sunsets and happily-ever-afters...

Weddings, reunions, tired feet, genuine smiles, sunsets and happily-ever-afters...

This was all a part of my weekend. I'm really too tired to even type at the moment (much-less comprise coherent sentences...), but I just felt like writing down how stunning the sunset was on my way back home from my weekend this evening. As I let the volume of Brooke Fraser's vocals soar in my car, every cloud mounted upon wispy opaque colors of golds and amber-reds. Streaks of the sun smeared across the sky like deep breaths acquiescing to freedom... I love driving HOME. It always takes "less" time than driving to somewhere. But when that somewhere is your home, the road is more like a friend, showing you where to fly over the land to a place where you can prop your feet after a long day.

On the flip-side and more realistic note, my camera died and I got no photos of my dear friends' wedding, of which I was a bridesmaid. Probably the most epic fail I've had as a photographer... (beeeeep!) (but, I wasn't on the job so it is what it is.. I suppose)

Edit your... mouth?

Edit.
Editing.
Edited.

photos. papers. sentences. videos. thoughts. words.

Sometimes I think if people would edit things more.. life would be...

better?

But then again, we would be more like a bunch of Barbies and Kens and a lot less like PEOPLE.

For now, I will stick to editing my photos.

Getting ahead to fall behind... I hope NOT!

I'm attempting to get ahead in my Campus Ministries job as Media/Marketing director... the plan is to do thus, that way, perhaps I shan't be so overwhelmed as last year when I try to visually kick off the year in August.

That being disclosed, this little diddy I just dreamed up is not finished as I expect I will be changing wording as well as dates when it comes down to it, but...

at least it's a start!

Well... will I?

Sometimes I just can't stop thinking. There is a legend that men have the ability to sometimes just sit and think about nothing: like, they have these moments when the women in their lives ask them "whatcha think'n about right now hon?" and they answer, "Nothing." AND THEY MEAN IT! But you see, women apparently don't understand that.

I for one have NEVER had a moment in my life when I was not thinking about something.

Yes, there are plenty of times when there is more quiet in my brain than craziness... But, there are also times like yesterday and today... or I should say since last night as I lay in bed tossing from the ceaseless pounding of my thoughts, and this morning... my mind racing over the many possibilities of failure or success that lay before me.

I think I just need to go running. Pound out the thoughts on the pavement. That usually helps... for a bit. So hopefully that and a combo of journaling and prayer should do the trick. God has seen me through so much stuff. I know it's true when they say we spend over half our time in life worrying over stuff that NEVER happens. I've gotta just surrender these thoughts over to Him. Even if that means doing it a thousand and TEN times today.

I'm just tired of my mind being a hamster on the wheel.

Ps: if a man ever says that to me, I hope not to prob him for his "actual" thoughts to the point where he has to make something up to satisfy my oblique curiosity. Instead, I aim to pat him on the back and congratulate him for something I'm simply unable to do.

Sweet Lavender-Mint Iced Tea

I was craving something deliciously refreshing yesterday evening and decided this would hit the spot. Summertime heat calls for a lightly sweet cup of this loveliness, perfect for any evening lawn party. So I wrote my recipe below for you:

Sweet Lavender-Mint Iced Tea

Ingredients
8 Cups of boiling water
Scant 1/2 cup of dried lavender buds
1/4 cup of dried or fresh mint leaves
1 cup of turbinado sugar

Directions
1. Place lavender and mint in a large sauce pan
2. Pour the boiling water over the herbs and cover pan with lid, letting them steep 5 to 10 minutes, depending on desired strength of tea.
3. After tea has steeped, stir in the sugar until the crystals have melted into the liquid.
4. Strain the tea with a fine wire strainer and set tea into the refrigerator to chill. Makes 1 gallon.

This tea looks lovely in little glass pitchers and can be garnished with thin slices of fresh lemon or fresh mint & lavender sprigs. Serve over ice with your favorite summer evening snack.

Enjoy these photos below by clicking the image to zoom:

Some fun summer snaps

Just a few snapshots taken yesterday evening while out on the lawn. Being in the country is certainly not over-rated.

A little something for YOU

Ok. So I'm always on the lookout for you guys for new unique finds. Let me tell ya, this time I scored big.

