Weimerville

Moving

2011-09-06T17:10:00.002-06:00

Not physically, just digitally. As much as I love to post on this blog I find I don't have the time anymore. That doesn't mean I'm not blogging though. I'm just combining my personal blog with my photo blog. So if you want to check out our little family still please visit:

http://amberweimerphotography.blogspot.com

Thanks! xoxo

Back to stay

2010-09-18T09:45:00.008-06:00

So, I know I've been gone for a very very long time(thanks to my last year of school,) but now I'm back. Here are some things that happened during my blogger vacation:

1. I graduated from UVU with a B.S. in Photography in April. I got a custom designed website so check that out www.amberweimerphotography.com

2. We celebrated our 4th anniversary in April.

3. I got knocked up. On purpose.

4. We find out on Monday what we're having.
5. I suppose I'll write again on Monday.

Big Changes

2009-06-13T15:09:00.005-06:00

Just a couple things:

First, I've changed my website quite a bit. The pricing and info is completely different. Hopefully it'll be a lot better.

Second, my website will be off the web at the end of June(this month) in preparation for my new site! The new one will be completely different and hip(the pricing and packages will remain the same.) I'm super excited about it. One thing I'll be doing differently is no printing(except for montages.) Each package(excludes Fine Art) comes with a high res cd of all images. AND, here's the biggest change, each cd includes all images in color, bw, and sepia tone, and 2 custom made photo montages. Isn't that exciting?! Breath. It's for real. Here are a couple examples of montages you can expect:

If you know anyone(including yourself) who would like their pics done please refer me. I would be super grateful. As an incentive to get more business I am offering 30% off any package to friends and family.

Love you guys!!!

www.amberweimerphotography.com

Attack of the GEODUCKS!!!! Blah!

2009-06-09T15:44:00.006-06:00

So on our little jaunt over to Dash Point, we made a disgusting discovery (how's that for alliteration? nice right?) We noticed these nasty little blobs sticking out of the sand that would go down every time we got close. Not only that, but they would squirt water as they slunk down below the sand. The boys tried to dig a little to unearth one(as did Brucey, after being squirted by one), but gave up as no one wanted to touch the globby creatures. Luckily we asked a passer- by if he knew what they were, and he did. "Geoducks," (gooey ducks) he told us. When we got home we looked them up and this is what they really look like: Prepare yourself!

(This photo is not mine, but I picked it because it's so ridiculously funny. Her nails are all painted nice and she's holding it like she's shooting a comercial. Ha! Classic.)
Is that not the grossest thing you've ever seen in your life?! Apparently, they are native to the Puget Sound in Washington(where we live,) and we just happened to run across them. What are the odds?! I know you're curious so here are some fun facts about the geoducks:
-The name geoduck has a native American origin, meaning "dig deep"
-The Chinese call the geoduck the "elephant trunk clam." They actually eat these! It's a Chinese delicacy(I think I just threw up a little bit in my mouth.)

-Oldest Recorded Age: 146 to 168 years
-The neck of a geoduck can stretch to 1 meter, from the body and shell of this clam
-A developing geoduck will burrow into sediment at an approximate rate of 1 foot per year. After digging about 3 feet deep, the adult geoduck settles in for 100 years or more.
-The average size of 2.2 pounds is reached in five to six years. The maximum documented weight: 7.15 kgs. That's 15.76 lbs!
http://www.manandmollusc.net/geoduck.html

What is this strange place I've moved to?!

Dash Point at low tide

2009-06-09T15:16:00.005-06:00

We went to this cool place called Dash Point Beach. It was extreme low tide so we got to see a ton of crazy things. There were lots and lots of starfish, thousands of live sand dollars, different kinds of crabs, a nudibranch, and geoducks(gooey-ducks. I will do another post about them because they're so bizarre, and disgusting!)

One cool thing we discovered was water pockets in the sand. It was so odd. We kept seeing random bursts of water spring up here and there and wondered what the heck was going on. We realized they were coming from little sand mounds that, when disturbed, shoot water 6 feet into the air. It was so fun to find sections with tons of the mounds because we could spray each other(and ourselves.) Brucey sprayed himself many times. It was hilarious.

We've made many good guy friends up here. I get to cook for them or make brownies whenever they have days off, and we get together and play games for hours and hours. It's been great. I get sad when they have to go because I know I won't see them again for a week. I'm trying to keep myself busy while they are away. I miss Brandon so much when he leaves. I couldn't help but shed a few tears when they left yesterday morning (for 2 weeks.) At least I have Brucey to keep me company.

sand dollars

Hadley, Jon, and Brandon looking for critters

Brandon holding a mini starfish

One of the many starfish left by the receding tide

Hadley trying to get the crab to grab his hat

Hadley

Brandon and a big critter

Brandon, Jon, Hadley, and Joey

Cute little crab. Looked like a leaf. Love him.

Joey with the dead "octopus", which was actually a giant many legged starfish.

Wet and Wild

2009-06-09T14:51:00.003-06:00

Brandon's office met a goal for Memorial Day so we got a party for it. We went, not knowing what it was at all, and found this blow up slip and slide. After running back to our apartment for a swimsuit Brandon was able to have lots of fun with the guys. It was soooooo hot. I, on the other hand roasted my butt off while watching. I know this is totally lame, but I didn't want to get my face wet. Washington has been pretty great except that ever since we got here, my face has been so disgusting! No matter what I do, it just keeps breaking out. I don't know what to do. It's never been this bad in my life. I just keep having to wear more and more makeup to cover it up which, in turn, makes my face even worse. It's a vicious cycle. I was able to play some ultimate frisbee at the party so it turned out okay. The stupid thing is, I'm sure know one would even care if my face was all zitty, but seriously, if my face keeps breaking out, I'm going to have a nervous breakdown!!!!

Washington in a whirlwind

2009-05-28T19:41:00.011-06:00

more photos below

So I'm really glad my mom drove up with me and stayed for a few days. For those of you who don't know my momma, she's a traveler. Period. I don't know how else to say it other than we usually need vacations from our vacations. We like to see as many things as possible as fast as we can. Don't misunderstand me, this is not a bad thing. I love it. Because of her, I've been able to see so many things and experience so much.

So on our drive up, I was disappointed for most of the journey. I was expecting a lot more green and started to get discouraged. Then all of a sudden, it was like we'd driven into Twilight. For reals! We were magically surrounded by vast foggy forests and it started to rain. That's when things got exciting.

While my mom was here we went to: Gig Harbor, Point Defiance, Tacoma(Glass Museum), Port Townsend, Port Angeles, Hurricane Ridge in Olympic National Park(where we saw a bear 20 feet away from the road ancd nearly hit a number of deer,) Marymere Falls, Forks(yes really, read more below,) Hoh Rain Forest, Ruby Beach, and Seattle(Aquarium, Space Needle, Pike Place Market.)

All that occurred in 4 days.

The majority of those happened on one day. The grand near-impossible adventure around the Olympic Peninsula. I didn't think it was physically possible to see everything we did and drive that far in one day, but as I mentioned before, I was with my mom. That was 463 miles on a one lane slow highway (25 mph through towns.) Just the driving time for all the places we went that day, not including the time we spent at each location, was... ready for this... 11 hours 25 minutes!

Yes. It was a very long, very successful day.

We didn't even plan on going to Forks, but it just happens to be on the highway along with Port Angeles and La Push. It's so weird! One cool thing happened while we were in Forks. We had stopped for lunch and shopping there briefly and were on our way out of town when my mom got a call. Since it's illegal to talk on your cell phone while driving in Washington we pulled over immediately. While my mom chatted I looked over to my left, and there, down the road, was Forks High School! We of course had to drive over and take about 20 pictures before I was satisfied.
p.s. one more fun fact about Forks, they do Twilight tours! The Twilight tour bus driver honked and waved at me while I was taking pictures of the "Welcome to Forks" sign. They go to Port Angeles, Forks, and La Push. Isn't that funny?

Everything is green and gushy here! Hoh rain forest phone booth

Pike Place Market

Ruby Beach

Hoh Rain Forest

Bear! On the way up to Hurricane Ridge. I got a little nervous and didn't stay long...

Pt. Defiance beach walk

Pt. Defiance

Tacoma Glass Bridge

Washington's been super so far, accept... I've seen Brandon for about 48 hours total since I got here. He had to work all week while my mom was here and could only go to Seattle with us. And even worse, he's had to stay in Yakima(a city 2 1/2 hours away) for the past 2 weeks. And even more worse, he'll probably be gone all of next week too! Come on!!!!! Serioulsy?!!!!!! I'm basically going crazy now.

I have posted many more images on Facebook if you want to check 'em out.

And that brings us to now.

You're going to laugh your socks off!

2009-05-01T14:08:00.002-06:00

Zac? Oh yeah!

2009-04-30T08:55:00.004-06:00

If you haven't seen 17 Again yet, you're missing out. You see, I thought Zac Efron was cute in his earlier roles in HSM and Hairspray, but in this movie, holy crap! Hot! See for yourself. I loved this movie and can't wait to see it again. It's so funny and has a great story.

