Chock Full of Grace

Just Another Day

2011-09-10T18:00:00.000-05:00

Well I am sure that you have heard about the credible terror threats that have put residents of NYC and DC on high alert for the weekend.

The other students of my program and I were called together Friday by our advisers. Everyone was asked to save the program leaders' phone numbers into our cells in case of any emergency. We were also informed that it would probably be best not to ride the public transportation on 9/11.

Many of you have sent me messages and texts conveying your concern for my safety. It means a lot to me to hear from you all. However, some friends and I decided to make one last trip out for the weekend to get Georgetown Cupcakes.

After all of the news alerts and warnings, I expected the city to seem a little more desolate than usual. Most families would decide to remain near their homes for the weekend, I thought.

However, once I hit the streets, I discovered that it was as lively as ever.

Couples were strolling hand in hand through Union station and stealing kisses. Groups of college students with bags hanging from their arms were popping in and out of shops. Tourists were weaving their way through the crowds, gawking at the large monuments that celebrate some of America's greatest leaders.

We even passed about 3 weddings — weddings taking place on 9/10/11, of course.

When people think of American patriotism, most conjure up images of the 4th of July and fireworks. For me, though, I saw a lot of patriotism in DC today.

Yes, the 10th anniversary of 9/11 is starring us in the face.
Yes, threats have been made against our country.
However, no one seemed to be letting it change his or her day-to-day activities.

Will we be holding our breath tomorrow? Probably. However, today was just another day in our nation's capitol — a day that I witnessed the unshakable strength of Americans even in the face of terrorist threats.

6th Sense

2011-08-30T10:17:00.000-05:00

I have a 6th sense.... It comes from photographing numerous weddings and couples. Want to know what my 6th sense is?

I can smell impending engagements.

Nope, I'm not kidding one bit. For instance, a couple days before I left for DC, I photographed the ever so lovely Nikki Webb.

During the session, she wanted some shots taken with her boyfriend, Jacob:

By the end of the couple hours we spent photographing, I knew it was only a matter of time before I would log onto Facebook and see the little heart with their names beside it informing the virtual world of their impending nuptials.

Am I good or am I good? Some people are born with the ability to draw. Others can sing. Some can dance..... I, Grace Ferrell, can smell engagements.

Grace, The Couple Whisperer

How Not to Die During Your Internships

2011-08-29T19:57:00.000-05:00

Today was my first day of class at the Washington Journalism Center. We did what any normal academic course does on the first day — went over the syllabus.

On September 9th we shall apparently be learning how not to die during our internships. I think it will be a very useful skill to learn while in DC.

However, until my internship at the Daily Caller starts in a couple weeks, I plan on just relishing in the fact that I am in our nation's capitol.

I shall not, however, be relishing in the fact that the ceiling fan in the bedroom I share with 3 other students sounds like a shotgun. But that's a story for another day.

In other news, the students and I spent our afternoon learning about the District of Columbia. Most people know about the Washington that fills TV and computer screens all across the world. But what about the other residents of the city? What about the residents that are not dressed in powerful suits and running up the steps of the Capitol each day? Over the summer I tweeted the following message one day while riding the subway to work:

"I always look around the subway and wonder what other people's stories are. I believe everyone has a neat story."

I truly wonder the same thing to this day. Whether I am running down 8th street or picking up some laundry detergent and the nearest CVS, I look around and wish I knew how the person beside me had gotten to this place in life. What have they gone through? What have they experienced? What has made them who they are?

Apparently I am not the only one have such questions. Check out the website below — the author interviews random people in the city of DC and lets them tell their beautiful stories. It's amazing what you'll find out about life when you simply take the time to listen to the people around you.

http://peoplesdistrict.com/

Grace, the girl who is constantly questioning everything

Common Factors

2011-08-27T19:38:00.000-05:00

Hurricane Irene finally made her appearance today.

It made for a very dark and dreary day on capitol hill.

There are currently around 40 college students in my apartment building from all across the United States. So what exactly did we do to entertain ourselves during the bad weather?

Some of us, like me, went running and got completely drenched in the rain. I really enjoy running in DC. Today's trek led me past the Marine Corp Barracks:

Photo via Flickr @ http://www.flickr.com/photos/ncindc/2786214357/sizes/m/in/photostream/

Others actually did homework. Some were brave and ventured forth into the city.

However, we all came together tonight for a common purpose tonight — A Lord of the Rings marathon and tons of pizza. We all might be from different colleges and states, but some things never change.

Gotta love college and hurricanes.

Grace — or apparently "Eruant" in Elfish

Tornadoes vs. Hurricanes

2011-08-26T19:43:00.000-05:00

Well guys I may have missed the epic DC earthquake of 2011 but it appears that I have arrived just in time for Hurricane Irene.

I must have bad karma from a previous life or something because I went from attending Union — the university that has been hit by more than one tornado — to the East coast and its hurricanes.

Sooooooooooo. Another Washington Journalism Center student and I met up and decided to venture to Target to get things that one might need during a hurricane .... like food and water.

This is what we found when we finally reached our destination of Target:

The line to check out wrapped around the entire store. The shelves were bare of any essentials you would want in the event of a hurricane.....like water. So I bought apple juice instead.

Those around me were buying wine as a substitute for water....... one married couple in front of me was stocking up on condoms and greeting cards. I guess people have different priorities during a hurricane??? Anyway.....

A previous post detailed what I usually fill my emergency tornado bag with at Union. Here in DC my emergency hurricane grocery bag was filled with the following:

toaster strudels
apple juice
peanut butter
crackers
hamburger buns because they were out of loaves of bread
granola bars
turkey meat

On a lighter note, check out the view from my roof top patio!!!!

A roof top patio will be fun to watch the hurricane from, right?

Shhhhhh.... no one tell Mother Dearest.

Grace, the new occupant of Apt. 1

My existence

2011-08-16T22:12:00.000-05:00

It is already mid-August which means that grade schools are back in full gear and college students are clinging to their last few days of summer.

I have just over a week now before I fly back to DC on the 25th. However, my days until then are going to be full of packing up my life for 4 months and editing your beautiful images.

Lately I have been camped out in the den of my house. This is my umm..well my desk for the moment:

On my desk at any given moment you will find honey roasted peanuts, coffee, two sharpies, ribbon, a credit card bill, a laptop and an external hard drive (and those are in order of importance).

While editing your images I am usually watching reruns of my soaps: Pretty Little Liars, Teen Wolf, The OC, One Tree Hill and various TLC shows about babies.

Speaking of babies:

Look at her eyes! And her cheeks! Gosh.............. I contemplated kidnapping her but there were too many witnesses.

So all in all my existence as of late has consisted of me sitting in front of the laptop from the first picture while editing images like this one of baby Mia. Doesn't seem like too bad of a life, does it?

More to come later!

Grace

Grace Photography is hunting new locations!

2011-07-18T15:29:00.002-05:00

Well hello again!

For those of you who stalk my Facebook and Twitter accounts (cough* cough* MOTHER * cough*cough), you know that I have spent my summer interning in DC with The Washington Examiner.

It has been one of the best summers of my life and I would love to tell anyone who will listen about it. However, come July 30th, Georgetown University is officially kicking me off the campus and I'll be returning to Tennessee where the trees are green and the tomatoes are fried. Only 12 days!

This also means I get to restart Grace Photography for about 3 weeks until I return again to DC for the fall. I have missed working with you all very much and I look forward to photographing you in the coming weeks.

I have already scheduled some appointments and talked with many folks about setting up a session in August. For those of you whom I haven't talked with, it is not too late! Contact me today and we can surely set something up.

This post, though, isn't about me and my impending return. Rather, it is about all the wonderful locations I have used when photographing clients.

Part of what I love about photography is a camera's ability to transform a location into a magical scene.

1) The Lauderdale County Square has been a great location for me since its renovation.

