my 2cents on RSS feeds

RSS has gotten a lot of press... it is one of the new tools that is available for managing and enjoying social media; namely, blogs and news stories. I finally decided to try it out, and this was my experience so far:

The gist: through a 3rd party program (I use Google Reader, which I like), all of your blog updates are delivered to one place to be read by you. It looks and works a lot like an e-mail inbox.

Google Reader:

(Reader photo)

Pros: Saves time checking blogs to see if they’ve updated since the last time you checked. If you read a lot of blogs, you save time navigating from blog to blog. You can check news stories as they come in and stay uber-informed. You don’t have to be on your own computer with your bookmarks to check out the blogs/websites… they are all located on the reader.

Cons: Sometimes (depending on the blog), the photos or the whole post don’t show up on the RSS feed. Considering 85% of the blogs I read is for the photos, this is hugely detrimental for me. If I have to click through to see the good part, RSS is creating an EXTRA step for me, not saving time. You lose some of the experience of reading the post in context, on the web page. This is much more minor, but I kind of like the experience of visiting the web page and seeing the logo and links down the side and such. I might just be weird about this! :-)

I've been using the RSS feeds for about a week now… I’ll probably continue to use it for the pros, but I’m not as impressed as I thought I would be. Have you used it? If so, what do you think?

wedding saturday

A wedding idea that I have seen in a few places is using photos as decoration for weddings. Go figure that I LOVE this idea. :-) Weddings are such a personal thing; but with all of the traditions and expectations and cookie cutter wedding suppliers, I think that the real meaning of the day (joining that specific couple in marriage) gets lost. Using photos are a fabulous way to connect guests with the couple and to make the décor personal. Also, using photos of family honor the people that raised you, love you, and taught you about marriage. For the sake of space I’m ignoring all of the other ways photography can be a part of the day (Polaroid guest books, photo booths, photo invitations or save-the-dates, etc.)

My favorite ideas:

Adorn a vase centerpiece or the bride’s bouquet with miniature frames displaying loved ones.

(Vase photo from Snippet and Ink)

Usually I am not a huge fan of favors… they seem unnecessary. But, when I ran across this idea, I was sold. Decorate chocolate bars with childhood photos of the bride and groom, or pictures of your trips that you’ve taken together. So many possibilities with this idea…

(Chocolate photo from Martha Stewart Weddings)


And for a playful, retro-inspired event, what could be better than your faces displayed on bottles of Jones soda? :-)

(Jones soda photo)

Twitter

You might have noticed the Twitter updates on the right hand side of my blog...

I’m still undecided about Twitter. On one hand, I like the idea – it gives readers an update into your life at the moment, and keeps you connected to your readers on a frequent basis. The way that I use it is pretty much identical to Facebook’s status update (you can even sync the two, but I keep them separate since I have different readers here and on FB).

On the other hand, I don’t think I am getting the full potential out of it. Considering none of my friends use Twitter, I don’t use the “follow” feature. Essentially, if you are following someone (from what I understand, I haven’t tried it yet) you can view their updates online (same as FB, boring) or you can have them sent to your phone as a text message. I could see the latter being much more interesting and entertaining… it would basically be a mass text to the people who want to know what you are up to.

After some more exploring, I found this youTube video that explains Twitter “in plain English.”



Interesting… but too similar to FB to get any real use from me, I think, beyond this blog.

What do you think? Would you use it?

love!

Etsy-liscious

When I first heard about Etsy, I dismissed the idea – I was told it was a bunch of independent artists who put their work on a common website to sell their art/products. To be honest, it sounded a bit hippie dippy and green earthy to me. Don’t get me wrong, I try to do my part to be good to our environment, but wearing hemp clothing and flow-y skirts really isn’t my style.

Boy was I wrong!

I heard about Etsy a few more times, this time through the wedding blogs that I read, and there are some GORGEOUS products available through Etsy that you could never find any where else. There are the hemp clothing and organic products there as well, but the beauty of Etsy is the huge range of the artists’ styles.

Let me show you:

Citizen Fox Jewelry: cool, kitschy, unique jewelry. Almost reminds me of forever21 or Urban Outfitters, except nobody else would have the same necklace as you.

One that I liked, in honor of my B:



girl by Aileen: gorgeous, modern, patterned clutches. Not super cheap (they run from like $25-$45) but not super expensive by any means, considering they are hand made.

This one caught my eye:




Made by Michelle Brusegaard: BEAUTIFUL paper and textile products. I love the colors and graphics that she uses. With all of the e-mail and texting now a days, sending a hand written note is SO special. I need to get better at doing this. Maybe if I buy some beautiful stationary I’ll be inspired! Oh, and she makes scarves too!!

