CONTEST #2

It's contest time again! Why? Because I passed the 100 posts marker! This is post #101 for me...can't believe it!

Contest Objective: Give this photo a name (or funny caption).



How the Winner is Picked: I am going to write all the names down and let my husband, Matt, pick his favorite. (I would never want to appear biased!)

Reward: These FABULOUSO sticky notes I live by!! I first saw them here, and thought they were clever enough, so I requested it for Christmas. In my stocking, lo and behold....I got the "Chocolate Dots and Stripes" design! The winner will get to choose which design they like the best of course.

Deadline: January 31st, thats this Thursday :) happy naming!

Hotel Cafe Tour 2008

I'm so pumped that I found this tour!!! If you like Indie music, you will be excited too. They are pretty much covering the whole U.S. it seems. Here are some of the artists that will be performing:

Sara Bareilles
Ingrid Michaelson
Cary Brothers
Meiko
Joshua Radin
Jim Bianco
Rocco Deluca
Greg Laswell
Priscilla Ahn
Jessie Baylin,
Kate Havnevik
Buddy & Holly Conlan
Eric Hutchinson
Bob Schneider
AM
Christopher Denny

What a list!!! Get tickets here.

**I am still doing a contest....still trying to think of something creative at this point....it will be my next post!

Baby Got Back...Grounds, That Is

I've been tinkering around with some new backgrounds. Oh, I also learned how to give a digital nose job yesterday. It's official, Photoshop can do ANYTHING. Here are some designs I made of my pup and our trip to Colorado:








ATTENTION blog readers!!!!
My next post will be another contest so stay tuned :)

I Heard it Through the Grapevine...

These two little birdies don't lie....it's true, there's going to be a BIG sale.

50% off session fees for Maternity, Children, and Family Portraits through February 28th! I really want more of these sessions, so I'm willing to cut my pricing in half just to get them! E-mail rachelbrooke@gmail.com to reserve your session date.

It Takes Two, Baby.

The weather here has been stormy and freezing cold. It gives Matthew and I a chance to stay in, snuggle by the fire, and eat cookies and milk. Last night we had a movie night and watched Stardust. If you haven't seen it yet you should-- it's an enchanting film.

All this quality time is surfacing the fact that living with someone can be tough. Someone I love so passionately has the ability to make me feel strongly capable of great things and also has the power to crush my spirit with one misinterpreted comment. I'm quickly noticing that love can bring out the best and the worst in me. You're used to having things your way when it's just you. Suddenly another person slides in, and those towels you neatly folded aren't so neat anymore. The midnight trip to the bathroom you used to take with no problem now ends with your butt falling into the bowl because someone *no names* forgot to put the seat down. The lesson is in learning to bend. At what point do I remove the death grip I have on the guns in my holsters and realize that love is bigger than just me?

I believe that most of love is about rolling to the middle. At the end of the day when the lights fade, do we stay tucked away in our separate corners or do we neglect pride and meet in the middle?

The New Me....Possibly

Ladies..... are you bored?
If yes, I've got just the thing for you. A virtual makeover. You put celebrity hairstyles on your own head. haha!




Scary thing is I am in fact going in for a haircut tomorrow....so if i'm brave enough maybe I might turn into one of these versions of myself.

Here are the styles I chose:
1. The classy Miss Jennifer Aniston
2. Crazy Laguna Beach Kristin
3. Polished Katie Holmes
4. The fabulous and trendy Reese Witherspoon

See, I told you that I need a job. And thanks for all of your advice, I have applied at 8 places in a variety of fields so we will see what happens. I'll keep you posted :)

Homebody

I've got to get a job.

I've always considered myself a homebody, but with my husband gone to law school all day, the company of a cat and dog is just not quite enough. I can't wait to get to the point where I do photography full-time. But since I started my business when I was in college, had another job, and traveled every weekend to see Matt, I've never had the chance to pursue it full-fledged.

Here are the potential job ideas (other than photography)
1. An editor
2. Temp at some company
3. nanny?? I do love kids!
4. Office Manager of a photography company/Assistant

Any help??

Here are some pictures from a session I did awhile ago. More current ones to come once I get my computer moved in.

"Mahalo"

"Mahalo" is Thank You in Hawaiian. I've been writing a thousand thank you notes for wedding gifts. I took this task upon myself because let's face it, here's what a guy's thank you note would look like:

Dear _____,
Thank you for it.

Love,
unemotional boy

Of course mine are filled with different adjectives to express gratitude, specific notes about HOW we are going to use the gift cards, etc. Lets just say it took me 4 hours to write 35 after the bridal shower.

On my breaks, I'm editing pictures from Hawaii....



Two old ladies told Matt to take his shirt off for this shot. Those lustful old bones.





