InstaUpdate : March 2014
In early March, I traveled to Austin, one of my favorite cities in Texas, to document a wedding. My best friend Arielle lives there...so anytime I head down there for work, I absolutely love it because then I get to stay and visit with my soul sister! We met up at Mozart's Coffee right when I got into town and she got off work. We got to hug, giggle, and catch up over coffee with the peaceful view of the Lake Austin.
The wedding venue was gorgeous...but alas...it rained the majority of their special day. I work my derndest when it rains on a wedding day. It can be quite the challenge for a photographer for we love natural lighting and would prefer to be photographing outdoors rather than indoors, where natural lighting is limited.
And of course we don't like possibility of rain on our equipment. Indeed it was a challenge, but we got some gorgeous imagery that I cannot wait to share! In the meantime, see their engagement session here.
Before I left Austin, I did an impromptu shoot with Arielle, who I was staying with. We explored and I took some promo photos for her new single that came out April 29!
My dear friend has a unique, classic voice and is so talented with her ukulele and guitar. We used to sing open mics together when she used to live in Denton.
Photographers can have hobbies too! One of my many hobbies is gardening. Since living in a house, my gardening desire has become a reality. It's a lot of work, but amazing for the soul. A garden is wonderful for simple goals while teaching patience among other things. Did I mention exercise and stress relief? I love reading in the garden in the morning, while sipping on some hot tea.
You learn from your mistakes, take notes, explore new vegetables and flowers. We have planted so much it's insane, from flowers and herbs to veggies and fruits. We call our garden, Panhandle Patch. I can't wait to share more photos of it!
We started some plants from seeds, so here are some of the babies basking in the sun in my office window. They sure have grown since...just wait till the next InstaUpdate. It's exciting to go and see how much they grow in only a few days!
I've been letting my fluffy cat, Ashley, outside a lot more often lately. I've been letting her enjoy the nice weather and explore the earth. She is an old cat and I've had her since she was a little baby kitten. I consider myself her momma and I would believe that she does as well. Since she likes going outside now, I often see her standing up at the door, begging me to let her out.
I LOVE garage sales...and a good bargain. One of my favorite things to do is open up the windows to let in the cool breeze and put my records on and dance around my living room. Pure joy. The record on the right was given to Philip and I for Christmas by a dear friend.
One very windy, chilly day, my poet and writer friend, Avery, and I went to explore a nearby so-called "ghost town". It wasn't exactly how I initially imagined, but it was still interesting to see! This is the old schoolhouse, built in the late 1800s.
In the same "ghost town". I believe this was the old general store. The fence sure does amaze me.
After our exploration we shared a pot of tea together.
One weddingless Saturday, I got to spend it with family. We went to the Indian Market in Arlington. Being Choctaw and involved with my native heritage, we have been going to these type of events for many, many years! I love going to powwows and seeing the regalia, traditional dances and hearing inspirational words from the elders.
Some days I just feel compelled to buy a bunch of flowers from my favorite garden store, Calloway's.
Talk about a spring awakening! Springtime makes you feel the need to get moving and improve the house and make some changes! My darlin' Philip and his older bro, Perzy and I painted the bathroom and gave it a refreshingly clean look. Next thing to paint? The kitchen. Right now it resembles a pea color. Or pee. Blech.
Speaking of kitchen...I love to make delicious foodstuffs. So I made an apple crisp based off this recipe.
My March ended amazingly with gaining a new friend, who joined me on a last minute day trip to attend Spirit Fair in Oklahoma City, OK. It was an uplifting day full of amazing experiences and knowledge. On the way back home we stopped at a scenic turnout and enjoyed the fresh air and the view. Life is good.
If you enjoyed reading my InstaUpdate, check out what I was up to back in February and January!