how i got all this for 3 cents

Yesterday, I walked into Tiffany's The Dollar Jewelry Store and filled a little hand basket with these lovely baubles...



I took them to the checkout counter, the nice lady there rang them up for me, I paid her three pennies, and I left.

The End.

Just kidding.

Let me explain.

Last month, these lovely people asked me to once again do their holiday photo's.


This is the superbly good looking staff of LifeChurch.tv's NorthWest campus.

Cool people refer to NorthWest as The N-Dub.

I had the pleasure of doing this fun session for them.


{Scott}


{Deidra}


{Holly}


{Robert}


{Stephen}


{Anna}


{Vince}


{Matt}


{Stephy}


{Kendra}


{Jo}


{Jason}


{Brian}

So what does this session have to do with me getting a bunch of fun jewelry for three cents? Well, let me tell you...These awesome people know me so well...They gave me a gift certificate to the jewelry store! {Because everyone knows, I love my accessories!} And after using the gift certificate, all I owed was three pennies.

Yay! Thank you, N-Dub staff! <3

~abi~

my ridiculously good-looking family

Last week, my incredible sister in law Ashley came to visit us. I coerced my amazing photographer friend Kelly Beane to come and do a quick session of my awesome family. {Check out her sweet website!} Here is one of my favorites...



standing, left to right: Amber, Abe, Mom, Dad, Ashley
sitting, left to right: Laila, me, Jace, Daxon, Mandi, DJ

And I just have to note this, because it makes me so happy:
A good portion of our outfits were thrifted. These are the thrifted items: Amber's poncho, red jeans, and gold belt; my dress and vest; my mom's sweater, Daxon's sweater; Ashley's shirt and red leather skirt :); DJ's pearl snap shirt...and maybe more, I'm not sure on all Mandi's family's clothing. :)

So, there you have it. My ridiculously good-looking family {if I do say so myself} decked out in some fun clothing. :) Happy Holidays from all of us to all of you.

God Bless!

~abi~

ps A huge THANK YOU to my wonderful family for being willing to go along with my "styling" of this session and for cooperating so nicely. :) Also, to Kelly, for taking time out of her extra-busy schedule to capture us!

happy birthday, amber

I still remember it as one of the saddest days of my life. My parents and I had driven my sister Amber down to Oklahoma City to go to college. And we left her. For the first time in my entire life, I was not going to be living with my older sister and best friend. I cried. For a good portion of the 10-plus hour drive back up to our home in Iowa, I cried.

Amber and I had been through it all together, so far. We had shifted from homeschooling to a small Christian school, back to homeschooling, and into an even tinier Christian school, together. We had suffered through the same oppressive clothing rules and strict religious standards. We had the same friends, shared the same stories, laughed at the same silly things.

At the time, the day we dropped Amber off at college, it seemed like some sort of ending or separation. But really, despite my teenaged fears, that separation never occurred. Amber and I eventually moved into an apartment together, then rented a house with some other girls, and now we live in a house that Amber owns. She is still and always will be one of my best friends.

Today is Amber's birthday.

I'd like to tell you guys a little bit about who Amber is, and just use my blog to publicly say a big Happy Birthday to her!

Amber is, first and foremost, a strong Christian girl. She has a close relationship with God. I often walk into a room and see her reading/studying the Bible. She has always been a good influence on me in this area.

Amber is a wonderful mom to my niece Laila. Laila is not Amber's biological daughter, but the bond of love between them is stronger than blood. Over the past few years, I have watched {closely, since I live with her} Amber learn to parent a teenager. i would say that she has been highly successful!

Amber is fun and funny. She teaches/coaches middle schoolers, and she always has a humorous story to tell about their antics. She is the first to want to go on an adventure, whether it be camping or exploring an old abandoned house.

