Photo.Fashion.Food.

Thankful A-Z

2011-10-05T11:27:00.000-05:00

Apple butter.

Beckett

Cooking at home.

Dresses.

Eternal love.

Freedom.

God's Grace.

Hand holding.

Ice cream sundae's.

Jokes.

Keller.

Laughing.

Music.

Nutella.

Osborne Cash.

Photography.

Quiet time.

Red wine.

Simple life.

Trust.

Unconditional love.

Vision.

Warmth.

Xpedited shipping? [X's are hard...]

Your mom. [...sorry I had to]

Zombi [okay so Z's are hard too]

Today got off to a rocky start and I needed to remember the good things. Give it a try...I promise it will make you smile.

Cheers,

Lynsey

October: Thumbs Up x10

2011-10-04T10:46:00.002-05:00

Hey all! It's time for another favorites post. I have a lot of good ones this time. Hope you enjoy!

#1 Clarisonic Brush. I love this thing! As I've mentioned before, I have really bad skin. Like if I don't wash my face before bed, the next morning my face will look like the Appalachians. This brush is great because the charge lasts me about 2 weeks of twice daily washes. The whole point is that it cleans deeper into your pores than you could washing with your hands or a cloth. The Clarisonic doesn't come cheap ($250!) but there are several over the counter versions that I highly recommend giving a try.

#2 Working with my husband. I have to say that we were both a bit skeptical that this could work at first because I'm extremely particular when it comes to my business but things are working out so well! We have a great time together and I think he is a great asset to my business. Plus he's not too bad on the eyes if you know what I mean! I'm a lucky lady.

#3 This video. Oh my lord this is hilarious. At the advice of our bride and groom this past Saturday, Tommy and I watched this video and nearly died laughing. I've watched it about 48 times since Sunday and I cannot stop.

#4 Bagel Thins. I am completely obsessed. I haven't had the time to get out of the house and exercise much lately [two weddings every weekend in Sept will do it] so I have really been watching what I eat. I used to have a whole wheat bagel with CSA peanut butter and honey every morning, then I switched to toast and now I'm onto Bagel Thins. You can't beat 110 calories per serving and it's really filling.

#5 Red Wine. Definitely a fall favorite in my house. I love a glass of red wine while I'm working late into the evening on the computer. My favorite is Trader Joe's Charles Shaw Shiraz (so cheap and so good) and Target is now carrying (don't judge me for saying this) wine in a box that is really good! I love the red wine sangria.

#6 Gavin Degraw - Sweeter. I've been a GD fan for awhile now and I love his new cd.

#7 Canon PowerShot SD1400IS. I get asked more often than anything which camera I would recommend to someone who can't take good pictures. I am Canon loyal through and through so this Powershot is my fun, purse camera. When we're going to a concert or somewhere I don't want to lug my huge camera around, we bring this little guy and I can't say enough good things about it. We took it to the Dominican with us in December 2010 and when we went for the 2nd time this past July and I love this little guy!

#8 Beckett Charles. This little cutie pie is turning three this Thursday. THREE people! Even though he keeps telling everyone he's four. Here are some photos of his birthday celebration at school my sister sent over this morning. This child melts my heart!

#9 Foster the People. I love this entire CD...minus the track 'Pumped Up Kicks' which is constantly on the radio.

#10 Haan Steam Cleaner. Yes, I realize how dorky it is to include this in a post of my favorite things but it really is the best. The hot steam sanitizes so you dont have to use any chemicals or cleaners. Love this!

Cheers,
LT

An amazing cover!

2011-09-15T09:01:00.000-05:00

Kate Voegele did a cover of Britney Spear's - 'Til the World Ends and it's awesome sauce. Check it out here!

At last. A fashion post. Kinda.

2011-09-13T18:21:00.000-05:00

Anyone else find it absolutely strange that Anna Wintour was seated next to Nicki Minaj at the Carolina Herrera Spring 2011 fashion show in NYC? And that Anna always insists to wear her sunglasses at night ala Corey Hart?

A simple gesture.

2011-09-12T19:31:00.001-05:00

I always say her best quality was how she verbalizes her appreciation so well. A nice deed never goes unnoticed in her eyes and I admire that about her. If she feels something about someone, she tells them and lets them know how important they are to her. She is kind and generous and I value my friendship with her more than I can describe.

I'm talking about Trisha, my great friend. She got married to the man she loves two months ago and she asked me to stand up with her while she said I do to my other best friend, Adam.

This photo was taken minutes before I gave her a kiss goodbye as Trisha D. right before she was about to walk down the aisle and become Trisha G. And I cried. I cried the entire time because I believe in their love and am so happy for their marriage.

This morning on my way into work, my mom told me that she received the best thank you note she's ever received from Trisha and Adam [let's be real, we all know T wrote them all ;) ]. My mom told me that in her note, she thanked my parents for raising me to be the person I am and that she's lucky to have me in her life. I, of course, balled my eyes out. Because I'm a crier and because that little act of kindness in thanking my parents, made their day and, unknowingly to her, mine. She is a beautiful person on the inside and out and it's impossible for anyone she knows not to love her.

You're an amazing friend and person and I'm eternally grateful for all you do for me. Even the small acts of kindness that you never think I'll know about or hear about, like that thank you card.

Love you,

Lyns

PS. Love you too Adam, because I know you religously read my blog and always support me as well.

September: Thumbs Up x10.

2011-09-01T09:28:00.002-05:00

I'm not even going to go there with why I haven't been blogging. I suck. You get it. We're all good, right?

Since today is the start of a new month, I am starting a fun monthly tradition that I will surely only do for 2 months max and then die out of it because, let's face it, that's what I do around here.

It's called 'Thumbs Up x10'. It's going to be my top 10 Favorite things that I'm loving for the month. Little dumb? Yes. But I'm doing it, so like it. k?

#1 iPad 2. I love this thing so much. It's amazing and I take it everywhere with me. It's a little piece of heaven and I love all my fun new (FREE!) apps. I can have clients sign contracts in person on it, email them and myself a copy and I can accept credit cards. Big props to Apple.

#2 Pintrest. Yes I'm full fledged addicted and am inspired to do so much crafting it's ridiculous! I can't wait to put into action some of the awesome things I've found. If you have it follow me. If you don't, leave a comment with your email address and I'll invite you to join!

#3 Kelly Moore Bag. I bought the Posey style and use it as a purse, a camera bag and a clutch when we go out. It's perfect in every way! It doesn't quite replace my Shoot Sac for weddings and portrait sessions but I love that I now have a camera bag that can hold a camera. Profound, right?

#4 Sufjan Stevens. My favorite album right now is Seven Swans. His lyrics are beautiful and I love his voice even more.

#5 Kuerig coffee maker. I've saved so much money, time and energy by making coffee at home. I received this from my parents as a birthday gift this past February and I cannot explain my love and delight with this product. It's fast, so good and just makes life easier. Tommy doesn't drink coffee so the single serving K-Cups are great. I thought it would help me to drink less coffee but man was I wrong. So terribly wrong. I'm okay with my coffee consumption though.

#6 Homemade beer. My husband and I and two of our closest friends have been brewing beer together. It turned out so well that the four of us brewed a shitton as favors for Trisha and Adam's wedding this past July. It is so very yummy! We recently just brewed a Pumpkin Spice Ale that will be ready in mid October. Full review to come! Our "brewery" name is Grandesco...a combination of our two last names.

#7 Urban Decay De-Slick. This product is my secret trick to keeping my makeup on all day while shooting a wedding. Especially in the heat we've been having in STL lately. You spray it before your makeup and then again after you finish and put on mascara. I can go all day out in the heat and only have to apply a little powder before the reception. What a joy! I used to have to reapply all my makeup to look fresh again. I have very oily skin so this product is heaven-sent for me!

#8 Lulu Lemon Wunder Under Pants. These are by no means cheap but they are worth every penny. I don't have the best ass in the world but I look like J.Lo when I put these bad boys on. They are reversible so divide the price by 2. They're instantly cheap! Go buy some!

#9 J.Crew Vintage Cotton V-Neck. Love these shirts. They are so soft and wash really well. They come in a lot of beautiful colors too. Big fan of these with a pair of cropped skinny jeans and a pair of Toms.

#10 Something Borrowed. The book not the movie. I read this book in two days on vacation with my friends this past July. I then passed it on to Erica, who read it and passed it to Trisha. Within a week or so we had all finished it and loved it. So we were anxiously awaiting the movie but Kate Hudson was so-so, Ginnifer Goodwin was beautiful and great, John Krasinski was amazing, per his usual, and Colin Egglesfield was hot, hot, hot. But as usual, the book was much better than the movie. I highly recommend this read.

Hope you enjoy!

Cheers!
Lynsey

Trendley the Dog

2011-06-09T21:25:00.001-05:00

Anyone who knows me knows how I feel about animals, specifically dogs. I have pretty strong beliefs when it comes to adopting dogs rather than contributing to puppy mills and breeders. I try not to preach because everyone has to do what's best for them but I do stand firm on my opinions. We adopted our Osborne from Gateway Pet Guardians here in St. Louis. He was rescued on the streets of East St. Louis and they literally saved his life. I will forever be supportive of this organization and indebted to them for the sweet boy they allowed to live and become an important member of our family. You can read all about the life of our beloved Ozzy Cash here, here, here or here.

When GPG came across my facebook feed this morning with their newest rescue, the sweet face of Trendley tugged at my heart's strings. I immediately hugged Oz and started to sob. The gauges in her neck from the chain that was tying her up, skin infections and obvious malnourishment ate away at me all day. I could not get her blue eyes and sweet, sad look out of my head. It is beyond me how someone could hurt an innocent, loving animal. What kind of evil person could do that?

This evening, this link came up on facebook and I knew I had to help out. If you donate, it will go specifically to Trendley's vet bills which are estimated at around $2,000. If you go to the GPG Facebook Fan Page, you can see videos of her sweet demeanor and gentle nature. So instead of going to Starbucks tomorrow morning or spending cash on a soda and candy at the gas station before work, consider donating $5 or $10 to help bring this sweet girl back to her full potential!

CLICK HERE to donate!

Cheers,

Lynsey

These are my confessions....

2011-05-05T10:28:00.002-05:00

Usher anyone? I have had a lot of thoughts on my mind lately and without blogging, only my best friend and husband hear them so I'm going to put it out there. Feel free to comment on my confessions or offer up your own. I swear it made me feel much better to get it off my chest. Some are goofy, some are small vents. Don't take anything personally.

During the week, I drive from IL to downtown St. Louis to work at my part time job. Every time I realize it's Tuesday, I turn the station to the local rap/r&b station to listen to paternity test Tuesday which always falls during my 20 minute commute. For this, I love Tuesdays.
I despise the fact that some people do not send a simple thank you not for gifts. Hello? Did I not take the time to drive 30 minutes to the closest Babies R Us and listen to a mother scream at her kids for touching the breast pads? Did I not pop ibuprofen while I attempting to figure out where the toys you registered for were located? So yes, I feel as though I deserve a $.44 cent stamp and a line or two thanking me for spending my hard earned money and time on your gift.
I love writing things in bullet points? It makes me organize and gather my thoughts.
Love handles suck. How do you get rid of them? Why must they latch on to my hip bone and and implant themselves for life.
Using the excuse that you're busy. Everyone is busy. Life is busy. Get over it.
In our pre-cana class (marriage class for all your non-Catholics), a couple from our church that practically invented NFP, spoke to us. They might as well been green with two heads because Tommy and I were all "Um, that's irresponsible." "Have they heard of a new invention called the pill?" "What a dumb method of birth control." Well fast forward 3.5 years and guess who just bought a book on the subject? This girl. I am very interested in the natural factor of it. Then I had a conversation with my sister, that changed my idea of it's effectiveness.

            L: I'm thinking of giving NFP a whirl. Thoughts?
            K: We tried that.
            L: How did it go?
            K: We ended up with Beckett.

I was irritated that Barack Obama name dropped Biggie and Tupac during the 2011 White House Correspondents Dinner. Did you do it because there are celebrities in the audience? Did you do it to announce your street cred? And dissing Matt Damon? No, Barack. Just no. I found it quite irritating. At least he announced that for the status of his presidency, the honeymoon is over. Indeed.
And I'll end on a high note. Last night I dreamt that I was pregnant...and I told everyone it was Justin Bieber's baby.

Cheers,

Lynsey

B's Special Day

2011-05-04T19:02:00.000-05:00

Our nephew, Beckett, is getting so big! He's 2 1/2 and in preschool already. This week, it was B's special day at school where the teacher reads letters written from family members to him.

Here are the letters that Tommy (Uncle Mimi) and I (Auntie Momo) wrote to him. I have to be honest when I say I got a little teary writing this. It was a very big realization that my little baby nephew is not a baby anymore. He knows so much and is so bright and good at sports. I could not be prouder to be his auntie!

Dear Beckett,

You are special for so many reasons. You are such an amazing little boy and every time I see you, you bring a huge smile to my face. Some of your best traits are:

• You’re very, very funny!
• You are a great dancer
• You’re good at soccer
• You have the BEST smile and the best, big blue eyes
• You’re a good listener
• You love my puppy Ozzy very much and always ask me about him
• You’re great at playing the guitar, drums and singing
• You give the best hugs and kisses to let everyone know how much you love them!

We are all very lucky to have you in our lives. You make every day better and full of more love!

Love you!

Auntie Momo
__________________________________________________________________________________
Dear Beckett,

You are such a fun boy to be around and I am glad you are my nephew.

We both enjoy the same things like kicking the soccer ball, going on the paddleboat, and eating a lot of food. You make me very happy with your smile and your great dance moves. You have so much energy and personality and are a great little brother to Keller. I am very blessed to have you in my life.

Love,

Uncle Mimi

Tommy and I both value our relationship with our nephews, Keller and Beckett. Since Kel didn't have a special day at school, we're planning something special for him too.

Cheers,
Lynsey

Mic check, one two, one two...

2011-05-03T12:21:00.000-05:00

Anyone still listening? Wow...long time no blog, huh? I am a sucktastic blogger, I realize. But in my defense, when life gets busy, blogging is the last thing on my mind. Here's a quick catch up to what's been going on with us:

So far this year, 6 wedding down, 23 more to go. Yikes.
I'm booked for sessions through mid June. Another yikes.
Our organic garden is in full swing and more will be planted this week
I'm still on the hunt for the perfect garden gnome and have yet to find the little man that will live with my crops
We have had 3 full cycles of our CSA and are loving all the fresh produce and other goods
Forget William and Kate...my best friend is getting married in 65 days and will be the wedding of the year!
We are leaving for the Dominican Republic v2.0 in 70 days
I am still running, doing yoga/pilates, spinning, panting through Tracy Anderson kick-your-ass videos and working hard to stay in shape. I am determined to get Gisele abs by the time we leave for the DR.
I am not eating any meat out but am eating meat from our CSA and free range, no hormone chicken and beef when I know where it's coming from. I'm playing this whole vegetarian thing by my own rules and I am okay with that
I'm making a lot of headway on my 101 in 1001 list
Ozzy is an asshole dog and ate our blinds and parts of the woodwork in our house so he's back in the crate. Don't wanna talk about it anymore than that

That is pretty much the extent of my life right now. Just living, working and being insanely happy. I promise to give more fruitful, entertaining updates in the next week or so.

Cheers,
LT

three.

2011-04-05T11:05:00.001-05:00

Three years ago today, I married my best friend. Last night I gave him a gift I made of photos of us throughout the last eight years we've been together. I had to cut a lot of photos but I love the end result...and of course I cried several times while putting it together. In some of the photos we look so young because, well we were. I was 15 and he was 17 when we started dating!

Happy Anniversary to the man that knows how to push every button to irritate me. The man who knows how to make me laugh when I cry. To the guy that puts up with my baby talk and dumb knicknames for Ozzy. To the man that brews his own beer, drinks whiskey and smokes cigars. I adore everything about you, even the things that drive me insane. I love you more today than I did yesterday and less than I will tomorrow.

three from Lynsey Tedesco on Vimeo.

