Down the Aisle: Micaela + Chris

It happens now and again... I'm honored to work with so many wonderful families... and occasionally.... they make me cry (in the best of ways). When I see a family so full of life and love, it carries me through the day, into the reception... and sends me home with a warm-fuzzy feeling that reminds me how important it all really is. To know what it means to share a father's hug, a laugh with mom, a sisterly glance or a brotherly joke... is to understand what love is all about. The more I learned about what wonderful people Chris and Micaela have in their lives.... the more inspired I was by them. How fortunate they all are..... they have between them, a gift. One that only grew larger and more precious yesterday with the official expansion of the family, to include the newlyweds.

I am honored to have shared in this momentous occasion... and sleep well at night knowing there are so many fabulous people in the world. Thank you!

These are Micaela's shoes that were as daring as they were darling... what you can't tell in this photo is that they easily added 4+ inches to her height on wedding day... brave girl! :) She pulled it off flawlessly.

Micaela had the incredible fortune of having much of her family present at the wedding, including grandparents and great grandparents! This photo captures four generations of women.

So... the purple 4+inch heels were just the beginning.... Micaela had lots of fun details that made for a photolicious good time. Here, we catch a glimpse of her pink hair as she and Chris have their wedding day 'first look.' :)

The wind was blustering at a speed that can easily be described as 'uncomfortable,' but we managed to get this shot.... Chris and Micaela are so cute!

OK wait...we need to talk about her dress! It was knee-length and hand-made from an artist she found on etsy. Why did I not think of this for my own wedding? Genius! Nothing for people to step on and it shows off her cute shoes (the heels and the sandals)! The dress is actually two separate pieces (three if you count the belt). Let those wheels of inspiration turn ladies! (Great choice Micaela.... you were simply gorgeous!)

I snuck into the back room before the ceremony and caught this moment of Micaela with her dad, Mario. Not only are they both adorable, but they also happen to both be runners. Micaela ran Lincoln's Half-Marathon last weekend too... and completely kicked my butt! Again.... very inspirational...

Their wedding took place at St. Michael's Parish in what used to be the town of Cheney, Nebraska. It's now part of Lincoln, but is still charmingly somehow different.... just darling!

I l-o-v-e this...

These two have been together for several years... often mentioning throughout the day and into the evening that they 'grew up' together. I love thinking about them continuing on their life journey together... and one day growing old together. :) I picture them huddled around their wedding album looking at these photos and thinking about how beautiful they were, all the love they have in their lives, and what a great day their wedding day was...

Such a handsome groom! Love that soft smile...

Chris had great spiky/curly hair.... love how it looks in this shot...

The vintage lace on Micaela's wedding veil was a worthy photo subject all its own!

I l-ooooooo-vvvv-eee this too... I think it's the look on both their faces.....

The reception was full of great surprises like video tributes from Chris and Micaela throughout the evening and Mario's 'father-of-the-bride' toast delivered as a video montage with a speech that left me in tears..... (So glad Emir was shooting with me.... speeches like that make me miss him so much!)

Simply fantastic. Huge big strong hugs to all of you!

Shoot Shack | Micaela + Chris

The first Shoot Shack of 2010! So much fun.... thanks for all the laughs guys! :)

For the Love...

Having a hobby is such a joy. My exploration of new adventures continues with home-made bread making, from scratch. Ever since reading "In Defense of Food," and watching "Food Inc.," & Jamie Oliver's "Food Revolution," I've felt like I have a better understanding of what I'm eating (what it really is) than ever before. Friends with new babies and severe food sensitivities, combined with a vested amount of time spent reading nutrition labels left me looking for alternatives, even for something as simple as bread. I wanted no additives, preservatives or industrial processing. Just simple ingredients that I recognize. (Have you looked at the label of your bread lately? Even what you find in your local grocer's bakery can often make you cringe!) I decided I would make some myself.

So, I turned to my trusted friend, amazon.com, and came across this book about baking healthy artisan breads at home, from scratch in 5 minutes a day. A quick trip to Open Harvest for things like yeast and vital wheat gluten in bulk (the book also features gluten-free recipies, for those who are interested) and a stop at Bed, Bath & Beyond for a baking stone, and I was ready to go!

So far, I've only made one batch of dough (which yields 4 x 1lb loaves)... and it's been so much fun! Anyone who knows me well can tell you I am not a cook (my mom will gladly tell you all the horror stories I've generated in the kitchen starting at a very young age). And a baker? That's even more of a stretch! But if I can do it, so can you! This recipe has 5 ingredients, including water. (Whole wheat flour, yeast, salt, vital wheat gluten &.... water). I sprinkled the top with sesame and ground flax seeds. YUM!