Wild about Wicked

2009-04-20T17:45:00.006-06:00

If you ever get the chance to see Wicked, you should. It's phenomenal! I've been going to operas and musicals since I was little, and this one definitely makes it into the top 3. The story was so much better than I thought it would be. I almost cried at the end because it was so great.
Brandon had a ticket, but since he's already gone to Seattle, it was basically an all girl excursion.

I spent much of the weekend going out with my Mom, Aunt, and sisters getting dinner, pedicures, and seeing a movie(State of Play is sooo good.) No kids or husbands whining in our ears. We even dressed up cute and all wore high heels. Sometimes you just need to go out with your female posse lookin' hot to trot. It was so so so fun. What a great distraction for me.

You must look at this!

2009-04-15T21:09:00.002-06:00

I was just browsing on the net and found the cutest blog ever! It's a woman named Daisy that posts shabby chic pictures, and it's the most darling stuff I've ever seen. You must look at it! www.daisypinkcupcake.blogspot.com

Feeling Bummed

2009-04-13T13:46:00.002-06:00

Brandy left yesterday morning, and I'm feeling it. I burst into tears whenever anyone asked about him, which was super embarrassing since it was Easter and I was surrounded by people all day. Overall, my family wisely steered clear of the subject so it wasn't too terrible.

I was trying to be really positive about my job before, but now I can't stand it. It's the only thing keeping me from being with my sweetheart, and I hate it! I just want to be done already. I feel bad because I can tell I'm not shooting as well or as fast now. One nice thing is my mom's going to drive up with me to Seattle and stay for a few days to do fun stuff. She's pretty rad like that. And, right after my last day of work we're going to Vegas for the weekend to shop and play. And since my birthday is that week, it'll be a nice present for me. So things aren't really that bad. I just have to stick it out for a month. yeash.

A Fun Thing

2009-03-31T14:47:00.004-06:00

So I've been getting fun Twilight shirts from this website, CafePress.com, and I wanted to find a fun Harry Potter one. Surprisingly, they don't have many. So I decided I would design my own and have it printed from that site. Here's my design. I quite like it considering it's what I named my photography blog a year ago. I'm just getting a v-neck white tee I think and it will have the griffin stamped on the back, small, just below my neck. The best part about designing my own shirt is, it's cheaper than the ones already on there! Awesome! You should try it!

p.s. Obviously, my shirt doesn't say my name on it. I just didn't want anyone to rip off my sweet design.

Did I mention...

2009-03-31T14:32:00.004-06:00

We're moving to Seattle for the Summer?...

Well now you know. Brandon leaves in a week and a half, and I will join him May 13ish. I have to finish my seasonal job. Blah! I want to go now!(picture me stamping my foot like a two year old.)

I'm about peeing my pants thinking of all the amazing pictures I'll be able to get up there. I've asked for a camera backpack that fits 4 lenses, 2 camera bodies, and a tripod for my birthday. It even has a rainfly that pops out of the bottom. Neato burrito. I want to be ready for anything at all times.

If anyone has ever been to that area, I would love some input on things to see and do. I've only been as high as Portland. We'll actually be living in Puyallup/Tacoma, which is about 30 minutes south of Seattle.

And don't worry, I've already mapquested how far away Forks(remember how I mentioned I might be a bit obsessive?...) is from where we'll be. It's like 3 hours so I'm pretty sure it's not going to happen, but one can dream. Anywho, now you know and you can be jealous. Go ahead.

You know you picked the right present when...

2009-03-28T23:19:00.011-06:00

A) Gracie riding her new rocker from me and Brandy.

B) Lilly trying to share in the fun.

C) Gracie dragging Lilly off by her pjs.

D) Gracie dragging Lilly off by her hair yelling,"Birthday Present!"

E) Gracie running away with her rocker.

Need I say more?

My reward

2009-03-28T23:15:00.003-06:00

I found these on my porch. They were left by that man's company that I called 911 for with a thank you card. They are so beautiful and fragrant. The big flowers are literally like 7" across. Makes me feel all warm and fuzzy inside.

A Must Have

2009-03-28T23:11:00.003-06:00

No Twilight DVD release party is complete without eyeball punch!
My entire family gathered together for the event. If you haven't already watched them, the extras on the DVD are awesome.

Deja Vu- Calling 911, again

2009-03-19T13:28:00.006-06:00

This morning I had an incredible experience.

I woke up at 7:30(which is way earlier than I usually do on my day off,) and heard a small, "Help."
It was so quiet, I wasn't positive I'd even heard it. I wondered for a moment if I'd dreamed it. I then felt prompted to look out the window because someone needed me. I'd never had a prompting like that before so I slowly went to the window. I didn't see anything strange so I closed the blinds. I then felt another prompting to look again. This time, I noticed a tall ladder propped up against a neighbor's house and at the base of that ladder was a man. The man was lying on his back with a backpack on and seemed to be awake. It kind of looked like he was working on a car because he was right in front of an SUV. A second passed and I decided he had to be the one who cried help because there was no one else around.

I threw on some sweats and a ratty t-shirt and sprinted across the street. I asked if he'd fallen (which ended up being a 15+ ft fall) and he said he had. He was clearly stunned and scared, and so was I. Unsure how hurt he was I didn't know if we needed an ambulance or not. Then he pulled his hand from his jacket and it was smeared with blood. That was it. After a couple minutes of discussion I decided it would be best to call.

The EMTs came only moments later and whisked him off. I felt odd just standing there watching (especially realizing that I was in sweats with no shoes, and probably had mascara smeared across my face.)
The paramedics didn't say much to me. The man's wife arrived and thanked me and that was it.

Now the Deja Vu part:
My dad fell off his roof a year and a half ago and I was the first one to get to him. He was lying in bed (it's amazing that he could get inside with all his injuries.) When he saw me come in, he lifted his head off the blanket. To my horror, there was a bowling ball sized blood stain where his head had been resting. That was when I lost it.

You always wonder how you will react to something like that. I didn't do so well, but then, it was my dad.

My sister and Brandon came over to help and an ambulance was called. He ended up breaking multiple ribs, cracked 3 vertebrae, permanently lost his sense of smell (from hitting his head on the concrete,) and various other small injuries. I still get pretty emotional when I talk about it.

But I'm really thankful that I was listening (in more ways than one) this morning, and I'll remember this experience for the rest of my life.

p.s. Thanks Liz(my sweet neighbor) for bringing me a coat and shoes while I was standing with the paramedics. It was really cold out there, but I didn't want to leave him.

And p.s.s. The man had one broken vertebrae and a scraped hand. Nothing too serious. He should be fine. Thank goodness.

I'm a sucker

2009-03-17T15:08:00.001-06:00

And I like it.

I'm am so addicted to Twilight it's ridiculous. I needed something to listen to on my way to work every morning(since it's insanely early and my commute is 30-90 minutes each way,) so I started listening to New Moon. Again. Okay, so I've only read it once before(which I absolutely hated by the way.) This time around however, I'm head over heals for it because I know what happens after. But I just wanted to say I'm WAY excited for the movie to come out Friday. I'm sure I'll be one of those crazy girls going to the DVD opening party Thursday night(how could you not, so much fun merchandise!) And, I've already picked out another Twilight shirt for my birthday. So yeah I'm a sucker for Twi Twi, and yeah, I like it.

Models Wanted: Think Bridal

2009-03-07T11:33:00.002-07:00

I've just decided to dabble in some wedding photography, and realized I don't have much in my wedding portfolio. I am looking for models. If you or anyone you know would like to pose for me, give me a ring(no pun intended) or email. My contact info is at the bottom of this page.

Anyone who models for me, or provides a model for me will receive a 50% off coupon for any package on my website, www.amberweimerphotography.com. Thanks! xoxo

Feelin' Pumped!

2009-03-02T14:50:00.002-07:00

You know those days when you just feel blessed, and you can't help but smile? Today is one of those days. Here's why:

1)A complete stranger just emailed me about shooting her wedding. Yeah!

2)A guy from the Utah Grizzlies just gave us free hockey tickets for no reason. This is super awesome since I bought Brandon hockey tickets for V-day and we weren't able to go and just lost the tickets.

3)Brandon has been so sweet and extra helpful lately. Love him!

4)I decided that instead of hating my job I would be positive and try to enjoy it. Since then, I've worked so must faster, gotten tons better, and am sad when I have to leave my kids everyday. They've been giving me hugs and kisses when I leave. Tender. Not only is it giving me valuable work experience, but it's preparing me for when I have my own babes. Sweet!

xoxo

One More

2009-02-27T15:19:00.002-07:00

Today's Photo Shoot

2009-02-27T14:41:00.006-07:00

My sweet nephew's first photo shoot...

Goodies: My little collection

2009-02-17T16:02:00.007-07:00

Have you ever taken a picture that's not the most flattering or taken at a funny moment? Or found mysterious pictures you know you didn't take on your camera? Not sure what to do with those little gems? Post 'em! Here are a few of mine. Enjoy!

morning hair. love it!

cute lips

Brucey tucked himself in. In actually not kidding. He likes to burrow into the covers, or anything else that resembles a blanket. Once he climbed under my cloth backdrop(right after I had spread it out to shoot) and fell asleep for 20 minutes. Who does that?