Especially this red wall. Many of you reading this post live in or near Lauderdale County. Have you noticed this wall before? I'm kind of obsessed with it.

2) Katherine Garner's home is the first location I ever used. Every summer since I was a kid, she has had a simply magical yard complete will all types of birds and flowers. Mrs. Katherine has been nice enough to let me traipse up through her yard with everyone from chubby cheek babies to brides in massive dresses.

3. Another home I have enjoyed invading during early morning and late afternoon sessions is that of Danna and Jodie Walker. They have not only a beautiful yard, but also a deck and swing I enjoy using.

4) The most random of all of my locations is the small vineyard off Highway 51. Due to the heavier traffic near this location, cars have been known to pull over and watch me photograph. Who wouldn't stop when they see a beautiful bride in a vineyard?

5) In the fall, I love to make people treck out to Alfred and Debbie Blankenship's home and pond. The foliage is simply stunning in the fall.

Well folks, those are just a few of the locations that I have used the most over the year that I have been running Grace Photography.

However, I am always hunting for new places. Do you have any suggestions for new spots for me? Feel free to contact me and suggest your yard and/or that random beautiful spot you pass by everyday. It might just be the background for my next shoot!

Have a blessed week everyone.

Grace

Georgetown.

2011-06-10T19:26:00.001-05:00

I haven't blogged once since I have been in DC. What I am about to blog probably isn't an appropriate first blog for when a person moves to DC for 6 months, either. Oh well. This is officially my first blog from DC.

My roommate Marrissa went to take a shower this afternoon. This is what she found.

Now I am not an overly squeamish person. But COME ON people. This thing is the size of a small dog! Paris Hilton could slap a collar around its neck and carry it around as a fashion statement. This thing laughs at nuclear bombs.

Enjoy the below video of my roommates and I attempting/failing to catch it. When I say roommates and I understand that I really mean my roommate Regina tried to catch it while I documented.

The cockroach escaped all of our approaches to apprehend it. It was a smart little booger. It ran into a closet that houses the electrical stuff of the apartment — the closet that is locked and we can't get into. At the end of the day we figured out a perfect way to cage it into the closet.

That's newspaper that we stuffed the crack of the door with. That will keep it in there, right? RIGHT?

Amen.

Grace

Elvin Lynn Ferrell

2011-05-22T18:14:00.001-05:00

Meet my Daddy:

His name is Elvin Lynn Ferrell or ELF.
Most people call him Coach Ferrell. Actually, it ends up coming out sounding like Coach Furrull. Don't ask me why. Don't ask my why they call him coach either. He hasn't been a coach since I was born, I think.

Oh well. He is my daddy and that is all that matters.
Tonight he went and supported one of his former students that is becoming a pastor in Washington. Or as my Dad kept repeating: WaRshington.

Daddy bought this tie. It has Ripley tomatoes on it, you see. I thought he looked spiffy in it.

A list of random things about Daddy:

1. He took me to the first Harry Potter movie when I was in like 3rd grade — I sat in his lap and everything.

2. I used to hope for rain during my summers so that he couldn't mow other people's yards and would come home.

3. The smell of cut grass always makes me think of him.

4. He still kisses my hand after I say the blessing for the food at dinner.

5. He calls our dogs "it", but secretly likes them both.

6. Fish sticks and tater tots are the only memory I have of him cooking when I was little ... I dislike both of those items but would always eat them anyway.

This is a picture of my daddy and me taken last Easter. He does like me despite that look on his face (I think).

Amen.

Grace

The story you MUST know before continuing your life

2011-04-06T23:04:00.000-05:00

Okay. Please prepare yourself people. The story I am about to tell you is TRUE and DISTURBING and the most AWESOME thing you will read today.

Megan Miller (my roommate) told me this story on the way to class this morning:

One night one of Megan's friends was babysitting. It was like any other normal night of babysitting; she had just put the kids to bed and returned downstairs to watch TV until the parents got home.

Well the lights were off but she kept catching glimpses of a clown statue out of the corner of her eye. The statue was the size of a miniature person and, as most clowns are, it was creepy. The babysitter grew increasingly creeped out by the statue and wondered why the family would even buy such a thing.

All of a sudden the statue MOVED.

The girl instantly freaked out, jumped up and ran upstairs where she locked herself and the kids in a room together. She called the kids' parents and told them what was going on. They told her to call the police. It was not a statue at all. Turns out it was the next door neighbor who is a midget and has mental issues.

The midget had apparently broken into the home and stood in the living room as if he were a clown statue. The police even had to remove the man as if he were a statue because he remained stiff and rigid.

This isn't the real clown but I figured we all needed a visual to go along with the story.

This kind of stuff DOES NOT happen in real life, does it??? I'm still trying to wrap my mind around the reality of this story. My roommates and I keep looking into the corners of our apartment expecting to see a midget clown starring back at us. I will more than likely have nightmares and certainly NEVER babysit again.

Amen.

Grace

How to survive a tornado all alone

2011-04-05T16:14:00.001-05:00

Yesterday Union University once more had some severe weather. I was lucky enough to be outside studying when the sirens went off.

Here is an awful video I took (I take photos not videos, okay?). Feel free to NOT watch it but at least play it so that you can hear the creepy sirens and rain while you read this post.

As I have mentioned in a previous Post, Union is serious about tornado weather. So when things started heating up I packed up my books and headed to the bathroom of my apartment.

My roommates were sprinkled all over campus at their various classes so I figured I would grab their laptops. If the apartment got demolished they might at least want their laptops so they don't have to redo their papers for classes. At least that was my thought process at the time. Who needs underwear, anyway?

I, of course, brought my laptop as well. See how the screen is tilted forward? It is because it is tired and hates its owner. It constantly tells me it is too full of photos and sick of all the nonsense I do on it. The screen is even going black occasionally now in rebellion against me.

I told it to be nice to me or it would end up like Henry VIII's wife.

I also brewed a pot of coffee before I dashed into the bathroom.

I can't be expected to survive a tornado without being well caffeinated.

See that Iphone sitting on top of the history book? Yea it freaks out during natural disasters and decides that I don't deserve the right to talk to anyone. Its cruel and unusual punishment, people. Someone call ATT for me.

The storm did finally pass though — they always do. Talk about a silver lining!

¹ God is our refuge and strength,
   an ever-present help in trouble.
² Therefore we will not fear, though the earth give way
   and the mountains fall into the heart of the sea,
³ though its waters roar and foam
   and the mountains quake with their surging.

⁷ The LORD Almighty is with us;
the God of Jacob is our fortress.

Psalms 46:1-3, 7

Grace

Prom and the Good Old Days

2011-04-04T22:41:00.001-05:00

Saturday was my hometown's high school prom. I have a friend who is still in high school and called me on their way.

She informed me that I was allowed to come to the restaurant where they were eating and take a few photos of them like a proud momma.

I was unnecessarily excited.

Can I just say that these girls are too gorgeous?

I was awkward in high school — my pants were probably too short and my

backpack weighed more than I did.

These girls look like MODELS.

Look at her hair! Someone call Pantene because they are missing their model.

LOVED her dress.

This makes me smile.

Her dress was so fun! I had the strongest urge to twirl her around in a circle. But we were in a public place..... and I can NOT dance. So I merely told her to smile for me.

Would you look at those eyes? I may or may not have contemplated how to steal her earrings.

And THIS is my beautiful dearest friend.

I used to drive her to high school every morning when I was a senior and she was a freshman.

I also used to make her late by FORCING us to go by McDonalds and

get a sweet tea every morning, too.

I taught her every thing she knows. Unless she does something bad — she picked up that junk from someone else. And her sarcasm — NO WAY did she get that from me.

Oh the old days.

