Wednesday, November 30, 2011

Heit Family

Well, folks, the snow has stopped and the soggy ground is showing through. It was fun while it lasted! I hope this is a sign that we'll have a snowy winter this year. I really enjoy snow...well I enjoy looking at it. I don't enjoy that it's wet. Anyway, I digress...

A few weeks ago I took some portraits of my curly headed coworker's adorable family. Scott is a great guy to have around the office...especially when Sarah and I are freaking out over something. He's the voice of reason, and he's always SO DANG NICE. Of course his family is just as awesome! They have four adorable kids, and I was excited to take some Fall portraits of them out in the country.










It's kind of amazing how much the twins have changed since they were newborns. Babies grow up so fast! 

So can anyone believe that November is ending already?! 2012 is just around the river bend, guys! I need to hurry up and get my Christmas stuff up since apparently time moves so fast these days.

Monday, November 28, 2011

Nava(SNOW) Jacket


It's still November here in Tennessee and we are smack dab in the middle of a snow storm! Ok, "storm" is an exaggeration... it's just snowing a lot. I heard a couple of people mention that it might snow today, but I was like "pshh, yeah maybe ONE FLAKE." Well, I was wrong...it's full on snow!


We usually get this kind of snow way later in the winter, so I was definitely taken by surprise. I was glad that I decided to wear my new wool blazer today. I am nice and cozy! Oh, speaking of MY NEW WOOL BLAZER...check this sucker out:


I have to say, this is probably one of my favorite items in my wardrobe. I got it from the wonderful DearGolden on Etsy. She posted a link to the listing on Twitter and sent me into a spiral of "should i? SHOULD I?!" for the next several hours. I ultimately listened to my print-loving heart and ignored the tiny bit of frugal-ness that I have in me. Since the print is so spectacular, I went totally simple with the rest of the outfit. It's perfect for frolicking around in the snow!

Something about snow makes me act like a little kid! My silliness is out in full swing today. I'm talking weird dances, crazy voices, needless squeals, the whole shebang. I don't know what it is! But out of all the silliness came my blog title (thanks, Scott). We're great at puns. 

details:
jacket- DearGolden
scarf- handmade by my grandma
pants- Target
shirt- H&M
boots- Rack Room

Sunday, November 27, 2011

District Devin: Second Edition


Hey all! Devin from OooohShiny here again. I hope everyone enjoyed their Turkey Day (or, for those of you not in the US - Thursday).

I’ve never ever ever gone out at the crack of dawn for Black Friday sales. I’d much rather do my shopping on my couch in my pajamas where I don’t have to worry about getting trampled. And oh boy - did I do some shopping. I think I heard my PayPal balance sobbing earlier.

I’ve been trying to do as much shopping as possible on Etsy. Today I’m going to share with you some of the fantastic presents I’ve gotten for others as well as some of the gifts I’m hoping to receive myself.




1 - A Little Bird Told Me Bird Mobile from Jahje at BabyJivesCo: For the baby niece.
My niece’s room is an animal-jungle type theme and I’m so excited to see this bird hanging from the ceiling. It’s obvious how much work Jahje puts into these. I kind of want to keep it for myself.


2 - Skeletor: Cuddly Plush Toy from Jennifer at HandmadeStuffs: For the geeky boyfriend.
We met Jennifer at a comic convention earlier this year and Nick stopped at her booth approximately 18 times to look at her plush dolls. They’re large and in charge and I’m not quite sure where Skeletor is going to live in our apartment, but he’s pretty awesome nonetheless.


3 - Zodiac Embroidery Kit from Jessica at MiniatureRhino: For the best friend.
I showed this to my best friend right after I started embroidering and she loved the idea. So I’m making her one. And then I’ll probably get another to make one for myself. I love the idea of kits - all you need in one package.


4 - Whoville Red Dot Christmas Dog Collar from r.e. at restowe: For the puppy.
I don’t (and won’t) have a child, but my pets are close enough. This collar is awesome. There’s magnets involved so you don’t have to worry about that flap of extra collar that sticks out. Plus, they’re super cute.