Mysterious photos from a secret Christmas eve photo shoot. My sis and bro in law. Nice. Bet they never thought these would show up anywhere... Sorry suckas, you just got posted!

When you take a picture of yourself, make sure you're not super zoomed in. Ha!

My love affair...

2009-02-17T15:31:00.005-07:00

Love him! It's so crazy seeing a newborn again. I am blown away every time at how small they are. Payton is smaller than most dolls. I can't stop holding him. I'm totally addicted!

Tagged: 6th folder 6th picture

2009-02-17T15:26:00.002-07:00

I was making my mom some magnets with each kid's face so I needed small prints.
I tag Alissa, Kari, Betty, Lynz, Linds, and Rachel. Post the 6th picture in your 6th folder.

Work Work Work

2009-02-13T12:11:00.002-07:00

So I've gone from working every couple of weeks to working 40-60 hours a week. Be careful what you pray for! It's good though. I'm glad I can be earning enough to support us. It feels pretty dang good actually. The only complaint I have is the amount of paperwork I have to do every day. It's unbelievable.

One awesome thing I have to report is that Brandon's company hired him in the Chemistry Lab! Yeah! It's kind of bittersweet though. It's only a part time position so it doesn't come with benefits. Lame! No benefits= no insurance, and no insurance= no babies, and no babies= me being sad.

I'm so surprised that I've been able to wake up at 5 am every day. I'm definitely a night owl, but getting up early means getting done early so that's been nice.

This next weekend we'll be headed up to Big Sky, Montana for a Weimer family ski trip. I'm super excited for this little vacation. It's only been 2 weeks since I started all this craziness and already I'm in need of a getaway. What a wuss I am!

My new nephew!

2009-02-07T22:57:00.008-07:00

My sister Alison had a baby today. His name is Payton, and I love him!

2 good things

2009-01-28T19:34:00.004-07:00

If you haven't seen Nick and Norah's Infinite Playlist, you should. It's super.
Also, I just wanted to express my love for Avril Lavigne. (p.s. I love this picture of her)

I haven't listened to her stuff for a long time, and her new stuff isn't too great. However, her old stuff is delightful. I like her albums Under My Skin and Let Go. That's all.

kiss kiss

Today's Captures

2009-01-28T19:25:00.003-07:00

I took these down the street from my house at one of my neighborhood ponds. It was such a pretty day.

Looking for a Valentine's gift for your man?

2009-01-27T12:31:00.005-07:00

Ok, so I'm a total idiot. I bought tickets to a Grizzlies game for Brandon for V-day, and forgot we're going to Big Sky Montana for a ski trip that weekend. The tickets are for Saturday, Feb 21st at the E-Center in SLC. The seats are good and are in the lower bowl. Unfortunately I can't exchange them.

If you want to buy the tickets from me for your man they are only $32 for both. We've been to a few of the games together, and they're really really fun. My contact info is at the bottom of this page.

A little more personal

2009-01-27T10:38:00.003-07:00

I usually don't get this personal, but I'm super stressed and need to vent a bit. Here goes:
1.Brandon's internship is ending so we will have no income from him until summer.
2.We have a house.
3.I have been working for a company that I absolutely love and wish they had a full time spot for me, but they don't because they're a newer company. So right now, it's just a few times a month I get to work for them, which isn't going to pay the bills.
4.I just accepted a full time job with another company(that pays much less) that could potentially make me want to pull all my hair out. And p.s. I'll be working all of Northern Utah by myself, so (a) I'll get no days off until June because there's no one to work for me, and (b) I'll have to be on location at 6:30 am every day, even if it's in Logan(2 hours away.)
5. I am supposed to shoot Feb 3-13 for the first company at night. I start training for the second company Feb 3 in the morning and work everyday from then on. Meaning, I will be working from 5:30 am to 11 pm from Feb 3-13. Awesome.
No, not really awesome, that was a lie.

At least there are 2 good things to note:
1.I realize it's a huge blessing that I got a full time photography job(can't complain too much about that.) Especially right now when Brandon's last day is this Friday, and I start next week. I've been praying for something to happen since I knew his job would be ending, and it did. And perfect timing too.
2. I appreciate Brandon working so hard all the time to support us and pay our mortgage. That's a huge weight to carry.

Sorry. I'll try to shorten my future rants.

Tag

2009-01-20T10:31:00.002-07:00

One Word Tag...

1. Where is your cell phone? purse

2. Where is your significant other? work

3. Your hair? straight

4. Your thoughts? jumbled

5. Refreshing? shower

6. Your favorite thing? travel

7. Your dream last night? scary

8. Your dream/goal? prego

9. The room you're in? loft

10. Your hobby? scrappin'

11. Your fear? Loss

12. Where do you want to be in 10 years? content

13. Where were you last night? home

14. What you're not? hungry

15. Muffins? banana

16. One of your wish list items? vacation

17. Good Memory? running

18. The last thing you did? eat

19. What are you wearing? pjs

20. Your TV? flat

21. Your pets? yorkie

22. Your computer? full

23. Your life? stressful

24. Your mood? blah

25. Missing someone? yes

26. Your car? broken

27. Something you're not wearing? socks

28. Favorite store? charlotte

29. Your summer? warm

30. Love someone? Brand

31. Your favorite color? rust

32. When is the last time you laughed? yesterday

33. Last time you cried? Sunday

34. Blogging? helpful

35. What are you not good at? interviews

36. School? green

37. Your shoes? hot

38. Your sister? prego

39. Your favorite drink? water

40. Love? crazy

I tag Nicole, Andrea, Betty, Megan, and Karlie

Website Update and Studio

2009-01-12T13:34:00.004-07:00

I've been fighting with my website for a while now. The template I have been using is so touchy. I haven't really gotten the results I've wanted, until now. Take a look at my update and tell me what you think. I think it's a huge improvement, but I'd still love to hear opinions. kiss kiss. Oh, and did I mention I got a whole studio for Christmas from my parents and Brandon? Yeah, it's pretty much wicked.

www.amberweimerphotography.com

And a special shoutout to my bff Lyndsey Knight for being such a great model. Love you Bynz!

Oucharoonie

2009-01-11T23:01:00.003-07:00

So, last Spring I was playing a little frisbee (one of my favorite things to do) and I jammed my thumb. Not a big deal right. I mean, just think of how many times you've jammed your fingers. Well, I remember this time hurting particularly bad, and ever since then it's been a bit sensitive.
I told my family it had been hurting a little, but everyone concluded that since I could move it and it wasn't black and blue I was fine. Well, right before Christmas, when shoveling season started, my thumb started hurting really bad. Anything I touch, grab, or come near hurts me. My mom finally convinced me to see a doctor and well, my jammed thumb, wasn't just jammed.
It turns out my thumb actually cracked a little when that fateful frisbee hit causing some calcium to leech out. And from that a bone spur formed. Basically, I have accumulated a new bump of bone on my thumb that causes a lot of pain. And what's the cure for this you wonder... Just what I was afraid of. Nothing. My body is supposed to suck it back up over time. Like 2 years time. Great.

Sledding

2009-01-04T18:06:00.007-07:00

My cute little pumpkin head

Jenny and Lilly. Lilly lasted about 5 seconds sledding. Maybe next year.

Brandon thought he was hilarious dressing up in my mom's old ski stuff. She had a thing for Aqua back then. Yikes!

Holiday

2009-01-04T17:37:00.014-07:00

Ready to pop! My sister Alison is due in February.

Hot Mama! She put on the apron thinking it was bigger. It's for a toddler! It was so freakin' funny!

Me and the babes Christmas Eve

Brandy and Gracie

My brother came from L.A. with his new wife Mitsue.

Our little family

So cute! My sis Jenny and her bebe Gracie

Singing time

Look at those cheeks! Gracie was soooo excited she finally got to open a present Christmas Eve.

Christmas morning. Quite the stack this year.

Stocking Pile

I've been waiting all year to see these faces!

Matchy Matchy

Christmas Morning

Some Christmas Jenga

We decided to stay at my Mom's on Christmas Eve so we wouldn't have to get ready and drive in the snow Christmas morning. We ended up staying there another 3 or 4 days. It was great.

Finally done with Finals

2008-12-19T16:50:00.003-07:00

I just had my last final yesterday and I'm so happy! What a grueling couple of weeks it's been. I feel good about how I did. I'm so ready to relax, enjoy Christmas, and catch up on movies and books that've been waiting for me. What a relief!

Don't Be Jealous

2008-12-12T11:58:00.007-07:00

No wait, go ahead, be jealous of my sweet new tee. I super love it! I got it from CafePress.com(click on it. It's a link.) They have like 200+ Twilight designs, and you can get it printed on practically any clothing item, tote bag, button, etc and in any color. They show the clothes on a model too and tell what size she is so you can get the exact size for you. Mine fits great and is long enough(that's what I was most afraid of.) Check it out!

P.S. I surprised Brandon with this and he was flattered.

2008-12-12T10:37:00.003-07:00

It's not too late to get your custom made Christmas cards! My prices are listed on my website amberweimerphotography.com.