Amber is beautiful, inside and out. I have already mentioned her spirituality, but Amber also places a high priority on fitness. She works out on a regular basis, and attempts to keep the rest of us in shape, too! :)

Amber gives great advice. You might have to hit her to get her attention and make her listen to you, but once she does, she gives great advice. Just kidding about the hitting...We have lived together so long that she has learned to tune me out when necessary, since everyone knows I can talk..and talk..talk. I like to tease her about not listening to me.

All in all, Amber is an amazing human being. I am proud of her and happy to have her as a confidant, friend, and sister.


{Amber also models for me on demand.}

Happy Birthday, Amber!!! I love you so much!

~abi~

life lessons from a thrift store

Yesterday, I made my way over to a nearby thrift store to do a little shopping on my lunch break. This has become a normal way for me to pass the time and avoid the fast food trap during the noon to one hour.

My family is doing pictures today. As the unofficial stylist for my family, I chose the color scheme and decided to search the thrift store for appropriate clothing for all of us.

As I was browsing, I came across a dress with an interesting print in black and white that caught my eye. It didn't fit the color scheme for our session, but I knew I had to have it for myself.



I could tell by looking at the tag that it was truly vintage. And when I looked it up later on Google, I was pleasantly surprised to read about the designer, Edith Flagg. According to Wikipedia, Edith was a survivor of World War II and was an active part of saving multiple Jewish people during that time. Her story is pretty interesting, and I even found a video with an interview of her by her grandson.

So, this is the dress that caught my eye with it's interesting print, and then revealed a fascinating story to me...




I could get deep here, and talk about the life lessons that could be learned. After all, I was shopping for family, choosing to buy "used", at Goodwill no less; and I discover the story of a woman who truly changed the world and helped others...

Pretty cool, huh?

~abi~

we're just moments

How often can one mention being "so busy" before it just starts to get annoying? In my opinion, it gets annoying pretty quickly. After all, everyone is busy. Well, maybe not my grandparents who live on a farm in Iowa...But then again, with well over fifty immediate descendants, even they seem to have a full calendar of birthdays, ball games, and the like, to attend. So, everyone is busy.

I work a full time job from eight to five Monday through Friday, combined with running a photography business on my own. I love it, I truly do. And I am Busy.

Today, I will head down to Dallas to second-shoot a wedding with my friend Kelly tomorrow. I will also get to do a portrait session for my dear friend Jen and her precocious, adorable daughter. Kelly and Jen are two of my closest friends in the world, and I love that my career of photography allows me to spend time with my friends.

The other day, my wonderful friend Kriea stopped by my work to get a disc of images from a wedding I had second-shot for her. {Kriea is a very successful wedding photographer, as is Kelly, and they both have families. I imagine my busy-ness doesn't even compare to theirs.} So, when Kriea stopped by, it was a rare treat for us to be able to hang out for just a bit and catch up and chat.




The above photo is of Kriea, me, Kelly, and Jen. It was taken at my ten year class reunion last year. Jen and I were in the same class; and Kelly and Kriea happened to be shooting a wedding together nearby on the same night as my reunion, so they stopped by. I knew I had a photo of myself with all of them, but then I realized the class reunion photos are on an old hard drive somewhere {I fill up external hard drives pretty quickly.} So I grabbed this one from one of my Facebook albums. Have I mentioned how much I love Facebook?

I realize this is a random, rambling post. When I started writing, I was tempted to tell you all about how busy I have been, to explain my lack of consistent posting this week. But then, that seemed annoying. So, I shifted my perspective and instead, I want to explain how my busy life is a blessing straight from God. And when He gives me moments with friends and family, I am truly appreciative.

~abi~

this will make you smile

This holiday season, my heart is continuously warmed as I shoot and edit portraits for sweet little families such as this one...



Seriously, how precious are those twin babies?? Obviously, look at their parents and you can see that they have some good genes! So adorable! Makes me smile.

