I’ll be donating art for auction this Saturday!

That’s right!  I’m actually leaving the studio now to pick up a print that I’ve had framed to donate for auction this Saturday at Saint Margaret’s annual Cal-Ca Chew fundraiser at SMSC on Enterprise Blvd.  It’s an amazing 24×36 inch Louisiana landscape print, behind glass, framed.  All done and donated by Lindsey Janies Photography.  )  It’ll be in the Live Auction, so come by and holla! if you’d like to bid on it!

Other cool items will be auctioned off as well, like an awesome custom shelf peice created by the very creative Pierre of Eighty One!

I’ll try to get more info on times for Saturday and post them here soon!

Hey blog! What’s up?

Needless to say, since I’d found out last Tuesday that my pro lab was closed, I’ve been a little stressed!  With the help of my AWESOME friend Christina, I was able to have all of Meagan’s prints re-done, framed, and ready to go by Friday afternoon.  Don’t ask me how because those three days were a complete blur!  And Meagan was so sweet and patient with the entire thing.  I think we were all just thankful that the wedding of her dreams was still a “go” after two hurricanes!!!  )

I’ve sent in sample prints with a few labs and they’re just coming in this week.  So, all re-prints, enlargements, and wall portraits that have been delayed will start being sent in at the end of this week/beginning of next.

I had the pleasure of meeting this precious baby, Evangeline, a few weeks ago.  Her parents were in from the east Coast visiting family in Lake Charles.  Evangeline’s grandma was sweet enough to schedule her session while they were down.  Ariel just cannot get enough of those cheeks!  And neither can I. 

Just sharing a few as I attempt to sit still and plow through orders while Parker kicks the crap out of me… 

I complain, but I love it. 

Evangeline, you are too cute!!!

Also – I came across this post I put up a just two months ago with my “bump” and decided it’s time to give an updated “seven-months-preggo-and-can’t-see-my-feet-anymore” belly bump picture, so as soon as I can get Adam or Ariel to snap off another, I’ll share. 

Good News/Bad News

As most of you know, Ike created total devastation throughout Southwest Louisiana and Southeast Texas. 

Adam, my dad, and brother Chase stayed behind to weather out the storm here in Sulphur.  “The Weather Warriors” , as they’d like to be called after staying for 2 hurricanes, videoed Ike hitting over here, and then the aftermath of damage and SEVERE flooding that everyone has suffered with.  Mom & I got the play by play while staying with my Aunt in Lafayette.  “The water is rising in the neighborhood!”  “It’s up to the mailboxes down the road!”  “They’ve just barricaded our neighborhood and the street right in front of our house.”  OMG.  I was freakin’.  1/2 of our neighborhood flooded.  Homes, cars, everything.  From the tiniest and quietest little gully that runs behind the neighborhood about a 1/2 mile away. 

When we took out the policy on our home two years ago, State Farm required flood insurance.  I was sooo mad.  “Why?!?!”  “We don’t have water ANYWHERE around us!”  “This is so stupid.”  Well, I was swallowing those words on Saturday.  I couldn’t have been more relieved to know that if our home was flooded from that “tiny gully”, we could (eventually) bounce back and be fine. 

According to the Weather Warriors, the water continued to rise – quickly – creeping closer to our house, reaching all the way to our neighbors’ yard across the street until it finally subsided.  Thank you, God. 

Good news – the studio is fine and Ariel and I are back up and running today (Tuesday). 

The bad news:  our lab is in Orange, Texas.

I’ve been calling since yesterday and haven’t gotten an answer.  I have the manager’s cell and I left him a voicemail this morning, just asking for an update on just how bad it looks and when they could possible re-open.

I’m working with Christina Louvierre, who is one of my best friends, on trying to find an alternate lab if I get a call back stating they will be closed for an extended period of time.  Don’t worry!  Something WILL happen and your prints and orders will go on and everything will be fine.  It just may take me a few days to find the right alternate lab that can continue to produce the superior quality that I’ve been spoiled to for the past three years.