Kurt Bestor and Apostles

2008-12-10T23:36:00.002-07:00

What a crazy night I just had. I went to the Kurt Bestor Christmas concert with my mom and sister and absolutely loved it! I have seen him 4 or 5 times already and will hopefully continue to see him over and over.(if you go, don't go to te one at UVU because it sounds terrible. Abravanel Hall sounds amazing.) I was pleasantly surprised when I found out Jenny Oaks Baker was his special guest this year. If you don't know who she is, get to know her. She is an extremely talented violinist that solos all over the country and played 1st chair in the National Symphony Orchestra. She has a great church CD and her Christmas album is to die for. Seriously, she's incredible. Brandon and I saw her live last Christmas and fell in love.

Anyways, right before the concert started I noticed a man about 5 rows in front of me that looked familiar. After doing a double take I realized it was... Elder Uchtdorf! Right in front of us!!! Then, during the intermission I noticed a bald man talking to him. It was none other than Elder Oaks!!!

I about peed my pants. I couldn't stop staring at them! And then on the way out after the concert, Elder Oaks walked right past me. I was like 2 inches from him and oh so tempted to reach out and touch his jacket, but I refrained because he seemed like he was in a hurry and that would've been weird.

Just thought I'd share.

Thanksgiving weekend in Rexburg=All kinds of crazy fun

2008-12-01T22:25:00.011-07:00

Lookout world! I've got a gun! Yep, I actually shot a big fat shotgun. I've always been terrified of guns, but I never back down from a challenge so I thought I'd try clay shooting. Loved it. I really only shot 4 times because the gun about knocked the wind out of me every time, but I shattered 2 clay pigeons (that's 2 more than I thought I would!) I was mostly terrified because there were other groups nearby shooting. Yikes!

All the guys. My sis-in-law Celeste came too. She did way better than I did.

I also went golfing for the first time, sort of. I went along and hit the ball for the first time. I only got one good hit out of like 10, but I totally want to go golfing now.

My cute sissy-in-laws. I love these girls. Agewise, we are all over the map, but you'd never be able to tell. We get pretty crazy together. Love em.

We had a big party with the whole Weimer side of the fam at my mother-in-law's school. It was so fun. It's awesome that she's an elementary school teacher because not only does she have access to the school and supplies, but she knows all the fun games to play. We got creative wth these scooters. It was nuts. I thought for sure we'd put someone through a wall.

All the neices and nephew. So cute. And yes, they're making "boobs with bows." That's what my neice Emma said anyways.
On our last day, we had a special visit from Santa and Mrs. Claus. Strangly enough, our grandparents came by right after Santa and Mrs. Claus left. Winkity wink. We decided to have Christmas since none of us will be there then. Tree, presents, and everything. It was an amazing weekend.

Twilight Review

2008-11-23T19:26:00.003-07:00

Well, I'm not sure how I feel about the movie. I felt like they changed a ton of stuff, added some cool stuff, combined way too much dialogue, and had some lame music throughout the whole thing. However, if I had it I would immediately watch it again right now, because of course, it's Twilight. I thought Bella was good, but Edward wasn't as good as he could've been, which is a reverse of how I thought it would be. And, before I saw it I thought Jacob was cast wrong, but now I think he was right on. So overall I really enjoyed it and it makes me want to start reading it again(for the 4th time. Yikes!)
Something crazy that happened was... Brandon loved it! He has refused to read the books since day 1, but now, we're going to listen to the book on tape on our way to Rexburg for Thanksgiving. Yeah! Let me know what you thought of the movie.

One more funny thing. Brandon said that Jasper looked like Edward Scissorhands(the hair.) I have to agree.

Bring on the snow

2008-11-20T11:21:00.002-07:00

Call me crazy, but I'm not a big fan of putting up lights when there's snow on the ground. Especially since I'm the one who puts them up (I'm too much of a perfectionist to let Brandon do it.) Anyways, I thought I'd inspire you all to be safe and do the same. Cheers

Twi-Fever

2008-11-20T09:45:00.002-07:00

I can't wait. I'm bursting with excitement for Twilight. Even if the movie isn't amazing, I'll still love it. Anyone else feeling this way?

Who's that sexy man?

2008-11-20T09:37:00.004-07:00

Yep, That's my hot husband. Rarrrrr!

We had a little shindig at our place on Halloween. It was quite enjoyable. I thought Lyndsey and Scottie had the best costumes (although Brandon's was pretty hot?...)

You are cordially invited...

2008-11-09T23:28:00.003-07:00

I'm having a boutique at my house this Saturday! There will be lots of great decor and gifts. I hope to see all of you there!

super lame... and yet... super sweet

2008-09-30T11:36:00.003-06:00

I sorry I haven't posted forever. I promise I will post some new pictures and fun things soon. I've just been so busy with my new job and school. I am doing some freelance work for Aspire Photography and hoping for a full time position relatively soon. I absolutely love working for them. I get to shoot and edit pictures whenever I'm free(what more could a girl want?)

Basically what they do is set up a bunch of studios in a particular city every Saturday and have like 12 youth sports teams come to get pictures. The cool part is, we shoot them on a green screen in action. Then the kids can go on the internet and create posters, fatheads, blankets, t-shirts, and more with their own pictures. It's pretty high tech and amazing.

I never thought I'd like doing action photography, but I love the fast pace and working with kids. Plus, the pay is pretty sweet. So yeah, I pretty much want to be done with school so that I can do this full time.

Sad but true

2008-09-12T14:48:00.004-06:00

So, I don't know if you guys have heard, but the partial draft of Midnight Sun leaked onto the internet a couple weeks ago. Stephenie Meyer was so mad that she's decided not to finish the book! Kill me! If you go to her website, she talks about it on the August 28th blog entry on the main page. She has put the partial draft on her site so that we can read it. I've already done so and loved it! I'm super sad that she's not finishing the book now. Just thought I'd let you Twilighters know.

A Powerful Experience

2008-09-11T22:15:00.004-06:00

Today, Brandon and I were eating dinner at a fast food restaurant. We were just chatting and enjoying our food when an older woman leaned over our table. She looked to Brandon and said,"I just had to come over and tell you you look just like my son," pause,"that passed away. You have the same build and walk the same. If I could just... hug you... or hold your hand..." I've never seen such a look of desperation and pleading.

At this point I was fighting back tears and so was she. Neither Brandon nor I knew what to say. She gave him a hug and asked his name. When he told her, tears spilled silently down her cheeks, and she thanked him and walked away. Her husband was crying too.

You never know who needs you.

One more

2008-09-05T09:02:00.002-06:00

Here's one I forgot. He's not entirely in focus, but I still like it.

Drive by shooting

2008-09-03T21:03:00.006-06:00

On our way home from Colorado, the evening sky was so moody and beautiful, I couldn't resist sticking my camera out the window.

Portraits of a great man: Jean W. "Beaner" Thompson

2008-09-03T19:31:00.008-06:00

Over the weekend I went to see my great uncle, a truly inspiring man. He's done amazing things in his lifetime, but the ones that standout the most happened during WWII.

He actually started the Ranger program, and I do not exaggerate when I say this. Eisenhower would call him during the war, and 2 hours later he'd be on a plane with his team to jump behind enemy lines.

His chief duty was freeing prisoners. He would parachute in behind the lines, kill the guards and high ranking officers, try to get the prisoners out safely(which unfortunately, didn't always happen,) and somehow make it back to safe territory.

Growing up, I've been lucky enough to hear his stories. Some too gruesome to utter again. My favorite one though was when he had 146 people to evacuate. He killed most of the guards, got the people to the enemy's airfield, and hijacked a plane. He flew 145 out to safety on the enemy's own plane. Only one was lost that day.

When I was a young teen, he taught me how to throw a bayonet and a hatchet. If you don't know, a bayonet is the knife that was attached to the end if their rifles. They could take it off if they needed for hand to hand combat.

I'm so glad Brandon was able to meet Jean since his health is now dwindling. I feel blessed to have such an incredible man in my family.

A New Feature

2008-08-22T16:07:00.006-06:00

I've decided to add a new feature to my packages! I really like creating photo montages for fun, and I figured, why not sell 'em? They're great for children's birthdays, Christmas cards, wedding announcements, or anything really. I can make them any size to fit any envelope, so they're really versatile. Hopefully I'll get some interest in them soon. Check my website for prices!

Click picture to enlarge

Alpine Loop/Cascade Springs

2008-08-19T14:30:00.011-06:00

Cute boy

Cascade Springs

Pretty tree and sky at Cascade Springs

Squinter

Saturday morning Brandon and I were thinking about doing a fun outdoor activity. I've been wanting to take him to Timp Caves for a while, but he wasn't feeling up to it this time. I also wanted to include my mom(who just had surgery on both hands and can't do a whole lot) and sister Alison (who has a 2 year daughter and is prego.) We finally decided on an activity that would suit everyone, driving the Alpine Loop. If you don't know, the Alpine Loop is a 20 mile stretch that goes from Provo Canyon to AF Canyon.

