Scruff and Sadee Photo Shoot

How about that ballgame? I still can hardly believe that Alabama beat Tennessee. It just blows me away each time I think about it. Glad they will have a rest this weekend before LSU. I'll be attending that one, so I hope they can do it again!

My dad & stepmom went to the game, so I was the dogsitter and stayed at their house. I purchased another lens for my camera. This time it was the 28mm f/2.8. Soooo you know what the combination of new lenses and dogsitting brings? Well, of course...photos of the dogs! I am a fanatic about pictures of animals. They never get tired of it. Here are a few of my favorite animals on the planet: Scruff and Sadee. Can you guess which one is which?

What a rough life:


She's such a poser:


He woke up when I bent down to him but had no problem falling asleep as I was snapping away:

Wedding at Hargis

This past weekend I had the chance to help out and second-shoot at a wedding at the Hargis Retreat in Chelsea...down Highway 280 in Birmingham. My friend, Carla, and I had lots of fun hanging out for a little while with Erin and Zach. Here are a few of my favorites:

The inside of the chapel...so pretty.


The happy couple after exchanging vows and merging the salts (which was a pretty cool thing to do that I've never seen.)


This cute little flower girl had a message for her mother on the 2nd row!


Taking communion...


The next images were shot with my BRAND NEW LENS! I have never used a prime lens before and let me tell you...it was a different experience. For those that don't know, a prime lens has a fixed focal length. Which means...no laziness for you zoomers! And I'm a zoomer. I've gotten so used to staying put and moving my lens however I need it. But the lens I purchased (50mm f/1.4) is so sharp. I can really tell a difference even in the focus of it (can hardly wait until I actually know what I'm doing with it!) And the aperture goes way larger than my everyday lens. Anyway, here are a few of those:

This chalice has been passed down through their family for generations (it's pre-civil war and beautiful!)
The stunning bride...

A First

After 2 decades and 9 years, you don't really think of having many more 'firsts' in your life. You know, first tooth lost, first high school dance, first concert, first time to drive a car, first time to live on your own...to name a few among many. But the other day I had a FIRST. I was driving home from Birmingham, pulled off the exit to Cullman. There's a farm belonging to a family I know off to the side of the road. Usually, there are a few pretty horses in the pasture that I enjoy seeing, but I couldn't recall ever seeing any cows. Well, at the top of the hill, there it stood...huge, black & white, with big ol' horns. It was the first time I've ever seen a BLACK & WHITE BULL. I could hardly believe it! I wish I had a picture. It was quite a moment for me.

When you think Tim McGraw, think of me...

Isn't it interesting how one item (whether it's a food, drink, smell, color, etc) can bring one specific memory into your mind everytime you see it or remember it? That happened to me today as it always does when I think of a Big Mac. Here are some that come to mind:
*When I think of a Big Mac, I think of the Chicago Marathon (really only 1/2 the marathon!)
*When I think of Dr. Pepper, I think of Middle School (particularly 7th grade b/c I consumed so much Dr.P then that I can hardly drink it now.)
*When I think of a photo booth, I think of the Alabama Thrift Store in Alabaster.
*When I think of geraniums, I think of my grandma.
*When I hear the song Come On Eileen, I think of the Winter Park Pub.
*When I hear or say the word status, I think of Dr. Hickson my communications professor who always pronounced it 'stay-tus' and it drove me nuts!
*When I drive over 2 small bridges in a row on I-65 between here and Decatur, I think of when my dad let me drive the truck at 15 yrs old for the 1st time on the interstate. I was scared silly b/c those bridges were in a curve, and I had no clue what I was doing. (Funny side note: I used to think that I would be a great driver b/c I was so good at maneuvering the buggy at the grocery store...ha!)

Anyway, that's just to name a few! Funny how each person will have different thoughts and experiences and how many varieties there can be even within a small group of people.

Today

For the first time in about 2 years, I truly feel like I have a specific direction that I'm heading. What a great feeling to have specific goals...and goals that are way beyond what I could physically produce for myself. Really..nothing is impossible. I enjoyed the stage of my life in Nashville that I originally thought was 'wasting time' but little did I know what was really going on. Sometimes I think God is just as excited for us to think and dream for a while to get an idea of what really lies in our heart...those big dreams. So that time up there was never a waste...it was such a great foundation for ideas and inspiration that has been absolutely necessary for what I'm doing right now. Yay!!

Oh yes...and another side note: I have a car for sale if anyone needs one. It's great for someone wanting out of a car payment and to just have a car to get from here to there (not so much a drive-across-the-country type vehicle), but it runs great! It's a Honda Civic 1997, 4 dr, kind of a green color, manual. I just spend some substantial cash-flow 'renewing' it, so it's good to go for quite a while. About 170,000 miles. Buzz me if you're interested!

Tis the Fall

A new season has officially begun for me because......today I had my first Pumpkin Spice Latte of the year! Bring on the cold!

I had that Latte on the way to Nashville for the first service of Life Church (www.lifechurchtn.com.) Everything was marvelous. I'm excited to see how they grow. Then Lori, Kelly Ann and I had a lovely lunch at Jackson's. My antenna in the car doesn't pick up very well in low-populated areas. So on the way home through those areas, the only CD in the car was my stepmom's copy of Anne Murray's Best Hits...So Far. What a classic!