My friends Dan & Brooke got married a few weeks ago, and I was blessed to get to be one of Brooke’s bridesmaids.  They hired a stellar photographer, Lori Woehl, who did an amazing job.  I did my best to stay out of her way, but I still got as many fun, candid and silly shots as I could – as you would expect from me.  I got to speak with Lori some and she is such a sweet person, and very professional.  I can’t wait to see the pictures she got of their special day.  My pictures… well, I certainly can’t post them all here, but I just got to have fun taking pictures of my friends Enjoy the happiness and love on this Love Thursday!!

The matron of honor, trying not to freak out.

Ok – the mother of the bride was putting on gloves so she wouldn’t get her makeup on her daughter’s dress.  And it was funny.  Brooke and her mom have pretty much the sweetest most genuine Mother-Daughter relationship ever.  They are so cute.

Awww – so sweet, right? See the next pic to see WHY they were holding hands….

It’s time to tighten the corset ladies…

Gorgeous much?!?! She looked so beautiful. And girl – all that ‘Shredding‘ really paid off.

I have a great one of Brooke brushing her teeth. Trust me. But we’ll save that one for the photo album

The Brides’ attendants (minus me) hanging out during pictures.

Ah, married at last.

I had waay too much fun with the dance floor lighting. =)

Meeting new people.  Learning some stuff.  Trying new things.  Honing your skills.  Making friends.  That’s what the Dallas Photog Shootout was all about.  Organized by the super awesome and energetic Rob “Ninja” Nicholson, on his trek across the country, with setup help from some local wonderful photog folks including Amy Karp, Natasha Brown, Anna Routh and the ever awesome Catie Ronquillo.  We met.  We shot.  We laughed.  We ate.  We laughed some more.  It was a great time and fun to try new things and have a chance to experiment with some different lighting techniques – thanks  Jason Huang of Table 4 Weddings.  The models, makeup and hair artists were all amazing and did such a great job!

So I’ve posted a couple of my favorites and some of the other photographers doing their thing, cause, well I just like to do that. =)

The lovely Catie Ronquillo!!! Humoring me. =)

Heather Essian, one of the instructors, giving our model some posing ideas.

And of course, my girls Catie and Maggie. I’m sure whatever they were giggling about MUST have been funny….

If I had my way, I would have been on a really tall, albeit very secure, ladder, in the middle of all these runners coming down the hill. I also would’ve liked a shot laying on the ground in the middle of them all as the first ones came down the hill, and as they ran past. However, logic and all those angry feet say that’s not a good idea. But just so you know that what I would have done, if I could.  When I ran down this hill in 2008 in the half-marathon (which I still can’t believe I did), I thought about what a neat perspective it must be to see all these runners coming down the hill away from downtown.  I could pretend that the reason I didn’t train and race in this years race was because I really wanted to take these pictures.  So yes, let’s pretend that shall we. =)  I love running. I don’t always engage in it, but I respect it and respect those who say, ‘yes, i will run today’, especially when it scares them to death.  And having been there myself, I completely understand the person who never in a million years would imagine running, like, more than around the bases in a softball game, and yet finds themselves running more and more each time and finally conquering a race distance. Go Katie!

I didn’t get all around to see all the different running areas and people. I would have gotten a job with the race pictures people if I wanted to do that.  I knew my spot and I shot some fun stuff, and then we went home. Thanks Jeffiner for coming out with me and cheering on all these random people, and a few friends. And to all the “Jeff’s” who raced, you’re welcome. We didn’t know when we would see our friend Jeff, so we just cheered for Jeff the whole time as people passed, in case we missed seeing him. =) We did see him and cheered him on extra loud. =)

I love all the colors and expressions and it’s just another place where people are totally being themselves.  You can’t really be fake when you’re running.

There were soooooo many people racing. It was awesome.

It helps to have mutually crazy friends who think 6:30am ’sounds fun’. Honestly, I think we were both excited about going to a race and not having to run.

Happy Birthday to the smiliest smiler I know. =)

Jeffiner got up way too early with me on Saturday to watch the start of the 2010 Cowtown Marathon in Fort Worth, Tx last weekend.  It was weird.  The last time we were at this event we were running in it (the 10k and half – we are NOT marathoners…yet).  I wanted to cheer on some folks, and honestly what really got me out there was a picture I’ve wanted to take since I ran the half.  It’s coming soon. =)

You know how sometimes when you are trying to lose weight, and you are actually succeeding (for the most part, and at least for right now), and you go a little CBI (crazy bat**** insane) at the mall because things you had no business buying before, suddenly fit AND sort of look good on you?  Yeah, that’s me right now.  The only reason I will call my purchase CBI is not because of the size (the size is the right size, it’s just the way I don’t have to pretend to FIT into that size), it’s because it’s kinda trendy.  I tend to avoid trendy.  Although I gave this one a LOT of time to become slightly less of-the-moment trendy. Typically by the time things show up in my favorite store (I love/hate you ATL (not Atlanta, think people, think)), they have morphed into something that suggests trendy but doesn’t scream it.  Although sometimes I think the clothes in that store are designed by two women, a daughter and a mother, fighting over what goes in the closet.

Anyways, the newlywed Mrs. M and I went shopping yesterday and I tried on the skinny jeans.  Not because I wanted skinny jeans. Oh no. That would make too much sense. I tried them on because THE DENIM WAS SOFT.  Seriously.  That’s the whole reason.  I am a sucker for comfy stuff, and apparently the Jean Makers of the World have decided that all of the comfy, soft denim in the world will go into trendy jeans.  Specifically skinny jeans.  Soft comfy boot cut jeans? Don’t exist.  These skinny jeans – I’m not talking soft as in won’t stand up by themselves, I’m not even talking just good waistband soft, I’m talking, when can I turn these into a pillowcase so I can lay my head on them soft.