Cheers,
LT

Uh, what?

2011-03-24T13:46:00.001-05:00

Scene: Laying in bed with Tommy looking at the Kansas City MLS team's game schedule.

T: I mean surely you can get a press pass
L: Uh, what?
T: A press pass so we can essentially sit on the field and you can take photos of the team. If we go to a game against Galaxy, you can see Beckham [like he's waving a piece of cheese infront of a rat's face]
L: I doubt they'll give me a press pass just because I have a large camera and a telephoto lens.
T: Well, it's impressive. We should try.

Note: I feel this has everything to do with him trying out for the team.

Also, note I labeled this post 'marriage'...that's it.

Our New Garden

2011-03-21T11:13:00.002-05:00

I'm happy to announce that my garden beds are in! It was a lot of work and we were all exhausted afterwards but it was well worth it. It looks so cute! We ended up doing two 4x4 beds and my dad came up with the idea to make a grid over the boxes out of narrow boards in order to keep all my different crops divided. Plus, I think it looks really cute.

My dad is amazing. No really. He did so much work and wouldn't even let me buy him lunch! He is so knowledgable, about literally everything, and I feel so lucky to have him living less than 10 minutes away. We're very close and I appreciate all he does for me...I'm very lucky when it comes to my amazing parents!

I have to give a huge pat on the back to Tommy for all the hard work he did. For someone who was really opposed to a garden, he worked his butt off to help. We had to dig out the grass because our yard has a slope near the back and it was a lot of hard labor that I am just not strong enough to do. I promised to cook lots of his favorite meals and scratch his back in return. Ah the compromises of marriage.

My dad was a rockstar when it came to the soil. Seriously. It's a loose, organic mixture of vermiculite, composted cow manure, mushroom compost, and peat moss

Here's my dad putting the mixture together

And Tommy doing lots of manual labor worthy of a good meal and a back scratching :)

Sweet little Ruby and Ozzy and my Mama supervised...

I didn't take a ton of photos of the building process since I was doing a lot of the work but here is the finished product! I think it looks so cute!!

And of course, my sweet little Keller came over to help the boys out and was working hard with Ozzy on his tricks. It was so sweet! Ozzy just loves him

My new favorite photo of our Ozzy-babe. I think he has Edward Cullen eyes in this photo!

Then I got some pics of Keller helping his Uncle Mimi and Pawpaw lay down straw over our freshly planted grass seed. It was so sweet how proud he was to help! I saw him yesterday and he asked how my grass and garden were growing...such a sweet boy

He was pushing the metal pins in the ground to hold the straw

And of course Ozzy thought it was all for him so he'd have somewhere to lay down. So spoiled...

So far, we've my cold weather plants: shallots, spinach and leaf lettuce. In about a week or so, we should have some fresh, organic produce right in our backyard!

Also, I used Random.org to find a winner for the Blog Giveaway I posted last week. And the winner is N.! Email me at lmholo[at]gmail[dot]com and I'll send your mixed tape (on a cd!) out in the mail to you! Also, thanks to all 5 of you for the comments!

Cheers,

Lynsey

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"If you like pina coladas..."

2011-03-16T11:32:00.000-05:00

In December, we went to paradise. Literally, paradise. I am in awe of just how amazing this vacation to the Dominican Republic really was. We went with Trisha and Adam, whom I adore, and we had the times of our lives! We laid on the beach everyday, drank fruity drinks, local beer and smoked cigars. We also went zip lining, on a safari through the country, to a local cigar factory for a tour and fresh cigars and took long walks on the beach [insert cheesy Bette Midler song here].

Tommy and I had never been on a plane together. In eight whole years! We didn't take a honeymoon because I started the job from hell days after our wedding (I'm talking about my CPA days, not this job...I lovelovelove this job!). We never went anywhere in college because we're savers and wanted a down payment for our house and other nice things to put in it...like furniture, food, hair products (Yeah I spend a lot on hair products), etc. We would take stay-cations which were a week or so off work to build a deck or paint, thus, no real vacations ever.

I worked my butt off in 2010. I started a successful photography business [toot, toot]. It was a year for learning and growing personally and professionally. I seldom talk about Tommy's job much on this blog so here it goes...he works his ass off. He has done very well in his company and has been promoted despite his young age. He loves his job and works hard at it, so this man deserved this vacation as much as anyone. (And he is totally Chandler Bing because I have no idea what he really does. I know he sometimes works from home, takes conference calls, flies to KC and Chicago for the day sometimes and dresses very cute for work, but aside for that. Not 100% sure.) That being said, we decided to reward ourselves for a successful year in a big way.

Alright, so I'm sure no one read all of that anyway and just moved on to the gorgeous photos.

Disclaimers:
1. There are a lot of pictures.
2. I was overly paranoid and didn't bring my big fancy camera. Instead I brought my Flip and my baby Canon.
3. Oh and some of the photos were taken in a moving safari bus and most ~~some~~ were taken while under the influence of Dominican rum. Just sayin....

The tiny airport

Our hotel room

First night out

My husband

The next day we were up bright and early to get our spot on the beach

Little overcast but still gorgeous...

This was my view for the next week! 10 bonus points if anyone can name the book I'm reading :)

Does anyone watch Sunny? Adam was saying "I can go wider"

Out for dinner and drinks

The next day we went on a Safari around the country. It was 8 hours in a Safari truck, driving around, drinking rum and Presidente. It was absolutely my favorite thing we did down there. To see a country like that was amazing. Everyone had to little (by American standards) and were so happy. Just happy to be alive and well. I thought I would feel sad seeing their small, open homes but I didnt feel bad for them at all because no one felt sorry for themselves. Everyone worked hard and lived like it was their last day...it was amazing! The only thing that really brought tears to my eyes were the amount of stray dogs. It was heartbreaking. Some were so thin and looked just sickly and that is something I cannot handle well.

A Dominican gas station

Cigar factory

Tommy thoroughly enjoying a fresh cigar

Of course drinks that evening

Our favorite waiters at the Japanese restaurant!

The next day we drove around the country again only this time it was to go zip lining. If I look scared like I'm going to shit my pants in the before photos, it's because I was. I was so nervous to go on the zip lines.

All four of us on the bus on the way back. This was one of the my favorite parts of the trip. We were drinking rum and coke and had to drink them fast because it was so bumpy. Everytime the cups were empty, they'd refill...it was so much fun!

This is our Russian friend, Ivan.

No, I dont really know his name but I took a picture of him because we thought he looked like Kenny Powers from East Bound & Down...

Later that afternoon, we went back to the beach! I have to say that the Dominican had the softest, whitest sand. Oh and the water was that beautiful, teal-ish blue you see in the movies!

Some impressive works the kids at the resort next to us did

Dinner. Tommy insisted on wearing an obnoxious Charlie Sheen shirt circa Two and A Half Men. Eh..it's vacation afterall

Pipes

The next morning we were at the beach bright and early to see sunrise

My current computer background...

The pool we only visited once when it was raining. We just sat under the bar and drank until it passed. We sat on the beach every other day!

With my gorgeous best friend!

with my husband...

Instax fun at dinner

My cigar of choice for the trip

On our last day in the Dominican, we walked out to the beach before we headed out to the airport for one last bit of sun and the ocean

Note the European in the speedo to the right...

That's our trip in a nutshell and a photo dump. It was amazing and I am very happy to announce that we are going BACK to the same resort with 3 other couples (Trisha and Adam included) this July! Yahtzee!

Cheers,

Lynsey

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A Blog-away!

2011-03-15T19:32:00.000-05:00

Hi folks! I have been super busy with work as of late. Lots of babies have been born the past few months and I've been busy photographing them! Whew...newborn photography is a lot of work but quickly becoming one of my favorite areas of photography. I've recently purchased so many new, fun props to use this year. I'm waiting on a few more sweet little ones to make their grand entrance so I can use them.

So as all five of my readers know, I love music. I am constantly listening to tunes and have made it my goal to find, new undiscovered bands to fall inlove with. I used to do the ever unpopular 'Music Monday' posts and my friends all said it was hella boring so I gave up on that. I love when people I know start listening to new bands because of me, so here we go...I want to give away a [drumroll, please] MIXED TAPE!! Mixed cd just doesn't sound the same, am I right?? So I'm calling it a Mixed Tape. Here's what you've gotta do...

Leave a comment telling me what you're most looking forward to this spring. Vacations, bbq's, the zoo, etc. That's it! On Monday, March 21st, I will randomly pick a winner and announce it on the blog!

Also, if you wouldn't mind...
follow me on Twitter
like my photography page on Facebook
and become a follower of my LTP blog

Cheers,

Lynsey

Garden Plans

2011-03-07T16:34:00.000-06:00

To say I'm excited about my garden is a huge understatement. I cannot be more freaking excited!!! Tommy is not feeling so stellar about it but alas, he agreed in a weak moment, so it's happening. And I promise you the man will not complain when he's eating the fruits [and vegetables] of my labors. Literally.

I had a few questions asking about what I'm planting and for some inspiration pics. I literally love all fruits and vegetables and if I had it my way [and thought it was realistic for us to eat it all], I would be planting everything!

I found the majority of my information from the University of Illinois' Garden Guide here and about herbs here.

The goods:
asparagus
cucumbers
spinach
squash
zucchini
bell peppers
tomatoes
green beans
cucumbers
lettuce
and possible onions and garlic - still undecided

I'll also be planting an assortment of herbs in pots and will keep them on our deck. I don't want to take up valuable space in my raised beds with herbs. I've grown basil and chives in the past and honestly, a little goes a long way. I've gotten rid of all our dried herbs and have been buying all fresh. Very excited to have fresh lavender and lemon verbena to freshen up the house!

Herbs:
basil
chives
dill
lavender
mint
parsley
thyme
rosemary
lemon verbena

On a personal note, I am very thankful to have my dad's guidance as he had a garden several years ago and knows so much about it. He is also making all the raised beds for me and helping me to time out the planting process. He knows so much about planting and fertilizing that I know I couldn't do it without him and it's just another fun thing to do with my dad. I really wish my Grandpa Joe was around to offer his guidance. I remember walking through his garden and eating tomatoes like apples with him! Every summer I would help pick the green beans we would make for dinner and the memories I have of the time spent in his garden with him will forever be invaluable. I remember having an assembly line in the basement and canning tomatoes and peppers. I am really hoping to do that this fall as well if my garden thrives like I'm praying it will! I think he would be so excited to see me carrying on his green thumb [hopefully!!] of planting an organic garden. I am so thankful to have those memories and I hope my children will have those memories with us and my dad someday too.

Now onto my inspiration photos!

How adorable is that little gate??

And just a pretty pic of all the fruits and vegs I'm going to have!!

That's all about the garden for now. Hopefully next time I mention it on here, it will be real, live photos of MY garden! Yes!

Cheers,
Lynsey

Questions Answered: Part 1

2011-02-23T11:41:00.000-06:00

One of the questions asked in my 'ask me anything post' was about how we are making our lives "greener." I can honestly say that the transition into a green household is about 60% complete. We will never be a 100% green household but I definitely try to do my best to make a small difference.

Here is what we've done so far to make our home greener:

Making my own cleaning supplies. This was something that intimidated me but in reality wasn't all that difficult. It took a lot of trial and error but I love that we are no longer using chemicals to clean the dishes we eat on, the counter top we prepare food on and the detergent we clean our clothes with. The laundry detergent was definitely the hardest product to recreate because I found you need to use more than store bought detergent and I was having to mix up the solution every other week. During a busy week we purchased a small bottle of Tide or something and my skin literally broke out...bumps everywhere! I couldn't believe what a difference my home made solution made!
Requesting a second recycling bin from our trash collecting service. It's amazing how we didn't realize we need a second bin until we go it. We are literally recycling everything we possibly can and I'm proud to say our trash is down and our recycling is up.
Thermostat. We keep our house cooler in the winter and warmer in the summer. Also, during the day, we have our thermostat programmed to be cooler during the days when we're not home (and warmer in the summer). I read somewhere that each degree below 68°F during colder weather saves something like 3%-5% more heating energy and keeping your thermostat at 78°F in warmer weather will save you energy and money. Wow! Also, changing your air filters more often makes them run more efficiently and last longer.
Paperless billing. Lots of places offer paperless billing, you just have to ask. I think it's a lot more convenient because everything gets sent to my email and I file it in a folder for that category...home bills, credit card statements, etc.
Camelbak BPA free water bottles. We are using less and less plastic water bottles and filling up these nice bottles instead. They are BPA free so they can go in the dishwasher. We have a few in rotation so they are always clean.
Steam Mop. Buying a steam mop instead of mopping floors by hand saves my arms from scrubbing by hand when our regular Target brand mop doesn't work to my standards. This is going to save us time and money because we wont be buying replace sponges (which are disgusting and a breeding ground for bacteria..ick!) or make cleaning solution. We used a cleaning solution that is safe for children and animals because I am paranoid about using anything that will harm my precious pup. The steam mop is awesome because it sanitizes and it's chemical free...I see that as a win win! I did a lot of research on these and the Haan FS20 is the best buy for what I wanted.

And things that are still in process:

Planting Our Garden [which my husband has agreed on since I am allowing him to go to the US Open in NYC...I'm such a sucker but hey marriage is about compromise right?]
Joining a local CSA. I've currently been wait listed but hopefully by the end of March I will be picking up organic treats every week. I honestly could not be more excited about this!

Areas I'd like to change but haven't yet:

Paper Towels. I feel like we use a ton but can't find a good alternative. We have cheesecloth towels we use to dry dishes and wipe down the counter but I feel like I'm constantly washing them. Not sure what to do with this so far!
Garbage Disposal. This summer, I want to start composting. I'm not 100% sure how this will work considering I need to put the remnants somewhere in our yard and we have a nosey dog. We are going this weekend to William Sonoma to pick up a few things and this is on my list:

Well this is my first attempt at answering your questions. There will be more to come! You can still ask me more questions by commenting on any posts or emailing me at lmholo[at]gmail[dot]com. Next up, my fitness regime.

Cheers,

Health and Exercise v1.0

2011-02-15T12:37:00.002-06:00

Sit back and put your feet up. This is a long post, folks.

I'm obviously no pro when it comes to diet and exercise but I have maintained my weight throughout the years and learned so much about myself and my health. I love the responsibility of knowing I control what we eat in our home. Don't get me wrong, my husband helps me make dinner every night but ultimately, it's on me. And I love it. I would totally be a 1950's housewife...cook, clean and bear children? Yes, please.
I have never really had a weight issue. When I was younger, I was a bean pole. Seriously, zero curves. When I was in high school I was very active. I ate what I want and ran when I was stressed but never enjoyed working out. I would never run for fun. I was 5'7 and weighed about 115-118. My workouts consisted of dance team practice after school 3-5 times a week. Also something you should know about me is that I do not have an athletic bone in my body. Thanks Mom. I can barely catch keys or the remote when thrown to me. I hate watching any kind of sports unless I'm at a game (really only baseball) and have a cold, yellow, carbonated drink in my hand. But I digress.

Onto college. Again, I didn't play any sports but tried to remain active. I was terrified of gaining the freshman 15 so I made Tommy 'teach me' to like exercise. I walked to class everyday unless it was raining and we would run in the evenings. We both went to college at Lindenwood University in St. Charles and would do river runs. I hated him for this. We would run from campus to the St. Charles River and back. At night. In the cold or rain. I was always about a quarter mile behind him but I still did it. We ate terrible during college...lots of pizza, Rally's, McD's, Taco Bell, etc. Nothing good but I managed to only gain about 5-7 lbs throughout college. Not too bad considering my eating habits. This puts me up to about 125-ish.

