Memories, Dreams, & Reflections 2012

I participated in the Memories, Dreams, and Reflections bloggy linkup for 2 years in a row, but it completely slipped my mind this year. I didn't blog much during the fall (first trimester, yuck), so I wasn't seeing the usual reminders from Ashley Sisk!

However, when another blogger/photographer's post about it popped in my newsfeed, I was compelled to do it last minute. So, I spent some time the past few days looking through photos from earlier this year. It felt good to see the progress I've made, and how hard I was working to master new techniques. I would love for my friends and fans to comment on their favorite photos!

1. Me...
and my pretty kitty.
Hubby took this photo in December.



2. I love you
My baby boy.
Hubby took this photo in December.



3. Still laughing
My cat, attacking the snow.
December



4. Winter wonderland
December



5. Birthday
November - my 27th birthday, and my last one wearing my childhood Birthday Star crown.
Starting in 2013, my son will be wearing it!
I can't remember who snapped this one for me, probably hubby.



6. Friends
My twin nieces.
Best friends.
February.



7. I was inspired...
By everyone's pretty holiday bokeh photos!
December.



8. Spring fever
April



9. Travel or Vacation
I couldn't pick just ONE photo from our amazing trip to Dublin, Ireland.
So I made a storyboard.
August



10. Summer days
My cat loves to sit outside on warm summer evenings.
August



11. A day in my life
Watching hubs and Katniss love on each other.
May



12. All smiles
My dad snapped this photo of me and hubs after our gender reveal party in December.
We had just found out that our baby is a BOY!



13. Autumn harvest
October



14. Family or home
December



15. Celebrate
This is the cake from our gender reveal party in December.



16. Let's do it again
Hubs snapped this shot of me with 3 nieces when we went down to TN to visit them.
That aquarium is amazing!
February



17. I miss you
My beautiful goddaughter!
Haven't seen her since July and I don't know when I will get down to TN to see her again.



18. Beautiful
I LOVE purple flowers! Such a beautiful color for a flower.
July



19. Dress up
No better occasion to dress up than a wedding!
My MIL snapped this shot of me with my hubs and one of my besties.
May



20. Macro
May



21. Holidays
December



22. My favorite
My baby girl, my favorite kitty!
December



23. Don't ever change
Hubby... Oh, I love him!
My MIL snapped this for us in September.



24. Just because
The world could use a little more peace.
July



25. Hopes and dreams
“If you could have one wish, what would it be? We all have hopes and dreams that we do almost anything to make real. And if we get lucky, and our wish is granted, maybe that's what we call happiness.” ― Sakura
September

Wedding Music

Today, February 20th, 2012, marks 6 months since Jon and I were married. I thought, since I haven't really written much about the wedding lately, I'd share our playlist for the reception.

We absolutely loved our DJ's, especially because they were so helpful with picking out songs. They sent us a huge list of recommended songs, and were also willing to use the songs WE recommended.

*All links on song titles lead to a youtube video, if you want to listen to the song.

Our first song was for the bridal party entrance. We chose Beautiful Day by U2, which was perfect because some couples walked in serenely, while some chose to make a flashier entrance. It was particularly memorable when my younger brother danced and boogied in with my friend K.

After we entered and posed for family to take some snapshots, we transitioned straight into our first dance together as husband and wife. (Side note - I am getting teary remembering it.) We had chosen our song shortly after we got engaged, but were able to keep it a secret from everyone up until then. We chose Never Gonna Be Alone by Nickelback because we both love the band, and this song has always been special for us. It truly vocalizes our relationship and how it developed over 3 years of dating.

For my dance with my dad, choosing a song was hard. Nothing seemed quite right... I was close with both of my parents when I was younger, but I was the only girl, so I am was the definition of Daddy's Little Princess, and I needed to find a song that portrayed that. I ended up doing a google search for "father daughter wedding songs," and I came across Always Be Your Baby by Natalie Grant. After listening to just the first verse, I was sobbing, which (to me) meant it was perfect. (And now I am crying again.)

For Jon's dance with his mother, he was originally going to use the same song that his brother used at his wedding. I wanted him to pick something that was more meaningful for him. He had an idea, but wasn't sure if it'd work... As soon as he told me, I knew it would be perfect! He chose Somewhere Out There from the Fievel movie because he used to sing it when he was little. So cute!