I had my back to the shore for this upclose shot....and I got TOTALLY drenched! My camera no longer works. Stupid interesting barnacles & shells cost me a fortune.



The mailboxes of a small village alongside the road to Hana.



Our new rings!!

Our Wedding Slideshow

I finally bought Show It web! There is a discount code for it so if you don't have it yet, now is the time. The discount code is "star" after Jasmine Star. Apparently her and David Jay, the creator, are buddies so he's helping folks out! So I'm going to make a slideshow of the wedding today, then one of the honeymoon soon.

Sorry for the post being alllll about me lately, but a lot is going on that I feel inclined to share. My "sabbatical" is now over and I'm booking again which I'm thrilled about!

Weeee're Back!

I can't wait to post some pictures from our honeymoon. Right now we're busy unpacking and getting settled in. My sweet husband is sleeping next to me, the plane rides/time change wore us both out.

Stay tuned, I'll show you the beauties of Hawaii!

Quick Note from MRS. STRICKLIN

Howdy folks,
Quick note....no computers allowed on the honeymoon....but I wanted to at least share with you my bridal slideshow and a few wedding quick shots that my friends took at the wedding! Our pictures were taken at around 4:00 and there was not a cloud in the sky. The lighting was a photographers dream! The professional pics will come later and most certainly pictures of Hawaii :)



I was sorta squashed by Matt and his dad.... don't they favor each other?



One happy bride.





My mom is so good to me. She prayed with me at 2a.m. to wash away the wedding gitters. It worked, God gave me a peace that passed ALL understanding.



Happy New Years friends!

p.s. Elizabeth, thanks for remembering the wedding day. That was so thoughtful of you!

Sicklings

The soon-to-be bride and groom are both sicklings. I sound like a man. Matt sounds like a boy going through middle-school puberty. I called him yesterday morning to get a phone number from him and he was calling out the numbers.."5-6-5 (hit high octave note) 4-8 (hit high note again) 4-8." Our wedding vows could be interesting.

I hope yall are enjoying fellowship with family and friends, cherishing the sweet time we have with each other.

And foooooooood. For breakfast I had 2 servings of each of the 3 entrees. When Matt came over last night he found icing from cinnamon rolls in my hair. Shortly after I was nicknamed "Porky." Fair enough.

Merry Christmas, happy holidays, feliz navidad!

Winner: Julie Jones

The winner is Julie of Julie Jones Photography! Congrats on being the 1st to answer correctly!

I must say I was really impressed with those who answered and got it right. I suppose I have more loyal blog readers than I thought. I figured I was being all sneaky by asking a personal question, but you guys knew the answer! Hopefully we can have more contests in the future cause I think they're fun. So thank you also Jennifer of Vansuydam Photography, Kenzie of Shores Photography and E. of Elizabeth Pellette Photography. You guys are all great sources of inspiration to me!

1-2-3-GO!

I got across the stage without falling! Matt said I might as well have been a three-year old waiting in line to meet Santa. He said I still do the same nervous moves that I did when I was a little girl in home videos. I stood in line, grabbed the ends of my graduation dress (more like tarp!) and swung back and forth. I'm a little girl sometimes.

Here is my weekend agenda:
Friday, pack up everything in house.
7 pm, Graduation dinner.
Saturday, 11pm I graduated.
From about 12-3pm I moved out of my house.
From 4-6 we drove to Houston.
From 6-8 we moved into Houston.
Breathe. Relax.
Now unload all boxes to my new house.
Pack for Tyler for 2 weeks. Dont forget a thing cause it is YOUR wedding.
Pack for Hawaii honeymoon.
Drive from Houston back to College Station to pick up remains of boxes.
Drive to Tyler.
Prepare for wedding.

It's been crazy but fun! I'm getting used to the change a bit. Here are some pics from the busy weekend:
And one more thing...who invented a graduation cap?! A square on your head held on tightly by what appears to be a suction cap. Strange invention.

ENTER CONTEST!

The Prize:
"The Spoil Me Package"
-A foxy red nail polish by OPI. It's fun to have your nails in sync with the holidays!
-Chocolates...comfort foods are a must.
-A creamy lotion to make your man say "ohh la la"! I have several scents so I will let the winner choose which one!



*Note that this is FOR a lady, so men, this could be a FREE gift for your wives ;)

The Contest:
How you win: Identify who is in the picture and the story behind it. Leave a comment, you can only guess once. The prize will go to the FIRST person to get it right.
Deadline: Tuesday morning, December 18th.


Let the guessing begin!!!

Update: College Life Over.

Do you ever find yourself dreaming of that finish line constantly and when you finally feel it break on your tired ribs, a beautiful feeling of both sweetness and sadness flushes over you?

The race you had trained so hard for has now come to an end. Yes, you successfully endured every minute. Yes, there is a powerful release that the destination was worth the journey. Following the feelings of accomplishments can also be a feeling of "ok, now what?"

