First Official Meetup!

Today was the first official CTE Seattle Photography Meetup, and it was an overall success! While there were only two in attendance, other than myself, we had a lot of fun! We talked photography all afternoon, walked around Pike Place Market, got to see Santa, some Christmas lights, some classic Seattle street performers, and took some great pictures! I had FUN!

 

Here is the link to view the photos that I took:

http://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10150417360209383.383274.806914382&type=1&l=06780d9872

 

Also, don't forget that if you or anyone you may know is interested in signing up for the meetup group, simply visit the link below! 

https://www.facebook.com/CapturingTrueEmotion?sk=app_141428856257

Giving Thanks

This Thanksgiving I have a lot to be thankful for. Even in my darkest hours, which I have been buried in a lot lately, I remember what I am most grateful for.

This cliche list may not interest you, but it is what I think the most about:

- Family, and Extended Family. Because without them, I would not be here. I would not have the support system that I need in life, and visa-versa. These are the greatest people, for they show my unconditional love and support no matter what. Through thick and thin, good and bad. Blood will always be thicker than water in my family! And let's face it, if you know my family, we are one hell of a breed of fighters and survivors!

- Health. Let's be honest. Is this not one of the most important things? We would literally not be here without this on our side.

 - Home. This beautiful roof over our heads, that we were blessed to find, is one of the greatest things to come into our lives! There is nothing like waking up to sun shining through the trees, or watching the snow fall and cover the property that now belongs to us! Buying a home is one thing. But we were fortunate enough to score a beautiful piece of property with ours! And while we may have to drive an extra 10 minutes to get places, it is so incredibly worth it - to us!

- Friends. Well, at least the small handful of friends that actually know ME. Not the 'me' that I pretend to be. Because to be honest, not very many "friends" know who I am. Without those few people, I would not be sane! These few people are somewhat of an extension of me. So the ones who take the honest time to find out, and continue to do so, I thank you for that!

- Life. By this, I not only mean the literal sense {breathing, walking, talking, etc...}. I am talking about the experience and lessons I have learned in my struggles, and triumphs. For the strangers that have passed through my life, and touched my heart and soul in one way or another. For the beliefs and morality that I have hung onto...Without these things, and people, I would not be WHO I am. I would not have the empathy that I do. 

- Memories. Without my memories, the good and the bad, the happy and the sad, I do not think I would have the ability to expand my heart and open it up as much as I do. These memories literally remind me of everything!

For everything that I have {material and not}, I am thankful for. For every single person that I know {and have known in the past}, I am thankful for you, and your presence in my life. And last but not least, I am thankful that I AM HERE to be thankful!

HAPPY THANKSGIVING TO YOU AND YOURS!

Forever Young

 Some of you may recognize this, since it is the opening song to the great show 'Parenthood'. But the words that are in this are exactly what I want for my daughter. And while I am not the biggest Bob Dylan fan, I believe that he wrote these words perfectly...

 "Forever Young" 

written and sung by, Bob Dylan

May God bless and keep you always
May your wishes all come true
May you always do for others
And let others do for you
May you build a ladder to the stars
And climb on every rung
May you stay forever young
Forever young, forever young
May you stay forever young

May you grow up to be righteous
May you grow up to be true
May you always know the truth
And see the lights surrounding you
May you always be courageous
Stand upright and be strong
May you stay forever young
Forever young, forever young

 May you stay forever young
May your hands always be busy
May your feet always be swift
May you have a strong foundation
When the winds of changes shift
May your heart always be joyful
May your song always be sung
May you stay forever young
Forever young, forever young
May you stay forever young

GooseBumps

As most of you know, I have been blabbing on & on about the fabulous time I had on Monday night! And for those of you who have no idea what I'm talking about, let me explain...

This past Monday night I went to a show with my mom. Yes, my mom! She and I have the same {great!} taste in music, and we truly appreciate that art that comes along with it. So yes, my mom and I went together! We saw The Civil Wars, with opening act Milo Greene. Both of which were absolutely incredibly amazing! In fact, those adjectives are quit the understatement! I know that you have heard me spew about how great The Civil Wars are, in previous posts, but to truly understand their level of talent, one must see for themselves! Not to mention, Mr. White {the leading man} is not hard on the eyes...in fact, I believe he holds a slight resemblance to my all time favorite, Mr. Johnny Depp!

The Civil Wars

 

Milo Greene

 But before I get ahead of myself, let me begin by saying that the planets were definitely in alignment for us that night! We had no traffic getting there, found a great parking spot right next to the theater, then got in fairly quickly and proceeded to snag some pretty incredible seats up on the mezzanine level! The venue was awesome, in itself! It was The Neptune Theater, which used to be an old movie theater back in the early 1900's. It has {very} recently been remodeled into a concert venue. Very cool, and totally my style! In fact, I cannot figure out why I have never been there before...Shame on me!