Thank you cards:




Jeneri Jewelry: feminine jewelry…simply gorgeous. This one is more window shopping for me… I haven’t quite justified spending the money for one of her pieces. Not as a poor college student, anyway! But this hasn’t stopped me from drooling over them…

Fresh and feminine necklace:



There are sooooo many more things available on the website. Home décor, paintings, clothing, furniture, journals… etc, etc, etc. The other VERY COOL thing about the website is you can talk to the artists directly and have a custom piece done exactly how you want it. I haven't explored this yet, but I could totally see myself using the website for invitations, custom stationary, or personalized wall decor...

Happy shopping!

love!

COLOR, yum!

I’ve had a life-long affair with color. (Don't tell B!) More specifically, I LOVE combining colors into a pleasing palette for interior design, graphic design, or events. I wanted to share one of my favorite color tools I’ve found online:

Color palette generator… love it!

So. Say you are decorating a room in your house. I could totally see using this by picking a (color) photograph that you LOVE the feel of, one that you really connect with, and using this tool to plan your room.

I chose this one for this exercise:

(Building/palette photo)


I loved the blues together… I could see this being a bright and fun family room that has a modern feel.

Based on the colors it pulled out, I could see the walls being painted one of the “dull” colors in this case – maybe the second to the top blue one.

I didn’t fuss with this too much, but I think you can get the gist of what the room would look like.

(Room photo)


How cool is that?

All of the furniture is from CB2… if I were doing this in real life, I would mix and match different pieces from different places, and add a few of my own touches.

This technique would also work for different things as well – an outfit, wedding, kid’s birthday party… FUN. If you go back and look at my wedding post from Saturday, you might notice that I used the sunset picture to generate the colors on the bottom right and based the rest of the images and colors from those.

love!

random photo day

for a friend ;-)

... you'll have to forgive me; I know I only dedicated Saturdays to weddings. Today is CLEARLY not a Saturday.

I just couldn't wait to post this beautiful board I've come up with... plus, I created it based off of one of my dear friend's style (you know who you are! hehe) and I didn't really want to make HER wait either!

I'm not sure if I quite nailed her style... I'll keep you posted :)

inspiration: outdoorsy-chic, green/white/gray color scheme

(click to view larger)


P.S. Kara - if you want me to make you one, e-mail me some ideas on colors, theme (?), style, location, etc. I am having WAY too much fun with this...



gray dress: Melissa Sweet
necklaces: hazelnutcottage
cake, bouquet, & shoe photographs: Jessica Claire
luminaries: Martha Stewart Weddings
cuff bracelet: SORRY! Forgot to write this down :(
hair, centerpiece: Brides.com
barn (both photos),green flower ball, birch arch, couple kissing: What Junebug Loves Blog
wedding dress: Lazaro
classic car: Mimi Design (found on Junebug)
ring pillow: Anna Whitford

Crackberry

It’s not just a phone… it’s a lifestyle.

Seriously.

I have used my phone to: get directions, find a restaurant, check my flight status, check my e-mail, look at Facebook, check my balance in my checking account (that’s never fun), post on my blog, priced a product online, take pictures…

All of that, and I feel like it integrated smoothly into my life. It’s not an addiction – it’s just so darn convenient to be able to look up something wherever I am, whenever I want.

It’s such a sign of the times… I am constantly connected to information and people – I wonder if we actually get things done faster now, or if we are so caught up in technology for the sake of technology?



love!

a few of my favorite online places

No, not my own… If you have some time to kill, check out one (or more) of these FABULOUSLY entertaining blogs:

Jessica Claire - Photographer:
Get ready for some serious eye candy. Omigoodness, her photos are SO beautiful. Gorgeous color, composition, light…. Definitely one of my top 5 favorite photographers.

Seth’s Blog:
A great marketing blog... Great advice and interesting reads.

The Superficial – Because You’re Ugly:
The online equivalent to the trashy celebrity mags like US weekly and OK.

Snippet and Ink – Daily Wedding Inspiration:
I know, I’m a huge sap… but I have a HUGE blog-crush on this one. Gorgeous layouts and color palettes and products for weddings and events… (by the way, there is a great list of other blogs down the left-hand side of the page to lead you to discover more lovely things online!)

A $10,000 Wedding:
Another wedding blog, dedicated to diy and budget wedding ideas, while still being incredibly chic and fabulous. Love.

With this ring:
one LAST wedding blog! I just rediscovered this one... a girl after my design heart. LOVE all of her posts.

Decor8:
Interior design, travel, and other beautiful things.


All of these blogs do SUCH a good job of serving the purpose that they intend to... they are not trying to do everything at once, and it gives them such personality and utility; I visit the different blogs based on what I want to read. Let me know what you think of them!

wedding saturday

I admit it... I've had weddings on the brain lately...