FLASHBACK:

Aw... aren't we purrty? That girl in the blue is married now. That girl in the black is going to be a famous graphic designer pretty soon (and hasn't grown an inch since this was taken). That girl in the purple and black dress spends her summers in Orlando sharing her faith. I am not sure who that girl in the purple dress is.... oh wait... it is me! Hmmmm. I look a little tired here. Yup — nothing has changed.

Amen.

Grace

Another Wedding and All New Lessons

2011-03-26T21:15:00.001-05:00

I shot another wedding on Saturday. I love weddings — part of being a girl I suppose. It is almost like I still get to play with my Barbie and Ken doll. Except now I get paid to do it. That's beside the point, though.

Saturday's wedding involved a BABY. If you know anything about me then you know that babies are my absolute weakness. I may or may not have taken MANY photos of this baby — he had a tux on. Kill me now.

I have to say, though, one of my favorite parts of this wedding was one that probably no one else saw. The father of the bride had just handed the bride's hand to the groom and the minister was saying a prayer. During the prayer, I peaked around (I know, I know, my momma taught me better). However, while I peaked, I saw the groom staring at his bride with the biggest smile on his face. She had her eyes shut as far as I could tell. However, the groom still kept a big grin on his face while he looked at his soon-to-be wife.

I really, REALLY enjoy small moments like that. They are make this life so worth it.

Grace's Advice of the Day: Peak when you are not supposed to and try to catch those wonderfully small moments. They are worth it.

Naders

2011-02-28T10:24:00.000-06:00

Union University is VERY SERIOUS when it comes to Tornado season in West Tennessee.

This is what happened the last time a tornado visited my campus.

So, you see, it is kind of understandable why Union has a cow every time a green blob is seemingly heading our way on a radar.

Last Thursday was our first experience with Tornado weather this semester.

We were shoved into our "panic room" a.k.a storm shelter a couple times during the evening. Our panic room consists of reinforced concrete walls and three dead bolts on the door. It is very safe.

Georgetown University called while I shoved into this bathroom with 6 people. I apologized for the noise and informed them that we were under a tornado warning. Georgetown became concerned for my safety but I assured them that I was in a secure location. Georgetown was happy about this.

Union also always has us pack a "tornado bag" when ominous weather comes.

My bag consists of my eye lash curler, a change of clothes and the external hard drive where all my photos are backed up. Its all about priorities people.

Grace

Engagements and Cow Patties

2011-02-05T19:18:00.003-06:00

Bobby and Jennifer

March 5, 2011

Had the opportunity to photograph Bobby and Jennifer this afternoon.

The weather was so chilly that we decided to just use her home instead of venturing outside much.

Got some wonderful shots.

We did go outside for a little bit.

There is a lake a little ways behind the house.

However we had to venture through all of this to get to the lake.

It was the first time I have trekked through cow patties for a photo.

These are the culprits.

Considering my life, it probably won't be the last time I have to zig zag through poop for a photo, though.

New adventures every day! :)

Amen.

Grace

2011-02-02T20:19:00.001-06:00

Hello all!

I am back in the grand state of Tennessee where the trees are green and the tea is sweet.

But I still have a few tastes of New Mexico to share with you.

The last event I covered for the Baptist New Mexican was an annual event they host called the Legislative Breakfast.

All the state legislators are invited to attend a breakfast that includes a speaker and time of prayer and encouragement before the legislators start another day of their job at the state capitol.

This is former Lt. Gov. Walter Bradley. He heads the Traditional Values Action Committee.

"I have not found anywhere in the Good Book where it says that Christians should not be involved in politics," Bradley said during a dinner held for church leaders the night before the Legislative Breakfast.

"You have to be passionate about politics and you have to be passionate to change them. We need to reignite the passion."

"If a law passes that is an ungodly law then we have the right to oppose it."

"We are fighting from a position of victory because Christ is already victorious," Bradley said.

The breakfast the next morning started bright and early. Prayer requests cards were placed at each seat for the legislators to fill out. The leaders of the breakfast told the legislators that it was our duty as Christians to pray for them as stewards of the nation.

"God does command us in his Book to pray for you," said one speaker during the event. "And that is our commitment to you."

This is the new Lt. Gov. He offered a brief greeting to the audience and brought a message from the newly elected governor of New Mexico, Susanna Martinez. He said that the new administration has a "bold and strong vision for New Mexico" — something the people of the state seem to be begging for.

And this my dear friends is Bishop Harry Jackson of Hope Christian Church in Washington D.C. He was the keynote speaker.

He said during his address that President Obama is wrong — America IS a Christian nation and needs to "honor our heritage and God who gave us such great guidelines."

He attributed the Tea Party Movement as part of America's next "great awakening." He also referenced a time when he was applauded for being a man of Christ while at a Tea Party rally.

"The Tea Party movement is anything but racist — more of a civic awakening," Jackson said.

"Church groups are starting to stand up and say they have a dog in the (political) fight."

Jackson concluded by encouraging the legislators present to stick to their morals and faith.

"We are on the wake of the next great awakening; it will be politically safe to vote according to it."

Grace

Immersed - A Bus Ministry

2011-01-24T22:12:00.000-06:00

I got the opportunity to travel to the town of Gallup over the weekend to interview a pastor/ elementary school principal.

Meet Mark Chandler.

He is a principal (a full-time in and of itself) and pastor of First Indian Baptist Church of Gallup.

He had a bright idea of turning a school bus into a tool to minister through.

The bus is hollowed out and obviously never used to transport people... It is now complete with a tile floor, flat screen TV (in that back cabinet), wall to wall lighting and a generator.

He and his family use the bus to drive it into Native American communities. It provides them a place to minister to people in communities that often only have one-room buildings

The bus is an old bus used by a rafting company. Mark Chandler attributes the idea of converting it to no one but God. He attributes the fact that, even after over a year of sitting idle, it still cranked up to no one but God.

He never once complained about holding two full-time jobs. His only concern was that there weren't enough hours in the day to complete everything he wanted to do with the people he is hoping to lead to Christ.

The bus is named "immersed". John 7:38 was its inspiration.

He was one of those people who oozed humbleness — something uncommon in today's society.

It was a pleasure to meet him and hear his story and it is because of people like him that I want to go into journalism.

It's stories like his that I have always loved hearing and passing on.

Grace

P.S. I leave for Tennessee on Friday... my time is dwindling so fast!!!

Did You Know?

2011-01-22T13:10:00.000-06:00

I have attended around a dozen weddings since last summer.

I've been in the audience as a friend.

I've been by the alter as the Maid of Honor

And I've been the photographer creeping through the crowds and snapping away with my camera.

I love being hired to photograph the entire wedding day. I get to capture moments like this one — A younger sister helping her big sister into her wedding dress. How priceless!

And moments like this one — friends enjoying a moment of pampering as they get their makeup done.

Posed photos are fun, too. One of my favorite things is to "layer" a photo. Here you can see the Maid of Honor with the Bride in background.

Sincere moments of joy are still my favorite things to capture, though. I bet they always will be, too. Here you see the flower girl and Bride laughing at a joke someone in the church cracked while we were taking photos.

So all in all, I will tell you one of the many things I have learned through attending so many weddings: The day is fleeting and every moment — no matter how small or large — is priceless and worth capturing. So a big thanks to all the beautiful couples and families who have allowed me to be a part of their day.

Have a safe and blessed weekend!

Grace

Coffee mugs and an endorsement

2011-01-19T20:06:00.000-06:00

I have seen many people who collect Starbucks coffee mugs.

Today I decided to buy my very own.

For those who don't know, Albuquerqueans love hot air balloons.

At any point of the day or year, you can look over the city and see one or two.

Then once a year they have a big balloon fiesta and fly HUNDREDS of the colorful balloons.

I wish I would be here to witness it.

Next, I have something less interesting to show you.....

My purse..

Yes. It is a mess.

It is scary.

I try not to touch it more than I have too.

However, I did want to point out one thing to you that can be found in my purse:

This stuff has SAVED my hands from this DRY New Mexican air.