I'm a sucker for unique furniture and while reading the new issue of Rue Magazine last night I stumbled across DEDON Collections. Amazing stuff. Someday I will have this lovely seat hanging in my favorite tree on the back lawn.

This one is called "Nestrest," and was designed by Daniel Pouzet and Fred Frety, two artist from Paris.

Tell me you do not ADORE this seating!

While in the Bahamas this last March I stumbled across this next piece and was thrilled to find it as part of their collection. It's called the "Orbit Loveseat." A must-have for me someday. If you love art, why shouldn't your furniture reflect that?

Check out their website at: http://www.dedon.de/en/collections/detail/collection/nestrest-171/hanging-lounger-1412/chalk-75.html

Amazing!

They're taking my wisdom TOMORROW!

This is the part of the story where I pay the tooth-fairy. Should've saved those coins from the early years, and perhaps I could've put some towards my wisdom teeth removal.

Yup. Reality check: This is finally happening.

In NINE hours.

Nervous... nah. PSSHHHHH! YES I AM! I HATE the idea of someone going in my mouth and stealing teeth that are not useful! I abhor the idea that I'm having surgery and that I'm being put to sleep!

So there. I said it: I'm frightened and not at all excited. And I'm thirsty right now and can't drink water before the surgery.

If there is anything worth-while that could come from this whole fiasco, then I hope that I'm completely ridiculous after being sedated and that my parents catch it on video. Then I can at least have something to laugh about... later...

Updates to proceed.

First comes love.. then comes the search for a photographer!

Sometimes I feel as though I will never get out of this perpetual cycle of extremely late nights. I'm such a sucker for avoiding my bed! I've blogged about this subject soo many times that I myself am sick of it. But, alas, if there is one thing I'm constantly trying to change about myself it is this!

I feel once more that I am on the verge of some grand beginning, and at the same time wondering if I will topple over into some deep crevice as I inch forward...

My circadian rhythm is all messed up. I was doing well, really, I was! Then I got sick, then we had graduation weekend for my brother, and didn't get back from GCA until THREE this morning... I decided against setting my alarm clock.. just to see what time I would wake... you know.. just for fun. I postulated that I would get up around 11am or noon at the latest..

On the contrary:

I found myself awake at 2pm.

So now I'm rushing to prepare for the weddings and other events that I am privileged to photograph starting in two weeks. Today I ordered a camera bag for my equipment, another SD card, and a battery grip. Wednesday I will be purchasing yet another lens. Boy o boy I hope to have a return on all these investments soon! Not to say that I am getting nothing when it's all said and done, but it just seems like the green stuff is slipping through my hands waaaay faster than I EVER allow.

All in the name of photography. All in the name of my passion. And all in the name of... well I have no clue.
I love taking photos and editing them and making people feel happier for holding those moments in their possession.

So if you need a photographer, contact me and I would be more than happy to photograph you. It would be my pleasure.

But for now, it is four o'clock in the morning and I have more engagement photos to edit when I wake up. And hopefully, just maybe I will be in bed before midnight tomorrow and work my way earlier from there. God has blessed me so far, I am confidant that He will continue as I do my best to improve.

Australia: I vote YES

Today was a crazy-long day, I ran so many errands that I felt like one of those people back in the day who owned a ranch and only went into town for stuff like flour and sugar. We live about a whole hour from town, and so it is a rather big hullabaloo when we do go. So today I drove in alone, but before I left I double-triple checked my list, because once out I knew there was no turning back. It's so strange not being in school where I was close to everything. Anyway, when I finally made it home, the house was empty and the dogs were out front. My parents were at prayer meeting, and I was certainly hungry, so I figured they'd be as well when they came home. So I decided to create a new sauce for pasta. Hit the spot. I'll definitely be making it again. Points for me for creating something new, and more points for me for having diner ready when my family returned home. (if only those points could be redeemed for something useful... like money ;)

To end this nonsense post, I must conclude by stating that I watched the movie "Australia" starring Nicole Kidman and Hugh Jackman for the first time this evening. Countless times I attempted to find someone else to watch it with me.. alas... to no avail. So I finally decided to have a go of it by myself.

It is now on my movie favorites list. It's long, but it's good. Also, please note that I've now decided that being whisked away by a strong, manly Aussie isn't a half-bad idea.

