Seattle

View From the Top, Seattle, WA

We've been on the move once again. Two weeks ago it was Bend, OR. Last week it was Seattle and Vancouver, B.C. Next week it'll be Welches, OR.

The adventure starts at the sweet --I mean, really sweet-- Pan Pacific Hotel in Seattle. It's currently only 1 of 2 Pan Pacific Hotels in the United States. The other one is in Hawaii. Of course. I highly recommend a stay at the Pan Pacific Seattle. They are highly accommodating and pride themselves on two words: Of Course.

Whatever you want, that's their response. You say, "Can I get a..." or "Yeah, I'd like..." To which they answer, "Of course."

Within reason...of course.

That bed was soooo comfy. And the 32" flatscreen TV wasn't so bad either.

Oh, and why is the window blown out? Because if it wasn't then you'd see a bunch of construction on the building across the street. And nobody wants to look at construction when they're pampering themselves.

Loved the sliding doors separating the bath from the rest of the room. Nice touch.

A view from inside the glass-walled shower.

And me.
About to eat breakfast while soaking in the tub.
Why?

Because I can. That's why.

In fact, I even watched an episode of So You Think You Can Dance.
From the bathtub.
Why?
That's right.
Because I can.
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It was my first time in Seattle and my friend Rachelle (who is an AMAZING artist, check out Rachelle's website) showed me all the sights and sounds of the city. We had a full day experiencing the thoroughly intriguing Pike Place Market, Seattle Art Museum, and dinner at The Pink Door. After which we decided to stuff one more attraction into the day and that was certainly none other than the attraction of all Seattle attractions: The Space Needle.

...and the view from the top.

Marella

Update: Marella had a girl. Just as I suspected! It seems like everyone I know is having baby girls. Three out of four couples I know had baby girls this past year.
Just a shot from Marella's maternity shoot about 2 weeks ago. She was fabulous and looked great for being 9 months pregnant. In fact, I believe she's due today! Will it be a boy or girl? We don't know! Only time will tell!

Chocolate Covered Pretzels

If you've never tried this, you should. It's as good as Twix if you dip the pretzels in caramel first.

Cara Barer

I discovered this amazing artist photographer today through FotoFest, a Houston based photographic arts organization where I was an intern a couple summers back.

The following four images are courtesy of photographer Cara Barer. www.carabarer.com

Kaleidoscope, photo by Cara Barer

Torso, photo by Cara Barer

Carmen, photo by Cara Barer

Angel Food, photo by Cara Barer

I was immediately intrigued upon my first glance at her work and quickly went to her website to find out more about the mysterious objects in her photos. Off I went to www.carabarer.com and --Lo and Behold!!-- the mysterious objects in her photos are nothing more than books!

Now that is an artist.

I had a conversation a few weeks ago with my cousin (who is not an artist) about how artists see the world differently than non-artists. Artists notice and find beauty in simple, everyday objects whereas others may pass by the same everyday object without a second thought.

Cara Barer has turned tired old yellow pages, computer manuals, and many other books into incredible photographic sculptures. And I do believe this is one book collection that is definitely worth taking the time to browse.

Lights at Night

Though it's been done, re-done, and done again, photographing lights at night with a long exposure never ceases to amuse me. Plus, it's a good way to pass time at a barbeque social that's lasted far too long.

Travels

Hiking Silver Star Mountain in Washington with a view of Mt. Hood

Now that the weather's nicer, we've been out and about seeing what nature has to offer. The last time we hiked Silver Star it was foggy with a chilly wind. This time around it was still cold at the top but the sun has a way of making things look and feel a hundred times better.

Some silly goobers ice surfing at Silver Star Mountain.

Then I went off to Sacramento for 5 days to help my cousin with her wedding plans since it'll be "Bridesmaid Round 2" for me come March 2009. While there, I sat in this amazing big tree near the capital building and got back to my roots as one who loved to climb trees as a kid. I had a great time sitting in that tree, relaxing...just being. I had my cousin take a pic with my phone to capture the moment and then I accidently erased them the next day. **grimace** It's been a long time since I've accidently completely erased a set of digital photos...I dunno what I was thinking.

