Quite the Courtship 227/365

With the Jags leaving much to be desired after Round 1 of the draft, we happily headed to the Panthers Draft Day Party on Friday night after work. Tyler was strongly considering making the switch from the Jags to the Panthers as far as his favoritism and loyalty lies and the Panthers must have known he was on the fence because they did not hold back! We were showered will all kinds of goodies and we had such a fun night. We had dinner and then got in line to grab some signatures from the 2009 draft class. We were a little sad that the only member missing from the class was Everett Brown...the seminole...but the rest of the guys were really nice and happy to sign autographs and take pictures. Then we headed over and got a caricature made. We also had our picture taken and they brought it back over to us on a plaque. Short of having our number pulled in the raffle...we walked out the door with everything they had to offer! Between all the swag and the pickup of Jimmy Clausen, I think he's officially a Panther...they certainly earned it on Friday!

Draft Day 226/365

On Thursday...I was a bad student and skipped my class in the name of homemade chicken wings and the NFL Draft. And I must say....we had a ball! Not only did we grill up homemade wings, we also did handmade pizza on the grill....what a treat. We threw our elbows on the table and dug in while we watched the draft. And the wings were INCREDIBLE! I honestly don't think we will ever order out for wings again. They were easy and tasted like perfection. Tyler has become quite the grillsmith and we are so looking forward to cooking out all summer long. I only made it through the first half of the first round before shutting my eyes, but my true fan of a husband made it until the end despite the "out of nowhere" pick from his Jacksonville Jags.  

Fiesta Leftovers 225/365

After work on Wednesday, Tyler met me at our Charlotte Seminole Club board meeting. We discussed our upcoming events and there was a social afterwards for all members who could attend. While Tyler stayed and socialized with other Charlotte Noles, I headed over to La Paz to celebrate Lisa's engagement with her friends. I hadn't planned on eating, but they had not ordered yet when I arrived so...awesome quesadillas it was! It was so fun hearing Lisa's engagement re-enactment and as always, it was great catching up with everyone! We closed down the restaurant and reluctantly headed out...but not without great leftovers!

Lucky Lotto 224/365

Tyler always gets THE BEST messages in his fortune cookies! He let's me pick which cookie I want every time and still, he always gets the better one. He had a recent one that mentioned something about him being on top of the world. So, he decided he might as well buy a lottery ticket with the numbers on the back of the fortune. Being that I am catching up on blogging, we can sadly tell you now that we did not win. Although, the man who did win seemed to really need it based on the published standing of his bank account. I guess you never know when lady luck will shine your way... :)

Donate a Dollar 223/365

Tyler is raising money for Big Brothers Big Sisters of Charlotte. There is a bowling event coming up and he is working on trying to raise the most money of anyone! He has put together a bowling team and Ethan will be there too. They play one game and all of the money raised goes towards the BBBS organization. Please check out this great cause and DONATE even a dollar if you can! Ethan has had a huge impact on Tyler's life and ours as a family, and we are so grateful to have this opportunity to give back to the people who make these connections happen.

The Great Egg Off 222/365

We woke up Sunday morning and began preparing for the great egg off! My dad always gets great eggs from the women who work in his office and this week he had both farm raised eggs AND farm raised low cholesterol eggs (the green ones). And so...we had an egg off. We each tasted an egg from the grocery store, a farm raised and a low cholesterol. After being mildly disappointed that the green shells didn't also produce green eggs, we were off to fry away. All the eggs were cooked over medium and mom was in there flipping like a pro! Her and I knew which egg was which on the plates, but Tyler and dad were our blind tasters. As it turns out, knowing or not knowing, it all produced the same result. The store bought eggs quickly dropped to the bottom of everyone's list. The yolk was a light yellow compared to the deep golden yolks of the other two. And the flavor was not nearly as rich when compared to the others side by side. While the two farm raised eggs looked similar in yolk color, the farm raised egg tasted VERY rich. Something you notice when eating it alone, as we have done before, but when compared to the low cholesterol it seemed almost too rich. Both farm raised eggs were very tasty but across the board, we enjoyed the low cholesterol eggs the best. Who'd have thunk it?! And why is someone not taking advantage of this fact??