Times-a-tick'n

And I guarantee I'll have dinner ready when he drops by ;)

So what's the consensus?
Australia: I vote yes
Hugh Jackman: I vote YES

and THEN the little bird BURST forth from the WAVES...

Once upon a time,
there was a girl who did not write for a very long time. She became very busy and though she had a special yearning to touch the small black keys to click out the words rolling in her head... she could not form the small black dots into lines because of the jumble getting in the way.

Finally. I'm writing again! I really do feel as though I were a little bird caught under heavy waves, but I've burst forth again.

Big.
Sigh.
Of.
RELIEF.

Photography and thoughts of photography, unpacking and organizing from my recent move, concept sketches for other projects, editing the mountain of photos I have yet to make a dent in, redesigning my photo blog and my business cards... all of this STUFFFFFFF.
and to top it off I battled a fierce cold for a week!

Thought I was on holiday.
My mistake!
But it has been Ohhhh so lovely being home. So many things that have been on hold, creativity that had been put on the shelf is now being dusted off. I now have a finalized photography logo, I plan on sending my business cards to print tonight, and I've written my contracts. One would think I should be stressed about this, however, I must admit that I have been enjoying every minute of it! I feel that even if photography is not my life's calling God has still placed me in it for a season. And if I digress from all this fantastic forward motion, it shall never cease to be a passion and most beloved hobby.

Anyway, I hope you enjoy these photos I recently took.
Happy Summer!



More to come!

"And God saw that it was good"

As I am wrapping up for the night, I'm sitting here at my kitchen table looking at the paintings on my walls I've done this year and looking at the PDFs of all the graphic design projects from this semester, glancing through some of the photo-shoots I've taken... And I was just thinking about all that creative energy... all the ideas that've somehow managed to tumble from my brain and out my fingertips this year...

truly they were all a gift from God...

I'll be honest, it just hit me that sometimes I put off turning in projects simply because I am not ready to part with the little pieces of me that seem to go with them... I don't mean this in a sad way... I mean to write this to make a point in a moment... bear with me: If any of you have ever spent any considerable amount of time on a project, it doesn't have to have been a creative project... but if you've dedicated your mental capacities and your time to something, perhaps you too have experienced not only the feeling of relief from being done, but especially the fulfillment that comes from stepping back and being able to say, "It is good." And yet, at the same time a hesitance to part with it...

I have never had any children, nor do I plan to anytime soon, but for those of you who have, I can only imagine the bond you feel towards your child. It came from YOU. You gave a part of your life, 9 entire months dedicated to this beautiful creation that is a part of you.

Now, imagine with me, the devastation and the heart-ache God felt when he had dedicated his time and creativity to making a beautiful creation that He was able to stand back and say, "It is good," and to not long after have to part with it: this creation that reflected who He is, and that came from his hands, that breathed the breath HE GAVE it.

When I turn my projects in, I am hesitant, but I inevitably turn them in KNOWING that I will receive them back into my hands once they are graded and entered into the books.

God too, gave his most beloved, KNOWING and COUNTING on the fact that He would come back to him again: that in his love the rest of his creation would be restored into his hands once more.

This may seem like a far stretch to some of you, but it's what hit me tonight.
Let us not forget that we are created in the image of our Father in Heaven and that when it is time, we too will be restored back into His hands. He spent too much love on us for us to throw away our lives and our identities as His sons and daughters. So if you are feeling like you are not worth much, remember that you are worth the Son of God's life. Why? Because He didn't sell you like some project for hire, He created you and loves you, and He wants to know you better. Begin deepening your relationship with Him now. There is never a wrong time. Let us come before the Father and let Him restore us to our original purpose as children of the King. For He is the Creator of all things intricate and good.

New bookcover

New book cover I just completed. This has been one of my favorite projects I've worked on as of yet. Hope you like it too,

-AB

Click the image to make it larger

A walk in the dark...

"Every one says honesty is a lovely idea, until they have something to to be honest about."

Last night after my 9 o'clock class I ventured out on a walk because there was no resisting the glorious night laid out before me. I walked until I found a little stream at the edge of a wooded thicket and stood there, akimbo at the edge, listening. At first my ears strained to hear anything above the glittering flow of the brook, and then it seemed as my eyes adjusted so did my ears.