I don't remember the last time we did this, and I wanted to take lots of pictures while the wild flowers were in bloom so I was really excited. After meeting at my mom's in Orem, we all crammed into the car with water bottles and snacks and headed up Provo Canyon. Right before we got to the turn to go up to Sundance, Alison's mother-in-law called and said she was locked out of her house. What?! We were already in a hurry because Rylie was getting sleepy(she usually naps for 2+ hours,) and we wanted her to see the sights. So we turned around, let the mother-in-law in her house, and headed back up the canyon. This quick trip we'd planned suddenly turned into a few hours, and unfortunately, I had to drive so I didn't get to take many pictures. On top of that, everyone was getting sleepy so I didn't dare stop much.

All in all though we had a great little trip. We stopped at Sundance and Cascade Springs to run around. I highly recommend taking kids to Cascade Springs. It's basically a bunch of clear pools, streams, and rivers with boardwalks over them. There's a loop hike around them that's less than a mile(only half of it is stroller friendly.) It's really neat and doesn't take super long to get to.

If you go, remember:
-It's $6 to get into the canyon after Sundance or right inside AF canyon. -Take more food and water than you think you'll need. -Timp caves is just before the loop, and it's $7 for adults.

My sissie's preggers!

2008-08-11T13:00:00.004-06:00

My little niece Rye Rye is going to be a big sister! Alison and Nate broke the news to us yesterday by showing us an ultrasound picture. They saw a specialist last week, and the first pictures look like it's going to be a BOY! Yeah! I'm so happy for them. It's been a long time coming, and they've had so many bumps along the pregnancy way, I was screaming and jumping up and down when they told us. Her due date is Feb 20. I'm soooo psyched!

Old made New

2008-08-06T19:33:00.000-06:00

I was just feeling creative today and wanted to work on creating more Fine Art shots for my portfolio. This is a super crop of an older image of mine. What do you think?

Breaking Dawn

2008-08-05T16:25:00.005-06:00

I finished the book yesterday. Here's my review on it(I'll try not to spoil anything, but if you haven't finished the book yet, don't read this just in case I get overexcited.)

1.I totally loved how everything turned out.

2.It was a bit longer than it could have been.

3.I wanted to rip Bella and Rosalie's heads off for 1/2 the book, but loved them by the end. Not so much Rose though. She's still a biddy.

4.Finally those 2(B+E) get friendly! It's about time! I almost died laughing imagining Edward biting a pillow.

5.I didn't like books 2+3 at first because of the whole Jacob+Bella thing, but after reading #4, I have renewed faith in Jacob and Bella(not as a couple, obviously! Edward rules!)

6.Not a huge fan of the name Renesmee, let alone Nessie.

7.Garret is amazing! Hello, talk about a shockingly amazing speech. Who saw that coming? Genius.

8.I love the cottage. That makes everything even more perfect.

9.I liked how the book showed Jacob's perspective too. That was a nice change.

10.Twilight will always be my favorite of the series because it makes me the most giddy. I love the tension between Bella and Edward. I'm giddy just thinking about it!

11.I'm a little confused about how Nessie came about. I didn't think Edward had it in him, literally.

12.I'll admit it. I cried out of joy and sadness many a time while reading. When Edward called Jacob something special(I'm trying to be vague) at the almost fight, I burst into tears.

13. I'm glad things worked out with Jacob, and also that Bella didn't feel the same about him, after. Also, I'm glad that Jacob is part of the Cullen family too now.

That's all I can think of for now. So when you finish the book and make your assessment, please leave your comments! I want to know what everyone thought about it.

3 Announcements

2008-07-30T13:28:00.003-06:00

First, I finally broke down and made a facebook page. I'm pretty sure it's going to ruin my life because I'm already addicted.

Second, I've made some changes to my website so check that out.

Third, the trailer for the 6th Harry Potter movie is out now! I got chills watching it!

Just a reminder

2008-07-28T16:23:00.002-06:00

I just wanted to remind all you Twilighters that Breaking Dawn comes out Aug. 2nd!
Also, there's a second trailer out now. Go to www.twilightthemovie.com

Happy 27th Lover Dover!

2008-07-25T11:38:00.004-06:00

Yesterday was Bran Bran's 27th birthday extravaganza. He didn't have to work, which was superb, so we decided to do something fun during the day. At first, we thought about going to 7 peaks but decided against that plan since it's highway robbery.

all day adult price: $19.95 (x2)
+
parking: $5
+
double tube: $7
+
gas
= poverty

In the end we opted for the cheaper version of 7 peaks, my mom's pool. It was still really fun and my family came over to swim too.

The evening's festivities consisted of Joe Vera's for dinner, banana splits(Brandy's not a cake fan), and fireworks.

Happy Birthday Sweetie!

Oceanside Beach Trip 2008

2008-07-21T14:27:00.019-06:00

Oceanside, California = Best place ever!

Every year my mom's side of the family retreats to Oceanside, CA for a week or two. We used to stay on the marine base there, which was great because we'd all park our motorhomes right on the sand and were beachfront. But, since the gas prices are astronomical now, my mom's the only one left driving. It was still really fun this year, but it was better when we were all in close quarters. Now we're all over the city.

Anyways, here are a million pictures from this year's trip:

Brandon and my bro-in-law Nate flew in towards the end of the trip. This pic was right before we went to a nice restaurant. Don't be mistaken, we wore sweats and no makeup most of the time.

My cousin's little girl.

Rylie about to get hit by a wave. Could you tell?

Lillers in my favorite swimsuit ever!

Gracie loves to touch he camera

Oceanside beach. Best beach anywhere.

My sis Alison and Rye Rye

The Redd girls

Me with my hot cousins Katie and Linny, who are both available p.s.

My second favorite thing to do at the beach. Frisbee! At one point we had 8-12 people playing at once with 2 frisbees and a football. So fun.

Love this beach!

Me and Brandy at one of my favorite places in the world, Oceanside Harbor.

Oceanside Harbor. Best seafood in the world comes from here at Harbor Fish and Chips. We've been going there as long as I can remember. It really has the best chowder and fried fish you'll ever eat. This trip, we ate there 3 times in 10 days. It' s that good.

Memory Tag

2008-07-21T09:52:00.000-06:00

Here are the directions:

1. As a comment on my blog, leave one memory that you and I had together. It doesn't matter if you knew me a little or a lot, anything you remember!

2. Next, re-post these instructions on your blog and see how many people leave a memory about you. It's actually pretty funny to see the responses. If you leave a memory about me, I'll assume you're playing the game and I'll come to your blog and leave one about you. If you don't want to play on your blog, or if you don't have a blog, I'll leave my memory of you in my comments.

A memory found

2008-07-07T15:36:00.005-06:00

Nearly 3 years ago, I had an assignment to take a self portrait for Photo 1. Brandon and I were dating so I had him shoot the pictures. Not great poses I realize. I made prints then for my class, but totally forgot about the shoot. Realizing today that my new printer scans film, I was anxious to dig up some old negs to test. Here are a couple of the shots from way back when. I love the lighting in the picture on the right. Anyways, just thought I'd share. Click picture to enlarge.

The things we do while we're waiting...

2008-07-03T00:45:00.004-06:00

Today my dad, Brandon, and I helped my sister and her husband pack up their house to move. The boys went on a run to the storage unit to drop a load off while the gals stayed back to pick up pizza. I was curious to see how a lamp she had would light a shot so I told her to pose. This is what she did. Not great lighting, but I thought I'd share this embarrassingly silly picture with all of you. Enjoy!

Funnest Weekend and a Crapload of Pics

2008-06-30T12:25:00.014-06:00

This weekend we went boating with Brandon's cousins. I was a bit stressed because;
a) I've only been boating a couple of times and super suck.
b) My 5 year HS reunion was the same day at 5:30.
c) We drove 2 hours to get to the lake, and I thought we would never get back in time!

But, BOATING WAS ROCKIN'! I loved it! We had an amazing time. The boat had XM radio and these killer speakers on the top bar. It was really nice. The only bad thing that happened was the beach we set our stuff on had hands down the worst smell in history. I was literally dry heaving every 2 seconds. Later we realized there was a decomposing(just dry heaved thinking about it) deer 5 feet away in the bushes! Barf! It had been dead for a long time so it no longer resembled a deer. Barf again! Anyways, here are some pics from boating.

What?! Did you know you could surf behind a boat? It is so rad! I could only surf the wake without the rope for like 10 seconds, but it still totally rocked my world.

Surfing without the rope! Kowabunga!

Brandy hasn't been boating for years, but look how awesome he is. Total stud machine.

Us, in the boat, obviously.

Later, we went to the HS reunion. It was ok, and I got to see some long lost friends, but we didn't stay long. We decided to bail and go bowling with friends.

Me and Bran Bran bowling with Lynz and Scottie Knight and Kristen and Kyle Hagan. We had fun dancing and being crazy. I'm sure people thought we were nuts. Quite the sunburn from boating eh? Can you guess who's responsible and put on sunscreen?

Lynz and Scottie pottty

Every weekend we (my sisters, parents, and us) get together at my mom's for a BBQ and swimming. It's super relaxing and a nice opportunity to see everyone. This weekend the pool temp was 86 degrees! Woop woop!

We were trying to get Gracie to jump to us, but she wussed out. She's such a wierdo though because kept trying to drink the pool water. Nast!