~abi~

it's as simple as something that nobody knows

Here are a few facts about living in Oklahoma:

1~Here in good old Oklahoma, it is not considered cheap or tacky at all to get a design on your toes when you get a pedicure. {Also okay: french mani/pedi's--but I refrain from that.} ;)

2~Even though it might get bitterly cold here, we usually don't get a whole lot of snow. So, you might be tempted to get a snowflake painted on your toes in order to increase the whole feeling of winter/holiday spirit.

3~In addition to the snowflake, you might want to wear your summery {and also not-at-all-tacky} toe ring year-round. Because really, today it might be 24 degrees in the morning, 60 degrees in the afternoon, and 75 degrees tomorrow. And we all know that 75 degrees is open-toed shoe weather. Perfect for showing off your pedicure design and your toe ring! ;)



~abi~

leggings and boots, boots and leggings

As a young teen, I lived in a small town in Iowa and harbored a secret dream of maybe one day moving to New York City to be a high fashion makeup artist. But at that time, my life consisted mainly of...let's see...church; friends; church; babysitting and then moving up to working at KMart; church; sometimes "spraying beans" or "detassling corn" {they're real jobs--don't be jealous}. But mostly it consisted of church. A far cry from the glamorous and maybe not so churchy life of a NYC makeup artist.

But really, as it turns out, I don't think that being a big-time makeup artist would have ever worked out as a career for me anyway. Let's gloss right over the facts that I never moved to New York and never even went to cosmetology school. Those are minor details. Because I think the real issue would have been my wardrobe. In my midwestern girl mind, I am quite convinced that high fashion makeup artists must always wear all black in order to be taken seriously as they are painting smudgy eye makeup onto the faces of models and celebs. And you see, therein lies the problem. I just love colorful clothing so very much!

Case in point, my outfit today...


As it gets chilly outside, many girls turn to the comfortable, easy, and cute outfit solution of leggings and boots, boots and leggings. So, in order to not blend in with the masses, I choose color. Sure, I have my black leggings that I love. But how fun are these bright blue ones?? So much more fun!

Think I could rock 'em in the back of a runway tent during fashion week while applying smudgy eye makeup to models??

~abi~

social media addict

Every morning, one of the very first things I do is get on Facebook. And then, throughout the day, I proceed to check it about seventy-five...thousand...times. Same with Twitter. Although, I do get all my @ replies and direct messages as texts, so that cuts down some on the checking of Twitter.

Awhile back, I got so convicted about my addiction to Twitter/Facebook/blogs, that I actually changed my home page to YouVersion. That way, the first thing I end up doing when I get on my computer is reading scripture instead of going straight to wasting time catching up on everyone and everything.

But still, I have a problem and I feel that it should be addressed. See, here's the thing: I can't imagine what it would be like were some disaster to strike and somehow wipe out social media. I am serious. The very thought makes me shudder. I mean, how would I know what is going on with the boy I like my friends?? How could I show off my cute outfits? What would be the point of even wearing cute clothes if they would never end up in a photo online...that someone could comment on?? {On a sort of related side note: it always baffles me when clients rave about loving their photos by me and then they never post them on Facebook. I mean, don't they want people to be able to comment about how great they look?}

It has occurred to me often that we now live in a world where there is a whole other realm called virtual reality. I know, I am stating the obvious here. But think about it. There are so many things that I really feel like I would be missing out on if I didn't see them on Twitter or Facebook. And I can't even think of how I would ever obtain this info if it weren't available to me via the aforementioned sites.

I know, everyone is all about less Facebook, more face time. But come on, people. Let's just admit what a wonderful, helpful, informative thing the internet is! And when I say internet, I mostly mean social networking.

Am I the only one who feels like this? Am I alone in my problem? Should I pretend to be more anti-internet??

~abi~

day of infamy

December 8, 1941
Franklin Roosevelt "A Date Which Will Live in Infamy"
Joint Session of the U.S Congress
Following December 7, 1941 attack on Pearl Harbor, Roosevelt declares war on Japan.


