For A Moment Photography

Leopard Gecko Hunter

Gordon Gecko, I drew him in Presley's lunch box.  I'm just bragging!

So excited to share Liz (the gecko) with her class!

Two nights ago Presley asked if we could go hunt for crickets.  Now to be truthful I did not want to.  But I said ok and assumed we would not find any and be back inside getting ready for bed minutes later.  Well we not only found huge crickets moments after walking outside but we found a gecko.  Then gently broke the news to Presley that they were difficult to catch, unlike crickets and not to get her hopes up.  

What do you know?  I caught the gecko on my first capture attempt!  We bought the little guy back in and we had Daddy look up information on the gecko.  We needed to find out what type of gecko it was and what to feed it and how to care for it for the night, it can die before show and share.  His tail fell off and I was sure I maimed him for life.  After reading more on them we found out that no, I didn't maim him and his tail will grow back.  

Presley loves being outside and with nature and her teacher is so great about letting her share what she learns outside of school, in the classroom.  Last week we found an insect leg on the sidewalk, Presley took it to school and the class figured out what insect it came from (grasshopper).  The first thing Presley said to me after school was, "It's a grasshopper and there are over 10,ooo different species of grasshoppers".  It was so thrilling to hear her tell me all that she had learned.

Long story short we were able to keep the gecko alive and release him back to the spot we found him in the following night.  I'm so thankful that Presley's teacher encourages the kids to learn through play.

 

 

 

    

Ice Cold Sunshine

Ice Cold Sunshine, Slogan in 1932

It has been four days since I have had a Coca~Cola.  the first day happened by accident, sorta.  I had been thinking about stopping but I was afraid to say it out loud.  Then when I realized it had been a day I thought well, I guess I should try it!..

Now, the past few days I haven't had cravings or even headaches.  I just miss it!  Strange I know but it was hard to let go.  Over the past few weeks I have worked hard at staying with Paleo Monday-Friday and working out 4-5 days a week and going to bed between 8:30(when I just can't keep my eyes open) and 9:30 every night.  

Before on days that I got up at 4:50am to go to the gym and stay up late watching trashy television.  Just something mindless and purely for entertainment.  That meant I would be up from 4:50am until 12:00 or 1:00am.  Of course this was bad for my body, and I felt sluggish the next morning.  It didn't make sense for me to push myself so hard in workouts and then no have any discipline anywhere else in my life...  I feel so much better getting to bed on a regular schedule and I've been up before my alarm clock five days in a row.  

With all the changes being made giving up the soda felt like I was giving up my last little treat.  Ugh, and I hate that I view Coca~Cola as a treat, because it's really pretty lousy for me.  But it's something I need to do, at least for now.  There is nothing good about it and right now Presley doesn't drink any soda.  It's only a matter of time until she questions why I have soda and she doesn't...

Mind you I only drink the 16 oz. cans and have given it up before (paleo challenges and pregnancy).  But lately it's been something I've had everyday!  I'm still on the fence on whether or not I should have a Coca~Cola over the weekend.  Part of me just wants to give it up for a month before I even tiptoe into that sinful corn syrup filled sugary evilness again.  We'll see it is Friday and my "off" meals aren't far behind...   Can you truly enjoy chips and salsa without a Coke?...  Or will I give it up for good?...

 

The Truth About My Blog

My little Buddy Will.  I need to write about him more!

When people find out I have a blog I can't say the response is favorable.  For the most part it doesn't bothered me that people don't respond well to the idea.  A lot of people think of bloggers as gossips (there are those types of blogs) or as self absorbed people that want to tell the world every little detail about their life.  My blog, I'm happy to say is neither of those.

When I decided to write a blog I decided to do it for a couple of reasons, having a blog would be a great way to share my photos with my clients and talk a little more about photography.  Having seen stories on blogger moms that support their family on the money they make from their blog alone, didn't sound like such a bad idea either!  Sometimes I get lost in the day dream of being paid to travel the world and write about the experiences on a blog.  Then I wake up and realize if nothing else I know Presley will have access to my thoughts and photos any time she feels like it through out her life...

I wanted to write this post because I've had people tell me almost embarrassed by the fact they read my blog.  Sometimes they'll even tell me about a favorite blog post they've read but never commented on.  It makes me so happy and I always tell them I'm so glad they read and I'd love it if they commented or shared my posts.  It's not like secretly reading a 50 Shades of Grey novel (wink).

When writing my blog I am not an open book, I'm honest and I'm authentic but I'm selective on what I write.  For the most part if I'm having a bad day I don't write about it, I want people to come here to get away from the day to day problems.  Occasionally I do talk about difficult topics (political and other personal choices).  I do that because I'm not here to please everyone and if they (readers) don't like me then most likely we won't work well together (as client/photographer) and I'm no Oprah over here.  Personally I like to know where people stand on certain issues, it can give me great ease.  Or others times make me wonder how we get a long so well!