Brucy got in too. He tries to climb the ladder to get to us whenever we swim so sometimes we set him on a raft for a few minutes.

Bow chicka wow wow! Hot bod baby!

Thank heaven for arm floaties! Lilly can swim around by herself now which is so great.

My cute papa enjoying watermelon. I swear, not one person in my family can eat something without spilling it on their shirt, especially my parents and I! Let's just say, Brandon's put a ban on me buying white shirts.

Me and Brandy sharing a raft, kind of. My neck looks a little flexy, but I'm trying to hold my head up for the picture. Don't be scared. I'm not going to turn green before your eyes and wear nothing but cutoff jean shorts.

That's it. If you get sick of me posting mostly pictures all the time, tough crap!

My Website is Complete!!!!!!!

2008-06-26T12:51:00.002-06:00

Okay, it's the moment you've all been waiting for! My website is finally finished. It took forever to make, but it was worth the wait. I'm pretty happy with it. There are a couple of things I'd like to change, but for now, they just won't cooperate. So please check it out and let me know what you think.
www.amberweimerphotography.com

A Christmas Miracle!

2008-06-25T10:02:00.007-06:00

Okay, so it may not a Christmas miracle(it had a nice ring to it), but it really is a miraculous event.

I've finally achieved the impossible: Thanks to some large tupperwares, a shelf, and a hanging thing from IKEA, I've finally fit all my clothes AND shoes into one closet. This may sound ridiculous, but never in my whole life (seriously) have I accomplished this. I'm notorious for being messy, but since we bought our house, I've been an organization freak. You never realize how much crap you have until you have to fit it all somewhere. So from now on, it's no more mrs. messy girl!

p.s. if you were wondering what was in those 3 gigantic tupperwares at the bottom, you guessed it. All shoes!

Family

2008-06-23T11:39:00.003-06:00

These are some shots I took of Brandon's grandparents this weekend. They hate getting pictures taken, but since I'm their favorite, they let me take some. I think they turned out rather nice. P.S. All that land behind them is their farm. It's beautiful.

3 Generations: Brandon's dad, Brandon, and Grandpa Weimer

Caution: Reading the following entry may cause you to pee your pants

2008-06-19T10:12:00.009-06:00

Picture this: We've just finished our meal at Red Lobster, and our waitress comes over to sing my sister happy birthday. Normal right? Here's where it gets interesting. Ready? Instead of a dessert, the lady brings out a live wiggling lobster and a lit birthday candle. We're all like, "What the?!"
So they sing her happy birthday, and the lady hands the lobster (really really) the birthday candle which it holds in one of it's tiny appendages and waves it around!!!! Are you kidding me? It's probably the funniest/most amazing/freakshow things I've ever seen. The best part was, she just stood there with the lobster holding the candle for like 20 seconds and told my sister that she (the lobster) was a good helper and that my sister could pet her if she wanted.
First of all, are you positive she's a she? Second of all, are you on crack? I would've gotten a picture of "her(our tasty new friend)" holding the candle, but I was too busy picking my jaw up off the floor.

I must admit, it was actually quite adorable and cartoon looking when it was waving the candle around.

Oh, and here's my lover and me back at my mom's after dinner. Love him!

Why we love our home: It's ours!

2008-06-18T11:45:00.001-06:00

A Proud Moment

2008-06-17T21:24:00.007-06:00

So today was a proud one for me. It's been a long process, but we're finally done with our guest bedroom. I feel blessed to even have a guest room. It'll be great for when my in-laws come to visit because it's separated from our room by a loft, but right next to the guest bathroom. The colors in the pictures are a little off, but you get the idea. Brandy's papa drove all the way from Rexburg just for the night to bring us the mattresses. They gave us both sets. Nice huh?! They are always doing sweet things like that.

Brandon's mom always lays out fresh towels and washcloths for us when we visit them, and I just think that's so nice. She's the one (and Martha of course) that inspired me to do that with a basket of necessities for guests. Love her!

5 Year High School Reunion- Spread the word!

2008-06-16T13:27:00.005-06:00

Okay kiddies, it's been 5 years, and now it's come to it! Our 5 year reunion. Don't be scared though. Just think of it as a chance to get together with lots of good friends and meet spouses and babies. I'm going, and I'm pretty sure Lynz Knight and Kristen Brady(now Hagan) are going. It'll be great to see everybody again. Here are the details:

Saturday June 28th 5:30-10:30pm
Timpanogos Park in Provo Canyon (I think it's right above another park just inside the canyon on the left)
BBQ and games
$5 per person for food

Like I said before, don't feel dumb for going. It's a great chance for us to get together with all our friends and have a BBQ. You all better be there for some of the time. We're going to go right at 5:30 because we have a reception later. Please tell everyone we graduated with because I'm sure not many people know about it. The more friends the better!

I've Been Tagged!

2008-06-16T12:32:00.005-06:00

5 Things on my "to-do" list this week:

1. Get a job or find people to take pics of for $ (I'd prefer the 2nd)
2. Clean the house really well
3. Grocery shop
4. Go to Rexburger for Brandon's Gma's 80th bday extravaganza
5. Refinish my deck and a cute bench for our bedroom

5 Snacks I enjoy:

1. colby jack cheese sticks
2. chocolate pudding
3. pistachio icecream
4. homemade caramel popcorn
5. fruit: watermelon, berries, pineapple (Right now we love to grill pineapple with our dinner like once a week. So good!)

5 Things I would do if I suddenly became a billionaire:

1. Sell my house and build my dream homes (plural) in all my favorite locations.
2. Buy hybrid cars ( just because you're rich doesn't mean you want a gas hog.)
3. Donate to cancer research charities and Primary Children's Hospital.
4. Pay a fat tithing.
5. Travel travel travel!

5 Places I've Lived:

1. Orem, UT
2. Vista, CA
3. Provo, UT
4. Fairfield, CA
5. Saratoga Springs, UT

5 Jobs I've Had:

1. Jamba Juice manager
2. Hollister(super lame)
3. Pink Pineapple Scrapbooks sales
4. Pebbles in my Pocket sales
5. Stampin' Up! warehouse

5 Things people may not know about me:

1. I'm hypoglycemic (low blood sugar)
2. Growing up I danced (6 yrs), did gymnastics (4yrs), swam (2 yrs), played soccer (4 or 5 yrs?), softball (too many to count), ran track (6 yrs), and cross country (4 yrs). (whew! Can you imagine how much driving my parents had to do? Ay Carumba!)
3. I constantly redecorate rooms I just decorated.
4. One room in my house is dedicated to scrapbooking.
5. I'm obsessed with everything Italian and want to go to Italy more than anywhere else on Earth.
6. Sorry, I'm cheating, but only Brandon knows this one. I listen to Italian music, Sinatra, Louis Armstrong, Ella Fitzgerald, etc., and instrumental violin music when I cook. It sets the mood. I'm tellin' ya.

5 Favorite Musicians/Bands:

I don't really have favorite bands so I'm going to do favorite soundtracks at the moment. In no particular order:

1. Pride and Prejudice
2. Any Harry Potters
3. Last of the Mohicans
4. Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves
5. Pirates of the Caribbean: #3

I tag Celeste, Lindsey, Rachel, Kim, and Jaclyn!

Country Livin'

2008-06-12T14:09:00.007-06:00

I've been trying to shoot more, and today was so beautiful I couldn't resist. I've wanted to shoot around my house for a while now. The roads are pretty small here so I had to pull into driveways and do a little off roadin'. At one point I was shooting some horses, and a rancher walked over to see what I was doing in his driveway. I got nervous and was about to bolt but decided to stand my ground. It was fine, he'd just come over to say hi. Phew. Anyways, I shot with a wide angle lens, which I've never done before, and love the effect it has on images. What a great discovery.

Short Hair! (well, short for me)

2008-06-09T21:46:00.007-06:00

Today I decided I needed a new hair style. I've had it the same For-eh-ver. Really. I've been sick of it being so long. You know it's too long when, after you style it, you still don't like it because it's so dang heavy and just blah. Anyways, It's probably the shortest I've ever cut it, and I really like it. It's like 50 lbs lighter, and layers are a nice change too. I figured it would be a good time to take a quick shot of Brandy and I down our street (since my stylist did my hair today.) I would've gotten better images, but we shot at dusk and were getting eaten alive. Anywho, hopefully my haircutting adventure was a good idea.
Oh p.s. Check out that hunk behind me! Rarrrrr!

My New Thing

2008-06-05T15:10:00.001-06:00

This is a family I shot at an all day photography conference at UVSC. They brought in families with adopted children to get portraits done. It was a bit intimidating because a) So far I've only shot people I know or have approached myself, and b) there were professional photographers there that I've never met saying, "How do want the lighting? How do you want them dressed? What settings are you shooting at? Yada yada yada."
I just about peed my pants with excitement when I saw the outfits they brought to wear though. Their mom asked if I wanted them in normal clothes or the costumes. I didn't even have to think about my answer. Aren't they adorable?
The two oustide kids are half Native American, and the girl in the middle is the one they adopted(who happens to be part Cherokee.) It was a great learning experience.

This one is my niece, and we were just playing around at grandma's house. She's so beautiful it's hard not to get a great shot of her, but I really liked this one.

