Angelica Grace Designs

SIMPLY CUPCAKES

2009-07-14T17:23:00.004-04:00

Guess where we've been this afternoon? Yeap, to the local Naples cupcakery. I saw an ad for it in one of my area magazines so we piled in the car this afternoon and made a pit stop. Do not fear...the beach photos are coming back soon. I am catching heat for posting so many "food" pictures. Apparently it is making a lot of you hungry. Sorry! We'll resume our normal programming tomorrow. Ha ha!

Until then, feast your eyes on some little red velvet cupcakes, a funky monkey cupcake (banana cake, creamy peanut butter filling with chocolate ganache and peanut butter cream. Topped with a banana chip garnish), Carmel pecan cupcakes, chocolate peanut butter cupcakes and so forth. The pictures don't do them justice. Never do!

The fun thing about them, other than just "eating" them, was also being able to take pictures of them. :) I'll use any excuse to break out my camera. And I do mean "any" excuse.

All in all, it was a pretty low key day here in sunny Southwest Florida. After cupcakes we had to make a trip to the store to get Brennen a new cell phone. We let Kenidi play with his phone one night while here (when we first arrived) and somehow she lost it. We've turned this house upside down and backwards but it is still MIA. Not only that but she lost my good watch too. Needless to say, we aren't allowing her to "play" with things anymore. She obviously has her own black hole that she keeps stuffing everything into. Maybe one day we'll discover her little hiding spot. Until then, everything is just gone. We knew better!

We are headed out to dinner now. Enjoy your evening and eat a cupcake if you can. xoxo, Angie

LOU COOKS AGAIN

2009-07-13T13:34:00.007-04:00

Lou (Brent's friend) has already gone home to Michigan but out of appreciation for his good Mexican cookin', I had to post a couple more photos of the dinner he made for us on the 2nd night he was here. He made taco's as well as cheese/onion enchilada's. I was in heaven. Again.

I didn't really get my cameras settings where they were supposed to be before I took these because we were all in a hurry to eat. So...you get what you get - don't throw a fit. Ha ha!

Lou also made more guacamole dip for us beings that I "wanted to marry it" by that point. :) Lou not only is a great cook but he is also an artist. For those of you who know us well, you've seen the drawings that Lou has made for us. He takes original pictures of our kids and then hand draws them for us. We have a couple of them in our home framed already. Well, see the little yellow lobster on the side of the bowl below? Lou made that. He sculpted it with Brennen's clay. Too funny, huh? He actually had Brent and I print out some new and recent photos of Brennen and Kenidi so that he could take them back to Michigan and draw them out for us. I can't wait to get them. I know they will be gorgeous. They always are.

Needless to say, I'm probably 20 lbs. heavier since Lou left. His cooking was just too good to pass up. :)

For now, I'm off to go check in on the photography workshop I'm leading. Can I just tell you what a wonderful group of 24 women we have in that class? They all have such awesome talents and are doing great in the course. I'm thoroughly enjoying getting to know each of them all that much better. Of course while teaching the basics of beginner photography to each of them, I myself, am also still taking classes of my own. I've enrolled in more photoshop classes as well as some composition/style photography classes. Then, at the end of August, I have a 3 day workshop in downtown Chicago that is sure to be a blast. It's taught by a very talented instructor and I can't wait to learn from her when there. And finally, I am so very stoked for the middle of September to roll around as well. Reason being, I registered and got into "The Learnfest" workshop that is held in Atlanta. The last time this workshop was offered, it sold out in 4 hours. I am very thankful to be "in" the workshop for September's class. I thought for sure it was going to sell out before I could register this time. The Learnfest is a 4 day/3 night workshop at a Chateau in Atlanta that is put on by some very "prestigious" photographer's within the industry. Basically they spend that 4 days with you teaching you everything that they can in that time frame. As the site says, you experience in-depth instruction on shooting, post-production, marketing, business strategy, revenue generation, and studio and daily work flow. It's also a great way to get to know and network with other photographer's from around the world. The photographer's teaching you are ones that have shot for or had images place within People magazine, Vogue, Pottery Barn kids, Kids R Us, the Disney Store, O Magazine, Elle, Town & Country, Martha Stewart Living, Parenting Magazine, The Knot Weddings, Food & Wine, Brides Magazine, The Knot, Modern Bride and Inside Weddings. Needless to say, I'm sooooo very excited to learn from these photographers. Nervous? Yes, that too! Very much so. These are shots that are done in person in different lighting situations and such. I am nervous but so very excited to learn too. September can't come soon enough. Not that I'm wishing summer away by any means. Ha ha! :) The August workshop in downtown Chicago is an urban shoot. We'll be going as a group around the streets of downtown Chi-town and shooting professional models that will be there for our use during the learning process. How cool will the streets of Chicago be for three days??? I'm going to be on cloud nine! I can't wait to meet the other photographers in both of the workshops too. It will be great to make the connections with each of them. I'm ready for all that the next couple of months has to hold. Exciting times for sure! And for the many of you who have asked me...yes...I will be teaching another beginner photography workshop class online. If you are interested in it, stay tuned. I'll be announcing the new dates for it next month. In the meantime, have a great night and sleep well.

xoxo, Angie

JUST BECAUSE...

2009-07-11T18:01:00.007-04:00

Just because I hadn't posted this one here in a while. It's now on my photography blog and it's on my facebook page in black and white. I thought it was only right that I re-posted it here as well. It was a shot that I took back over Spring Break while here in Bonita Springs, FL. This picture reminds me of just how big she is getting each and every day. It's got from a reminder to a confirmation actually. It's so hard to fathom that she will be a 1st grader in one more month. I'm cherishing the time - every second of it. I'm scooping it up by the ladel fulls and capturing every moment I can in photos. Just another "just because." xoxo, Angie

PS...Thought you might like to know that Lou is cooking for us again tonight. It's tacos and cheese enchilada's. Oh and more guacamole dip. Need I say more? And yes, you betcha' bottom dollar that I'll be spying on the ingredients for the dip this time. Bad thing is, I think he's on to me - and my plan to spy. Ha ha! I think I'm banned and black listed from the kitchen. Stay tuned, hopefully more food pictures tomorrow. :)

AUTHENTIC MEXICAN SPREAD

2009-07-11T12:51:00.005-04:00

For whatever reason, whenever we have guests into town while down here in Florida, they always "want" to cook for us. When my Mom was here, she cooked. When my step-mom and my Dad were here, they cooked and grilled out for us - together. When my inlaws, Debbie and Ron were here, they cooked and grilled out together for us. And last night while Lou (Brent's friend), was here...he cooked for us. I'm always amused at how people come on vacation and then want to cook for us. Brent and I always try to detour them from it but they always insist on doing it. Gosh knows I don't cook on a normal day let alone while on vacation. Ha ha! So as you can imagine, Brent, myself, and the kids are always grateful for their cooking considering how we normally wouldn't do it if it were just the four of us.

Last night though, I ate so much of Lou's cooking that I almost needed to check myself into a hospital or better yet into a Rehab center for over eaters. I haven't stuffed myself like that in a looonnngggg time. Ya see...Lou has "Mexican" running through his veins. So when he arrived last Thursday, he was adamant that he would be cooking a meal for us while in town. Again, we tried to assure him that we could hit a great dinner out instead but he was bound and determined to cook. So...we let him. We took him to the local grocery store and found some things. However, they were lacking a few "authentic" Mexican ingredients. Therefore, Brent ultimately took him to a little Mexican grocery store that we knew of here in Bonita. Thankfully, they found the real thing and the main ingredients that he was after. By the time he was done, we had THE BEST guacamole dip I have ever tasted in my entire life. And I am not just saying that because he is Brent's friend and this is my blog. I assure you that it was the best recipe you will ever taste when it comes to guacamole dip. Unfortunately, I didn't watch him make the whole thing. Therefore, I'm unsure of his recipe. And when my facebook friends got a prelude to the pictures and the news last night, he had a fan fair of people wanting the recipe. The emails were rolling in - my FB friends wanted a taste of his "Mexican" cuisine. However, he told me that the recipe was straight from the interior mountains of Mexico. He told Brent and I the story of how a lady he had met gave it to him many, many years ago when he was out in the middle of no where - in the heart of Meh'-hi-co! And in the end, he kept the recipe a secret and wouldn't cough it up. I should have paid more attention because I NEED THAT RECIPE. We had FB friends emailing in telling us to "tell Brent that he needs new friends. Better friends! We want that recipe!!!" It was hysterical. But...yet still...he never gave up the goods. I can assure you all though that I watched him put in a full brick of cream cheese when making it. Apparently this isn't typical. I believe that is part of what made his guacamole dip so creamy and delicious. Brent and I sat there and ate through this HUGE entire bowl of guac dip until the bag of chips were gone. This is a big like serving bowl too by the way. It's not just a "side bowl" of dip. It was massive - I assure you. We were pitiful! Just pitiful!

