Is it abnormal that I pay attention to that?

I've been gone.

I know.

It's been an absolute crazy, however long I've been gone, time.

I have posts to write. Things have happened. One of the biggests things is my Brother-in-Law passed away. The one with Lou Gehrigs Disease. I loved him, my husband loved his brother, everyone that knew him loves and misses him, especially his wife and children. He was the epitome of a family man. I have a post to write. And pictures to share.

Speaking of pictures, I've been super busy getting my new website up, which makes me sort of an official photographer because the website is kickin. I haven't quite got it all finished... but it's there. And I have a blog that I will be updating tons and tons with pictures and with just things about my life. I'm not sure if I'm going to just convert to that blog... or make this my thoughts blog and that my picture--heres-my-life blog. It's all up in the air. Right now it's just posts of sessions I've done and how I've felt about them. I'm kinda all excited.

All of this just means I've been working... ALOT. And it's bitter sweet. Because I need this blog as a release, yet sometimes, this blog creates pressure--if you blog, ya know what I'm talking about. So I've kinda made this a not so high priority anymore. But I still read on my reader and keep up to date with ya'll.

I did, however, want my first post back to tell you of a small experience. It's in the bathroom, at work, AGAIN.

I've told you time and time again, that I think going to the bathroom is a colossal waste of time. I hate it. It's boring.

So I hold it until the last possible minute. Well when you are trying to eat Healthy... which is not a consistent thing for me yet, but I work on it everyday of my FREAKING life, you tend to drink more water. The more water you drink, the less bloated you feel (true story), which is an AWESOME feeling... less bloated... so I was on my gotta-drink-80 oz-of-water kick and as you can imagine, when it was time to finally get up and pee, it was TIME. Well I rushed to the bathroom. Jump around getting things unzipped and pulled down. Then I start to pee. And pee. And pee. Then someone walks into the bathroom, gets in their stall, unzips and pulls down and starts peeing also.

I'm still peeing.

They finish.

I'm still peeing.

After they zip and pull everything up, open the stall door, wash their hands, and leave the bathroom.

I FINALLY finish peeing.

It HAD to be a guiness book of world records sort of record!

So question is: Is it abnormal that I even paid attention to that?

Love ya guys,

Why I'm there and not here... or whatever

This is why I am not HERE... work work and more work... and inbetween, editing.

So I posted on my Photography blog, but have yet to have time to do much else besides work.

Love you guys!

I got worked and other stuff...

We had the greatest time up north hanging out with cousins for my son's birthday. I loved that he would rather have a birthday party with family than one with friends... is that weird of me? I didn't make him choose that, he wanted it... ftr.

But one thing, we had his birthday at this place where there is a bunch of trampoline's. It's called Jump on It. It's a crazy fun place for kids. Only thing is, they nickle and dime you, like any thing else.

Except I hate falling for it, and fall for it I DID. We had family coming in from an hour and a half away to spend about that same amount of time with us for DCar's birthday (which we were SOOOO appreciative). I thought I could do his party cheaper if I paid per person rather than rent the party room and get their package deal. So the original plan was to go eat after we jumped at the place... ya know, like grab $5.00 pizza at Little Caesars. Only, the nearest pizza place wasn't so near and I didn't want to make those family that had come a distance, travel any more. I found out that we couldn't BRING IN outside food (of course), but that they DID have a pizza place they ordered through and we could get pizza that way--(how kind of them right? *rolls eyes*).

It was $14.00 per pizza. I ordered three. I figured at 14.00 dollars these pizza's were going to be pretty awesome and from a pretty classy place right?

Wrong, as we see the 5 BUCK PIZZA guy walk in with my three pizza's he was delivering.

Yea, so I got worked. But that was the only downer of the whole weekend... and my boy is worth it... I think ;)

I jumped right back into work and have been editing like a mad lady for my latest photo shoot... here's a preview--I've taken this girl before when she was just barely walking, I love REPEAT customers, and whom I consider friends. It's soooo good to see how these children grow up! I know, cliche, but oh so true! :)

What did you guys do this weekend? And would you have said something to the Owners of the Jump On It about the pizza... like... Where's my 9 bucks per pizza you pretty much stole from me?

One of THOSE posts... Sneak Peek!!!

So, if you couldn't tell, I'm still busy.

I'm sorry. I really suck.

Anyway, here is what I've been up to. I had a huge headshot job out in Missouri. So I flew out there for 5 days and snapped my little heart away, taking pictures of what I KNOW will be up and coming actors and actresses on Broadway and Television. These students were absolutely amazing. It was so fun taking headshots for them.

I have also had families contacting me for Christmas card family shoots.

So I've been in my editing dungeon... alot.

But... remember my crush? Well at 10 days old we decided, as in his mom and me and my creative genius SIL (Mandi Wright), to give him a newborn baby shoot. There are SOOOOO many pictures. But I did finally up date my photography blog with some of the pictures of him that I loved.