Please bear with me.  I, too, am trying not to totally freak out.  lol  :\

ON A BETTER NOTE:  The weather today is AWESOME!!!  I was walking to my parents’ for coffee at 7:00 this morning and it was an amazing 61 degrees!!!  Yay!

**UPDATE:  I just spoke with the lab.  They had over 13 inches of water.  18 wheelers &  a crew of men are working on moving everything out and draining the building.  Prints are swollen, wet, and damaged.  They are looking at a recovery time of a few months.  I just want to cry.    So, as of right now, I definately need to find an alternate lab.

Ike (arrrggghhh!!!)

Friggin’ hurricanes.

When I was in Austin last week (for Gustav), I met the cutest couple while waiting for the bats to come out from the Congress bridge.  (Coolest thing ever – watch it on youtube HERE.)  They were vacationing from Dallas and just enjoying city for a few days.  When they found out I was an evacuee from Louisiana, they just asked, “Why don’t you move?”

That was it.  Simple as that.  I kind of laughed.  I thought about it for a minute, thinking, “These people are right!  Why don’t we just move somewhere else?”

The primary reason being this:  When Rita came and devastasted everything in SWLA in ‘05, Adam said that was it.  No more.  We’re moving!  After he calmed down a little more, I told him that just doesn’t make sense.  These kind of horrible cat 3 storms only come but once every fifty years – Hurricane Audrey being the last in the 1950’s.  Once every 50 years isn’t that bad.  We can live through that.

But now, evacuating TWICE in a week/two weeks?!  Geez!  Let’s just hope this year is a bizarre one and that this guy, like Gustav, isn’t THAT bad.

By the way – we’re not going far this time.  And it looks like it’s just my mom and I again.  Which is cool.  Without a mandatory evacuation, Adam’s 13 on: 1 off shifts are still going strong and AT&T still has them working a full 12 hour day tomorrow and Saturday.  Freaks.  I just told him not to climb any poles in these 80 mph gusts.  (i.e. – I’ll be a nervous wreck for the next two days leaving him here alone/with my dad.  Same thing.  lol)

We’re just going to Lafayette.  As of now, we still have a wedding to shoot in Iota on Saturday!  My mom has asked me about 30 times today if it’s been post-poned or cancelled yet.  And every hour, I tell her no, I haven’t heard anything.  Just like I told Tara, who was married right before Gustav hit, – If you’re there, we’re there.    I have to give props to Ariel, who’s so “hard core” that she’s just like me.  I told her she’s not obligated to help me on Saturday…. to “go and save yourself”.  lol  But she said she’s good.  She’ll be in Lafayette as well and she’ll be ready to go Saturday if needed.  Thanks chick. 

Oh – so by the way – the studio will be closed again until further notice… If all goes well, that means until Monday or Tuesday, I’m sure.  I’ll keep u posted.  Be safe!

Brandon + Jules :)

Jules!  After checking the blog consistantly for the past two weeks, you finally get to see YOU! 

Julia has been a long time friend of mine… back to the wee years of Sulphur High Class of ‘02.  (Woot!)

It was such a pleasure to meet Brandon (officially) for their session.  I’ve watched these two quietly attend all of their friends’ weddings in the past two years… I’ve always caught a shot of them quietly dancing towards the back of the floor, looking happier than ever.  I can’t wait to watch them truly take the dance floor, by themselves, as husband and wife within only a few weeks.  (Tear! :*)  We’ve grown up WAY too fast!!!

So I introduce to you, THE most happy, halarious, and giggly couple I’ve had in a long time.  It was so refreshing and fun!  They NEVER stopped laughing!  For almost two hours!  It was great. 

And btw – I’m blogging from a laptop again – sorry!  My feet are propped up and I’m in pjs, so if the colors aren’t quite right or they looked a little bit over processed, it’s not normal!  Just a different monitor for tonight! 

Congrats to you both!  Jules – I’ll see you next week!