And as if the guac dip wasn't enough, we still had "dinner" to go. Yeah, the dip was just a prelude to the dinner he was making. And for the dinner, he made chicken flauta's. Oh my GAWSH...heavenly I tell you. Heavenly! I'm not a big meat eater so it is saying something for me to sit down and actually consume any kind of meat - including chicken. Ask my Dad...he cracked up a few weeks ago (when here) after witnessing me sit down to a filet off the grill and immediately alert everyone that the meat smelled like "wet dog." I just couldn't eat it. It truly smelled like a wet dog from outside. Come on you guys...you've been there. I know there has to be someone out there who can relate to the moment when red meat has smelled like cooked wet dog to you, right? Surely I am not the only freak-a-zoid on this planet. I mean I know I'm a nut job but you know you guys are lying if you say you've never thought your red meat smells like wet dog. HA!

With that said, I carefully watched the chicken flauta's being cooked and assembled. I wanted to make sure there weren't any macaroni style veins ending up in my flauta's. Come on peeps, you've seen the macaroni vein I'm speaking of before. They are on chicken legs or drumsticks all the time and boy are they disgusting. But anyway, back to the assembly and cooking...

Check out all of the oil in that pan. And yes, my pans are turquoise. You didn't possibly think I'd pick any other color than turquoise, did you? Hee hee!

These photos are while Lou was deep frying these babies up. Chicken Flauta's - authentic chicken flauta's at that. None of this - Chi Chi's or South of the Border type Chicken flauta's. They were layered on the inside with well seasoned meat, spices, and ingredients that made them so scrumptious and out of this world. Check out their coloring...

When all was said and done, Lou served up these flauta's with heap loads of the guacamole dip and a heaping spoon full of sour cream. Also along with them came a special Mexican red sauce that graced the top of them. (I failed to capture a picture of that though - sorry!)

Once Brent and I finally quit eating, we had to be rolled away from the table. It was bad. Real bad! I've never eaten anything quite so wonderful in all my life. I love Mexican food too so this was beauty at its finest to my tummy and especially to my taste buds. It was great to step away from the Florida surf and turf for just one night and then experience the interior mountains of Mexico - authentic style! And I'm embarrassed to even admit this but I'm going to anyway. Because you know...we keep it real over here on the ol' AGD blog. Truth is...after we rolled ourselves away from the table...we rolled ourselves right on into the car and then rolled right on down the street to the Coconut Point mall for what else? ICE CREAM! Oh my L-A-W-D! Can you believe it? Yes, ice cream on top of all that. Lou said had he known we would have wanted ice cream - he would've made fried ice cream for us. No matter what, we ate ice cream after that huge meal. I told you we were pitiful! Fun thing was though, when we got to Coconut Point, Pagelli's and Hemingway's restaurants were having a huge hoppin' party on the water. There were singers, dancers, Elvis impersonators, etc. It was a great time and a beautiful night. For those of you who are facebook friends of mine, you already got the privilege of seeing pictures from the party last night via my phone. I don't ever post my phone pictures on the blog - just on Facebook. We had a great time. And yes, my cookie dough ice cream from the Marble slab made the night even that much more grand. YUM!

Before I sign off though, you didn't think I'd post all of those pictures of Lou's yummy foodwithout posting a photo of him too, did ya? Here is one of him and Brent. They are great friends. They share a bond like most will never know. To say they have been through a lot together is the understatement of the century.

Our "authentic" Mexican Chef. Ha ha! Love it! (although is was raised in Michigan). Hee hee!

Thanks Lou! We enjoyed every bite of your fabulous creations. As you know, Brennen would like to hire you as his full time chef. HA HA!

Hope everyone is having a superb Saturday! Blessings, Angie

ANOTHA' FAVORITE FIND

2009-07-10T14:42:00.002-04:00

Hi ladies. I thought I'd jump on and share one more new favorite find real quick. This is the last one for now. However, I wanted to make sure I mentioned it. I got a ton of emails from those of you whom either bought the message in a bottle kit, the handbag I featured yesterday, or both...that I figured I "must" share this one too. Ya'll know how much I love me some lotion, right? Well being down here this summer caused me to find a new "favorite" body lotion. Brent loves to stop in the Tommy Bahama store when down here so we made a trip by there a couple of weeks ago. When inside, I stumbled upon this pink pearl filled beauty. It's Tommy Bahama's "South Seas" pearlized body lotion. Ummm yummy! LOVE IT! Not only that but it smells heavenly. It reminds you of a smell straight from the islands. The coolest part though is the pearlized sheen it gives your skin once you apply it. A perfect look for summer tank tops - glistening shoulders. They make two types of this lotion - one is the South Seas and one is called St. Barts. I didn't like the smell of the St. Bart's lotion as much as I liked this one. So...my recommendation is to go with the South Seas flavor. St. Barts is in a white bottle and the South Seas one is in this pretty light pink bottle (shown above). Heavenly goodness...I promise! The downfall to the lotion is the price (it's almost as much for a bottle of this as it was for the handbag I featured yesterday) but your skin will thank you for it. I've been in the sun almost everyday since arriving here back on May 29th. Thanks to this lotion, I've kept from peeling even one time like I normally would have by now. That in itself is saying something. Getcha' some!

Click HERE for a link to it. xoxo, Angie

FAB NEW BAG

2009-07-09T12:28:00.004-04:00

Remember that FAB new handbag I told you that my inlaws got me for my birthday a couple of weeks ago? Well, I promised I'd share it here so I am. Can I tell you how much I just love this ALDO design? I love all of the colors which can be used for summer as well as for the Fall season. I love all of the animal print within it. I love the buckles off the straps. I just love it all. Best of all though, I love the price. Thought you guys might too. If so, getcha' one! They also come in a different color that has some turquoise in it. Very cool!

Thanks Debbie and Ron! This was a fantastic gift for me and soooooo up my alley. It screams "Angie" and I love that part. You guys are too good to me. I love you both so very much!

The colors and the textures in this bag are straight ART! Love that! The theme of the bag is called "Flavors." Flavors it is...many of them actually.

You can find this at the ALDO store or at their online boutique. I promise you that it is even more "ROCKIN" in person. These pictures just do not do it justice. Wait until you see the inside...Oh so fun!

Just another "FAV" of mine for the day. It's been a while since I've shared my fav's so I thought I would partake in that over the past couple of days. For now, I'm off to prep for our next guest. Brent has a dear friend arriving this evening. He'll be staying with us for the next several days. Lots of "guy" time ahead for the two of them. I've heard rumors of a boat rental. Can anyone say "scary?" That is all I need is to be stuck out in the ocean with Big Daddy "Seaman" on a sandbar because we thought the ocean was like the lakes back home in Indy. Yeah, I think I'd rather stay back home here with the snake(s). Yes, I said snake(s). That is plural. That also equals out to 3 snakes in the past 7 days - in case you are counting. We found another one in the driveway this morning. I'm convinced we are living in the flippin' amazon now. No joke! I think they are after me because I backed over their buddy 4 times last week. God help me. I'm destined to end up in jail for animal cruelty because I WILL do it again. Trust me - God is OK with me killing these horrid creatures. Snakes were serpents in the bible, right? "Diablo" as my Dad says. That means "of the devil." That is my story and I'm sticking to it...

Pray for my sanity...wink wink ;) Ang

MESSAGE IN A BOTTLE

2009-07-08T13:15:00.003-04:00

OK...Brent and I found the coolest thing for Brennen and Kenidi the other night. When we were at Barnes & Noble (at the Coconut Point mall here in Bonita Springs), we stumbled upon what is called a "Message in a bottle" kit. Brent and I were looking for books over in the kids section for Brennen and Kenidi. We ultimately found this when perusing that area. Basically, the message in a bottle kit comes with a nice size glass bottle that houses a thick cork top, wax to seal the bottle & keep it water tight once you are done placing everything inside, a voyager map of the world's waterways, a record log which goes inside it, and a waterproof pen/marker to record everything which also goes inside it. There is also a nice ocean adventure book that comes with the kit which teaches you about water currents and other things pertaining to your bottle's voyage.

