Two Days,14 Hours of Rehearsal, One Hour of Performace, One Camera, Tons of Pictures

It's official, if I'm in a room full of mirrors I will make a load of goofy faces while photo punking my friends.

Saturday rehearsal was intense. By 3pm my head was spinning with moves to practice at home. I could barely think, barely dance, as I was so spent!

As with any show that's about to be put on there are lots, and I mean LOTS of last minute changes. Sometimes due to practicality, sometimes due to drama. We had both of those happen this weekend. I won't go into details, but, if you're dying to know you can email me (addy in my blogger profile) and I'll tell ya. The above picture is of the dancers and my instructor, K.t, working on cheorography at rehearsal. The next day this amazing cheography, along with other cheography, was thrown out. I was really, really bummed about this- but, as they say the show must go on.

As I mentioned in previous posts wigs get involved in Irish dance. We didn't wear the wigs the entire performance, but, we did for two dances! In fact we all got our wigs and dresses on in a matter of minutes- two for me! K.t's trying to show us how she's going to make this old, and I mean old, pony tail wig work as a bun wig. Believe it or not she pulled it off (thanks to a little help from Dawn).

But before the fun with the wigs we had to look glamorous with our real hair so K.t, being the multi-talented instuctor that she is, did our hair. We all had teased, 'boofed' hair as Dawn called it. K.t also helped with make-up. I wear make-up but it's never very thick, so naturally getting dolled up for the stage was a little out of my range.

All smiles.

See? Buffed hair all around! And great eye make-up for the stage. This is before I put on the red lipstick. I NEVER put on red lipstick as it just doesn't fit my pasty white state. However, add a spray tan, some eyeliner and look out I can rock red lipstick!

K.t and her hubby who graciously stood on stage to play the part of a British soldier.

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The performance went pretty well considering we had only two rehearsals! One of those rehearsals btw was the dress rehearsal. Oh and when you throw together three music groups, narrators, a story teller, three 'soldiers', and three dance groups you need more rehearsal time! Little things! The story teller came in too early and thus there wasn't enough time for some of our dancers to get their hardshoes on. So only three out of seven dancers were able to get on stage! Ah well, c'est la vie as they say. The audience didn't really notice and at least the second half of the show went on without a hitch.

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I didn't dance too bad during the performance which was very exciting for me, not to mention a HUGE relief! Rehearsal didn't go well with me as I was confused and mixing up all of my steps. Oh did I mention this is the first time I've had to dance through hardshoe steps- one of those hardshoe steps I learned in a day!?! Despite all the drama and confusion performing in a real theater (though a small one) at a performing arts center was amazing. Something I will always remember!

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Okay and now for what you all have been waiting for..........

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Wait for it.......

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ME IN A WIG!!!!

Not as burnette as I thought I would be. Turns out this wig is the wrong color for my friend. It is pretty light for her hair color, so,she was happy to lend it to me. In case you were wondering, she wore one of K.t's old wigs as their hair color is very similiar. So here I am ladies and gents, I threw on an older style solo dress and donned a wig (yes done in two minutes) all in the name of a performance. Not going to lie, I was really hot in all that. Apparently the newer solo dresses are lighter and cooler a fact I hope to experience personally one day...but I digress.

That wig was really fun to bounce [jump] around in! Though to be honest, I think I may get a bun wig for competitions, tends to give a more 'mature' elegant look to most. What do you think?

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That my dear friends, in a choppy nutshell, was my entire weekend. Nearly fourteen hours of dance, rehearsal, and preparations. I am still tired today and still utilizing the ice pack for some sore spots. However it was fun and we were rewarded with a fantastic post-performance party at a friends house. I really feel lucky to be able to have had such an amazing opportunity and to have it with some amazing dancers and friends!

Baptism

Two weeks and a bit ago Jon and I went to Dallas for a baptism. Jon was asked to be the godfather of our friends's latest addition, so, of course we were going to go! I took the opportunity to take a lot of pictures, trying to work on shooting informal portraits and candid shots. I'm rather pleased with how things turned out! I by no means will ever be a pro, but, I like to try and take nice pictures. I am still learning how to mess with lighting settings (I am SO lost when it comes to this sometimes!) so I had to go through and edit some of the pictures to tone down a hardcore yellow tinge in the the sanctuary.

