Friday 5 [Wenatchee photography + design]

1. My dog, who eats apples like a human. He holds them down, takes his time, and when done, leaves the core and stem. Which is good because apple seeds are poisonous to dogs (and can build up in their system.) Apples are a good snack for your dog, but if they are inclined to eat the whole thing, make sure you cut them up first to remove the seeds.
2. I have a love/am-sometimes-disappointed-with relationship with Keen shoes. They are a high-quality brand, stylish, long-wearing and (usually) comfortable. I love this pair that I just got for the impending winter and they are super comfy. Once. you. get. them. on. The opening is just a bit small, so it takes some work to get them on. Once you do, love, LOL, so, they only rate: :/ I will say that shopping at Zappos, where I go them, is the absolute best of the best for online shopping. Overnight shipping, free returns and a huge selection. I've never been disappointed with them.
3. Love the work of Austin Kleon. He is a writer and artist and is the author of Steal Like An Artist and Newspaper Blackout. I love the messages that reveal themselves in his work and I also love the graphic starkness of the black and white and words.
4. Yep, winter is coming. This was a shot of the first snow this season, which was Wednesday. I love that we have 4 distinct seasons, but I really don't love snow. Well, I don't like snow the day after it snows. When it's slushy and icey and grey and inconvenient. When it's falling though (and I'm not driving!) it is magical.
5. I'm headed to Seattle again this weekend to be an audience member at the CreativeLive Decorating Holiday Cupcakes and Cookies course. I was originally taking a Scott Kelby photoshop course, but this fell in my lap and they were at the same time. Since my daughter is a pastry student in culinary school, I thought this would be something fun we could do together. Plus, it's CREATIVELIVE! Hello! I have watched (and bought) so many of their courses. Jasmine Star, Zack Arias, Tamara Lackey, Bambi Cantrell, David duChemin, Jeremy Cowart...the big names just keep coming. Even though this course isn't necessarily photographic in intent, it will be good for me since I love to bake and photograph those items. Check it out, it's LIVE and FREE on Monday from 9 am-12 pm at CreativeLive. (This "Seattle" image is one of my prints available at Society6. There are quite a few cities and states, and I can create a custom one if you don't see yours.)

Model material :) [Wenatchee photography + design]

A few more images of my daughter. I mentioned earlier she is thinking of modeling. She has the height and is interested in the fashion industry. She recently entered a contest where she had to make a fashion related video for JCPenny and Seventeen magazine. The top 10 videos were chosen by Seventeen and then voted on by the public. She was one of the top ten picked and then ended up 6th and won an iPad. She was pretty happy, to say the least. Next, she entered the "E! Live from the Red Carpet with Adrianna Papell" contest where she had to design a red-carpet dress and, again, the top entries were chosen and will be voted on. She was one of the chosen entries so that voting window begins Monday on Facebook. If chosen her dress will actually be made and worn.

Anyway, all that background to say I am proud of her for continuing to do what she can to further her interest, even when she doesn't always have the same opportunities as others may have (because we don't live in a metropolitan area). She does what she can, when she can, and has never given up on continuing her interests.

We've been working on a portfolio over the summer and had another shoot last weekend. These are a few of those shots.

Friday 5 [Wenatchee photography + design]

1. This is one of the best descriptions I've ever read on the purpose (and necessity) of having a logo. I've been a subscriber to Before & After magazine since the early nineteen-ninetys. That is a LONG time and should tell you something about the quality of the information put out by John McWade and group at B&A.
2. My good friend, Stephanie, sent me this. She's vegetarian, I am not. And I am finding myself in that weird place between being an omnivore, and really believing that humans SHOULD be omnivores, and yet feeling like we really SHOULDN'T be eating animals. I understand the "top-of-the-food-chain" idea and even the nutritional benefit of eating meat, but I do think "just because we CAN do something, does that mean we HAVE to?" Maybe one thing that comes with being at the top of the pecking order is using our brains/compassion to find other sources of protein and stop eating animals? Like maybe with the privilege should come the responsibility to not kill other things? I don't know, no hate mail please, I'm just expressing an opinion and a bit of my own self-questioning. One thing I DO know for sure is the "meat industry" is pretty abhorrent and I definitely don't support the feeding of hormones and think free-range is better.
3. Pretty sure I won’t consider my life lived until I eat a Salty Pimp at the Big Gay Ice Cream Shop
4. Really looking forward to the "Light It. Shoot it. Retouch it. Live!" class with Scott Kelby in Seattle later this month. I am a firm believer in never being too good or too old to learn something new and being passionate about learning is very important to me.
5. My middle daughter is pretty interested in looking into modeling. We've been working on a portfolio of shots for her and this week she got up the courage to submit to an agency in Seattle. I'm proud of her. It can't be easy putting yourself out there in an industry pretty much aimed at making you not feel "good enough." She's a real girl with a real body and real insecurities and I think she is brave. And I love her.