 

{Not The Civil Wars...}

 The opening act, Milo Greene, is an up-and-coming band from L.A. And OH-MY-GAWD, are they impressive! They started out with a tribal beat, which automatically caught my attention, and kept me moving in my seat! Song after song was so good, I never lost interest. Check out this performance from Monday night, and I promise you won't be disappointed:

 

{Milo Greene, '1957'}

Then came the main course: The Civil Wars. I could literally go on and on about them, but I won't bore you with my opinions. In fact, I think you should come up with your own! Watch these following videos from their performance Monday, and you will see for yourself! That day just happened to be Joy Williams' birthday {the leading lady}, so us {the audience} sang her Happy Birthday, which is something I had never done before at a concert. She is so graceful with her movements and her voice. And John Paul White {the leading man} can seriously belt it out! They have such a chemistry on stage, that is so alluring. It hypnotizes you. And before you know it, a song has ended, and they are joking with each other like brother and sister. This description probably sounds like every other band/duo you have seen live, right? Well I disagree1 They have a sultry, melancholy sound and feel. But you can't help but to smile and give a standing ovation at the end! So without further adieu, here are two videos from Monday that I truly believe you NEED to witness! 

 

{The Civil Wars, 'Falling'}

{The Civil Wars, 'Dance Me To The End of Love'}

Toy Story on Ice!

Last night was so much fun! 

It is times like this, that remind why I love being a parent!

Neither Emma or I had ever been to a Disney on Ice event before, and it was definitely well worth the money! We went with some 'alumni' if you will, of this Disney on Ice thing, and they had told me how much fun it is...they were right! A few months ago, Alyssa & Cody's parents {Em's best friends from school, also with whom we will be going to Disneyland with} and I decided we should all go together, and we are glad we did!

We started the night off by meeting our friends for dinner at the Ram in Kent Station. Since the show was at the ShoWare Center, we decided to walk across and get some dinner before hand...

Then we headed back and let the kiddos take their photo together with Buzz & Woody!

Meet the Three Amigos!

 Then from there, we just HAD to purchase some extremely over-priced cotton candy {which came with a styrofoam alien hat}...

 And an over-priced lemonade {which came with a reusable water bottle}! Cue the SUGAR OVERLOAD! But what is a night of fun without sugar, right?!!!

We then headed to our seats, which were really good! Six rows from the ice! The show starts, and my daughter LIGHTS UP! I have never seen her so incredibly excited! In fact, I must confess that seeing her like that got me a little choked up...my eyes may have watered up a little...!

Then comes intermission - which is when she saw this - 

  Which does this -

And just had to have it! She is such a little Tom Boy at times, and I love it! By the time the show had ended, she was a little upset. She didn't want it to end! I am thinking that we may have to buck up and do this every year! It's a BLAST! 

Em and her 'Boyfriend'

CTE Seattle Photography Meetup Group

I am looking for ANY & ALL local Seattle photog's! 

It does not matter what your skill level is, what type of camera you may or may not own, the only thing that matters is your LOVE & ADORATION for photography! 

If you, or someone you may know, is interested in joining a localized photography meet up group, please sign up for this one! I have been appointed from a company in California, to run and lead the Seattle area photography meet up group for them. To say I am honored would be an understatement! 

The focus of this meet up group, is to share and learn knowledge on how to make your photography better. And to meet people who have the same interest as you. But in free, laid-back settings! This group is by no means a workshop, it is just a fun way to get together and snap away, while learning techniques between shutters clicks!

I already have some ideas, but I cannot put them to use without people to meet up with! To sign up, click on the following link: 

http://www.facebook.com/groups/132293593541551/

And if you have any further questions about the group, just ask! 

Capturing True Emotion

All Around Success!

Halloween was a success! 

We started the day off with Em's costume show at school. The class sings Halloween and Fall-themed songs, and each child speaks into the microphone and tells the audience what their costume is. SO CUTE! 

After that, Howard, Emma and I headed down to Red Robin for a family lunch. {Howard took the day off, since he left this morning Vegas bound, for SEMA!}

Then we headed on over to Cody's house {Em's 'boyfriend} to go Trick or Treating with them! It was fun, the kids had a blast, but got tuckered out pretty quickly! Plus, now we have a bag FULL of candy...let's see how long it lasts! Ha, ha!

On another note, I have some pretty exciting news {for me}!

I was selected, out of hundreds of applicants, to be the Group Leader for the Seattle area's Capturing True Emotion Meetup! I am beyond thrilled, and really excited to be doing this!! 

If you remember, the workshops that I have attended in the past are held by this company, and I will be working directly with the two main photographers to set-up and coordinate meetups all over the Seattle area! I get to plan them, organize them, and lead them! WOOHOO! 

This Meetup Group is exactly what I was looking for when I started out in photography. And I simply could not find one...but here it is, I get to help! I have a feeling that this may be my "calling". To help others learn about their passion, and interest, for photography! Granted, this is only the first stepping stone, but alas! A stepping stone has been placed in front of me! 

If you, or someone you may know, is interested in this Meetup Group, let me know! Also, check out the Facebook Group Page. It explains the steps:

Hello my fellow photography lovers! The Seattle, WA Meetup Group is up and running! And we want to invite you to join!

Step 1. Join this Group!

Step 2. Click the link below and enter your email address! https://www.facebook.com/CapturingTrueEmotion?sk=app_141428856257

Step 3. Select Seattle!

The objective of the CTE Photography Meetup Group is to have fun and make friends in beautiful settings. Concentrating on giving, and receiving, shared knowledge about: controlling the settings on your camera, light, color, metering, and composition.

 Find us here!http://www.facebook.com/groups/132293593541551/