The gist to the kit is that you initially start out by naming your bottle. Then, you go to http://www.wheresmybottle.com/ and register your bottle. You have your child(ren) record all of the launching information in the log book. You write a message to whomever might find the bottle and record your location on the map on the back of the log book. You can also include a photo but make sure not to include anything personal about your child or family. You replace the logbook, message, waterproof pen, etc. all back in the bottle. It suggests decorating your bottle so that it can easily be seen in the water. And finally, you properly seal the bottle and then let it go in the ocean.

Once someone discovers your bottle, they then have instructions that tell them to go back to http://www.wheresmybottle.com/ and record where they found it at. They can then remove all of your items and do the same thing with their own family. The fun to the project is seeing where all your bottle has been in the world. You track its progress by frequenting that website to see where it has been. How fun, eh? This would make a great gift for kids - especially if you knew that they were taking a vacation sometime soon near an ocean. For $19.99, you just can't beat it. It's something totally different and out of the box. Brent and I plan to make this a family project one evening while we are here. I'll definitely get photos of the event and especially when we go to release it into the sea. What great fun!

I just had to share this new favorite find with you all. Hope you like it and can locate one for your own family should you desire. Hugs, Angie

POOL FUN

2009-07-05T23:27:00.006-04:00

I played around with some photoshop actions (tints over your photos basically) for a few hours this weekend. Of course I still have NO IDEA what I'm doing when it comes to 3/4 of that program but I'm bound and determined to not let it kick my butt. It's on like donkey kong now. I like a clear, crisp, image most times so I don't really enjoy using much of what photoshop has to offer. It's still fun to switch things up here and there somewhat though I guess. What did we do without photoshop before anyhow? Well, we took shots straight out of the camera and made sure we were getting good enough shots that we didn't have to worry about altering them in a program somewhere. I remember being back in my college photography courses way back when and praying in the dark room that a shot would turn out. Just P-R-A-Y-I-N-G! Back in the day, we snapped the shot and you'd better hope it was a decent/good one because film cost time and money back then. Today - in the world of digital and photoshop - no such thing. I will say that it is still fun to be able to change an image up just a tad when you want to though. I just never want to get into the habit of using photoshop on every single image I ever take let alone even the majority. I want the bare bones, the clean, crisp, original image that focuses on the subject at hand and not the textures, actions, etc. of photoshops details. I know some photographers love to doll up their images with everything photoshop. And that is great. Their work makes me swoon and I love it all. They are stunning and beautiful images - forces to be reckoned with. However, I'm after the original image - the clean and crisp shot. Give me color, give me sharp and give me crystal clear and then I'm just peachy when it comes to an image.

While playing this weekend, I took some shots of Brent and the kids in the pool. Of course Brent wouldn't let me post the REAL behind the scenes shots I got of him goofing around and acting silly in front of my camera. Trust me though - I have them stored for safe keeping should I need them for blackmail one day. HA! Kenidi's eyes really stood out to me in a lot of these pictures because she was up against this brilliant blue water in the pool. Therefore, I had fun playing up her eyes. Maybe a little too much. Ha ha! Again, still learning...

Love this girl. Love her look. Love her smile. And I definitely love those eyes...

And above...we have Zsa Zsa Gabore...hee hee!

These eyelashes are to die for. Where the girl inherited her hair and her lashes from, I have no idea. She has no idea just how blessed she is yet.

I love this picture of Kenidi and Brent above. They were blowing bubbles in the water - nose to nose - with one another. Great daddy/daughter moment.

And here is Daddy - playing down his silliness - just so I could get a snapshot of him for the blog. Here he is Joe Cool - in the others previous to this shot - he was my best friend playing in front of a camera and being all out goofy. Loved it! No worries babe...your secrets are safe with me. I've got plenty of pictures to prove it. Ha ha! I love how Brent turns red in the sun. Poor guy - the rest of us just frolic in the sunshine basking in the heat and the rays but he has to lather up, hide under an umbrella, and still pray that the sun doesn't reach his skin. Somehow it always does though - no matter what he does to prevent it.

And last, as Brennen is yelling at me to not put this on the blog, I'm putting it on the blog anyway. HA! He is turning into a mini me and really detests being in front of a camera. Especially because he has little girls from his class that read this blog. Hi girls! :) Anywho, loved this impromptu picture of him and Kenidi giving one another a "muah." A muah in our house is a kiss of course. Kenidi established that code word for us a couple of years ago and it has stuck ever since. (It's the sound you make when you give someone a kiss) She couldn't say "kiss" back then so she says what sounds more like "Muh" today. It's so stinking cute.

We are headed out the door to run some errands for now. I'll check back in tomorrow as usual. PS...I hear Indy has sunshine there today. YYAAAAYYYY! Muah, Angie

IT'S A SCORCHER - AND I LOVE IT!

2009-07-05T13:07:00.004-04:00

Well, it's so hot here in sunny Florida that we might just have to break down and call the fire department. Really! All of my Indiana friends wrote last night via email, texts, or facebook to let us know that the firework shows got rained out there in ol' Indy. I can't say that I'm shocked. I can say however...that I'm so glad I'm not there right now. There are experiencing 20-25 degree temp differences there compared to what we are seeing in Southwest Florida each day. (90's and above) Today is expected to be 92 degrees. Thank goodness for the pool and the sea. I'm not real fond of heat without water. ;)

Speaking of fireworks, we hope everyone - no matter what state you reside in - had a fabulous 4th of July celebration last night. We spent last night in Naples near the pier and their firework display. Afterwards, we came home and let Brennen and Kenidi let off fireworks in the driveway. Needless to say, I kept a watch for snakes - ready to burn each one to the stake with a sparkler should it cross my path while out there. Ha ha! Oh and as for my snake that I ran over 4 times the other day, he is nothing but a spine now. Yeap, something came along and ate him the first night and the only thing left is his back bone as of this moment. (Which of course was crunched in 4 different places with the help of my truck tires) Don't you just love how the ecosystem/food chain works???

Anywho, thank you to all of the men and women fighting on an hour by hour basis for our freedom in this country. I am so very proud to be an America. Hoping you are all having a great Sunday. Enjoy what is left of the weekend and be safe.

PS...Should any of you try to reach me via my photography site email, you might find that it isn't getting to me. My web gal is in the process of transferring everything over to the new website and until that is done, my Angie@AngieSeamanPhotography.com email isn't working properly. Therefore, if you are in class with me right now or trying to reach me about photography sessions, please contact me at my AGD email of Angie@AngelicaGraceDesigns.com. Thanks so much for your patience and understanding as we prepare for the new websites launch. Much love, Angie

MR. STUD-LY!

2009-07-03T13:17:00.005-04:00

Meet Mr. Stud-ly. We found him on a street corner in an old gas station parking lot in Naples. If I only could have this same car in turquoise. I'd be in head over heals in love. And not even necessarily to drive but to use as a prop. Ha ha! I loved the look of this one and suddenly had visions of bringing Brennen back to pose on top of it with a skateboard in hand or something. Don't know why - just did.

Notice how the side of it reads "Truly Nolen?" Well Truly Nolen is a major "pest control" company down here in Southwest Florida. The owner places old cars such as this one all around town on different street corners with his business name down the side of it. You can't think of pest control in Florida without thinking of Truly Nolen. The owner has done a phenomenal job of marketing his company. His actual service cars...they are even better. All of his service vans, trucks, and little VW bug cars all have big mice ears and long black tails custom made to stick up and off each car. They are also bright yellow in color. What a hoot! Again, you know when you've got a pest problem, to call Truly Nolen. Their name comes to mind first and foremost. I'm still half tempted to make a call to the owner and ask him if we can have permission to use a car or two of his in a photo shoot while down here this summer. What fun!

