option...

say yes to hoboken shows us how to add pockets to skirts.

uglygreenchair posted about washing her face with oil. i've been trying it out for about three weeks and it's definitely helped. hoping this will be a long term solution...

type on cake? i'm there. thanks twirling betty.

jessicakes answers some questions about cake decorating.


lots of others, but they are mainly recipes and photography-related stuff. don't want to bore you... hope every has a good weekend!

new places.

happy thursday! i just wanted to mention a few things i'm excited about... i'm now (as of a few weeks ago, ha!) on pinterest. loving it! i don't know why i was so hesitant to join, but (just a warning) it can be addicting. you can find me right here.

i'm also now a member at joss & main. it's a great place to score designer goods at a discount. the only drawback is that sales are only available for 72 hours and there are limited quantities on a lot of items. not so good for those of us (me) that tend to think about purchases for a while before committing. anyway, if you want to join, just follow this link. i haven't purchased anything yet, but i'm on the hunt for a new rug for the living room...

pretty as a peacock.

this book is actually from a while back, just haven't gotten around to posting books lately! i really love this peacock paper... sadly my source sold out of it before i thought to buy more.



i tried to get the sheen of the metallic gold, but it's just hard to photograph. i've got a skinny, long swatch of it left that is too small to make a book with... i'm sure i'll just keep it in my stash for a few years before i know what to do with it.

...

i am trying to get my act together to post more - more books, more projects, more photography. believe it or not, i really do things outside of work - you just wouldn't know it looking here. i really just have a hard time figuring out content at the end of the day when all i really want to do is drink a glass of wine and spend some time with my husband and the pups.

i do have a few other thoughts though: as an avid reader of many types of blogs, it's discouraging to constantly see how much others can seemingly get done in a day. but on the other hand, some things that others post just don't seem worth it - it's stupid (to me) or random and it upsets me that i wasted my 20 seconds glancing at their post in my reader. that the only reason it was shared was so that they would have something to post that day. and that's not the kind of content that i want on my blog. i'd like people to really look at my projects, read my thoughts and study my photographs. i want my content to be interesting. and i think that's why i've posted so sparsley lately. i am a perfectionist at heart and sometimes have a hard time making decisions, even on silly things like blog posts.

thanks for letting me rant. i think a week-long vacation to anywhere other than lubbock (or the near vicinity) would cure me.

new lens + dogs.

my new telephoto lens arrived a few weeks back, but never had a chance to use it! finally pulled it out the other night while the doggies were playing in the backyard. aren't they cute? i love that i can snap some 'candid' photos without being right on top of them. or having lillie try to lick my lens.

no links this week. i really need to re-evaluate my thoughts on blogging. i love sharing my ideas, projects and photos, but don't even post half of the stuff i do because of some mixed feelings i've started having over the last few months. maybe more on that later...

have a great weekend!!

july 1st.

june is over, along with the first half of 2011. what? i have no idea where it all went.

i'm sure no one wants to hear me ramble about how time passes too quickly... so here are some links:

how about orange shares a link to some pretty free printables. as much as i love designing things, sometimes it's nice to already have it done for you.

thanks sweetapolita, now i want to make these cupcakes and eat all of them.

new to me photography blog ground glass has some great suggestions for posing. love the writing style.

this salad recipe sounds amazing. must. try. soon. over on say yes to hoboken!

more good food: these zucchini chips sound awesome too! via 100 days of real food.

i LOVE these baby quilts. need i say more? found on poppytalk.

ok folks, have a good, safe, fun weekend!!