The next song on our playlist is our cake-cutting song. This was an easy choice for me; I just had to persuade Jon to agree with me. I wanted to use Sugar Sugar by the Archies. It is such a fun song! I might have been shaking my hips just a bit while I was smearing icing on Jon's face. (No cake on his face, just a dab of icing!)

When it was time to toss the bouquet, I knew exactly which song I wanted. See, I danced competitively when I was younger. 3 of my bridesmaids were in the same dance group as me, and we did the cutest little dance to Girls Just Wanna Have Fun by Cyndi Lauper. It was only natural for that song to be playing while I tossed the bouquet.

Jon turned to google to find a good song for the garter removal. We didn't want anything that was too raunchy, or even slightly sexy for that matter. That's just not our style. So when he happened upon a recommendation to use the Indiana Jones theme song, he ran with it. He loves the movies, and it made for a great laugh for anyone who knew what it was.

The same dilemma occurred when we were trying to pick a song for the garter toss. We knew ahead of time that the majority of the males in attendance were either under the age of 10, or already married. I think there was 4 guys who came up for the garter toss. We went with The Boys Are Back in Town by Thin Lizzy.

Besides these songs, our DJ's also asked us for a list of songs we wanted them to play while people were eating dinner and dancing. Jon contributed some, and I contributed some. Here is part of the list with links to youtube if you want to hear any of the songs:

Hang On Little Tomato by Pink Martini
When I'm 64 by the Beatles
Sweet Child of Mine by Guns N Roses
Somewhere Over the Rainbow by Jason Castro
Give A Little by Hanson
The Way You Look Tonight by Frank Sinatra
The Way I Am by Ingrid Michaelson
Just The Way You Are by Billy Joel
Something by the Beatles
Unforgettable by Nat King Cole

Condo Update

So, Jon and I have officially lived in our little condo for over a year now. We've been here for one year and 2 months.

And I have only decorated one room - the 2nd bathroom.

I need to get moving on this! I have all these grand plans, but none of them have been set in motion.

I decided that 2012 is my year, and I want to finish decorating during the first quarter. Starting with the master bedroom. I had a late start because we left our Christmas decorations up until January 10, but I have made some small progress. I ordered a love wall quote (Love like you'll never get hurt) for above our bed, and I am in the middle of a project that will feature our last name. Here's a teaser:

Here's the flickr collection so you can find letters for your own last name.

We are skipping curtains in the bedroom, so I just have 3 other goals: hang Jon's autographed Yankee jersey, hang a bridge photo that I won in a giveaway, and figure out how to display my inspiration quote (Life is not about finding yourself; life is about creating yourself). I will definitely post photos as I go!

New Year SOOC

I know it's not the new year yet, but it's only a few days away! Hard to believe that another year has passed. And it was a big one for me, mainly because of the wedding and honeymoon. Some other memorable events from 2011:

-Jon and I spent a week in FL and a week in TN in January. We were able to spend lots of time with family, and we still squeezed in a couple days with friends.
-My family threw a big party for my grandma's birthday in February. We tried to take a family photo, but we didn't fit in one room.
-My younger brother started playing baseball, which provided lots of great photo ops.
-My younger brother also went to his senior prom, and graduated from high school. It was a big year for him, too!
-My friends and family surprised me with a wonderful bridal shower in June.
-I went down to NJ with my family for my cousin's graduation party.
-Some friends and I went to NYC to the American Museum of Natural History.
-We also went to the Maritime Aquarium in CT.
-My parents remodeled the master bath and bedroom in their house.
-One of my best friends/bridesmaids had a baby boy!
-I finally made it to the Renaissance Faire.
-I participated in Scott Kelby's Worldwide Photo Walk.
-Jon and I both turned 26, so we are in our last year of saying "mid-twenties."
-Another best friend had a baby girl! Jon and I were given the honor of being the godparents.

I'm hoping for another big year next year! The good times are what make me stronger during the bad times.




New year, new challenges.

f8.0  |  1/10 sec  |  iso 1000
 New year, new beginnings.

f22  |  1/60 sec  |  iso 100
  New year, new dreams.

f5.6  |  1/15 sec  |  iso 800

  Come back on Thursday to see my edits of these photos.

Happy Thanksgiving 2011!

Happy Thanksgiving to all of my American bloggy friends!

This past month, many people I know have been making an effort to acknowledge the blessings in their lives. I found a trend on facebook in which you post one thing each day that you are particularly thankful for. I started this on November 6, when there were 18 days until Thanksgiving, and added one things to the list each day. Here is my list of things that I am thankful for:

18. I am thankful for my husband. I could go on and on about how much he means to me. Just having him, and knowing that he will always be there for me, shows me how blessed I am.

