dk photographic

Dogface

noreply@blogger.com (Donna Keidel) — Wed, 01 Feb 2012 15:43:00 +0000

My mom is planning on giving her pup a bath this weekend. This is her the last time she got her bath. It just makes me smile....

This last one makes me laugh out loud. Pitiful thing. I better get her some treats because this looks like the last thing she wants to do.

Life

noreply@blogger.com (Donna Keidel) — Sun, 29 Jan 2012 18:43:00 +0000

Once again, life happens.....

I was going to be back here with some business-y type stuff but not today. It can wait. Instead I'm heading to a funeral while Andy holds down the fort at home.

Tell people you love them.

Don't take anyone for granted.

Hug your children.

Do something you've always wanted to do.

None of us are promised tomorrow and today, we're on the right side of the grass so let's live life to its fullest!!!!

More continued happiness.

noreply@blogger.com (Donna Keidel) — Fri, 27 Jan 2012 15:18:00 +0000

Tomorrow will be more business-y things. I've got a lot going on and I'm excited to share it with you but today.... More continued happiness.... That's an order!! Wink!

I have to say a little bit about our next guest blogger. I LOVE her!!! She is a beautiful person and friend that I gained when I married Andy. She, her husband Aaron and Andy all went to college together. You will never meet a more sincere and sweet person than Lauren. Anyway, all the way from Charlotte, NC, Lauren writes....The one word for what makes me happy is SNOW!

Snow makes everything so beautiful. It feels peaceful to me; like the pace of life has slowed down, if only for a few days. I love the sound of my boots crunching in the snow when I walk, the taste of snow cream, making a snowman with my sons, the cold air on my face as I ride down the hill on a sled, and snuggling on the couch with some hot chocolate. What’s not to love about SNOW?!

Next up, Kelly!!! I met Kelly at a preschool/daycare. She has THE most adorable children. :) Kelly wrote...

How can you not love Mickey??

I agree I am a little obsessed, but his smile makes me smile and he symbolizes the happiest place on earth!!

Our last guest blogger for the day is someone I've known since high school, maybe even junior high. (I prefer not to think that far back. Makes me feel too old) So... Let's just say I've known Jill for.... a couple of years.) Jill has a fantastic sense of humor and actually has her own blog. On her blog, she wrote....

What a weekend for defining the Little Things that bring Big Joy. (When I am 80, I may finally succumb to my latent desire for a tattoo, and maybe that will be it: LTBJ.) Or maybe not.

I decided it’s been far too long since I’ve visited the Cobb International Farmer’s Market, and I’m feeling a culinary adventure in my bones. “Who wants to go with Mom to the Farmer’s Market? (One one thousand, Two one thousand) No one? Okay! See ya!”. Zip Zang! I’m outta there, and I’m solo. Praise be! Playtime!

There is almost nothing I would rather do than while away some time nosing around a really, really good International market.

I paraphrased so you should hit the link and go read the whole entry. :)

It has been so much fun sharing what makes us happy. If you didn't get to send something in, you can still do it. I'm pretty sure I'll revisit this idea from time to time. Or... just leave a comment below. Start a conversation...

God knows.... I love a good conversation!!!

Continued Happiness

noreply@blogger.com (Donna Keidel) — Thu, 26 Jan 2012 18:06:00 +0000

I love that we're keeping this going.... ~~Happiness (continued)~~

No... Continued Happiness.

Isn't it funny how just swapping those two words around changes things? Continued Happiness sounds more long term to me. How about you? We were happy. We are happy and we're going to continue to be happy.

Awesome.

So... I received a few notes about what makes people happy and I really hope you keep them coming. These were fun to read! In no particular order....

Jeanna wrote...

Recycling makes me happy. This is a picture of my downstairs work space for making jewelry. This is in my kitchen/dining room where I make the recycled guitar string rings and bracelets. Notice the sixteen year old cat in the center of the action.