The only relationship I write about is with my Sweet Baby Girl Presley.  All my other relationships are private and mine to have or not have.  Never (or rarely) writing about my problems sometimes makes me wonder if I'm "selling" a lie or pretending my life is something that it's not.  Ugh, that would drive me nuts...  I mean how many times can you hear Angelina talk about how sexy Brad Pitt is when he's being a Dad to their six kids.  Really?  Really?  Because I think if she were honest she'd like to kick his ass occasionally for screwing up the "schedule" or whatever it is the average couple fights about...  Where was I?...  

In short my blog are parts of my life I want and love to share so please continue to read!  It's not a complete picture of who I am, I am much funnier in person.  But don't get too comfortable I still may offend you and anything I write about is open for conversation...  

 

My Mind is Lost in the Woods.

Oh look the floor is my favorite color of blue.

The great thing about being here in the Adirondack Mountains is the time I spend day dreaming while enjoying nature.  I've spend countless hours looking at the trees, the lake, the stars and camp fires lost in my thoughts.  After working on the computer and responding to a few emails we went for a walk in the woods and to the lake.

On our way back home I decided to snap a photo of this pine disk (I don't know what to call it).  The place we are staying had to have a tree removed and I asked to have a few of these cut out for me to have.  Sandy (I'll have to blog more about her later) has been so great to us and made sure I got not one but two of these to have.  It's about 15 inches in diameter and I'm sure I'll find something to use it for.

I think it will be nice to have back in Arizona to remind me of our home here.    

 

Lake George, we're here!... Ahhh....

Sunset.

Camp Fire.

Our Dock.

The Blue Truck.  

 

I can't believe we've only been here two days, it t feels like so much longer.  I have to believe it's because Ticonderoga/Silver Bay is such a small community.  On our arrival we ran into some friends at the pizza place and made plans to meet up for Ticonderoga's High School graduation the following morning.  In less than 24 hours Presley had her first play date and did a little swimming with some summer friends...

I'm hoping that the next few days we can create a bit of a routine and get into the swing of all things summer.  As usual we have lots of plans and not enough time!  I plan on taking a lot of photos and would love to make the annual trip to Boston, Burlington, Saratoga, Middlebury and maybe Cape Cod.  I'll be happy if we get to do 50% of those trips...    

I'm lucky that I've already have plans on photographing a couple different clients this summer.  This year I have a wedding in Speculator, NY which I'm really excited about!  We'll also be taking some engagment photos so I have lots of planning to do already...  I was sad to discover my blue truck is no longer here!  Ugh, I wanted to get a photo of Presley there again this year.  I'm sure I'll find something else to fall in love with here!...

It's great to be back in the Adirondacks and I can't wait to see everyone and hear all that I've missed in the past 9 months.  The idea of the photos that I have yet to take is thrilling, I'm a dork I know...  Ahhh, so excited I can't even focus!     

 

Party Store. Cops. And Cursing.

A mothers hands are make for holding her child not hitting.

I was in a party store to buy a few things for Presley's last day of school party.  While I was shopping I was surprised to hear a mother screaming and cursing at her toddler (she was still not able to speak).  The little girl was standing up in the shopping cart trying to reach for something.  I felt so bad for the little girl, it was completely normal behavior for a child her age...  I decided I would hang around the aisle a bit to make sure she (the little girl was ok).  After a few minutes past I walked to the next aisle.

As I shopped I tried to figure out what I would do if she continued to scream and curse at the toddler or hit her.  Not saying anything was not something I could do.  Approaching her aggressively wasn't an option either.  Finally I decided I would ask the woman to take a minute, take a deep breath and try to be patient.  And hopefully talk to her long enough to calm her down...

So a couple minutes later I hear the little one start to cry again.  As I'm walking pass the woman and her female friend they get frustrated again and the mother aggressively grabs the child out of the shopping cart.  She is in the process of cursing and screaming at the child.  And said, "Excuse me, I know children are frustrating but can you just take a minute"...  That's when she cuts me off and starts screaming and cursing at me.  The whole time I'm thinking I just hope she can tell I'm not attacking her, or I looked concerned.  Because I was, I just wanted to give her enough time to calm down before it escalated further.  

 She then says to me she is the mother and she can curse at her child if she wants.  What am I going to do about it.  The other woman is yelling at me too.  The baby stopped crying and just stared.  I said, I just don't think it's a good idea to curse at her.  Then she asked me if there was a law against cursing at your child!..  I said no but I think you need to calm down.  Again they asked me what I was going to do and I told them, I was calling the cops they dared me and I started dialing the cops right in front of them...

Surprising enough they didn't rush out of the store they stayed, the whole 15 minutes it took for a cop to get there.  I told the cop what happened, and the store manager step out and said she saw it and didn't like that she was cursing in front of the customers (which included children).  He walked over ans spoke with the mother and child.

I didn't hear what the cop told the mother of this little girl but she (the mother) was crying at this point.  It's my hope that she realized then it's not ok to curse at a child.  Judging her or get her in serious trouble wasn't something I wanted to do.  Who knows how she was raised or what her life is like.  I just wanted to calm her down and I hope the little one was safer leaving with a mom that is calm rather than screaming.