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Okay so enough of all the photography talk. Enjoy some serious cuteness; their daughter literally made my ovaries twitch, NO JOKE! The family opted for the baptism only ceremony so everything was very quiet, intimate, and of course lovely.

Proud Mamma and Dad.

She is just too precious isn't she?

Jon's godson and goddaughter.

Yes, you are adorable, and yes, I am taking pictures of you, so work the cute!

Sealing the deal- that's what I like to call it anyways.

See what I mean by weird lighting/editing issues. Good pic of Jon and I, but, I can't stand how this came out! May have to and tinker with it. But, hey, at least there's a shot of the cutie pie and that counts for something right?

Because We All Need More Cute Dog Pictures...

At the end of a much needed lazy Saturday the dogs decided to pay far too much attention to Jon. With their tongues. Like the good girlfriend that I am, I took grabbed the camera and took advantage of his plight.

Look at Lou. Oh you know, Louie knows exactly what he's doing. Can you tell? At least Leo is young and doesn't know better. What a poor example Louie is setting here. Speaking of Leo- do you see how big he is. The growing will just not let up! Imagine that much puppy on top of you/in your face/good morning wake up call. Let me tell ya it is as much 'fun', and as heavy, as it sounds.

Don't ask me what kind of noise I had to make to get Louie's head to move that way. It's better to remain in ignorance and soak up some serious doggy cuteness. Not sure if Jon appreciates it though- he has some not so happy looks aimed at me right now. lol Meh, doggy cuteness trump boyfriend crankiness anytime, right?

Different Perspective

I want to share some photos taken by different people at yesterday's Farmers Market.

Courtesy of the mother of the littlest dancer who danced with us. A pretty good air shot, and let's face it getting a great shot of a jump/leap is really, really hard! Fun stuff. Thanks to Mrs. S for this picture!

Jon took this picture of Louie-lou. Louie loves, and I mean LOVES crowds. He was pulling around a bit too much (still not out of control though) as he was just SO excited to be around people and other dogs. I think this picture captures his excitement for the Market perfectly. I think we'll have to go the there again, if not for the awesome produce and such, but, at the very least to get Louie accoustomed to crowds.

And here's my [not so] 'little' guy. Loveable Leo, just checking things out and taking things in as calm and placid as can be. He and Louie are a perfect pair. They balance one another out perfectly.
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I love seeing different perspectives. Looking at the same surroundings, but, through a different lense is refreshing non?

Purple Spring

I seriously love redbuds in spring. Not quite like cherry blossoms, but, they are still gorgeous in their own right.

I simply love how Mother Nature displays the start of spring. Hope you all are having a great weekend and Happy Easter!

April Fools Joke Fail

I totally wish I could've wrote, "Mina did the laundry today- APRIL FOOLS!"

Let's face it- cats can't do laundry. Even if they could fold things, there's no way they would allow us to use them like that. Though obviously Mina enjoys the laundry quite a bit.

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Happy April Everyone!

Things Are Looking Up... I'm Looking Forward

It was cloudy yesterday and with those clouds came our first spring storm this morning. Thunder doesn't really bug me much anymore. In fact whenever I wake up to the sound of thunder I often smile and fall back asleep.

Storms happen around here and I've learned to appreciate a storm, especially when the skies clear.

With spring storms come life (and muddy dogs, but, that's another blog another day). Life is everywhere and spring has a way of making you aware that the cycle is on going.

I find that cycle comforting even when it's there overwhelming dark stormy days. Because really it's all part of life isn't it? So why not find a way to make the best of it and forge ahead. Just like Mother Nature does again every single year.

Yesterday when I took these pictures I was in the midst of a small, very personal, storm. After reading what some of you had to say, some serious contemplation, etc I've come out of that with a decision I'm satisfied with, but, at the same time overwhelmed, frightened, and hopeful with too. I'll blog more about that when I have some time, but, thank you all for your comments and sharing your thoughts either here or at your space out there on the world wide web. I do appreciate it so much. You all help me more than you know.

So enjoy these pictures and I hope it gives you a sense of what I'm looking forward to in the future. :) Until then!