Yesterday, December 7, 1941—a date which will live in infamy—the United States of American was suddenly and deliberately attacked by naval and air forces of the Empire of Japan.

The United States was at peace with that nation, and, at the solicitation of Japan, was still in conversation with its government and its emperor looking toward the maintenance of peace in the Pacific. Indeed, one hour after Japanese air squadrons had commenced bombing in Oahu, the Japanese ambassador to the United States and his colleague delivered to the secretary of state a formal reply to a recent American message. While this reply stated that it seemed useless to continue the existing diplomatic negotiations, it contained no threat or hint of war or armed attack.

It will be recorded that the distance of Hawaii from Japan makes it obvious that the attack was deliberately planned many days or even weeks ago. During the intervening time the Japanese government has deliberately sought to deceive the United States by false statements and expressions of hope for continued peace.

The attack yesterday on the Hawaiian Islands has caused severe damage to American naval and military forces. Very many American lives have been lost. In addition, American ships have been reported torpedoed on the high seas between San Francisco and Honolulu.

Yesterday the Japanese government also launched as attack against Malaya.

Last night Japanese forces attacked Hong Kong.

Last night Japanese forces attacked Guam.

Last night Japanese forces attacked the Philippine Islands.

Last night Japanese forces attacked Wake Island.

This morning the Japanese attacked Midway Island.

Japan has, therefore, undertaken a surprise offensive extending throughout the Pacific area. The facts of yesterday speak for themselves. The people of the United States have already formed their opinions and well understand the implication to the very life and safety of our nation.

As commander in chief of the Army and Navy I have directed that all measures be taken for our defense. Always will we remember the character of the onslaught against us.

{courtesy of this site}

my fantastic weekend

This is what a spectacular weekend looks like...

Friday night: a fabulous Christmas party with a sweet friend...


Saturday afternoon: a wintry wonderland shoot of one of the best couples I think I've ever met...


Saturday night: dinner made for me by my good friend Lindsey, followed by the viewing of Christmas lights in Yukon, OK. This tree display that sparkled and flashed in time with the music was our favorite...

{phone pic}

Sunday morning: a new favorite outfit...


...and soul-stirring worship at church...

{taken w/ my new point and shoot cam}

Sunday evening: hanging out with my girl Kylie {she was one of my Switch girls last year, and I get together with her once a week}...


Things not pictured above that also made this weekend wonderful:
~getting to stay in bed late on Saturday
~fun phone conversations with good friends
~lunch at my mama's house on Sunday
~precious bits of time spent with my niece and nephews
~an encouraging facebook message from my pastor

This month has started off beautifully for me! :)

~abi~

beauties

For the past few weeks, I have been doing a ton of portrait shoots, editing, and print orders. I absolutely love it! Portraits are so fun for me! After almost ten {!!!!!} years of shooting weddings {with portraits mixed in as well, of course}, I get less excited about weddings these days, and more excited about the freedom and control I have during portrait sessions.

Here is an image from a print order I am working on for my beautiful friend Rhonda. This is her, her adorable niece, and her gorgeous sister.



Rhonda is the wife of my boss John. For the past few years, I have been blessed with a great job working as the office manager for John and my other boss, Peter. They are both so kind and laid back. Rhonda has a heart of pure gold, and I am so happy that I've had the chance to get to know her.

~abi~

gift ideas

I am an avid fan of Twitter. As my pastor, Scott Williams, says, "Twitter is like a river." Basically, he means that you don't have to try to read every tweet by every person you follow, but just catch some of the info as it flows by.

Yesterday, I noticed a tweet posted by Promise Tangeman, a very cool chick who designs, photographs, and creates awesome art. She posted about giving gifts this season that give back. Today, I headed over to her blog and checked out her list. I thought it was pretty great, so I thought I'd share it here with you:

Promise Tangeman's Christmas Gift Guide 2010!! 10 Gifts That Give Back

finer with age

Today is the first day of the last month in my twenties. Not to be too dramatic about it, but--never mind, let's just be dramatic about this! It's my last month in my twenties!!! I am so excited about this!

