Of course, it would have helped me if I had been heading southbound and had seen it before I was driving, but still — while I waited for my meeting, I checked in on Twitter and saw that, and thought the whole thing was just amusing.

I have a confession. I love to edit in little photo editing marathon sessions. Now that I’ve picked up on this, I’m working on a schedule to take advantage of it. Especially since over the next few months I have a total of 7, possibly 8 weddings to photograph. Most of the engagement sessions are done for the spring though, so that makes things a little lighter.

I am testing out the beta of Lightroom v. 2.0 now - and I just have to say that it is SWEEEEET! I am loving it! It is so cool that you can spot edit now, tweaking exposure in just certain areas of a photo. At this point, I’m only opening PhotoShop while proofing to add my logo to images before posting them online. Nice! It makes things so much faster!

Of course, I’ll still be doing the final edits before printing client work in PhotoShop - there is just some magic that can only happen there.

Today I wrapped up editing on Kara’s bridal session at Champion’s Country Club and Kara & Bryan’s engagement session in downtown Houston. Of course, I can’t post the bridal photos online yet, but the engagement session was such fun, I couldn’t wait to share it!

New editing schedule:
- Weekend shoot
- Proof Monday & Tuesday (ideally the wedding I just shot, but I know I’ll have other things to proof too.)
- Blog about event on Wednesday or Thursday
- Upload files as needed, burn backup copies to DVD, backup on external drive
- Fridays are my day off, along with most Sundays
- Lather, rinse, repeat!

Here are a few from Kara & Bryan’s shoot - there are more over on the Wedding Photography blog for you to check out!

Summer is here, and with summer comes the new ad for Christine Tremoulet in Weddings in Houston magazine! This time around, we’ve decided to go BIG! It will be full page ad that will come out in the very near future - I’ll keep you posted when it hits the store shelves! Swoon!

(PS - I totally blew off getting this ad turned in yesterday by writing the 8 year Blogiversary post instead. Shhh… don’t tell! I have to have some priorities!)

The Golden Birthday! I couldn’t let it pass without pointing it out. Happy Blogiversary!

Crazy to think how much has changed in 8 years, and how much this blog has been a part of it all. From the incredible amazing people I have met - especially Mike! - and all of the life altering things that have happened as a result.

- I wouldn’t have met or married Mike if this blog wasn’t a part of it.

- My photography wouldn’t be where it is today. (See below. Several times.)

- I wouldn’t have met Kathy who set up the original Bayou Blurb which lead to H-Town Blogs and meeting Elaine which lead to my previous comment about my photography being where it is today.

- I wouldn’t know Chuck, my go to political advisor, who is actually the first person that Mike met in Houston and who I finally got to meet in person the same day I met Mike. UPDATE: I just commented to Mike that I probably would have met him eventually thanks to Chuck, and he pointed out that HE is responsible, at least in part, for Chuck blogging. How is THAT for circular?

- I wouldn’t have met Ann through her blog and her photography — and she was one of the first bloggers Mike ever met in person over in London, and she kept nudging me to meet him when he was back in Houston. (Ann still gets credit for me meeting Mike, not Chuck. Ann pointed out his blog while he still lived in London, probably 6-8 months before I met him. I never read his blog much though because it was way too geek for me.)

- I wouldn’t have had the opportunity to meet Jennifer, who means a lot more to me than she probably even realizes (my fault) and has helped me out a zillion times over with a slew of blogging things. She truly is the ScriptyGoddess. I’m thankful for her letting me visit her when she still lived in fabulous Boston, and I dream of visiting her now in Salt Lake City someday.

- Boston of course leads me to thinking of Erika, Su, Sooz (who was a huge help in putting together the big blogger bash the second time I visited Boston) and really - more people than I could list.

- Blogging lead me to meet Mac who inspired me to knit - and to attempt spinning - and graciously let me come visit her, took me all around Philly for knit shop tours (this is a very big thing for knitters), and best of all - let me visit for a trip to Maryland Sheep & Wool last year! Mmmm… fiber. Lots of fiber.

