101 in 1001

here's my list. it was a lot of fun to create- & it'll be a fun challenge to check some of them off!


1. learn how to deal healthily with my super hyper dog
2. turn my t.v off and my stereo on
3. read 6 books; 3 personal & 3 for my business
4. write a letter or send a package to a different friend every week for 2 months
5. make the mixed media piece about my grandparents
6. make the multimedia piece of my grandmother
7. go on a fun date with bryan three times a month
8. dogs to the dog park twice a week
9. start a blog and make a post 3 times a week for three months
10. get involved in some environmental cause
11. take a picture everyday for 3 months
12. go hiking at least once a month
13. ride my bike 10 miles a week for 3 months
14. set up shootq account -done! april 8th
15. make anniversary cards to send to clients
16. finish my website -done! may 14
17. make a personal photography website with my art & jewelry
18. apply & be accepted to WPJA -done! june 13
19. go to 3 concerts -done! july 18 swell season, coldplay, allison kraus, qwens stefani
20. make it to 3 states I’ve not yet visited -done! on July 19th: Minnesota, Wisconsin, Michigan
21. visit with my best friend sarah- once a year -done! june 22nd-28th
22. advertise & shoot a wedding in georgia -scheduled! july 26th. vermont -scheduled! october 4th & oregon & new york -done! june 23rd doug & molly
23. go to WPPI or a LaCour photo seminar -done! march 14th-21st Vegas baby
24. learn some cool tricks in photoshop & showit effects
25. shoot at least 5 portrait sessions a month for 5 months
26. let my hair grow to the middle of my back
27. update website once a month for a year.
28. design & order business cards –done! june 14th
29. hire an accountant -done! january 21st
30. shoot 20- 25 weddings a year
31. save $5,000 this year with no intention of spending it
32. pay off student loans
33. buy a hybrid car
34. ride my bike to the grocery store & use canvas bags at least once a month
35. collect 10 more photo books this year (working on: 5 new books- thanks theresa for adding to the collection!)
36. send birthday cards to closest friends and family
37. buy fresh flowers for myself once a week for 3 months
38. buy a new couch
39. make larger than 8 x 10 prints of my personal photography
40. collect 3 pieces of art &/or photography from those that I admire
41. hmmmmm.......
42. buy some side walk chalk and doodle
43. keep a garden of cacti since flowers are so hard to keep alive –done! june 5th
44. collect arcosonti chimes & plant hangers for the back yard –done! mar 16
45. visit ted & sarah in boulder -done! may 4th-10th
46. work on my portraiture skills; go to a workshop
47. replace cameras with canon 5d's or greater
48. visit john, deshawn & qwyn -done! july 4th-6th. our original trip fell through so we rearranged & met in nashville.
49. visit theresa & jeff in d.c. before their around the world trip -done! june 4th-6th
50. hike havasu falls -done! june 7th-9th
51. go home to ky at least 3 times a year -done! 5x last year.
52. take a fun trip with my sister & mom once a year
53. visit a small town and hang out for the day shooting a photo story
54. build another bookshelf & fill it with great books & pottery
55. talk with my brother at least twice a month
56. journal for at least one hour a week
57. light candles more often: use less electricity
58. visit my sister & jeff, carson & maria in nyc -done! june 6th-11th
59. finish paying off the painting of my grandparents -done! jan 11th
60. get a massage after each wedding this year.
61. sponsor a child at NPH
62. have my Honduras show shown in a gallery twice a year (working on: cartel coffee is hosting the show march 28th!)
63. be published in a magazine
64. make a blog for my family to keep in touch with -done! june 14th
65. breathe deeper. practice meditating once a week for 3 months.
66. laugh often, go to 3 comedy shows
67. take one nap a week
68. organize studio.
69. order 4 new albums for studio
70. appreciate my mentors in life
71. be a mentor to someone
72. learn to throw a flick in ultimate Frisbee -done! june 1st well, it's pretty accurate :)
73. exercise twice a week for 2 months.
74. make bigger cups and bowls in my ceramics class –done! may 16th
75. buy another desk for my studio & always have my beads set up
76. learn to eat healthier- three popsicles a day is not good! -done! july 8th hired a personal trainer/nutritionist
77. spend a day with a famous musician (hopefully ani difranco) laughing and taking pictures
78. get my art & jewelry in boutiques/ galleries –done! april 25th
79. visit Athens, Georgia and say good bye properly to such a cool city
80. visit Greece or Cuba -done! cuba feb 11th-18th
81. visit Silver Bay once a year -done! june 24th-july 6th
82. hike mt humphrey’s again- to the top not just the saddle
83. visit anteloupe canyon and moab
84. learn to use my sewing machine properly & make that quilt
85. learn to make 5 dishes that any guest would enjoy (working on: chili, eggplant rollatini)
86. learn to make homemade pear jelly
87. go on one trip with my aunt Barbara
88. buy a new lap top, with all the bells & whistles -done! april 17th
89. go sky diving
90. always speak the truth
91. second shoot with 3 new photographers (working on: jenn schlechler, jonathan kirshner, kim jarman) -done! june 14th
92. volunteer with aids patients
93. get back into free arts of Arizona, and finish the program
94. recycle more
95. go through closet once a month and unload at least three things
96. simplify: buy less stuff. need less stuff
97. enter some photos into a competition -done! wpja q3 contest 1st place & q4 contest 7th place & 33rd place overall within wpja!!!
98. order 3 canvas wraps for studio
100. frame 2 pieces of art work from college
101. appreciate how lucky I am

