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Alright.
So, I'm guilty of perusing a few blogs from time to time. That's a little bit of an understatement I suppose. "Um, hi my name is Amy, and I stalk blogs."
I have my favorites, and they are neatly bookmarked, for clicking convenience. Most of these are photo blogs (because, well, duh), with a couple of random, funny, or insightful ones thrown into the mix as well.
These stalk-worthy photography blogs provide a ton of beautiful imagery for me to drool over, but even more appealing is the photographer's ability to captivate me through his or her writing skills. They are personal. They are real. They are hilarious. They make me want to hang out with them.
Some of them (click here for an example) also routinely post their current likes/dislikes. It could be something as simple as a brand of bread - they rant, rave, and explain their preferences.
I love this.
So I thought to myself - I have opinions. I like things. I don't like things. I can do this.
And here we are.
So here's the deal. Each week (I'm going to attempt to make these weekly), I'll make a list of 5 things that I think are pretty fabulous, and 5 that are drab...ulous (the rhyme works better abbreviated).
You are welcome to offer your thoughts, comments, etc in the box below. Let's do this thing.
1. Brio's Wedge Salad. Or, as they eloquently put it on their menu - "Bistecca Insalata." Recently, I went to dinner with a great friend of mine, and she suggested that I try it. "It's amazing," she raved. It's a side salad; lettuce, some veggies, a splash of dressing. How amazing can it truly be? Friends, this salad rocked my world. Gorgonzola cheese. Roma Tomatoes. Parmesan dressing. Bacon. Freaking bacon. This salad makes all caesar, house, and chef assortments tremble in fear.
2. Vampire novels. They are cheesy, unrealistic, borderline IQ-lowering, and absolutely enthralling. Once I finished the Twilight saga (in *cough*four days*cough*), I was disoriented. What will I do with my days now? Ben was like, "Uh, how about actually shower and not wear pajamas until 6:00p.m.?" Whatev. He doesn't get it. Then, it was brought to my attention that there are other vampire books out there - what?! Feed my need for the trite, bloodsucking theme that I've become so enamored with? Take away more precious hours of my already overloaded day? I'm in.
3. Time Machine. As a customer, this product is just another reason I love Mac. :) As a photographer, this baby has saved me from countless nights of lost sleep. It automatically saves all of your files. Everything. Something got deleted on accident? Oh no prob. Time Machine's got it on lock. Plus, when you use it, the screen looks like you're actually traveling through space. Sometimes I just click on it to feel like an astronaut.
4. Yapta. Just click on the link and sign up. Yapta calls itself "your personal travel assistant" - and it's not lying. If you're a frequent traveler, this will be like finding buried treasure. If you're a I-travel-every-now-and-then-and-I-want-to-travel-more traveler (like me), it's still a hugely resourceful site. Basically, once you're a member, you can enter preferences for hotels and flights, and Yapta will notify you via e-mail if there are any price drops so you are guaranteed the best value. Or, if you've already booked a flight, Yapta will notify you if you are eligible for a refund if a price drops below what you've paid. Oh, and did I mention that it's free fifty free to sign up? Seriously.
5. My husband. I'm not going to get all lovey-dovey on you (ok, maybe just a little ;)), but I really did marry the coolest guy ever. Ben is smart. He's hysterical. He's compassionate. He's supportive. He's a stud. He's really, really good with cars (bonus!). I have a bit of an independent streak (he would roll his eyes at "a bit," but whatever), and he never squashes that. He not only lets me be my own person, but he encourages me to dream big. And as a self-proclaimed "big dreamer," that is invaluable. This week (along with many, many other weeks), I decided that I needed to do some reevaluating of my life. I was feeling introspective, and I had a lot to say, so over hamburgers, he let me spill my fears, my thoughts, and my goals. And he listened. Not just in a "I'll nod my head and smile" sort of way. But in a "I am genuinely interested in what you're saying" sort of way. At the end of my rambling he simply said, "I want you to be happy." Well, he said more than that, but those six words are what really stand out. He does want me to be happy. And for that, among countless other reasons, I love him. :)
1. Exact change tolls. So I'm cruising down 429 in Orlando. I'm singing (too loudly), and enjoying the rare moment of "me" time. I'm in my mom's car, which is void of the luxury of an E-Pass that I have in my own vehicle. I have a few bucks stashed in my wallet, so no biggie - right? WRONG. I roll up to a booth with 2 options - a) E-Pass lane or b) Exact change lane. Really?? I'm not a coin collector. I don't have exact change. And now, I look like a frantic idiot because I'm scanning the ground around the toll booth for quarters that were thrown and missed. No luck. I have to run it, and force the booth to make some horrible noise, complete with flashing lights. Awesome.