We headed back to Charlotte and swung through the grocery store to shop for the week. Then Brent and Cari carme over for a play/dinner date. We had hot dogs and sausages on the grill and finally got the chance to catch up over dinner and Bobcats basketball. We even caught a few minutes of the Pens game. Cari enjoyed spending most of her time out in the yard while Tess lounged inside after being obviously worn out from playing with Sophie and Cari. It was the perfect way to end a great weekend!

Tickle Me Tulips 221/365

I woke up early Saturday morning to meet Matt and Carrie at the park. They never had engagement pictures taken and so their wedding pictures are the most recent pictures they have. Well, that was 3 years ago...it was time for an update! I had so much fun walking through the park with them. We searched for good light and pretty colors and could not get enough of these gorgeous tulips. They swear they aren't photogenic...but they are NUTS! They looked PRETTY in every picture...Matt let me know early on that he didn't mind if I called him pretty too. :) I can't wait to deliver their pictures, but until then...here's a peek at one of my favs!

After we finished, it was off to the Apple store with my family. We were checking out the new iPad and wow is it impressive! We played around and grabbed a quick bite before the boys headed out to the golf course and my mom and I were off to run errands. We headed over to the course ourselves when my dad and Tyler got to the turn. We brought wine and cheese and giggled our way through the back nine on the cart, while the boys continued to play. We made a quick stop at the house to change before dinner and then out we went to Bistro Sophia to celebrate my mom's birthday at one of their favorite places.

Big Brown Eyes 220/365

On Friday we left work and drove into Greensboro for the weekend. My parents had returned from their trip to Italy and we had plans to celebrate my mom's birthday. But on Friday night, we stayed in and caught up. We had a great meal from the grill and enjoyed fabulous wine as always. Tess and Sophie hung out on the rug and Sophie, always happy to have your attention, was more than willing to let me lay on the ground with her to shoot a picture for the day. She is getting so big and has the darkest brown eyes. It's nice to have a willing subject since Tess doesn't care much for the paparazzi.

Cozy Courtyard 219/365

I am still looking forward to Thursdays because my photography class is still going on. This week we learned about the importance of shadows and how to use them to enhance our pictures. We walked around a little uptown to find a great spot to practice. And here, between several buildings, is a tucked away courtyard that is covered in green. I can't wait to see it in full bloom and am looking forward to coming back with my camera to check it out.

Third Life 218/365

You may have noticed that we missed day 217. I have no creative story or good reason...this is just getting TOUGH! But we are so far and we will make it to the end...I am determined! I had hoped in the beginning to have a complete year, but I have learned to not beat myself up over the days that are missed. Life happens and I am still very proud of what we are doing and our journey so far. And I know you will be happy to see that our resilient kitchen plant has SURVIVED yet again! We are onto life number three and for the plant's sake, I hope it rivals a cat with it's ability to be revived.

Neglected and Needy 216/365

We were back to work on Monday...and sadly it took me until Monday after work to even realize that our kitchen plant was on it's last breath! This has happened once before and after 2 days of intense hydration, I was able to bring it back to life. So, after I grabbed this picture, it was off to the sink to see what I could do. Tyler may have mumbled something about how would I ever be able to take care of children if I can't keep a plant alive...but I just looked at my tail wagging 6 year old pup and decided that I will be just fine. :)

Mastered 215/365

After our full sushi stomachs put us to bed early, we were able to get up and at 'em early on Sunday for our drive home. We listened to the Masters coverage once it began and when we finally made it home we decided to pull the TV out onto the deck to enjoy the rest. We had quite the setup through our window and we enjoyed the beautiful day as a family outside. We happily watched Phil pull it out in the end and prepared for a full week of work ahead.