It's now 7:20pm and we are off to dinner. We've had quite the eventful day here in Florida and I'm ready to relax at this point. We've seen two snakes in less then 24 hours outside the house. The 2nd one is now dead. Yes, I ran over it four different times with the truck before the thing finally died. And when it did die, it blew out and popped like something was exploding. In fact, it was so loud that Brennen actually panicked and thought that the snake bit our tire and popped the tire. Hilarious! Now...all of you animal activists...please refrain from emailing me and telling me that there are only 6 venomous species of snakes in Florida and that I should never kill an animal. I know that already. Really, I do. However, I don't care whether it was venomous or not. It's life span was up according to me. With two young children who play out in the driveway, I refuse to take any chances. That first snake is lucky he got away yesterday before my truck tires made permanent skid marks across his back. And oh yeah...I know they are here to help eat the rats and mice in Florida. I've seen three rats outdoors already this trip and although I don't like them either, I'd rather have rats then snakes. So...even though the neighbors now probably think I'm a crazed lunatic after they watched me back up, turn around, and run over a snake 4 different times until it was dead, I feel better. And that is all that matters, right? I'll probably have the police show up at my door or something for killing the thing because it will be my luck that it's against the law or something here. In the end though, they can put me in a jail cell and throw away the key. Snakes are just not allowed within a 100 mile radius of me or my kids. P-E-R-I-O-D! With Kenidi's special needs, she would walk right up to a snake and not know any different. By the time I could get to her in a situation like that, it would be too late. So...4 times, 16 times, 52 times..however many times it takes to run over it and kill it - I'll do it.

Although Brennen got a huge kick out of it as he hung out the passenger side window and directed me which way to drive to ensure I was running over him with the tires, the whole event really stressed me out. This particular snake was about 6 feet long, red, and all out gross. The thump was large enough each time we ran over him that it made me that much sicker with each pass I made. Ewwww....!!! In the event that you should need a snake killer, I'm your girl.

Happy 4th of July! Celebrate safely! I'll be dodging snakes no doubt. :) Hugs, Angie

JUST BECAUSE...

2009-07-02T20:14:00.004-04:00

Just because...

Just because I love her ever famous look of concentration as shown above. People who know her well - know this look - these flaired lips. This is Kenidi. And tonight...after all of her voluntary hugs and kisses this evening, I just want to gobble her up. :0)

And as for Brennen, I want to gobble him up tonight too. However, I'm not able to shoot photos of him for about a week. He came in the other day 2 seconds away from tears. I sent him for a hair cut with his Dad and Papa Ron. The normal salon they typically go to down here was closed. Therefore, they ended up at a real barber shop. A real barber shop with a 119 year old barber who cut his hair as though he was preparing to send him to Iraq. He came home with a military cut - literally a flat top of sorts. It was awful. I'll admit it. Like him, I was 2 seconds from crying when I saw it as well. He was crushed. As was I. In the end though, it's just hair. It will grow back - in like 2 weeks even. With the help of the sun, salt water, and chlorine...his hair should be as good as new real soon. Needless to say, he will never go back to that barber shop again. I can't say that I blame him.

Much love, Angie

I'M HERE - I'M HERE!

2009-07-01T20:50:00.011-04:00

Ever have one of those days in life where it feels like it just goes on and on FOREVAH? Kind of like the rows on a white picket fence? Well, I had one of those days yesterday and the day before. Many of you probably read about it on facebook. Therefore, I'm not going there again here. The good news is...all is well now. Therefore, I am finally catching up on some blogging. I got some emails yesterday and today reminding me that I had forgotten to blog. Ha ha! I didn't forget you guys...never would I forget about you. :)

The above home is one of my favorite houses here in Naples. Their backyard is the sea. Yes, it sits right on the ocean. Can you imagine their views every day and night? Simply gorgeous! Now, if it just didn't have a $15-$20 million dollar price tag...ha ha! Brent and I love mediterranean style homes and this one really caught our eye. It's still under construction at the moment. I wish I could get a tour...

And how about these big boy yachts? One of these would be nice to park out back of that house, right? Hee hee!

We hit the Naples city dock and checked out some of the boats they had lined up there. Here is Brent (shown below) carrying some of my photography gear. He makes for a really awesome "assistant" and "driver." :) Love you babe!

I took this shot below for Brennen. He loves anything to do with police and firemen. This boat appears to be the property of the Naples police.

These are some luxury homes/condos over near a marina in the Naples area. They have little shops/boutiques that line underneath them on the bottom floor. They also have a great little cabana bar too that overlooks the bay. Very cool spot! I love their coloring and thought they would make for some great shots.

The above and below shots were taken back in a Naples neighborhood called Pelican Bay. I love the entrance with all their palm trees so Brent stopped and let me grab some quick shots.

There is your little picture tour of some fun areas here in Naples. I'm actually signing off so that I can go and close the garage door now. Brennen found a snake in the drive way moments ago and I'm scared it will end up in the garage. Not fun! Ewwwww....!!! Thanks for being patient with my delays in posting over the past day or two. See you later tator!

xoxoxo, Angie

THE NAPLES PIER & THEN SOME...

2009-06-30T09:56:00.003-04:00

When Brent and I had our date day on Sunday, we hit the Naples pier and did some sight seeing. Any boy were there some sights. I love Naples but I love the beach in Bonita much more. Sunday just confirmed that. Ha ha! Bonita Beach has pristine beach areas with very clean views. Naples has very upscale homes and exquisite shopping but boy does their beach get a tad bit, well ummmm...let's just use the word "crazy." Especially by the pier. Ha ha! We'll just leave it at that.

While enjoying our time there, I snapped some of these shots. I apologize for any individuals that ended up in my pictures with just a bathing suit on. Word of advice to the ladies, unless you are laying down in the sand or at a pool catching some rays, put a cover up on when you get up to walk around. Especially when walking down a pier. I've never understood the reasoning behind why girls and women walk the streets or similar areas near beaches & pools half dressed. (i.e., no top over their bathing suit on their chest, no bottoms over their bottoms, etc.) God invented designers of cover ups so that we'd wear them. Don't walk around with your chest hanging out and then question why guys are such dogs when it comes to them staring at you with their tongues hanging out. Poor guys, as women half dressed, we leave the guys nothing else left to look at. How can they help from staring when that is all there is in their sight? I'm a female and couldn't look any which way without seemingly landing on some women's chest because they were just e-v-e-r-y-w-h-e-r-e! Brent and I got such a kick out of the sights and the total disregard for lack of clothes. There were so many young teenage girls getting pawed over and it was incredibly sad. I also saw so many women my age or older though who were apparently getting a kick out of the pawing. They too were half dressed. Wear those cover ups, sarongs with a cute tee, etc., when you are up walking around sista's! There is nothing attractive, classy, or lady like about walking down the street or a crowded pier in a bathing suit with nothing covering you. In my opinion, we are somebodies daughter. Therefore, we should act like it. Wouldn't we want that for our own daughters? Just my two cents!

I had to step around all of the individuals hanging out underneath this pier in order to get this shot above. Again I say just a wee bit "crazy."

The clouds were my "besties" on this day. They were amazing. Love what some cool clouds and a wide angle lens can do for an image. Good stuff! Makes my heart skip a beat. A few beats actually.

If you look really closely in the shot above, you can see a dolphin swimming along in the water. He is right above the G and the R in the word photography. He was just as fun as he could be.

This is a shot of the pier that I stood back and waited FOREVAH to get so that I could shoot around all the half dressed women coming at me head on with their ta ta's hanging out. I'll say it again...cover ups ladies, cover ups. They are a GOOD thang'! No one wants your boobies in their vacation pictures. Wink wink! ;)

So there you have it, the Naples pier - minus the ta ta's. HA! I should have just used a mega-phone and stopped everyone by going..."Everybody listen up...I'm trying to take some pictures here but I can't because of your lack of clothing. I've got a blog to run and cannot post pictures of your hooters on my blog because I have sweet, sweet, young girls as some of my readers and they don't deserve to see all that - all of you. This is a PG rated blog - not triple XXX. Everybody get some clothes on - PRONTO - so that I can snap some shots without feeling like I'm snapping pictures of your boobs or your heiney being so prevalently revealed. Understood? Oh...and stop walking so slow or deliberately stopping in front of my camera lens as if you WANT me to get a shot of your hooters. If you are in need of attention, I'm not the one to give it to you. Neither is BIG PAPA (a.k.a. my camera)!!!