For a few reasons:
1. I used to be in the business! I've been out long enough now that I'm not jaded anymore. :P
2. I've discovered some wedding blogs that are GORGEOUS and inspiring (more on this in tomorrow's post)
3. Weddings are a combination of so many beautiful things and colors: papers, fashion, flowers, graphic design, tradition, photography, food,... pretty much all of my favorite things.
4. and of course, I'm in love with a boy :)

So, behold:: Saturdays are now proclaimed "wedding saturdays!" so I can get some of my creative energy and favorite ideas out in one place. So bear with me, and enjoy the beautiful images!

--

One wedding idea I LOVE is a tool for the planning stages: the inspiration board. This is a mis-mash of colors, textures, and things that you like the "feel" of, so you can get a good sense of what your whole event is going to look and feel like. It doesn't need to be all-inclusive, just a snapshot of the personality and design of your event.

This is the first board I tried creating. An outdoor, lake superior sunset inspired, casual wedding:



LtoR: JCrew Navy Dress, Brides.com flower arrangement, Brides.com tent photo, Brides.com white flowers, flickr sunset, Brides.com cursive blue sign, Tacori ring, ? blue shoes, Forever21 scarf, Nordstrom white dress, Brides.com tree lights, Flickr Lake Superior Sunset, Nordstrom navy dress, Dillards navy dress, Dillards navy dress, ? orange flowers, tiebar.com ties, Brides.com cake, blue damask pattern (love!)

love!

it ain't easy being green.

but it sure is beautiful :)



fort lost-in-the woods, MO

30 before I'm 30 list

Inspired by countless conversations Kara and I have had about our futures, and what we want to do with them, I have come up with an official LIST.

** side note. I can imagine those of you who know me the best are laughing right now… imagine that! a list! by K! hehehe…**

Anyway, attached is my master list of things that I want to accomplish or experience sooner rather than later. I’m going to make a permanent link on the side of the blog in a bit, and I’ll date the tasks as I accomplish them so you can follow along with my progress.

What’s on your list?

--

THE LIST

1. Plan a fabulous event
2. Travel to Rome
3. See NYC
4. Move to TN
5. Graduate from college
6. Plan an annual trip for the girls
7. Take a pro picture of my parents
8. Take a pro picture of my grandparents
9. Have $0 in credit card debt
10. Take a class for fun
11. Learn Dream Weaver
12. Get back down to last year’s weight
13. Get senior pictures taken of me
14. Visit at least 10 more US states
15. Visit Kara at her Air Force base in D.C.
16. Visit Caroline in Colorado (?)
17. Go on a Mediterranean cruise
18. Vote in the 2008 Presidential election
19. Get a job post-graduation in my field (marketing!)
20. Start saving for retirement – start a Roth IRA
21. Photograph something for fun (model, kids, a couple?)
22. Throw a dinner party with B
23. Paint and decorate a house or apt
24. Run a 5K race
25. Donate $$ to a good cause
26. Buy a power suit and rock out an interview
27. Give some $ to my brothers for college
28. Invest in the stock market
29. Learn to do some house work (basic wiring, tile, re-varnish wood?)
30. Backpack in Europe

Vegas – casinos + Wisconsin Dells = Branson

I finally found my camera cord so I can blog about the Branson trip!

After a week spent on post, B and I took a weekend road trip to Branson, MO. I was definitely skeptical at first about going (Dixieland Stampede with ostrich races, yodeling, and other shenanigans is one of the most popular shows). It turned out to be a GREAT time. We skipped the Dixieland show for the “Legends in Concert” show, which was a tribute to different famous singers, with impersonators who performed Shania Twain, Johnny Cash, the Blues Brothers, Elvis, and the Temptations.

(Pictures attached)




We also mini-golfed, spent two days at the water park, ate lots of very fattening delicious food, and shopped a bit. I definitely recommend going; it’s a blast!

(More pictures attached)



You can see who won our mini golf game...

On Saturday night, we walked around Branson Landing (down by the river), which was gorgeous. We ate at Famous Daves (YUM) and then watched a few songs from a Journey tribute band from Nashville out by the water.




love!

My Mom is on Facebook

:) Not kidding.

What originally began as a college-only, student oriented, social networking site has evolved into sooo much more.


(Facebook logo)

For those unfamiliar, Facebook is a website where you create a profile, link to your friends and acquaintances profiles, post pictures, broadcast events, goof around, and generally keep up with the lives of your friends.

A lot of talk has been centered on using the new social mediums to advertise – and I think that can be done successfully to a point, but I think Facebook is MOST useful for marketing YOURSELF. Like advertisements, if you keep you profile updated with what you are doing, planning on, photos, etc, you can network more easily with your widest social circle.

My favorite parts of Facebook:

Photos/Albums that people post. Its fun to see what people are up to … a picture is worth a 1,000 words, right?

The status updates. These give you a quick blurb from your friends who are actively using Facebook. You can talk about upcoming plans, express feelings, or simply a witty remark that gets people to notice you and see your name again.


