shawn's surprise weekend

My birthday, Christmas, our wedding anniversary, and Shawn's birthday all fall within a matter of weeks. So, each year Shawn or I plan one big surprise for the other. Last year was Shawn's turn (it involved a shopping spree for me, a nice dinner, and a b&b). This year was mine! I started planning it back in June. 

This past weekend was it- and it was SO much fun to have little surprises along the way. I thought I'd take you with me...in pictures of course!

We began driving...for 5 hours...to Dallas. So I experimented with my camera.

This is what you get if you take off your 50mm lens, turn it backwards, hold it nice and steady and shoot. Macro!

Finally we arrived at our hotel. I love Aloft!

The hotel has such cool, modern details. I could shoot there all day.

That night we went to Studio Movie Grill and watched Avatar. It was definitely worth it to see it in 3-D, although it made finding our food a bit more of a challenge. :) This is a terrible picture shot with my point and shoot. We tried to get a decent one, but figured the people directly behind us were most likely going blind from the flash.

The next day I only had dinner plans, so we just hopped from place to place depending on what we wanted to do next. 

We started the day with breakfast at Ikea, which is typically only 99 cents, but this day it happened to be FREE! 

After perusing the store, Shawn decided he needed some "man heaven". So we went here-

After that, we chose to visit the Nasher Sculpture Garden. (Yes, Shawn really did want to go.) It was free admission on Saturday, so that was an extra treat! It was such a refreshing experience. We spent a lot of time in the courtyard photographing the sculptures and each other. 

The light was gorgeous.

Haha. We never get too serious.

I think I might change my title to include "bubble-ographer".

Yes, Layne, I stole your shirt. And I enjoyed wearing it. Thanks! :)

After that we decided to go see the "Bodies" exhibition we'd been hearing about. HERE's the main site. It was, um, interesting. More than anything I left in amazement that somehow God makes all of those bones and ligaments and veins work together to make a human.

After that, we had a few hours to kill so we went to Borders. Someone was tired, and someone was bored. 

Then it was time for dinner! Neither us had ever been to Medieval Times, and we had a good time eating with our hands and cheering on the red and yellow knight.

After that, as far as Shawn knew, we were driving home the next morning. And after a yummy breakfast at Panera, we began to. Until I made an exit in Arlington. Here was the dialogue:

Shawn: We just exited. We're not going home, are we?

Lissa: Nope.

Shawn: ARE WE GOING TO THE COWBOYS GAME?? Oh my gosh. No way. (Hits me on the shoulder)

Lissa: Yep.

Shawn: NO FREAKING WAY! (Hits me on the shoulder again)

Lissa: Haha, yeah! We are going!

Shawn: OH MY GOSH. No way. (Another shoulder hit)

Lissa: Ok, you can open that present now!

Back in June, I had collaborated with his Mom and sister to get tickets for his whole family. As long as I can remember he's talked about going to a Cowboys game with his Dad. So we surprised them both, and somehow got them both to the stadium without spilling the beans! They were both shocked to say the least. We saw this face a lot.

The stadium was incredible. I have never seen that many people in one place. It was a great game (Cowboys win!) and such a good time.

happy anniversary, my love!

Today is not just New Year's Eve in our house, it's also our wedding anniversary! We were married 4 years ago and had a fantastic wedding full of sentimental things, loving family and friends, and dancing.

The day after the wedding, our flight was cancelled to our honeymoon destination and so we had to go to some pretty extreme measures to finally get there. I felt like it was just a hint at what marriage would be like- lots of unexpected adventures and memories- all made together as a team.

I know there have definitely been times when I wasn't feeling so "sportsmanlike"...which is why I am SO thankful for a husband that is always willing to be patient and communicate. Shawn is constantly seeking what the Lord would have for us above our own material desires, and for that I love him so much. 

I know I'm better with him than without and I still sometimes pause in amazement at how I ended up marrying the boy who grew up just a few blocks away from my own house. I just wanted to say thank you, Shawn, for pushing me, supporting me, and taking such good care of our household and our future. I can't wait for the next adventure!

This is one of my favorite photos of us- taken by accident by my sister while we were on vacation in Puerto Rico this past summer. I just love everything it says about our relationship...it's not perfect, but it's us...and when you step back and take a look at it, it's really a beautiful picture.

help-portrait • lubbock, tx

I've always loved the work of photographer Jeremy Cowart (in fact, I'm going to his workshop next month- yippee!). When he launched the Help-Portrait project, I knew it would be huge.

The basics of the project:

1. Find someone in need.

2. Take their portrait.

3. Print their portrait.

4. Deliver the prints.

For a quick overview of the project, please watch the video on their website:

HELP-PORTRAIT

(I couldn't embed it here.)