Yep, you read that right. I am thrilled to be on the cusp of turning thirty. See, I have this theory about aging. Let's take a moment to think about all the beautiful, successful female celebrities of today. {Yes, I am basing my theory on celebrities. Yes, I realize the shallowness of this.} The majority of my "favorite" female celebs are all in their thirties or older. And what's more, many of them have been around for awhile, and it is my opinion that they have only improved with age. {Some of my faves: Kate Hudson, Rachel McAdams, Gwen Stefani, Halle Berry, Jennifer Aniston, Demi Moore, Sarah Jessica Parker...}

Okay, okay...so they have access to the finest physical trainers, dietitians, dermatologists, etc.--not to mention, ahem, plastic surgeons. Let's just ignore those facts and let me live in my happy little world, where turning thirty means that I will become more toned, taut, and beautiful; my career will skyrocket; and I will marry a hot younger man--or be fabulously single.


{this is me, today}

Ahhh, turning thirty looks pretty sweet to me. Bring it on, December 31, 2010! Happy birth month to me!

~abi~

cirlce of life, love, family

Last week, I left Oklahoma around 1:00pm to make the oh-so-familiar drive up I35 to Iowa. I have driven that route so many times in my life that I could navigate it in my sleep. And sometimes I do. ;)

Thursday was Thanksgiving Day, and it dawned cold and clear in Iowa. My mom's side of the family gathered at a local church, as we have been doing the past several years...ever since we outgrew my grandparents' farm house. We always form a {giant} circle before we eat. We count how many are there, and then we pray. It is a sweet, sweet tradition, and I know every single one of my relatives would agree in saying that The Circle is a special place with a special feeling of love and safety and family.


{my grandparents are on the left above}

This year there were fifty-five people in The Circle. I believe a few more may have come in later. This represents only my mom's parents' direct descendants. Just them, their ten children, their grandchildren, and great grandchildren. Oh, and the fifty-five people there weren't even a full showing. We're a large family.



Of course, after we pray, we eat.


{My aunt Cindy baked this delicious pie! I ate a piece before I even fixed a plate of food. Because that's how I roll. And that's why I roll...}

Before and after the meal, there are always multiple games of Rook going on around the room. My grandpa is better at Rook than your grandpa. My nine year old cousin is better at Rook than you are.



After the meal, I conducted an impromptu engagement session for my sweet cousin Anna and her fiance Michael. They braved the cold and totally rocked it for our quick shoot. It doesn't hurt that they are adorable and completely and happily in love.



To say that I had a wonderful Thanksgiving would be an understatement. I missed my dad's side of the family, because I had to get back for a wedding here on Saturday. But I did stop and see my grandma {dad's mom} on my way out of town, and she gave me a bag filled with homemade cookies and zucchini bread, to enjoy on the drive home. I love my family!!!

Hope you have all recovered from the holiday weekend. :)

~abi~

Oklahoma has coolness to offer

So, if you are looking for a good read this week, I've got a great recommendation for you. Head over to one of my favorite blogs, Jeremy & Kathleen, and check out Kathleen's riveting tale of their Everest Base Camp Trek.



Kathleen is an excellent writer and illustrator. She is living, blogging proof that Oklahoma is capable of producing some of the coolest people on this planet! I am warning you now, her blog is addictive!

~abi~

Oh give thanks to the Lord, for He is good.

I am thankful that I was born into a family who are strong believers.  My parents came to Christ before I was born.  Their lives were completely transformed by God.  Faith has always come easily for me, because it has always been a part of my life.  I don't know who or where I would be without the spiritual foundation my parents formed for me.