My senior year of college, Tommy and I got engaged and started planning our wedding. About 2 months before we bought our first home, I moved back home with my parents. My parents are active, healthy people. My dad is always on the go and my mom exercises every morning. My mom is an amazing cook and always tried very hard to make sure we were experiencing all types of food...except fish because she can't stand the smell. She cooks smart and healthy and I think in the two months I lived back home, I was very influenced by her. Knowing we were closing on our house in a month, I wanted to learn all I could from her. Having an interest in cooking is half the battle...making the recipes is the easy part! So she taught me how to grocery shop to save money and buy healthy foods and how to cook them. My mom is 62 (sorry Ma) and she doesn't look a day over 40! I attribute this to three things: good genes, exercise and eaiting right.

When Tommy and I moved in our new house in December 2007, I cooked 4 times a week and kept our fridge stocked with fresh produce and lots of healthy snacks. I went to Soulard Farmer's Market every Saturday and took pride in our healthy lifestyle. My husband wasn't totally on board but I kept up with eating healthy but never exercised. When we got our dog Ozzy, I started walking him twice a day but I felt like I wanted to do more so I joined our local YMCA just 2 1/2 miles from our house. I joined solo because Tommy was busy and not really interested in working out at the time. Around the time we bought our house, I also started a job in public accounting as an external auditor. During my first busy season, I stopped grocery shopping, going to the Farmer's Market, exercising all together (after signing up for my first half marathon and having to back out of it) and eating healthy, less and less. Also, the firm I worked for had food out at all times. Very unhealthy, greasey, food and candy...and I ate it.

During my two years in the corporate world, my weight got up to between 135-140. I stopped weighing myself but I felt terrible about it. That is my highest weight to date (and I can't believe I'm admitting it on the internet). I didn't look bad...but I didn't look like myself. And no, I'm not saying that anyone that weighs in that bracket is fat, I just wasn't comfortable at this weight. Bad food is unfortunately more convenient than healthy food. It sucks but it's completely true. I was busy working very long days and didn't have time to workout or eat right...or so that was my excuse.

When I quit my full time job, I was transitioning into a part time position and a full time photography career. I made it a point to start fresh and with my husband on board this time, we were determined to live a healthier lifestyle! Exercise would have to become part of my routine, like brushing my teeth and showering.

And here is where we're at now...

with food:
Tommy and I eat dinner at home 5 nights a week (usually eating out Friday and Saturday nights...sometimes just Saturday). We are doing this to save money and for our health. As I mentioned in my previous post, I am going on week three of a non meat diet and I feel great. It's amazing how much lighter and healthier I feel. I am full of energy and have lost about 10 lbs since May of last year. I am down to about 128 which is a great place for me right now.

with exercise:
I never loved running and I couldn't figure out why. I realized that I truly dispise running indoors on a treadmill. I do so much better when I'm outside because I have a very short attention span. When I'm outside, there are always cars and people to run by and it passes the time. We are very fortunate to have an entrance to a bike trail in our subdividsion that runs through our town and the surrounding towns. Tommy and I try to exercise 4-5 times a week. He does more than I do because he plays a lot of raquetball, baseball, tennis and basketball (I swear if our kids end up with my sports genes he's going to be devistated because the man loves all sports) but I make it a point to do something. Whether it's a workout dvd, running, abs or yoga, I do something. During the winter we don't walk Ozzy outside because he doesn't have much meat on his bones and he freezes (not to mention he pretty much refuses to walk) but come March, we'll resume our twice daily walks with him in addition to what we're doing. It's hard because I often have meetings, photo sessions and editing to do in the evenings, but I make time for it. I am a happier person when I exercise. There is nothing like the feeling of pushing your body to its limits and feeling the results of a long run. Right now I am working on building muscle and toning my body. Yoga, running and Tracy Anderson dvds are helping me a lot right now. I feel like I'm in a good routine and like where my body is heading.

I plan to write more installments of Health and Exercise including specifics on how I workout, clothes I wear because let's face it, everyone can run a little faster and a little longer when you look cute, and recipes I make that are healthy and tasty! Feel free to ask any questions...again, I am no expert but I have learned how to love running and the rewards of cooking healthy for my family. I can only speak from experience but I will do my best to answer any questions or post some things that may benefit you all.

Cheers,
Lynsey

Well since Oprah said so and I always listen to Oprah...

2011-02-07T11:12:00.000-06:00

I am trying something new this month. If you remember my 101 in 1001, one of my items to do was to go vegetarian for one month. On January 30th, I stopped eating meat.

I was home working on a snow day and watching Oprah, per my usual routine, and the focus of the show was how the Harpo crew was challenged to go vegan for one week. The other main focus of the show was about knowing where your food comes from. The episode was really interesting because you have a Cargill employee, a vegan, and a journalist featured in the movie Food, Inc. There was a very wide array of opinions but everyone was respectful of each other’s beliefs and opinions and they all shared the same message: know where your food is coming from.

Some ~~disgusting~~ interesting facts about the food Americans are consuming:

(facts came from Michael Pollan’s interview on Oprah.com)

- Americans take 3 million pounds of antibiotics every year

- Goat is the most consumed meat around the world

- Children now drink twice as much soda as milk (disgusting!)

- Apples have the most pesticides of any fruit when purchases non-organic. Onions have the least.

- The general rule of thumb is the further fresh produce has to travel, the more nutritional value it loses (this is why it’s important to buy local)

- Compared to 50 years ago, chickens are now raised and slaughtered in half the time and grow twice as big.

- There are now 99 percent fat-free yogurts that have more calories than full-fat yogurt because of sugar

About half way through the show, Lisa Ling took a tour through Cargill, the biggest producer of ground beef in the world. Lisa saw where the cows are fed to fatten them up [ nearly three pounds a day!] and then through the process of slaughtering the cows. I lost it! I couldn’t help but cry for these animals. I felt sick to my stomach and knew that it is really possible to make vegetarianism a reality in my life. The Kathy Freston, the veganist, said something that really resonated with me. She said, how could she put her hunger above another living being’s life and the pain they endure to feed her momentary hunger or craving for meat?

I have always been very sensitive when it comes to animals…ie crying when I go by a mall pet store, always stopping for dogs running loose, financial contributions to local pet shelters, etc. so this lifestyle change was a long time coming. Besides my emotional feelings towards animals, the vast majority of my diet is carbs and vegetables anyway. I will still be cooking meat products for my husband because the man is a carnivore and I can’t deny him of that. I will just cook boca burgers for myself and regular burgers for him. The type of meat and produce I will be buying will be organic, free range or grass fed though.

Also, in the future, I am not 100% opposed to eating free-range, organic chicken and grass fed beef. I just feel like right now, for my body and my mind, my decision is to stick with being vegetarian. To me, it is about knowing where my food comes from and being okay with the decisions I’m making when putting food on the table for my family.

So, I am one week into my vegetarian diet, and I am proud to say that I’ve stuck to it 100%. I feel different too…I think meat has a way of making me feel bloated to uncomfortably full after meals. I have felt great and had lots of energy, despite the lack of iron I’m consuming. I am going to the store today to add iron to my arsenal of daily vitamins. I just feel different. I wouldn’t say I am eating healthier because I’ve always been a healthy eater, but I am definitely eating smarter.

So what am I eating? There are so many types of vegetarians and I am a Lacto-ovo vegetarian. This means that my diet excludes meat, and poultry, but allows eggs and dairy products. Lots of beans and legumes which I goes without mentioning has improved my already spectacular digestive system. I feel like my body is running more efficiently and I can tell a difference in the way I look and feel.
Also, I got some great questions in my 'ask me anything' post. I have quite a few posts in the works related to a lot of the questions I received in the comments and via email. It’s not too late if anyone would like to ask anything else! (comment on the post or email me at lmholo[at]gmail[dot]com.

In the near future I will be posting tips on the way I cook (hiding vegetables into my meals using purees), recipes, my diet growing up...basically what my Mama taught me, exercise, and of course, addressing more questions on my new diet lifestyle.

Cheers,
LT

The great garden debacle of 2011

2011-02-02T12:23:00.001-06:00

I want a garden. T does not. Thus, the great garden debacle of 2011.

Great. Glad you are all caught up now. Not saying I'm a total brat, but I'm kind of a brat. I'm the baby of the family and pretty much always got and still get what I wanted. When I married T, I expected the same treatment. Out of no where he started saying words like "No, Lyns" and "I don't think that's a good idea" "We'll see" (which everyone knows means no, I just don't want to piss you off right now) and "Not gonna happen." For some reason that doesn't sit well with me. Not. At. All. I am a pretty stubborn person and tend not to let up until I get exactly what I want. Great for my business, bad for my personality.

Mission 1: Complete
I begged T for 2 years for a dog. Every time, I heard "we'll see" until one day, I said you'll see. I sent him mapquest directions on where to meet me and at what time. He showed up to the foster home of our first born child, Ozzy. Got my way. Bam.

Mission 2: In Process
The other thing I want madly is a garden. My dad is super handy and has offered to make these awesome garden beds, basically looking like the following:

Adorableness right? Not at all "hoosier" as the coined phrase T likes to use to describe my deliciously beautiful garden. Well folks, I solved the great garden debacle of 2011!! I am acting in true Lynsey form and just doing it. I hate to break the news to him via the Internet (that is if that man even reads my blog), however, he really left me no choice. My dad isn't so keen on the idea of just doing it, thus I will lie and tell him T is on board. Problem solved. And when he comes home to a garden and is pissed, like bald Britney Spears takes on an SUV with an umbrella pissed, I will make him a delicious home cooked meal with the fruits of my labor from our magnificent garden.

Amen.

And to all the married folks, your welcome for the lesson in getting what you want. Plus I know he really does want a garden, he just doesn't know it yet.

Cheers,

Let's talk about adult acne for a minute...

2011-02-01T14:48:00.015-06:00

Weird as this post may be, I think that more people have the same problems I do and don't want to talk about it. I know talking about acne is not my favorite thing in the world but I have finally found a system that is working for me after about 7 years of struggling. Thus my journey...the good, the bad and the pimply.

Let's start at the beginning shall we? When I was in High School, I never wore much makeup. Other than the essentials: concealer, blush/bronzer and a little mascara. That's it...never needed more and never wanted more. I was on the dance team and on game nights and at competitions, the coach and captains insisted on making us look like $10 hookers and we were forced to put on 7lbs of make up. Literally. Obnoxious eye shadow, liner, thick foundation, bronzer, blush and sometimes they would draw on our faces. Ick. I am not joking when I say those two girls had the worst taste, like ever when it came to makeup. I always washed my face the minute I got home and never had acne issues.

Fast forward a few years and when I was about 18-19 years old in college and thus my bitter battle with acne began. I think it was 100% related to stress but I began to break out in tiny little zits with nothing in them [trust me, I am a picker and I tried]. I started going to a dermatologist. Actually I tried several. Many suggested getting on Acutane (...um no thanks) and others prescribed antibiotics. [Also, something you should know about me, is that I'm a hippie. Not like a Birkenstock wearing-yoga mat carrying-bicycle riding hippie, but when it comes to medicine, chemicals, cleaning products, the environment and taking care of my body, I am a hippie. When I have a headache, I try exercise or a hot shower before contemplating taking medicine. I will only take medicine when it's the last possible option.] I had a really hard time committing to taking an antibiotic for several reasons, 1. the aforementioned despise of medicines, 2. What happens when I go off the medicine? Is it just a quick fix? 3. It made me very susceptible to UV rays, meaning, anytime my skin was exposed to the sun, I had to be in 50+ sunscreen in order to avoid looking like a tomato. And if it's doing that to my skin, what is it doing to my insides?? Just overall, I went through an inner turmoil every time I took the medicine. Did it help me? Yes, but not 100% and I wasn't willing to put aside my feelings and beliefs for about a 50-60% fix.

So, after I found a doctor who wouldn't push medicines (you'd be sick to learn how many actually treated me like I was an idiot for saying no to medicine), I started trying topical treatments. For the record, there are thousands of topical creams and face washes out there and the only way to try them out, is to literally do that...try them out. The kicker is that topical creams and washes for acne do not fully work to your advantage until about 3 months of use....some take up to 6 months. So for about 7 years, I tried a new cream and wash for 3-6 months at a time in order to find out what would work for me. If you're doing the math that is 14-28 combinations of washes and creams. Also, I was going to the dermatologist every 3 months to talk about my progress. Take into account, the time I spent sitting in doctor's offices, the amount of money spent on co pays and for the medicines...some did not have generic options and would cost $150 a month!

Unfortunately, I got so fed up, I just quit. I was mad and emotional and I quit cold turkey and decided I would take a break from the dermatologist until I figured out a better solution. Before we left for vacation in December, I was going to a spa to get a certain girly wax. When I arrived the receptionist told me my husband had called in, scheduled a facial for me and already paid for it so there was no option of cancelling. He knew I wouldn't want to spend the money and would have tried to cancel it. He also remembered me mentioning about how I didn't want to worry about putting on make up to go to the beach but that it was inevitable. He earned 20 points for that one. Anyway, I fell madly in love with the esthetician who did my facial, now my esthetician. Really, I own her. She suggested trying chemical peels and microdermabrasion when I got back from my trip. Now, this is something I had been asking my dermatologists to try and they all said I wasn't a good candidate for them. I'm still not sure why they deterred me away from it but still I'm so lucky to have met Lynette who has introduced me to clear, glowing skin...something I haven't seen in about 7 years! I just had my 4th chemical peel and I can honestly say, all the goop and disgusting-ness from underneath my skin had to creep its way out, but that it was well worth the few weeks of ugly I experienced. I have always normally washed my face 2-3 times a day and wear organic, natural makeup that help improve the look and appearance of my skin...now it only helps make it look so much better.

After meeting with Lynette, I realized I have really odd skin...it's oily and dry at the same time. Basically, my issue is that I have dry skin and the skin flakes get deep into my pores and clog them (ew!). My body, in a reaction to the clogged pores, over produces oil in order to counter the dryness. My pores stretch and are filled with goop and looks awful. The microdermabrasion, exfoliates my skin on a higher level getting rid of all the dead skin that gets trapped in my pores and the chemical peel gets deep into my skin to balance the oil production. The end. Problem solved.

So why did I share this long, boring story? Because I think a lot of people do struggle with bad skin and many girls have left their doctor's offices in tears feeling like the ugliest girl in the world. It's a terrible feeling and I don't wish it upon anyone. I know this is a vain post but I feel so much more confident and beautiful with better skin now than I have in a long time...well about 7 years. I would encourage anyone with skin issues problems to give chemical peels and microdermabrasion a shot. I know they both sound scary and make you fearful of looking like Samantha on Sex in the City when she gets a chem peel:

I assure you, it's not that bad. I usually get them done on a Thursday evening and go right home and wake up looking normal with clear skin. Of course, you're red for a bit...you're essentially burning off the top layer of skin and of course it hurts, but pain is beauty my friends and I promise it is well worth the pain!

Feel free to ask me anything of the treatments I've gone through and the medicines I've tried. I'm really an open book.

Cheers...and happy snow day to my fellow Midwestern residents!

Lynsey

Total Blog Cop-Out, I Realize

2011-02-01T13:49:00.000-06:00

Yeah, yeah...I know this is a cop-out but as of right now, I feel like I dont have much to offer the blog world. Everytime I go to write, I stop and think "I bet no one cares to read about that" or "wow, am I posting about cheese? That's uber lame." So...I'm opening up my blog to any questions you may have for me. I will answer anything...about wine, coffee, my husband, my job, etc...anything is up for grabs. You can post questions in the comment box below or email me me at my personal email address: lmholo[at]gmail[dot]com.

Oh and please ask me something...I mean, I'm going to feel like the Mayer of Loserville if I dont get one single question... *Sad trombone*

Until then, cheers!

Lynsey

Who Am I?

2011-01-21T12:44:00.002-06:00

I am...
a daughter
a wife
a best friend
a mom (dogs still count people, I promise)
a granddaughter
a little sister (to three)
a big sister (to one)
a niece
an Auntie Momo
an entrepreneur
a photographer
a story teller
an artist
a music lover
an accountant
an animal activist
a wine-o
a cook
a housewife
a blogger
a crafter
a runner
a yogi
I am happy.