I slather the stuff on once or twice a day and I'm good to go.

I love it.

Note: there is not fancy smell or glitter, but it gets the job done.

If you want your hands to feel like a baby's butt then I absolutely suggest this stuff.

Next on today's agenda:

This is the paper I am currently working for.

If you look closely at the byline under that main article, you will see the name Gracie Ferrell.

That's my name :)

Just to prove to you guys that I am working out here.

Gracie - BNM intern/slave

P.S. Vaseline has no idea who I am and should have no reason to sue for this endorsement. Amen.

A life changing moment.

2011-01-17T20:39:00.000-06:00

I am a different girl now than I was a few hours ago. Margie Gill made that possible.

Today I went on an adventure with Margie and Mary Nell. We went to a place called Zio's kitchen.

Returning to this restaurant is now officially on my bucket list.

It's a must.

It had a very authentic vibe. Rows of different olive oils lined the upper shelves. You could see straight into the kitchen where flames regularly flared.

Fried mozzarella sticks — they were out main course.

THIS WAS WHAT WE CAME FOR. IT IS APPLE PIE ON A SIZZLING HOT PLATE.

The ice cream melted within seconds.

The apples were cooked to perfection.

A cinnamon shell coated the ice cream.

The crust was just perfection.

It CHANGED my life. There are no other words to describe it.

I ate every bite.

And maybe licked the plate.

....in less than 30 seconds.

Oh... and there was bread. Goodness.

Good bye forever. Amen.

Grace (the too full intern of the Baptist New Mexican)

My List of things I'm thinking while photographing you

2011-01-16T21:22:00.000-06:00

I am a list maker. I always have been. Today I decided to make a list for you.

My list of things I'm thinking while photographing you:

1. Just breathe. People naturally attempt to hold their breath while being photographed — this makes you appear stiff and unnatural. Breathe! Laugh with your significant other or family.

Some of my favorite photographs are of families or couples sharing a sincere moment of laughter.

Act with your family and significant other as you normally would — not as if a camera is watching.

2. Do not assume any detail is too small.

You own cowboy boots? Great! Wear them!

You're wearing your grandmother's ring? Your grandmother is here? Perfect!

The Maid of Honor has a written copy of her speech? I wanna see!

Your husband's truck is his pride and joy? We can work with that! :)

3. Grooming

I like all of my photographs to be very natural. With that said, I suggest you dress normally on the day you have a photo shoot. Also — don't overdue eyeliner (I can add a bit of eyeliner while editing your photos — it's nearly impossible to take away). This goes for hair product as well; if you use too much, you hair might end of looking like one big blob.

For longer hair: consider bringing another option like a pony tail holder just in case the weather is windy. A classic pony tail will look much better than hair across your face.

4. Bring Props

This is especially true with children, families but even for engaged couples as well.

If your child has a favorite blanket or stuffed animal it would a priceless thing for us to document through your portraits.

Well this is all for today folks. I might make another list as inspiration hits.

Do any of you have questions regarding photography or what to do or not do during a session?

I'd be happy to answer!

Have a blessed week everyone.

Grace

Krispy Kreme addiction

2011-01-14T18:51:00.000-06:00

Confession: I have an addiction.

Krispy Kreme doughnuts.

It was quite the journey to find the Krispy Kreme in Albuquerque, I will admit. Totally worth the drive, though.

TOTALLY WORTH THE DRIVE.

I've been working on my application to Georgetown at this Krispy Kreme all afternoon. That won't affect my chances of getting in will it? If they can't accept my addiction then I don't want to spend my summer at Georgetown, anyway.

Amen.

Grace the doughnut queen

A Rude Awakening and Mexican Food

2011-01-10T12:28:00.000-06:00

I was dreaming for Mexican food when a highly annoying ringing intruded into my fantasy.

I woke up an realized the highly annoying ringing noise was not a dream... it was a part of real life.

So what did I do? Well, naturally, I crawled out of bed and began examining the ancient-looking alarm clock sitting on the desk of my temporary bedroom.

Then I realized the noise was not, in fact, coming from the alarm clock.

It was coming from a carbon monoxide alarm in the hallway outside my bedroom.

My first reaction was just to take the batteries out of the alarm and go back to sleep

Margie called 911 who in return sent a fire truck.

This is a awful picture, I know. But if you squint and turn your head to the right you can tell that these are the lights of a fire truck pulling up to our house at 5 in the morning.

An equally awful picture of the fireman walking all around the house with little detectors trying to determine what had set off the alarm.

Margie speaking with a fireman about the alarm that is still making a awful noise.

See the hand in the hair in the background? It is a fireman holding up his detector-thingy near where the heat and air comes out.... he was trying to be very sure that there was, indeed, no carbon monoxide leaking into the house.

The firemen are determining that the alarm is just faulty and scared the devil out of myself and Margie for nothing.

I was not able to return to sleep.

However, I did google facts on carbon monoxide poisoning once I got to work today.

Here is a link I found in case you want to get up to speed on your carbon monoxide facts.

http://www.cpsc.gov/cpscpub/pubs/466.html

The firemen kept asking how we felt.... all I have to ask: is that really a fair question considering I had to wake up and get dressed and wait for them to show up and say nothing was wrong?

I told them I felt fine.... it was the proper and polite southern belle thing to do.

Grace- tired intern for the Baptist New Mexican

Lunch time antics

2011-01-07T14:14:00.000-06:00

Lunch time around the Baptist Convention of New Mexico is always interesting.

Today we made a zoo.

First you have a capsule.

And you drop that into water.

And you watch it GROW.

This is my secret stash at work... I was told everyone has one? Mine probably isn't as exciting as some but it makes me happy. How could Slim Jims not make someone happy?

AND THEN YOU HAVE ENTIRE ZOO OF SPONGES.

This was the sunset as I was driving yesterday. There were two wrecks on the way to my temporary home. I suppose people just weren't paying attention to the road and instead taking pictures of the pretty sunset with their iPhone?

The office of my life... I mean my life's office... I mean the office I'm spending my life in

2011-01-05T20:01:00.001-06:00

This is my wall/office.
See my laptop sitting there? If you look closely at the screen you will notice that the document that I was working on when this photo was taken is blank. I was having a little writer's block.
It happens quite often.

This is my phone.

I have no idea what any of the buttons mean. I had a message on it yesterday... I ignored it until the annoying red light grew really really SUPER annoying. Then I messed around with it until I figured it out on my own.
It's what big girls do after all.
The message wasn't for me.
Wrong number.
What a let down.

This is my orange highlighter that I use about every five minutes.

You know why they gave me a orange highlighter?

Because I am from Tennessee.

Tennessee automatically equals orange in New Mexico.

No offense to Tennessee fans, but orange is in the red family and the red family HATES my skin tone. Therefore, I hate orange.

This is my tape dispenser. It appears to have lived a long, hard life. I would love to know my tape dispenser's story. What all has its gluey substance latched together in its years of existence?

That is all the pictures I have from my day at the office. I was very very busy girl, you see. The great people at the Baptist New Mexican put me right to work writing articles and editing other articles.

Maybe I'll take pictures during tomorrow lunch break. Lunch equals all the women in the building coming together in the lunch room and gossiping/talking about everything under the sun. NO BOYS ALLOWED. Today's topics included football, blackbirds dropping from the sky, the Biggest Loser, homemade pizza crust and the newsletter of a tiny electric co-op in Southern New Mexico (thats a story for another post though).

Hoping everyone is having a blessed week!

Grace, intern/slave/writer/photographer/southern gal stuck in the west

Day 3: Pet Park and Bipolar Weather

2011-01-04T20:52:00.017-06:00

Albuquerque is pretty:

I was just trying to find a Walgreens when this was taken. There IS a Walgreens on every corner is Tennessee. There is NOT a mountain in the distance along with Walgreens in Tennessee.