All for me.
1 - 2012 Desk Calendar from Jessica at JessicaDoyle
I bought one of Jessica’s desk calendars last year and it greets me every day at the office. It’s so bright and cheery! All of Jessica’s artwork is amazing, so the calendar is like getting 12 mini prints for a great price.


2 - Heather Eco Resin Transparent Ring from Jessica & Gwynne at RosellaResin
Yes, I make jewelry, but I don’t work with resin, and this ring is something that I could only dream of making myself. I love how delicate the heather is inside the chunky ring. I pretty much want everything in this shop.


3 - Pisces Rising Jersey Scarf from Jody & Karl at blackbirdtees
For some reason, I’ve become obsessed with wearing scarves. And while I don’t actually believe in astrology, I’ve always identified closely with my sign. And I think constellations are very cool.


4 - Pisces Brass Constellation Cuff Bracelet from Julie at JulieNolan
Regarding the fact that it’s a piece of jewelry: see #2. But sub “resin” for “metal” and “ring” for “bracelet.”
Regarding the constellation: see #3.
And I really love big chunky bracelets.


I hope these gave you some ideas for the loved ones on your list (or yourself, if you subscribe to the “one for you, one for me” gift-buying thought). You can go back to your leftover pumpkin pie now!

xo
Devin

----------------


Thanks for the great ideas, Devin! I'm certainly more excited about Christmas shopping now :)

Friday, November 25, 2011

Thanksgiving Special: Etsy

Hi, friends! I hope you all had a very pleasant Thanksgiving. Mine was actually not too busy this year, so it was nice to just enjoy the day. In honor of one of my favorite holidays, I've set up a little Thanksgiving special in my Etsy shop! I know a lot of people do discounts, but I decided to do something a little different.

With every purchase of a 5x7 print or larger, you get a $5 off coupon code for your next purchase! This is a great excuse to buy a Christmas gift and then come back and get a little something for yourself later :) If you'd like to take advantage of this offer, check out my shop here.

I also added a new print to the shop this week. It's called "Have Your Cake and Be In It Too." I hope you all enjoy it!

5x7 metallic print (other sizes are available, just not listed quite yet)

Tuesday, November 22, 2011

First Half Marathon Re-cap

As you'll recall from my post last weekend, I did a half marathon with some of my friends. I just wanted to let you guys know how it went! Sorry if you follow me on Twitter and you've already been bombarded with tweets about it :)

my feet turn out when I run...I feel like that's not right, so I'm going to try to correct it

We ran at a pace slower than what I'm used to, so as far as fatigue, I was golden! I stuffed myself full of carbs all week, so I had plenty of energy to burn. My legs, however, did not hold up all the way to the end. About halfway through, I started really feeling it in my knees. It wasn't really that bad though...so I just didn't think about it. I also had some pain on the top of my left foot that made me really ready to be done. Other than those two things, though, I felt pretty good. As you can tell from the picture, it poured rain on us a few times. I actually didn't mind running in the rain at all!  It felt pretty refreshing.

finishing!

The last mile went by really quick. Once I saw that 13 mile marker, I took off. I was just ready to be done and eat some cookies! I think our final time was 2 hours and 54 minutes. We could have done better without the rain, but just finishing is good enough for me! I am looking forward to my next one. I have no doubt in my mind that I can beat that time for my next one.

I'm so glad that I got to do this with my friends Emily (1077) and Libby (2336)! The whole thing would have been a lot more boring without them to talk to :) Here is a before and after of us:


We took our ice bath together in Emily's huge tub. This may look like torture, but 15 minutes of torture is a fine trade in for being sore the following days. I was SLIGHTLY sore yesterday, but I'm pretty much back to normal today...two days later. I would probably still be hobbling around without that ice bath.

I'm so thankful that I decided to do this! The whole process (training and racing) has taught me that I can do pretty much anything I put my mind to (besides being president as Libby pointed out). I'm convinced that running largely mental...you just have to tell yourself you CAN! I know it sounds cheesy, but it's so true. 

