Slacker

"The sooner I fall behind, the more time I have to catch up." - author unknown

I know, I make promises, I write them down here and then I still fail to follow through. It's not that I'm lying around eating bon-bons and watching daytime television. I'm launching a new part of our business and I'm putting in serious hours (example: yesterday, started at 7:45am and finished at 7:20pm with a 25 minute lunch). And my to do list gets longer and longer. With personal items (including this site) falling farther and farther down the list. I think some of my friends think I've died. I ignore texts and emails or respond at 2am... that's how well the sleep thing is going. So, while my laundry is getting done (at 4am) and my kitchen stays clean, the bags under my eyes are growing.

All excuses, I know. I'm full of them.

But also joy. Even with the pace I've been keeping, my spirits have been lifting. I'm giving myself a daily attitude adjustment and reminding myself that my attitude controls the way my day goes. And it's working. Along with red wine, deep breaths, time outs, and pedicures. But I'm getting there. And that's progress for me.

I returned late Sunday night from a weekend in old town Alexandria (VA) celebrating my favorite red head's upcoming nuptuals. A former roomie, sorority sister, and good friend from college, this redhead will be tying the knot next month in NY... I have a hotel reservation in the town of Fishkill, NY... no joke. She's getting married at a castle and there will be lawn games at this wedding reception. After the shenanigans this past weekend, I can't wait to see this crowd with croquet mallets and bocci balls! As I told the bride, I'm bringing my fancy camera to this wedding! I love the idea of it.

Speaking of cameras, I forgot mine as I was packing for this weekend. If I had known what delays awaited me at the airport, I would have turned around for it but I thought I was cutting it close so I kept going. Two flights cancelled and a third one delayed and delayed and delayed again. I was so late (and exhausted) getting to the hotel, I could barely formulate complete sentences while greeting everyone. But a good night's sleep and refreshing shower turned that around. So no incriminating pictures have been sent my way but let's just say, good times were had in Old Town. And much yumminess was eaten. I had the best crab cake of my life at Harry's Oyster Shack on King Street.

If you follow me on twitter (no? please do) then you read some of the highlights. We ended the night at a tavern with bluegrass music with no dancing signs posted which were quickly ignored. Made some Ozzie friends and drank to good friends, good times and new love. It was exactly what I needed. Maybe now, I'll be able to write about PARIS!

Wedding Dance

This is great...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4-94JhLEiN0&feature=player_embedded

I don't know if I could have done it... especially when I think of the long aisles that I have walked down at weddings but it's a great thing.

More Pictures

"The virture of the camera is not the power it has to transform the photographer into an artist, but the impulse it gives him to keep on looking." - Brooks Atkinson

I've been playing around with flickr and editing pictures again. Guilty as charged but it's so much fun to figure out what makes it look better and how to change my camera settings next time to actually capture the image I want versus the one I ended up with. Practice makes perfect.

Here's the champagne picture I already posted:

And here are some flowers from the wedding, I added the vignette effect under the 'create' section and softened the edges of the picture. The flowers were actually this brillant pink and pretty. The strong color worked well in contrast to the natural colors of the setting.

Cousin Barry

"The Family - that dear octopus from whose tentacles we never quite escape, nor, in our most inner hearts, ever quite wish to." - Dodie Smith

A couple of weeks ago, we traveled south to Jacksonville Beach, Florida for a clan gathering like no other. My cousin, Barry was getting married and we were all invited.

I took several pictures of the wedding and I was fascinated with the hotel location of the wedding. Fitting to that coast, it was spanish influenced and the wedding was held in the

courtyard overlooking the ocean. Add in a rooftop bar and you had the best of both worlds.

Not the best picture but I'm still learning... and I don't have a nighttime lens... But it kind of adds to the old world feel, right? I know, I know... I'm working on it. How about this one?

And of course, I took pictures of William during the ceremony. He sat still for about 2.5 seconds before he was in the flower bed with the fans... Not bad for 18 months old. He wasn't making any loud noises so we left him alone.

This little girl, on the other hand, was completely enthralled by the whole ceremony. And I'm sure there will be hours upon hours of playing 'wedding' and dressing up as a bride. I'm sure to someone her age, a bride is about as close to a real live princess as you get... and a little less scary than the characters at theme parks.

And then of course, here's the reason I go to weddings at all... Champagne...