With this being her favorite place too, food bowl and live catnip plant, there is a definite competition for space. In a few short weeks, I will be starting my tomato plants and will have to clear everything out of the way for them. Yay! Sorry kitty.

This picture was also taken on a snow day. It was the Friday before Martin Luther King Day so my three day weekend had turned to four. I was celebrating with some Baileys in my coffee and reading an Etsy blog about artists work spaces and thought how contrived and "too perfect" they all looked.

My response? Take a picture mid-project, with all of my tools out and everything. With the light from the snow and Rahja crunching away, I thought this was a good time for a studio photo.

If you're interested in seeing Jeanna's FAB jewelry... check out her Etsy shop here. Tell her DK sent ya!

I totally understand why this makes Jeanna happy!!! Keep 'em comin'. I want to hear and see what makes you happy.

Happiness

noreply@blogger.com (Donna Keidel) — Wed, 25 Jan 2012 20:06:00 +0000

Last night I went to a vendor meet & greet event. I got to see several friends in the industry and was introduced to a few new friends as well. It's all good and fairly standard for these events. But, last night was just a little different. There was a questionnaire. It was 5 different questions and we were supposed to reach out to meet new people and ask them the questions. The last question was so hard.

What is the one thing that makes you happy?

One thing? Really? My smarty pants cutesy answer was shoe shopping which... really does make me happy but... I find happiness in so many other things that trying to narrow it down to one kind of made my brain hurt.

But, it definitely got me thinking about being happy and what kinds of things have that effect. Then, I was reminded of my Word of the Year, Joy. So, I thought I'd share with you something that makes me happy and joyful. A Journal (a/k/a a big girl's diary)

I've been writing in journals all my adult life. It's funny to me that I never wrote in them as a teen or young girl. Anyway... I love journals. I feel like an empty book is full of possibility. Maybe I'll finally write about that destination wedding I'll photograph in St. Lucia or maybe I'll write about all the fabulous comments you write on this blog. (Those make me SOOOOO happy!) Maybe I'll write about fixing up my house and finally getting rid of the yellow in the kitchen. You see what I mean? It's all about the what wonderful things could be in store so an empty journal makes me feel very hopeful.

That hopeful feeling is probably why I buy them rather often. I probably have 3 or 4 blank ones lying around the house at any given time. This is my most recent purchase.

I'm sure you guessed that it's my favorite. LOL.

So.... Now that I've told you one thing that makes me happy, I want to know what makes you happy. Take a picture (or pictures) of what makes you happy. Then, send those photos along with a paragraph or two about you and why it makes you happy. I'll feature a few here on the blog. Email it to me at

dk (at) dkphotographic (dot) com

I can't wait to hear what makes you happy and maybe.... next time you visit this blog, it will be YOUR words on the page. How cool would that be?!

weddings

noreply@blogger.com (Donna Keidel) — Tue, 24 Jan 2012 00:11:00 +0000

The truth is I love ALL things related to weddings and I have for a very long time.

I don't know for sure but I imagine my love of weddings started when I was a flower girl.

My dad's cousin was getting married and I was one of two little ones chosen. The dress was blue velvet on the bottom and chiffon on top with blue velvet accents. Stylish, eh?

So, I love weddings. I love wedding movies. I love flowers, invitations, bridesmaid dresses, tuxedos, wedding dresses and of course, I love wedding shoes! I'm looking forward to the 2012 wedding season. We've got some fun couples lined up and we're still meeting with people so I think it's going to be an amazing year!!!

Not exactly winning.

noreply@blogger.com (Donna Keidel) — Thu, 19 Jan 2012 20:27:00 +0000

This past summer, our man Charlie Sheen coined the phrase "WINNING!" And it's funny to me because you'd never catch someone saying "FAILING!" or "FINISHING SECOND!" but... that's exactly what I'm doing today.

