(1/11/12) Anytime: Rebecca

Crazy things are happening in my world! I'm certainly not sure if they will be announce-worthy when they come to fruition, but the announcement that I may, someday, have something to announce is actually quite exciting! (By the way, I totally just broadcasted my homeschooler-ness across the whole Internet by using the phrase "come to fruition!")

I love exclamation points!!!!!

Anywhoo, now that I've made you curious, I shall explain.

I've always dreamt of getting together with a group of girls who are serious about photography. We would just hang out, make yummy snacks, and go on photo shoots together. Last year, as I wished for that, I figured, "Hey, while I'm dreaming, I'd like a pony too!" However, this year I met a fantastic friend with big dreams who is up for anything. And, big plus, she's a killer photographer. So, my big news is that we're going to try to make this dream happen.

More news: As of Monday, I am now a volunteer at Origin Coffee! I am rather giddy with excitement about this. Origin is a nonprofit coffee house that sends all its profits to anti - sex trafficking organizations. It's definitely a great feeling to be helping.

Okay, now to the actual point of this post: I did this for a great girl named Rebecca who has started her own makeup business called Glambition Makeup. She and I decided to team up and help each other out by doing a photo shoot to increase both of our portfolios.

She is crazy gorgeous:

Love love love her red hair:

This girl has got some serious style:

Can't tell if I like this one more in black and white or color...

(11/1/11) Anytime: Claire

The weather had been cooling off for a while, raising my hopes of hot cocoa, scarves, and pretty red leaves to heights they rarely reach. Of course, on the day of the photo shoot, the sun quickly shot out from behind its previous hiding place (the formerly dense grey clouds) and was so intense that it felt like the beginning of summer again. Oh well, we made it work!

Returning to the purpose of this entire post, I shall now introduce you to one of the coolest, most hilarious, most talented girls I have ever met - Claire! I met her..... um, was it really only two weeks ago? I love those people who, right after you say hello, it seems like you've known for years.

I met her at a speech club, in which I had no idea what I was doing and she totally... did. I had no previous exposure to the whole "world of speech" and she explained it for me in a nutshell of about five minutes. She is ridiculously talented, which is a statement I say with utmost confidence since I've seen her performing her D.I.'s (that's Dramatic Interpretation for those of you who don't happen to have a friend who explains all of these ridiculous acronyms)... and working it in front of the camera. :)

So here's the proof -- she's pretty much really gorgeous.

(6/20/11) Anytime: Victoria

We live faaar apart, but when we're together, we watch movies, construct fairy houses in the backyard, play on jungle gyms at the park, and just generally act about 5 years younger than we really are. This is me and my lovely cousin Victoria!

Victoria is ridiculously sweet and so fun. If we didn't live so far apart from each other, we'd be *constantly* hanging out. But as it is, we're pretty darn close to best friends and thankfully distance can't change that!

Uhm, stunning....

Lots of b&w photos in this post -- it's fun to experiment and stretch myself!

Sooooo lovely:

(2/1/11) Dogs and Mouse Impressions

(1/1/11) Anytime: Jackie

Jackie is one of my absolute best friends of all time. She's insanely talented with music, is a great photographer herself, and has an inexplicable love for sock monkeys; in other words, she's way cool!

We had a blast on this shoot... It's always an adventure to explore the woods with a guitar and sock monkey in tow!

(12/31/10) Best of 2010

This is the first time I've done this, and I'm pretty super excited about it! This year (or end of it, for that matter), I decided to post my favorite pictures from the last twelve months.

There really isn't a one specific reason for posting this menagerie of images other than they all mean something more to me. The memories attached to them, the people, and the emotion are all what makes them the best of 2010.

I honestly can't believe how amazing 2010 was.

All my friends and clients supporting me are amazing! You guys pushed me to start this and I can't thank you enough. I have the best friends and family EVER! If it weren't for your encouragement, sometimes I wonder where I would be; if I would have even been doing this at all anymore.

I can only look to God and say thank you, but he has blessed me with more than I could ever imagine. Earlier this year, I saw how I wasn't really putting much effort into my photography, it was just floating me around wherever it happened to flow. I asked God to take it wherever he wanted it to go, and I'd follow the opportunities he gave me. WOW, I honestly cannot believe how amazing it has turned out! As I said, I can only look to God and say thank you, but there is so much he has blessed me with that it hardly feels like saying thank you is anything at all.

Praise God! Happy new year!