Friday 5 [Wenatchee photography + design]

1. This is one of the best descriptions I've ever read on the purpose (and necessity) of having a logo. I've been a subscriber to Before & After magazine since the early nineteen-ninetys. That is a LONG time and should tell you something about the quality of the information put out by John McWade and group at B&A.
2. My good friend, Stephanie, sent me this. She's vegetarian, I am not. And I am finding myself in that weird place between being an omnivore, and really believing that humans SHOULD be omnivores, and yet feeling like we really SHOULDN'T be eating animals. I understand the "top-of-the-food-chain" idea and even the nutritional benefit of eating meat, but I do think "just because we CAN do something, does that mean we HAVE to?" Maybe one thing that comes with being at the top of the pecking order is using our brains/compassion to find other sources of protein and stop eating animals? Like maybe with the privilege should come the responsibility to not kill other things? I don't know, no hate mail please, I'm just expressing an opinion and a bit of my own self-questioning. One thing I DO know for sure is the "meat industry" is pretty abhorrent and I definitely don't support the feeding of hormones and think free-range is better.
3. Pretty sure I won’t consider my life lived until I eat a Salty Pimp at the Big Gay Ice Cream Shop
4. Really looking forward to the "Light It. Shoot it. Retouch it. Live!" class with Scott Kelby in Seattle later this month. I am a firm believer in never being too good or too old to learn something new and being passionate about learning is very important to me.
5. My middle daughter is pretty interested in looking into modeling. We've been working on a portfolio of shots for her and this week she got up the courage to submit to an agency in Seattle. I'm proud of her. It can't be easy putting yourself out there in an industry pretty much aimed at making you not feel "good enough." She's a real girl with a real body and real insecurities and I think she is brave. And I love her.

Friday 5 [Wenatchee photography + design]

1. If I'd had this tissue holder, the last 7 days of my Bronchitis and insane combination of runny nose with congestion would have been much better. Well, maybe not better so much as cuter. The upside is my voice is now more Phoebe singing "Smelly Cat" and less sounding like an actual toad.
2. The Belltown Inn in Seattle, is, in my opinion, the best deal in downtown Seattle. My daughter stayed for a whole month, (they have monthly rates as well,) while trying to find an apartment and we stayed recently while visiting her. If you're my age, you probably remember when around $100 for a night at a hotel was muy expensivo, but now, $100 for a DOWNTOWN SEATTLE hotel is "crazy cheap." Especially when you see these clean, modern rooms that are also well-located. And the staff is really helpful and attentive, too. I can't imagine why I would ever stay somewhere else if I want to stay in the downtown area.
3. Fall is here. We have two ginormous oak trees in our front yard and each year I dread them dropping all their leaves. Yes, it's pretty, but it's a lot of work (something like 30+ bags) and I admit we're not great at it. I'm hoping this weekend we get it cleaned up.
4. If you had told me anytime in the last 43.5 years that I would ever miss exercise, or more specifically, the elliptical, I would think you a deranged lunatic. But since I've been sick (#1, above) I haven't been able to get to the gym and it's making me cranky. Mostly because I'm afraid when I do get back, hopefully next week, that it will be like starting over. And getting to where I was was HARD. I hope it's not like that again.
5. Riding the coattails of #4 is the shitload of Halloween candy I've eaten this week. 'Nuff said. Bad week to skip the gym.

Friday 5 [Wenatchee photography + design]