Occasionally, I assist my couples with wedding invitations or programs or other graphics-related items. Well, for a while I've been working on a project and in the end, the couple decided to go another direction. And... I could look at that as a failure or as finishing in second place but you know what? I decided to think about my Word of the Year. Joy.

And creating a pretty invitation brings me joy. I LOVE these invitations and I'm sharing them with you even though the clients don't want them. Tell me what you think.

It's a black pocket fold invitation with accents of candy pink.

It's finished off with a printed belly band.

And a GORGEOUS outer envelope!

Let me know what you think. I can't wait to hear from you!

Those Cute kids

noreply@blogger.com (Donna Keidel) — Thu, 12 Jan 2012 20:06:00 +0000

A lot of times, I'll get asked "Who are those cute kids?" when people are looking at my website or blog. Well, these cute kids are Conner, Payton & Jack. They come to see me at least once a year and it's always fun.

Conner loves trains and he always goes looking for the toy train I have. Payton stays pretty close to her mom and Jack... well, Jack has fun.

I thoroughly enjoy my time with these three. I'm not sure I can always say the same for them.

Do you think I pushed Payton too far? This might be the "I'm done with this." look but actually, it was Miss P rockin' a serious look.

I think it's adorable. In fact, I think it's my favorite.

Word of the Year

noreply@blogger.com (Donna Keidel) — Wed, 11 Jan 2012 15:11:00 +0000

Monday wasn't just dk's birthday. It was my birthday, too. This little business of mine was a gift to myself. (In more ways than one.) For my birthday, that super-thoughtful woman in my life (my mother-in-law) sent me a gift. It was a sweet book that I should probably keep on my desk and look at every single day. It's all about one subject....

Then... I was reading one of my favorite blogs, The Lettered Cottage, and she was talking about the word of the year. The concept of the word of the year is this.... Choose a word that has meaning, a word that inspires you, a word that is your aspiration for this whole year.

As I sat and pondered what my word would be, I looked over and that sweet, wonderful book from Carolyn jumped out at me... literally... It was sitting on my desk and I bumped it and knocked it onto the floor. And I knew instantly what my word would be.

Dictionary.com defines Joy as the emotion of great delight or happiness caused by something exceptionally good or satisfying; keen pleasure; elation.

When was the last time you were truly joyful?

Do you ever look around your house and you see the kids bickering, the dishes in the sink, the laundry mountain, the bills to pay, the dust to clear and after looking at all that....feel joyful? Heck no. We get all wrapped up in the day to day stuff and never really experience the joy that's actually all around us.

The kids bickering... We've got healthy kids that have the energy to bicker.

The dishes mean we have food to eat.

The laundry means we have clothes to wear.

The bills mean we have a home to share with our family.

The dust means that... well, that means I'm a bad housekeeper. Moving on...

There is joy in the everyday and it's going to my goal in 2012 to find it and cherish it.

What's your word of the year?

*Check out The Lettered Cottage for information about her word of the year link party.

Jessica and Adam

noreply@blogger.com (Donna Keidel) — Tue, 10 Jan 2012 18:11:00 +0000

Now that the holidays are over and I'm in the quiet of the winter months so I thought I'd go back and share some photos from that those tasty fall days. Remember all that color? Oh how I miss those days....

I met Jessica and Adam at Goodale Park. Their wedding is next June and I think Jessica is going to be a beautiful bride. Don't you?

Look at the sun!!!

I love Jessica's bright yellow sweater. It's a happy, warm color.

I totally LOVE this one!!!

And... yet another fave!!!

I'm sorry it took me so long to get these online to share but I'm kind of glad I have warm photos to look at on a cold, January day. :)

Lucky 13

noreply@blogger.com (Donna Keidel) — Mon, 09 Jan 2012 23:00:00 +0000

Some people think the number 13 is unlucky but in my life, it's actually been kind of lucky. I'm hoping this year proves to be the same. You see, today marks dk photographic's 13th year in business.