I hope you guys enjoyed hearing about it. I'd love to know if any of you have done one and if you have any tips for me for my next one! Also, I'm going to post my favorite songs from my playlist for you all later this week.

Monday, November 21, 2011

Giveaway over at Yellow Bird, Yellow Beard

I'm in the Christmas spirit already this year, and one of my favorite parts of Christmas is giving gifts! Finding something unique for each person in my life is so much fun. In the spirit of giving, I'm participating in a couple of giveaways this month. The first of which is on the Yellow Bird, Yellow Beard blog. They are hosting a HUUUUUUGE giveaway to celebrate 500 followers, so hop over there to check out everything that is up for grabs.




I'm giving away an 11x14 print of Popsicle Pond, so if you'd like to win it, make sure and enter the giveaway! There are so many great things available :) Thanks for including me in the giveaway, Janee! (all images from Yellow Bird, Yellow Beard)

Saturday, November 19, 2011

What's In My Race Bag

Tomorrow I am going to be doing something that I set as a goal over two months ago: run a half marathon. I watched one of my best friends do one, and it inspired me to do it myself. Me, Libby, and Emily will be doing a half in Memphis tomorrow, and I'm so excited I could just burst! We're going to be doing 3:1 intervals (run 3 minutes, walk 1 minute) so we're guessing on about a 2 hour and 45 minute race. It's going to be a lot of fun!

I thought that it would be fun to show you guys what I'll be taking with me to Memphis for the race.


First of all, I need something to calm my stomach down! I don't know if it's possible, but I think Rhett's nervous stomach has rubbed off on me. Any time I have something exciting or scary coming up, this little bottle is my bff. I am also bringing my vitamins to take that morning. Can't forget those!


Ok...this stuff is pretty important. A long run requires carbs, LOTS of carbs, so we're going to have pasta tonight for dinner. I've also got some Clif bars and a banana so I can eat a good breakfast before the run (clif for some energy). The granola will be in my pocket during the run so that I can nutrify myself when I've burned up my intake from breakfast. I'll also have some Gatorade around!


This guy will be around my waist during the run. I know it looks SUPER goofy, but it's nice to just be able to grab water from around my waist when I really need it. I'll also have my id and phone in case of emergency, and the granola will go in one of the pockets.


Attire! I've got two sets of clothes because the weather could change. It's probably going to be pretty warm, but we're expecting storms. I honestly have NO IDEA what the best thing to wear in the rain would be. It's also going to suck if I have to run in the rain and end up ruining my shoes. We'll see what happens I guess!


A lot of runners prefer not to run with music, but I've always enjoyed it. I've got a good little playlist made, so I'm excited! I'll share that with you guys after the race. I sure hope I can run with this guy...if it rains I might have to leave it at home.

Well that's it! I hope that the next time I post, I'll be posting about how awesome the race was. Wish me luck!

Wednesday, November 16, 2011

Fall Senior: Candace

Most senior pictures are taken in the summer, but I got to take some in October this year! I was kind of excited to get some of the pretty Fall colors in these pictures. Candace is a senior at the school my step-dad teaches at, so that's how she knew about me. She plays three sports...THREE! Since she's athletic, we incorporated her sports uniforms into the pictures, and I am pleased with the result. Here are some of my favorites from the shoot...


They had these adorable miniature angus cows that we got to hang out with! It was crazy how short these guys were. I know cows seem super gross, but they are actually really cute. I also took some pictures with Candace's really sweet dog, too. He was so loving!


The one where Petey (I think that was his name...) was yawning/smiling made me laugh out loud when I saw it. I'm beyond happy that I caught that face.






Goodbye, Fall! I'm sorry to see you go so quickly. I feel like this season doesn't last long at all. It's already getting rainy and chilly, meaning Winter is elbowing it's way in. Until next Fall, I guess I will just look back at some of my Fall pictures and reminisce :)

Monday, November 14, 2011

Branchbound

A week or so ago, I traded blog buttons with a friend of mine. It was simple...she put my button on her blog and I reciprocated! Since I'm SUCH a fan of her jewelry, I wanted to bring it to your attention, just in case you missed it.


