Flying High

Since we've been married, Brad and I have had the good fortune to travel to many destinations. I have rubbed off on Brad and transferred my affinity for travel. My big problem is that I don't know how to take a trip without packing in as much as possible into our schedule. After this last trip, Brad has decided to take over the planning of our next trip. I have been told it will be to a beach where I will be forced to relax and read and swim and lay.

The one thing I wanted to do while we were in Las Vegas was take a helicopter tour to the Grand Canyon. It is one of the seven natural wonders of the world, and a must see when you're that close! Driving there and back would have taken up the whole day, so the helicopter was the perfect transportation to get us there and back in a timely manner. Plus, we were able to have lunch at a spot in the canyon that is inaccessible without a helicopter.

Ready to take off...

 

This was our cute spot for lunch. It looks like we're right on the river, but it's actually about 500 feet below us!

 

Our ride.

 

 

Thanks to the Canadian girl on our flight that took our picture! It looks a little like we are superimposed on the background, but I like it anyway!

 

Love the views!

The dude in the front seat right next to the glass was wearing a white shirt, which proved rather annoying for my pictures. You can make out his outline in some of them. Ugh. We had assigned seats to have the best possible weight distribution. We should have risked it and sat people based on appropriate clothing for light reflection. Tip: wear dark colors if you're trying to reduce window glare.

 

The geology minor in me gets excited by geomorphology. Yep, that was a class I took in college. In another geology class, our textbook had a comic that involved the Grand Canyon and erosion, but Brad assures me that I am the only one that finds it humorous.

 

The tour was amazing. Too bad we could have flown around all day!

Photobooth Love

During our trip to Las Vegas, we let time slip away from us and didn't have a chance to explore the various hotels until the last day. We were exhausted and on sensory overload. Since we were flying out that evening, we had checked out of our room and given the bell desk our luggage... all except the things we didn't want to risk. Brad graciously lugged around ALL the camera gear up and down the strip through each hotel. What a lot of walking! Even though I could tell that Brad was ready to get to dinner and give his back a needed rest, as we were walking out of the Palazzo, he suggested we take pictures in the photobooth at First Food & Bar restaurant. I ADORE photobooths. Seriously.  They are my favorite. AND this one only cost $1! That is unheard of. What can you really get for $1 these days!?

Ha. Clearly I wasn't ready in the first shot.

What's Coming Up?

Today we came home from our weeklong trip to the west coast.  It's taken us all day to recover from the red eye flight and jet lag!  We had an incredible time taking in the sights and seeing shows, but the real reason we went to Las Vegas was for WPPI (Wedding and Portrait Photographers International) annual conference.  We got to hear from some of the top photographers in the world and our heads are brimming with new marketing, shooting, and life advice.  I can't wait to share with you what we did!

For now, here is a sneak peek of the fabulousness to come...

There were phenomenal landscapes with an extra special tour;

Amazing shows in the City of Entertainment; 

Elaborate hotels and things to see on the Strip;  

And opportunities to meet and hang out with some of my favorite photographers.

Lots to come from our trip to Las Vegas!

Derek + Lindsay: National Arboretum Engagement

As business majors, the most daunting class at James Madison University was COB 300.  Students were put in groups and throughout the semester had to work together to create a business.  They came up with a product or service, put together a business plan, worked on marketing, and ended the semester with a realistic outlook on the business world.  The class could easily take over your life for that semester and, needless to say, your group members could make or break you.  By the time Junior year rolled around, all business majors had heard the stories of COB 300.  So, on the first day of class, everyone was anxious to know who they'd have to spend immense amounts of time with that semester.  As luck would have it, Derek and Lindsay were assigned to the same group.  They instantly had an attraction toward one another, but it wasn't until their friendship had developed for a year that they started dating.  

Fast forward several years, and these two were back at JMU for Homecoming.  Bright and early they walked the campus, reminiscing about the place that first brought them together.  Before most of the campus was stirring, Derek took Lindsay to the quad and asked her to spend the rest of her life with him.  Giddy about their new lives together, they headed off to the tailgate parties ready to share their big news and celebrate with the people that had been with them since the beginning.

Last weekend, Brad and I had the good fortune to spend our morning with Lindsay and Derek at the National Arboretum in Washington, DC to capture their engagement.  It was on accident that we found this fabulous location.  Lindsay meant to ask me to meet them at the Botanical Gardens, but said arboretum because that word is so ingrained in us from JMU (which has a fabulous arboretum of its own).  Long story short, we discovered the National Arboretum and couldn't have been more pleased with the selection.

Really, who wouldn't love this?!

These two made our job EASY.  Seriously, Lindsay... you rock my world.  

This is them, just having fun, making each other laugh. 

I can't tell you how much I love this shot of Lindsay.  

I am definitely go back here in the spring.  There were SO many awesome locations to shoot.

Of course we had to incorporate the JMU paraphernalia.  It's where they met and where they got engaged, and now it's documented in their engagement session.

Big thanks to Brad for making our makeshift shade creator with my coat when it was impossible to find a shady location!

These columns are from the U.S. Capitol.  No. Big. Deal.

Oh the fabulousness of it all.  Love it!

Derek and Lindsay, thank you for braving the February cold, waking up bright and early, and indulging me and my requests for shots and angles.  You rocked it, and I cannot wait for your wedding in October!

Happy Birthday, Brad!

Brad has never been big on his birthday.  Every year he says he doesn't want to do anything special and he never has any gift suggestions.  He's never been one to steal the limelight.  I, on the other hand, start making my birthday known a month in advance... just so no one forgets. 

Today, even though he didn't tell any of his coworkers that it's his birthday, I want to make sure that you all know how great he is.  Brad is my foundation, my champion, and my best friend.  He keeps me grounded while pushing me to dream bigger.  He holds nothing back.  He dances in the grocery store, makes up songs of his mundane errands, turns dinner into Top Chef, and can make our daily walk to the mailbox the highlight of my day.  I loved him the first day I met him, nearly 17 years ago. 

On Saturday we went out to lunch at our favorite Indian restaurant, Masala Magic, for his birthday.  This is the pose he makes whenever I try to get a picture of him by himself:

When we got home, I had a surprise for him...

Thanks to Payton of Semi Sweet Co. for making this fabulous Virginia Tech football helmet cake!  He was VERY surprised. 

Happy birthday, Brad!  I love you!

Calligraphy Class

This is probably the geekiest thing I will ever admit on the internet... I am a sucker for a good course catalog.  I love looking through the pages at all the classes offered and imagine myself as a botanist, a belly dancer, a textbook author, and a sculptor.  I use the 'and' because I really do imagine how interesting I'd be if I somehow had every and any talent.  My interests are as diverse as can be.  There is simply too much to know!  Now that I am out of college, I have time to take fun classes that aren't attached to a degree program.  First up: calligraphy.  

I simply adore the elegance of a scripted note.  The serifs, the swirls, the appeal of not having to type on the computer!  

Tonight was my first class at the Smithsonian.  While most of the time was spent on background information, types of script, terminology, and learning how to hold the pen, we did eventually get around to testing out the pen and ink.  We were supposed to just practice the circular letters - o, d, b, e, p, and c, but I have never been able to follow directions all that well, so I tried a bunch.  G is apparently the hardest, and we were told not to even go there yet.  I guess that's why I have more g's on my page than any other letter!

At the end of my eight week course, I hope to be good enough to make menus and invitations for our dinner parties.  Until then, I have to admit that I am proud of my first attempt.