Everything was still, a slight breeze blew the clouds above onward with a steady roll. Illuminated by the very distant street lights and field lights of the intramural games beyond the gym, the clouds were an amber/azure glow slipping steady against the navy sky. There were few stars, yet the ones I privileged to view were little glints of hope in the bucket of my despondent frustration.

It would almost be nice to say at this point I've become apathetic...

But I'm not.

Not at all, and I wish NOT to be.

I think it's easy to run around and look busy and avoid and never step out into the truth. To avoid confrontation. To boast honesty and yet truly give only a weak inclination of true partiality to such. To never take a walk outside in the night alone, even when knowing tis the very thing your soul needs. It's unquestionably sad. Yet, I've run back inside many times after only venturing on to my porch.

apathetic...
No.
pathetic...
YES

So I closed my eyes, abandoned my shoes and stood there by the brook with my head back, breathing deep. There is nothing like the smell of nighttime. The day can be stuffy or mixed with all sorts of pungent little scents, like things left too long in the sun. But the night... the night offers a clarity the day cannot. Sound travels further at night, the smell of the earth is cool and sweet, and all around is apt to be a little more calm and quiet.

In the branches a whippoorwill began to sing it's song, the crickets, whom I sincerely love to hear, began theirs, and I realized that I needed to have ventured to this spot just to listen.

My head talks too much, and my ears are out of the habit of listening well.

Je adore birds. So to have been privileged to hear this whippoorwill weaving its song into the sounds of the night, adjusting its pitch... soaring and falling with the flow of the stream... was all a gift to my ears.

I don't boast to ever hear God's voice, but I feel that as I went on this walk with a prayer in my heart, he laid the only true answer I need to know upon it:

"Child, be still and KNOW that I am GOD."

So today, as I listen to my fingers tapping over the keys to write of last night's experience, I am recalling this answer. I've exhausted myself from embarrassing efforts to make things happen in my life, when all along I should have remembered to be still. (granted, I'm not talking about slothfulness, or looking for excuses to wilt from my own chagrin, but rather learning step back when it's not my turn).

I have been praying one particular prayer for many years, and apparently it is not yet time. Apparently I am to continue being still. For how long I've no idea... As long as God stills me I shall remain so, because I, admittedly, cannot do it on my own.

One thing I know: I am not afraid of being honest, and will not let my own wounded pride fold me up into a little box, thrown to the dogs of derision. Because I've been there before...
And I'm not going back.


photo from chemtrails.com

Rain rain go away to England where you belong

I'm watching the rain dance down from the sky, sliding down my window-pane in unique little patterns; a kalaidescope of colors blur in and out as the sun hits different spots behind the clouds and cars roll up with their lights bright. And me...

I'm sitting here in my living room. On my couch.

This in and of itself is very strange.

"Say what?" You may ask, "What is so strange about you sitting on your couch?"

Well, you see, I don't exactly often sit... on my couch. It's a foreign spot for me. I sit at my desk working, I sit in classes attempting to soak up my money's worth in knowledge. But my couch...

...That's reserved for leisurely acts such as rewarding oneself for being productive after a long day, or week. In fact, I can honestly admit I often go an entire week without sitting on my couch. But when DO sit here, I hardly imagine getting up. It's not that I'm lazy... In fact, I'm a bit of a work-a-holic (I have 3 jobs and do freelance on the side, um, but please don't think I'm rolling in the green stuff... my university on the other hand...)
So yes, back to my couch. There are two soft, over-sized, cream-colored pillows, and two large, cream and velvety throws folded all nicely... except for when I sit there. My vintage coffee table is traditionally elegant and painted cream with a tinted beveled glass center. There are purposely NO florescent lights in this space. Woven textures mixed with creams and simple patterns.

From the get-go I knew my time with my couch would be rare, so I was determined to create an environment where I knew I would soak up my time there in blissful relaxation.

"My my my... what a strange woman," you may say.

Well...
However strange I may be... I'm me.
And I like my time with my couch. I'd rather it be rare and relaxing, than frequent and slothful.

Welcome to a snippet of my life. You're welcome to come sit on my couch haha