It's a done deal. Next time we head to the Naples pier, I'm packing a megaphone. :O) Happy Tuesday friends! xoxoxo, Angie

BRENT'S NEW LOVE

2009-06-29T09:25:00.007-04:00

Brent has found a new honey. Someone that makes his heart swoon and his palms sweat. He's found someone that makes his heart race and his feet go numb. He's found his love. He found "Lola." Let me introduce you to her...

Yeap, this yellow and oh so stunning vehicle is his new love. It's an Aston Martin. For those of you who haven't frequented our blog for very long, you won't understand the joke to this car lot. See, Brent and I peruse this lot together each time we are in town. Sometimes it's a late night jaunt down there on a warm Florida night, other times it's during the day such as the trip with camera lights blaring. Last May, this same lot helped me make my decision on my new car. It all started there. This year, Brent is in store for a new vehicle soon. He's trying to decide whether to go for an SUV again or a car this time. Needless to say, when he saw "Lola," I think his little heart had made a decision. At a $280,000 sticker price though, I think his wallet begged to differ. Ha ha!

One of the other reasons why I love Bonita Springs and Naples is for this reason right here. I love to see the amount of "rare" (or rare considering we don't see this stuff rolling around Indy much) cars that line the streets here like candy. Eye candy! I'm not a big car girl but I can appreciate a nice ride. And these vehicles are nothing short of a nice ride. The car key alone for this Aston Martin is $2000. Yes, you read that right...$2,000.00. The key is laced in sapphires and is truly just there as a "hey, let me show you my key" kind of detail. Most people spending this much money on a vehicle have more dollars then cents. And in Bonita, that equals out to be just about every 35-60 year old man at each intersection. Brent just recently turned 35. Enough said. :o)

I do have to say...he does wear it well...Wouldn't you agree? I was holding on for dear life down in a ditch while trying to get this shot of him below. As I was whining about how to do it, Brent says to me..."Do your job...this is what photographers do!" HA!

And oh yeah...I was down on the ground in a skirt mind you - getting these shots. Thank goodness the dealership was closed. I didn't care about all of the other hundreds of cars passing by on U.S. 41/Tamiami Trail behind me. Ha ha! They were all going just fast enough that it didn't matter. Never saw a thing. They might have suspected that they did, but I assure you that they didn't. HA!

There is that handsome stud of mine. Like his new shades? Those were a Father's Day gift from the kids and I for him. He wears those well too. Yeah, yeah, yeah...Mama is trying to rub her sun glass fetish off on Daddy now too. Big deal! Guys need a few really good pair of shades just like we girls do. :o)

Beings that we frequent this dealership a ton...this day was no different. However it was a blast this time because I had my camera with me again and could snap Brent in action.

Action, "what action" you ask? Well, take this moment for example...

He tried telling me that he thought that this silver Bentley "might make a good family car." Note...it is only two doors. Ha ha!

Then...how about the persuasion that came with this one below...???? This Ferrari. "Look Ang...you can see the engine via glass on the back of the trunk lid. Now that is cool, right?" Oh yes, very cool babe! Very, very, cool!

Brent: "Oh but what about this one (shown above and below) babe...?? It has 4 doors - it would DEFINITELY make a good family car."

ME: "Oh really, what is the cost on this one b-a-b-e?"

Brent: "Here is the sticker. Let's just get a picture of it why don't we? Ha ha!"

ME: "Why? What does it say? It can't be any worse then $280,000 for the Aston Martin. (a.k.a - Lola)

ME: "WHHAAATTTT? That is the price of someones house rolling down the road!" What in the world? $440,050.00 - That is just pure craziness my friends. Pure craziness. Someone is smoking some heavy wacky weed if they are buying a $440,050.00 vehicle. And don't you just love the and 050.00? Like yeah, $440,000 and $50 dollars. What is the $50 for? Why bother? Let's just round it up to a mere $441,000.00 shall we?

At the end of the day, we got in some good laughs. Brent and I spent the day out shooting - well I was shooting - he was my get-a-way driver. We had lunch and walked the Naples pier together. All the while I was snapping shots with my camera. I'll be sharing more of those shots tomorrow. It was a beautiful "date day" and I'm so thankful that my in laws offered to stay behind with the kids so that we could go enjoy ourselves for the afternoon. We hit the marina's, tin city, some residential areas, stopped to snap some old cars on top of the new ones you see above, and so forth. It was great fun! Brent has really taken an interest in the photography world with me and it's a ton of fun to have him there by my side while doing what I love to do. I'll leave you with some more random shots surrounding the cars before I sign off. First up, Mamasita's choice...ummm...yes me. The Maserati. With a smidge of tinted windows on this car and some different wheels, we'd be stylin'! :) Enjoy...

And some other Bentley colors...

Good times~good times! Thanks for an incredibly awesome date day babe! I had a blast! Love you, Ang

For now I am off to plug in and take a new photography class online for two hours today. It starts at 12:30pm and runs thru 2:30pm. It's my first ever online and live class. (I'm taking the course - not teaching it this time) I've got headphones and a mic all ready to go. Should be interesting beings that I have never participated in this type set up before. Wish me luck. Especially considering the other classmates in regards to the two crazy kids I have roaming in the background. Thank God for mute buttons, eh? Ha ha! Enjoy your Monday. Talk tomorrow...Ang

THANK YOU!

2009-06-28T10:35:00.005-04:00

Just wanted to take a sec to pop on here and say thanks for all of my birthday wishes yesterday. The emails and facebook messages just continued to pour in and still are even this morning. I am so blessed by all of your friendships. It really made my day to receive all of your notes and blessings yesterday. I was able to spend my birthday in my favorite place again this year - near the sea. And for that...I am so thankful. It was a beautiful day and I thoroughly enjoyed every minute of it.

We spent the day driving into Naples and doing some fun shopping. Then, we hit Dillard's and perused their store as well. After that, I was taken back home and surprised with a cake by my in laws as well as Brent and the kids. Brennen had picked the cake out and I just loved the design. It was a cake done with icing in the shape of starfish, shells, etc. Brennen was so excited for me to see it. He said it would fit me perfectly and it did. We devoured the cake and the ice cream and then went back out the door for more shopping. Brent, myself, and my father in law, Ron, went out and about shopping again only to discover that the store we were after was closed for the evening. Deb stayed behind with the kiddo's (thanks Debbie!). We eventually hit Barnes and Noble on our way home and I finished off my birthday just perfectly....by walking out of the store with a stack of new photography and beach books in hand. Ha ha! Brent and I had a ball meandering thru the bookstore and it was just the perfect end to a perfect day.

And now...Brent and I are headed out the door for a bit of "shooting." Yes, he is going to be my handsome get-a-way driver as I hop in and out of the vehicle finding things to "shoot" (with my camera of course) all throughout downtown Naples, Tin City, the marina's, the pier, etc. He has been offering to do this for me for a while now and we are finally going to spend the day doing it. I can't wait to see what kind of shots of different architecture and such we come up with. This is going to be "my kind of day." After that, it's back to the pool/beach for a bit of Florida sun and R&R. Life is grand! Now if I could just get Brent off the subject of moving here full time, we'd be good. HA! I'm sure this photography shoot has a hidden agenda in his eyes. If he had his way, this shoot would be his plan to get out and about driving around town - scoping out the perfect area to live. He even went so far as to tell his Mom and step-Dad (as we passed the Naples Hospital yesterday) that "it was the place where our 3rd child was going to be born." We all busted out laughing and just cracked up. Gotta' love that guy!

Enjoy your Sunday. Hugs, Angie

PS...Crystal got my new blog design up yesterday. If you'd like to see it, you can click HERE. The new photography website will be through showit sites and it hasn't gone live just yet but it's getting really close. Once it does go live, I'll be sure to share it here with all of you. Crystal has done an amazing job and I'm so excited to launch the brand new site. I'm still trying to get all of my images pulled together for the gallery and therefore that will probably take another week or two. Again, we are close. Stay tuned!

SNEAK PEEKS

2009-06-27T12:04:00.002-04:00

Just wanted to get on here and post a couple of sneak peek shots real quick for ya. These are two new AGD designs that are being introduced as part of the Fall o9' collection. I hope to get the full sets photographed and ready for production in the next week or so. Once I do, I'll post the new images of them here as usual. It's been a while since I've last designed anything new. Therefore, I know you ladies are itchin' for some new goods. The Fall collection is sure to be a hit. Very hippy - very vintage - very 70's - very "let's throw down the peace sign" kinda' look. Ha ha! Just my kind of style. LOVE it!