I baked this loaf up this morning, and it's been the best yet. They say that the longer the dough sits in the refrigerator, the more intense the flavor. I guess tomorrow's loaf will be even better! I'm going to explore a different technique for shaping it and see what happens.... time to start getting fancy. :)

In the meantime, I ate the entire loaf.... by myself.... in one day. I blame it on Sunday's half-marathon. :)

PS: No breadmaker or fancy tools required (except maybe a baking stone). And, once you make up the dough, you can store it in your fridge for up to 14 days (yes... the book explains it all). So, making a loaf takes 5 minutes of "work" time. Once the dough is 'rested,' you pop it in the oven and 30 minutes (and one yummy smelling house) later, you can dive in!

Down the Aisle: Jessica + Brett

"I, Jessica... take you Brett, to be my husband." When that life altering phrase came from Jessica's lips, it hit me hard for three reasons:

1) Those are incredibly powerful words

2) I got lost thinking about how as a young girl, she wondered about the man who would eventually become her husband, and what he might be like.... where he was at that very moment and what he might be doing... and how it would feel to be standing across from him saying that very phrase

3) The way her voice sounded as it came from her mouth and bounced off the cathedral walls at Saint Mary's church... You could hear how heavy the words were with their purpose and meaning

This is their wedding day story, in a pretty little nutshell.

I love the way kids can bond so quickly over something as simple as a matching orange dress. The way these two girls played together, I thought they were cousins who almost certainly lived within blocks of each other. Instead, one was Jessica's cousin, the other Brett's. Too cute!

Brett's mom Sue made the decorate wraps for all the stemware... so darling!

West Point was ready to party on the dance floor! I love the shot of Jessica's parents, Bob & Sherri, cutting loose!

What a beautiful, beautiful day you guys! Thank you for including me... it's always fun to make the trip up to West Point.... I may seriously start showing up at everyone's Christmas parties up there.... you all feel like family! Congrats and safe travels to Jamaica Jess & Brett!

PS: You can see their radtastic video, done by none other than Brian, the fabulous guy behind the magic at The Wedding Storytellers. :) Enjoy!

2010 Lincoln Marathon Wrap-Up

What an adventure! My training for the half-marathon began on Jan. 7th with the Marathon Training Class from the Ann Ringlein at the Lincoln Running Company. The first night of class I was completely clueless and had questions like, "Where do I run? How do I know how far I've gone?" Some were very practical ones like, "Where do I put my keys?" After getting a grip on the basics... I was ready to roll with it. My training plan was 17 weeks long and included 82 runs totaling 351 miles. I did every single one of them, with gusto. The result was an overall pace improvement of more than 3 minutes/mile (compared to some paces I ran early on in my training) and a finishing time for the race that made me happy (despite the included time for a bathroom pit-stop.... mother nature cannot be bossed around!). Goal for next year: no bathroom breaks and a further improved pace that reflects that fact. :) Oh yeah, and I lost about 20 lbs!

Race day itself was a ton of fun and went something like this:

6:30 am: Emir drops me off for a meet up with my Marathon Class.

6:40 am: We head to the line-up area.

6:41 am: I realize that I forgot to give my jacket to Emir and spend a ridiculous amount of time/energy trying to decide what to do with it. I didn't bring my race bag to leave on the bag truck so.... I decide to hide it behind a bush and hope it will still be there after the race.

6:50 am: Hmmm... still trying to decide which pace to line-up with. I registered with a pace that I've since greatly improved upon.... but... not sure what to expect from myself when crossing through the starting line and don't want to get run-over or be in other people's way....

6:57 am: I run into a friend (Jennifer!) and chit-chat while the guns go off and we move our way through to the start (I'm still wondering if I lined up in an appropriate spot).

7:17 am: My turn to cross the start line.... Ready, Set, Go!

Mile 1: Wow! I've actually not been run over yet! Even doing quite a bit of passing... and am totally surprised by that. Someone shouts my name from the sea of spectators.... I flash them a smile and a wave. What fun! I see mom and dad along 16th street... This is also their first marathon experience (even as spectators). Glad I spotted them! They seemed to be enjoying watching so far.

Mile 2: We turn onto South Street. Surprised we got there already.... So far, so good!

Mile 3: Water station! We turn onto Sheridan Blvd., one of my favorite streets in the city.

Mile 4: So fun to see all the families with little kids hanging out and watching what must seem like a parade...

Mile 5: Seriously? 48th street already? I convince myself that I must surely be on my way to some sort of world record time.... Boston qualifying perhaps? (Just kidding!) Another beloved water station. I see my friend Michelle's mom and sister... I think I surprised them when I spotted them first. Ha!

Mile 6: We turn onto Hwy 2 and the bike path headed west.  It's gorgeous out! I cheer on the people around me while pressing ahead.

Mile 7: I see my old friend Kirk along the side of the path, whom I haven't seen since 'running' into him at the gym the morning Emir and I got engaged over 4 years ago! (Lame pun, cut me some slack, will ya? :)

Mile 8: Water! I see Rena on the route... Is she on a bike? She's cheering me on!