Unexpected

While spending some time on the couch- I swear it's because of allergies, not laziness- well okay maybe a little laziness is in there, but, mainly allergies I swear- Louie began whining at me to go outside. I didn't want to get up, but, Louie broke me down and I opened the back door to let the puppy dogs out. Much to my surprise I saw this...

Two ducks just chillin' by the pool. I ran back inside to grab the camera, 'cause that's what I do, and rushed by the pool to snap some pics before the dogs noticed.

"Why hello there Mr and Mrs Duck. How are you two doing today?"

Of course this little photoshoot was brief as the dogs realized there were actual live ducks, not toys, nearby. There's Daisy making the first move of attack.

This one's a bit blurry, sorry about that, but, look at Louie. I didn't know it was possible to have one's legs be at that angle without falling over! But, then again I'm a klutz so.... yeah.

And so off went our unexpected visitors. I hope they swing by again for another day by the pool. Doubt it, I'm pretty sure ducks keep some kinda 'don't go there' list which means this house with it's four dogs and three cats would definitely be on it. Ah well, I certainly enjoyed their brief visit!

Photo Obsession

I have an obsession with taking pictures of sleeping animals. I would probably take pics of sleeping humans, but, I don't think my roomie and boyfriend would appreciate me slipping into their rooms at night- can we say creeeeepy?

Animals it is then and as I'm surrounded by at least three-four on a daily basis I am fortunate enough to have ample opportunities for a photo shoot. I have honed my 'ninja skills' and am now able to successfuly sneak up on a sleepy and unsuspecting critter without waking them and take more pictures than my hardrive cares for

. I was babysitting this week for Therapectic's Exec. Director's kiddos- her family recently took on a new puppy to raise as a service dog and I could bring Leo with me. With this knowledge I had my camera in hand I went on a veritable photographic spree of the puppies. No worries, I did watch and feed the children when I wasn't taking pictures. I have so many great pictures, but, for now soak up some sleepy cuteness!

Here's the new little guy, Saint. Is this not the definition of adorable?!? I ask you to resist this face. Yeah knew you couldn't! It is simply impossible. ;-)

One thing I cannot get over with Leo is his ability to strike amazing poses and travel when he sleep. Because of this 'talent' I was forced to give in and buy a huge kennel well before he's fully grown so he could be comfortable at night and I could actually sleep through one. I mean look at that- that's just one of like fifty positions he'll sleep in. Not kidding about that number folks, he's a mover and a shaker.

They just look so innocent when they're asleep don't they? Though I swear every time Leo takes a nap he grows more. This pic was taken two days after the previous one and you can tell, eventhough he's curled up, he has grown like a weed on radioactive steriods. I think Leo should be studied- his growth is astounding.

I swear this picture was NOT posed in any way! I was just lucky enough to have the camera in arms reach. Leo again sacked out, on his back, with all that loose skin of his smushed to sharpei-like levels. Once again I had to take a picture, I mean come on! A perfectly still puppy is a hard thing to find.... hmmmm maybe that's why I like taking pics of them asleep so much.

There are those of us who do not appreciate the whole cute sleeping puppy thing. And to be honest I can't blame Louie for the look he's giving me. I mean after all, he's just been used as a body pillow by a 40 some-odd pound puppy and I being the opportunist I am didn't stop him, I just got the camera and started taking pictures lacking any regard to Louie's personal comforts. That's just the kind of pet owner I am.

Come to think of it though, I think I may need some professional help.

Photo Reflection

Learning to smile and enjoy a moment despite the flurry of activity around me. Happy mid-week everyone! Hope it's treating you well.

Photos Coming Soon!

The camera is back in action!!! My friend Scott_O., a talented architect and fabulous photographer came to my house to drop off the photography book I ordered. Of course, I took advantage of him and showed him the camera. After messing with a dial everything was coming out clear!! Hallelujiah!!

So, fyi digital SLR cameras have this cute, indiscreet, little dial next to the window you put up to your eye to take a picture. This tiny little dial will adjust how you see when you look into the camera to take a pic. It's intended for those who take off their glasses when they are taking pictures. But, if you have your contacts in, like me, or are one of the fortunate "sight capable" peeps you will get a very distorted picture unless you turn the nice little dial to neutral. A simple, fix, that took nearly two months and the aid of a saavy friend to figure out.

Lesson learned!