I also just wanted to torture you all a bit with the "only get to see a square patch of the whole outfit" kinda' photo because I know how much you all just L-O-V-E the sneak peek shots, right? Ha ha! Can you tell it's my birthday today and I'm just being as ornery as all get out? Oh you know it! Yes, I'm celebrating the big 3-4 today. This year is a bit depressing given all of the recent medical issues - it just confirms that life is progressing and I'm aging. (even though my Dad did call this morning and reminded me that my heart problems have nothing to do with my aging) Ha ha! Thanks Dad! I can always count on you for a pep talk!

So for now...we are headed out the door to downtown Naples. We are hitting 5th avenue South for a bit of lunch outside today and maybe a big, fat, chocolate souffle ala mode' to top off the celebration. Then, its a wee bit of "birfday" shopping to help smother the depression of turning the big 3-4. I got my incredibly awesome birthday gift a month early from Brent and the kids this year so not a ton of shopping today. Just enough to call it a "gift to myself" kinda' day. Ya know? My parents gave me their gift last month as well before I ever left for Florida. Mom gave me her gifts when she was here with us a couple of weeks ago. And my mother and father in law gave me their birthday gift on Thursday as soon as they arrived. I'll be posting photos of that one soon. They got me the most kickin' handbag EVAH! I love it! You ladies must see it in case you want to go get one for yourselves. All of you animal print lovers will definitely go into convulsions over it. Such a cool bag! Thanks Deb & Ron!

In the meantime, enjoy your weekend and get outside. Summer is here my friends. This is the time of our lives. It's what we waited all winter long for. xoxoxo, Angie (a.k.a. The "birfday" girl!)

PS...Thank you so much to all of you who are pouring in the birthday wishes to me on facebook today. My cell is dinging like crazy as each one of you leave your birthday messages today. It sure does make this 34 year old girl feel good! :)

EVERGLADES - PART 2

2009-06-26T09:20:00.003-04:00

Here are some more photos from that 2nd Everglades airboat ride the other day. We took my Dad and Cath back so that they could experience what we kept telling them about. It was a hoot! We requested the same captain again so it was nice that we got the same one. Meet Captain Ken, Brent, Brennen, and my Dad. WHEW! That Florida sun was sooooo bright for being so early in the morning.

And below...you have crazy haired Kenidi with my Step-Mom Cathy (I call her Cath) and the B-Ster! (a.k.a. Brennen) I'm unsure why Kenidi's hair looks like she stuck her finger in a light socket here. This was before the ride - not after.

I snapped this shot below of another fellow boat passing by with some people we didn't know on it. I'm not lying when I say that these boats go pretty dang fast. They do all kinds of donuts and spins, turns, etc. You feel like you are on a roller coaster ride at certain points. Way fun! Just imagine what it might feel like for a boat to be on "ice." For those of you who aren't Midwesterners, you might not know what driving on ice feels like. Well, either way - that is what you feel like - like the boat is scooting across ice. It's really crazy.

And here was our captain again (Capt. Ken), feeding the alligators. We saw three of this particular trip.

CHOMP...CHOMP!!!

At the end of the ride, we got to head into a gift shop where they let Brennen hold a live alligator. He got a good kick out of that! They said this one was approximately two years old. He seemed awful small to me for 2 years old. Anywho...

Check out Brennen's hair (by the way) in the shot above. It is all wind blown from the boat and standing straight up on end. Halarious!

And here you have a blue crab. The captain catches these and fries those bad boys up. He showed us their teeth which are technically hidden and all of thier crazy parts and details. Did you know that you can tell a boy crab from a girl crab in similar ways to that of how we tell human boys and girls? Yeap, pretty crazy eh? Quite the visual...I know!

It was another great boat trip to say the least. We are now buckled down on this Friday morning and watching old Michael Jackson video's play out in marathon form on MTV. I think it's the first time I've seen video's on MTV in like 15 years. Maybe they should take the hint and go back to video's instead of all those stupid reality tv shows that they play back to back and non-stop now. UGH! Anywho, as strange as Michael was in the last 15 years, you can't take away the talent that the man had. As I watch these old video's and songs, I am propelled back to my childhood 10 fold. What incredible memories Michael helped make in many of our lives. And no matter what anyone says, he is one of the few artists that when his music came on somewhere in public, EVERYONE began to move. You just couldn't help it. And if you were a child of the 80's, you REALLY couldn't help it. 50 years old is really young. It's very, very sad! Do I think Michael had problems? Yes. Many! Do I think that he was a strange dude? Yes, very much so. But the Michael we all knew back in the 80's is the one I'm choosing to remember today as they begin celebrating his life. And the funny thing is, my son is now sitting here in front of the tv mesmerized by his video's and his songs even though he barely knows anything about him. Again, you just can't help but be sucked in by his amazing talents. My CG girls and I have a thing for the song "PYT." Just last year during our girls lake trip, we partied it up Michael Jackson style with his songs on the boat. I have several photos of a few of my girlfriends dancing it up "Thrilla" style to his old song Thriller. Good times~Good times! He will be missed!xoxo, Angie

PS...My favorite Michael Jackson video of all time...??? That would be the song "The way you make me feel." Yeap, if you go back to you tube or somewhere and watch that old video, you'll remember how much it ROCKED! And my favorite song of MJ's...that would be "Man in the mirror." Best ever! What was your favorite MJ song or video?

WORDLESS WEDNESDAY

2009-06-24T18:46:00.001-04:00

FOR THE LOVE OF PELICANS

2009-06-23T21:27:00.006-04:00

Because I had so many pelican shots after our 2nd airboat ride with my parents last weekend, I thought I'd make a post just for the pelicans themselves. I took my 18-55mm lens with me on the 2nd trip beings that I knew I'd get some up close and personal opportunities again. With that lens, I was able to get much closer to the animals and the gators. Gator shots to come. For now, the pelicans reign. :)

These birds crack me up. They are so ugly that they are cute! I love how they LOVE my camera. They are always poking around at the very end of my lens like "hey...what's that?" Hysterical stuff. They are a bit intimidating at first because they get so close to your face. You almost feel as though they are ready to peck your nose off or something. Lord knows I could stand to loose a few inches off my nose but I think I'd rather not have it be taken off in that fashion. In the end though, these birds just want to hang out. Oh yeah...and they want some food too.

Our boat captain taught us some things about these guys on the 2nd trip around. I learned that the lighter their eyes are, the older the pelican is. He said that as they age, their eyes lighten up. The darker they are, the younger they are. And as they age, they begin to go blind from hitting the water so hard as they dive face first for fish into the ocean. He said that once they begin to loose sight, most times mother nature (a.k.a. - the alligator's) keep them from having to suffer long. Basically the food chain takes over and as they go blind and start goofing up and making mistakes, the gators eventually get them. So sad!

The captain also said that a pelican usually lives around 14 years or so. Doesn't seem like very long, does it?

My favorite part about them is how they are so trusting of people as well as how they soar and hover in the air. We were on our way back from Captiva Island tonight and as we cut thru Sanibel, there were tons of pelicans flying low above our car on the bridge. They are so graceful in how they are able to hover over one area. They also fly right along side your vehicle as you are going over the bridge - almost like they are in a race to keep up with you and your car windows. It's really neat to watch.

The hook like thing at the end of their beak and their wing span alone is a force to be reckoned with. They really are such amazing birds.

So there you have it. An educational bit of background on the pelicans in Southwest Florida. There will be a quiz on all of this tomorrow. Take notes! :) Just kidding.

Well, we are winding down for the night. It's 9:50pm and we are just coming in from a grand dinner at the Bubble Room restaurant on Captiva Island. Love that place! I have dreams about their bubble cheese bread. Oh yes I do. Dreams, lots of them! For a perk, we brought home their chocolate fudge cake for dessert. I haven't eaten it yet but you better bet your bottom dollar I will. Maybe for a midnight snack or breakfast in the morning. Uh huh...I said breakfast. Come on...you know you are all guilty of chocolate consumption for breakfast from time to time. Don't act all innocent and whollier than thou regarding that topic. I know better my sista's!

