Muddin' with Becky!

Yesterday I took Skye and went up to visit my friend Becky at her home.  Just to hang, wedge some clay, throw some pots...  

It was so much fun!  Skye was such a good doggie.  

I threw a pot on the wheel - haven't done that in line 15+ years!  It turned out okay... It's usable anyway!  Hopefully it will make it through drying and firing... we shall see!  :)

I helped Becky wedge some grog into a whole mess of clay, which was quite a workout.  I really felt the clay-love this morning when I woke up... whoa!  

Here are some shots from the afternoon visit.  Can't wait to do it again!!!

Seipp Family Session

Date:  April 25, 2010

Location:  Faust Park - Chesterfield, MO

Sara is a friend of mine from high school.  That's right... I said high school.  I have known her a long time.  A while back I announced that I was going to do portrait sessions in St. Louis and she said that she wanted me to do her family's session.  I was pretty excited.  :)  I haven't seen her in 17 years!!  WOW!

It was great to see her and meet her family.  I only wish we could have had time for coffee and chat.  :)  

Thanks Seipp family for rescheduling your session and then braving some sprinkles for your session with me!  

Jessica + Mike = Hitched

Date:  April 24, 2010
Ceremony:  Assumption Catholic Church - O'Fallon, MO
Reception:  Bear Creek - Wentzville, MO


Jessica is my niece and she asked me about a half-a-dozen times to be the photographer at her wedding.  I was reluctant to shoot family weddings, but she was persistent and I said "Yes!"  :) I am glad I did.  


She was BeAuTiFuL!  Don't you think?  Maybe I am biased, but I think she was stunning!  Mike was very handsome in his tuxedo and shiny shoes.  The day started out over cast, but by the time the ceremony was over it was raining.  There were t-storm warnings and tornado warnings all about... it was reported that one even touched down not far from where we were!  I have to say that aside from ducking in and out of venues, we were oblivious to the weather.  


All and all it was a beautiful day... just lovely.  :)  
I know that Jessica and Mike are going to have a wonderful,long marriage to each other.


Welcome to the family, Mike!


Love you both - Aunt Jill.  ;)

Odds and Ends...

A few days ago I gave a shout-out to my facebook friends asking for good rhubarb recipes and one of them was a recipe for Rhubarb Liqueur.  Last night I started the process.  There are two different batches:  One has chopped rhubarb and the other had "food-processed" rhubarb.  We will see which gives the best flavor.  I am looking forward to tasting it.  I'm thinking that there might not be much better than a sweet rhubarb beverage on a cool late spring evening.  :)

~*~
On another note... it has been 3 months and 4 days since I quit smoking... YES!  I don't miss it one single bit.  Well, maybe when I'm hanging with friends and drinking good drinks late at night... then I miss it.  BUT... I am SO GLAD that I quit smoking.  I feel better, I don't smell like smoke, I'm not wasting all that money, my kids stopped nagging me to quit smoking.  It's great.  YEAH to 3 months and 4 days!





~*~
This morning was a crazy morning.  First a bit of good news... Skye made it through the entire night without having to go outside!  YES!  Bad news - he walked to the first green he saw, which was my wool rug in the living room, and peed.  UG.  Then, the "kitchen dogs" (Otis the Dachshund and Stinky the Chihuahua) made a HUGE mess in the kitchen.  (You see they are 'puppy-pad trained' - they refuse to go outside regularly.)  SO, my day started with picking up dog messes from all three dogs.  I put Skye in the kennel so I could clean up messes, make some tea, etc.  As I was walking down stairs to get Skye out of his kennel, I noticed that the cat puked up his food on the floor at the front door.  Cleaned that up.  Then went to get Skye... he pooped mushy puppy poop all over his kennel.  UG! He had poop all over his kennel and all over him.  Kennel went outside to get hosed off and Skye went to the bathroom for his first bath.  UG.


Now, I envisioned Skye's first bath to be momentous... you know camera, everyone ooo-ing and aahhh-ing, tails wagging.  Not the "OMg I can't believe I am having this kind of morning" bath with a puppy whining the whole time.  Oh well - this is real life - right?  :)  Needless to say, I have a clean dog but no a photo of the occasion to share.


My house is back to normal (for the moment).  Messes are cleaned up, dogs are cleaned and fed, cat is outside, laundry is running, kids are off to school... ahhhhh...  :)


Here is a bit of Skye "eye-candy"...  Happy Friday!!

Skye

Hi my name is Skye.

I was born in Ankeny, Iowa on March 18, 2010.

I am a dudley-colored yellow lab.

I am my mama's new best friend.

My mama is Jill Brown.

She's a photographer, so you will see lots more of me here.

It's so nice to meet you!

Last Friday I was having a rather unusually bad day.  My husband, I think, was worried about me and said... "Jill, I have a surprise for you.  This surprise is to go with you everywhere.  You are going to celebrate with it when things make you happy and cry with it when things make you sad."  My surprise was Skye.  


Skye is such a good dog.  I have had him for almost a week now and he's very good at going outside to go to the bathroom, coming when he's called and snuggling.  :)  He's good for a 6-week old puppy anyway.  And yes - he goes with me everywhere he is allowed and is baby-sat by my kids when I cannot take him with me.


He is wonderful and I am so glad to have him.


Thank you, Dave.  :)


I love you so much.