17. I am thankful that my goddaughter was born last night (11.6.11)! She is gorgeous and healthy, and it seems like the new mama and daddy are doing well.

16. I am thankful for the basic necessities: food, clothing, shelter. I'm sitting in my warm hotel room, eating dinner, while there are so many people who are hungry and homeless. Counting my blessings.

15. I am thankful for my family. They were so helpful and supportive during the wedding planning process. No matter what tries to tear us apart, it only makes us stronger.

14. I am thankful for my friends. All of the birthday messages were very much appreciated!

13. As it is Veterans' Day (11.11.11), I am thankful for all the men and women who have served, have given their lives, or are currently serving in our country's armed forces. They have fought for our freedom, and they deserve this country's appreciation more often than just one day a year.

12. I was unsure what I am seriously thankful for. Then, I thought about my day. I did laundry, watched a movie, and relaxed. So I am thankful for a quiet day with the luxuries that we all take for granted: washer/dryer in my own home, a tv and a dvd player, a couch to relax on.

11. After spending most of the day at work, I am thankful that I have a job. One that I enjoy, provides medical insurance, and earns me a paycheck to pay bills & put food on the table.

10. I am thankful that I scored some sweet deals at small businesses! I love to save money and support the local economy at the same time.

9. I am finding myself thankful for a multitude of things. I'll share just one right now: I am SO thankful that my travel season for work is OVER!

8. I am thankful for music. My life would be so quiet and boring without music. I just wish I could find more small businesses that sold contemporary cd's!

7. I am thankful for the simple luxury of having a dishwasher! It allows me more time to spend with my hubby... And it means that he'll clean up after dinner once a month or so.

6. I am thankful for Sweet Leaf sweet tea! I just found 15.5 oz cans at a local mart for 99 cents each! Sweet deal for organic tea! Ingredients: filtered water, organic cane sugar, organic black tea, and citric acid. However, I prefer the bottles, because there is no citric acid.

5. I am thankful that I inherited just a smidge of my mom's love for tea. The smell of tea leaves is simply therapeutic.

4. I am thankful that we finally have our wedding photo dvd! I am so excited to look through all of the photos.

3. I am reflecting back on 2011 and what a great year it has been. I am so thankful for this year's memories, and excited about next year's possibilities.

2. I am so thankful that my job allows me to be home for the holidays. I can spend Thanksgiving with my husband and our families. I also get a 5 day weekend!

1. I am thinking about all of the experiences I've had growing up, everything that has led me to where I am today. I am so thankful for the values I learned from my family, the quality education that my parents sacrificed much for, the love and fun times from my friends, and all of the lessons I have learned in the past 26 years.

Today, on Thanksgiving Day, I am thankful that our country has this tradition of taking the day off, spending time with family, and enjoying some good food. This is what our country needs more of: less work, more time to relax, and more time with our loved ones.

Please, everyone, have a safe and happy holiday, and cherish your family above all else!

Our Honeymoon Cruise

My husband and I chose to go on a cruise for our honeymoon because I've never been on one, and he had only done it once before. We picked a 7-day journey that left from NYC, sailed down to Florida, and stopped at the Bahamas before sailing back home.

I've only posted 2 photos our honeymoon cruise so far (here and here), which is pretty sad, considering the hundreds I shot. My dad was nice enough to let me borrow his Nikon D90. That, plus the upgrade to a balcony room (from Jon's parents) and some pretty new dresses from my mom, seriously made this trip much better.

See, we sailed on August 27th, coincidentally the same day that Hurricane Irene blew up the East Coast and ravaged New England.

Hurricane winds + 8 to 12 foot ocean swells = no fun for anyone.

Honestly, though, we still had a great time! We were together for 7 days with no work, no interruptions, no chores, no laundry, no cooking, no responsibilities, no cell service. And not many couples can honestly say that their marriage vows (for better or for worse, in sickness and in health) were truly tested just one week after the wedding.

I put together my favorite photos and had them made into a photo book, and I also thought I'd share them here in some collages. I was going to try to put some descriptions under the photos, but there are too many words. So you get to enjoy the photos, and maybe someday I'll share the stories.