I cannot imagine my life without my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.  The freedom, joy, and peace I experience through my relationship with Him is so amazing.  I would be a complete and utter dismal mess and failure without God.

I am thankful for my wonderful family, immediate and extended.  My grandparents on each side are a supreme example of true love and dedication to their spouses, of hard work, commitment, and good character.  My aunts and uncles and cousins constantly cushion me with love and support and camaraderie.

My parents are both the hardest working individuals I know.  My dad has always worked hard to support his family.  He is constantly repairing things for us, whether it be around the house or on our vehicles.  My mom always puts her family first, quick to sacrifice her own wants or needs or desires in order to give us more.  My brother Abe is funny and gifted.  He is passionate about his beliefs and has the most tender heart of anyone I know.  My sister Mandi is the definition of a survivor.  She has battled through some crazy circumstances and has kept her head held high when most others would have thrown in the towel.  My sister Amber is wise and pure and good.  She is the perfect one. :)  She is an example to me in every aspect of life.  My brother Jack was hilarious and brave and intelligent.  He loved his wife with a love more amazing than I have ever witnessed elsewhere.  My sis in law Ashley is broken yet strong.  She is weathering the loss of her soul mate, her true love.  She brought so much happiness into Jack's life, and she continues to bring joy to my family.  My niece Laila has influenced me to be a better person.  She has so much depth to her character.  When you look in her eyes, you can see her past conflicts overcome by her inner strength.  My nephew DJ is so intuitive and such an understanding individual.  When he was born, he changed our family in such a positive way, as only a first grandchild/nephew/niece can.  My nephew Jace is so smart and funny and has all the ingredients to be hugely successful at whatever he chooses to do in life.  He has a sensitive and caring heart for others.  My nephew Daxon is the wild man who is always guaranteed to make us all laugh.  His spirit is unbreakable, which is awesome.

I am thankful for my church family.  For Scott and Anna for believing in me always, more than I even believe in myself.  For Deidra, who always genuinely wants to listen to what is going on in my life and as a bonus always has great advice for me.  For Robert, whose spiritual insight and wisdom he offers freely and humbly.  For Vince, who calls me Miss America and makes me laugh.  For Kendra, who truly shows her appreciation for me.   And for all the other lovely LC staffers who make N-Dub the best place ever! :)

I am so thankful and amazed by my fabulous lifegroup. The faith and love and support and growth demonstrated by this group of people just astounds me and encourages me. You are all such a blessing to me! I will have to do a more in depth post on this in the future!

I am forever thankful for all of the beautiful souls who I am fortunate enough to call my close friends. This also will be a future post, or more likely several posts. There are so many wonderful people who have impacted my life!

Happy Thanksgiving Day!!!

~abi~

nonsense

Today I don't have many clever thoughts to share.  I am drawing a bit of a blank.  I am in a pre-Thanksgiving-food-coma or something like that.  The only interesting thing I can think of is this handwritten sign I have seen close by my work.  It keeps popping into my head.  It just says "Chimney Sweep" and it lists a phone number.  Did I mention that it is lettered by hand?  So charming.  I just want to call the number so that I can hang out with a real live, modern day chimney sweep.  When you think chimney sweep, you think Bert from Mary Poppins, right??  Admittedly, Bert freaks me out just a little, so I am not sure why I want to meet this homemade-sign-maker chimney sweep.  I guess it is my eternal fascination with the human race.  And I have to think that someone who would choose chimney sweep as a career would be somewhat interesting.  Add onto that the fact that he/she makes their own signs and puts them out to advertise on street corners, and I'm sold.  And you know what?  There is actually a fireplace in my house, so I would have a valid reason to contact this fascinating individual.  So, we never actually make a real fire in it...maybe it's because we need to have the chimney cleaned first! 

Anyway, that's all I've got.  A chimney sweep who hand letters signs.  Hmm.

