Rachel

A whole month without blogging. I don't think I've done that in four (or has it been five?) years. I've been photographing like a maniac, thinking about everything I wanted to say. Then the days would pass, and it was all old news. It stacked up and became overwhelming. BUT I'M TURNING THE SHIP AROUND, because I miss it.

Being away for so long made me realize how much this whole thing has become an integral of my life, in large part due to the incredible friendships I've stumbled on because of it. 

Not the least of which is my new blogger-but-also-real-life friend Rachel. 

We met at the Mom 2.0 Gallery Showing in Houston. And I first intended to tell you about her when I was writing this post. But that was the night of DD's birthday party. I was late, and wound up having to end it abruptly. But if I'd had time to finish, I would have said that meeting Rachel was a huge highlight for me that weekend. In the midst of the awkwardness of not really knowing anyone or where I fit in, here came this sweet girl from Texas with a huge heart to match. She writes a crazy-popular food blog called A Southern Fairytale. And she has one of my favorite qualities that a person can possess. Which is when people who are really good at something have the ability to describe it so simply that it makes you think you can do it do it too. She is so passionate about cooking, that it's contagious.

So a few weeks after we met, she emailed that she was going to be Austin and asked if I wanted to meet up for lunch. Since New Braunfels is in the middle, we went to The Huisache. And I'm not kidding, we talked, laughed and cried through a three hour meal. There are not that many people in this world who can reach into you and find such real emotions in the span of three hours. But that's Rachel. I feel really lucky to know her. 

*The necklace she's wearing is from her friend Lisa Leonard, who I first learned of through Kal. How crazy small is this world?!

You know after three glasses of wine we had to have an impromptu photo shoot...

Can't wait to see you again soon missy! :)

Tomorrow thanks to Jason and Kal, I'll be checking something off my life list (yes, I wrote one too). So should you. :)

Have a great day! It's nice to be back. 

xo

happy sunday. eat pancakes.

I'm not a breakfast person, let alone a pancake-eater. But Jason is trying to become the drug lord of breakfast foods. Each one is infused with just the right amount of butter and crack. He is truly evil.

The kids were on spring break this week, which means Parent-Guilt was in full force. We decided to pretend like our lives weren't tornadoes for two nights at the new Marriott. For the first day, my head was still stuck in the tornado. The family spun around me trying to have fun, in spite of the chaotic wind and flying lawn chairs. After about a day, I realized that the world wasn't going to spin off it's axis if I took a break.

Then I was able to see the three precious faces that I've been missing so much. And then I realized that my life needs to be about more than work, no matter what kinds of lawn chairs are whirling around.  

The best thing about kids is that the simplest things that make them so happy. Who knew that hotels had robes for little people?! And that they could be one of the highlights of the entire stay.

 (not sure what was up with the clan hoods though.)

 

 I didn't take the camera to the pool. But they've got a great one, plus a lazy river, a great kiddie area and a couple bigger slides. If you're in town, it's an easy way to feel like you went on vacation. My only complaint is that the room didn't have a MINI BAR (WTF). When I called to ask about it, the lady said that it was because this was a "family" hotel. Which de-coded meant, "We would rather have you pay $29 for a glass delivered from room service".

And I'm putting in one more picture of Doug after we picked him up from the pet hospital "hotel", because I'm sure many of you (especially my family) are placing bets on the fact that he was taken back to Petsmart the next week. NOPE. We have officially become dog-people. Well, at least my family has. I would go so far as to say that I've become Doug-people. He also goes by Douglas Fur, The Dougerrnaut, Douganater, Douggie Houser, Doug-o-rama, Doug The Thug, and Douglas McArthur.

Jason is going to love me for showing his St. Paddy's day swim trunks, along with his straight-from-Dublin legs. Work it, work it.

As of today, the lawn chairs are still blowing around in my head. But I think it's because there are a lot of transitions going on. We're moving everything into a new location. I'm switching from a pc to a mac, which is about to put me over. And I just basically hate change. Which totally guarantees that my blood pressure will never be low. But that's why wine was invented.