My parents fly back to Indy in the morning so we are fixing to miss them. It's been great having them here over the past week. They fly back down at the end of July again too so we are looking forward to having them back here then as well. Brent's Mom and Ron fly in on Thursday so we are gearing up for Grandma Debbie and Papa Ron's arrival now. So fun! It's great that our friends and family come in and out to keep us company all summer long. We'd really get bored without them. Really, we would.

For now, I'm signing off. I'll be back tomorrow night with more pictures. Maybe I'll share the gator shots from trip #2 to the Everglades...

Hugs, Angie

MY NEW FAV...

2009-06-22T17:44:00.007-04:00

This is my new favorite photo of the trip thus far. (above) I've been practicing with silhouette shots while here and this is a recent one I took on the beach the night before last. We went to watch the sunset on the night of the birthday celebrations and I grabbed this one at the end of the evening. To me, it sums up the beach. It sums up Naples/Bonita at night. I love this place. Just love it. Brent keeps telling my Dad that we are moving here. He continues to try and make my Dad and Cathy squirm about the subject because he knows they are nervous that we will one day move here. He also keeps asking me..."Angie, are you sure you don't want to move here?" Of course my answer is always "Y-E-S! I'm sure!" Ha ha! We go through this same conversation every single time we are here. And I do mean, every single time! Even with as much as we love it here, it will never be home for me. Not for many, many, years at least. Until then, it will remain our home away from home.

We are staying in tonight and grilling out steaks with my parents. We spent a long afternoon by the pool and all of us are crispy & spent. Father's Day was a blast as well as beautiful. It was great to spend the day with Brent and my Dad down here in Florida. I loved having them both here together. We spent the day shopping (My Dad enjoys shopping - Love that!) and enjoying Coconut Point mall and then had Italian for dinner last night. Overall, it was just a great day in the neighborhood. Wink Wink! ;o)

Hopefully all of you are enjoying your Monday evening and your Father's Day with your Daddies was an enjoyable one. I'll be back tomorrow with more photos. I took like 188 pictures yesterday alone so I have a ton to weed through. Oh...and one last thing...the photography class is...

Actually it sold out about 5 people ago but I keep forgetting to have my web gal shut down the link. So, just as an FYI, it officially sold out a few days ago. Thank you to all of you who signed up. I know it is going to be a blast and I'm so looking forward to it. If you signed up, you will receive the private link to the class forum on June 31st. Once you get your link from me, go in and sign up on the forum. Once you sign in and register on the forum, you'll be confirmed as a class participant and we will proceed from there. Class will officially begin on July 1st. I know many of you are counting down the days as am I. Fun times~fun times!

Until tomorrow...Angie

SLACKIN'

2009-06-20T18:25:00.008-04:00

Hi all. I'm slackin'! I know. So sorry for the blog delay. We've just been having way too much fun over the past couple of days here in Florida-tucky. As you all know, my Dad and Cathy arrived on Wednesday evening. We've been enjoying their company and chillaxin' with them. Our internet service was down all night Friday night until about 1am this morning. Therefore, I didn't have any way of updating the blog even if I wanted to. I did want to pop on real quick and share some simple shots with you from our fishing excursion the other night. As you know from last year, Brennen begged my parents to take him fishing when they were here last year. Brent and I aren't big fishing people but my Dad and Cath do fish when they are down here each time. Last year we made it a family affair and you can see the photos from that trip by clicking HERE & HERE. It's amazing to look back on those images from a year ago and see how much Brennen has changed and grown since then.

With that said, we went back and did some fishing again the other night. We almost didn't make it there because I about side swiped a Ft. Myers Beach cop car on the way to the bait shop because he was in my blind spot. The officer got really mad at me, honked his horn, threw on his lights, and immediately pulled me over. I knew I was doomed. The cop got out, came running up to my window, and began to let me have it. I "changed his state" by automatically letting him know how sorry I was and that it was totally all my fault. He was so ticked off that he never even asked for my drivers license or registration. He just kept wiping the sweat off his forehead as he continutally told me that I could've hurt somebody. As we pulled away, my Dad was laughing and said that it was a good thing I didn't drink. I couldn't help but crack up. In my defense, the lane was a funky merge lane and he came up from behind me out of no where. By the time I saw him, he was in my blind spot and I almost climbed on top of his car with my vehicle. I scared him to death. If he would've ever calmed down, I might have asked for his picture. HA! I just had to share this with all of you because I know you can appreciate my "getting pulled over" stories. In case you don't, HERE is a refresher. Oh yeah, and HERE is anotha'!

In the end, I begged for forgiveness (not really) and changed the "police officers state" enough which thankfully lead to a ticket free traffic stop. He let me go - never even checking my background or license. I could've been a fugitive on the run for all he knew. We eventually got to the bait shop unscathed and ultimately met a very nice man in there who began asking me questions about my camera. He apparently wants to buy his wife a DSLR and had all kinds of questions about them. We talked and he got choked up as he told me about his son getting married on the beach last week down here. What a sweet man. Before we left, he let Brennen get his own bait with his bare hands which thrilled Brennen beyond belief. It made this Mama a bit sick to her stomach though. (especially as he climbed back into the car with those shrimp smelling hands) Hee hee~! :)

We go fishing at the Moss Marina over in Ft. Myers Beach. My Dad's friend from Indiana (Hi Homer!) keeps his boats there at Moss Marina and therefore, they know him and my parents really well there. You aren't allowed to fish off the docks there but they let us because my Dad has connections. Ha ha! I detested my Dad's resources and connections back as a teen (he'd find out everything I didn't want him to) but now I value them. Ha ha!

Here are just a few random shots from the docks at the marina before the storm rolled in that evening. Below is a shot of the Ft. Myers Beach bridge. Any of you familiar with Ft. Myers Beach will know this bridge well.

Brent and I aren't real fond of Ft. Myers beach much anymore. We spent many years traveling there but it has become REALLY run down in the past 10 years or so and it shows. They really need to go in and clean up the area and bring it back to life. As we drive thru there now, it looks pretty rough, tattered and torn. I just don't care to go there like I used to. We have a couple of restaurants we still frequent from the area because they are a couple of our favs but that is usually the only time we head over to the Ft. Myers area anymore.

The marina we go to for the dock fishing sits across the water from where the U.S. Coast Guard ports and keeps their ships. I like getting pictures of the ships when there. Notice the two big black scary guns on the front left of their ship?

I grabbed a shot of one of our beach B/F/F's when on the dock. What a beauty! Love their yellow eyes. See below...

And below you will see a fun shot of my Dad with Brennen. Dad was teasing him and through up a peace sign in the process. They are too fun! My Dad also wanted me to use the shot of him hiding his beer can behind his back in the other picture I took instead of this one. I liked this one better. You know me...just keeping it real!

And above and below...my two cute kiddo's...love love love them!

For now...we are off to eat pizza for dinner with Dad and Cath. We were up bright and early at the Airboat ride with them again this morning so we are all exhausted. What a fun day it was though. Also, thanks for all of Kenidi's birthday wishes you guys sent in on Facebook and on the blog for Kenidi's birthday and for my step -Mom. They both really appreciated your birthday notes you sent to them. You guys ROCK! We had a great time celebrating with the sunset at the beach last night too. Hope you all enjoy your Saturday evening. Big hugs, Angie

HAPPY BIRTHDAY!

2009-06-18T15:53:00.004-04:00

HAPPY 6th BIRTHDAY to our ray of sunshine.

Happy birthday to our Keester, our KK, & our K-licious girl.

Happy birthday to our inspiration each day when life gets tough.

Happy birthday to our "I'm not leaving the beach so you are going to have to carry me out of here" child.

Happy birthday to our "must always make an entrance and an exit" daughter.

Happy birthday to our smile filled monkey, our monster on the run, our princess in training, our diva in the house.

Happy birthday to our toothless wonder, our blonde haired and tan brown bean. Our brownie, brownie, brownie, as Papa Tony calls you.

Happy birthday to our tiny dancer and our blessing from God.

Happy birthday Kenidi Grace. You make us so proud! We hope you have a memorable and fabu-licious birthday by the sea this year. Mommy, Daddy, and Bubby love you so very much!