Catchin' Up 214/365

We woke up Saturday morning and Brooke made pancakes and sausage for breakfast...SUCH a great hostess! We got ready for the game after breakfast and packed up the car. We headed to the stadium and met up with everyone who was already there tailgating. The boys indulged in the Best Of BBQ on Landis Green while the girls sat around and made sweet eyes with baby Jack. He was a trooper and proved to be a great Nole from his very first game. We went into the stadium right before the game started and found seats in the endzone. Lindsey and I sat behind our husbands and enjoyed watching them catch up and talk FSU football throughout the game. She said we needed to take a picture and I just love how it turned out!

We stayed for the WHOLE game and even enjoyed the flag football game at half-time played by FSU Football alum. Brooke and Adam had already taken Jack home, so after the game Tyler and I swung by Kitcho (our FAVORITE sushi place in Tally) and grabbed dinner for the 4 of us. We chowed down and grabbed a menu to see if we can have some of our Charlotte sushi chefs re-create some of our favorite Tallahassee rolls. After dinner it was off to bed, we had plans to leave early in the morning for our 8 hour trek back home. 

Back to Blogging

Have no fear blog followers...I am well rested and ready for a HUGE blogging catch up this weekend! Thanks for hanging in there during my break and be sure to stay tuned this weekend and all next week while I roll out the pictures from the past 2 weeks!

Nole Nostalgia 213/365

We got on the road early Friday morning and began our 8 hour adventure to Florida. I guess there wasn't too much adventure though...lots of driving, a little bit of napping, a few stops and as per usual, some Mike and Mike in the morning. We arrived at Brooke and Adam's around 3:30 and finally got to meet sweet baby Jack. He is completely precious and Brooke and Adam are already incredible parents...this is one lucky little guy! Tess and Chelsea (their chocolate lab) got reaquainted and Chelsea was sweet enough to share her yard, toys and water bowl with our crazy Tess.

After we got settled in, it was time to head to the Phi Delt Founder's Day dinner. We met alum and active brothers and enjoyed a tasty dinner and a speech from TK Wetheral, the past FSU President and Phi Delta Theta brother. Brooke and Adam took a sleepy Jack home for the night, and we headed onto campus. Tyler's favorite bar in college is called Ken's Tavern. It's a beer joint and a hole in the wall, but we love it there. We knew we were early for the rowdy college crowd, but we decided to stop and share a couple of beers for old times sake. :) There's something about this place...it just feels like home! After Ken's, we met a few friends out at a different bar and then called it a night. We quietly crept into Brooke and Adam's house as to not wake the sleeping baby and pups. Tess met us at the door to our room with sleepy eyes and a wagging tail. We headed to bed and fell asleep looking forward to checking out our Noles and what they have been up to this Spring.

Garnet or Gold 212/365

On Thursday we both enjoyed the last day of our work week. Not only were we prepared for a long weekend...but the Spring Football Game in Tallahassee was in our sights. I headed to my photography class while Tyler headed home. Afterwards it was time to pack because we planned to leave early Friday morning. I am terrible at packing in advance but I did really good for this trip. It's amazing how I was able to rest easy knowing that everything was pretty close to ready for the next morning. We threw in lots of garnet and lots of gold and tried to sleep fast so it could be time to wake up on Friday already!

Editing Away 211/365

On Wednesday, I came home from work with plans to edit. Tyler made BBQ chicken on the grill and it turned out perfectly! Then it was off to lock myself in the office to edit. I hope it stays this way...because I LOVE this part of post production. I love meeting people and I love taking pictures. I especially love turning those moments into memories that will last forever. I edited from Maggie and George's shoot and from Sonya's family's. I am so excited to share these pictures with them!