1. One of my favorite images of my favorite time of year. This image also happens to grace the cover of the Leavenworth, WA phonebook. I took it at Smallwoods Farm, between Peshastin and Leavenworth, one of my favorite places to visit anytime, but especially in the Fall. I'm actually shooting there tomorrow, just in time to see this year's festive orange display and gorgeous autumn colors. Happy Halloween everyone!
2. Hell's Belles is not only an all-female AC/DC cover band, but Angus Young himself (AC/DC lead singer) called them the "Best AC/DC coverband I've ever heard." If that's not a screaming endorsement, I don't know what is. And when you realize that they are playing in Wenatchee on November 5 as a FUND-RAISER for Wellness Place. I am fortunate to be able to provide much of the graphic design for Wellness Place and am happy to contribute what I can to such a great organization. The material for this show is one way I got to help. Wellness Place is entirely free and endeavors to provide information and compassionate support to individuals and their families dealing with cancer. Please get tickets to this show, it is seriously going to rock and ROLL the profits to Wellness Place, ha ha, get it, rock and roll?
3. How amazing is this rainbow snap captured with my cell at 65 mph?? (I was a passenger, not driving.) It was the biggest, most colorful, brightest rainbow I have ever seen. Beautiful!
4. Amtrak has been my mode of transportation every single weekend for the last month and I have nothing but compliments to them. Definitely a roomy, smooth, enjoyable, AFFORDABLE way to travel and I'm happy to have found how convenient they are for my frequent trips to Seattle. From Wenatchee to Seattle, a roundtrip ticket is actually less than gas for my car. No driving and beautiful scenery through the Cascade mountains and along Puget Sound makes me actually look forward to the trips.
5. Ikea furniture. I know you either love it or hate it. I love the modern design and the affordable prices. Especially when we were trying to furnish a new apartment for our daughter. The bonus is that for a mere $99 they will deliver our entire order to her downtown apartment. DOWNTOWN APARTMENT with no parking, no convenient place to find parking and up 3 flights of stairs. Thank you, Ikea, for being a "starter apartment" option and for delivering. My back thanks you and my husband thanks you.

Friday 5 [Wenatchee photography + design]

Boy, I've been absent from here. No apologies though, life happens. STUFF happens. Just because you haven't seen any evidence of me though, doesn't mean I haven't been busy. Like. A. Bee. Or a beaver? Which is busier? Whichever it is, I think I have them topped this last couple o' months.

My first born, pride AND joy, baby girl (who's TWENTY, O-M-G!) moved to Seattle to go to culinary school at the Seattle Culinary Academy to study "Specialty Desserts and Breads." Hello, can you say "sign-me-up-as-a-taste-tester?"

I started a new personal project, because I don't have ENOUGH to do...Called "Friday 5ive: A collection of observances." It will be just that. A bit of photography mixed with design, maybe mixed with some random blathering on things I have OBSERVED or that have occurred to me. Words and pics and all the goodness that entails, summed up nicely (or not-so-nicely) on a Friday.

This week:

1. This is a BIG, awesome, graphic poster I made for that 20-year-old-pride-and-joy mentioned above (and in number 5, below.) She is the brand new renter of a cute little studio apartment on Capitol Hill (in Seattle) with big hopes of being modern and graphic and hip and cool and all that jazz that comes with having your own place for the first time. I wanted to create something to fit that bill for her, so she came up with some of her favorite song lyrics (from her self-proclaimed "hubby" and hot frontman, Adam Levine) and I turned them into this very cool, very BIG, piece for her wall. I LOVE the graphic feel of black and white and WORDS.
2. Can you believe someone who has been working as a graphic artist and photographer for OVER TWENTY YEARS has never had herself a business card? Crazy, I know, what?? Oh, I design them all the time, but I never have them printed. Never needed to, to be honest, business is just fine, thank you. But, I got tired of saying "I don't have a card" and so finally crossed this of the old "to do" list recently. The back is my favorite wacky duck photo that is frequently seen on my website and blog.
3. This family is moving and taking a little piece of my heart with them. But, they are going somewhere they really are excited about AND they are flying me out to continue shooting them this winter. Yay, so looking forward to warm Austin, TX in January when it's a thousand degrees below zero in Wenatchee. This little guy will be turning 1 when I'm there and it's the perfect conclusion to our year together of documenting his entire first year.
4. Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat is coming to Wenatchee. And, as I have had the honor of doing for many years, I got to design all their promotional material. Posters and banners and t-shirts, OH MY! Please don't miss this, if you're at all interested. The cast is HUGE this year (180+) and tickets will go super fast, with those adoring family members and fans snapping them up. The Wenatchee School District does an OUTSTANDING job with each and every production they do and this will be no exception.
5. I have been going to Seattle every single weekend for weeks and weeks, trying to help pride-and-joy girl, above, find that very special apartment. We have had a load of fun walking the streets of downtown together, her and I, and I will always treasure that time now that she is out on her own and I survived the minor mental breakdown I almost had when I realized that, "yes, your children do eventually move out and it is heartbreaking." I miss her like you can't imagine and am equally happy and excited for her. Such a salty/sweet combination. Love you baby girl.