All days aren't always great days. I decided to look inside and find the things I am and the things I'm grateful to mean to others. A bad mood can make me a bad wife or daughter and that's not fair. I try to live to be the things in my list and be great at them. No, I'm not always a great wife or daughter, but I do try and I do give it my best.

To my blog friends, I challenge you to list out all the things you are on your blog. It felt extremely good to list out who I am and it made me realize that I am a very happy person. I'm grateful for what I am now and can appreciate where I've been.

Cheers,
Lynsey

Recap of 2010

2011-01-11T20:08:00.000-06:00

2010 was...

The year I took a leap of faith, quit my full time job and officially started my business
I met amazing families and couples I would have never had the chance to meet otherwise
We built a new deck that is perfect for entertaining and fenced in our backyard for Osborne
Ozzy babe turned 2
We vowed to live a greener lifestyle
Kept my schedule jam packed with photography work
My best friend asked me to stand next to her when she gets married next July
A year I definitely got the least amount of sleep in my life, thus far (see #6)
I ran my first race - a 10k
The year I turned 24
My best friend had a beautiful little boy
Keller turned 5
Beckett turned 2!
Spent 7 days in paradise in the Dominican Republic
The year my godson turned 1

Hopes for 2011...

Join a local CSA
Finish our basement
Travel to Europe this summer
Order canvases for our house
Run a relay race in April with 3 of my closest friends
Have professional photos taken of Tommy and me (April!)
Plant an organic garden this spring (with help from my handy dad who is making us an awesome fenced in garden out of old headboards!)
Run my first half marathon
Take family photos of my entire immediate family
Design and print custom labels for Tommy's homemade beer brew
Work with an amazing graphic designer in Indi to have a professional NEW! logo made and re-design my website and blog
Our 3rd wedding anniversary (8 year together total)
Spend more time living and less time dreaming
Join the local library and rent a new book monthly
Make the decision to be happy every day when I wake up. Life is a gift and should be valued and not taken advantage of.

"Happiness is not a destination. It is a mood, it is not permanent. It comes and goes and if people thought that way then maybe people would find happiness more often."

Cheers,

Another Birthday!

2010-11-02T20:11:00.000-05:00

Sunday, October 31st, was Osborne's 2nd birthday. We celebrated with long walks, playing ball in the backyard and a big special happy birthday "cake" puppy dog style!

He totally knew what he was doing and licked off all the "icing" first...

He got a new kong, two real, frozen bones, and his favorite so far, a strawberry shaped Orbee! He has the artichoke and eggplant version of this toy and he just loves them.

Now comes the part where I get all sappy and confess my adoration towards my pup. He's such a sweet, gentle baby. He takes treats out of your hand so gently and nibbles away at them. He is the best cuddler I could ever wish for. He places his head on my leg while I work and when I look down at him his tail starts to wag. He follows me everywhere I go. I couldn't love him more. I am so grateful to have our Ozzy that I don't know what I would do without him. The love of a dog is like none other...he is excited and happy to see me all the time. Even if I just run to the post office for 5 minutes, when I come home, he acts like he hasn't seen me in years and puts on his show for me.

Our boy with his favorite birthday gift, the strawberry Orbee.

Cheers,

Lynsey

Check! #29 Train and Run a 10k

2010-10-18T11:31:00.000-05:00

Last July, Tommy and I signed up for our first organized race, the Go! Halloween 10k. I had been running regularly at the point, 4-5 times a week, and felt really good about doing 6.2 miles. On September 1, I was in town and pulled over to the side of the road for an ambulance. A big Silverado truck came barreling through the intersection and didn't notice my car, or the van behind me and rammed his truck into the van and the van came into me. At a complete stop. My whole body thrusted forward and shortly afterwards I had extremely neck and back pain (que the sad trombone). I've been going to my chiropractor 3 times a week since then and have gotten drastically better but he said no running. No running at all. Because of the impact the accident had on my lower back he was worried that my feet pounding on the pavement would make the injury worse.

Well I am really bad at listening when I'm told I can't do something I want to do so I decided I would still run the 10k. I decided this the Tuesday before the race. Tuesday I ran for the first time in 5 weeks and stopped after 1.5 miles. Wednesday I did 2.5 and Thursday I ran 3.95. I took Friday and Saturday off from running and Saturday I was on my feet 9.5 hours shooting a wedding. Sunday morning I woke up sore. Oh my god was I sore! I still managed to get dressed, down an energy drink and run my little heart out. I went into the race with my only goal being to finish. At the time it felt it was a really ambitious goal but my amazing friends, Erica and Trisha, told me not to underestimate myself and that I would be fine. Well I was fine. So fine in fact that after mile 2, I decided my new goal would be to finish and to run the entire thing. No walking to grab a drink or up the hills (my god those hill will haunt my dreams)! Then at mile 3, I saw my the clock said 31 minutes. I started about 5 minutes after the clock start so I was super excited. I figured I was running about 8.5 minute miles. I was thrilled!! Insert new goal: run the whole thing without stopping and finish in under an hour.

I kept thinking about my husband, Tommy, and friend, Brad, who were running ahead of me. I was also thinking of all the awesome people waiting for me at the finish line: Erica, Trisha and my parents. And my awesome music mix on my iPod was helping as well. At mile 4.5, I started getting real tired. The hills were insane and it was starting to get really warm out. About that time I was running 10 minute miles. Then I saw Brad running towards me to meet me and cheer me on. He told me there wasn't much left and that I was doing great. Oh my gosh how this helped me! I started running faster and faster, totally underestimating how much of the race was left.

I finished the race at 1hr 3 minutes! I didn't make my last goal of finishing in under an hour but I did run the entire things without walking and that, to me, was really great. The sense of accomplishment and pride I felt after running and overcoming all the doubt in my head was amazing. I was thrilled and almost moved to tears when my husband, parents and friend ran up to me to congratulate me. I know 6.2 miles doesn't seem like much but I am not a natural runner and used to despise it. I love running now and find it therapeutic. I have so much more energy and feel better about myself after running. I never thought I'd ever say the words "I love running!"

As for Brad and Tommy...they both did absolutely amazing! Brad finished in 43 minutes and Tommy finished in 51 minutes. I think the running bug has bitten us now! We were talking about half marathons next year. I think we might try to find one out of town so we can make a little trip out of it.

Here are a few photos taken from my phone on Sunday

Tommy crossing the finish line (grey shirt & white shorts)

Me crossing the finish line (yellow shirt & black capri's)

Tommy and I with my amazing parents

with my girls: Erica (and baby Stone) & Trisha

Tommy and I

Brad, Tommy and I

Cheers,
Lynsey

Chai Tea Latte Recipe

2010-10-15T10:01:00.000-05:00

The other night I was working late and wanted something warm to drink. I wished I was at Park Avenue Coffee for a deliscious chai tea latte. I decided to turn to my friend Google and figure out how to make it myself. The end result was fab and I know it's going to be my new favorite late night snack!

LT's Chai Tea Latte
Brew a little over a half cup of strong chai tea- I use Bigelow's Vanilla Chai tea

Add milk to fill the glass

Stir in honey or agave nectar to sweeten

Nutmeg and cinnamon to taste

Heat in microwave for 30 seconds

Voila! Simple Chai Tea Latte!!

Cheers,

Lynsey

Recap of Day Zero List|4% done!

2010-10-13T10:37:00.000-05:00

So I thought now would be a good time to do a quick re-cap of how my Day Zero: 101 in 1001 is going. I’m 4% complete!!

Completed:

Make all my own household cleaning products – our household cleaning products are 100% homemade! Not only is this great for the environment…we’re saving so. much. money.

Order a stamp of my photography logo – my darling husband surprised me and ordered this. I can’t wait to use it on my handmade cd pockets 

Fence in our backyard – done and done! Mr. Ozzy is particularly fond of this one.

Influence a person to make a day zero list – my husband made a list! I was shocked when I read it and he had so many ideas. I even learned a bit about him through his list.

Well on my way:

Blog personally and professional 2-3 times a week each - right on track with this one. I've been a blogging machine lately!

Re-do our deck – scheduled for October 23rd! My husband and brothers will be making this happened while I’m off shooting a wedding.

Order custom DVDs with my photography name and logo – The design process has started on my end and I’ve been communicating with an awesome company who is printing the custom discs for me

Make a mix CD for a different friend every month for a year – September and October mixed cds have been sent

Revamp my family room – Our family room is so close to being done. We got our new couch and I made some adorable pillows for it but now we need to find a print for above our fireplace (we currently have about 8-9 black photo frames of all different sizes and styles but I’d like to simplify and just have one big canvas. I’m really undecided as to what I want to print. Or do I want to paint something?? I am so unsure so until I know, the mish mosh of photos frames will remain.

Anyone else create a list?? Have you checked anything off of it lately??

Cheers,

LT

Two.

2010-10-06T10:13:00.001-05:00

I swear, this is the last birthday I'll post about for awhile. I wanted to take a quick walk down memory lane to two years ago when Beckett was born. I remember getting a call from my brother in law around 9am saying that my sister thought she was going into labor. My parents went to their house to hang out with Keller and I left work and met them at the hospital (with food of course). See, Keller came so quickly that by the time we drove out to MOBAP, he had already come into the world. With Beckett, I was there the whole time. Holding my sister's hair while she got sick from the epidural, going on soda/coffe runs and using my smartphone to google baby names because they had no clue what they were going to name him (up until about 10 minutes after he was born). We each made our top 3 lists and then I left when she was at 10cm and starting to push. (She told me I could stay but I reminded her that if she wanted neices and nephews, that I should leave :) )

Sweet baby Becks just minutes old. (Note the hair color)

Here is Beckers just a few weeks ago. He is an amazing child with an incredible sense of humor and charisma.

And CUTE! He's painfully cute. And trust me, he knows it!

So smiley and sweet!

And yes, he's a total stinker and if you tell him he is, he'll respond "no I'm not!" He's fiesty, stubborn, comical, sweet, cuddly and 100% unique. Everyone adores him because how could you not adore that white blonde hair and big blue eyes.

Beckers:

Even though everytime I see you, you ask me "where's Mimi??" I know you love me more :) You're an amazing kid and really mature for your age. You've been potty trained for months and you've been talking (and telling us what you want since you were born!) so well too. You're amazing and I love you more and more everytime I see you. Happy Birthday #2 Becka-Boo!

Cheers,

Auntie Momo

Mom's Birthday

2010-10-05T17:15:00.000-05:00

Today is my Mom's birthday! She is just as beautiful on the inside as she is on the out. We talk on the phone literally everyday and I really value the relationship we have. She has such a kind heart and is an amazing person. Love you Mama!

Here's one of my favorite photos of my parents when they were newly married (they just celebrated their 35th wedding anniversary!)

Me and my mama back in '86

Another one of us together only in this one, I'm rockin some bitchin' suspenders.

In Florida with my girls!

My adorable parents :)

She is an amazing grandma (a'ma) to Keller and Becks. They absolutely adore her!

They LOVE dancing with her :)

My mom and her beautiful mom, my Grandma Marie

Here we are at the spa for my bachelorette party

An oldie but one of my favorites...my senior homecoming (think we look a bit alike??)

Mom - you're an amazing woman and I simply adore you. Happy birthday Mar!!

Cheers,

Lynsey Marie :)

Happy 102nd Birthday!

2010-09-30T10:44:00.001-05:00

Happy 102nd Birthday Grandpa Joe! I think about you everyday and I miss you more and more. It never gets easier and when I think of you, my heart breaks a little. I hope you're having an awesome party up in heaven complete with cheesy risotto, grappa and italian salami today! Love you lots!

Cheers,

Lyns Marie

Doubts, belief and the push I needed

2010-09-22T21:09:00.000-05:00

I will always remember the day. The day the big doubt set in. Can I do this? Can I thrive in this profession? Will I be successful? How can I leave an impression with the work I do? How can I touch people's lives with my work? I'm never going to be as good as [insert amazing photographer here]!

And I will never forget what he said to me. He said "you'll be great at what you do because you love it. Love is enough to get you to where you want to be." He is amazing and not only is he my husband, he's my best friend. I am lucky to be married to someone who believe in me and makes me feel like I'm great on days I don't feel worthy. I can now say the words "I am a photographer" when someone asks me "what do you do for a living?" because he told me to buy a digital SLR camera, because he told me to quit my job, because he pushed me to follow my dream, and because he believed in me. Nothing in the world will mean more.

Ever heard the saying "you can pick your friends but you can't pick your relatives?" (It's the standard saying when you're complaining about your crazy family.) Well I got to pick my friend and my husband and I can proudly say I did a damn good job.

photo credit: Trisha Seelen

photo credit: Clary Pfeiffer

photo credit: a drunk friend

photo credit: Trisha D :)

Cheers,

My Favorite Things in September

2010-09-15T11:14:00.000-05:00

I currently have a lot of things that I'm loving so far this month and I thought I'd share. No, none of these companies are giving me a kickback for the free advertisement. I just love hearing about new products and thought you might too!

First of all, I must say I'm SO not a hairspray girl. I never have been. I have naturally curly hair and when I straighten it...it can be a huge mess with the lovely Midwestern humidity. I spray Aveda Control Force on the palms of my hands, rub them together and smooth it over the top of my head (where I tend to have a lot of frizz). With my job, I'm outside a lot and my hair often looks like poo within minutes. When I use Aveda Control Force hairspray, I have minimal frizz. It's awesome but awesomeness comes with a price and at $21 a bottle....it's real expensive but I figure as little as I use, it will last me at least 6 months and if I spread the $21 out over 6 months, I'm only spending $3.50 a month on hairspray. Totally do-able.

I love these Rocket Dog Clover Flats. They are super comfortable and really cute with jeans, shorts, or a casual dress. Love them! I bought mine at Macy's for $39!

To say I'm in love with my new phone is not an exaggeration. It's amazing! I recently upgraded my junky Palm Pre to the HTC Evo and so far, I'm super impressed. With my Pre, the email was unreliable, the battery life was non-existent, and it would randomly turn off. Not good things for someone who runs a business that requires me to actually be able to take calls and answer emails remotely. I was 2 minutes away from switching my business line to AT&T to get the iPhone. When I called Sprint to cancel my plan and told them my intentions of switching to their competitor, they sugar talked me into staying with Sprint, trying to their new droid phone, the HTC Evo, and told me if I wasn't satisfied, they'd still let me out of my contract. How could I not give it a try, after all, I've had the same phone number for almost 9 years...I was attached to it. I've had the HTC Evo for about 2 weeks and it is amazing. It's user friendly, I can send/receive email easily, it has great coverage and the battery life is not bad at all considering how much I'm on it. It has every app known to man, just like the iPhone and I get to keep my cherished phone number.

I am making a conscious effort to be better at documenting our lives. As you read about before, I am taking more personal photos and creating yearly photo albums. I figure when Tom and I are old and grey, we;ll enjoy seeing how attractive and fun our lives were in our 20's. I bought a Polaroid camera in order to quickly create fun photo books. I love this camera. It's super cute and fun to use!

Who doesn't love a pair of "great ass" jeans?? I am loving the Gap Real Straight jeans are so cute and fit me very well. I have the dark and light washes and love them both!

Trader Joe's Inside Out Carrot Cake Cookies. Amazing. I dont really feel the need to elaborate on these. Tommy picked some up while on our weekly TJ's trip and we are obsessed. They are amazing and perfect and I'm not saying anything else. Go buy some now!

We've been taking advantage of the gorgeous weather (and trying to be more "green") and have been riding our bikes to the gym. The gym is only 6 miles from our house so it's a 10-12 minute ride but I've really been enjoying biking. As clumsy as I am, I should invest in a helmet and maybe a horn or bell but so far, so good.

That's all for my first ever favorites post. Hope you enjoy and find something new that you may love too!

