Grateful to be Thankful

This year, we decided that no one felt much like spending hours in the kitchen, so we had our celebration catered. It was basically, the best. thing. ever. We wavered back and forth as to whether or not we would still cook our traditional Cuban standards.... and ultimately decided that even though we had sworn off cooking, Thanksgiving just wouldn't be the same without at least having some black beans and rice to go with the rest of the American staples. Phew!

My dad was appalled that 1) my plate was so over stuffed and 2) that I took a picture to document it.

But I am grateful. Grateful to have a plate that's filled with both American and Cuban traditions (if the Cubans did celebrate Thanksgiving, it would certainly include black beans and rice!). And grateful to be enjoying it while surrounded by family (even though our crowd was *much* smaller this year than usual).

Now that we've had a break in the kitchen, we are gearing up for a full-blown Cuban Christmas. Yucca and all.

Today we're off to celebrate Eid with Emir's parents which means--- yummy Bosnian food and more to be thankful for!

Dramatic Interpretation: UNL's Social Media Club

The fine folks over at UNL's new Social Media Club invited me to join them at their most recent meeting last week to talk about how I use social media in my business. What a great group! They had fantabulous questions and a tangible buzz around what they're doing. Talk about bright future leaders of tomorrow.... wow! :) Thanks for the invite guys!

Emir catches some more silly shots of my energetic (and sometimes dramatic) interpretation. Ha!

Gasp! That's Private! (and way too fun) | Photo Classes Lincoln

So.... what do you do if there's something you want to learn, but you can't make it to any of my other classes? Or maybe you're looking for something specific (or advanced)? Or, you want an excuse to get together with friends for a customized learning experience? Go private of course! :) Here's a few shots from a private class I taught on Tuesday. Loads and loads of information..... but always a good time.

(Hey! No laughing at my overloaded laptop desktop! ;)

Special thanks to Kim for hosting!

An Unsurprising Surprise

I love the unveiling of a shoot because.... no matter what, it's surprising. Surprise! Yes, you are truly  adorable!

Yes! Your family is actually this cute!

Of course..... this is no surprise to me.  I knew it all along. :)

I love shots like this! I think it's fun for the kids to see later when they're all grown up. They can look back and think, "Look how cute and in love mom & dad are! What a lucky kid I was!"

Of course, how could we not shoot the bumble bee costume?

This shoot was the epitome of teamwork and determination... and it totally paid off. Gold stars to Sara & Mitch!

Lil' Snuggler

Cuties like this make me want 1,000 kids.... asap. The lil' darling slept through the whole shoot! Perfection.

La Flor

I was surprised on Monday when Stem Gallery showed up at my door with this gorgeous arrangement courtesy of Lindsey + Jacob. Thanks guys.... you made my week!

All Grown Up

It's been a couple years since I was able to make schedules jive with this fab fam...... I can't believe how dramatically the boys have grown up in the mean time! Simply unblievable..... I'm still in shock! :)  Great to see you guys again.... yay for early morning shoots!

They're Back!

I think this was the fourth time I've had the honor of working with this fabulous crew. I look forward to seeing them every year because they're always so much fun and up for anything (not to mention, check out John's hair!!!!!) Love you guys... Great to see you again!

I think Colton is officially taller than you now John!

These two are just plain cool people..... inside and out.... so happy to know you both!

Hugs to all three of you!

Love Shoot: Ashley + Jason | Lincoln Wedding Photographer

Ashley and Jason brought their two furry &  four-legged kiddos to their recent love shoot. I was astonished by their incredible behavior! :) People often like to bring their pets, which I'm always game for, though I can never be sure quite what to expect. These two pups were quite the charmers, to say the least!

Self-Branding + Twitter: A Dramatic Interpretation

I was tickled pink when Katie Becker contacted me abut speaking/presenting a breakout session at Ad Camp (via the American Advertising Federation - Lincoln) last Wednesday. It's always fun to get together with other creatives to talk about anything and everything, so naturally I was game. My presentation was called, "You Tweeted What!? Self-Branding + Social Media (and how not to suck at it!)." Emir came along to snap some photos, later revealing my dramatic antics. Too funny!

And now, for the full melodramatic reenactment.... (my favorite is what appears to be an operatic aria in the top right corner... ha!) As you can see... the energy level was not exactly lacking... ;)

Thanks so much for thinking of me Katie (and the rest of the crew at AAF-Lincoln!). And big thanks to the students for your enthusiasm and wonderful questions! :)