Friday 5 [Wenatchee photography + design]

1. If I'd had this tissue holder, the last 7 days of my Bronchitis and insane combination of runny nose with congestion would have been much better. Well, maybe not better so much as cuter. The upside is my voice is now more Phoebe singing "Smelly Cat" and less sounding like an actual toad.
2. The Belltown Inn in Seattle, is, in my opinion, the best deal in downtown Seattle. My daughter stayed for a whole month, (they have monthly rates as well,) while trying to find an apartment and we stayed recently while visiting her. If you're my age, you probably remember when around $100 for a night at a hotel was muy expensivo, but now, $100 for a DOWNTOWN SEATTLE hotel is "crazy cheap." Especially when you see these clean, modern rooms that are also well-located. And the staff is really helpful and attentive, too. I can't imagine why I would ever stay somewhere else if I want to stay in the downtown area.
3. Fall is here. We have two ginormous oak trees in our front yard and each year I dread them dropping all their leaves. Yes, it's pretty, but it's a lot of work (something like 30+ bags) and I admit we're not great at it. I'm hoping this weekend we get it cleaned up.
4. If you had told me anytime in the last 43.5 years that I would ever miss exercise, or more specifically, the elliptical, I would think you a deranged lunatic. But since I've been sick (#1, above) I haven't been able to get to the gym and it's making me cranky. Mostly because I'm afraid when I do get back, hopefully next week, that it will be like starting over. And getting to where I was was HARD. I hope it's not like that again.
5. Riding the coattails of #4 is the shitload of Halloween candy I've eaten this week. 'Nuff said. Bad week to skip the gym.

Friday 5 [Wenatchee photography + design]

1. One of my favorite images of my favorite time of year. This image also happens to grace the cover of the Leavenworth, WA phonebook. I took it at Smallwoods Farm, between Peshastin and Leavenworth, one of my favorite places to visit anytime, but especially in the Fall. I'm actually shooting there tomorrow, just in time to see this year's festive orange display and gorgeous autumn colors. Happy Halloween everyone!
2. Hell's Belles is not only an all-female AC/DC cover band, but Angus Young himself (AC/DC lead singer) called them the "Best AC/DC coverband I've ever heard." If that's not a screaming endorsement, I don't know what is. And when you realize that they are playing in Wenatchee on November 5 as a FUND-RAISER for Wellness Place. I am fortunate to be able to provide much of the graphic design for Wellness Place and am happy to contribute what I can to such a great organization. The material for this show is one way I got to help. Wellness Place is entirely free and endeavors to provide information and compassionate support to individuals and their families dealing with cancer. Please get tickets to this show, it is seriously going to rock and ROLL the profits to Wellness Place, ha ha, get it, rock and roll?
3. How amazing is this rainbow snap captured with my cell at 65 mph?? (I was a passenger, not driving.) It was the biggest, most colorful, brightest rainbow I have ever seen. Beautiful!
4. Amtrak has been my mode of transportation every single weekend for the last month and I have nothing but compliments to them. Definitely a roomy, smooth, enjoyable, AFFORDABLE way to travel and I'm happy to have found how convenient they are for my frequent trips to Seattle. From Wenatchee to Seattle, a roundtrip ticket is actually less than gas for my car. No driving and beautiful scenery through the Cascade mountains and along Puget Sound makes me actually look forward to the trips.
5. Ikea furniture. I know you either love it or hate it. I love the modern design and the affordable prices. Especially when we were trying to furnish a new apartment for our daughter. The bonus is that for a mere $99 they will deliver our entire order to her downtown apartment. DOWNTOWN APARTMENT with no parking, no convenient place to find parking and up 3 flights of stairs. Thank you, Ikea, for being a "starter apartment" option and for delivering. My back thanks you and my husband thanks you.