So I guess I will share a photo from a recent session that I absolutely adored!  This little fashionista is Layne.  She has a better wardrobe than most girls my age.  She's nine. 




I will share more of this shoot in the future, because it's just too much fun to keep to myself!

~abi~

dealing with grief and giving thanks

Yesterday was a busy day...as was the day before that...and the day before that.  I have been going at a seemingly nonstop pace, and I pretty much love it.  One negative aspect of my recent jam-packed schedule is that I tend to forget stuff more often than usual.  Okay, so I am always pretty forgetful, not just when I am extra busy.  Maybe it's because I am advancing in years.  Or maybe it's all the drugs I did in my past.  Oh wait, I never did any drugs.  So much for that dramatic tale excuse.

I even forgot a photo session this past Sunday.  Yep, I just admitted that on my blog.  Fire me, kill me, or whatever.  I am human.  And hey, it wasn't a wedding, so we just rescheduled for this Sunday.  My client was very kind and understanding.  Whew. And just fyi, I tend to remember weddings...and this session had been moved around a few times to different dates... Okay, I'm done with the explanations.

Now we've established my busy-ness and my forgetfulness.  So, when my mom called me yesterday to see if I could attend the OKC Thunder game with her and my dad, I wasn't all eager and thrilled like I normally would be.  First of all, I had completely forgotten that she had mentioned it to me previously.  And secondly, I had stuff to do.  You know, because I am busy.  I told her that if one of my siblings were able to go instead, that was fine with me.  She responded that my sister Mandi and my nephews were going, and that my brother Abe couldn't go because of work.  I knew that my sister Amber was out of town watching my niece Laila play basketball, so they were out.  That left one ticket...and me.  So I was in.  And I am so glad I was able to go, because this thanksgiving week, it gave me a great reminder about being thankful!


{my super-crazy-fun nephew Daxon, breaking it down on our way into the game}

Because let me just tell you about those tickets.  They were special.  No, they weren't courtside seats or anything like that.  They were up in Loud City, which was very fun; but the location of our seats wasn't what made them special.

This is what made them special:



The above image is part of a letter sent to my mom along with the tickets for my family to attend the game.  As I have mentioned, my younger brother Jack was killed last year while serving in the Special Forces in the Philippines.  And ever since then, I have been overwhelmed by the remembrance and support of others.  Like these high school students, who just wanted to do something for families who have suffered a military-related loss.  Wow.


{my good looking, good-hearted parents}

When my mom explained to me last night where the tickets came from, I was touched.  Really touched.  My busy schedule and list of stuff to do went out the window.  I was thankful.  Thankful for kids who are aware and want to help in some way.  Thankful to be spending time with my family...something that has been all too scarce for me lately.  Thankful for the amazing family I have.


{my hot and clever sister Mandi}

See, ever since Jack died, I have struggled a little with family get-togethers.  In the past, before, family time was one of my favorite things in life.  But since Jack is gone now, even when we are "all" together, we aren't...  So it has been strange.


{my too-cool-too-cute nephew DJ}

But last night, my heart was warmed by my parents' witty repartee.  My soul was comforted by the casual conversations with my sister.  My inner child was entertained by my nephews' awesomely hilarious remarks and my spirit was buoyed by their laughter.  We cheered and yelled and screamed together.  And we weren't complete, but it was special and it was fun.


{my smarty-pants-cutey-pants nephew Jace}

And I am thankful.

People never ask me what it's like to experience the unexpected loss of a sibling.  They probably don't want to bring up a painful subject.  Plus, who really wants to talk about tragic death?  But if someone were to ask me, I would say it's something like this:

You might go to a basketball game with your family, and have a great time.  And then, on the way home, you realize with a jolt that the reason you were able to go to that game that night is because some high school students in another state wanted to reach out to people who had suffered a loss.  And even though it's been over a year, you experience a bit of shock once again as you realize that you are that person who has suffered a loss.  Your younger brother is dead.  And then the familiar and yet strange emotions of loss, grief, pride, comfort, hurt, healing and even thankfulness wash over you in waves, all within a brief moment.