Thirteen years and make no mistake, I've been very lucky. I've had the chance to meet hundreds and hundreds of really amazing people. I feel very, very lucky to be able to do a job that I love SO much. And, the fact that you're here and reading this isn't unnoticed by me. I'm grateful for your support. :)

And since you're so awesome, your friends must be awesome too so here's the deal.... Get your friends to "like" dk photographic's facebook page. Have them write "Hi DK!! My friend, ______, sent me to your site." When you do, you both will receive a free session and an 8x10. Sessions are valid between now and February 3rd. Send multiple friends. They'll thank you for it!

Hope to see you soon!!!

Let's make our 13th year the biggest and BEST ever with new adventures, old friends, good times, rockin' photos, and let's make some new friends, too!!! Thank you all very much for being part of dk photographic!

How do they do that?

noreply@blogger.com (Donna Keidel) — Fri, 06 Jan 2012 01:28:00 +0000

Do you ever meet those women... you know the ones. They dress well. They manage to put their make-up on and do their hair every day. They bake cookies and are room parents at school. They have successful careers and marriages to envy.

Seriously. How do they do that?

Balance has never been one of my better attributes. When I was little, I was full of bumps and bruises and if I'm being honest, I never really grew out of that. In fact, I am the only person I know who can claim a computer disk tray injury (and scar). And... to make that even more embarrassing, I did that not once but twice. Yes. You read that correctly. I have two scars on my right leg from my computer's disk tray.

As an adult, balance needs to be a part of life but in a more philosophical way. We have to balance home & career, parenting and marriage, giving to others and taking care of ourselves. It's a lot of balancing and I am always worried that I'm not doing a very good job of it.

I try to make dinner and eat dinner as a family most nights. I try to spend some time with my kids and take care of my client/friends. Well, my kids needed a little excitement. So... I thought... (my first mistake) that it would be cool to use the hot chocolate and vanilla marshmallows that Grandma Carolyn sent us. Now, this is some authentic hot chocolate so I put some milk on the stove to warm and went to check my email. Well, there was clearly no balance between warming milk and checking email.

Email won.

Beauty in the everyday

noreply@blogger.com (Donna Keidel) — Wed, 04 Jan 2012 17:30:00 +0000

It's winter. The days are dreary and gray. We begin to crave sunshine. I miss being outside with my camera and my client friends. I've learned that I'm a much happier person when I'm outside and hearing that shutter click. :)

So... On New Year's Day, I did something I rarely do. I went outside in the snow flurries and photographed in the field near my house. Now, I know they aren't nearly as beautiful as they are in spring and summer but there's beauty there nonetheless.

They are in a state of potential.

Aren't we kind of like that too? We go through times in life where we're feeling drab and dreary. We have the potential but we need a little sunshine to get us going in the right direction. That sunshine brings us back to life. Instead of being stagnant, we start growing again. We start reaching for the sky again. We're full of positive energy.

Well, I am feeling the warmth. I am bubbling over with excitement. I'm in one of those growth phases even though it's the dead of winter. I'm excited to share it with you because in all honesty, if it weren't for you.... it wouldn't happen. This little dream of mine cannot exist without fabulous people to share it with.

And because you are so fabulous, I really want to be a better photographer for you. I want to offer you new and exciting products. I want you to be thrilled with the photos you see here and wowed by the photos I'd like to take of you and the people you love. I want to capture photos that make your heart skip a beat.

And yes, I know I'm setting the bar pretty high for myself. But I have no doubt, we can do it... together.

Thank you for visiting my blog. Thank you for being a client/friend. Thanks for being a bit of the sunshine that keeps me growing. I hope I can shine a little on you as you do for me. XOXO.DK

Back to it

noreply@blogger.com (Donna Keidel) — Tue, 03 Jan 2012 18:36:00 +0000

So... It's January 3rd, the holidays are officially over. It's 2012. The kids are back in school. Andy and my mom are back to work and I'm back to work as well.