And then the day after departing Sacramento, Jon and I were off to Oswald West State Park in Oregon for camping where I again sat in a tree and this time I have a photo to prove it. We watched surfers, enjoyed the beach, and hiked, hiked, hiked. Crazy enough, we met a girl there who is from the Hurst-Euless-Bedford area of Texas. Which is where I grew up! Small world, right? We also met a lady from Shalimar, Florida which is close to another place where we have family. Great times. I love meeting people on my travels who are also well-traveled.

Tree hugging at Oswald West while also watching the surfers come in after a long day of surfing. I even got a few delighted smiles and laughs as some of the surfers noticed me up in the tree. Glad I could make people smile.

Orzo Salad

Oh yum. Jon and I were at Whole Foods a month or so ago and I was shoveling a ton of food from their supremely marvelous buffet into my $7.99/lb To Go box. Pricey but sooo good, fresh, and tasty. Among the variety of curried tofu I scooped into the box, there was this wonderfully light orzo with veggies and feta. I don't recall ever having orzo before but I'm happy I tried it 'cause it was LIP-SMACKIN' GOOD! UM!

Since then I've made it twice. The first batch was just as good as Whole Foods' and the second batch turned out kinda dry and tasteless. Definitely needed more salt and lemon juice. But hey, as long as it looks good in the picture, no one will ever know...

Oh. And for all you eco-lovin', green, organic types who tend to give me a hard time for being from Texas (full of shotgun toting, red-neck, planet-littering, red-meat-only types, of course...)

Off the top of your head:
Where do you think Whole Foods was started?
And where is it headquartered today?

Check your Whole Foods 365 Everyday Brand labels.

Uh huh. That's what I thought.

Chives!

This past Saturday I saw the prettiest, most healthy herb garden I've ever seen at a beautiful home in the woods of Yacolt, WA. The garden thrived with basil, lemon oregano, parsley, rosemary, and the chives pictured above. Aren't those pink flowers beautiful? Plus, I'm sure I missed a bunch of other herbs growing in the same vicinity that I simply didn't recognize. So wonderful to see such a mighty collection of herbs.

Group Shot from Derek & Angie's Wedding

Okay, I had to add some more pics from Oahu. Derek & Angie's photographer, Susanne Pridoehl did such a fabulous job. She did an incredible job exposing in full-on sunlight from 9am and on. I'm just amazed at the color and clarity, especially since she was shooting into the sun for most of the ceremony. Amazing. I'm in awe at her skills.

Friends Let Friends Shoot Friends

Josh gettin' his mug on.

Many thanks to my buddy, Josh, for being my guinea pig and partner in crime as we waded through manuals and the fabulous Strobist.
I'm just starting to put my toe in the water when it comes to balancing flash with ambient so there's plenty of improvement to be had, but I'm glad I finally jumped in--with Josh's discerning help, of course.

Here's a test shot from our impromtu session on my back deck.

The Groomsman & Bridesmaid

Another pic from Derek & Angie's Wedding this past April in Oahu. What a cute groomsman & bridesmaid. I dunno...something tells me there's more to this couple than just opposite sides of a wedding party. Must be the eye contact and "come hither" smile they're giving each other...

Completely gorgeous wedding! We were so blessed and fortunate to be a part of it!

Here are some pics from their photographer:

Derek & Angie are GORGEOUS.

Derek looks sweet in his faux hawk. No really. I mean that.

Super Hot Angie!!!

I love this pic of the guys!!!

Luscious Lemon...

I admit it. I made these lemon bars over a month ago, managed to eat half the 8x8 pan, left the rest in the fridge, and decided I couldn't & shouldn't eat the rest of the pan by myself. Since it was so old I definitely didn't want to give it out to friends or bring it to a church potluck. So I finally hauled out the rest a few days ago in order to take its portrait.

After taking several shots, off they went into the trashcan under the sink, never to be seen again.

And me? I didn't feel so bad about their sad demise since I'd gotten some shots out of it...