Cody & Emily

Cody and Emily are two of my friends. Emily recently posted on Facebook to Cody that they needed some pictures. You can bet that I interjected and offered up my services, which got Emily very excited. At about that time, Cody got nervous; he doesn't like pictures.

On the day of the shoot the weather was temperamental. At the last minute, we deemed the weather good enough to go out photographing. Yay! Apparently, Cody didn't share my enthusiasm because I found out that he had been literally praying for rain all afternoon. This just cracked me up, and I had to laugh at how much he wanted to put this off for a little longer.

Despite all of the obstacles...I had a blast. Emily and Cody are both gorgeous people, so making images of them was a breeze. Especially Emily, I was actually getting annoyed when editing at just how darn cute she was in every photo...even the ones where she was talking. That's just not fair! :)

See what I'm talking about for yourself and check out some of my favorites below.

I Heart Japan!

...even though I've never been anywhere except the airport. I was supposed to spend two years of my life there, but it didn't work out. Japan is definitely on my unspoken bucket list; I must go before I die.

You can imagine my surprise when I found out that my friend Natalee is part Japanese. I've been wanting to do a Japanese inspired shoot for awhile, and she was a perfect person to be part of bringing to reality.

We went to several less urban spots in the city that lent themselves to a prettier backdrop than my normal grunge and graffiti. One spot off of Metairie Road even had bamboo; it was perfect.

As always, I had a blast with Natalee, and Lydia came along to provide laughs and support to the shoot. I absolutely adore the results. I have to give a shout out to Caroline for making the flower we used in Natalee's hair out of coffee filters...isn't that just amazing?

Ben & Sarah

My friend Allison is one member of a family of four; she happens to be the mom. Her kids are each unique and full of personality.

Her son, Ben, warmed up to after the initial time that we met. His expression and the way he says my name delight me each and every time I see his smiling face.

On the other hand, her daughter Sarah took several months to even begin to tolerate me, and even then she still had moments where I wasn't her favorite. Thankfully, she's grown up a little and has realized that I'm pretty cool...ha, ha!

I spent a morning with them recently for a photo session. Originally, Allison wanted to go to the zoo, but I'm a pretty firm believer in not trying to have a photo session at a place where kids are normally allowed to go nuts. Parents never want their children going nuts during a photo session they're paying me to shoot. :)

We agreed to try out the Marigny for our location, and I think we were both more than pleased with the results. The kids were superb and really cooperative, which makes my job much easier.

The only hiccup in our time together was when some lady pulled up next to us and yelled at me for being a bad mother. One, I couldn't figure out why she was so angry because I was the one laying in the street...the kids were safe and secure on the sidewalk. Two, last time I checked, I'm not a mother. It was interesting and just another reminder of how insane and great it is to live in New Orleans.

Awkwardness

Awkwardness...it's part of life; well, at least my life. Not because I'm the awkward one, although I do have my moments.

It rears its ugly and sometimes entertaining head everywhere I go. I wish I could just poke fun at the situations I encounter, but sometimes they're just down right embarrassing.

For me, it's easier when I'm the one caught in an awkward moment; I can laugh at myself. Sometimes, I feel so bad for other people when they just can't help it...it's their middle name.

Do you, like me, experience these all too common treats in your everyday life? I'd LOVE to hear what they are; here are a few things I find awkward lately:

1. Eating in silence with someone else present in the lunch room at work.

2. People who don't understand social cues.

3. Jokes that are completely inappropriate.

4. Customers who tell me they're going to make me a better designer, even though they have no
    education or experience. Just the sheer greatness of who they are MUST rub off.

5. Keeping secrets when someone asks me a direct question related to what I know and pretend not to.

6. Trying to hide from certain customers because the sight of them strikes fear into my heart.

7. When I don't get my bosses jokes, and he doesn't get mine.

8. Any time a customer makes a reference to taking you on a date or directly asks you out. There's NO
    good answer.

9. When two close friends are arguing in my presence.

10. Hearing people use the bathroom because the lunch room is so silent.

These are the first things that came to mind. I hope you comment and share your favorite awkward moments of yourself or the people in your life.

Me & My Bro

I tried to think out of the box this year for Mother's Day. My mom loves to read, but I'm tired of trying to find books that she hasn't read. It was time to get creative.

I also had this other small problem. We still had my senior portrait hanging in our living room, and lets just say that it has been awhile since high school.

To kill two birds with one stone, I thought it would be fun for my brother and I to have new, updated photos made for my mom. My brother would have also loved this idea too, if it didn't require him to be in the photos. Needless to say, he survived.

My friend, Joe, took some great shots of us, and I wanted to give everyone a peak. I really appreciate Joe giving up a couple hours to make this happen at the last minute. Plus, it was fun to spend some time with him too.

Can you guess which one I chose to give to mom?