I realized that I, surprisingly, love to photograph children. It's weird because I didn't think I was very good with kids, but interacting with them has become so easy. I'm positive it's because I see my nieces all the time and have been really close to them their whole lives. I'm really glad because it's definitely improved my photography by leaps and bounds.

This is what inspires me

2008-06-04T11:08:00.001-06:00

For all of you who don't go to school with me, I just wanted to show you a few images (of the many) that have inspired me to become a better photographer. I hope you enjoy.

Richard Avedon. Red Owens, oil field worker, Velma, Oklahoma, June 12, 1980.

Steve McCurry. Afghan Girl.

Steve McCurry. Rajasthan, India, 1983.

Sebastiao Salgado. Refugees in the Korem Camp. Ethiopia,1984.

Eugene Atget. Coin De La Rue Valette Et Pantheon.

Herb Ritts. Nelson Mandella.

Frank Eugene. Adam and Eve.

If you are inspired by these images also, feel free to google any of the photographers. They are all very well known.

Twilight and Johnny Depp

2008-06-02T11:33:00.000-06:00

Last night a clip from the Twilight movie was shown before the mtv movie awards. It was super! Just google "mtv twilight" to view it. You won't regret it. Also, check out the trailor on youtube if you haven't already. It gives me the chills whenever I watch it!

I also wanted to say that Johnny Depp was beyond delicious last night on the mtv movie awards. He just has this natural swagger that makes me crazy! Watch out Brad!

Our First (real) Camping Trip

2008-06-02T09:59:00.001-06:00

The piece de resistance!

Chocolate or poop?(refer to the movie Baby Mama) Pudding appetizer. Couldn't wait for her dinner to cook.

My mom, dad, and sister Jenny and fam came up.

"Show us your dinner." Not exactly what I meant, but it'll work.

Our new(way too big) tent. At least we won't have to buy a new one when we have kids.

Tin foil dinners! Yum!

Brandon and Gracie by the fire

Last year for Brandon's bday I thought it would be a great idea for everyone to get him camping gear, and they did. We now have everything we'll ever need for camping. A year later, Brandon has been complaining to me about getting all that gear that we're never going to use. Well, I thought it was hight time we did so. We packed up all of our stuff and headed up to Nun's Park in Provo Canyon this weekend (I know, not too adventurous right? But good for our first time.) We got a great spot that was away from everyone else and big, really big. So big that my family decided to bring the motorhome up and camp with us. (It was fine because we were already expecting them to come up for tin foil dinners and a campfire.) We had an amazing time that ended with a hike to Bridal Veil Falls and swimming at my mom's pool the following day. We plan on going again next weekend to AF canyon with my sister's family. I knew that camping gear was a great idea.

Memorial Day Weekend in Vegas

2008-06-02T09:30:00.000-06:00

Our schedule for Vegas that we've always followed my whole life:
1. Swim and tan all day
2. Shower and get beautiful
3. Eat at a nice buffet
4. Shop until you can't walk anymore!
5. Sleep and repeat

I never realized how big babies' heads are!

We stayed in my mom's motorhome in Vegas. On the way I was getting drinks out of the fridge and the fridge door fell off! It was quite the ordeal and we had to stop at an RV place in St. George to fix it temporarily. We went to another place in Vegas and guess who's motorhome was in the parking lot?... Criss Angel! So weird. And then randomly we saw his bus again at the Luxor.
Brandon injured his ankle installing in Baltimore so he wasn't able to come. But my brother flew in from L.A. and we had a great time. I got lots of cute new things. And the best part was, my mom bought most of it as a thank you to me for helping her pick out up-to-date stylish clothes. Sweet!

A Free Offer. Ends June 11

2008-05-30T09:43:00.000-06:00

In a week or two I will have my photography website up. This is a very exciting time for me. It means no more low paying crappy jobs with lame hours. I will be my own boss with my own business. Therefore, I am giving away free 1/2 hour sessions(normally $30-60 for 1 hour) and 1/2 price on prints(see prices below) for family or children's portraits from now until June 11. In doing so I'm hoping that you will like my work and seek out my services again. If you are interested please contact me asap. My contact info is at the bottom of my blog.

Normal Print Prices:
4 wallets $4.00
4x6 $3.00 each or $0.75 for 30+
5x7 $6.00 each
8x10 $10.00 each
10x13 $20.00 each

Catch up- You've missed a lot

2008-05-21T21:39:00.000-06:00

Here are some recent events you missed:

Our 2 year anniversary. Yay! Brandy got me my favorite flowers.

Then, Brandon got a call to work in Baltimore for 2 weeks. I was at work when he left 2 hours after the call, and he missed my 23rd bday.(Don't worry, my family did an awesome job making my bday extra special.) I was super sad, but decided to fly out for a week to be with him, and visit his sister out there whom we rarely see. A special thanks to my papa who made a generous donation towards my plane ticket for my bday.

Air and Space museum in D.C. These are funny flight attendant uniforms from the 60's.

Us in D.C. We visited the Holocaust museum. It was definitely worth seeing, but hard to handle. Also, it was like a monsoon that day so we didn't see much. Very sad.

Brandon's Sister Shelly and her hubby Kirk.

Our niece Paige. The smartest kid I've ever known. She's 3 1/2 and can read, recognize classical composers, and knows a ton about everything.

Brandon with our nephew Dillon. (See that smile? This is why I need to have a baby.)

Chubby bunny

On to Baltimore- I've been to this area a couple of times before and really wanted to bring Brandon. I'm so glad we had this random opportunity. The glass building is the Aquarium which we went to. And the surrounding area is a harbor with paddle boats, ships you can tour, shops, and about 50 places to eat. So fun. Brandon loved it.

Same area. The harbor is to the right.

Baltimore Zoo. It was fun, but a little small. We don't recommend it.

Brandon had to work everyday we were there (except Sundays), and we were about 30 minutes from Baltimore. Long story short, I was stranded at our apt. for much of the time. But it was totally worth it just to be with my sweetheart and see family. P.S. This part of Baltimore is great(the aquarium and harbor), but the rest of it is the scariest ghetto I've ever seen. Seriously. I thought we were going to get shot. But hey, we didn't so that's fantastic.

Now you're all caught up!

ABC Tag

2008-05-21T21:11:00.000-06:00

A-Attached or Single?- Very attached
B-Best Friend?- Brandon
C- Cake or Pie?- Cake. Our wedding cake was confetti cake. Try cherry chip cake with cherry or strawberry frosting. It's super
D-Day of Choice?- Saturday. Hands down.
E-Essential Item?- Brandon and Brucey
F- Favorite color? rust
G-Gummy Bears or Worms?- both
H-Hometown?- Orem
I-Favorite Indulgence?- HGTV!!! and watching my favorite movies over and over
J-January or July? July, nothing in January comes close to BBQs, sunshine, and fireworks
K-Kids? Canine baby
L-Life isn't complete without? Love, family, and the gospel
M-Marriage Date?- April 29, 2006
N-Number of brothers and sisters? 2 sisters, 1 brother
O-Oranges or Apples?- depends on the moment
P-Phobia and Fears? mosquitos, things in the dark
Q-Quote?- "Arrive expecting to push yourself to the limits. Leave with no regrets." and "All you need is love." John Lennon. Too true
R-Reason to smile?- When I see Brandon playing with my nieces and think about him fathering my children
S-Season of choice?- Summer
T-Tag ten people?- My blogger buddies list
U-Unknown fact about me?- I'm a framer
V-Vegetable?- corn
W-Worst habit?- Eating when I'm bored. Brandon says I also eat non-stop junkfood.
Y-Your favorite food?- icecream, pizza, caramel popcorn( I have an amazing recipe if you're interested), berries, ribs, steak, pasta, etc. I like food. A lot.
Z-Zodiac Sign?- Taurus

Ode to my brilliant (and handsome) hubby

2008-04-30T21:57:00.000-06:00

I was just so proud of Brandon, I decided to post this. Brandy's been working for Nature's Way for a few months in Product Development. Basically, he is given products from other companies to match or gets to experiment on his own ideas. Anyways, he came up with and created a new product that was a great idea, and now the company is going to market it! It's a cold medicine in pixie stick form. No water required so you can take it wherever, whenever. It comes in 3 flavors: mint, cherry, and mixed berry. What a brilliant man my sweetheart is!

New 40-year old shoes, deer saliva, and a visit to Rexburger

2008-04-30T21:12:00.000-06:00

We went to Rexburg this past weekend to visit the Weimer fam and just had a splendid time. I love going there because we get to lounge around in a beautiful home with a pool table(bet you didn't know Brandy and I are pool sharks did ya? Well, now you do.), a wonderful cook(Brandy's mom), and great peeps. We always play games at night and do fun activities during the day.

This visit we went to BEAR WORLD. If you're headed up in the Rexburg direction I highly recommend Bear World. I always thought it was a strange thing to have in Rexburg, Idaho, but I'm so glad we finally got to go. You get to feed bears, see wolfs, deer, buffalo, elk, mountain goats, moose, birds, etc. There's a petting zoo there where you can feed deer and pet them. I was weary at first, but they are seriously like big dogs. They lick the food out of your hand. So cute! My absolute favorite part of the place was seeing the baby bears. They are adorable and tiny(8 lbs!)

