esterday I woke up at 5am, showered, ate breakfast, and gathered everything but my senses. JD insisted I was crazy, that I should just stay in a Chicago hotel, but I said no. No, I will not...because, well...because I had so much to do at home and being away too long hurts my eyes. What do your eyes have to do with this, he asked. Okay, I replied, it's my ears...being away hurts my toes.
Just admit you can't stand being away from Polo, and just like that JD called my bluff.
Yesterday I flew from Orange County to Chicago for an engagement session and flew back to Orange County TO BE WITH MY DOG. I do weird things (like that one time in high school when I got blond highlights...who was I kidding?!) and make quick decisions. Life is too short not to spend every moment with those you love. I know it sounds extreme, but I believe it down to the last inch of my uber healthy toes. So I decided to fly home on the same day.
I was greeted at the door with a waggling tail and a glass of Pellegrino...a night in Chicago could never compare to that. To accompany this banal story, I thought I'd complete today with a Friday Randomness post...
Last Tuesday I got all gussied up to go see my best friend Melanie perform with Shoshana Bean. The only problem was I didn't own going-out clothes so I stood in my closet and prayed to the gods of Rachel Zoe for a minor miracle. I found an old dress and ended up sewing up a pre-existing tear. With my needle and thread I felt less Lohan and more Pollyanna...even when I make an attempt, I'm still uncool.
This makes me think of something else: take your camera everywhere. Photographers often ask how I learned how to shoot manually and a lot of this answer is practice. Yes, I practiced at home, but my camera became an appendage as I took it wherever I went. Shoot everything around you (oh, say, like a concert in Los Angeles) and you'll soon become more confident with your skills.
In other news, my mother bought me a pair of running shoes for my birthday (three months ago) and I won't take them out of the box for fear of using them. Yes, using them. Sometimes I don't even make sense to myself.
Sometimes I toast whole sprouted grain bread and pretend it tastes like Wonder.
I read on a forum that--unlike me--photographer X has clients who hire him for his work, not his personality. Oh, Internet, even if you're the "best" artist/wedding photographer, never forget you're also the curator and broker for your work. Don't get it twisted.
My newest obsession is So You Think You Can Dance. I can't get enough of it. I watch the hour-long show with pointed toes. And baited breath. Here's a peek at my favorite couple dancing what could be an Emmy winning routine. It's true...Nigel said it!
t was a day they waited for. Eleven years to be exact and their friends and family buzzed around suites at the Four Seasons Santa Barbara, tying bows, finalizing details, and making things perfect for Jenny and Jeff. She's tall and demure and he's filled to the brim with kindness and an air of confidence only a doctor can emit. And Jeff uses his doctorness to care for her in a unique way, so subtly and without flair but unadulterated with sincere passion.
On a skiing trip, after Jenny had an accident and was air-lifted to a nearby hospital, Jeff stayed at her side. The entire time. When they first met no one thought twice of their introduction, but Jenny soon realized Jeff cared for her in no uncertain way. He's proven it again and again...and Jenny revels in his love, pouring back into him everything he's given her.
Jenny and Jeff...bon jour!! Actually, I don't know if that's how I should start, but since you're in Paris, I figure that'll be just fine. I hope you're roaming the streets enjoying time together drinking espressos by the Eiffel Tower, fondly thinking of your perfect wedding day. Because it was. Perfect. Thank you for being absolutely amazing, kind, and lovely...it was an honor to document your love and I wish you only the best. Much Love and Appreciation... j*
The started started fabulously with this stunning Vera Wang wedding gown...
Jenny is a bride after my own heart...not a detail was overlooked...
The gorgeous bride and her handmade wedding invitations...
Jenny and Jeff opted to see each other before the ceremony for a First Look so they'd have plenty of time for pictures and be able to enjoy cocktail hour with their friends and family...the Four Seasons Santa Barbara offers gorgeous backgrounds for a perfect wedding day...
JD captured this photo of Jeff seeing Jenny for the first time as his future wife...
...while I captured this moment just seconds later...
Jeff and Jenny had a morning ceremony, so their First Look was scheduled at 8:30am...the day was foggy, but the light was amazing...everywhere.
I loved working this this bridal party...talk about an amazing group of people...
Many thanks to SR Hogue for all the florals at the wedding...I particularly loved Jenny's bouquet...
The Santa Barbara wedding scene is dominated by TEAM Hair and Makeup...and with good reason. Those ladies are the best and make my brides look extra stunning...