Usually, January and February are kind of hibernation months. Not many people want photos in the cold weather so it's a quiet time. This year, I'm hoping to avoid that calm, quiet period. I want to shake life up. I want to have a POP of excitement!!

And what's more exciting than a new website? Okay, in all honesty there are probably a lot of things more exciting than that but.... let's just pretend it's true for a moment because a new website will make me very happy.

I love my current site, it's done well for me but... in the age of ipads and iphones, I'm not as visible as I need to be thus... time to switch. I will keep you posted but expect a change soon!!!

Today/tomorrow

noreply@blogger.com (Donna Keidel) — Fri, 30 Dec 2011 23:57:00 +0000

I spent most of today looking forward to tonight. Par-tay! Woo hoo! Only.... tonight's not the party night. Today is the 30th not the 31st. Really.... I know my kids are off school and it's been dreary and rainy but I'm thinking I should have gotten out of the house a bit more this week so I'd know for sure what day it is.

So... Instead of partying tonight, I'm going to curl up in my jammies and think...

I'm going to think about how I can beat the Bouldergeist in Super Mario Galaxy so I can impress my kids.

I'm going to think about how I can motivate myself to get back on the treadmill again.

I'm going to think about how lucky I am to have the family I have.

I'm going to think about future blog posts.

I'm going to think about why there are 10 hot dogs and 12 hot dog buns.

I'm going to think about how to be a better wife, mom, daughter and photo chick.

I'm going to think about the stack of magazines I still haven't read.

I'm going to think about tomorrow night and what I'd like to do then I'll think about what I'll do when I stay home because that's what I always do.

I'm going to think about getting haircut.

I'm going to think about 2011.

I'm going to think about 2012.

Bottom line.... There's a lot of thinkin' going on around here. Let's hope all that thinking leads to something productive.

Happy New Year's Eve... eve....

End of year

noreply@blogger.com (Donna Keidel) — Thu, 29 Dec 2011 23:03:00 +0000

So... 2011 is coming to a close. How do you feel about this past year? It was really bittersweet for me. I feel like it was definitely better than 2010 but since the end of 2011 meant a tough time for me personally, I'm eagerly awaiting a new year. I'm really hoping and praying that 2012 is all kinds of sweet and very little (if any) bitter.

The end of one year and the beginning of another is a perfect time to reflect on the past and plan for the future. I think that's why New Year's is my favorite holiday. It gives the whole world that fresh start feeling I enjoy so much.

So... what do you need a fresh start on? It's not that I'm not happy with my life. I think I'm very blessed but at the same time, I know there's room for improvement. For example....

My health.... Since the miscarriage, I haven't had the get up and go to go get my biscuits on the treadmill. I know that has to change. I was doing so good and I feel so much better when I'm exercising. I haven't gained any weight but I haven't lost any either. I'd like to get back to that and drop at least ten more pounds.

My home... Truthfully.... this could fill pages and pages but... for the sake of my sanity, we'll keep it simple.
I'll just share one goal... I need to finish what I start. I need to finally take my unfinished projects and complete them. This could keep me busy for quite some time. Perhaps through all of 2012 :)

My family... When I first decided to work from home, I did it so I could spend more time with my family. Truth is, I'm spending more time with them but I'm afraid the quality of that may have dropped a bit. With my desk and my work staring at me at all times, I think I get a bit distracted so I'd like my family to get a little more of Donna and a little less 'dk'. (Not sure they want that but oh well. LOL!)

My business... SOOOOOO much on my mind here. It makes my head spin!!! When I get those thoughts a little more organized, I'll share them but for now.... let's just say that I want it to GROW!! So... I'm inviting you to help me with that. Share me with your friends and family. Tell your coworkers. We don't just photograph weddings and I'm open to new client/friends.

Now... Tell me about your goals!!!

Surprise

noreply@blogger.com (Donna Keidel) — Wed, 28 Dec 2011 18:28:00 +0000

Just when you think that all the gift opening is done, Greg (my UPS guy) is at the door....

