2009 very much could be depicted by the image in this post.  Bare trees hanging over a road that I was uncertain where it led.

I choose to count blessings for 2009 no matter how few or how small.  How about you?  Thinking about the good things that surround you?

My biggest blessing this year has been the people in my life both on the short term and the long term.  I am richer from meeting and knowing each person.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Get these two together and the one liners fly fast and furious,  lots of laughter, and both are just not real crazy about photos of themselves being taken.   So! The deal was a 15 minute session.  Nice! Easy!  Not very many lights and props.   Just Father and Son… that was the goal.  They didn’t have any recent photos of each other.

I adore them both!  “Like Father Like Son” is sort of obvious from the first image above.  There is so much more that make them easy to recognize as father and son.  It goes way much deeper than looks.

Two of my favorite fellas!!

What’s a mental health day readers might ask.   They are days where you go do anything and everything on a whim.  Wednesday was such a day.  I grabbed a friend and off we went.  Camera tucked in the car of course. The best way to describe my mood was with this image.

A gloomy cloudy dark dreary day with pond scum on the river?  Oh, man! Perfect!! It fit my mood perfectly.  I am a DIGS kind of person (Donna’s instant gratification syndrome) and since when did life ever  deliver the changes life has for us on our timetable?   I’ve a flair for the dramatic. So! Off I went.

The day included retail therapy purchasing, a new top, a moody colored scarf, pumpkin pie fudge, jelly bellies, typhoo tea,  a coffee/hot chocoalte mix, horseradish mustard, and mango butter.  Amazing things happen after a little retail therapy.

To add to my day of retail therapy  there was of course Lay’s Chips so I got my oil/salt fix.  The day and the evening was shared with a friend and we ended it with Mexican food and Blue Moon.

Funny, I forgot why I needed a mental health day after all that.  Oh, come on!   You know you have mental health days too.  <smile>   They work wonders in accepting the things you can’t change!!

My studio landlord is a realtor, and lately he has asked me to go get the images he needs to list homes with. Well, two of them lately had backyards with great stuff from Quint City Stone. Both of them I fell in love with. The houses were nice, but I could have just sat down and been totally at home in the back yards.

The listing agent is Jesse Hammes, ReMax, 563 579 0777.   Jesse is really a great guy, an excellent realtor with integrity, and I find that he is really a motivated force in downtown Davenport.  He has several restoration projects going on as well as being a realtor.

A little perspective on this 7 mile run most of it up hill.   There were over 18,000 registered participants.  When they announced the first runners were passing the half way point there were still people just passing the starting line.    I know better than 30 people that ran….. I didn’t spot even one of them.   It was a sea of people most with little to no maneuvering room.   This gentleman faced all the possibilities of someone bumping him or a crutch, maneuvering through the crowd, going up that hill…….

I don’t know him, but he inspires me to count my blessings and admire him.

Edited to add:

New trend?  Run the Bix before your wedding?   Those are some true friends that are with her.  That is not only going the extra mile it’s going the extra 7 miles.

why this door was hung.  It is between a restroom and an outside door on the far side of the kitchen.  It certainly won’t keep out bugs since they could buzz right through it.  That large of a hole in screening isn’t required for a breeze to pass through.  Perhaps strength to prevent being pushed in during the delivery process?  Perhaps it was what was on hand to make the door, and it was homemade?

Love those funky places to shoot.  So, Lexie is standing in the bathroom door.

The lovely blue wall is in the men’s room.

Lovely color in the kitchen!

My point in pointing these places throughout the building is that you don’t have to have totally beautiful settings to yield great photos.  We went to all the funky corners that are usually not viewed by the public.  Skellington Manor has all the upper floors under construction and getting the haunted floors ready for the public in the Fall.

Let me assure you the main floor is ready for a small to a fairly large event.  Skellington Manor… a wee bit different!

Every wedding I shoot has random shoe shots from guests and family.

These lil’ pink numbers belong to Lexie.

Why do we do this?  We want to see how much our bride notices the details of the day.

The day started out with Greg and Kristin my August 22, 2009 wedding.  It was hot, and they opted to pop in the studio for a casual shoot.  No flash, 85mm, natural light…. just them being them!  Quite fun to shoot this way without all the “expected” poses.

Before I took off for the next shoot we talked about the ceremony, reception, and all the timeline for the day. It’s going to be a fun day for sure!

Then it was off to Vander Veer to shoot Brooke and “Jeremy” (inside joke)

There is no way you can be with them and not laugh a lot and often!  He eats up camera time like most of us eat chocolate.  There’s no shyness.

Of course we had to get Chance with mom and dad.  I really think Chance should come to the wedding!

Then it was off to shoot with Lynn Carr owner of Clazzy Designs for a story being done elsewhere.  You just cannot talk about Clazzy Designs without mentioning Suzy……

Suzy is going to kill me for posting this.  She is a behind the scenes, taking her list and checking it 3 times type.  Sharp wit, ready smile, and tell it like it is kinda gal who loves Lynn!  Suzy is great!!

Started at 9am and wound down around 4pm.   It was a good feeling to settle into some air conditioned air and chill.

I am joining together with a makeup artist, florist, and a location to do a concept shoot.   Lighting will already be set for another model who will be very avant garde in appearance.   I am looking for a bride that loves to play dress up and will get back in her dress for the camera.

Dates we are considering are the 27 of june and the 11 of july.   Let me have a shout out if you are interesed.

I’d consider more than one based on your love of being YOU in front of the camera.  You come play, and Studio D will give you images to have and hold and PRINT.