Cheers,

My Wants, Wishes & Goals in a List!

2010-09-10T11:13:00.000-05:00

I came across this website and was instantly inspired. There are so many things I want to do with my life and it’s hard to have all those thoughts organized in my head. The ‘101 in 1001’ list is perfect for me because it will hold me accountable for the things I want to do in my life with a clear cut deadline in place. So this is super personal for me to be posting but I figure I put everything else out there, why not my life goals, huh?

Here are the rules:

The Challenge:
Complete 101 preset tasks in a period of 1001 days.

The Criteria:
Tasks must be specific (ie. no ambiguity in the wording) with a result that is either measurable or clearly defined. Tasks must also be realistic and stretching (ie. represent some amount of work on your part).

Why 1001 Days?
Many people have created lists in the past - frequently simple challenges such as New Year's resolutions or a 'Bucket List'. The key to beating procrastination is to set a deadline that is realistic. 1001 Days (about 2.75 years) is a better period of time than a year, because it allows you several seasons to complete the tasks, which is better for organizing and timing some tasks such as overseas trips, study semesters, or outdoor activities.

START DATE: September 10, 2010
END DATE: June 8, 2013

1) Go to Europe with Tommy (in process - summer 2011)
2) Go sledding on Art Hill
3) Take our honeymoon
4) Host a fancy dinner party when Dad finishes our dining room set
5) Take photos with my Grandma Marie
6) Eat dinner 2 times a week in our dining room
7) Try a new recipe once a week for a year
8 ) Make all my own household cleaning products (in process - almost done!)
9) Pay for the meal of a stranger (drive thru counts!)
10) Join a local CSA
11) Take photos to print on canvases for our home
12) Learn how to cook my Grandma Marie’s famous risotto
13) Make DVD pocket folders for branding
14) Adopt a family at Christmas
15) Order a stamp of my photography logo
16) Go to Las Vegas
17) Watch the Dexter series
18) Direct and create a video with my Flip camera
19) Create a coffee table book of our trips (past & future)
20) Spend an entire day with Grandma Marie
21) Take photos of all my friends together
22) Practice yoga once a week for an entire year
23) Put a bun in the oven
24) After #23, write in a journal and take photos weekly for 9 months
25) Learn to knit
26) Start a garden with my Dad
27) Start a family cookbook with my Mom and Sister
28) Becoming certified to teach yoga
29) Train and run a 10k (in process - October 17th)
30) Train and run a half-marathon
31) Put flowers on the graves of my deceased relatives
32) Take family photos of my immediate family
33) Adopt another doggie brother/sister for Ozzy
34) Eat at a new restaurant once a month for a year
35) Learn how to cook with a pressure cooker
36) Ice skate in St. Louis in the winter
37) Attend midnight mass on Christmas Eve every year
38) Blog personally and professional 2-3 times a week each
39) Create a collage of prints of my travels; hang them in the living room
40) Have Tommy and I’s photos taken professionally
41) Create pricing booklets - wedding and portrait
42) Fully integrate ShootQ into my business
43) Make handmade gifts for 50% of Christmas gifts
44) Work on SEO for my Web site
45) Try to work out in the morning 3-4 times a week for one month
46) Take a Zumba class
47) Shoot my first birth photography session (in process - approx. Nov 19th)
48) Go to a Jasmine Star workshop in CA
49) Attend WPPI
50) Take a spinning class
51) Go to Colorado with Tommy in the winter and stay in a cabin with no TV, clocks or cell phone reception
52) Create holiday card templates for clients to order
53) Introduce new line of guest books and albums
54) Re-do our deck
55) Begin using QuickBooks
56) Implement client surveys to get their feedback on how I’m doing
57) Finish our basement
58) Book a destination wedding
59) Go camping
60) Take a family vacation - Holloway’s & Tedesco’s
61) Keep a gratitude journal
62) Tie a note to a balloon and let it go
63) Plant a tree in the middle of our backyard with Tommy & carve our initials in it
64) Hang a hammock up in our backyard
65) Die my hair dark red
66) Purchase the 50mm 1.2
67) Purchase the 70-200 2.8
68) Purchase the 28mm 2.8
69) Purchase the 85mm 1.2
70) See a drive in movie
71) Order custom DVDs with my photography name and logo
72) Attend the Schlafly ‘Hop in the City’ and sample ALL of their beers
73) Tour the AB brewery
74) Join PPA
75) Write a note to myself to open in 10 years
76) Attend free concerts at the zoo and History Museum in STL in the fall
77) Donate my time to Stray Rescue 6/12 months of the year
78) Donate wedding photography services to a couple who needs it
79) Tailgate before a Ram’s football game
80) Have my photography work published on a style/wedding blog
81) Have my photography work published in a magazine
82) Begin fostering relationships with vendors I work with
83) Switch over to all reusable bags
84) Create a birthday list of family’s birthdays and send a card out to everyone for their birthday. On time…for a change
85) Make a mix CD for a different friend every month for a year
86) Watch all 100 movies on AFI’s 100 Greatest American Movies list
87) Have a date night once a month with my husband for an entire year
88) Revamp my family room
89) Decorate our master bed and bath
90) Fence in our backyard (in process - approx. Sept 20th for install)
91) See 10 classic movies I’ve never seen
92) Learn to play golf and play 18 holes with Tommy
93) Play in a sand volleyball league with friends
94) Learn to do something new in PhotoShop once a month for a year
95) Don’t complain about anything for one week
96) Go on a picnic
97) Influence a person to make a ‘101 in 1001’ list
98) Write a short story
99) Sing karaoke at a bar
100) Get a tattoo
101) Go vegetarian for one month

So some of these are silly, some are wants and not needs and some are real things I want to do before I die. I am a very goal oriented person so hopefully in 2.75 years I can say I’ve done most, if not all, of the things on my ‘101 in 1001’ list.

Oh and PLEASE let me know if you choose to go to this website and create a list of your own. Then I can cross #97 off my list. What things would be on your list? Have you done anything on my list? What advice can you give me???

Cheers,
LT

Top 10 Reasons today is a great day

2010-08-25T10:27:00.000-05:00

1. My puppy was extra snuggly with me this morning.
2. I’m having a great hair day. (it’s the little things in life, folks)
3. It was 72 degrees in St. Louis this morning. Win.
4. I woke up with a lot of energy.
5. Driving into work in silence with a warm cup of coffee with a gorgeous view of the arch.
6. Realizing during my drive that all my friends are taken care of so well by their husbands/fiancés.
7. The last image I saw leaving my house this morning is imbedded in my mind: my husband and sweet pup cuddled up on one side of our huge bed.
8. My job. It’s magical. I take photos of people who love deeply.
9. Excited about plans for a coffee date with both of my parents this afternoon.
10. Running outside since the temps are starting to cool down.

What’s your favorite thing about today??

Cheers,
Lynsey

Home Sweet Home.

2010-08-16T18:41:00.010-05:00

Hi folks. I realize it's been awhile. A long while. Things have been super busy around here. With my growing business, husband, friends, family and dog, I’ve been pretty busy this summer.

I mentioned before that one of the things I hated most of all about my first career as an accountant is that it left me with little free time. I can’t say that self employment gives me a ton of extra time but it’s just a different kind of time. I can work in the morning, take a break to clean, do laundry and run to the grocery store and then come back and work in the evening, or I can just have the day off at my leisure. Ahh…the life of self employment is a good one. I really am a much happier and well rested person now.

Anyway, the point of my rant is that I hadn’t really decorated the house we moved into almost three years ago. We were lucky enough to move into a gorgeous, brand new home. The only downside is that the walls and carpet were all a very boring shade of tan. Tan! Who wants a tan house?? Anyone who knows me knows that I like color. Living in a house with tan walls was nearly torture for me. So I painted. Painted bright colors. Lime green kitchen. Chocolate brown foyer. Grey and bright blue dining room. Green bathroom. But I didn’t hang any artwork on the walls or even frame any photos. I think it was part of not knowing exactly what I wanted and I didn’t want to commit to anything until I was sure I loved it. Well I am surely making up for lost time.

Within the last week we purchased a new couch, new bedroom set, painted the stairwell, upstairs hallway, half bath on the 1st level and two of the spare bedrooms and we are getting a fence. In two weeks. Ozzy is so excited and he’s already asking for his friend RT to come over and play! We’ve been saving for all of these things for awhile now and just haven’t had the time to go furniture shopping and commit to pieces we loved and wanted to keep for a long time.

On to the furniture….

Our gorgeous new sectional couch. We are having it made in a medium charcoal color. It going to look beautiful in our family room. I just refinished a fugly old corner entertainment center (another post, another time) but it looks fabulous and brand new and matches our decor so much better. It's going to look gorgeous with the new couch.

Our new bedroom set. I made a headboard to match our wall color so we purchased two nightstands, dresser, mirror and tall chest. It's a dark brown with a really pretty grain.

Here's the bedding I've yet to purchase but am kind of in love with for our bedroom from West Elm. It's a muted red color and I think it would look great with our new bedroom furniture and current wall color (a dark tan). For some reason I just can't pull the plug and purchase it yet though. Choosing bedding has been the biggest challenge so far. I want something simple and elegant but it has to be a color that can handle dark dog hair since the King Osborne sleeps with us. I'm really looking for something in a dark orange...any suggestions??? Leave me a comment!

And the MOST exciting new on furniture yet. My mega-talented Dad is making a dining room table and hutch for us. Gasp! I know. I cannot even begin to explain the amount of excitement I have over this. My Dad is a jack of all trades. He can literally do or make anything. When I was venting how I couldn't find a dining room table I loved that didn't have a $2k price tag attached to it, he kindly asked if he could make one for me. WHAT??? Are you kidding! Of course! He loves being handy and even build a cool unattached garage on their property for his workshop. It's pretty BA....it's a loft style place which includes a mini fridge of beer and water and his ugly recliner that my mom outlawed from her new house. We call it the man cave/his apartment. Anyway, he is kindly desiging a gorgeous wood table for us that will slightly mimic this Pottery Barn classic....

The hutch will be a mix and match of these two pieces with LOTS of storage for wine.

I have several ideas for amazing dinner parties and meals to be served on this gorgeous set.

Now, I just need to get all of the furniture in and our house will finally start to feel customized and like a real home. The couch is going to take 10-12 weeks because it's custom and the bedroom furniture should be here by mid September. I will be sure to post pictures. I just realized I've never posted any photos of our house...inside or out so, if anyone even cares, I will post before and after photos of the transformation from new construction house to our beautiful, colorful home!

Cheer,
LT

P.S. You should follow me on Twitter or like me on Facebook

Work: Past, Present + Future

2010-07-13T13:30:00.011-05:00

As I wrote about before, I ended my career in public accounting as an external auditor on May 28th of this year. Typing those words, I sighed a sense of relief and had a huge smile on my face. I didn't really go much detail on the specifics of this before, so a month into self-employment, I will revisit the subject.

To say my previous career was demanding was an understatement. I felt constant pressure and anxiety on a daily basis. And the feelings didn’t end on Friday when I left work…I felt awful all weekend because I knew that Monday morning I had to go back. This career was hard on my relationships, my emotions and on my health. I start becoming sick physically. I didn’t want to give up on my dreams of someday being a photographer but I was starting to feel depressed and like I would just never be one of those people that loved what they did for a living.

I knew I needed to quit my job and follow my dreams but with the current state of the economy, I felt like I should just be thankful I was employed. Plus, I was scared. Scared of the unknown, scared to try something new, and scared to take a chance on my family's livelihood. See, something you should know about me is that I have really strong workaholic tendencies. I loved my college job so much, I agreed to step up to a management position even though I knew my school schedule of 18-21 credit hour semesters wouldn’t cut it. I was really good at the job and I felt a huge sense of pride in the work I was doing (I was a manager at Urban Outfitters for those who care to know) and loved the people I worked with.

So my day would look something like this:

5am – catch up on homework and study before class at 8
8am – 1pm – class
1-1:45 – get ready and drive to work
2 – 9pm – work at UO
9pm – quick dinner
9:15pm – back to work on setting floor displays or running sales reports for upper management
2 am – drive back to my house on campus at Lindenwood
2:15 – 3am – study my butt off and try to make sense of everything I learned from 8am - 1pm that day
3am – 5am sleep

I don’t think I realized how ridiculous my schedule was but I was working 40 hour weeks while going to school taking 18-21 credit hours so I could graduate in 3 years. It was unhealthy for me but at least I loved what I was doing, I was genuinely happy and I dressed really, really well. I mean seriously, when I would be dressing mannequins and displays…it was all part of my wardrobe planning strategies and at 40% off …why wouldn’t I buy everything in the store, right?

After I graduated and went into the corporate world, I was in shock. You mean I get to sit all day instead of run around carrying boxes and arms full of clothing? You mean all the work I did training my feet to run in heels is useless??

The job was everything you would expect from the accounting world. Tedious work, long hour, great pay, lots of overtime, and nights away from my husband and dog. I was miserable to say the least. I felt like it was so hard for me to act happy because where I spent the majority of my days, I was in utter hell. For comparison purposes, let’s take a look at my day as an auditor.

6 am – wake up and get ready for work (I get ready insanely quick…not normal for most people. My husband takes twice as long to get ready)
6:15 – take Ozzy for a quick walk – (less than .25 miles…his normal is 1 mile two times a day)
6:30 am – make a quick breakfast for my car ride into work – either toast with peanut butter and honey or oatmeal
6:30-7:30am – 45 mile commute into work
7:30 am – grab a cup of coffee in the office and start working
10:00 am – morning snack – usually oatmeal
11:30 am – eat lunch while continuing to work – bell pepper, feta and hummus wrap and wheat thins
11:30 – 6:00pm – work
6:00 – 6:45pm – 45 mile commute home – usually a shorter commute since it’s after rush hour
6:45 – 7pm – love on Ozzy and tell him how much I missed him and love him
7-8pm – gym time
8 – 9pm – spend time with Tommy by making dinner together
9-11pm – catch up on house chores and do anything photo related I need to at this time such as respond to client emails, send contracts, edit photos, blog
11pm – shower and go to bed for the night

I literally had no time for myself, other than cooking dinner, cleaning up the house, and going for a run (on the occasion that I had time and energy to do so). My new schedule took a lot of getting used to but I am finally into the swing of things and really enjoying this new life.

6:30 -7:00 am - get up and walk Ozzy (1 mile walks now and we are both much happier!)
7:30-8:40am - get ready for work, make breakfast and lunches for both Tommy and myself, check email, clean up the house
8:40 am - leave for work - 18.1 mile commute!!!
9:00 -noon- get into work, check emails and start my day
12pm - lunch - usually cottage cheese with tomatoes, an apple and cheese and turkey sandwich on wheat
1pm - my work is usually totally done by now, so I'll respond to client emails, write up contracts, write a blog post and read several blogs
2pm - drive home - 18.1 miles
2:20pm - change clothes and take Ozzy for a quick walk (.25 miles)
2:30pm - 6:30pm - work on the computer - edit, blog, email, etc.
6:30pm - go for a run - it's usually cool enough out at this point to run without having a massive heat stroke
7:30 - 8:30pm - time to eat dinner - Tommy and I eat dinner together 4-5 nights a week. This is something that we really value and even if we're just eating something small or leftovers, we wait for one another to eat...even if this means eating right before bed
8:30pm - another 1 mile walk for Oz! Did I mention he is loving my new schedule?? sometimes we'll take him to get frozen custard
9:00 pm - take a quick shower then it's back to work for another few hours. I recently purchased a laptop and will sometimes work from bed while we watch tv
11-11:30pm - turn off the lights and cuddle with my boys before we all fall asleep

On occasion I work until 1 or 2am but I can honestly say that I enjoy the work that I'm doing. I feel like I'm giving my clients quality products with a quick turn around time...both of which are very important business practices to me. I'd really like to get in the habit of running in the morning before work but I haven't quite figured out how to do that yet.

