{thankful}

It’s 1:30pm on New Years Eve and I should be showering and getting ready to party, but in light of it being NYE and resolution time, I wanted to share a few thoughts with you.

2007 has been an incredible year for me both personally and professionally.  Not only did I marry my best friend and the most incredible man I have ever met, I photographed some really amazing couples and families.  I’m so thankful about the connection I share with my couples, if I didn’t have that, I wouldn’t be blessed with loving my job.  It’s my couples and families that trust in me to document their life and love that make my job so rewarding.  I’m so excited for 2008 - I have some really amazing weddings lined up. 

I’m also thankful for the incredible talent that we have here in the photographic industry.   There are so many unbelievable artists and I thank you for sharing your inspiring work with the world.   I hope I get a chance to meet many more fabulous photog’s in 2008.  Call me!!!  Let’s hang out!!!

In preparation for the New Year, I’ve looked back on 2007 and thought about the purchases that have changed my life for the better.  I thought it would be fun to share with you.

Personal Purchases/Gifts (besides my wedding):

Brown Boots- I found this great pair of no heal brown boots on sale for $45 (normally $250) at Macy’s.  At first I was a little apprehensive about wearing them because I’m a pumps kind of girl, but I can’t wear pumps and shoot! (Unlike rockstar Quin Cheung of DQ Studios)  I wear these boots all the time and in addition to them being cute – they keep me WARM!!!! 

Panini Grill – My parents gave me the Cuisinart Panini Griddlerfor Christmas and I have had between 1 and 2 panini’s everyday since!  I love it!!!  I haven’t figured out the Moons Over My Hammy or Tuna Melt yet, but I’m working on it.  For some reason all of the contents seem to melt together. hmm…  Anyway,  I LOVE IT!

Nintendo DS LITE - Not a Christmas Gift, but an I Love You Gift from Scott 3 days before Christmas.  I have been wanting the original Nintendo for a while because Super Mario Bros. and Donkey Kong were really the only video games I played.  I grew up with a Dad and younger brother that loved video games.  First we had an Atari, then a Commodore computer for video games only, then of course, Nintendo and then it goes on and on.  Well, so I started with Nintendo and loved it for a while.  Then my sister got old enough to play and we had three kids fighting over the 2 person game - AND – Boys and BFF’s started sparking my interest a lot more.   When thinking about my Christmas list I saw these fun brain games and was bummed when I found out you had to have a DS to play them.  So, three days before Christmas Scott declared it Jen Day (YAY!!!) and took me to lunch, then Best Buy and bought me the DS with Super Mario Bros (seriously just like the original) and Word Coach, and Left Brain Right Brain.   I spent the rest of the night sitting by the outlet charging it playing.  My left hand seriously went numb.  It’s such a wonderful thing. really it is.  It’s portable and briefly takes me away from my world (which get get a little crazy sometimes )

Professional Purchases:

PickPic Shopping Cart- when I first convinced my husband that I needed this, I promised him that my print sales would dramatically increase.  Did I really believe this?  No, not really, I just wanted something new, sleek, and easy for my clients to use.  (shhh… don’t tell Scott).  Side note:  with Scott, I have to qualitate or quanititate every purchase I make – I’m an artist – I dont’ really do that.  Luckily for me, I married an accountant and that is the only way he operates.  My business would be nowhere near where it is today if it weren’t for him.   OK, back to PickPic.  Troy was a true pleasure to work with and I CANNOT BELIEVE just how much my print sales have soared since my PickPic Shopping Cart has entered my life.  It’s seriously unbelievable.  And it allows us to offer everything online – albums, gift certificates, online payments, etc.  I love it!

Another 5D - I entered 2007 with only one and decided that I need TWO!  It’s for back up purposes and gives me piece of mind that it exists there in my bag.

Canon 30D – I shoot a lot of weddings in churches that don’t allow me to get very close to the bride and groom during the ceremony.  I use my 30D just for this reason.  With the 1.6 (i think) ration, it allows me to get that much closer with my 70- 200mm lens.  It’s a really great camera.

My Mac Book Pro - Yes, I made the move!!!  Not completely yet because my office is too small.  As soon as we move I will be getting my big Mac and the only thing we will use my PC for is scheduling, email and miscellaneous stuff.  anyway, I currently do all of my editing on my mac and I just LOVE it!!!!  Go MAC!!!

My 45mm Tilt Shift Lens - LOVE IT!!!  Takes a bit to get used to, but is so freaking cool to play with!

My 6×8 Wacom Tablet – I cannot LIVE without this thing.  It really makes me wonder how I ever retouched with a regular mouse.  seriously.  It’s incredible and so precise!  It took about a week of me going “What the Heck is this thing?!?!”  and once I got used to the change, I have never looked back.

Jesh’s {life as an artform} workshop in Vancouver, BC - Jeshhas so much to offer this world and I am so thankful that he is willing to share.  I have crazy love for this guy – yes ladies I know, he’s sexy too, BUT – he has got to be the most talented, authentic, and passionate person I know.    In addition to the Jesh experience, I got to hang out with some really wonderful and talented photog’s.  It’s so fun to talk photo with other photographers because we sound like complete dorks to the rest of the world, but other photographers actually know what you are talking about!  I made some life long friendships that week for sure.

I bought a few other lenses, but I think that is enough professional toys to talk about. 

OK seriously I’ve been typing for over an hour… and I didn’t even get to my NY Resolutions! TBC 1/1/08.   If you just read through all of this, you’re crazy – but thanks for reading!
If you skipped through the writing looking for a photo…  Here you go!