PS...Happy birthday to Grandma Cathy today too. She is here helping to celebrate. We'll be downing some pizza and cake tomorrow on the beach in celebration of both their birthdays. :)

ONLY 1 SPOT LEFT

2009-06-17T11:23:00.004-04:00

That is correct friends, only one spot left in the photography workshop that begins July 1st. If you are wanting a spot, now is your chance. We opened it up for 20 spots when the class registration began. We have now filled 19 of those seats with only 1 open one remaining. If you are still interested in the class, get over HERE and sign up under photography courses Q-U-I-C-K-L-Y! I can tell already what a fun group of girls this is going to be. We are all super excited for July 1st to roll around so that we can be "hanging" with each other in the forum and learning all of this photography lingo and tips/tricks. I have been up late every night working diligently to finalize the forum and it is just about finished. It will be a blast to meet up with all of the participants/students there and get to know each of you better.

With that said, my web gal who did my photography website and blog (Crystal) is currently working to revamp my photography site and photography blog. In the last 6 months since going full force with my photography business, I have come to realize that I needed my site to take on a more sophisticated, mature, look. Therefore, I sought out Crystal to re-vamp the site and blog in regards to grasping that look I was after. Needless to say, she is rocking it out and I couldn't be more pleased. The new site will not only have a shopping cart for any future online courses but it also has a client area where my clients can now view their images online thru my new website. Love that! She has been up with me till' wee hours of the morning working back and forth, side by side, to tackle this project. I love her! She ROCKS! But then again, you guys already know that! Ha ha! So...while revamping everything, she also made me some new blog buttons for all of you to use on your blogs should you want to. They can be found at the bottom of my photography blog page HERE. The code and photos are there for you to grab and place on the sidebar of your own blogs if you so desire. Of course I always appreciate the extra traffic and would be eternally grateful should you decide to use the buttons on your sidebars. She made two different ones for the photography business and one for ol' AGD. Feel free to grab one for each business if you'd like. You know I'd love ya to pieces for it. They look like this...

And then the Angelica Grace Designs blog button looks like this...(you can find it at the bottom of this blog page)

And like I said, feel free to grab them and use them on your side bars as you wish. Thanks for all of your support. You know I have the best blog readers in the world, don't you?

For now, we are headed out to the pool. My Dad and Cathy fly in today for the next week. We pick them up at the airport at 5:30pm this evening. Fun, fun, fun! And yes, we are dragging them back to the Air boat Tour Adventure this coming Saturday morning. They are really looking forward to it. We are looking forward to doing it again as well. I can't wait to take a normal lens with me this time and get some even closer shots. Good stuff! And for those of you back home in Indy, I hear you are finally getting sunshine today. Gosh knows you need it after all of the rains hitting that area. Get outside and enjoy it. And no, I won't be trading locals with you just because it's sunny there today. It's been 94 degrees here with heat that could melt the tires off of the cars but I'm not complaining. The hotter and the sunnier, the BETTER! Love me some good ol' fashion sunshine and summer heat. Love me some beach!

Hugs, Angie

CELEBRATING WISDOM

2009-06-16T12:48:00.002-04:00

Someone sent me this in an email one time and I saved it for the blog at a later date. Now here I am with it. (Thanks Leighann Q.) I think it is so profound yet so simple. I've highlighted my favorite ones in pink. I hope you enjoy it as much as I did the first time I read it.

1. Life isn't fair, but it's still good.
2. When in doubt, just take the next small step.
3. Life is too short to waste time hating anyone. It only makes you sick, not them.
4. Your job won't take care of you when you are sick. Your friends and parents will. Stay in touch.
5. Pay off your credit cards every month.
6. You don't have to win every argument. Agree to disagree.
7. Cry with someone. It's more healing than crying alone.
8. It's OK to get angry with God. He can take it.
9. Save for retirement starting with your first paycheck.
10. When it comes to chocolate, resistance is futile.
11. Make peace with your past so it won't screw up the present.
12. It's OK to let your children see you cry.
13. Don't compare your life to others. You have no idea what their journey is all about.
14. If a relationship has to be a secret, you shouldn't be in it.
15. Everything can change in the blink of an eye. But don't worry; God never blinks.
16. Take a deep breath. It calms the mind.
17. Get rid of anything that isn't useful, beautiful or joyful.
18. Whatever doesn't kill you really does make you stronger.
19. It's never too late to have a happy childhood. But the second one is up to you and no one else. 20. When it comes to going after what you love in life, don't take no for an answer.
21. Burn the candles, use the nice sheets, wear the fancy lingerie. Don't save it for a special occasion. Today is special.
22. Over prepare, then go with the flow.
23. Be eccentric now. Don't wait for old age to wear purple.
24. The most important sex organ is the brain.
25. No one is in charge of your happiness but you.
26. Frame every so-called disaster with these words 'In five years, will this matter?'
27. Always choose life.
28. Forgive everyone for everything.
29. What other people think of you is none of your business. Who cares what they think anyway.
30. Time heals almost everything. Give time time.
31. However good or bad a situation is, it will change.
32. Don't take yourself so seriously. No one else does.
33. Believe in miracles.
34. God loves you because of who God is, not because of anything you did or didn't do.
35. Don't audit life. Show up and make the most of it now.
36. Growing old beats the alternative -- dying young.
37. Your children get only one childhood.
38. All that truly matters in the end is that you loved.
39. Get outside every day. Miracles are waiting everywhere.
40. If we all threw our problems in a pile and saw everyone else's,we'd grab ours back.
41. Envy is a waste of time. You already have all you need.
42. The best is yet to come.
43. No matter how you feel, get up, dress up and show up.
44. Yield.
45. Life isn't tied with a bow, but it's still a gift.

FAVORITE FINDS & MISC.

2009-06-15T17:00:00.002-04:00

My Mom gave me some flowers as part of an early birthday gift from her and the kids last week. Brent gave me some roses as a "just because" the week before when we first got down here. Love those "just because" moments. I finally began taking photos of the abundance of flowers in the house and really liked how this white one turned out (shown above). Love that macro lens!

Also, I wanted to share with you why I love the "SWOOZIE'S" store here in Bonita so much. I always make a trip to the location at the coconut point mall at least once when here. They have the coolest stuff, the best "gur-fren" gifts, incredible stationary, and adorable beach decor. Needless to say, their store pretty much sums me up. I've talked about the Swoozie's store before here on the blog but if you don't know about Swoozie's or have never been to one, find one quick and RUN to it! I'd sleep there if I could. Yes, that is how much I love Swoozie's. :) With that said, check out the cute little books I found when there the other day. Are these "me" or what?

LOVE, LOVE, LOVE them!

And speaking of new, cool, finds...check out philosophy's new BEACH PARTY line of products. Yeap, found them at the Sephora store here when I ran in to grab a much needed new tube of mascara. (Black Out Dior Show - best there is!) I saw their beach party line and fell in love. All of you AGD blog readers know I have issue's with people who don't keep their feet soft and issue's as well as an obsession with keeping lips soft. I am totally OCD when it comes to lotions and lip balms. Well lucky for me...Philosophy's new BEACH party line has a lip gloss. YAY! Try it! You will love it!

And lastly, speaking of Grandma Sue...here is the only real shot I got of her and the kids last week when she was here. We took this right before she left for the airport. Nevermind the fact that Kenidi's hair isn't fixed and that she has a spoon in one hand and a mermaid doll in the other. This photographer uses a wide variety of props on the job. HA! Hey...whatever works, right?

For now, I'm off to finish fixing my hair so that we can get out the door for dinner. I'll be in touch soon. Oh and while I'm thinking about it...run to your nearest taco bell as well and ask for their new pina' colada frutista freeze. YUM-O! It's another new favorite find of mine. I'm hoping for your sake that they aren't just Florida flavor. Indiana didn't have them when we left there back in May. So hopefully all of the stores are now introducing them. They are the best things EVAH! And my girlfriend Shannon that you all know from Texas...you know my sista' from anotha' Mutha'...well she improvised the other night and bought the pina' colada frutista and added her own malibu rum to it. Although we don't drink in our house, I thought her idea was pretty clever. And like I told her, I'm sure they are much cheaper than the real thing. So go try one. I promise they are the greatest thing since sliced bread! Especially when you are sitting poolside with your favorite book or on the beach under an umbrella. Wink wink! ;o)

xoxoxo, Angie

PS...There are only 3 remaining spots in the online photography workshop. Space is dwendling. Sign up while there is still room! See Angie Seaman Photography to register.