Graduation Photo Shoot

I recently shot my first graduation pictures!
This is my friend Steve (Gaby's hubby).
He was SUCH a good sport.
The picture above is probably my fav from the whole shoot.

I used the "flash at sunset" technique which I learned in my intermediate photography class.
Remember the first time I used that technique?

I managed to sneak in a few cute pictures of Gaby and Steve too!

The "casual" pose.

This is where Gaby stole the show.
She was showing Steve how he should jump off the rocks.

Good effort Steve!
Not quite as adorable as Gaby though.

I am in love with the background in this picture.

Here's the final invitation I put together for Steve and Gaby.
It's my first invite/announcement I've ever done.
Not bad if I do say so myself!

Vegas Freebies

Check out all the SWAG we got in Las Vegas!

Tom used to work for a security company and he likes keeps those skills in his back pocket.
So last weekend we went to Vegas for a "Security Conference."
But it was really just a trade show with more than a hundred companies trying to sell their products.
One of their strategies to get you to their booth?
Free stuff!

Ironically, most of the freebies had nothing to do with security.

Like flashing hats...

Flashing necklaces and flashlights...

Luggage tags...

Chocolate (WOOT!) in the shape of casino chips and cards...

Squishy things...

A random sample of fencing...

LOTS of screwdrivers...

And pens, pens, and more pens.

Here's the final count:
82 pens
18 screwdrivers
12 toys
10 notepads
9 things like *light* up
7 lanyards
5 hand sanitizers
4 flash drives
2 aluminum water bottles
2 smoke detector checker
2 lunch boxes
and 1 label dispenser.

Priceless beauty for less than $4

I bought this aqua ring yesterday for $3.80 at Forever 21 and all day today I've just been staring at my hand.
I know. So vain!
So how do I blog about something so superficial?
Turn it into a photography post!

So this afternoon I took Yoda for a walk and tried to find a setting that would contrast with the ring.
One yard had these orange rocks, the perfect spot!

I'm surprised I got a steady shot with Yoda pulling me in every direction!

Another yard had this red bush, but I'm not in love with this picture so much.

The Hubby's Sewing Skillz

I don't sew, but there is a sewing machine in my house.
It is for my jack-of-all-trades husband.

He likes to bring it out once in a while and make pillow covers, blankets, or VESTS for ugly sweater parties.

His latest project? A doggy sling!

Like a baby sling, it's for carrying Yoda around hands free!

You see, we like to sneak Yoda into stores with us.
So we'll usually stuff him in a hoodie or jacket and let his head poke out the neck.
With the Yoda Sling, we can bring him places and not worry about stretching our sweaters.

So practical right?

Can't you tell how much Yoda loves it?!

Tom even made a hole for Yoda's tail!!

Can you handle the cuteness?

P.S. The American Flag will not be residing on that wall for much longer. We were just trying to get the wrinkles out.

Why I Love Easter

Because you get to put candy on display!

Okay, I know you can do this for any holiday, but this is the first time I've done it.
Once I had all the yumminess on display, it just screamed "take my picture!"
The photo above is probably my favorite. I love the reflection on my shiny countertops!
Like my background?
It's a blanket.
(Looks a little better than my stove doesn't it?)

For this picture I used my new "star" filter, which instantly gives you a cheesy 80's glow and turns any spot of light into a STAR!
Totally worth the $4 I paid for it.


I felt like this picture kinda had a vintage feel to it, so I tried to play on that feel with my new Photoshop skillz. This was the result:

Okay, so it only barely looks different. Whatevs.

Turns out this will be the only time I put candy on display in our home.
It only lasted one day.
After Tom and I ate the entire trifle-bowl of eggs in one sitting, he made me bring the rest to work.
We just don't have the self control.

Photo Shoot Extras

I did a graduation photo shoot this weekend, and while those photos aren't ready to show off yet, I did get a couple cool shots for myself at the end.

This is Utah Lake after sunset. It was REALLY dark, but with a really high ISO, I was able to pick up the last remaining light in the sky. The high ISO is why the pictures look a little grainy.
These pictures make it look a lot lighter than it is.

I know these pictures look really similar, but I couldn't decide which one I liked better, so you get to see both! (One is just a bit brighter than the other.)