We also spent time with Brandy's grandparents, who are all super nice. All my gparents are gone so I love having Brandy's to share. Anyways, Brandon's grandma told me she had some old shoes she was getting rid of, and asked if I'd like to go through them. I was excited and jumped at the chance. After going through about 25 pairs, I was astonished. She had all these hip flats, wedges, and sexy high heels that had barely been or never been worn. I wanted about 12 pairs, but only 6 fit me. What a good visit we had!

Brandon trying to get his hand eaten off.

I love deer!

Feeding the bears!

Bebe bear. Brandon and I were both ready to steal one! So cute!

Twilight!

2008-04-22T19:37:00.000-06:00

Sorry I borrowed this image from your blog Bynz, but I had to. I was skeptical about the casting for the film when I saw the roster, but clearly I was wrong. I think Edward and Bella both look great. She's even wearing a raincoat! How exciting! I wonder who will play Jacob Black. It's probably best if I don't see this movie with Brandon the first time because I'm sure I'll be drooling all over myself. I mean, it is Edward Cullen after all. Can't wait!

My chicken nuggets

2008-04-22T19:07:00.001-06:00

Rylie in her Easter dress

Gracie at her first birthday party

Gracie and Lilly playing dress up in my studio at school

Hands down, I have the cutest nieces on the planet. They are all so adorable and sweet. I hope my kids are that cute!

Cross Processing Love

2008-03-22T18:09:00.001-06:00

This was my first time cross processing film. I was really nervous to try it. I love how they turned out though. I was trying to make Lilly, my niece, look like me when I was a wee one in the 80's. She's wearing my old pound puppies sweater, wearing beat up flip flops like I used to, riding my old horsey, and playing with my dolly(which is now hers.) What a fun shoot.

Great Flicks

2008-03-07T18:08:00.001-07:00

Brandon and I watch a movie together almost everyday. I always want to watch the same ones!

Movies I could watch everyday:
*Pride and Prejudice
*The Holiday (nothing is hotter than Jude Law weeping at the end. Rarrrrr.)
*any Harry Potter movie
*any Pirates movie (anything with Captain Jack Sparrow gets my vote.)

Books I could read everyday:
*any Harry Potter book (do we see a trend here?)
*Twilight (Edward. Rarrrrr, again. I always get so giddy when I read this. It makes me crazy for Brandon.)
*scriptures (I feel so bad if I miss a day)

My newest project

2008-03-07T16:55:00.001-07:00

So these are my newest shots. I'm pretty much in love with this style. For one of my classes I'm making a portfolio of 10 pictures like these. If you want a picture of yourself like this I would love to shoot you. I need models! xoxo

Valentine's Day and President's Day weekend

2008-02-20T23:04:00.001-07:00

My present from Brandy. He also gave me the book, Twilight. If you haven't read this series, you're missing out.

We had chocolate caramel fondue at home after we went to dinner. It was super good, but it was a huge batch so we had tons leftover.

Brandon got a call from his alarm company Thursday to see if we wanted to go to Vegas for the weekend for him to install. They comped our gas and hotel so we said yes. Plus, we've been meaning to go to Sin City for a while now, but hadn't had the time or money. We stayed at a new super nice Hilton. It's a timeshare place so it had a kitchen and beautiful interior. Brandon worked all day Saturday and Monday, but we got to go out on Sunday.
We went to Shark Reef(a small aquarium at Mandalay Bay), a bunch of malls, and at night Brandon took me up the Eiffel Tower(that's probably the closest I'll ever get to Paris, sadly.) We loved watching the Bellagio fountains from up top, but I think it's better from the street. The last picture is neat. It's of these parasols on the ceiling in the Wynn that randomly move up and down slowly. Check it out if you're in Vegas. It's really something.

This was part of my Valentine's gift to Brandon. I also made him a mini scrapbook. The game was so fun. We hadn't been to one since we were engaged, two years ago.

What an adventurous long weekend!

My First Shoot in the Studio!!!

2008-02-03T00:09:00.001-07:00

Today was my first time shooting in a studio. It took me a few minutes to figure out what the heck I was doing, but I think the images turned out pretty good. I really like the first 2. I was super nervous last night, but I prayed that I would have confidence in the morning. Everything went smoothly, and I truly enjoyed what I was doing. The models were very helpful and did a great job. Thanks Mom and Chris for being my guinea pigs.

Great Guests - Week 2

2008-02-01T10:34:00.001-07:00

The crew. Becca, Tim, Jesse, and Linny

Gorgeous Gals

Overexcited much?... Just kidding Tim

Cute kids(who would probably make cute kids...)

Blue steel?

Boys trying to moonwalk

Bec and I

Bec bowling

Brandon and Tim got along really well. Too bad the guys live in Tennessee.

Becca, Linny, Tim, and Jesse came to stay with us for a couple of days. Bec and Lin are my cousins, and the boys are Bec's friends. They snowboarded most of the time, but we got to hang out a little. One night we went bowling at Fat Cats in Provo, and the next night we just watched a movie at our house. Everyone got along really well, and we had a blast. We really loved having them come. You guys are more than welcome to stay with us anytime! (That goes for you boys as well!)

Great Guests - Week 1

2008-02-01T10:18:00.000-07:00

Jenny, Katie, Linny, Me, and Lilly

Lilly with her best friends Kye Kye and Lauren

Look at those eyes!

Linny, Katie, Kylie, and Lauren came down for a couple of days. We shopped like crazy and ate even more. What a fun visit.

I've been tagged!

2008-01-30T10:49:00.000-07:00

I have to write 10 random things about me. Here goes...

1. I have freckles on my lips.

2. I became a certified scuba diver at age 12.

3. Anything I try to cook gets botched one way or another.

4. I have canyoneered (going down slot canyons with technical rappels where permits are required) in Zion at least 12 times. One hike had 13 rappels in a row.

5. I have never dyed my hair, ever.

6. I have snorkeled with humpback whales and bull sharks (one of the 3 man eaters. Tigers, bulls, and Great Whites are the 3 if you're curious.) without a cage. Both were too dangerous to scuba dive with. I am deathly afraid of sharks (well, more of the surprise attacks,) until I'm in the water with them.

7. I have been to Hawaii 4 times.

8. My perfect day consists of hiking with Brandon, Brucey, and my camera to Stewart Falls.

9. I am really really good at body surfing.

10. I can pick things up and pinch well with my toes.

If you are reading this, YOU ARE TAGGED!

Christmas 2007

2008-01-24T10:26:00.001-07:00

Brandon on the couch at my mom's. This was his first Maggard Christmas!

Mom opening her big present from the kids. It's a gold ring with our birthstones in it.

Jenny and Alison made Dad this sign. Cute!

Jenny, Gracie, Chris R., and Mom

Nate, Alison, Rylie, and Dad

Presents stacked high! What a haul!

Santa must've stopped here a few times...

Us at Christmas Eve dinner at Mom's.

Liller's getting ready for dinner.

I love the plates, goblets, and placemats. We've used them every year for Christmas Eve and Christmas dinner for as long as I can remember.

Troublemakers. They can both crawl now!

Our first big tree!

Rylie trying on a cute snowsuit.

Santa?

This year Brandon and I had Christmas at my house. It was really fun, but we wish Chris M. and Mitsue could've been there. Although, I'm not sure how they would've fit. The living room was crammed beyond capacity Christmas morning. I'm sad Christmas time is over again. I love the music, decorations, and happiness you feel that time of year.

Hawaii Nov. 2007

2008-01-22T10:47:00.001-07:00

Us on the North Shore getting shaved ice from the famous Matsumoto's

Chris, Jenny, and Lillers

Alison, Nate, and Rylie

Me and Brandy at Waimea Bay. Check out those guns! Rarrrr!

We saw lots of turtles, eels, fish, and an octopus snorkeling in Hanauma Bay. We went diving too, but there were 10 foot swells so it was a barf fest.

I look ridiculous

I couldn't get Brandon out of the water

Waikiki sunset

Hanauma Bay

Dole Pineapple Plantation

So hot! Brandon at Waimea Bay. Total stud machine.

View of Waikiki from the top of Diamond Head

Jenny and Chris. I love the random guy in the corner. Peeping tom.

Manoa Falls. A hike through the rain forest to a waterfall.

Brandon and Gracie Goo Goo

My entire family(even my dad)went to Oahu in November. It's was chaos with that many people(12) but so fun. It was my 4th time to Oahu and Brandon's 1st. It was fun to make new memories with him there. The boys thought we shopped far too much, but hello, we're Maggards. That's what we live to do.

Our Cute Nieces and Nephew

2008-01-22T10:20:00.001-07:00

Brandon's Nephew and Nieces:
New bebe Dillon, Shelly and Kirk's boy

Maddy, Shawn and Candice's oldest

Emma(Emmers), Shawn and Candice's youngest. Paige, Shelly and Kirk's girl.

My Girls:
Rylie(Rye Rye), Alison and Nate's daughter

Gracie and Lilly, Jenny and Chris's girls

Lilly

Gracie