Inspired Insight 210/365

On Tuesday, it was back to work for both of us. But we had a short week to look forward to! We made sausages for dinner and enjoyed a quiet night in. I went to thumb through the new Anthropologie catalog and found this quote on the first page. It made me smile, as do most things pertaining to sunshine. :) 

Secrets Between Sisters 209/365

We had a productive Monday off of work. It included lawn mowing, grocery shopping and laundry. Then, while Tyler relaxed for the afternoon, I headed out to Locust, NC to take pictures of one of Tyler's co-worker's family. We had a ball! This family is filled with the sweetest girls...and boyfriends, a grandpa and a well behaved pup. We spent a few hours taking pictures in Easter dresses and climbing through creeks on the farm. I had so much fun getting to know everyone and can't wait to show them their pictures. This one below caught my eye....how perfect are they!? I'm not sure what they were wispering about, but what a sweet moment captured between sisters. We had dinner in and watched the championship game before heading to bed. It was a great close to a long weekend and we looked forward to the short week ahead.

Remembering Rosebud 208/365

We had breakfast in Greensboro before we drove back to Charlotte on Sunday morning. We grabbed quick naps and then went over to Birkdale Village for date night. Or our version of date night. :) I really wanted to see The Last Song and Tyler had yet to see Shutter Island. Neither of us was at all interested in seeing the other, so we went to different movies. Tyler's movie was longer and started about 30 minutes before mine, which led to a little un-necessary but much enjoyed shopping. I stumbled onto a brand I had never seen before and it made me smile. We called my grandma Rosebud...and I just couldn't walk out of the store without buying something that made me remember her.

Tyler's movie ended up with sound issues, so he came in and watched the second half of mine with me. After the movie, we grabbed dinner at Eez and enjoyed a nice meal outside. We both had Monday off of work, so it was nice to relax knowing that we would be sleeping in and spending another day off together.

Heavy Lifting 207/365

I woke up early on Saturday and headed to Chapel Hill to take engagement pictures for our friends Maggie and George. Tyler had breakfast with my mom and went on a walk with Tess and my dad and Sophie before my parents got packed up and left for the Charlotte airport.

About a week before we were set to take pictures, I remembered George having a pair of seats from the Dean Dome and asked if we could bring them along. Little did I know how HEAVY they would be! George and Maggie were great sports as we hauled those chairs all over the UNC campus. We got some great pictures but this one really makes me smile because it perfectly shows what we spent most of our morning doing...moving those chairs! Despite the heavy lifting...I had a great time shooting with Maggie and George. We visited all their favorite spots on campus and had a great lunch at Top of the Hill when we were finished.

After we grabbed lunch, I drove back to Greensboro and met up with Tyler. We headed out to see the Greensboro Grasshoppers play an exhibition game against their MLB affiliate, the Florida Marlins. We met up with friends and enjoyed an afternoon outside. Tyler and Matt were even chosen to participate in a promotional event on the field between innings. Carrie and I raced down to the bottom of the stands to catch a few pictures of the action. We watched the final four games that night and had an impressive cook out between games. It was a long day, but a great one to spend outside.

Hot Hot Hot 206/365

Tyler and I both got out of work a little early on Friday, so we packed up Tess and the car and headed to Greensboro for the weekend. We went out to dinner with my mom and dad before they left for Italy the next day. We went to a fabulous Asian Fusion restaurant that Tyler and I had never been to before...and we can't wait to go back! The sushi was unique and tasty and the food was just as incredible. We came back to the house after dinner and I can't tell you how or why we started talking about tequila, but we did. And talking about tequila led to a shot of tequila...which made for a very fitting picture of the day.