The shop is called Branchbound, and it's run by the adorable Sarah Louise.  I thought I would share her awesome jewelry with you guys. I actually gifted a friend of mine with one of her necklaces last year, and as far as I know, she loved it! So go check out her shop, and get started on your Christmas shopping already...I mean for real, it's mid-November!

Saturday, November 12, 2011

L.B. and Melissa Engagement

A few weeks back, I took the engagement pictures of a couple whose wedding I'm shooting next May. Melissa is a family friend, so I was excited when they asked me to be their wedding photographer! We took the pictures at my Mom and step-dad's place in Trenton. It's a pretty rural little place, as you can see. We were NOT blessed with good light, so I just worked with the bright, blazing sun the best I could. Thank goodness for trees!





After we took some at the house, we drove down the road to Gibson County High. They have this great little pioneer village there. My step-dad actually helped build it when he was in school! They actually dress up in period clothing there and demonstrate the lives of people that lived in the 1800s. It sounds really interesting! I wish I could have seen them out there, but this was a Saturday...so it was closed.





L.B. and Melissa were really great to work with! I can't wait to shoot their wedding. It's going to be down the road from my parents' house at Melissa's house! Her dad built this great little pergola by their pond...it's going to be gorgeous.

UPDATE 02/08/12: Wedding was called off last week. I'm keeping the pictures up, though because I like them. 

I hope you're all having a fantastic weekend so far!

Thursday, November 10, 2011

Garner Pies

Well, folks, yesterday was my birthday. I haven't handled my last two birthdays very gracefully for some reason. I don't enjoy getting older. I think I'm just in this weird middle phase of my life where I'm out of college, but I haven't really moved on to the next thing yet. Don't get me wrong, I'm perfectly content where I am...I have great friends and family, and this town is...ok.

Anyway, I was worried that I might be a little bit lethargic when my birthday came around, so I planned ahead and ordered some pies from a local baking magician named Lisa. She makes a lot of baked goods for our campus coffee spot (Barefoots), and she sells pies that can be delivered. Come Wednesday morning Lisa delivered my pies to Barefoots and I trotted over to pick them up.


adorable cards (and a little bit of coffee that I spilled on the box)


 gingersnap pumpkin and cinnamon crumble apple


I was right, they really made me feel better about life :) Both were extremely delicious! As you can see, the pumpkin pie has a layer of....wait for it...cheesecake(!) at the bottom. My coworkers were grateful that I shared my birthday gift to myself with them. We're still eating on them today! Of course once they're gone, I'll be back to my diet.

Locals: If you need a dessert for a potluck or family gathering, Lisa Garner is your gal! Check out her site if you want to order.

Tuesday, November 8, 2011

Bag O' Frump

details:
camisole- Express
sweater- Kenar (from Marshall's)
pants- Target
shoes- Franco Sarto (from Marshall's)
locket- antique
ring- Rose Corbett (friend from college)
hair bow- Kaelah

For the last year-ish, I've been really drawn to baggy tops. Of course if I'm sporting a sack on top, I need a little definition on the bottom, so I like to wear slim pants. I have been told that this look is "frumpy" which I resent (I'm looking at you, boyfriend). I don't think it's frumpy, but hey...if it is, I'll own it. This particular sweater is one that I picked up at Marshall's one day. It's super fragile, so of course I've already snagged it a couple of times. Luckily, I'm not one to freak out about a little snag, so it's all good. Other than it being easily destroyed, I love this sweater! The color is great, it's relatively comfortable and warm to be so sheer, and it's got some cute little pockets on the front.


I wore one of my favorite hair accessories to compliment my sweater: a bow clip from Kaelah! I bought it when I went to visit her Honeybean mobile boutique at the Nashville Flea Market. I loved the fabric, and it fit so perfectly into my wardrobe that I had to get it. I am not very girly at all, but sometimes I like to throw a bow in there just to mix things up. I am pretty sure they're going to be offering some things online soon, so I'll try to remember to post a link when they do. I'd love for you guys to be able to get a bow clip like this one...it's so cute and easy to wear!