- Then there is the whole knowing Matt since he was in high school - before WordPress even was a dream yet - and spending days at the coffee shop with him & Mike as he geeked out and talked about the dream we would later know as WordPress. Once I gave it a name.

- OH! And HOW can I forget about Chris Pirillo and the Call for Help days? I think talking to Chris on the phone was one of the first time I squealed over meeting a geek celebrity. First of many times, I’m sad to say.

- While I’m naming names, I should point out Heather Champ who has been a huge source of inspiration since day 1, and a big supporter back when I launched Picture Yourself. She also lead me to Flickr, my constant addiction.

- Flickr then lead me to Laanba who lead me to meeting
countless awesome photographers in the Houston area that I didn’t already know through the blog circles. I learned later that my blog was one of the first blogs that she followed. The crazy circle of blogging.

- And my blog wouldn’t be where it is today if Ben & Mena hadn’t come up with the fabulousness that is MovableType that saved me from Blogger back when Blogger went through a slump and Greymatter couldn’t handle my posts. I resisted leaving MT for a long time and only converted when Matt came over to my house and did the migration himself. It is INCREDIBLE to see where SixApart has gone since MT first launched.

- Another VIP in the blogistory? Robyn, the blogger formerly known as Tampa Tantrum. Like Erika and Su, it is incredible to think of how much our lives have changed since those early blogging days of 2001. She has been an incredible help for my photography business - and a constant inspiration. I’m most grateful.

My list could go on and on and on as I pondered everyone I know and how they all interconnect. At the root of it all is the blog. 8 years, nearly 5000 posts, and countless memories.

Thank you, thank you, THANK YOU to every single person reading this. My life truly would not be the same without you. Say hello if you have a moment - it is a day worthy of a celebration!

Bad cough today and no voice. Every time I laugh, I cough, but that site? Sooooo worth it!

At the end of Guy’s speech, he started talking about AllTop. I had seen the site before, but I didn’t “get” it. Once he started talking about it, it all made sense. If you use a feed reader already, you may not be the perfect user for AllTop. But imagine if someone asked you to share with them some sites that had cool information about Photography. You could send them to photography.alltop.com - quick and easy to remember. They go there, and they see links to some pretty great blogs on photography related topics. Fantastic! Or maybe you’re bored at work and you don’t want to surf people’s blogrolls. You want something new and fresh. Easy - just head over to Alltop and poke around - see what you can find.

Oh, and that banner across the middle of the page? It isn’t a design flaw. They meant for it to be there. Because AllTop has things covered. Covered. Heehee!

Strangest thing happened on Friday. Here I had just seen Guy Kawasaki the night before - although I didn’t get to meet him in person because The Bloggess whisked him away and was hoarding him all for herself - and in my sleep deprived haze I decided to finally start reading “Selling the Invisible”. First chapter, first page … Guy Kawasaki is mentioned.

It was sort of surreal. Or it could have been my complete lack of sleep. I’m not sure.

Jenny and Erica, I shake my fist at you for hoarding Guy. You could have at least come and hung out with us at The Front Porch afterwards. Meanies.

I have to confess … I am quite in love with my Mac. I still miss the right click though, but at least the two finger tap on the trackpad fills my need for the right click love.

I realized that all of it is giving me an identity crisis with my branding. I love the swirly things like the little fleur de lis thingie in my logo, and I love brocade fabrics — but when it comes to selecting furniture, I keep going for very clean, modern lines. Mid-century styles. Danish inspired. Very minimal. I think that is a good fit though, as it is easy to decorate around it - I can dress it up or down, bring in the swirly fabrics if I want.

I keep reminding myself that if Tara was here, she would tell me to trust what I love.

And then I’ll find a really cool Victorian style couch on Craigslist which would make an awesome photo prop, and I get sucked back into the vortex of online shopping for furniture. I know that once I actually start buying pieces, this will settle down some - but right now, it is making my head swirl.