So there you have it. My life in a nutshell. It's busy and pretty eventful but I love it. I have never been happier than where I am right now in my life. For anyone out there reading this that and can relate with my less happy times in a bad career, I empathize with you and understand how frustrating it can be when people tell you to "hang in there" and "it can only be better" or the worst..."be happy you have a job." Where all of these statement are completely true, it doesn't help to tell a miserable person that they shouldn't be miserable.

My life isn't all sunshine and butterflies but it is a great feeling to wake up everyday excited to start my day and go to bed the night before, anxious to see what the next day holds.

Do what you love and your life will be happy. I am going to end this mega-long post with one of my favorite song lyrics by the Avett Brothers.

"Decide what to be and go be it."

Cheers!

Lynsey

Spicy Summer Shrimp Stir-Fry | Recipe.

2010-07-02T12:31:00.004-05:00

I took this Pioneer Woman recipe and made it my own. It’s SO yummy!

SPICY SUMMER SHRIMP STIR-FRY

Ingredients

Extra Virgin Olive Oil
White onion – as much as you want
4 cloves Garlic, Minced
1 lb Shrimp; peeled, deveined, tails off
2 Zucchini, Sliced thinly and cut into halves
2 Squash
1 can corn kernels
2 handfuls of shredded carrots
Chili paste
Cayenne pepper…if you’re into that sort of thing
Low-sodium Teriyaki sauce
Salt And Freshly Ground Pepper, To Taste
2 lbs minute rice

Preparation Instructions

Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add minced onion and garlic. When oil is hot, add zucchini, squash, carrots and corn and cook until transparent. I buy cooked, frozen shrimp in a bag from Trader Joe’s. While I’m sautéing the veggies in the skillet, I put the shrimp in a strainer in the sink and run room temperature water over them to defrost. Then pull the tails off and add to the skillet.

I like to brown the veggies in my stainless steel skillet before adding the sauce because I think it brings out more flavors. After everything is heated and Add 2 tablespoons full of chili paste and a few swigs (I’ve mentioned my irrationally cooking style before. Don’t judge.) of teriyaki sauce, salt, pepper and cayenne if you’re willing to experience some spice. Heat well and let sit on low for 10-12 minutes so all the flavors mesh, serve over rice and wal-la! Spicy Summer Shrimp Stir-Fry!

(photo courtesy of Pioneer Woman, Ree Drummond)

Hope you enjoy!

Cheers,

LT

A Little Info on Ozzy Cash

2010-06-29T10:52:00.008-05:00

I am stealing this blog post idea from Mary but I had to do it since it would be all about my baby, Ozzy Cash.

The Basics

1. Name & Age
Osborne Cash Tedesco, 1 year 8 months

(Ozzy at 3 months old)

2. Breed

Well, this is a pretty funny story I haven’t shared on my blog yet. We adopted Ozzy when he was 3 months old and told he was a Labrador Retriever and German Shepherd mix and weighed about 13 lbs. Pretty common for the mix but we were expecting him to be around 90-100 lbs based on his “breeds.” When he was about 10 months old, we weighed him at home (Tommy got on the scale with and without him) and we figured his weight to be approximately 36 lbs. We thought this was really, really odd considering his feet were huge and his tail was so long. I started throwing suggestions out to Tommy such as “maybe he’s a midget breed. Can dogs be midgets??” and “what if he has dwarfism and dies before he’s one!” To which Tommy nodded his head and told me not to worry (have I mentioned what a saint he is for putting up with all my crazy?) Anyway, I was in my favorite pet store and came across a Doggie DNA Test. I quickly picked it up, went home, swabbed my dog’s mouth and sent it in. 3 weeks later, we received a certificate in the mail stating Ozzy’s heritage. Great Dane, Lhasa Apso, Shih Tzu, Airedale Terrier and the majority of his breed being Rhodesian Ridgeback. What a relief to find out that he’s a mutt. Whew. Best $52 ever spent. I know it’s pretty ridiculous but anyone that knows me isn’t that surprised. Plus it gave my husband ample opportunity to hit me with lots of “who’s your daddy? Jokes.”

3. Nicknames
Ozzy, Oz, Ozzy-Cash, Bubba, Puppa, Ozzy-Baby, Oz-man, OZZZY (in our best Sharon Osborne voices…British accent and all), puppylove, sugar and when he’s bad, ass-hole.

4. Where did he come from?
Tommy and I felt very strongly about rescuing a dog in need versus spending hundreds to buy from a breeder. There was no specific breed we were looking for, we just waited until we fell in love with a dog and let me tell you, love is an understatement. Ozzy is our first child and we adore him. He makes us so happy and we laugh so much! He is a lover and gives us back 100% what we’ve done for him. It breaks my heart to know that Osborne was abused on the streets of East St. Louis for the first 3 months of his life. I have tears in my eyes writing those words and it makes me sick to my stomach. However, knowing that we saved him and have given him a life he wasn’t going to have makes me feel so good.

Favorites

1. Toys
He loves his Kong, hallow bones we fill with peanut butter or cream cheese, round tennis circles, and any stuffed animal, his artichoke and eggplant toys, and especially his baby Milo the Frog (RIP Milo)

2. Snack
Cheese, strawberries, cottage cheese, peanut butter, cantaloupe, vanilla yogurt, rice and beef, scrambled eggs, pita chips

3. Human
He is definitely a Mama’s boy. He adores his daddy too though. He has a special cry, yelp and wine he does, all at the same time, when he sees his car pulling into the driveway or hears the garage door go up. It’s so sweet!

Funny Stuff

1. Worst Habit
We leave him uncrated for a max of 3-4 hours every once in awhile and if we forget to put up the tissues or close the downstairs bathroom door, he will shred the toilet paper and tissues. What a turd.

2. Most Embarrassing Moment
When we dressed him up as a lobster for Halloween and his first birthday. He actually acted depressed and sulked on the couch all night during our party. We took it off of him and he pranced around and was so happy.

3. Family Dynamic
He takes pride in being my bodyguard. His barks is so loud and intimidating (must be from the Great Dane…thank GOD he didn’t get the Shih Tzu bark!) that he seems MUCH bigger than he really is. I love this because when my Tommy’s out of town, I am not at all scared to be home alone.

On a side note, I am a huge advocate of pet adoption. There are SO many animals out there who need a home and are great forever dogs. If you can’t adopt but love animals, you can donate your time, money or supplies to them to help out.

Cheers,

Lynsey

Oh how I love summer fashion...

2010-06-24T12:35:00.008-05:00

Usually I despise summer fashion. I don't like being hot and hate wearing shorts. I'm definitely one of those people that love winter...I really love coats and layering which plays a big role in winter fashion. I digress. I found a pair of shorts I'm in love with though this year. And a million other things I love as well. Here's my must have summer fashion list. In no particular order.

I give you...the J. Crew Trouser Short. My usual hatred for shorts in general quickly disappeared upon trying these lovies on. They elongate my (already long) legs and they aren't so short that I look like I've been shopping at The Baby Gap (right Trish?)

Next up, Denim Short w/ Cuff

Bright One Shoulder Tops

Blue V Neck Dress

Target Pocket V-Neck in literally every. single. color. My best friend and I have to call or text each other before meeting up so we dont end up in the same shirt. We've worn the same color shirt too many times in the past.

So far this summer I've been rocking big curls, my hair is naturally wavy and curly with the help of fantastic products that I love almost as much as my husband, and this hippie side braid. It's easy and looks super cute.

And just a few more links...

Feminine Blouse Shirt (BTW: nice glasses chick)
Ruffle Tank
Straw Fedora

Rompers. Rompers. Rompers.

What styles and trends are you into this summer??

Cheers,

Lynsey

A Sad Kind of Happy.

2010-06-15T19:01:00.004-05:00

Anyone who knows me is well aware of the relationship I have with my nephew Keller. He is amazing and has taught me the true meaning of the word love. He is SO considerate. Like opens doors for girls, tells me I look pretty when I'm dressed up and loves with his whole heart. I always tell my sister that she is raising a little boy that will grow up to be a great husband and it's 100% true.

Today I'm really happy because it's his 5th birthday. I've known him 5 whole years. But I'm also sad because this year he starts preschool and that is going to be hard for all of us. He's so big and mature and I'm so proud of him already.

Happy 5th Birthday Keller Joe! Our family didn't know how much we needed you in our lives until you came. Thanks for playing light sabers with me, always dancing to Black Eyed Peas and always eating cheese with me. Love ya Keller-boo!

Cheers,
Auntie Momo

LTP Website | Live

2010-06-04T16:39:00.001-05:00

I'm live, folks! This website has been a labor of love as I have worked on it "when I had time" over the past year. Which equates to never. I never had time. Well I forced myself to sit down and just do it over the past week. Well, it's done and I couldn't be more proud of the end result.

Please check it out and pass it on to anyone you know that may care!

I give you *drum roll please*

www.lt-photos.com

Cheers,

LT

News. News. News.

2010-05-25T21:34:00.008-05:00

So I decided to go ahead with my announcements this evening since I'm so excited about all the big changes in my life.

First and foremost, I quit my job. Yep. Bye, bye public accounting as of this Friday, I'm leaving and not looking back. I cannot believe I finally get to say this. I have felt a little unfulfilled lately and after a lot of long talks with my husband, I decided to leave my secure, desk job with benefits, a 401k and lots of overtime for a part time job much closer to my home and to take a full-fledged risk and try turning my photography hobby into a career. I know, right? I'm insane but I figure big risks=big rewards. There are so many things I want to learn and perfect and I will now have the time, energy and resources to do it. I couldn't be more excited, scared, enthusiastic and terrified all at the same time.

The other news: I began a new blog just for my photography business. I will still keep updating this blog on a more regular basis and it will be dedicated to photos of my personal life, music, fashion and food.

On to it now...update your google reader, folks!

www.lt-photoblog.com

Also, my website will be launching next week. Finally!! I am putting the finishing touches on it this weekend and it should be ready to go by the end of next week. Of course, there will be another post to accounce that new baby in our lives.

Oh and speaking of new babies, my best friend is pregnant!! Totally a surprise to everyone and shocking but I don't know anyone more fit to be a mother than my lovely, gorgeous friend, Erica. I've known her since preschool and to watch her belly grow and see her bring a new life into the world brings tears to my eyes. Congrats to Erica and Brad and the little lady (I'm positive it's a girl!!) you're about to bring into our lives. Things will never be the same in the BEST possible way.

Cheers,
LT

Whoa.

2010-05-25T12:05:00.001-05:00

I realize how terrible I’ve been at blogging in the last few weeks but I’ve had a lot going on lately! I have so much to share with you all and I cannot wait to give you all the details. Hopefully within the week I will have a huge, long post sharing all the details of what’s been going on in my life. It will be an eventful one for sure!!!

Cheers,
LT

Easy-Peasy Lemon Squeezey Pasta

2010-05-05T21:06:00.010-05:00

It's been FAR too long since I've posted a yummy recipe. I make up recipes as I go with what I have stocked in our fridge and pantry. Also, I cook by taste, so when I use measurements like handful, lil bit and scoop of a small spoon...try to be precise, ok? Okay.

Let's get going with it. {If I'm insanely confusing by my lack-luster explanation of my recipes, shoot me an email and I'll be happy to help and answer any questions - lmholo@gmail.com}

Whatcha Need:

3-4 garlic cloves (depending upon the size and how much you like garlic)
half small yellow onion chopped up
1 box rigatoni noodles
EVOO (extra virgin olive oil)
fresh, organic baby spinach leaves
1 large lemon
salt, pepper
freshly grated parmigiano reggiano cheese
handful of thinly shredded mozarella cheese
white wine - I usually choose one I'd like to drink while I cook (hey, if you're opening a bottle to cook, you mine as well enjoy it right?) and it's ALWAYS from Trader Joe's

How to do it:

Begin boiling water to cook your rigatoni noodles in.

Meanwhile, in a medium skillet over medium low heat, add a few swigs (use swigs not tablespoons...try to be exact too) of EVOO. While it's heating up, cut up the 1/2 yellow onion. I chop mine up pretty small ever since Tommy got a huge onion chunk in his mouth and claimed he would never eat another onion again, but you may chop them however you'd like. Add this to the heated EVOO.

Once the onions start to look a bit transparent, add a little bit of white wine. I usually put enough to coat the bottom of the pan evenly...about a cm thick.

Next add the 3-4 cloves of garlic. I wait until after I add the wine so the garlic doesn't burn. You can either grate your garlic or use a garlic press. Your choice...tastes the same either way.

Next roll your lemon with the palm of your hand. This releases the juices in the lemon so you get more juice out of it. Cut the lemon in half and juice both halves of the lemon into the EVOO/garlic/onion/yummy wine juice. Leave this mixture on low medium heat while your noodles cook...it helps all the flavors blend together.

While you're waiting, grab a big (or small, depending on your love of spinach) handful of spinach. I use a lot because A. I love spinach and B. it's rich in antioxidants, folic acid and vitamins. Tear the stems off. Don't add it yet though...

After your pasta is cooked, add it to the other pot. I usually make a full pound of pasta because we eat leftovers but if leftovers are not your thing, just make half the box. Mix the pasta around and add a little bit more EVOO. You don't want to noodles to be totally coated so don't add a ton.

Next, add your handful of mozarella cheese, spinach leaves, salt and pepper. S+P are totally up to your taste. I tend to add less S and more P but that's just how we prefer to eat it.

After you add all the ingredients, stir for awhile until it's all warm and creamy (when the moz cheese melts...deliscious!)

Last step is to scoop it onto your plate, add some freshly grated parmigiano reggiano cheese to top it off and enjoy. I usually make steamed broccoli or fresh aspargus and a salad as our side dishes but you can easily eat it alone. It's healthy, light, fresh and full of great vitamins!

Unfortunately, I didn't take any photos while I was cooking. Sorry! Next time, I promise.

Hope you enjoy!

Cheers,

Lynsey

Baby Brady.

2010-05-03T22:46:00.019-05:00

I don't think I could possibly say enough wonderful things about this sweet little baby boy. He was the epitome of perfection during his first photo shoot. I love my job for so many reasons but the best part is seeing the connections and love between people...especially the different kind of love and adoration a new baby brings. Brady is one loved little man, for sure!

I have a ton of favorites so I'll just let the photos speak for themselves. Enjoy!

Loving his sweet little baby hair fuzz!

Cheers,

Reason #189...

2010-04-23T11:23:00.003-05:00

...why I love my friends.

me: Today is terrible. If you're hungry, I'm making vodka and rum for dinner.

Trisha: I'm starving. What time?

Cheers!

LT

M|M. Vol. 9

2010-04-18T13:23:00.006-05:00

Favorites Edition.

Favorite driving song.*

U2 - Sweetest Thing

Favorite beach song.

Jimmy Buffet - Escape

Favorite dancing song.

Elton John - Bennie and the Jets

Favorite love song.

Ryan Adams - Two

Favorite song that I always stop on when I hear on the radio. **
Elton John - Tiny Dancer

Favorite 'girl power' song. ***

Carlie Simon - You're so Vain

Favorite song right now.

Everly - Flying Machine (Cannot stop listening to this one!)

Favorite 'I cant help but cry when I hear this song' song.

Patty Griffin - Long Ride Home

* Driving song = great song to listen to with the windows down on a sunny day.

** This song makes me feel so calm and euphoric even while stuck in traffic (which is where I spend 90% of my life. Justsayin.)

*** Wow...did I just channel spice girls with that one?

What are your favorites??

Cheers and HAPPY MONDAY!

Putting it on paper.

2010-04-13T10:37:00.001-05:00

This post is just my random thoughts organized in a list. Enjoy.

1. I have this weird love for John Mayer. The more arrogant and cocky he acts, the more I love him. And the tattoos…don’t even get me started on those.

2. I dislike the color pink. Most people think this is unheard of.

3. I dislike cinnamon. Every onethinks this is unheard of.

4. I laugh so hard when couples who live in the same house write on each other facebook pages. Um don’t you see each other every day to tell your wife you love her? Cracks me up!

