Erin's Musings

Dear Pop, Has it really been seven years since you've left this Earth? Seven years of seemingly constant change for me. I wished you could see the house that I've put my hard sweat into. I wish I could show you the peppers I just picked out of my garden. I wish I could tell you the funny things my students say and I wish I could hear you laugh at my jokes. I wish you could meet the man I love. Oh, how I ache to hear him ask you tons of questions. Most of all, I wish I could tell you I was sorry for taking your presence for granted and for not valuing your experience and time. I'm so very sorry. In your memory, I've cared for Granny and tried to live the best life I can. Thank you for adopting me as your own despite having no blood relation.  I love you, Pop. Until we meet again. E

Recently, I was sent this beautiful message from my brother thanking me for the influence and impact I've had on him. It inspired me to think about the women that have a great influence on me as well. To my mother, To transcribe the influence you've had on me would be impossible. I'm incredibly grateful for your love, guidance, and wisdom. You've encouraged me to form my own opinions even if they're in direct contradictions to your own. You've taught me that gentleness and kindness is a strength, not a weakness. From you, I've learned to be grateful for the little things. Thank you for all the pep talks, advice, and weekend trips. Your influence is a huge part of the woman I am today. I strive to be as warm and nurturing as you. I love you, mom! To Jennifer,  You've been an immeasurable impact in my personal and work life. Thank you for seeing my potential and encouraging my talents. Thank you for all the opportunities for growth ...

I wasn't until the end of last week that I realized I had completely forgotten to write a blog post! That's why I've decided to fill you on on what I've been up to lately: I'm throwing my brother and his fiancee a shower so I've been doing a lot of idea gathering (read: wasting time on pintrest) and crafting. I've watched all seven seasons of BBC's Doctor Who reboot and have been absolutely enthralled in that show (David Tennant, anyone?). I also have recently obtained a Fuji Instax 210 Instant film camera. I've had my eye on one of these for awhile, but I finally caved and bought one. Here are the first few shoots I took with it...   Onward to summer fun and productivity! -Erin

Kyle is officially a high school graduate! I know it maybe odd to say this, but he isn't just my little brother; he's my best friend. Seriously. We hang out all the time and he gets me better than anyone. Despite having completely different personalities, we enjoy nerding out on the same things and having deep discussions, random discussions. Anyway, I'm super excited for Kyle and his future endeavors. He's is going to his first college of choice and majoring in Mass Communications.

Spring Loaded     Beyond the Trail I went out in the backyard a few days ago and shot some photos just for fun. Honestly, I forgot how much I missed it. Nothing but the outdoors, camera, and my imagination. No phone. No interruptions from the any member of the human species. This spring/summer is already filling up pretty quickly. There's numerous shows and music festivals. I'm already booked to shoot a music festival and my first Bridal Session. My younger brother is graduating high school in June and starting college the following fall. And my older brother is getting married in August! So as you can see, there are some big and exciting changes going on in my family. Good thoughts and prayers are much appreciated!

      My brothers and I decided to give our parents the gift of photos. It's been years since we last took family pictures and since we're all creative types we decided to take them ourselves. We used my camera (Nikon D3000) and 55-200mm lens. Amberly, Trey, and myself took all the images and for the group shot we used the trusty tripod and remote shutter release. I wanted an ageless vibe to the photos and am actually pretty surprised at how well they turned out. Aren't we a lovely group?

What's Christmas without a little Bokeh? These are just a few pictures from the family luncheon/hangout. Under the Bridge. The following photos were taken a few minutes from my house. I love this old rusty bridge and I've even done some portriat shoots there. Anyway, I'm not much into landscape photography, but I think they turned out pretty decent.    

Thanksgiving is one of the few times a year my extended family hangs out and it's quite a shame because I actually really like those guys and gals. I was asked to take some photos of the family for my grandparents, but sad as it maybe a several of them were unable to make it. Ah, well at least these kids were and it was quite a blast hanging out and taking their photos.   I hoped you all had a positively wonderful holiday. Now that it is officially the Christmas season, I believe I'll go listen to some festive music (starting with Dustin Kensrue)! I've already started on the handmade gifts as well. In fact, I will probably post about them pretty soon. And I will leave you with one last photo of yours truly...