2. Florida humidity. I stepped outside yesterday, and thought that I had actually entered a sauna. True story.
3. Jon and Kate. I admit - I love a good gossip magazine. I know, I know - it's pointless, dramatic, silly...blah, blah, blah. It entertains me, ok? However, for the last several weeks, Jon and Kate Gosselin have been dominating every magazine I flip through. This irritates me for two reasons - one, I'm just tired of reading the same stuff. Kate lashes out. Jon leaves town. They suck. We get it. Two, I think it's awful that their ridiculousness is being splashed all over the place. I don't watch the show, but I do know that they have kids. As two adults, they should be able to get it together enough to know that publicly making a circus of their marriage is far from the healthiest thing for their family.
4. My current sleeping habits. I suppose I could blame some of it on #2 of my "Fab" list, but I have not been able to get to sleep earlier than 1:00a.m. for the past week and a half. As a girl who really, really loves her z's, this sucks. And it makes me feel way-less-than-awesome in the morning when I try to peel myself away from my pillow.
5. Tostitos. I finished a whole bag. Singlehandedly.
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Fab & Drab : issue 1
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There is a moment; it's right when the familiar march is cued before the bride appears - I hold my breath. It's habitual - perhaps even instinctive. I'm standing (crouching, kneeling, sitting, etc), camera aimed at the entrance, and I'm not breathing. It's as if my body knows how monumental the following 20 seconds are, and it is anxious not to do anything - even take in air - to disrupt it.
The bride emerges at the end of the aisle, beaming, and begins her procession. I can inhale again. The moment is perfect.
***
Rae and Jason were married at gorgeous Hollis Gardens. The day was nothing short of incredible, and Rae was absolutely...breathtaking. :)
I love the emotion in the following two:
A really, really good kiss. ;)
Are we in the rainforest? Beautiful.
A good contestant for my "favorite of the day" award.
Cute portrait of the Mr. and Mrs. :)
Just a taste of the reception insanity. This one will go down as one of my favorite crazy-dancing-drink-slinging-thrown-over-the-shoulder images of all time. :)
Mom (Tina):
I love it! It was a great wedding and you and Ben captured it beautifully. :)
(07.13.09)
Andrew G:
The over the shoulder photo has to be my favorite picture from all the ones I have seen from you guys. The faces are awesome, the clarity of the spilling drink is awesome, and your choice of color usage is awesome.
(08.17.09)
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rae & jason : sneak peek!
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47
You know you haven't blogged in awhile when...
a) you have to literally sit for 5+ minutes and try to remember your log in password
b) you are posting images from an engagement session...and the last post you made is the same couple
c) since you last blogged, a new month has started
Or, in my case, d) all of the above. Awesome.
I'm just going to gloss over my absence. Because this is my blog. And I can do that. :)
Let's digress so I don't allow myself to give...uh, myself....a guilt trip. (Do I sound like I have multiple personalities? Because I sure do feel like it. And so do I. And me too.)
Valerie and Ricky are the epitome of fabulousness wrapped up into one photogenic, tall (I had serious long leg envy when I was around Valerie), easygoing nutshell. While I was processing their engagement photos, I had a huge smile on my face. And I'm well aware that I looked somewhat idiotic to anyone who passed by, but I'm ok with that. Because I just couldn't contain my giddiness.
Check it out for yourself. And don't worry if you find yourself smiling uncontrollably. People only stare at you for the first few minutes.
Ashley McCormick Photography:
Um... you were in Mt. Dora, just mere BLOCKS from my house, and you didn't call me :( I will only forgive you because the photos are beautiful. I think I'm going to try out some of your spots. ;)
(07.09.09)
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valerie & ricky : engaged
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We shot Valerie and Ricky's early a.m. engagement session (well, 9:00 is early for me ;)) in beautiful Mt. Dora. I'm not lying when I say that Valerie and Ricky are the most laid back people ever. We hung out. We laughed. We sweated through the Florida heat. We chatted about our dogs. There were times that I literally forgot I had a camera in my hands - it just didn't feel like work. And that is a beautiful thing.