So – of course, they fit. They were comfortable, 3 people, at least 1 of which had MY interests in mind, said they looked good on me.  I tried everything I could to say no.  I pummeled one of the sales girls with questions about shoe options, how bad was the BC factor when bending over, etc., what was the stretch/shrink rating, boots, no boots….so many questions.  I even worried (and still am) about whether I could get them over my thighs once I started running consistently again.  (Yeah, there’s a reason I haven’t blogged about it lately). Ahem.

So…I bought them. (For the record they are “slim” jeans, but um, I see no real difference)  This should be interesting.  Next up – maybe I’ll finally get some real boots.

And, I bought the new Norah Jones album yesterday. Loving it, loving it. Man of the Hour is my favorite song right now. I can’t wait to play it to death so I know all the songs.

Have a good Love Thursday, all.  I’m going to turn up my new Norah Jones album and chill out.

It’s honestly been almost 10 years since there has been a picture of us together that I loved as much as I love this one.  Things I normally might not like about myself are totally forgiven in light of the fact that we are BOTH really smiling, and look nice, and look happy and not annoyed.  Isn’t he so handsome. =)

Ok – I know, more wedding pics to come, I just had to share.  The previous “awesome” picture was when we had been dating for about 6 months. =)

*Thanks Liz! I think you took this one!

More to come from Dan & Brooke’s wedding.  I love my friends.

Bad joke, whatever. At least this time around, many of us can turn on our Wii’s after the real Olympic downhill competition and attempt to show our stuff – only to realize that we are completely horrid at alpine jumping or whatever else we’re trying to do. But it still makes me smile to think of all the kids (and grown ups) who are watching this Olympics and will be inspired to try a new sport and someday might actually be in the Olympics. It just amazes me to think about it.  One of the things I love about watching the Olympics, is that even though you are glued to the coach during the events – it still inspires us all to get off the couch and go DO something.  Be active.   Personally, I am in the glued-to-the-couch phase for now…but once this cold is gone, yes I have a real cold, I want to get back into a normal workout routine.

Confession. I always thought I could be a speed skater.  IF they made a straight track.  Not the best at actually turning.  No figure skating aspirations here.  Stopping is not really my best suit.  Falling – I’m almost a professional, but stopping on purpose without falling down, not so much.  But I always could get going pretty well on the ice, and I thought if I were ever going to try any winter Olympic sport, it would be speed skating.  Now when we are watching them I think my greatest skill could’ve been to help take out a few other players as I fell… I know, that’s not very sportswoman like conduct… but if I’m going to fall anyway…  Just kidding.  So aside from the whole left turn business, I thought I could do it.  For summer Olympics it was always swimming. Surprise, surprise.

And just in case you haven’t laughed today. Here are some videos of me trying to snowboard at Breck a couple years ago. In the first one I had just finished my first lesson – I love the part where I just slowly go past the camera at the end.  Thanks dear.  The second video I was much improved, but you really can’t tell. =)  All of these were taken BEFORE the big fall that made my tailbone hurt for over 6 months. So I was at least going fast at one point for that to happen. It was fun and I would try it again, but I truly am a big fan of sledding. Can’t we have sledding resorts? Seriously.

I pretty much cry laughing every time I watch this first one.

I was REALLY trying to practice changing direction in this one.
Did you have any aspirations around one sport or another in the Olympics that you thought you could do if you really tried?  Did you actually try?

(Thanks to Catie for the inspiration for this post)

I know. Slightly melodramatic, but I’m not being completely sarcastic about it – they did set a record for most snow in one day. =) I don’t need to give you the play by play. Most of you have had WAY more than 12 inches of snow at once recently, but besides being a lot for here, this was pretty unique.  Best packing snow ever. No joke. Maybe once or twice in Ohio growing up do I remember having snow that was this perfect for snowball making, snowman and fort building.  No wind, just peaceful falling snow. Simply, perfect.  The major downfall to this characteristic is that it sticks to everything else too, not just itself.  For example, our oak trees in the front yard that don’t lose their leaves until spring.  We counted about 15 or so branches lost by midday on Friday. Yikes.

So…when we got up Thursday morning and saw the wonderful site of at least 3-4 inches of snow on the ground, OF COURSE my first thought was that Bonsai would simply love this! So after working a little bit I just couldn’t take it anymore and we went outside to play a little.  He was so thrilled.   The trees out front were drooping quite a bit, but I couldn’t reach them, but the trees and shrubs in the back could use some help, so I knocked a bunch of snow off those.

This is pretty much the closest I’ve ever gotten to a good snowflake picture.

My neighbor was having trouble getting up her driveway in the afternoon, so we went over and helped clear it out.  We then got the idea to build a snowman out front. She had never built a snowman and that’s reason enough right there.  Perfect conditions don’t just come along often around here.  So we built a lovely proper snowman in their front yard.  Maybe people slowed down because of the snowman, maybe it was because 2 grown women were building it.  Hey, we don’t care, no one slid up into our yards. Of course now ours has a brush barrier protecting it ;\

Yes, that’s me with the lift ticket from the last time we went skiing/snowboarding.  I’m that girl.

The scene early Friday morning. Oh, the branch carnage – it got worse throughout the day.  We ended up with about a foot of snow.

And, our Friday morning activities.

Good times.