angelic

These first couple of weeks at home have been so wonderful. Getting to spend time with family and unplug a little bit has been just priceless. My niece is getting really big - she doesn't look like a baby anymore - she's getting to be a little girl!

Freedom and Joy

I am officially done, and it is an awesome feeling. I am so excited about this summer: marriage, freedom, and family. I had the privilege of photographing my friend Shareese recently. Isn't she beautiful? The joy she has in this laughter of hers is totally reflected in my soul right now.

almost there

My last academic assignment is due tomorrow in my opera lit class, and then I will basically be free except for attending class and teaching the rest of my lessons for the week, and then on Friday, watching my student's juries. And then I'm FREE! :)

and it was all yellow

The world is just so beautiful.

that smile

Seeing that smile is always one of the best parts of the day.

ready for summer

The weather has been so gorgeous lately; after all of those months of winter, I never expected such a respite as this. It is making me antsy for summer. In fact, I feel like I've been waking up to summer every day for a couple of weeks. It keeps my mood perpetually light, except I feel like I keep wanting more freedom (the freedom of summer)!

more green

It's sunny and 75 degrees here today. I'm stuck inside teaching, but I am enjoying the sunshine and warm weather through my open window! I can't wait until May when I can start the garden again and wait for miracles to happen. :)

my love is fond of green

Back in 2005, when I moved into my first apartment, I had about seventeen houseplants at one point. I've always had a major love for gardening and all things green, but since I've moved to IU, my poor plants have suffered. In January 2010, I was down to one lonely Philodendron, both because I'd killed a few plants and because I had given some away when I was gone over the summer. My friend Sarah gifted a large plant to me, and then I felt my green thumb take over again. I bought a couple of gorgeous little jade plants over spring break along with some lovely Violas. It is green and cheery again in my apartment! :)

supper

With the wedding five months away (aaah!) I am now starting my pre-wedding fitness plan. And that includes shaping up my diet, which has been kinda wishy-washy for the past year. I am counting calories again and trying to overhaul my eating ideas. I have even considered eating meat (just poultry for now) again...but the jury is still out on that one. This was tonight's meal: roasted asparagus with honey-soy glazed sesame crusted salmon. Yum! Losing weight's gonna be easy!

spring break

Spring break has been a wonderful break so far. Here are some of the images I've captured of my time on break! My sweet niece & nephew (those are my nephew's feet at the bottom), driving, driving, and more driving, dominoes, and eating too much. Unfortunately, I've come down with something and I'm really sick today. But hopefully that will improve over the next few days. Right now, I've got the worst sore throat I can remember in years! I'm drinking lots of throat coat and fluids...hopefully this bug will move on!

the love of my life

Here's a portrait I took of the love of my life. I'm trying out a few new techniques with textures & backgrounds. I'm also trying out studio branding stuff. :) I like the results so far!

summertime

I found a tutorial today that teaches you how to create HDR-like effects in lightroom & photoshop. I tried it out on this photo of mine from last summer. Isn't it kind of wild?

light & shadows

I think more man-holes should have gorgeous designs. I walk over this one every time I walk to my friend Laura's apartment, and I've always wanted to take a picture of it. I'm glad that I had my camera the last time I did!

the cold blue sky

This has been such a long winter for so many of us. I know it has been worse for my parents in Iowa than it has been here in Indiana, but I have to say, most days have been very overcast and very depressing. We had a brief bout of sunshine on Friday, and it made my day. I grabbed my camera for no particular reason when I was on my way out, and I was glad I did, because I snapped a few photos on a walk to my friend Laura's. Today was overcast, so I had this memory of a gorgeous blue sky to cheer me up again!

eyes

This is one of my best friends, Laura. Doesn't she have the most beautiful eyes?