Here is a sneak peek:

If you want to see some of the other ones click HERE to go to my photography blog.  FYI, I haven't updated that blog for over a year.  I had someone tell another someone to check me out, so they jumped on my blog and reported back to them that, "She hasn't updated her blog for over a year!"  Apparently that was a turn off.  So I am repenting and will be posting there often with families and headshot shoots I have been doing for the past year and a half!  Catch up and procrastination are two things I'm often found doing.

Next post... my story that involves a police officer, me, and late registration plates.

I want to try something new for Thanksgiving whether it be a new tradition such as playing or doing something... or a new recipe?  Any ideas?

Love,

The PHOTOGRAPHY TRAIN-HEADSHOTS!

Okay so somehow I was able to be a part of this fantastic thing called THE PHOTOGRAPHY TRAIN.

What I do is travel around the United States and do Head Shots.

I base out of New York City for head shots... but this a traveling company and it's all sorts of awesome!

So... i just wanted to let my East Coast friends know that I'm most likely going to be in Boston, MA November 5-7, depending on who books, and I want to MEET YOU!!!

Don't be scared...I'll control myself I promise!

And if you know anyone that needs head shots send them my way!

Here's some stuff that I have done:







OH and you should go give your opinion in Group Therapy over at Real World. A boyfriends best friend, but not his girlfriend?

Love ya,

Your blog is SO confusing!

I was at Target last night and ran into an old friend... Laura... love her.

Anyway, first thing she says after HI is... YOU ARE SO CONFUSING on your blog!

Laura(waves had vigorously! So glad to see you tonight).. this is for you and all of you that just happen on my blog...

Sometimes I don't even get MYSELF... those that comment do it because they feel sorry for me... :) My cousin once said, "Yes Shelle, I read your blog, I'm beginning to understand Shelle-ese!" Not a truer statement was ever said... (bows head)

But I actually have friends in Real Life... and sometimes those Real Friends give me a break and let me snap away at their kids. I LOVE when they let me do that.

Sometimes I get lucky and get that shot that makes my belly flutter and my smile get wider!!! I get THAT shot.

Seriously... look at how adorable this little guy is... GAH I love what I do!




So question--Does it trip anyone else out that people you know in REAL life actually read your blog???

Hey, I came full circle on this post... just answer the question all right!!!

Love,

Recorded Historical Moment for ME!!!

Okay I TRY to keep my PHOTOGRAPHY blog separate from this blog.

Kinda like TWO separate worlds or something.

But, I also want to let you know what the WHAT I'm doing now and again.

Record history I could say.

Well something Historical happened...

I did my FIRST studio photo shoot!!! It was literally 4 hours of complete bliss. I was like a kid in the candy story!
The guy holding the girl...the instructor...he's amazing. Just letting you in on that!

This kid could do practically anything on his hands...he might be 11...maybe...





Okay, these boys...they are freakin' adorable. And YES that is DCar on the right hand side.


If you couldn't tell by the photos it was for a HIP-HOP studio here in my town...and I actually take HIP HOP class from this studio. Most of the time I am just a GEEKY white girl trying to get my GROOVE on...

but these lovely subjects let me yell in their faces..."Oh, can you do that ONE more time...didn't quite CLICK when I should have"

When Really...I just wanted to see them do it again and again...these kids were amazing, as well as, photogenic!

So there you have it.

Now go over and join Candid Carrie for Friday Foto Finish Fiesta

Then stop by my TWINS site for her Retreat! Super Deep Thoughts and UBER craziness going on over that...so get the HELK over there!

Love,

Shelle

Indecisive...middle child...black and white...F X 4

So I know a couple of Friday's ago I mentioned how I just LOVE color in my photo's...and I still stand by that...

Only...

I found myself loving the black and white.

I blame it on being the middle child. I'm somewhat indecisive...My opinion jumps around like a grasshopper on cocaine...it about drives my loved ones crazy...if they weren't already crazy!

Plus...I'm feeling a little TWILIGHTish and since SUE absolutely BEGGED me to post about TWILIGHT...I have decided to show these Black and White's especially for her and TWILIGHT and all those who wishes they were with their Sister-in-law's watching the midnight showing in a private rented theater instead of sitting here blogging about it...

Plus...I'm a mom...and I just got done editing these photo's and since I suck at scrap booking and printing my pictures out to put in a photo album...this is their 5 minutes of fame...humor me okay?







Now go have a Fiesta party yourself over at Candid Carrie's!

Love,

Shelle

P.S. I am SHOCKED so many of you did not know about airplane seat belt etiquette...seriously...SHOCKED! Your mothers should be ashamed of themselves...and Fathers too! But I'll forgive...because I have kids and can't remember to hold a grudge.

But if I ever want to get revenge on someone...I'm totally using Momma Trish's suggestion and setting all the alarms for 3 in the morning for the people who get the hotel room after me...so EVIL I love it!