And while most people would get turned off from cruises after the experience we had, we know we want to do it again! We now know that we need to sail from a southern port, because many veteran cruisers told us that the waves in NYC ports are usually pretty rocky. We also want to avoid sailing on a ship that is "family-friendly," as there were always kids EVERYWHERE. Especially on the pool deck, which was definitely geared more towards children, what with the waterslide and all the N!ckolodean activities.

All in all, while it wasn't what we were expecting, it was our honeymoon. It was a learning experience! We thoroughly enjoyed each other's company and appreciated having that time to ourselves. And we wouldn't have it any other way.

Edit Me & Macro Friday - 9.16.11

Disclaimer: This is not my photo. I did not take it.
Copyright belongs to the original photographer:
Kathryn from Our tiny BIG Life

SOOC:

My ACR edit:

And my final edit:

To get the vintage feel in ACR: increase warmth/fill light/brightness/vibrancy, slide tint to the left, and decrease contrast/exposure.

After that, I opened in PSE8 to run a high pass filter. I also added an artistic watercolor filter and a texture from My 4 Hens (one layer on overlay @ 30% and one layer on soft light @ 90%). Lastly, I used the CoffeeShop Web Color Block It action to add the color block.


And here is my photo for Macro Friday:

And an update on my life... ?

Sure, why not?!

Umm, let's see: I started traveling for work 2 days ago, although my body refuses to accept it. The long days, the hours spent in the car, the insane amount of coffee I am drinking, the increased pressure on my feet/hips/back from standing... I guess my 5th year of this lifestyle will be the hardest one to acclimate to. Don't get me wrong; it's still oodles of fun and I love it. It's just that transition period that's kicking me in the booty. I spent the past 10 months sitting in my comfy chair, in my little office, getting lazy. Now I have to get back in gear for 2 months of a completely different life. For those of you who don't get it, I mean life as a college admissions counselor. I plan on capturing 'A Day in My Life' at some point this fall, which will give you a much better understanding of it.

Speaking of fall, it's definitely starting here in southeastern New York. The leaves have already started changing color. I splurged at Old Navy the other day and bought myself a new fall jacket, just in time, too! The days are less humid; the nights are cooler. I'm ready to turn the AC off and throw open the windows, although Jon is not too keen on the idea. It seems that nerdy gamers don't enjoy fresh air like crazy hippies do.

Speaking of Jon, I love referring to him as "my husband" or "hubby." Looking at his ring makes my heart giggle. We are truly enjoying married life together! It took awhile to get to used to being married; however, now, we are embracing it. We're cooking-dinner-together, clothes-strewn-on-the-floor, lazy-Saturday-TV-on-dvd-marathons married. And we are planning to enjoy this period of lives as much as we can. For a certain period of time. Before changing it up with babies or houses or the like.

I know you all want to know, because that's what happens when people get married. Generally, they have babies and/or buy a house. And yes, we want babies and a house. Just not yet.

Well, that was kind of a lie. We love babies (and houses) and want them now. Except that we don't want them yet. So we're waiting. And while we kinda sorta have a plan for the future, we're more inclined to go with the flow for now. We want to see life has in store for us.


Oh wow, I just previewed this post and realized it's kinda long. I'll end it with just one more thing: I updated my 30 by 30 list! Go check it out.

iPhonography 9.10.11

How cool is today's date?!? It's 9-10-11!!

Simple pleasures.




Anyway, here is last month represented in instagram photos:

And here are some wedding photos that I took with my iPhone:

Clockwise from top left: my ring & band, Jon wore a kilt!, hairstyles of 2 bridesmaids, my tiara that used to be my grandma's, hairstyles of 2 more bridesmaids, 4 of my girls at their last dress fitting, my girls in the limo, my hair is long!, a gift, 2 of my girls at the last dress fitting, my dad in the limo, relaxing during cocktail hour, my bridal bling from the bachelorette party, and my hairstyle.

Linking up with the following blogs:

iPhone Photo Friday at Adrienne Rose Photography
iPhonography at One Mom's Perfect Imperfections
Phonography at Pasando
InstaFriday at Life Rearranged





And I have to end this post with a message for my husband even though he will only read it when I show it to him:

Happy birthday, Jonathan! I love you more than you think, and I can only hope to somehow be able to express it to you at some point in the future. I'm glad we have the rest of our lives together, because it really might take me that long to find the right words to truly explain how much you mean to me. I am so happy that we have officially started our married life, and I am uber-excited for all the possibilities that the future holds for us. ♥