Urban Uptown 205/365

For Thursday's class, we got to bring models for an urban portrait shoot in uptown Charlotte. We ended up shooting for all 3 hours and I was so lucky to have Erica come out to play with me! She wore an amazingly bright color and brought shoes, jewels and accessories for fun. :) She was up for anything, which included climbing up the clock on the corner of Trade and Tryon and feeling silly while I grabbed this great shot of the bus driving past her. I learn so much each and every time I shoot and I am SO grateful to have amazing friends who subject themselves to crazy requests, hot days and me fiddling with my camera in order to find the perfect shot. E...you are gorgeous and your smile makes me smile. Thank you for being in firm agreement that we can always ask for forgiveness later and for being understanding as I learn and gain confidence. You are my perfect practice model. :)

Sweet Sleeper 204/365

I'm always the first one asleep. I can say that pretty certainly...always! But on Wednesday night, after our incredibly successful first attempt at a homemade quesadilla night, Tyler fell asleep upstairs watching a movie. So he came down and we got into bed and turned out the lights. And then, like several nights during any given month, I sat straight up and had him turn on a light because I hadn't grabbed a picture yet. This sudden alarm doesn't even bother me. I can jump up with excitement, scrounge around the house to grab a picture and then be asleep less than 5 minutes after laying my head back onto my pillow. Tyler is not so fortunate. He has to be really tired to fall asleep. And if I get into one of my chatting moods as we are laying down, he has to all but tape my mouth shut so he can start falling asleep. So on Wednesday, I got up to take the picture and he worked on getting to sleep. I grabbed this shot before he realized he was the subject of my picture. After this one, I kept catching little smiles that he couldn't help but give me. But here, my sweet and patient husband, is trying to get back to sleep and hoping I will quickly turn off his lamp and return to bed myself.

Pretty Close to Perfection 203/365

Tuesday brought back the beautiful spring weather! Hopefully April won't be filled with showers...I for one have had my fill and am ready for an abundance of sunshine! The plan was for me to go to the grocery store to shop for our short week of dinners and for Tyler to either go to the gym or spray down the yard with weed killer. We started chatting on the way home and Tyler suggested a different plan altogether. He said why don't you meet me at home, I will spray the front yard and then we can pick up dinner and have a picnic at the park. He even suggested bringing a fabulous pink bottle of wine that has been sitting in the refrigerator just begging for a perfect spring day! And so we did...we met at home and packed our FSU picnic basket. We threw the blanket in the car and stopped to pick up dinner. Tyler got a sub and I got some sushi and away we went. We pulled into the park and walked over to the beach. The park sits on Lake Norman and we would have a great sunset view on the water. We talked about our upcoming trips and enjoyed the spontaneous Tuesday escape. The sun warmed our faces as we ate dinner and drank our perfect bottle of wine. Suddenly, our Tuesday felt more like a Sunday and we could not have been more grateful for that. As we walked back to the car once the sun set behind the houses and it started to cool down, I gushed that we should do this every week! Tyler's simple response was that if we can make Tuesdays this much fun...then life must be pretty great. And it is...very great!

Go Forth 202/365

Monday is our favorite night to snuggle in and watch TV together after dinner. Our favorite show, How I Met Your Mother is on at 8...followed by several others that we enjoy. This past Monday however, How I Met Your Mother was a re-run, so instead of splitting up to watch Gossip Girl and play video games, Tyler suggested we watch Star Trek. I have never seen a single Star Trek or Star Wars movie...I have zero intrest. But, in an effort to agree to something we could do together, I said why not. The deal was that we could turn it off at 10pm and watch either the Greek season finale or the second part of a two-episode special of Castle. So we started watching. And although I refused to admit it...it was pretty enjoyable. I liked some parts more than others, but overall, not even close to as bad as I was preparing myself for. In fact, when 10pm came, I almost suggested watching the end before jumping into one of our favorite shows. But I didn't...that would sound crazy! So we watched Greek...and headed to bed. And as we got into bed I asked Tyler if he would mind if we put Star Trek back on...I was very curious to see how the story would end. And so we did, we watched the end, and snapped a fitting picture before falling asleep. Always nice to give something a shot. :)