Cans for Comments Food Drive
Last holiday season, many of my fellow photographer friends participated in “Cans for Comments”, a food drive where for each comment on their blog, they donated one non-perishable or canned food item to a local food bank.
Since I was late to the boat before Christmas, and since need knows no season, I decided I’d make up for it this summer by running Cans for Comments from Memorial Day to Labor Day in 2009.
My goal? To donate at least 500 food items to the Houston Food Bank by September 11th. But I can’t do it alone, I need your help! So what do you need to do? Leave me a comment! About anything, about nothing… on a new blog post, or find an old one. Don’t stop with one comment, leave a few! Stop by every week and comment on new posts. We’ve got 105 days to get those 500 cans, so comment away!
And since no blog post is totally complete without a photo, here’s one from Tricia and Nathan’s Day After session last fall at the 1940 Air Terminal Museum. 
Sneak Peeks from this weekend!
Whew! What a busy weekend!
On Saturday I shot a lovely wedding, Sunday morning was a fun loving couple’s engagement session, and on Sunday evening, a beautiful, hazel eyed senior…
To celebrate all this craziness, I’m giving a sneak peek!
During the ceremony, Robby and Courtney share a smile as the priest made his 7th remark about having kids.
While it was storming outside, that didn’t keep us from getting some sweet photos of the lovebirds…
This is the view Amruta and Satyajit get to enjoy every day out their window! [me = jealous]
I cut though some buildings (this one being a former mattress factory – turned lofts) with this adventurous couple to find the best spots. I loved the walls and the raw wood framing the windows, and even though I didn’t have a flash on me, we made it work. 
How’s this for some straight-out-of-camera goodness?
I *heart* the ground…. and Meghan’s gorgeous eyes!
Fun Updates!
We’ve been busy this week! Chad and I finally took a vacation… for ourselves this week. We’ve returned from a short ski trip in Taos, NM, but more on that in another post. I’m here to talk about some of my newlywed couples!
On January 1st I shot a wedding of some long-time lovers… they’d been together for over 12 years! Tanya and John had a wonderful little ceremony in a charming church and Tanya’s cousin, Dawn, put a wedding announcement in Houston Chronicle.
In fact, I even received a phone call while on vacation from one of the editors of the Chron wanted to verify that those were really their names… (Keep a look out on the Tonight Show with Jay Leno!)
While I was also out, I received another call from the videography company that filmed Teresa and Rick’s wedding, and they used my photos to create a slide show set to music for the couple.
http://www.teresaandrick.com/slideshow.html
You can also click on “Love Story” to see the video of their wedding and to see some of me “in action” (as Rob from “Don’t Get Married Without Me” explained). I’m not sure if that’s a good thing or a bad thing… I seem to be laying on the ground, standing on furniture, or holding the camera high above my head in most of the video I’m in. :p
More blog posts coming soon! I’ve got 19 in the queue!
Whoo Hoo!
I’ve been crazy busy, so I’ve been very behind in blogging. I’ve had at least 2 sessions every weekend since the first weekend in November, and there isn’t an end in sight until January! My priorities lately have been editing client’s photos, and school.
As some of you may know, I have been going to school for a loooong time. Sadly, I graduated High School 8 1/2 years ago. I’ve been taking courses at my local community college part-time through the years while working, running this business, trying to be a good wife, etc. Well, I finally finished my final course last week to “graduate” with my associates degree. I’m not sure what I’ll do now (my choices are to continue on to get my bachelor’s in… something, or have a life ), but I’ve got my 2 year degree and a measly 3.6 GPA, and no one can take away that “accomplishment.” :p
In other news, I’ve joined a “Biggest Loser” style weight loss challenge with some other wedding photographers over at www.fitphotographers.com. Come check us out, and cheer us on with some comments! Don’t look back too far, although. I’ve got my “before” photos on there that I’m not too proud about. The good news is that so far, I’ve lost 7 lbs!
For my Grandma
Early this morning, my Grandmother, Ruth Vollman, passed away closing the book on the oldest generation of the Vollman family. She was 92 years old.
(added 11/10:) I was going to make this post short, but I lied awake last night thinking about her, and although my memories are just a fragment of her long life, I wanted to share.
I remember how she introduced me to the gooey goodness that is Cadbury Creme Eggs, which my mom told me I wouldn’t like….
I remember picking my Grandma up on Sundays on the way to church Downtown. On the way there, she’d complain. On the way back, she’d tell us how much she enjoyed us picking her up.
I remember my Grandma holding up a pack of her cigarettes and telling me, “Don’t ever do these” as she lit the one pursed between her lips.
I remember the stormy night my sister was born. My parents dropped me off at Grandma’s house and we stayed up late together in anticipation of the good news.
I remember the day my Grandma collapsed in the Wyatt’s Cafeteria and was rushed to the hospital. They discovered she had an aneurysm, but she beat the odds and survived. She was one tough cookie. When she got out, she’d forgotten that she’d ever smoked.
I remember how each Christmas and Thanksgiving she would say, “Y’all better be nice to me. This may be my last Christmas!” She said that each time we got together for the last 10 years.
We’ll miss you this Thanksgiving and Christmas, Grandma. We’ll miss you telling us its time to take you home. We’ll miss you.
When are you available?
That’s the most common question I’m receiving as this year wraps up. And the answer? Not much.
Here is a listing of my available weekend dates for the remainder of the year for family, kids, and engagement session photographs. I will try to keep this updated as the dates fill.
Sat 11/15
Sun 11/16
Sat 12/20
Sun 12/21
Sun 12/28
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Update 11/4:
11/23, 11/29, 11/30, and 12/14 are now booked. Thanks!
Flickr’s Explore
Sometimes it’s the small achievements that make me excited.
For my blog (and for sharing, fun, and sometimes silliness), I host the photos I post on here on my flickr account. Flickr had an area called Explore and shows some of the best photos based of what they call “intrestingness” and… well, they can explain it better than I can.
Since I’ve posted the below photo last Sunday (up until right now) I’ve had 4,867 people view the photo, 334 people mark it as a favorite, and 95 people comment. On Sunday, September 28, 2008, I had the #1 photo on flickr. I’ll have more from Mark and Jackie’s wedding (and subsequent day after / trash the dress session) later, but for now, let me show off.
