Day 243: Apple for the Teacher

Two of my co-workers came over during lunch today for a secret, covert baking mission to make cake pops for another co-worker's going-away party. She's leaving to become a teacher so we thought it would be fitting to make apple cake pops, courtesy of Bakerella! Sad to see her go, but so glad to have an excuse to make cake pops! We'll miss you, Mary Alice!

Day 242: Bleeding Purple and Gold

Sorry to be featuring my clothes yet again today, but they are on my mind. With football season around the corner (yay!!!), I figured it was time to sort through all of my purple and gold clothing and start plotting out my game day outfits. I've decided that when I have a grown-up house, I think I want a special closet just for my LSU gear...

Day 241: Remembering Katrina...

Turned to my closet for today's photo again today as we mark the 5 year anniversary of Hurricane Katrina... Shortly after the storm, a friend of mine designed this t-shirt to benefit the Red Cross and the restoration of the coast.  The design seems just as poignant today as it did then.

Day 240: You've Got Mail

Very low-key day today around my place. The definite highlight was picking up a package from my apartment complex office and opening it to find this fun beaded top I ordered from Anthropologie last week. Can't wait to wear it!

Day 239: Two Worlds Collide...

Today was a fabulous morning at work with Mike the Tiger coming for a tour and to play with the kids at the hospital. It was the perfect merging of two of my most favorite things...

Day 238: Yo, YoLo!

Late night at the office and an errand to run out east meant only one thing... YoLo for dinner! The location in Erinway has only been open a week and I have already been three times.:)  And though I'm very tempted by all the flavors and toppings, so far I haven't been able to stray from my favorite - California Tart with strawberries, blueberries and pineapple. Yum!

Day 237: Spa Treatment

Quick photo shoot after work for a new spa opening up in Midtown. They needed some new photos for their new website and one of my sweet friends at work hooked me up with the job. Thanks, Candace!

Day 236: Up Close and Personal

So I made my 3rd trip to the zoo for the year today, which is quite a feat for someone who hadn't probably been to one in about 10 years or so. I actually kept my camera in my bag for most of the visit as I really didn't plan to take more photos of animals, let alone another picture of a giraffe (see Day 226 and Day 74). But when I saw this giraffe with its head practically over the fence, I pretty much ran to get the photo. I couldn't resist! Such a cute guy!

Day 235: Shed a New Light

I was so excited to come home and find a package on my doorstep, containing my newest camera accessory - a new remote flash. You might have noticed that I pretty much never use the camera's actual flash - I think it often turns out too harsh - but I have definitely missed some great shots before because of low lighting. So now with my handy new flash, hopefully all of those problems can go away. Within a few minutes of playing with it, I was obsessed and decided to showcase its effect on my living room. So fun! And for those of you who have been asking for photos of my newly redecorated place, here's a sneak peak!

Day 234: Sunday on the Farm

I was supposed to have a photo shoot today with a friend and her husband out at Shelby Farms.  Even though she called in sick, I made a trip out East anyway to roam around the Farm.  It really is amazing that this natural gem is tucked away in the middle of Memphis.

Day 233: Playtime with Alex, Macy & Philly

Thanks to Facebook connections, I got the chance to photograph two precious kids today - Alex and Macy - and their cute puppy Philly. Alex was a total handful (in a good way!) and cracked me up when he insisted on wearing his little sister's headband. Macy took a little bit longer to warm up to the camera - poor sweet girl was cutting a tooth so it was hard to capture a picture without her finger in her mouth.  Oh well - I guess it truly captures their age and the moment.  Philly (as well as Mom and Dad) were simply along for the ride!

Day 232: Time Warp

You might remember my friends Jessie and Burton from Day 142 and Day 196, respectively.  All week they have been planning their costumes for tonight's showing of the Rocky Horror Picture Show at the Orpheum.  I figured this would be the perfect opportunity to cross the Orpheum off of my list... and embarrass some of my friends along the way.

Day 231: Inside Cubeland

Another late night at the office, but with my camera in my bag for the day, I decided I should capture a little bit of my daily surroundings.  Seeing that I spend so much (too much) time at my desk, it was bound to end up on the blog eventually... And yes, my files are horribly unorganized and my keyboard is dusty, but my Nuggets brighten the whole cube up... all 6 ft by 6 ft of it...

Day 230: Yummy Payment

As this whole photography thing has developed over the past year, people have often asked me what I charge for prints or photos. While I am now charging actual money (and therefore funding my desire for more camera equipment), I started off with people just paying me in wine or a gift certificate or food. Tonight, my friend Melissa treated me to dinner at Restaurant Iris as a "thank you" for a Father's Day project I helped with earlier in the summer. The night out not only provided me with my "payment," but also with great company, amazing food and today's photo opp. Thanks so much, Melissa!

Day 229: Google to the Rescue

Ever since Maxwell was born, I have loved video chatting with her via Skype. So needless to say, I was pretty devastated when Skype was blocked on my work (and only!) computer several months ago. When I overheard one of my co-workers talking about using Google Video Chat, I was eager to dig out my web camera to try it out.  And - hallelujah! - it worked. Cat and I tried it out tonight so, although Maxwell was asleep, I still got to see my sweet little Murphy. I'm so excited that I'll be able to see both of them and Elizabeth more often now. God bless you, Google!

Day 228: Mexican Monday

After a busy weekend and a busy Monday, I was just glad to be home tonight to relax and enjoy Taco Night!

Day 227: Sunday Pilgrimage

It's Elvis Week in Memphis this week so Sarah and I decided to take make the quick trip down to Graceland to brave the annual Candlelight Vigil. I've never seen so many fake flowers, sideburns and Elvis tattoos in one place in my life. What an experience and so different from Day 10 when I made a simple, quiet trip there by myself.

Day 226: Models, Models Everywhere

Laurie and I spent a very hot afternoon at the Memphis Zoo today and several of the animals were up for striking a pose for the camera. While the animals were cute, I also got to take photos of a much more beautiful model - Laurie. She was such a great sport as I made her make lots of stops at some of my favorite backdrops. I love how they turned out!

Day 225: Walking in Memphis

One of my dearest friends Laurie is in town visiting for the weekend. Laurie is a fellow photo blogger (check her out) so I knew I could count on her to make a late-night trip to Beale Street to capture the neon lights in full show.