I also went to a park today. The story goes that it burned some time ago. A local artist came to the park and began to carve things into the stumps of the trees.

This seems to be the theme of New Mexico. Fires a serious threat throughout the state. Actual this side of the country is very aware of the danger of fire.

A sign on the interstate in Texas read: Fire danger high: keep your butts in the car.

I will admit that I had to contemplate the sign for a few moments before chuckling.

One of the stumps carved into a wolf at the park.

This seems like a very proud hiker that the artist has carved into this stump. Notice that his right foot is on the head of a lizard. Isn't that the natural thing to do after all?

This is a tree.

I thought this little fellow was adorable! I named him Beaver.

The sole purpose of this park was obviously not flowers and greenery. However, in a way, is it not beautiful?

Quick! I need a boy scout!!! What kind of tracks are these?

Quick! I need a fashionista! Are these boots trail worthy?

This was taken as I exited my neighborhood. That weird looking cloud is SNOW.

See all the houses in background? They are all adobe/flat roof homes. I am not sure if I have seen a regular brick house here. It is really different and maybe I would grow tired of it. However, I'm loving it right now!

This is a barbed wire fence between New Mexico and Mexico.

JUST KIDDING MOM

I am still puzzled as to how you can be locked into an OUTSIDE park..............

No worries. I made it out.

Thanks for reading! Tune in tomorrow as I head off to my first full day at the newspaper office where I will be working all month. I have a office and a key and everything!

Grace

The Trip to New Mexico: iphone style

2011-01-02T15:32:00.000-06:00

Yes it is true that I own a nice camera. One that I have started a small business-like operation using. And yes it would make sense I were to have used that camera during my trip from Tennessee to New Mexico. However, I did not.

At all.

I used my iphone instead. Enjoy the grainy pictures!

I had parted from my parents about 5 minutes before this picture was taken of the sun rising over Elk City, Oklahoma. I was heading west and they were heading west back to good ole' Tennessee.

This was taken at a rest area in Texas. I swear I could feel the state pride radiating off the interstate.

I knew I was in nearing New Mexico when I started seeing plateaus.

No Mom this was not taken while I was driving past the sign....................................

Hunger set in at about 300 miles.

Albuquerque: my new home for the next month.

This blog will be under construction until I say so, but make sure you check back tomorrow. Ever day is an adventure when you are around a 1,000 miles from any person you know, after all!

New Mexico Day 2

2010-05-23T07:43:00.006-05:00

Hola!Things I learned on Day One of New Mexico trip:

1. THERE ARE NO TREES IN NEW MEXICO.

3. Grown men can carry minature poodles in carry on lugage.

4. Asian men who are reading a book on the history of physics don't like it when little girls from Tennessee jump while they are sleeping in awkward positions on planes.

5. Cellphones laugh in your face if you try to make a call or send a text even within the capital of New Mexico.

First stop of trip on Day 2 of trip : The Baptist Children's Home in Portales, NM

These children have been dealt some hard lives but have come out as these beautiful individuals.

Three boys from the home working at the barn early Saturday morning.

Mark and his wife run one of the cottages that houses 5 boys at the Children's Home. Here he is lassoing his young daughter.

BABY HORSE!!!!! ONLY A WEEK OLD. The cuteness makes you smile.

Another one of Mark and Tara's children. I have no excuse for this little guy. I will say that my suitcase almost became mysteriously heavier right before we left the home... i decided I'd let his parents keep him though. He is addicted to nose picking after all. :)

Miss America? Miss Lumberjack?

2010-01-31T22:02:00.005-06:00

I am going to let you in on a little secret.

What I am about to tell you may come as a surpise:

I have a burning passion for plaid and flannel clothing.

*GASP*

Okay now that I got that off my chest I will move on.

My mother forced me to watch the Miss America competition last night. I am not really sure why she was so interested in the competition. All of the stories she has told me of pageants she participated in as a child were horrifying tales of lace. However, I relinquished the remote because:

A. She pays the bills.

B. She grew me in her womb.

C. My only other option was to watch Myth Busters.

2.47 minutes into watching the broadcast, my sarcasm reared its ugly head with a vengeance. See photo below:

This is me.

This is me wearing my *cough**cough* Prom Queen Crown* cough*cough*

This is me mocking a Miss America contestant wearing said above object.

This is me in a tiara wearing my LUMBERJACK shirt.

I LOVE my lumberjack shirt.

It is cozy and five sizes to big for me and soft and plaid and flannel and doesn't care that I ate an ungodly amount of bacon for breakfast.

Next came the swim suit competition, but I won't post pictures of that because:

1. There are perverts on the internet.

2. It is the middle of winter and Grace feels no need to tan and/or shave. WHAT? DID I JUST SAY THAT OUT LOUD? Whoops...

3. I have eaten too much macaroni & cheese over the holiday season.

In the end, I was voted Miss Congeniality. This is, in part, because I have no talent.

Well.... I have talent. Just not any talent I can show on a stage or, in this case, the middle of my living room.

It is okay. I am learning to deal with this fact. Seriously, I'm fine. Don't worry about little ole talentless me. I don't care that I couldn't dance to save my life and that my vocal chords hate me.

I'm going to see a therapist Monday.

31 days

2010-01-14T23:15:00.002-06:00

I have spent 31 consecutive days of my life here:

Well besides the other 18 some-odd years I grew up here.

Let be the first to say, though, that are only so many things you can do in this house.

In other words I am bored.

I even scrubbed the stove and the vent-a-hood yesterday because I was so bored.

My mother isn't complaining about my boredom.

I would like to return to college now, though. Please and Thank You. Amen.

2009-11-08T11:28:00.001-06:00

Science experiment vs. Bleach

2009-09-13T18:05:00.004-05:00

Remember in middle school when you used to get soooo excited over science projects? You used to love to make things boil, foam, and change colors.

I channeled this spirit recently. See, my favorite white t-shirt had a mysterious stain. So I went to Wal-mart to get something to remove said mysterious stain. I could have simply purchased bleach. It certainly would have done the job. However, I decided to buy this:

It looks exactly like a science project, right? You have to pour the powder in just as the water is simmering and stir it for like 30 minutes.

What could go wrong right???

In my world something ALWAYS goes wrong. ALWAYS.

So my roommate and I slowly began to notice that a very putrid smell was beginning to take over the entire apartment. Within minutes the whole place smelled exactly like four-week-old Easter eggs you never did find after the Easter egg hunt.

Air Wick Clean Linen spray DID NOT mask the odor. It failed me for the first time ever. Therefore we had to resort to this:

The fan is slowly pulling the rotten-egg smell out of the apartment and replacing it with cleaner, fresher air. The watermelons serve no other purpose other than to keep the door open. People outside our apartment even noticed the smell we were slowly filtering out the door. It was seriously a god-awful smell.

I'm pretty sure Crystal and I lost a few hundred brain cells due to the smell. So much for a science project. And the worst part: my shirt is still stained.

Grace

Twin???

2009-07-12T23:59:00.008-05:00

I made a discovery tonight.... Dakota Fanning has been casted for the new Twilight movie, New Moon. She doesn't have a major role, but she will be in the film. It just so happens that I like Dakota Fanning and her work. It ALSO just so happens that Dakota Fanning is my twin... Really, she is. Take a look for yourself:

Me: ( This is a REALLY OLD picture of me from my junior year of high school and is not very good quality but I thought it worked best for this purpose. Please forgive the odd light on my mouth/cheek. Thank you.)

Dakota Fanning:

Do you see the resemblence????????????

Don't try to say that I am crazy either....TONS of people tell me that I look like her ALL the time. This one man I know doesn't even call me by my real name anymore; he just calls my Dakota.

I even took the time to break down and highlight the similarities.

Black arrows: We are both blondes!

Red arrows: We both have small upper lips!

White arrows: We both have the same nose!

Blue arrows: We both have tiny dimples that only show when we are smiling really hard!