5. I am completely obsessed with the new She & Him album. I can listen to it all day every day. And who doesn’t love Zoe…how cute is she?? (this tidbit can count as MM for the week since I just realized it COMPLETELY skipped my mind yesterday).

6. I went to the chiropractor on Monday since I realize I could no longer stand the awful neck pain I had been having (for two weeks…I hate going to the doctor. Don’t judge). I found out I have a slipped joint causing inflammation around my vertebrae. As my doctor so kindly pointed out, I “the neck of a 50 year old.” Standard. (FYI: My neck and I are only 24 years old.)

7. Having mentioned my neck issues, I’ve stopped lifting any weights but I’m still running. Averaging 3 miles per run. If you know me, this is good! I have a terrible attention span and lose concentration and focus during runs…basically I get bored out of my mind and stop running because of it.

8. Thursday is April 15th. Did anyone else hear angels sing when I said that???

9. I’m off work this Friday, April 16th (as a reward for spending all of January, February and March working) and I’m not sure what to do with myself. I have so many home and crafting projects that I want to tackle but I’m not sure where I want to begin. So excited! (Anyone ever make curtains before? I may need some advice. I know how to sew pretty well but I am still really nervous about it. Any advice is welcome!)

10. Osborne has been so good lately. I can definitely tell he’s transitioning out of the puppy-chewing-on-all-my-shit-and-tearing-up-my-couch phase. So happy that’s over. He goes right into his crate when asked, he’s been leash walking really well and don’t even get me started on the Ozzy morning cuddles I get every day. It’s the best way to wake up! Tommy and I always talk about how lucky we are to have him. I don’t even want to think about what would have happened to this sweet boy if we hadn’t adopted him. Another reason I am pro-adoption and anti breeders but that’s a whole different post. Wow…I really went off on a tangent about Ozzy. Just another reason to believe he deserves a whole post to himself. Maybe I’ll ask him to be a guest blogger again.

11. So I realize #10 really makes me sound like a freak who talks to my dog all the time as if he were my son (which I do every day). So those of you who are not puppy mama’s, just ignore me and those of you that are, I’m sure you can totally relate and don’t think I’m insane, right?

12. I really need to figure out how to post some of the videos I’ve taken on our Flip to my blog. Anyone know a good site with instructions?

13. I am excited to start some home renovation projects soon. We bought our home in December 2007 and always planned to finish the basement and expand the deck. Now seems like the perfect time so in a few weeks, we are going to break ground! Well technically, not really, but we are going to start our projects! Whoot!

14. I’ve kind of been at a loss on what to write about lately. Any suggestions? What do you want to hear about?

Cheers,
Lyns

M|M. Vol. 8

2010-04-05T14:04:00.004-05:00

Today’s MM falls on my anniversary with T. Two years. Wow. Time really flies by and I think we’ve done a great job of making the most out of our first two years of being married. Are we still considered newlyweds?
I’m not going to go into a bunch of cheesy mush about marrying my best friend or loving him more today than I did two years ago (which are both true) but instead I’ll just leave you with some of our favorite songs and a photo of us , taken two years ago.

The Moldy Peaches – Anyone Else but You
Incubus – Dig (first song we danced to at our wedding)
Dustin Kensrue – Pistol
The White Stripes – We’re Going to Be Friends
Ray LaMontagne – You are the Best Thing

Photo by Clary Pfeiffer

Cheers!

Lynsey

Being My Version of the Best.

2010-03-29T20:26:00.013-05:00

I want to take as many pictures as possible. I want to be the best I can be and I know that means taking risks and trying new things. I need to push myself and grow because I want to be great. I think I deserve it and my clients deserve it. I have so many ideas. I mean, my pores are seeping with ideas! I cannot wait to get my hands on some people who see what I see and want to help me make some beautiful art. That being said…

How does a free photo shoot sound?

I am in the process of styling some beautiful, artful photo shoots and I need confident, edgy people! I am looking for some cute couples and some trendy individuals that have a fun, confident style. I'm asking those of you that may be interested to shoot me an email. In particular, I'd like to hear from the folks with trendy-vintage-mismatched colors/patterns-artsy-fun taste (think Urban Outfitters and Anthropologie). Honestly, I don’t mind what your style is, as long as you own it and love it! (Visable, artful tattoos are a bonus and are almost guaranteed to get you chosen. Just saying.)

Together we'll talk about your likes and dislikes to incorporate into the design of the photo shoot. That way it's beneficial for me and for you.

I’m looking for 3 couples and 3 individuals (adults, seniors, kids). If you are interested, please email me the following 4 things:

1. A photo of you and your honey, your child, or just you!
2. A photo that portrays your style (could be as simple as a link to your favorite new trend or style)
3. A list of your favorite stores to shop at

4. A list of your fave musical artists

I’m so excited to see what you have to give to me!!

Here’s what you get:
A photo session FREE of charge with all hand-crafted images on a hi-res disc. Plus a package of goodies after your photo shoot! (over a $300 value!)

Note:
Not all entries will be chosen but ALL will be considered. If I get enough entries, I will put it up to a vote from my readers. Have I mentioned how excited I am to hear from you guys???

Contact me by e-mail: info@lt-photos.com

Cheers and LOTS of love (and thanks in advance!)

LT

PS - This marks my 100th post. Cool stuff!

Spring!

2010-03-23T10:57:00.003-05:00

Every few days we get a beautiful, sunny, warm (mid 60’s) day and it puts me in the best mood! There is no reason to waste a beautiful day being crabby, right? There are so many reasons I am looking forward to Spring and since I love lists so much here is what I’m looking forward to this Spring:

- The end of tax season
- Having more time to blog (and hopefully regaining some of my old commenters back!)
- Long walks with my Ozzy boy on the bike trail
- Celebrating our 2nd wedding anniversary
- Trips to the zoo with my nephews
- Turning off the heat/air and opening the windows (and saving money!!)
- Spring cleaning – I know, I know…totally nerdy but I LOVE a clean house
- Picking up produce, fresh herbs and flowers at our new CSA on Tuesdays from May – November
- Wearing light jackets, jeans and maxi dresses
- Seeing my best friend try on wedding dresses (eek!!)
- Eclipse. Need I say more?
- Sunday morning brunch outside (cannot wait to head back to Rooster with Tommy and Osborne!)
- Taking photos is beautiful weather (I’m currently booking for April 16 and later – email @ info@lt-photos.com to book a session)
- My beautiful website {finally} going live after hours and hours of hard work
- BBQ-ing on our deck
- Some amazing weddings

What are you looking forward to this Spring??

Cheers,
Lynsey

Innertown Development. Commercial Photography.

2010-03-21T17:49:00.013-05:00

JB Anderson of Innertown Development has an incredible eye for design and architecture. Whether you're wanting to install beautiful hardwood floors, a new deck to bbq on this summer, or revamp your entire kitchen, his work is flawless and well thought out. I'll stop talking up this company and just let the photos speak for themselves.

To contact JB for a custom quote, his email is:
innertown@mac.com

He literally can do anything under the sun! Hit him up for a quote.

Store front design:

Okay, so this is my favorite piece throughout the entire coffee bar. JB explained to me that his client was on a budget for the bar. To cut costs, he made this cool build in seat out of leftover materials from the entire project. How cool is this??

Hand painted boards....way cool!

Another cost cutting idea..making the railing out of leftover wood and piping. It was a cost cutting design without sacraficing the overall style.

Cheers!

Lynsey

M|M. Vol. 7

2010-03-21T17:29:00.014-05:00

MM Interview 1.0

Interviewee: Keller, age 4 1/2

What is your favorite instrument?

The drums. Sometimes I like to play them sitting down; sometimes standing up.

Favorite "right now" song?

Tom Petty - Saving Grace

Favorite song to dance to?

Estelle - American Boy

Favorite slow song?

The Plain White Tees - Hey there Delilah

Favorite fast song?

The Black Eyed Peas - Electric City

Other favorites?

The Who - Squeeze Box

The Black Keys - I Got Mine

Kaiser Chiefs - Ruby

Coldplay - Lost

Direct quote:
"My brother's favorite song is the Black Eyed Peas - Boom Boom Pow [Beckett, age 17 months]. Can you put that on there [meaning my blog] ??"

A BIG thanks to Keller Joe for taking the time away from his hectic schedule to let me interview him. Love you lots bubba!

Cheers,

LT

Sophia Marie. Baby.

2010-03-16T19:26:00.007-05:00

So I'm convinced that my friends have made some of the cutest babies I've ever seen. This sweet little girl is the daughter of my amazing friends Ben and Katie. She's so precious and is such a good little girl. Sophia and her Mama have a lot in common...they're both beautiful, they look identical, and they have Ben's endless love and adoration. They are such a great family already and I'm so proud of the parents they are to Miss Sophia. I know that Sophia feels so loved and adored. Her parents have dreamed about her for so long and I'm happy they've finally gotten their sweet little baby.

Lots of love to all three of you :)

Cheers!

Lynsey

M|M. Vol. 6.

2010-03-15T10:35:00.003-05:00

MM Vol. 6

I love artists who write their own music...it's a way to get to know them through their art. I also think it’s really cool when an artist copies another artist’s work and makes it their own. It’s a great way to see which bands your favorite artists are inspired by. Here is my short list of my some really stellar cover songs.

LT’s Top 7 Favorite Covers

1. Ryan Adams – Wonderwall {originally by Oasis}
2. Mozella – Say It Ain’t So {originally by Weezer}
3. Obadiah Parker – Hey Ya {originally by Outkast}
4. Framing Hanley – Lollipop {originally by Lil’ Wayne}
5. Johnny Cash – Rusty Cage {originally by Soundgarden }
6. The Lemonheads – Mrs. Robinson {originally by Simon & Garfunkel)
7. Ryan Adams – Down in a Hole {originally by Alice in Chains}

Cheers,

Lynsey

M|M. Vol. 5.

2010-02-20T19:33:00.004-06:00

Today's edition of Music Monday Vol. 5 is going to be a bit different (Different as in I'm actually posting a MM, you ask? No. That's not why. More to come on that later...) Thanks to my brother, I am completely inlove/ obsessed with the Avett Brothers. I find their lyrics so inspiring and on a day I need some inspiration and hope, I'm posting the lyrics to a beautiful and soulful song. I hope one person who reads this will find a glimmer of inspiration as I have because really, somedays all we're all looking for is to be inspired.

The Avett Brothers "Head Full of Doubt/Road Full of Promise"

There's a darkness upon me that's flooded in light
In the fine print they tell me what's wrong and what's right
And it comes in black and it comes in white
And I'm frightened by those who don't see it

When nothing is old, deserved or expected
And your life doesn't change by the man that's elected
If you're loved by someone you're never rejected
Decide what to be and go be it.

There was a dream
One day I could see it
Like a bird in a cage, I broke in and demanded that somebody free it
And there was a kid, with a head full of doubt
So I scream till I die and don't ask for those bad thoughts to find me out

There's a darkness upon you that's flooded in light
In the fine print they tell you what's wrong and what's right
And it flies by day and it flies by night
And I'm frightened by those who don't see it

Cheers,

M|M Vol.4

2010-02-15T14:46:00.000-06:00

Music Monday: Volume 4.

Here's my top 5 for the week:

1. Ryan Adams - If I am a Stranger.

2. Ray LaMontagne – You are the Best Thing

3. The Format – The First Single

4. Jack’s Mannequin – The Mixed Tape

5. Hot Hot Heat – Middle of Nowhere

Happy Monday all!

Cheers,

LT

Baby Lawdin.

2010-02-11T16:45:00.000-06:00

Remember these two?

Well they made this guy. Isn't he precious? Here are Lawdin's 3 month pictures. Enjoy!

Sweet little baby toes...

Love you very much, sweet boy!

Cheers,

Lynsey

24th Birthday.

2010-02-09T11:42:00.000-06:00

This birthday will start like any other. My husband waking me at midnight to whisper in my ear "happy birthday babe" and I will roll over and say uh huh and go right back to sleep. The next morning, I will sit down at work with a cup of coffee and open my email. I'll find an e card and sweet message from my parents. A text will come from my brothers, sister, and her boys ordering me to the best 24th birthday ever. Throughout the day I'll receive texts and calls from friends and most importantly, the phone call. The phone call from my mom and dad that I have gotten every year since I have not woken up in their house. During that call, they sing the birthday song to me. Really, that's all I need to make a birthday the best day of my year.

As I've mentioned before, I love birthdays. The feeling you get that it's your day and yours to do what you want with. I love that feeling and I love the feeling that another year of life has begun and wondering what it will bring and what it will mean for me. I have many hopes for my life, most of which I will not list on my blog since I'm not 100% sure who my audience is. But I can tell you this: I have a lot to accomplish and create in my life and I'm not waiting for specific things to happen before I start accomplishing and creating.

Here are a few extra's that would be icing on the cake:

· Anything from Target’s ‘Yes to Carrots’ and/or ‘Burt’s Bee’s’ line of products

· Thick, nice quality, full leg length leggings (black, dark gray, chocolate brown)
· Coffee carafe (fun color maybe like yellow or lime green)
· Coffee press
· Tea pot in a fun color

· Flip Video Camera (in white)
· Camera Neckstrap
· New Shootsac covers
· New drawing pad and colored pencil set
· Garmin Forerunner
· Brooks running shoes
· Lomography Film
· Polaroid Camera and Polaroid Film
· More Film
· And More Film
· “Mommy-wood” by Tori Spelling

· Subscription to Real Simple magazine
· Cool business card holder I can put in my camera bag
· New Balance Shoes (grey)
· 30 Day Shred

My life is exactly how I dreamed it would be just as I'm saying goodbye to 23 and welcoming 24. Bring it on!

Cheers,

Lynsey

M|M.

2010-02-07T18:07:00.000-06:00

Here are 5 more track recommendations for your listening pleasure. Let me know which ones you love and which you hate. (that is if anyone actually does download any of these songs)

Kate Voegele – No Good. This artist has been a newer addition for me. I was pleasantly surprised at how much I liked Kate's voice and her lyrics are really catchy.

Mozella – Light Year’s Away. Huge Mozella fan. Most of their tracks are on my Photoshop mix because of they are easy to listen to and not distracting (yes, I categorize songs into my own strange criteria groups based on the type of mood the song puts me in)

Jayhawks – Save it for a Rainy Day. This songs makes me smile every time I hear it. When Keller was 2 he used to call this song "pretty little hairdo" because it's the first line of the song. I remember hearing my brother in law, JB, play this song on the guitar to him when he was little. I think my whole family loves it because of our Keller.

Thrice – The Sky is Falling. Lovelovelovelovelove Thrice and this is a catchy favorite of mine. Tommy introduced me to this bands 4 or 5 years ago and I've been in love ever since.

Incubus – Oil & Water. I've been a big fan of Incubus for years. This is one of their newer songs and it's beautifully written.

That's it for the latest installment of Music Monday...a few hours late but still here.

Cheers,

LT

Matt+Megan.

2010-02-04T21:06:00.000-06:00

I met Matt and Megan back in December for a quickie photo shoot for their Christmas card. After 10 minutes with these two, I felt so comfortable and as if I'd known them for years. They are both so charismatic and such sweet people. And don't even get me started on their pup Case. I would have taken him home with me if they would have offered! He was THE most well behaved dog I've ever met. At one point he was off his leash while dogs and people walked right by and he didn't move. Yep, Ozzy would have been looooong gone. If our dogs were in school together, Ozzy would be smoking in the bathroom while Case read ahead in history class. Okay...I realize how ridiculous that analogy sounds but it's mine and I like it.

Case is smiling in this pic...I love it!

My favorite..

Cheers,

Lynsey

Time to Play Catch-up.

2010-02-01T21:15:00.000-06:00

It's probably been plaguing your mind every night while you lie in bed. Haunting you on your quiet drive into work. Why hasn't Lynsey been blogging?? You don't have to be up front with me but I know what you've been thinking.