If you were to describe me - or select furniture that you think fits me the best - what would it be? If you were to walk into my office or studio tomorrow, what would you expect to see?

Did you know that there are a variety of tax incentives for making green changes to your life? You can check out the state by state list. Reading through that, I discovered that here in Texas, Memorial Day weekend is tax free for purchasing certain green things. I think this year we need a more eco-friendly thermostat, new ceiling fans, and most of all — a new dishwasher!

I met Ed last year just after SXSWi, and I was fortunate enough to do a temp project at Schipul right about that same time. I remember quite clearly coming home and telling Mike that he was running the company I had always dreamed of working at. My photography business was taking off, and while I had shot my first 2007 wedding, I wasn’t doing them full time yet like I am now. I actually had a “fork in the road” feeling - I felt pulled to want to work there, I admired what he is doing so much. In the end, I chose to stay on the path I was on, and I don’t regret that for a moment — but I can’t say enough good things about Schipul, the people that work there, and Ed himself.

Social media - it is where it is at. The world is being flattened every day.

I’m blessed to have them in my life, and Ed is a constant inspiration to me — even if he no longer comments on my photos on Flickr.

In honor of tax day, I thought I would give you some free money. Yes, sign up - get $25. Use the link above, and I’ll get $10 too. I’ll be grateful, you’ll have free money, it will be great!

Yes, it is a legitimate bank behind it. In case you’re nervous. Yes, they really do give you $25. I had mine in my account within seconds.

I’m also close to 1000. Who will #1000 be? Will it be you? What are you doing?

The Caroline Collective is being built out as we speak, and one of the courtyard offices is going to be mine, all mine! Dwight Silverman wrote about it earlier this week on the Houston Chronicle’s Techblog, if you want to learn more.

I had a spot at Two Be Wed here in Houston where I was meeting with brides, but as my contract with them came up in February, I started to review the past 6 months before I signed another one. I realized that often I have meetings in the evenings or on Sundays, both of which were not times that were good for meeting there. Also, I couldn’t stay there to work if I needed to get out of the house - I still had to go to a coffee shop or other location. It just felt really limited to me. At about that same time I found out that the Caroline Collective was under way, and I jumped on it. I went by, selected my office, and am now just waiting for the build out to be complete!

It is going to be so fantastic - and I can’t WAIT to be surrounded with such creative geeks while I work. As an added perk, I can use the grounds and my office for photo shoots when needed, which is really wonderful for me. It is going to be so great! Soon, my wedding photography will have a place to call home!

It is just incredible when faced with our overwhelming consumer society to realize how much stuff we have that we don’t need at all that will just hurt the environment some day. I’m doing spring purging right now, and it makes me sad. I’m giving away as much as I can - donating it to the local outreach organization.

Reading about Compact living just drove it all home earlier. Think before you buy. And Bring Your Own Bag!

For more about the Compact, you can read this article or The Compact blog.

On Thursday, I received the email I’ve been waiting for - the exciting invitation to be a member of the WPJA - Wedding Photojournalists Association! Oh goodness, ever since I discovered the WPJA last year, I have wanted to be a member. So when I got the news - I was so excited! I think I have told every single person I have talked to since then! What an honor, I can’t even put it into words.

Today I’m already at the hotel where I will be photographing Andi & Jason’s wedding — I covered the rehearsal dinner last night, and Mike suggested that I just stay here since I could get a room at the block rate and it would save me from driving home at 10:30 and leaving 12 hours later to start shooting again. It is going to be a long day - the ceremony will be at 7:30pm, and dinner will be served at 10pm, with the reception scheduled to end around 1:30am in the morning! Tons of celebrating, dancing, and rejoicing by all - it is going to be a blast! Elaine will be with me of course, and we’re being joined by my friend Jennifer Wilson who is coming in from New Braunfels to shoot with us. Tonight we’ll be crashing at the hotel all over again so we don’t have to drive home. So worth it to avoid the drive time!

Wheee! It is going to be a long day, with coverage starting late this morning - but I’m so excited about it all!