Mile 9: We turn onto 20th street... I spot several groups of friends cheering me on & notice some gorgeous homes I don't remember seeing before... may have to drive this with Emir later...

Mile 10: Finally! A porta-potty without a waiting line... eureeka!

Mile 11: A straight shot ahead is the finish line. I hear my name and turn to see Katie cheering me on!

Mile 12: Last water station... Trying my best to pep up the runners around me... "Hang in!" I tell them... "We're almost there!"

Mile 13: Entering the stadium to finish on the Husker's 50 yard line, I spot my parents again... just inside the entrance.  I shout, "Love you!" and barrel full-steam ahead towards the finish!

Emir had told me he wanted to take photos of the race, so I had no clue where or if I would see him along the route.... but knew he'd be at the stadium for my finish. I caught up with him just after I exited and gave him a triumphant hug.

PS: My jacket was still waiting for me behind the bush where I left it. :)

Here are just a small hand-ful of Emir's photos. This is the starting line (obviously).

This was the 33rd annual Lincoln Marathon and the first (I believe) to have the official finish line on the 50-yard-line of Memorial Stadium. How cool is THAT?

Emir caught this shot of Sammy Rotich as he finished the half-marathon in first place. His official finishing time was 1:06.32 with a pace of 5:05. Amazing!

All the different athletes have so many stories... to freeze them in an image can say so much in terms of commitment, perseverance and determination. I enjoyed this image Emir caught of Jason Kerkman approaching the finish line.

One of the perks of finishing at Memorial Stadium is the jumbo tron! It featured a split screen... the left showing the finish line, and the right showing runners as they approach the stadium.

Here's yours truly making a bee line to the finish!

After hugging Emir and catching up with my parents... I was anxious to sit with my feet up and stretch a bit. Emir captured the moment when my dad asked to take a photo with me and my medal. :) It's been years since I've participated in a sport where I brought home one of those. (Not since high school) Ok, that makes me feel old... ha!

(If you're wondering about my choice of music, it was an ecclectic mix featuring everything from Michael Jackson, Jason Mraz and Tom Petty to a wide array of international artists. I ran with one ear bud in and the other decidedly not. I loved hearing the other runners and the people cheering along the route... so for me, this was the perfect combo of music and ambient soundtrack.)

So, I think I'm officially addicted. Trying to decide what my next running goal/event will be. I like the idea of using marathons as an excuse to travel.... and Emir has recently started running with me.... so.... looks like the fun will be continuing... and I am pumped!

The 2010 Lincoln Marathon!

It's here! By the time this post goes live, I'll be in the middle of my first half-marathon! To say that I am excited would be a grotesque understatement... I am seriously PUMPED!  I was never a runner before I started training this January... and now.... I'm cranking out 13.1 miles and loving every second of it. I can't wait!

More after the race! For now, enjoy these photos Emir shot from yesterday morning's run.

PS: If you're looking for Jessica & Brett's wedding photos... they will be up on Monday! :)

Love Shoot: Ashlynn + Matt | Nebraska Wedding Photographer

I love working with clients who really 'get it.' Clients who understand that great imagery isn't about stiff poses and cheesing it up for the camera.... but rather about the entire experience as a whole and the spirit that flows from having a good time. :) These two were really comfortable in front of the camera.... and combined with their fun-lovin' free spirited attitudes,  it made for a great time! Those are some gorgeous eyes you have there Ash!

D-licious!

I love the purposeful, confident glance Matt tossed me in this shot...

Matt was so great at these from-the-gut laugh bursts! Turns out he's quite the photographer/animator/designer himself. You can see what he's all about on his blog. Way to rock it Matt!

So, so, so excited to be your wedding photographer in July guys.... it will be here before you know it!

Tulips + a Lion Cub

Just before leaving town last Friday for Michelle & Matt's love shoot in Denver, I felt compelled to capture some of the joys of our yard in spring. Lilac bushes, an apple tree, our deck and some tulips. One of these years I plan to learn a lot more about gardening.... but for now, even if I don't have a green thumb, I can still appreciate this gorgeousness!

Then.... there's Merki. For some reason, Emka never has a hair out of place... but Merki.... is a completely different story. Her knots got to the point where petting her seemed like it hurt more than it comforted... so I called up the groomer and took her in for her annual buzz cut (never really a pretty sight, it's obvious we don't groom her for aesthetic reasons... lol!). She doesn't seem phased as she looks out the window... such a little stinker!

I hope wherever it is that you find yourself this spring, that you're enjoying it!