After I saw the video, "inspired" would have been a mild way to describe me. I was just plain overwhelmed by the potential of it all. After a while, I wrote it off, thinking it was a mountain I didn't have the time or energy to climb this year.

Then God and I had a conversation. We got my priorities straight...and I decided that it was okay to start small.

I was able to get in contact with Lubbock Impact and photograph some kids and their families last Sunday. It was perfect. It felt right. And I can't wait to deliver the images. 

Here are a few of my favorites. I already can't wait to do it again...even bigger! I know there are so many wonderful photographers in this area that could really have a huge impact on our community. 

A few behind-the-scenes images from Shanna:

All my helpers. THANK YOU! You guys are wonderful and your support means so much to me!

And another huge thank you to L'Anna Jones and everyone at Family Church for being so open and easy to work with. God is doing incredible things with you!

oh, letterpress, how i love you...

I got in my brand new letterpress business cards, and they were totally worth the splurge. I may not want to give them away at all! 

I worked with Invited Ink, who I found on etsy. They were very easy to work with and I just love what they produced! Not to mention I'm a sucker for good packaging. 

One day I'd like to learn how letterpress works. I think if I weren't a photographer, I'd be heavily pursuing the graphic design/paperie field.

ALSO: I forgot to mention that I will be announcing my BIGGEST contest of the year VERY SOON! (As in check back later today.)

a change of art

I just got back from Photo Biz Boot Camp in Austin! It was an intense few days, but I've never been to a workshop more worth my time and money. Liana is so wonderful! She took the time to listen to each one of our situations, push us as business owners, and reassure our dreams. I so enjoyed my time with the other photographers there- Hannah Foley, Eileen Broderick, Natasja Vega, and Alina Prax. 

We took a break from number-crunching yesterday to do a few headshots of each other. Here are some of mine.

Natasja.

Eileen.

Alina.

This is what it looks like to have great cheekbones. :)

Love the colors here...and of course Natasja.

Yes, her eyes are really this color. I did not touch them!

We forced Liana to let us photograph her! Ha! 

My fave.

Hannah had to fly out early yesterday so she didn't make the group pic- but I'm SO glad she came with me! Love you Hannah! You're brilliant!

Over the course of the workshop I realized that I need to refine my blogging a bit. I want to spend more time focusing on the things that truly interest me and my blog readers, instead of pushing out bulk-loads of information, hoping to find someone that is interested! So you may notice a few changes here and there...ultimately I want to create a place where you blog-readers can find all sorts of great, inspiring stuff, and share it yourselves!

new november contest!

It's about time for a new contest around here!

Since the holidays are creeping up on us I've been in the mood to make things...all the time. My husband is sick of my "knitting stations" and tiny projects all around the house...but he definitely didn't complain about these!

Pumpkin Cinnamon Rolls with Cream Cheese Frosting

Now that I look at them again, I may have gone a little crazy with the frosting....nah....I'm not sure you can ever have too much. These are rich and yummy and really fun to make! Just make sure you have a good block of time to let the dough rise. (I cleaned the house in between.)

I got the recipe from this site, except I would definitely double the filling and I also changed the frosting to the one I typically make with pumpkin cookies. Here is the frosting recipe:

4 oz. cream cheese

3 tbl. milk

1/2 tsp. vanilla

1/2 box (about 2 cups) powdered sugar

water to taste

Mix all ingredients except water with a stand or hand mixer, and then begin to add water until the frosting has reached a consistency good for drizzling. Put the mixture in a ziploc bag, snip off a corner, and get after it!

Please comment back if you decide to make some of these for yourself or a friend!

Now, for November's contest:

In light of this made-from-scratch attitude, I'm looking for some fun holiday projects that will be sentimental and special additions to our home. I made our stockings a couple years ago and have been thinking about how I can do an eclectic tree skirt. One of my friends made a special birthday banner to use every year for her son's birthday- it was made from cards he'd received on his first birthday. I am not excluding traditions with this one, either. You can share anything that you feel like make the holidays a little more special. My grandmother makes the yummiest strata every Christmas morning. Even if she changed the menu, I would still love the tradition.

So, comment below, or feel free to comment back on your own blog (pictures would be great!)- just leave me the link in the comments of this post. 

The winner will receive Amanda Blake Soule's Handmade Home or The Creative Family. I've heard both of these books have great, easy projects and I'm excited to get my own copy!

This contest ends November 24th! Have fun!

east asia recap

I'm not sure how I found the time to process these images already, but I sure am glad it's done- now I get to share them with you!