Dance and Photography=Shelle in Heaven

So Dance has been a part of my life before I had a life. My Grandma taught my Mom Dance, who then taught it to her daughters! As a young girl it was something I got to dress up for. I got to wear pretty leg warmers and cute tutu's and it was an attention getter for my Mom when she had a camera...(If you haven't figured out I LOVE attention so this was a good thing). When I saw my mom with the video camera I would yell, "Mom, look at me" and she would zoom around to me and I would then begin to tap my feet and sing, "This is how we tap our feet, we tap our feet, we tap our feet", I would smile real big and my mom, never wanting to let me down, would always say, "Oh! That is So good Shelle, get your fingers out of your mouth", yea, I thought I was the bomb!!!

As I became a young adolescent it was just a thing I had to do after school and interfered with soccer practice and friend time. My parents conveniently forgot me at dance class 90% of the time and I would have to dial collect and the operator would say, "Please say your name so I can introduce you to the party to see if they will take your call" (or something similar to that). Then I would say, "Your late come pick me up from ballet" before the operator would cut me off. Then I would patiently wait for the operator to playback my plea to my parents, and then I would hear my Dad, "Hey, we forgot to get Shelle again". Then I would pray that someone would remember to actually come instead of thinking that someone else had already done the "easy to forget" job of picking me up!

As a Teenager dance defined who I was. When I met someone new it went something like this, "Hi, I'm Shelle it's nice to meet you", then I would get a reply back something like this, "Oh hey, you're the dancer right?" I use to hate that I was defined by my ability to dance. Dance did keep me out of trouble, I had little time to do anything else. I was on the dance team at my high school, as well as, taking dance classes, and practicing for solo's (someday I will tell you about those humilating experiences, but for now I just want you to get what a big part of my life dance is!)

Now as an adult, dance is something I get to do as an outlet. It is special because it bonds my sisters and my mom to me...its something we all enjoy together! It also allows me to use my creativity while creating dance numbers to my favorite songs. I get to escape for a few hours and teach my love to those younger than me. If I take a break from teaching, like I am now, I usually get asked to do some side choreography...Like, I just did a piece for a high school dance company in my home town to the song: "Love Today" by Mika! It was so fun to work with them and they were good enough, that I was able to really have fun with it! It's such a natural high for me! Having dance in my life also gives me the right to critically judge "So You Think You Can Dance"! lol! Yea, don't worry, I am obsessed...I can barely stand it having to wait another month for the new season...anybody want to have a weekly SYTYCD party...anybody? I'll make my special caramel popcorn, okay its not MY caramel popcorn recipe, I stole it from my older sis...but the taste is still just as good...lol!

So I am okay now with dance defining me...it is as much a part of me as the color of blue in my eyes...I am lucky and blessed to be a part of the world that surrounds dance. I will never be famous for it, but its definitely something that I will never give up!

Now I have found a new LOVE that gives me the same natural high as dancing has! That is photography...no I'm not very good yet, but I love getting out there and shooting...it makes me happy when I get 1 good shot out of 50...I'm sure the odds will get better in time...I love jumping on PhotoShop and doctoring up my amateur photos, to make them look somewhat better...I love getting on the computer and reading everything about Digital Photography...I know, NOT another reason for Shelle to sit her big tush in front of the computer...but I have SO much fun! So being able to watch dance while practicing some action shots was a dream...it's so great to be able to do both at the same time!

So I hope you enjoyed these shots I got from my new DSLR camera. I found out really soon that the lens I have (18-55mm) is not at all the best for shooting action shots in an auditorium ( I couldn't get enough light and zoom to make the moving limbs focused enough), but I adjusted and got some pretty fun shots!

As not to bombard you daily wiyh my favorite photos that I have shot and edited I have decided to just create a blog where you can link over to them if you would like to see them!

It's http://www.plushmoments.blogspot.com/ - there's more Dance Action shots and other photos I have taken of my kids and things! So hope you can jump over there...and feel free to give me any constructive criticsm to help me along the way...because the more I learn the better stats I get...as I said before, right now I am at 1 good shot to 50 not so good shots...Thank Goodness for Digital!

Let me know what you think and if you like photography to and have someplace I can check you out...I would love to!!! I'm like a sponge soaking it all up!

My first try...hmmm

Well I attemped my hand at Adobe Photoshop and Lightroom! These are pictures I took when I first got my new camera and I have been trigger happy ever since! I love the detail that comes out in a picture when you can adjust the settings to what you need! It's incredible!

As you can see from things I have added to my blog...I have just found RSS Feed and Google Reader! I feel a little out of my element but I think the concept is good! So you can sign up for a Reader, which is basically just like an email inbox for things such as blogs and news sites where when the site updates, it is automatically in your Reader and you don't have to go and look at it everyday to see if they have posted something new...you just log into your Reader and you instantly know which of your favorite sites have updated! It's great! So check it out...Then subscribe to your favorite sites that have a Feed...like mine! :)

Oh and something funny...apparently blogging is bad for your Health...so blog at your own risk...only the tough survive! Check out this article: Blogging as fast as we Can!