Thanks Grandma Carolyn! Cold Ohio days make this gift very welcomed!!!

The holiday is over

noreply@blogger.com (Donna Keidel) — Wed, 28 Dec 2011 15:43:00 +0000

First.... Let's be honest.... Aiming for 30 posts in 30 days over Christmas was a really stupid idea on my part. I'll revisit that goal a little later.....

Now that I got that off my chest, how was your holiday? Here, things were pretty nice. Christmas Eve was spent with my sister and her husband. My mom has always spent the night here for Christmas to watch the kids open gifts in the morning but this year was a little different. She lives with us now so we had to add a photo of her to the stocking holder. Don't call the ASPCA on me but the dogs were bumped out of their stockings so Nana could have one. I think we added a nice photo of her!

Christmas morning was good stuff. The fave presents this year were a mini basketball hoop for Aidan, a long haired Barbie for Devin and a St. Jude medal for Austin. Even though Aidan asked for all kinds of really expensive things (that he didn't get), I love that he was happy with what he got.

But Christmas morning also came with a message from Santa....

My two darling younger children have been tormenting each other relentlessly. Santa clearly does not approve. He put the 'naughty' ornament on their stocking holders. Wish I had take a photo of their faces when they saw it. :) I think Santa is in the "no bickering" camp just like me!

Now that the Christmas holiday is over, I'll do a little working and a little relaxing. I'll be catching up on the magazines that have been piling up.

And... I'll be doing what most of you are doing. I'll be looking forward to 2012. I'm anti-resolution but pro creating goals so... We'll talk about what some of my goals are and I'd love to hear yours!!

Merry Christmas Eve

noreply@blogger.com (Donna Keidel) — Sat, 24 Dec 2011 16:13:00 +0000

I wrote about how crazed I get this time of year. Today, though, I am relaxing with the family. We have two Christmas trees at my house: the "dk" tree and the family tree. The "dk" tree is all about being pretty. It's not exactly professionally done but it's pretty nonetheless. But the family is all about... well... family, of course. It's loaded with ornaments that tell stories: a gift from a friend, the ornament I picked up in Arizona, the orca that my friend sent from Alaska after she ran a marathon, the kids' first Christmas and so on....

But of all the ornaments, my favorites are the ones my kids have made over the years.

These two are just a small sampling of the many handmade ornaments. I know my days of the handmade ornaments are numbered but I'll always treasure these. Honestly, the holiday season for me, is mainly for the kids. It's a chance to let them feel like life contains some magic. A big man in a red suit is really that generous. He really trades fantastic gifts for just some cookies and milk. Reindeer really know how to fly. Snowmen come to life.

I think one of the reasons so many adults get depressed this time of year is because we let go of the magic and live in the reality. Well... For just a minute... Close your eyes and look at today like you're a child. Believe in Santa. Believe in the magic. Feel the spirit!

Because if you don't... you'll probably get socks and underwear. :)

Holiday Expectations...

noreply@blogger.com (Donna Keidel) — Fri, 23 Dec 2011 02:23:00 +0000

As the song says... "It's the most wonderful time of the year." (And yes.... I know you were just singing that in your head). And... it is... But it's also a really stressful time of year. Today, I spent the morning finishing up a couple of photo orders, wrapping a few presents, cleaning up my kitchen (a little), delivering a photo to someone who couldn't make it to me, picking up gifts to be delivered to a family in need, playing referee to Aidan & Devin's battles and trying to coordinate with people to get their photos to them before Christmas while still allowing myself enough time to finish my shopping and wrapping and maybe even be able to sit on the couch with my kids eating popcorn and watching Rudolph.

Whew!!! It's exhausting to think about. And I'm not done. On Friday, I'll deliver photos to 5 or 6 people who couldn't get to me. I need more gift tags and boxes. I still need to buy Andy another present or two and I need to get some more presents for a family struggling. And then there's the wrapping.... Lots of which can only be done when the wee ones are sleeping.