~abi~

if you are like me

If you are at all like me, you mostly watch award shows just to see the fabulous clothing, right?  For me, the real appeal of being a celebrity wouldn't necessarily be the screaming mobs of fans or the huge paychecks, it would definitely be the opportunity to wear amazing dresses, shoes, jewelry, hair and makeup to award shows and galas.  I wish we lived in a grander time period or society, where we had the opportunity to dress for balls and formal events on a regular basis.  Of course, then I would need to be part of the high society set, for which I surely don't qualify.  Alas, a girl can dream, right?

And speaking of dreaminess, since I no longer seem to have time in my life to watch award shows, I just turn to one of my very favorite fashion blogs to get a fix of the glamor, elegance, and drama on the red carpet that I crave.  The lovely and hardworking Fashion Critic over at Red Carpet Fashion Awards is always up to the minute on the beautiful, quirky, or insane styles worn by celebrities to all the major and not-so-major events.  If you missed the American Music Awards last night like I did, check out this link to view all the styles on display there.

After all, why consume a few hours of your life watching an award show, when you can just see all the highlights online the next day {or even that same night}?  You know the famous Kanye/Taylor Swift moment awhile back?  Was I watching that award show?  No.  But thanks to Twitter, I was aware of the incident immediately, and was watching it on YouTube within minutes.  Oh, internet, what would I do without you??

~abi~

busy busy-ness

Sometimes I get in this bizarre zone where I am editing photos like crazy, and I feel all scattered even though I am concentrating.  It's usually when I am determined to bust through some shoots and get them done and sent out to people.  I work best under pressure, so I give myself deadlines and work like mad. 

Today is like that.  I am leaving in a few hours to go to Dallas.  I have a couple of shoots there tomorrow, and I will get to spend time with my best friend Jen. 

God has blessed me with a lot of photography sessions over the past couple of months, and I am putting in the hours of back end work to get them processed and put on disc or emailed to people.  So, today I am just writing to say that I hope you all have a wonderful weekend.  I pray that you experience the blessings God has for you.  I hope you will get to spend some time with family and friends and that you will be refreshed.

Love to you all.

~abi~

delightful

What is it that makes your heart pound and your pulses race?  Most of you are probably thinking about a person of the opposite sex after that question.  And trust me, I've been there.  But, as a single girl, what gets my heart throbbing on a regular basis is not some hot guy...It's photography.  Waaah-wah, I know.  But it's true.  My photography not only provides me with a creative outlet, it is also the perfect tool to connect me with others.  People.  Because photography might be my passion, but people are my true love. 

I can't even explain the thrill I feel as I look through my camera and see someone's heart.  And when I am looking through the photos after a successful shoot...well, talk about pulses racing.  I get so excited that it's just dumb.

This bridal session of my friend Jade was one of those shoots that really delighted me.  When I first got to know Jade awhile back, I knew immediately that I wanted to photograph her and became better acquainted with her from behind the lens of my camera.  I convinced her last year to let me do a very fun shoot of her out at the state fair.  I guess she liked posing for me, because when she got engaged, Jade contacted me to photograph her bridal portraits and wedding. :)  We did her bridal session this summer, out on some gorgeous land in Binger, OK {thanks to the Opitz fam!}. 

Now that Jade's {beautiful} wedding day has come and gone, I can show off these photos!  Two factors made this shoot amazing for me.  One, Jade completely trusted me and was willing to go wherever and do whatever to get good photos.  And two, she worked it like a model!  Seriously.  Check it out...



























Jade~
You are sweet and good and beautiful, and I love you!  I am so happy that we became friends.  I am so happy for your happiness with Vincent!  I am so happy that you chose to have me be your wedding photographer.  In fact, everything about you makes me happy. :)

<3

~abi~