katie & joe

i wanted to post some pictures from a wedding i shot several weeks ago. this couple katie & joe were amazing -they got married at corona ranch in laveen, underneath a quaint gazebo. i had a lot of fun spending the day with katie and her friends and then watching joe play with katie's son landon. they understand the importance of laughing together and we did all day long...

i've been so lucky that such great couples have found me & you are one of my favorites, for sure! thanks katie & joe!!
here's a few of my favorite pictures.

pottery

ahhhhh. i love low key saturdays. i woke up this morning, kissed bryan goodbye as he and the boys headed to tuscan for an ultimate frisbee scrimage, took a shower and headed into the ceramic studio. i'm wearing cut-off jeans, a green bandana rolled up & a brown tank top -but, by the time i left i looked like one big white glob. i get so messy and covered in my clay. i love it. throwing pots is the most relaxing thing for me, well that & swimming & riding my bike & being halfway into a really good book & being at my camp in upstate new york... okay, so i have a few things that will undoubtably chill my nerves, slow my breathing & bring a smile across my face. as i get older & things seem to get more difficult it's so nice knowing i'll have my vices to turn to when i need them.

brian andreas - my favorite quote artist (his website is storypeople.com) has several quotes that i love but here's the one for today.

"If you hold on to the handle, she said, it's easier to maintain the illusion of control. But it's more fun if you just let the wind carry you."

we all strive so hard for control & although it's necessary sometimes, other times we should be more flexible. i'm in a 'let go' stage right now. playing in the dirt tends to do that to me.

since ceramics is on the brain i thought i'd post a couple pictures from the NCECA conference that i went to last week. (the national ceramic convention was in my hometown this year!) for those of you that don't know i got my degree in ceramics (& photojournalism) from western kentucky university. i loved every second- well almost every second of it! and last week at the conference i got to hangout with my girls. the ceramic girls (kelly, rosemary, me, & emily) -we spent many nights together in the studio -talking, laughing, listening to great music and making some cool art. last week was awesome & sad at the same time because i'll forever miss our camaraderie & the inspiration you fill me with. i love artists. they rock.

Renaissance Festivals...

are very interesting. i had a wedding there this past weekend. it was as bizarre and fun as it sounds. people talked in accents and wore great outfits and drank beer out of large mugs. andee & erik were really laid back & fun to work with. our time was short together but i still had several oppurtunities to make some fun images from their day! thanks so much for letting me share your wedding day, andee & erik!

somebody special has a birthday today!

my little sister and i have had the normal relationship- pretty fiesty towards eachother growing up- she always wanted my doll or my clothes (although she's always had way better fashion sense)- you know how it is. We both went to different colleges and needed that time to grow into the adults we are today.

And now, today she is definately becoming her own woman. Beautiful, talented (graduatedfrom UofK with a degree in Architecture!!!) funny, fun loving, a bit of a party animal, doesn't take nothing from nobody fabulous attitude in life, funky, upbeat, and very easy to love. i adore you sissy rae. i hope you have a wonderful day & i'm sorry i'm way over here not blowing your candles out with you.

lordee, what a week.

i had decided i wanted to post once a day on this blog. and here it is march 12th and i haven't posted once in over a week!!!

my excuse, i had family in town. my house was crazy & full with my mom, brother & cousin from kentucky. it was wonderful. we went horseback riding, spent half a day at the botanical gardens, playing with the butterflies, rented a car and drove down to mexico for some real tacos & several margaritas! we went to a cubs spring training game & did the scottsdale gallery walk. i love having guests- it's my excuse to get out of my routine & do the things that i take for granted. i'll post some pictures of it hopefully later tonight.

since my last post i had a wedding at the corona ranch & rodeo. very fun place. katie & joe were so much fun to play with all day. i even caught myself talking in their minnesota accents by the end of the day! i have several pictures from the wedding that i want to post as well.

it's going to be a busy week with me flying to Lousiville for the NCECA conference -all my ceramic buddies are meeting up for a week of inspiration & fun. i fly back on friday to second shoot a wedding and then i have a wedding at the renaissance festival on saturday! how fun does that sound! a rodeo/ranch and a renaissance festival!!! i'm so lucky :)

hope everyones week goes well!