BUT WAIT! THERE IS MORE!

While I was googling pictures of Dakota Fanning ( I am only taking the time to do this because I simply can't fall asleep....just if you were wondering.) I also found some rather intriguing facts about the young actress that I am going to share with you.

1. She was born in Georgia.

a. I was born in Tennessee! We are both from the South!

2. She had several issues and procedures done on her teeth.

a. I had braces and retainers for like 7 years of my life!

3. She made all A's her sophomore year of high

school except for Geometry.

a. I had all A's in high school until my sophomore year when I made a B in Geometry!

4. She and most of her family go by their middle names.

a. My father, brother, and myself all go by our middle names!

All of this simply adds up to one thing:

Dakota Fanning and I were separated at birth (The age difference is merely a trivial factor). I have come to terms with the fact that Dakota was chosen over me at birth to become the famous one. Seriously, I could care less that she gets to go to red carpet events and act alongside Denzel Washington. Whoever separated us at birth did me a favor. Why would I want to be rich and famous by the age of like 16 anyway? Why would I want to be able to have multiple appearances on the Tonight Show and have a role in New Moon? I totally got the better end of the deal. But hey, being the considerate person that I am, I am going to make my dear twin, Dakota, an offer...

I am willing to sacrifice myself and give up my dogs, couch, laptop, and fudge-pops for a couple of weeks to trade places with Dakota so that she might have a break. I mean it is the LEAST I can do for her, after all.

I'm just saying...

Grace

p.s. Okay, fine...I'll go to bed now....

Tea Parties, Ribs, and Wet Dogs

2009-07-04T22:17:00.010-05:00

“To sit back hoping that someday, some way, someone will make things right is to go on feeding the crocodile, hoping he will eat you last -- but eat you he will.” -- Ronald Reagan

Wake up America.

Open your eyes.

Take the time to listen to what is actually being said and done.

Does any of it make sense?

No?

Does it make you mad?

Yes?

Oh.

WELL THEN GET UP AND DO SOMETHING ABOUT IT!

Do not trust a few to do the work. YOU must do something. YOU must say something. YOU must act before you no longer have the right to.

------

Ahhh... the 4th of July.... Independence Day....

I love my country.

The family and I had a very fun and busy 4th.

We attended 2 Tea Parties.

One was held in Jackson, Tennessee. We

estimated about a thousand in attendance.

We left the Jackson Tea Party a little early so we could drive to the Tipton County Tea Party. We skipped lunch and everything to get there. Let it be known that I NEVER skip lunch unless it is a dire situation.

I won the sign contest. If I don't blog for a few days then it is probably because I have been kidnapped by the secret service. Please send help. Don't let them take me!

Like I said above, we skipped lunch. So by the time we left the Tipton County Tea Party, we were HUNGRY. Actually, hungry isn't a strong enough word. I could have eaten my own hand by that point. But that would have been cannibalism, which is frowned upon.

We decided to drive to Memphis and eat at the best place in town: The Rendezvous. Ahhh....it makes my stomach growl just thinking about it.

History Lesson: The Rendezvous has been the best place to get ribs and barbeque since 1948. It can be found in an alley in downtown Memphis. If you are looking for white table clothes and five-course meals, The Rendezvous is not the place for you. If you are looking for the best meal of your life, then you found it.

You can smell the ribs from this place for miles. If they bottled the smell wafting out of the doors, I would buy it and where it as perfume...seriously.

We were lucky because we only had about a 45 minute wait. Some days you would have to wait two hours for a table. Any wait would be worth some of their ribs, though.

One sign that a place is going to have fabulous food is that they slap down several packets of individual wet ones. The messier the food, the better. It's a proven fact.

See that man right there? Yea he is one of the waiters at The Rendezvous and he has been for the past 48 years. Most of the waiters have similar stories. They all have worked there FOREVER, and they all rake in hundreds of dollars in tips most nights.

This photo has nothing to do with tea parties, The Rendezvous, or the 4th of July. I just took it while we were downtown and thought it was pretty...

We were on the way home when it started raining.

The bad thing was that we had left Ronald Reagan and Margaret Thatcher in the pen outside. I mean, they had a dog house to seek shelter in, but still.

Needless to say, they were both utterly, and helplessly filthy and soaked when we finally got home. Therefore, they immediately went to the tub for a quick bath. What a way to end the 4th of July, huh?

This picture depicts them both perfectly. Reagan is always sniffing SOMETHING, in this case, the dog shampoo bottle, and Thatcher is always trying to escape, in this case her prison is the tub. That is my mom's arm if you are wondering. If you weren't, oh well, now you know.

God Bless America.

Grace

Bad veins, Dominoes, and Diets

2009-06-18T23:18:00.005-05:00

I coaxed my dear little friend, And (that is her name...not a conjuntion), into going to give blood with me this morning. I had given twice before, but she was a first time donor.

And perhaps a last time donor judging by the look on her face.

Actually everything went fine. Well, except for the fact that the Life Blood lady informed me that I had horrible veins and that she was praying about how she was going to stick the needle in my arm. Let me tell you, those are not the most comforting words to hear!

And apparently has very good veins because she drinks a lot of water.

Whatever... I still saved a baby.... PLUS I have the universal blood type!

Beat that little Miss Perfect Veins!

Later on in the evening, we all went out to eat and then back to my house to play a friendly and highly competitive game of Dominoes. It got vicious quickly.

There are so many things going on in this photo that I decided to break it all down for you guys. I even used colored arrows to make it easier!

All four black arrows: Our cellphones. None of them are more than 6 inches away from our bodies at ALL times. You never know when you might get an important text or call!

Sky Blue Arrow: Lotion. We were all sunburned from spending a day outside in near triple-digit degree weather. Not our brightest idea.

Purple Arrow: My empty Little Debbie Fudge Round wrapper. Goldie Locks and I have started working out. She has also started counting calories and watching what she eats. I watch what I eat as well...I watch it enter my mouth, at least. Let's just say she is fighting a loosing battle if she is attempting to get me to count anything beside how many fudge pops I can eat in one sitting!

White Arrow: This is a butter churn (in case you were wondering). We have had this churn, and many churns like it, in my household since I was born. Don't ask me why. We don't churn butter or anything.

Lime Green Arrow: Goldie Locks is counting and tallying up the points from the round of dominoes we just finished playing. Goldie Locks counts EVERYTHING from points, to days, to how many red M&M's are left. I promise that if you asked her, at this very moment, how many days there are till Christmas, she would know. Or at the very least she would have a wonderful amount of fun figuring it up.

Red Arrow: I AM WINNING AT DOMINOES! See how I only have one little ole' domino left??? I did, in fact, win not only that round, but the entire game!

Here are the final scores (lowest amount of points wins):

Me: 207

And : 212

Goldie Locks: 230

Hope: 422

I love my life (and my veins!). Amen.

Grace

Grandmother

2009-06-16T21:11:00.010-05:00

I found this picture today of my grandmother during WW2 standing next to a plane on a airbase. Its pretty cool looking, isn't it? I love vintage stuff. My grandmother and I really look alike don't we?

This is me, obviously, by the same plane that my grandmother was by in the above picture. ( I realized that said plane isn't too far from where I live)

Mammaw Me

See how much we look alike! We are even wearing similar clothing!

Grace

Swamp Ripley Believe it or Not

2009-06-15T18:58:00.006-05:00

We were told that our neighborhood had no drainage problems.

Really?

Take a look at what happened while it rained this afternoon.

Monday, June 15th 5:34 p.m. Dogwood Trails:

But you know what? I kind of like my neighborhood and its swamp-ish state. It opens up all sorts of opportunities. I can buy really cute, polka dotted rain boots, and a colorful umbrella, and a boat...

Cars are so overrated, anyway.

I have always wanted a lake house.

Grace

P.S. Anyone have access to an ark that will hold two of each animal on earth?