Our trip was a very quick one, but it was worth it to get to see the people and places we did...some familiar, some new. Traveling with almost triple the amount of people as in the previous trip (including two kiddos) definitely changed the logistics of our travel but it was really neat getting several different perspectives on it all.

Loved it. This is the only other country I've ever been to...I start to wonder how I'll feel whenever I do travel elsewhere someday. Will I not miss the old men spitting in the streets, or the strange smells? Most likely I will. :)

Marcus toted Ty the tiger (his son's toy) everywhere we went.

Her first plane ride. (A 12.5 hour one, mind you)

Such a typical scene I had to photograph it.

We met these people every morning in the park to play a hackey-sack like game with them. The sun rises very early, and you'll find hundreds of adults exercising, dancing, and playing games. The people in the background are practicing ballroom dancing.

Too cute not to photograph. I noticed she already has a rotten tooth... apparently it is believed to be not good for children to take them to the dentist before they are 5 or 6.

I want one of these! Or two...

This little boy announced himself by saying, "Hello, my name is Boris. What do you think of the weather today?"

We got to watch a calligrapher in action, which of course was exciting for me.

My Mom has always said that the best artists always have the ugliest hands.

LOVE this picture of Lindsey. It kind of makes me nervous. I'm not sure I can capture her any better!

Where the Great Wall meets the ocean.

Seeing these two was sooo refreshing.

headed to east asia...

Yes, again!

I'll be gone from today (Oct. 2) to Oct. 12. I MAY have internet access, but will not be answering my phone. You are welcome to leave me a voicemail or an email, but please understand that my response will be slow or delayed until I am back. 

If you can, please keep my friends and I in your thoughts. Lots of exciting things going on this trip! 

supermarket sweep • still at it!

I stopped blogging about my grocery/coupon clipping adventures, because I figured that most of you who read my blog would rather see photography than a pile of produce. But I've decided that it's something I've found so helpful (and even fun), so I'm sharing!

I've learned a couple of things about this way of shopping- it's about buying more when you see a good deal, and then using it later. It's also all about buying only what's on sale, or close to free. 

I've been doing this for a couple months now, and not only have I had extra money left over at the end of the month, but our pantry is more well-stocked than I've ever seen it. Bring on that blizzard!

Here's what I bought this week:

I went to 3 different stores and spent a total of 37.54. Doesn't look like much, but here's the breakdown:

Target had several pounds of Archer Farms coffee on clearance for 4.58. They did have whole bean, which helps preserve the coffee much longer, and we have a automatic grinder in our coffee machine (and consume about 1.5 lbs. every two weeks), so I jumped on it and bought 2. (The other one is already in use!) 

Walgreens

Two boxes Kashi cereal @ 2/5.00. I also had a coupon for 1.50 off, so that made them 1.75 each.

True North Pecan Almond Peanut Clusters (sooooo yummy!)- on sale for 3.00, with an additional $3 in Register Rewards. I also had a 1.00 off coupon from their website.

Dove deodorant- Walgreens had a 1.99 coupon in the Sunday paper, and I had a 2.00 off coupon from the manufacturer, so I actually MADE .01 buying it!

United

A friend had told me to get to the grocery store early in the morning to pick up VERY discounted meat from the day before. I knew United had a sale on ground beef (which I always like to have around), so I ended up getting 4 lbs. of ground beef for 8.44!

I also snagged some ribs for Shawn @ 3.22. 

The Sprite, Half and Half, and chicken broth were all regular price. 

I had one "splurge" item- the raw honey. Heather and I came across the Lubbock farmer's market on Saturday morning, and found this delicious honey. I spent 14.00 on it- eek! Since I am making my own bread now, though, I use a lot of honey, since the recipe doesn't use sugar. This honey is made in Idalou, and so it will also help build our immunities since it is local.

Here are some new links I've founds helpful:

Save Lubbock- the only coupon blog for Lubbock I've seen!

Organic Grocery Deals- Target Coupon Generator

And check out my friend Emily- she is getting some steals! I need to take a couple lessons from her!

little miss josie • Borger, TX

Josephine is the daughter of my cousin, Scott and his wife Chrissy. Since they live in California, I haven't gotten to meet little Josie until now! She is a precious, tiny little thing- the most accurate representation of "china doll" that I've ever seen. I so enjoyed getting to hang out with Scott and Chrissy. They are totally laid-back, which is wonderful when photographing children. 

Everybody needs a break now and then. It was amazing to watch the transformation in Josie's face once she was "home" with Mom.

I broke out my wide-angle lens and this is what happened.

I think she wanted to eat me, haha!

Love that you can see both her parents in the background of this one.

L.O.V.E. these next two. Probably some of my all-time favorites. Plus, you can see how tiny she is!