Love Shoot: Michelle + Matt

Michelle and I go waaaay back. As in, since the 1st grade kind of back. We teased each other on the playground in elementary school. She humbled me on a regular basis in 5th & 6th grade band where we both played flute.... as well as at our piano recitals (which to this day, I still chuckle when watching on family videos. I surely embarrassed our piano teacher to no end...while Michelle & her sister Tami dazzled everyone in attendance).

In high school we studied photography together in Ms. Wilson's class, spent a good chunk of a summer together in Spain visiting my family, and generally speaking.... had a total ball!

Over the years, I can honestly say that I've seen very little that made her gush the way that Matt does. I remember telling Emir after the first time I saw them together, that I had a feeling about it.... and now.... I can rightfully say, "I told you so!" ;)

So Emir and I caught up with these two over the weekend in Denver where we spent the day just hanging out. I think what follows is truly a reflection of this mature, independent and adorable Colorado couple.

How gorgeous is Michelle's engagement ring? Uniquely antique... and completely her.... I love it!

Michelle and Matt recently repainted their kitchen from red to this bright green. Though I'm always the first to suggest that everything be painted red.... I can't say I don't like this color too!

So cute! I love the look on her face here....

Way to work the camera Matt!

Michelle always has an air of.... coziness about her. Whether it's the warm snugly socks she always wears, the warm drink that's usually in her hand, or her clean and simple taste in fashion/design... she exudes a very peaceful presence. Her house, of course... is no different. I love how her and Matt snuggle here...

Michelle & Matt are the proud parents of 'Mary' and 'Lucy.' The 'kids' are as much fun to visit as Michelle and Matt are! :)

I *love* this shot of Mary as she gives Lucy the evil death glare from across the room.... lol!

Michelle & Matt have an appreciation for culture, travel and the importance of global community. It manifests in their home with great artwork and a thought provoking library.

This is them on the porch of their darling first house. The amount of work, renovation and landscaping they've done is inspiring... What a team!

After lunch at Watercourse, we headed to Idaho Springs for some afternoon fun. (I'm equally in love with the ring seen on her hand here!!! May have to have something like it made.... 5 year anniversary perhaps?)

L.O.V.E this!

Of course, we couldn't leave without a visit to Red Rocks...

Then we headed to the park near their house...

Another L.O.V.E!

Michelle and Matt are super outdoorsy... so I thought it would be fun to make use of one of their tents. How cute is this!?

That's a wrap gang! :) We snapped this pic on Sunday morning as we were headed back to the airport.... I'm excited to see Michelle again this weekend for the Lincoln Marathon.... and even more pumped for their big day coming up in October! Love you!

A Journey of the Non-Traveling Kind

So I've been on a journey lately. Not the kind that involves an airplane, TSA lines, or over stuffed suitcases... but rather, a journey of ideas and education, which can be, in its own way,  just as exciting as a travel adventure! Since starting my half-marathon training, I've had a growing interest in improving my overall health. Exploring more about what that means, I eventually discovered Michael Pollan's book, "In Defense of Food." I just finished reading it and am surprised by how much I actually enjoyed it. I mean, I love to read.... but for some reason, his book was extremely compelling. It just seems to... make sense. His main point being that we need to quit eating processed 'food like substances' and instead, eat more real, actual food (old skool style, before it all began appearing in boxes....).

At first, this seemed like an overwhelming challenge. It means having to.... you know, cook. (Not just take things out of a box and toss them in the microwave.) This freaked me out for two reasons: 1) I don't know anything about cooking 2) my schedule is crazy, how am I supposed to make time to do something I'm so terrible at?

Well.... I got over it.

I realized that if I can't make time for my health now (and forever), I'd be in big trouble later. Who was I kidding!?

So, I've been cooking up a storm and so far... I haven't blown the place up! :) We've been enjoying whole-grain breads including pumpernickel and dark rye (and as soon as my new cook-book gets here, we'll be baking our own whole-grain artisan breads! Yummo!)

I've familiarized myself with Open Harvest where I can buy unrefined grains like quinoa and locally produced treasures like honey (in refillable containers!).

Buckwheat pancakes with pure, 100% real maple syrup have begun making a regular appearance on our kitchen table on the weekends. We kicked all artificial sweeteners and refined sugars to the curb (when was the last time you tasted real maple syrup? Incredible!).

I finished the last few chapters of "In Defense of Food" under the shade of our apple tree on a recent sunny day. :)

While soaking up the sun (and the book) I spotted this little guy. Isn't he cute? I bet the view is pretty great from up there!

One of the things that I've realized is.... the only way to really know what you're eating is to educate yourself. So, if you want to learn more about eating better and how it can affect your health, I can't say enough about the book. For the whole family, I also recommend checking out Jamie Oliver's Food Revolution, an incredible series with the goal of improving the way we eat. The season finale just wrapped with a total of 6 episodes. Each one broken down into four 10-minute clips available on YouTube.

Learn. Eat. Enjoy & be healthy!