Traveling Grace

2009-06-14T12:31:00.008-05:00

Goldie Locks invited me to go on vacation with her and her family. I, of course, accepted. So that's where I have been for the past week...on vacation with Goldie Locks in Gatlinburg, Tennessee.

Let me say one thing before we move on. I live in the flattest part of Tennessee possible. Not that it isn't beautiful in it's own way; it is just really flat. I mean, sure, we have hills and gullies...duh...just no mountains.

Get the picture?

Okay, let's begin:

We went horse back riding through the mountains, but that is a story for another day. Let me just say that I learned one lesson: A horse is not a bunny rabbit.

Ripley's Aquarium.

View from Clingman's Dome (a.ka.: highest point on mountain).

I love how the parking lot of Clingman's Dome looks like it is just floating around on the clouds. We really were in the clouds, though. Just not floating in them, but you probably knew that...

Laurel Falls. WARNING: ROCKS ARE SLIPPERIER ( is that a word?) THAN THEY APPEAR. PROCEED WITH CAUTION ACROSS ROCKS SO THAT YOU DO NOT SLIP AND FALL TO YOUR DEATH.

I almost did... fall to me death, that is. I recovered beautifully, though. I don't think anyone even noticed that I slipped and almost fell to my death. However, I don't know if its a good thing or bad thing that no one noticed. While I am glad that I was saved the embarrassment, I would kind of like for someone to notice if I fell to my death.

I love everything about the mountains. Ever since I was a little girl, I have always wanted to move to some mountainous state like Montana. I may not be a little girl anymore, but I still want to live in the mountains one day, and have horse, and tons of dogs, and a lake, and a cowboy....

Therefore I am going to ask/beg one thing of you:

Is anyone living in the mountains willing to house a eighteen-year-old girl??????

She cooks and cleans!

She loves children and animals!

She doesn't mind getting dirty and working hard on you ranch/ farm/ plantation!

Anyone offers???

*crickets* Anyone listening???

Grace

To My Secret Admirer

2009-06-05T16:58:00.010-05:00

So I got online today to find that I had a new comment on one of my posts.

This is what it read:

Anonymous said...

hello, gracie- i just want you to know i am in love with you and have been for a very long time. i am so afraid to tell you to your face, not knowing how you would feel. just please, beautiful, give me a chance
with love,
your secret admirer.

All of my friends denied it; of course, they would. I told them that I found it quite hilarious, but they still denied it. I told them that I wasn't the least bit mad or upset, but still they denied it. I told them that they should just own up to it because it was hysterical, but still they denied it.

So for now, I shall go along with it.

As long as my secret admirer is one of these guys:

Grace

Goldie Locks gets a haircut

2009-06-03T23:04:00.007-05:00

Goldie Locks decided to get a haircut today. Of course, Mother Grace had to go moral support.

She needed a lot of moral support.

Find your happy place, Goldie Locks, find your happy place!!

Lookin' good, Goldie Locks!

Grace

Mad Woman in the Attic?

2009-06-02T22:57:00.005-05:00

My mother and I were in what we call " A Throwing Away Mood" today. Therefore we decided to tackle the attic and all of the pure, unadulterated, unexplainable, useless junk that it holds/ held.

This is what we pulled down from said attic:

I had no idea that there was this much stuff in our attic. I expected to find that crazy lady that Rochester hid in the attic in Jane Erye or a Jumangi game board at any moment.

As I looked over the piles and piles of stuff that Mother and I had to now sort through, I decided to not really contemplate the fact that I probably had no less than ten brown recluses crawling all over me, or the fact that it was going to take a few hours to properly go through everything.

Instead, I decided to go to my "happy place" :

This is my happy place.

My mother and I found this among the rubble. It is a doll house that someone made for me when I was younger. However, now it resembles something leftover after a hurricane. Hmmm... Hurricane Barbie maybe?

One good thing did come from the hours I spent helping my mother go through the fifty years of crap she had shoved into our attic; I found plenty of dishes, glasses, and silverware for college. Aren't they pretty and speckled! :)

Grace

Beasts

2009-06-01T18:48:00.006-05:00

I begged my parents for a little, petite, delicate, inside dog for years. I dreamed of carrying around my tiny pet in the cutest little bags and dressing her up in adorable sweaters. This is what I got:

Meet Beast #1; otherwise known as Ronald Reagan. He is three years old, loves day-long naps, anything edible, long walks, squeaky toys, and of course his owner, me. Reagan is the biggest beagle you will ever see, weighing between 50-60 lbs. However, do not make the assumption that Reagan is fat; he is merely stocky.

Meet beast #2; otherwise known as Margaret Thatcher. She loves playing fetch, splashing all of the water out of her bowl, sleeping at your feet, getting as dirty as possible, and following her brother (Ronald Reagan) around. I received her as a graduation present, however, she has actually become my mother's dog. Thatcher, a nine-week old dalmation/ husky mix, will be replacing me in the family once I leave for college.

For a few rare moments of the day, Ronald Reagan and Margaret Thatcher play with each other peacefully. These harmonious occasions are shortly lived, however.

Usually their relationship resembles something found on the discovery channel.

They bite.

They snarl.

They growl.

They claw.

They attack.

But moments like these make all of the rest slip from your mind.

I love my beasts. Amen.

Grace

April 24th West TN. Tea Party

2009-05-31T20:38:00.005-05:00

It was a beautiful Friday afternoon (the day before prom actually... not that prom has ANYTHING to do with this post...). I was excited (being the little conservative extremist that I am) about going to a tea party with my parents. No this was not the kind of tea party where you lift you pinkie finger, cross your ankles and wear you best Sunday dress. No, my dear friends, this was not that kind of tea party at all.

This was one of the first signs I saw upon arriving at the field where the party was to be held. I do not believe that this man's sign held an ounce of sarcasm. I would guess that 3/4's of the attendants of the event owned gun permits, multiple guns, and bullets. I will be joining the ranks very soon.

Amen sister. AMEN! As a side note: I am sick of hearing the word change. So I grabbed a thesaurus and found the word revolutionize. It seems to be a more appropriate word to use now that the other one has been tainted.

Amen Brother. AMEN! I love this guy's sign because it sums up a whole lot that has been going on in our country. I am an American and I fully stand behind the original beliefs and morals of the people that founded this great country. For that, I will not apologize.

Now isn't this just the cutest thing you have EVER seen?!? Seriously, what is more adorable than an older couple who apparently still loves one another and our country after fifty some-odd years of marriage. I asked them if they would adopt me as their granddaughter.

The older couple from above said they would not adopt me (it wasn't anything personal they added...they just already had many grandchildren to care for...I envy their grand kids). Looks like I am left with these people.

All in all, the West TN. Tea Party was a great event. There were hundreds of people of different backgrounds, careers, and ages that were standing up for their beliefs and vocalizing that they did not agree with what was going on with our country.

I was proud to be among them all.

Fried Chicken, Reagan & Margaret, and an ipod touch

2009-05-28T17:28:00.003-05:00

My mother is currently cooking fried chicken strips, mashed potatoes, texas cheese toast, and lima beans.

The house, Ronald Reagan, and Margaret Thatcher are squeaky clean thanks to a morning full of elbow grease.

My brother agreed to go with me tomorrow to get my free iPod touch.

The shelves and cabinets are stocked full of chocolate covered grahams crackers, cheese puffs, grape juice, and cinnamon rolls.

My hair looks great.

All is well in my world. Amen.

Oh How Quickly Times Change

2009-05-26T16:22:00.004-05:00

I graduated on Thursday, May 14th at 7:00 p.m.

It is currently Tuesday, May 26th at 4:23 p.m.

My friends and I have already started the melodramatic reunions every time we see each other.

We hug.

We scream.

We jump up and down.

We squeal.

The sad thing is that it hasn't really been that long since we last saw each other. Except for Nell. No one had seen her until this morning in like a year.

