thoughts on unrelated things

Sufjan. Tiger Tunes. Yamboree. Corn Maze.  Jumping Pillow.  An incredible mix if you ask me. That's been my life the past week.  

Sufjan: I am still processing all that Sufjan made me think about during his show.  Beautiful. Different. Afterwards, we were hanging outside discussing our sentiments when a guy walks by muttering to himself..."Colorful. Bright. Aesthetically pleasing."  I got quite a chuckle imagining him writing up his review later that night.  

Tiger Tunes:  Entertaining, but honestly, I enjoyed the company before and after more than the actual show.  I miss the friends I have there and I become more and more aware of that each time I visit.  Nathan is twenty-one now.  Where does the time go?  

Yamboree: Free samples at a new bakery in town.  Yum. Strange and Intriguing Individuals who come out of their log cabins for the occasion make for incredible photographs.  Mmmm. Turkey Legs.  Yaminals- Yams decorated like people, animals, objects...favorite this year: Lady YamYam  

Corn Maze:  I felt like Dora the Explorer leading the pack to victory (aka the end of the maze)

Jumping Pillow: This amazing treat was on location at the corn maze, but deserved its own category.  I told Mandi if it didn't cost $13,000 to install..I'd insist that we have one in our backyard.  Google it.  Seriously.  

I feel like you'll see a facebook album [when I return] including pictures from all the events. Sara and Lane Stroud also occupy many of the photos.  I enjoy those two entirely too much. I'm glad they've adopted me into their family.

  

  

Upcoming Events:

I have a wedding to tend to next weekend.  I also discovered that there is a craft fair in the Fort Worth area, called Funky Finds. Needless to say, I've spent the past hour looking through the vendors and planning purchases accordingly.

I don't think I am always going to update you on life events, but the past week has been supreme. I don't think I'm always going to write in fragments..or run-on sentences.  Especially if my first graders happen to read it (they're super smart) and comment on the poor grammar I have exemplified.  

the elms girls

So I had the honor of shooting these girls' senior pictures.  What a radiant set of twins!
I loved every minute.

list 1: twenty favorite words

[in no particular order]

1. charisma
2. plethora
3. schlep
4. mahogany
5. rambunctious 
6. nonchalant
7. conspicuous
8. figurative
9. trivial
10. pomegranate 
11. craft
12. squish
13. onomatopoeia
14. shenanigans
15. nifty
16. perpetual
17. market
18. resurrection
19. fantastic
20. jargon

Sometime this summer I asked friends on facebook their favorite words and as I have gone back to look, it is strangely missing.  Oh how I wish I would have kept their favorite words as well!  

etsy, cornell, & first grade

I had the opportunity to sell at a craft fair several weeks ago, but unfortunately marketed to the wrong age group.  In order to be successful at this show, I would've need to make wreathes/other holiday paraphernalia or sell Scentsy.  Maybe one day I could sell at Renegade Handmade...I mean that's the dream craft fair in my mind.  Anyway, I now have a surplus of handmade goods.  I have also always wanted to open an Etsy shop, so that is now the plan: to sell on Etsy.  The execution of this will happen in the next few weeks.  While you wait, here's a very brief sampling:

This is not really the best picture to show the purpose of these flowers.  

And these last two pictures were taken with my cell phone.  

Also, in other news, I had the opportunity to attend the Allison Cornell Mustard Seed EP Release Show at Dino's.  It was nothing short of amazing.  She practically had a full orchestra with her: cello, upright base, violin, banjo, harmonica, keyboard, drums, acoustic guitar. So glad for her! What a blessing!  The lighting in that place is difficult to figure out, so this is my halfway decent photograph from the event.

Oh and in between all of these shenanigans, I laugh and play with first graders [while they learn to read and write]. These tiny human beings are incredibly gracious and forgiving.  I am reminded of this daily. They also have a capacity to love without hindrance.  I have noticed that as "we" get older, "we" become more guarded with our hearts and emotions. First graders don't do that; they lay it all on the line: good, bad & ugly. I think sometimes we become so consumed with guarding ourselves that we lose sight of the fact that we were created to share ourselves, hurt and all. I read this book recently and I think you should too.  

molly & nick

This quirky fun pair made my day. I am grateful for the opportunity to photograph the evident love they have for each other.  I also am anxiously anticipating their wedding because I know it will be a blast!