Fortunately, there were also moments that I did remember the bulky, black contraption slung around my shoulder. :) Thanks to Valerie and Ricky's fabulousness, Ben and I were able to grab some awesome shots. I'm super eager to process the rest so I can blog an even bigger post! :) For now, enjoy the peek:
My view...
...and Ben's. :)
Valerie and Ricky's family bought them these rocking chairs as an engagement present. I can't begin to express how much I love when couples bring personal elements to a shoot. It adds bits of personality. :)
Valerie's gold heels were a show-stealer. ;)
I'm going to go all photography geek for a second and talk about how much I adore our 50mm 1.4 lens. Every time it dials in just right (like it did in the image below), I fall in love all over again. Props to Ben for grabbing this one - I absolutely love the simplicity of it.
"Private Party." :) Hands down, my favorite from the day. I was literally on Ben's shoulders to get this shot. And I didn't break his neck. Success.
Looking-straight-at-the-camera images are great, but they usually don't jump out at me too often. However, this photo could change my mind. It makes me smile every time I look at it.
I mean, how could you not like them?! :)
Runner up in the favorite-of-the-day contest.
*Stay tuned for more in the near future!*
Nana:
Love these pictures --they seem so relaxed!
(06.20.09)
Bri:
What a sweet couple. I love the last photo and the one with them in their feet up and you from behind the chairs - great perspective :)
(06.26.09)
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valerie & ricky : sneak peek!
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*Testing....testing...is this thing on?*
I have a pretty legit excuse for being a bit M.I.A. lately. Have you ever actually seen a chicken with it's head cut off? That would be outrageously disturbing and even more outrageously repulsive, but it definitely screams "chaos," right?
Well, here I am - flapping my wings frantically and running in circles like an idiot.
Even though I'm on overload to the 103rd degree, I'm going to make a serious effort to be more consistent on here. In fact, I plan on blogging at least 3 times a week for the rest of Summer. Pinky swear.
I digress.
I think it's kind of ironic that I'm posting this blog tonight, because just 2 days ago, I had a dream that I was pregnant and had a baby. All in the course of 8 hours. Could you even imagine if that were how things really were? It'd be like "oh yeah, I just found out I was pregnant - I'm due in 6 hours and 43 minutes." WHAAAT?!
I know some people believe that dreams can be interpreted as glimpses into the future, but I'm not one of those people. My nightly mind adventures are a far escape from reality, and I'd like to keep them that way. I mean, I once dreamed that I was a miniature person jumping on a king-kong sized trampoline with giant versions of television cartoon characters. My REM world is a bizarre place, my friends.
I digress again.
I posted precious little Kaylee's sneak peek awhile ago, and I'm super thrilled to be showcasing her gorgeous baby face on the blog once more. Yanelys and Randy - you definitely know how to make an insanely beautiful child:
Yanelys:
OMG OMG OMG!!!!!!!! THANK YOU AGAIN... (and yes, i would have to agree with you on the "insanely beautiful child" part...LOL) I AM SOOOOOO IN LOVE!!! I can't get enough of these pictures, your blogs leave me DESPERATELY waiting for more... I can't wait for your complete work of art all done with OUR "work of art", KAYLEE.
(06.17.09)
Sandy Acosta:
Amy... You have done it once again. Brilliant amazing wonderfully heartwarming work. Granted it is not possible to make my niece any more precious than she already is in all her baby splendor! But you have the ability to capture her awe inspiring beauty. Thank you!!! You're hired... idk for what yet, But you are sooo hired!!! ♥♥♥
(06.17.09)
Maddy Benito:
The Pictures are AMAZING!! I Love Every one of them, cant just pick one. Can't wait to see more!!!! My Munchichi looks BEAUTIFUL. Tia Maddy Loves YOU!!!
(06.18.09)
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me likey this idea! & your fabulous writing skills!
p.s. Jon & Kate Gosselin
(07.16.09)Thanks Cams! And for catching that. haha. ;)
(07.16.09)Hi Amy! I am a friend of Ashley McCormick's and I am a total blog starker, too!! I have followed yours for awhile now and I just have to say that you are awesome. Love your work and love reading your blogs :)
(07.18.09)Hi Rebecca! So glad you have been dropping by - thanks so much for the encouragement! :)
(07.18.09)No worries-- im certain that one of us have finished off an entire bag of scoops at least once in our lives right? :)
and yes cheesey Vampire Novels are embarrasingly Fab :)
(07.20.09)LOVE Twilight! I was at a loss when I finished them too :)
(07.27.09)