I'm working on my last final EVER. I've waited for this moment and I pictured I might do a victory dance down the streets or at least let out a zealous squeal. Much to my amusement, none of this has occurred. I'm instead encompassed by reflections of my college life, sweet friends who have lightened the load along the way and filled me with both laughter and tears, and the endless lessons God has taught me with each passing step.

My dreams have taken the following:
--a psychologist in training
--an environmental designer
--a sonogram technician
--a sign language translator
--a photographer
All these is just 3.5 years!

I'm feeling the release of the closing one chapter and opening another as a "Mrs." I hope that in 3.5 years I can look back and reflect on growth and memories with those I cherish with a grateful heart and humbled spirit.

CONTEST!!!

coming soon.....

i know, im teasing you guys. But after my finals are over (on Wednesday) I am going to post a picture and if you can identify what its of/the scenario then you get a Christmas prize!

So check back soon! :)

Christa's Bridals

Sheesh, it's been almost a year and I'm just now posting these. This was my first bridal session...I don't typically take them on. Christa and Seth were my "trial run" for wedding photography. They were very laid-back and sweet.

I commend ALL wedding photographers. How you keep your cool is beyond me. I would need to attach a breathing machine to my shootsac, cause I would be so stressed!! I much prefer to be the person in the audience snapping pictures like I did at John and Edit's. No pressure. Ahhh...the sweetness of that phrase.

Now I just need to find me some big-bellied women, a few crazy toddlers, and some funky-fresh seniors and my business will be headed in the right direction!

Mr. Blue Eyes

In just 24 days, Mr. Blue Eyes will be the face I wake up to each morning and the last voice I hear at night. We have dealt with the distance and held on to the hope that one day we would be around each other daily. No more "Is it Friday yet?!" No more serious case of the Mondays. Just a bunch of spooning and laughter.

I haven't shared this with you guys yet, but I think I will now! It's our wedding website. So go right ahead and look around if you want. And does anyone have experiences/ideas for writing your own vows? We really want to do it but are afraid of being a bunch of blubbering idiots! So I would love your input!


***Just to brag on him...tonight, he surprised me by personally designing my Blogger Logo in the web address. It went from the customary "B" to a personalized "R". Yep, he's a keeper :)

ELF Yourself

Need a good laugh? I just Elfed myself and my roommates and my stomach hurts from laughing so hard! Try it, and leave you web address on here, I will watch it and laugh some more!

I am now elfing my future in-laws, parents, animals. Yes, I need to get a life.


To view our incredible moves:::::::
http://www.elfyourself.com/?id=1183557238

I Got Inked (the Sequel)

My dad called me last week to tell me he thought one of my pictures from Maghan's Session was featured in the Tri County Leader Paper. I went on the website, and sure enough there it was! I felt special :)



P.S. For Photographers out there or people who just appreciate humor, I found a new blog called The Pioneer Woman and it is packed with amazing photographs, funny stories, and great recipes!

The What If Game

I play this all the time.
What if I had been brave enough to chase my dreams and run off to the East Coast? What if I hadn't met Matt, would I have discovered my love for photography? What if I had the courage to say 'yes' at the option of singing at that wedding?

The list goes on, it's endless. For once, I want to flip over the lose-a-turn card so my mind can catch a break from this exhausting game. The redundancy of the question leaves me standing in a danger zone. Entertaining the idea of a life that is different than the one Ive chosen is an idle trap. We are where we are for a reason, I believe in divine positioning rather than a series of coincidences strung together to compose one life.

"Our minds get blown away by thoughts of aliens and other worlds but my mind is blown away by possibility that maybe this was made for me, for lying on my back in the middle of a field- to look up and see that God loves me that much. The Psalms say that the stars speak every language so that NO man goes without hearing God." ----Sara Groves

This quote moved me to tears when I heard her say it. We are a small freckle on the Savior's great map. But He notices us. He cares enough to number our days and memorize how many hairs are on our heads. He is in the air around us each day. Each second. And when we feel overwhelmed by the possibilities or feel burdened from second guessing ourselves, we can just look up and be humbled by the number of the stars in the midnight sky.
Suddenly, the what-if game loses its appeal.

Maybe this was made for me.
Maybe my life is merely a path, filled with God-ordained steps for me to take.
I'm tired of asking WHAT IF, I want to appreciate WHAT IS.



**This photo was taken last winter in the majestic mountains surrounding Boulder Colorado.

Processing Poll

I'm enduring the growing pains of learning how to process pictures. And I must say, it's gonna leave some major stretch marks.

So, which of these is your favorite?

(Sorry to use a picture of me, but it was the only close-up portrait available since I'm at Matt's house!)

CROSS-PROCESS #1




STARK B&W #2:




AGED PHOTO: #3