One thing I particularly like about Jeff is his willingness to make Jenny happy. When she mentioned she wanted to get married under an archway of driftwood they collected together, that's precisely what they did. After collecting the driftwood along the ocean's shore, Jeff set forth in assembling the archway of Jenny's dreams...made with love...
Bridesmaids dresses by Melissa Sweet...
Giving the bride away...and two very different reactions...
A HUGE thank you must go to Kelly Leonard of Event of the Season for coordinating a perfect wedding day. Her team and the staff at the Four Seasons Santa Barbara planned a perfect wedding and I was thankful to be working with such a great group of people...
Okay, so I DIE. This caketopper just kills me. I want a custom made topper like this...and I'd carry it around in my purse. Everywhere.
he first time I walked into Olive Garden, I felt like I arrived in Beverly Hills, conveniently located in Tuscany. I mean, there were cloth napkins. Cloth! It was like wiping my hands on my clothes, but BETTER. I was invited to celebrate a friend's birthday at this fancy place, so I made sure to wear my Sunday best. I'd never experienced such delicacies like bread sticks (bread in the shape of...wait for it...sticks!) and never-ending bowls of pasta. Be still my enlarged and highly-processed heart...
Last night JD and I went to Olive Garden for dinner and--I'm being serious--I got teary-eyed. I blamed the alfredo dipping sauce, but we both knew it wasn't that. It was the breadsticks. And the realization the first time I ate at Olive Garden, I savored every minute because I never thought I'd return. Ever.
Thankfully, I'm still trying to savor every moment. One alfredo dip at a time.
Yes, that was pretty random, but so is my life. Which leads me to another installment of Shooting Star (whoa, that was not a smooth transition...good thing I'm not a Broadway choreographer...although I'm way good at Jazz Hands!).
This week's installment of Shooting Star will cover:
*Posing, specifically How to Move Into a Pose.
*How I pose full-figured clients.
*Shooting, even if it doesn't look right.
*Directing a pose without sounding rude.
*Keeping a pose from going stiff.
et's get one thing clear: I don't ignore him. It's more like I don't hear him. Sometimes. JD diagnosed me with a selective hearing disorder and it drives him crazy. Please cut the tomatoes...I cut the onions. Don't forget to pack the toothbrush...I leave the toothbrush on the bathroom sink. They're running ten minutes late...why aren't they here yet?!
My disorder was magnified as we made our way to Santa Barbara for a wedding on Saturday. Check out the orange groves...I wonder what type of fruit is grown over there. I'm going to stop and get us something to eat...we should get something to eat because I'm starving. JD finally assessed I hear about 60% of what he says and it worries him because by the time we're 60, that figure will closer to 10%.
I reminded him I love bribes, so if I could work that figure up to 75%, I'd be more than happy to accept a new pair of shoes for my efforts. JD responded to my idea, but I can't remember what he said.
This week's DISSES go to:
*Having Selective Hearing Disorder. Duh.
*Craving wedding cake...the smell of butter cream gets me every time.
*My singing voice. It brings JD to tears, and not in the good way.
This week's KISSES go to:
*Dallas Mavericks. Y'all know I'm a Lakers girl...I cheer for them and whoever is playing against Miami Heat.
*Canon Professional Services. In addition to camera/gear insurance, I also have CPS, which is awesome because while my lens got repaired, I was given a free loaner and a discount on its services.
*My polaroid camera. For capturing life's smallest moment that later prove to be the greatest.
Happy Monday!
Long-Suffering + Resilience
06.10.11
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S
he sat across from us and asked us questions. About each other. I didn't want to answer because, well, it made me feel awkward and I'm a private person. What's your favorite thing about JD? Everyone at the dinner table stared at me. My palms got clammy and I cleared my throat (a nervous habit I absolutely hate).
He's long-suffering. Again and again, he deals with me and patiently perseveres. Because clearly, you know, anyone married to me must be long-suffering!
The table laughed in acknowledgment (no, nobody put a hand over mine and disagreed about this sentiment...thanks, friends!) and she asked JD what he liked most about me. I wanted to melt right on my chair. Heck, I wanted the chair to swallow me whole. He put his head down and smiled.
She's resilient. No matter what happens, she forgets the past and bounces back.
I never knew. I never knew this was his favorite thing about me. I was happy the chair didn't swallow me whole like I had wished because I saw a different side to my best friend. A new side I was thankful for, a side I love waking up to each morning.
This is a recent picture of us at Buca Di Beppo...yes, I was acting all tourist and bought the picture the waitress took with a small digital camera. It drove JD crazy (especially now since the picture sits in my car), but he can't complain because I remind him he's LONG-SUFFERING!!!