Seeing that this situation when south so fast I would definitely step in again but I'd do it differently.  Hopefully I could buy enough time for the parent to realize I wasn't a threat and then go from there.  The woman's friend was still defending the behavior as they were leaving but I think it hit home with the mother.  As a mother I to tell a cop (or anyone) that I was screaming and cursing ("sit the f down" & "I'm going to f hit you" etc) at my toddler would be enough to make me second guess it...

This episode had me upset.  I don't even want to think what some children have to endure in their life time...      

 

 

 

Passion. Commitment. Gotta have it!

 

This is a commercial featuring Kevin Pearce, watch it before reading...  He suffered a traumatic brain injury in 2009 preparing for the Olympics.  He's healing has been faster than expected, but he still has a lot of work to do...  I've followed his story in the media and on Facebook...  The recent death of freestyle skier Sarah Burke had me wondering about Kevin's progress.  Burke crashed on the same pipe as Kevin and was in the same hospital as Kevin...  Looks like he is riding again, great news.

As a Mother I think about his Mom and how she is managing the fear I'm sure she has...  She was quoted as saying, "I'm just very proud of him for waiting as long as he has," said his mother Pia. "I don't fully understand the feeling he gets when he snowboards, but it must be a feeling of freedom and happiness and well-being."  He is lucky he to have parents that understand how this dangerous sport is so essential to his well being.

I admire them for their passion and commitment...  I've seen the pipes and jumps they ride in.  My knees get weak looking at the jumps, but the freedom they must feel I believe is immeasurable.  These two stories also reminds me how much I want to give Presley the freedom and confidence to follow her life's passion...  The best way to give her that is by example, the saying "reasons or results" comes to mind.

(Read more about Kevin Pearce's recovery: http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2011/more/12/30/Kevin-Pearce-recovery/index.html#ixzz1kJj3NX15)

Train like a Victoria's Secret Angel

Adriana Lima (on the right) 30 years old and a Mommy.

*not my photo*

 

It's the Victoria's Secret Fashion show season!  Well before you start to hate what you see in the mirror ask yourself if you want Angel Adriana Lima's training (if you want to call it that) schedule?  Well here it is knock yourself out!

3 months before:

workout once a day (not sure how long).

Cut out (pretty much) solid food.  She doesn't clairify what this means.  So I'm thinking it's very minimal what ever it is she's eating.

drink 2 gallons of water a day.

surviving on supplments, protein shakes and vitamins.

3 weeks before:

work out twice a day (doesn't say how long)

9 days before:

cut out all solids. " bye bye Tic Tac a day."

2 days before:

abstain from drinking gallons of water, drink normally.

12 hours before:

No water and I have to assume no food, supplements or vitamins.

Try not to die (ok, I added that).

After reading that.  I'm pretty sure I'll never wonder why the Victoria Secrets Angles look the way they do...  Not to mention to *begin* with she (and the others) are in amazing shape!..  I got the information above from Telegraph.com.uk from and interview she did before the show.  

 

 

 

The Adorable/Harmless Smoking Duck

On our way out of town for the holiday we stopped by a gas station to get gas and snacks.  Presley pointed this out at the register.  She thought the duck was just adorable...  OK so the ad says that this is wrong but my beautiful 4 year old can't read that message but she clearly gets the real message they are sending...

It reminds me of the saying, "do as I do not as I say".  It looks like those evil marketing geniuses (not my first choice of words) have figured out yet again how to sell to kids without selling to kids...  In 1991 there was a study done showing that as many kids knew Joe the Camel represented cigarettes just as Mickey Mouse represents Disneyland...

It's such a weird topic for me...  I love marketing.  I studied it in college...  But I hate (yes, hate) that it's used on our kids...       

Footloose Remake Critic

Remake photo (from my iPhone).

L.O.V.E her boots.  I had a pair similar- and wish I still had them.  :)  

In case you didn't know I am a huge, big, ginormous (yes, gigantic and enormous) Footloose fan.  Me and my high school girlfriends use to watch this movie every weekend all weekend long.  I know it word for word (to this day) I know it all- down to the stickers on the truck Chuck Cranston drove and the clothes they wore.  I saw the remake and I have to say, I'm a fan!

I was going to see it a few weekends ago at my childhood home in Safford, AZ.  However, it had been so long since my girlfriends and I got together we skipped the movie in order to talk more.  Hanging out together, just felt like home.  I love that...

I really hope that this remake makes fans out of this generation.  A lot of the  music was original to the film, some was remade, I loved it!  I for the most part liked the changes made in the plot...  I do feel like Chuck Cranston and his gang were not only ugly but unlikable in this film (unlike the original)...  But I guess we shouldn't like the bad guys, right?!...

I missed a few key pieces from the film...  But again this is coming from a Footloose junkie!  I miss Ariel talking about how much she wanted to escape the small town, I missed the touching interactions between her and her Dad and her and her Mom...  However, I'm a fan of how the plot changed with him and his Uncle and Mother (I can't say why- I don't want to give it away)....

I compare this movie to giving birth to a second child.  You know what's coming but you just don't know exactly how it will play out...  I'm a fan and I can't wait to see it with my high school girlfriends- soon.