Okay, off my narcissistic rant. Honestly, I haven't blogged in well over a month and I feel so terribly about it. I want to find time but it just doesn't seem to happen. Now that I'm working 10-12 hour days, 6 days a week, I barely find time to eat dinner before rolling into bed. I'm an auditor and it's busy season...what can I say...I give up the things I love, like sleep and eating for my jobs Jan-Apr 15th. It happens.

I promise to be a better. Do you think we can get past this? Let's move onward. When I haven't been catching up on my sleep, I've been a busy little girl.

Here's what's to come from me in the next month or so:

- A new blog header because, let's all be honest here, this one is fugly

- A post from all the fun family sessions that took place in December

- Photos of sweet baby Lawdin

- Pics of my Ozzybabe

- Yummy recipes: jambalaya, artichoke pesto pasta, lobster ravioli

- More MM

- A new photo specific blog (this will be coming late March)

- Pictures of the gorgeous house my parents build and moved into this past Saturday. It's a dream house folks

- More guest bloggers

- A big, fat...take a deep breath...FASHION post! Haven't done one of those in awhile but there are tons of key items that I'm dying to own this winter

- And the big one. The really, really, really big one. My website will be live in less than 27 days!!! EEk!

OH and it's officially my birthday month and as in the past, I claim the whole month as my own. Stop judging. It's a short month, thankyouverymuch.

AND as a hold over and because I dislike posts without pictures, here's one from Lawdin's 3 month photo shoot this past Sunday.

Cheers,

Lyns

Music Monday: Baby Edition.

2009-12-02T17:50:00.000-06:00

Alright folks. I realize I've been gone a loooong time but I have a few posts in the works explaining my absense but for now {drumroll please} I have a Music Monday/ great gift suggestion post up for you. This MM post is themed...which I love...towards children!

Something you should know about me is that I love birthdays. Love them. Celebrating the day someone was brought into the world and into your life is the ultimate form of adoration and love. When family members and friends have birthdays, I make it my mission to let them know the reasons they are so loved on that day. Friends and family are the most important thing. My family are my friends. My friends are my family. Cheesey, I realize, but true. Most times I feel like it's a disservice to call friends, just friends when really they are my family. Their children call us aunts and unlces, and we talk every day.

Okay, back on track. Got a little carried away. As you would assume, because I love birthdays, I also love giving gifts. There are two things I recently gave my best friends who became parents in November. First is a baby block with all their stats from birth and about their parents. Love these. They're personal keepsakes that don't take up much room.

Next is my product rave. Carousel Moon. Not only do I personally know the composer, his wife and children, but I really believe this personalized gift is a keepsake that parents and children will appreciate having. I have a birthday tape of songs my wonderful godmother gave me when I was a baby. Every year on my birthday as I came downstairs for breakfast, my mom would play the tape for me. When I was packing to move out of my parents house, my mom found the tape and we listened to it. After not having heard it for years, it brought tears to my eyes. Hopefully my godson, Lawdin, will feel that way when he has children who he can share this special, personalized gift with.

The songs are personalized to your child's name and could be a gift for a newborn or an older child. Read the 'testimonial' tab on their website and see for yourself. You can also preview their songs on the website or purchase through iTunes which is super cool.

Hell, just writing about it makes me feel like I should bust out my tape in a few weeks when I turn 24. If only I had something to play it on??

Cheers,

LT

Pumpkin Turkey Chili.

2009-12-02T17:17:00.000-06:00

My husband suggested I blog about this delicious Turkey Pumpkin Chili I've made a few times since Jennifer blogged her recipe a few months ago. Here is my version with a few different twists. I cook by taste so if my directions appear haphazard, it's because they are. I assure you this chili isn't too pumpkin-y. I even made it once with sweet potato puree once and my husband didn't even notice the difference :)

Enjoy!

First you will need one or two assistants. One will do fine. I just prefer two.

Turkey Pumpkin Chili

INGREDIENTS:
olive oil

chopped onion (as much as you like)

2 chopped bell peppers (I buy whatever looks good, this time I used red and yellow)

1 clove garlic

1 pound ground turkey
2 cans of white beans (or your bean of choice)

1 large can diced tomatoes

1 large can pumpkin puree

chili powder, paprika, salt and black pepper to taste

TOP WITH

shredded Cheddar cheese

sour cream

DIRECTIONS

Saute the onion, green bell pepper, yellow bell pepper, and garlic in olive oil until tender. Stir in the turkey and cook until evenly brown (Vegetarians can skip this step and add extra beans). Mix in tomatoes and pumpkin. Season with chili powder, paprika, pepper, and salt. Reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer 15-20 minutes. Serve topped with Cheddar cheese and sour cream.

Cheers,

LTP December Photo Special.

2009-11-30T20:26:00.000-06:00

Cheers,
LT

M|M

2009-11-30T19:30:00.000-06:00

Welcome to the second installment of MusicMonday. I haven't gotten a ton of feedback on the last post like I have in others, so let me know if:
A. This is a waste of space in the blogosphere.
B. My taste is music is crummy and you feel sorry for my husband
C. We pretty much have the same playlist, now.
0
Since last week was based on albums I think everyone should purchase, this week I'm going to narrow in on specific songs that are amazing. Seven songs to be exact.

Paramore 'I Caught Myself.' One of my favorites by Paramore. I could listen to this song over and over and over. And I do. Ask Tommy.
Kate Nash 'Pumpkin Soup.' This is one that will get stuck in your head for days. So catchy!
Ryan Adams 'To Be Young.' Ryan Adam's is one of my oldest favorites. I listened to him a lot in college and his voice is so good. I picked this particular song because it reminds me of my nephew, Keller. We love to dance to this song together.
Spoon 'The Way We Get By.' Great classic Spoon song.
Mia 'Galang.' Funky song that I've loved since working at Urban Outfitters in college. I remember dancing in the corner at work, folding jeans to this song. Maybe it just has good memories associated with it but I still love this song. and dance in corners when I hear it.
Mos Def 'Quiet Dog.' Super funky, fun song (like most Mos Def songs). It's another catchy song that, I assure you, WILL get stuck in your head.
King of Leon 'Closer.' I've been a Kings of Leon fan for some time now. I'm sure everyone and their brother had "your sex is on fiya" stuck in their head at some point during the summer. This song is perfection. Download it immediately.

That's it for your 2nd MusicMonday, folks. Hope you enjoyed it!

Cheers,

Andrea+Tony. Engagement.

2009-11-28T16:26:00.000-06:00

When thinking of what to write about Andrea and Tony's session...I thought of a hundred things I wanted to say. I'll spare everyone from my ramblings and just hit the key points.

First of all, Andrea and Tony gave me hours of smiles while editing their session. Their happiness shined through their photos and reminded me why I love what I do so much. When they are old and gray and have many grandchildren, they will have these photos to remind them of how they felt in this very moment. I love how their connection is shown through the images I was lucky enough to capture. Daylight was so good to us on this shoot...at one point we were actually killing time, walking around downtown while waiting for the sun to set. I had so much fun with them and I LOVED that the groom hand picked our locations, despite his dislike of having his picture taken (which I still have trouble believing because he was excited to do anything I asked). I love so many of these images that I would say all of the following are my favorites!

To Andrea and Tony,

Your love on this day was the perfect reminder I was needing as to why I am following this passion. Thanks for being so wonderful and never once doubting me while making you do some crazy things. You two were "perfect" and I hope you enjoy these photos as much as I do. Cannot wait for your winery wedding next May.

Cheers,

Lynsey

Katie+Kit

2009-11-24T16:59:00.001-06:00

Katie and Kit are such sweet people. During most of our shoot, they didn't even act like anyone, let alone me, was watching. I'm pretty sure Kit thought I was crazy during 90% of our time together (e.g. me lying in the street, standing on benches, squatting on the ground). Needless to say, I had a great time taking their engagement pictures.

I love the warm light in these. So pretty!

Cheers!

LT

M|M

2009-11-23T19:00:00.000-06:00

Music is a huge part of my life. I have either my iPod or Pandora on for at least 8 hours at day at work and then when I'm spending countless hours in the evening editing, I listen to iTunes. I'm going to start blogging the songs I just can't get enough of. First a little music bio on myself:

1. I can play one song on the guitar...Cranberries 'Linger' {somewhere my brother is reading this and laughing}. You'll find this humorous if you've ever heard the song and immediately thought "oh well that song is easy and has about three cords..." umm yes, proving my point that I don't play guitar well.

2. I tend to not listen to many mainstream bands. Don't get me wrong, I love Coldplay, DMB, Paramore, Death Cab and if you see me while running, I'll most likely be listening to the Black Eyed Peas. However, for everyday listening, I chose non-mainstream bands. Odds are if you have heard a song on Grey's Anatomy, I will have their entire album in iTunes. It's just how I roll. This is for two reasons, I despise large venues for concerts and the larger the band the more likely they will play at Saavis or Verizon Wireless theatre and I dislike those kind of concerts. To me they're very impersonal. I'm a small venue lover, like the Foxx Theatre or Pageant.

3. Music can determine my mood. If I'm upset, I turn on music and it usually puts me back to normal.

4. Between my husband and I, we have over 20,000 songs...granted most are his, but mine still count!

Okay now that you have some back story...onto the brand new Music Mondays {MM if you will}!

{disclaimer: I do not pretend to be musically inclined. My mouth is not an instrument and I realize this}

1. Meiko. I started typing all my favorite songs but in reality I love everything by her. Her voice is beautiful and simple. If I had to pick favorites though I love Hawaii, Walk By, Reasons to Love You, How Lucky We Are. Okay I must stop. Just download everything you can find :)

2. Phoenix. Current obsession is 1901. I downloaded earlier this year and I'm back on the kick. Great band.

3. Dustin Kensrue. His soulful, folkly tunes are upbeat and fun. His music usually rolls while we're entertaining at our house. Favorites are: Please Come Home, Blood & Wine, Pistol.

4. The Noisettes. Super fun, disco-tec beats. I can't stop listening to 'Don't Upset the Rhythm.' I challenge you not to dance when you hear this song.

5. The Gaslight Anthem. Folk. Indie. Rock. Three great qualities. Download their album '59' Sound.' It's a 'listen through'. {definition of a 'listen through' - listen to the album cover to cover without skipping tracks, resisting the desire to skip a track, pausing, ejecting}

6. Band of Horses. When Tommy asked who they were and I told him he laughed hysterically, actually. He pictures a horse playing the bass. I know...we're cut from the same dorky cloth. Band of Horses have some beautiful songs I adore. Favorites: No one's Gonna Love You, The Funeral, Our Swords, Is There A Ghost.

7. I saved my favorite for last. Rilo Kiley. I adore. Download everything...especially Close Call, Silver Lining, I Never, It's a Hit. Do it now. Umm and isn't she gorgeous??

That's all for this Monday. I hope at least one person goes and downloads a song. Let me know if you like them! There are two things I could talk about for hours...Ozzy, photography, music. Wait, I mean three things. Oh! And wine, oatmeal raisin cookies, OTH, boots...okay I could talk about a lot of things for hours. I feel like that totally un-validates my prior point. Oh well. Happy Monday {and short work week...AND Thanksgiving!}

Cheers!

A Tuesday Funny.

2009-11-10T09:54:00.000-06:00

Scene: Sitting in the car waiting for my diva husband to finish getting ready before we leave for family party.

Tommy opens the car door and sits down.

L: When did you buy a new colonge? It smells really good.

T: Yesterday. It's Febreze.

Cheers!

LT

Mike, Lauren & Mia. Family.

2009-11-07T10:51:00.000-06:00

By the end of this post you're going to know exactly why I adore this little family. Aside from being extremely nice people, they are both very photogenic. Mike and Lauren are great people and I am looking forward to building our friendship and working relationship in the future!

Enjoy!

Family kisses!

I LOVE this dog. Look at her eyes!

Mia was in a hurry to come see me...can't you tell??

{I love how dramatic the coloring on her face is}

I brought along some of my favorites from my vintage cameras collection to play with since Mike is a budding photographer. Check out his work...he's so talented!

And I'll end with two favorites!

You're such sweet, warm people that I feel so lucky to have met.

Lots of love!

Cheers,
Lynsey

Harlie Jean & Family.

2009-11-03T19:12:00.000-06:00

When Lori contacted me to take pictures of her family, I was so excited because I hadn't seen Miss Harlie Jean in so long. She was a gorgeous baby and now at 3 years old, she couldn't be any cuter. Harlie started off kind of shy when we first started pictures but after she got used to me, she was smiling all over the place! Her big eyes and blonde hair melt my heart a little.

I couldn't choose my favorites so there are lots of pictures. Sit back and relax!

She was singing and dancing to Beyonce's 'Single Ladies' here. Another reason to love her

Love this one...

Gorgeous!

So stinkin' cute

Lots of love!

Cheers,

Lynsey

Birthday Boy!

2009-10-31T18:11:00.000-05:00

Happy Birthday to Ozzy! He is ~~seven~~ one year old today!! We celebrated by treating him to fresh, smashed yams mixed in with the uber fab and delectable puppy food for breakfast, running around the park together and playing with his new toys, a long walk, and belly rub. We're ending the day with a peanut butter and cream cheese kong for him and a glass of wine for me by the fire place while his dad is cheering on the Blues' tonight.

It's good to be a dog in the 'T' household!

Oh and I almost forgot...Happy Halloween too!

Cheers!

LT

Miss Hazel.

2009-10-28T19:30:00.000-05:00

Here are some of my favorites from a session with good friends (who are more like extended family) when they were in town from Chicago.

Cheers!

Organic Food.

2009-10-27T15:59:00.000-05:00

I love a good article on heathy grocery shopping. I came across this article about which Foods to Buy Organic and thought I would share.

Personally, when I make my weekly grocery list and plan our meals for the week, I intend to buy the majority of our groceries (especially produce, poultry and dairy) organic. However, if there's a good sale on a particular item, I'm not saying I won't go for the cheaper of the two. This is a good rule of thumb article.

Enjoy!

Cheers,

LT

Oh My...

2009-10-23T10:48:00.000-05:00

...how far senior pictures have come in the last 6 years. It amazes me how 6 years ago it was the industry standard to take senior pictures in a studio with standard poses and in 2009 senior pics are relatable to fashion spreads in Elle. This should be a good for a Friday laugh.

Gosh I was tiny in high school...utterly depressing!

{DISCLAIMER: Yes I realize I am not old and that this wasn't that long ago and many people have much worse senior pictures. I just find them amusing compared to the type of photos I'm taking now. Oh and try to ignore the numbers on the photos...these are scanned copies of my proofs I happened to come across. I actually love these photos and think that the photog did a great job other than the fact that most other seniors in my school had the same backgrounds. I digress.}

Classic pose w/ heinous Demi-Moore-blunt cut-straight hair

Isn't this quite the akward pose

Alright. This is better.

Hi collarbone. What's up?

Mom's fave...go figure

Flashback cheers!

Lyns

Stone Family.

2009-10-22T19:57:00.000-05:00

Best friends' family pictures. Enjoy!

Favorite!

Baby Oscar...

Drifter...

Cheers,

Lynsey

What and What NOT to Wear.

2009-10-21T13:58:00.000-05:00

Everyone is the same. You book a photography session and your first thought is then 'What am I {or we} going to wear!?' I came across a beautifully written and very informative blog post by Kamee June of Kamee June Photography. She is a west coast photographer whom I admire for her vision and raw talent. Her writing is so thoughtful and simple, yet makes you think about the deeper meaning of her words. Please take a minute to read what she writes regarding clothing and attitude during a shoot and leave her some supporting words. I agree completely with her style and instead of rewriting what would be a sad attempt in duplicating her words, check out her blog entry.

Posts are always better with pics so here is a clue into my next fashion post and two pair of luscious boots I'm currently drooling over...

Cheers,

Lynsey

2009-10-21T12:05:00.000-05:00