I love my dear hermit-like friend.

Now I have a friend that is like a hobbit and one that is like a hermit.

I love my life. Amen

Weekend Observations

2009-03-29T19:11:00.004-05:00

Observation #1: The pepto-bismal-like tablets from the other day (the rocket day) turned my tongue brown. That's right. BROWN. Let me be the first to say that sticking out your tongue so that you can brush it and finding that it is no longer bubble gum pink is a scary thing. I thought I was going to die.

Its okay, though. My tongue is returning to the color God intended it to be.

I will NEVER take those pepto-bismal-like tablets again.

Observation #2: Peanut butter milk shakes from Sonic are awesome. I would have its babies if I could.

Observation #4: Sitting through thirty minutes of choir practice royally stinks...especially when you are not physically able to sing at all and you don't know the words to any of the songs and your peanut butter milkshake is starring at you and the girl behind you is singing like an angel.

Observation #5: Never underestimate hobbits. They have like a six sense for scrabble. If there is a triple letter score tile within ten feet of them they will find it and play and "x".

Observation #6: Cruise control + Calculus project = 1 argument over time intervals ( make that several arguments)... 5 slices of pizza... and 3 semi-frantic phone calls.

Observation #7: Reagan somehow got ahold of some bologna.

Observation #8: We don't have any bologna in the house.

Observation #9: An old alley can be a very pretty place to take a photograph.

Observation #10: There is no observation 3.

Rockets and Oyster Crackers

2009-03-24T14:57:00.002-05:00

It is because of days like today that I signed up for physics.

Let me set the scene for you...

It was around noon and the sun was brightly shining overhead. The temperature was around the mid seventies, neither too hot nor too cold. A slight breeze was blowing the girls' hair, and the boy's, oh well who really cares about the boys? My entire physics class was sitting or standing in clumps on the practice football field by the school. Why were we out there, you ask? It was rocket launch day, of course!

My friends and I were throughly enjoying the sun as we sat off to the side of everyone else, merrily passing around the bag of oyster crackers I had stashed in my purse (I was sick and they were the only thing my stomach liked at the moment, and they just so happen to be extremely delicious). Our physics teacher set up the first group's rocket for launch and we anxiously anticipated its lift off, all quietly hoping that something would go wrong and catch it on fire. I mean, what teenager isn't secretly a pyromaniac?

" Lift off in three, two, one!" our teacher called out. Nothing happened. Whoops.

So my friends and I passed around a few more oyster crackers and I popped another pepto bismal-like tablet into my mouth and waited for Mr. A. to figure out what had gone wrong. It was around this point that someone pointed out that all of my friends and I were wearing pink. So we are in a gang? Get over it. Geesh...like we planned it. Usually we all wear pink on Thursdays like the clique in Mean Girls. Just kidding.

The second rocket actually lifted off and headed straight towards the building that was behind us. That building just so happened to be the Board of Education. Whoops. Maybe it would catch on fire! Would they cancel school for that?

Another rocket flew into the air...only its parachute never released so it plummeted to the ground barely missing a slightly-expensive-looking SUV. Whoops. Physics is fun!

Yet another rocket flew into the air and all but disappeared. Whoops.

" IT'S OVER THERE!" cried a distinctly masculine voice behind us. I turned and realized that a State Trooper had parked near the field and was enjoying the explosive fun. I think I even saw him eating a doughnut.

Some rockets took several times before shooting into the air and floating all graceful-like to ground, and before I knew it, it was my group's turn. After coaxing one of the boys to carry our rocket to the teacher, my friends and I nervously waited to find out if we were destined to be NASA's next recruits.

" THREE, TWO, ONE!" out teacher dramatically announced. SUCCESS! Our rocket shot into the air instantly, clearly the best one of the day, before sparking violently and turning several circles. However, it suddenly started dropping towards the ground like a rock. Where was the parachute???!!?? And just like in the movies, our rocket's little chute opened just in time and it safely floated down.

The rest of the class set off the find their rocket parts, all of them trailing behind the teacher like little ducks. My friends and I decided to remain rooted to our nice, warm spot; we would "guard" the equipment while they searched. As we lay there, soaking up as much sun as we could, we began to play with one of my friend's phone. It had program on it that reads text messages out loud.

I particularly enjoyed how it said, "Bloody Hell".

The Woes of Scholarship Essay writing

2009-03-19T15:23:00.004-05:00

It is a known fact that I want to one day be a journalist. So you would assume that I would if not look forward to at least not dread writing tons of essays for tons of scholarships. Oh, but we all know what assuming makes out of us...fools. In other words I DESPISE writing multiple essays on various mundane topics.

" What is the Ideal Teacher to you?" um... one that lets me chew gum in class.

" What does education mean to you?" Its means that I get to sit in a hard desk that is probably reeking havoc on my spine all day long while trying, in vain, to memorize 40 some-odd calculus formulas

" How have you used your leadership skills to better your school and community?" Well I have used my death glare (the one my grandmother and mom taught me) to quiet multiple groups of teenagers...does that count as a leadership quality?

" Why are you worthy of winning this scholarship?" Give me a chance to be humble, why dontcha?

Okay, okay. Maybe I am exaggerating a teensy bit (not about the essays...about school). I actually enjoy school for the most part. This isn't to say that I don't have a SEVERE case of senior-itis( I WANT TO GRADUATE NOW!). I am merely saying that my high school career has been enjoyable. Well, except for that time I fell going up the staircase, and that time I fell in the cafeteria, and that time I fell during a tennis match, and that time...well you get the picture.

I really do love school, though.

Scratch that...Its more like a love/hate relationship, really.

Grace and And's List of Fictional Boys We Want to Marry and have Babies by

2009-03-19T09:06:00.005-05:00

Note: THESE ARE IN NO PARTICULAR ORDER!

1. Jess Mariano from Gilmore Girls- He is the smartest, bestest, bad boy ever.

2. Edward Cullen from Twilight- duh...He glows and he's sexy (a glowing man is irresistable!).

3. Michael Moscovitz from The Princess Diaries- He is jewish!...enough said. Yum dark curly hair!

4. Seth Cohen from The O.C.- Again Jewish! And he created Chrismakkah....who doesn't love that?

5. Dean Forrester from Gilmore Girls - He has the whole adorable puppy dog look about him!

6. Ryan Atwood from The O.C.- He's a bad boy. He has looks to kill...and he can kill.

7. Marty "Naked Guy" from Gilmore Girls- He is SOOO adorable!! He is the nice guy that Rory should have been with instead of Logan (Ew).

8. Harry Potter from well Harry Potter- He is magical in EVERY SENSE of the word.

9. Ron Weasley from Harry Potter- He is a red-headed, goofy, british dork who isn't afraid to tell people of his fear of spiders.

10. Nate Archibawld from Gossip Girl - He plays lacrosse and that happens to be one of the hottest sports ever invented.

11. Peter from The Chronicles of Narnia- Any guy who has access to a magical wardrobe into another world is more than okay in my book! Plus, he is a king!

12. Spiderman from Spiderman- Who wouldn't love a hero who can take you around New York like Tarzan and Jane? Plus, he never has to worry about gas prices.

13. Batman from any of the Batman movies- OMG! He is so DARK. He tries to save Gotham from evil. And he's a poor orphan who needs a hug. I'll give him a hug. (So long as he doesn't do the creepy voice thing).

14. Luke Skywalker from Star Wars- His father is Darth Vader but is also his enemy. He will do anything to overcome evil... But what about the bad in-law issue?

15. Buck Williams from Left Behind- He is a journalist who risks his life to become part of the Antichrist's inner circle for the good of unraptured-converted christians!!!! AND he has brown curly hair!

16. Nick from Nick and Nora's infinite playlist- He has an awesome sense of music and he ISN'T a man whore like they made us believe in the movie. He is totally sweet and likes to dance in the rain and talk about Israel.