I'm going to try to pop in here more. I've missed you internet. And there is so much to catch up on.

Enjoy the rest of your weekend! xo

Which would you pick?

A new Canon 5D Mark II or a $2500 gift card to Southwest??? Please come over and play!  :)

Mom Part 2.0

So after my netted palm tree hat debacle, I realized that life could get much worse than room service at the Four Seasons. And then it did get a million percent better. The first person I met was Meredith (my roomy, and fellow Shutter Sister). She is poetry. She speaks the same way she writes. She paints pictures with words, and has a way of seeing the world in a way that makes you want to live in it. I adore her.

Somewhere along the way we met up with Tracey, who I've been following online for gosh, maybe 4 or 5 years. We've worked together on Shutter Sisters and other projects, so it felt almost as if I'd just seen her last week. And I think that's what amazed me most about online relationships turning three dimensional...they are completely lacking in uncomfortable formalities. And if you've never met Tracey in person, she is immediately engaging and comfortable to be around. This is us playing around in the lamp in her room.

Seeing ourselves in each other. 

Their versions are here and here. 

I know this is blurry, but I love Meredith's expression here. 

Here's one of my images. Seeing it framed with all the other beauties felt surreal. It was an honor to be included. 

Karen is another one who I felt like I'd known a million years. Ten seconds after we met we were sitting on a hotel bed talking about life and people and the beauty of different. Her insight is fascinating; her passion is contagious. And her reaction to Lola made the last two years of stress and late nights and tears TOTALLY WORTH IT.

 I think it's safe to say I'm totally in for BlogHer 2010. Counting down, in fact. 

jumping the shark

I had never been to a blogging event before. My friends were lovingly referring to it as the "trekkie convention". I didn't know what to expect. I had only ever met two people from the online world before. And although they are dear friends today, I still felt like the new girl on the first day of school. 

To make matters worse, I was dressed up as a 60s housewife, complete with a NETTED HAT. It was a Mad-Men party. And I was telling myself, "Hey, I'm a big girl, I don't need a babysitter, it'll be great." So me and my netted hat walked out of my hotel room. It may have taken 30 seconds to hit the elevator button. But when the doors opened into the lobby I put my shoulders back. Me and my heels and my netted hat were going to have a drink and meet new friends and it was going to be great. 

Orrrr, maybe not so much. 

Me and my netted hat walked into the dimly-lit clusters of friends mingling and laughing. My mom's words from junior high echoed in my head, "No one is as aware of you as you are of yourself." That's right, I'm just an un-noticeable fly on the wall. I scanned the room for familiar faces. Recognizing no one, my netted hat began to feel bigger as if it was now bulging into the ceiling tiles. I circled the room scanning... there has to be someone here. Twice. Three times. Four times. Me and my hat that was now a palm tree circled the room. Like a shark. Only I was anything but predatorial, and I had a gigantic netted growth on my forehead.

When I got back into my hotel room, the phone rang. I think my friend DD has a special radar for embarrassing moments. She lives for and thrives on them as if they are sustenance. But I knew her laugh, even if it was at me, would still make me smile. 

She asked, "So...how was it?"

"I sharked the party."

"What?"

"Me and my netted hat. We sharked the party together. Until my hat got so big that I had to leave." 

And her laughter did help. And then we laughed really hard together. And then I said a prayer thanking God for the mini bar. 

I took these the next morning because I knew the light coming through that sheer curtain would flatten out my wrinkles. Looking again now, it's a pretty good depiction of the emotions that had been going through me the night before. 

The weekend took an indescribable turn for the better the next morning after I met Meredith and found Tracey, and met so many other amazing, inspiring, honest, authentic...the adjectives could go on forever women. But my posts have been so long lately. I'm thinking I'll save those pics and stories for tomorrow. Or please read her words. She explains exactly how I felt, only I'd never be able to write it that eloquently.  

In other news, I started the new blog for Epiphanie! It's not linked to the site yet and still a work in progress, but I'd love it if you came by to say hi! :)

See you tomorrow with Part 2.  :)