(Status photo)

Relationship status. I am terrible at keeping up with the gossip, so its great to know when someone’s status changes. This gives you a way to congratulate people in a timely manner when they get engaged, avoid the awkward conversation that happens when you didn’t realize a couple broke up, and generally keeps you up to date with your wider social circle.


(Relationship photo)

Personal marketing. One of my favorite photographers, Becker, has mastered the art of mixing business with his personal life. He actively uses Facebook, his blog, and Twitter to market to brides and other photographers. He posts bits of his personal life (like trips and events) so that people get to know him through his online presence and are excited to do business with him. Genius.


(Becker photo)
[b]'s blog: http://beckersblog.com/

There’s a ton of other applications and features you can use to connect with friends through Facebook… what do you use it for? What’s your favorite part about Facebook?


P.S. Not trying to pick on you, Mom! :)

fashion help, please!!

So, I bought a $350 dress. For $40 incl shipping! The joys of eBAY... (link goes to the other items that the seller has who I bought from)

The outfit is for a formal dinner/social on post with B in a few weeks... I am under strict instruction to not wear anything too flashy :)

The outfit in progress:


(click to view a bit larger)

I think the dress fits the bill PERFECTLY. I love it. But, I have no idea where to go with for the accessories... I can't figure out the fashion puzzle...

**Side note: the reason I love fashion is because putting together a great outfit is such a challenge! You want the perfect blend of color, texture, excitement, etc... it's a lot like graphic design in that regard. Once you solved the puzzle, you just KNOW it. The outfit FEELS right!**

... I'm thinking two MAYBE three of the accessories will be plenty, I hate looking overdone. Thoughts??? Back to the drawing board?


The pretty clutch is from etsy:
CLUTCH

The hair flower and simple cluth are on eBay.

And the GORGEOUS necklace would be a splurge on etsy:
NECKLACE

I'm thinking a cheaper forever21 multi-strand necklace would work well too.


love!

sharing some photos: H+A wedding

This is “old news” considering it happened back in July, but I wanted to share a few more of my favorites from Heather + Al’s wedding that I shot.

Back story:
The Tuesday before Heather’s wedding, Caroline, Mary, and I were sitting outside on the deck of 711 like we often did, talking about the topic of the moment. This night, it happened to be Heath’s wedding. Mary mentioned offhand that Heather didn’t hire a photographer and I was speechless. I had no idea! I had made it clear to my friends a while back that I didn’t want to shoot friends’ weddings (mixing friends and money is way too complicated), but I couldn’t let one of my good friends go without great photographs of her day. The Thursday before her wedding, Heath and I decided I would shoot her wedding.

It was my greatest pleasure to do this for Heather and Al – they were BEYOND thankful.

(Photos attached)











love!

Leo Horoscope 9/2/08

How appropriate, as I've been planning new blog posts all afternoon :)


The Internet and telephones will likely be a big feature of the day, but what's interesting is not the technology, but who it lets you reach. You may form important connections over a distance that prove vital for your career future. Partners and associates are lucky for you today.

Frosh

Hello my faithful readers (wink, wink… I know you read because this gets sent to your email)!

It is the first day of class here at Tech, and it is a little chaotic as usual with all of the new freshmen ambling around in pairs of two or three, staring at their printed schedule in their hands, trying to decipher the maze of Tech’s random building numbers. Of course, all the while trying to look cool and collected and at least moving in SOME direction so they don’t LOOK like freshmen.

I’ve felt a little like that myself lately. I’m done doing photography, at least in the professional sense. This has freed me to explore new ideas and concentrate on my schoolwork; which has been great. Dean’s list 3 semesters in a row, baby! I’m in a bit of a limbo until I finish up being a student (which I am SO ready to do) and start building my new life. Owning my own business and being a photographer was a big part of what defined me for a long time. So now I’m thrown back into being a “freshman”: redefining what I want to do with myself, what path I’m going to pursue, and probably ambling around in a way that looks random or misdirected to others.

This blog has been evidence of this – short, random, admittedly boring posts… I was having trouble finding my voice.

--

After some introspective thinking this weekend, I have a LOT of really interesting topics I want to talk about and share. Conversations that are relevant to being a college student, living in this little community, interacting with the world and with friends (who are maybe all over the world or country), marketing and design, and other random ideas and photos I hope you will find interesting!

Don’t feel obligated to read along. :) This is as much of an exercise for myself as it is to share with all of you. But if you do read along, feel free to comment on the posts if you have a minute or a thought, or at least click through the email to the blog to see the pretty pictures I post!

love!



(photo is from inside Chicago O'Hare, where a lot of this said thinking took place)

I think...

I think I am lost. At least its beautiful. I'll make it home eventually...

I can't wait to tell you all about my Branson trip, it was a ton of fun!