So... Tonight, when Aidan & Devin once again were nitpicking at each other. I was done. I had one of those moments where a perfectly normal mom turns into a snapping turtle. "Go to bed! I'll go get the last present for daddy by myself!" I'm sure all I needed was a good old foot stomp to have turned it into an honest to goodness tantrum. Big tears flowed from the kids. Ugh!!! Mom of the year award, gone again! I can never seem to win that thing.

After I lectured the kids (yet again) about getting along with each other and warning them it wasn't too late to be put on the dreaded "naughty list", I sent them to bed. At which point, I got to hear a lecture of my own, a lecture on holiday expectations....

You can probably guess how it went so I won't fill in the details but the gist of it was that no one would die if I didn't get things done. I can't possibly be the only woman on the planet stressing herself out trying to get it all done. I want to finish my work so I can enjoy the holiday and if I don't get the holiday stuff done, there won't be a holiday... Well, there'll be a holiday but it'll be more like a Gumby Christmas than the Martha Stewart one that I want to have.

Therein lies the problem. My own expectations are tripping me up. So... how do you aim higher without aiming so high that the target is unattainable? Seriously. How do you do that? Or... are you just like me and just stress yourself out?

Well, I don't know the answer and I doubt that I'll learn the answer in the little over 48 hours until Christmas so what I'll do is take my husband's advice. I'm finishing up this blog post then, I'll take a deep breath. I'll pour a glass of something tasty and I'll sit still for just a little while and relish in what's already done. I promise that for a few short minutes, I won't think about the to do lists. Just a few minutes, though, because that to do list isn't going to do itself. (Wink!)

Danielle and Brian

noreply@blogger.com (Donna Keidel) — Thu, 22 Dec 2011 16:14:00 +0000

Holiday weddings are amazing. Danielle and Brian's was no exception. The church was all decked out for the holiday and come to think of it... so was everyone!

All in Bloom did a FAB job on the flowers!!! I loved that the maids of honor had a slightly different look than the other bridesmaids.

I love that she attached a special memento to her bouquet.

Remember in the movie "27 dresses" when she talks about always looking at the groom while the bride comes up the aisle? A couple of these bridesmaids subscribe to that theory and I can see why. Brian has a great smirk!

During the ceremony, the couple sat in the first pew which made photographing them a little challenging. I snuck up there and got a couple of profiles but for some reason, this photo is my favorite from there. I love the way she's got her arm wrapped in his and her flowers are next to her.

During the ceremony, Andy got this photo of Danielle just before the ring exchange.

Check out Brian's expression. It makes me think "Tee hee!!! We're getting married!!!" Not that boys say Tee hee but... you get the idea!

Portrait time!!! St. Anthony's has this very cool black stone wall.....

And like good little OSU alums, they wanted photos on campus. Unlike most alums, their spot of choice was The Schott!!! Apparently, Danielle did a little interning for Mr. Matta, so The Schott was more her style. I LOVE that her style is a little different than most. I think we sometimes forget that OSU has a rockin' basketball program too. :)

Ask for a jump photo.... and you'll get it.

Then, we headed to the shoe for a couple of photos! Don't you love the bridesmaids' dresses? They're vintage-y and modern all at the same time!

Well. It was cold. Like really, really cold. My trigger finger went numb kind of cold so.... Off to the Union and this is my FAVE photo from there!!!!!

After I got the group photo I loved.... I managed to get a photo of the two of them that I love even more....

And where else would good little alumni have their reception? The Blackwell. Of course. How do you like her table decor?

Her unity candle was unique. I liked that it had a little bling to it. It sat on their table during dinner.

The Blackwell served the most adorable cocktails!!! I must say, I really wanted to try one but... on the job so I guess I'll have to go visit another time.

Favors were holiday ornaments! Adorable.

A big intro....

then a toast from dad and a slide show. How adorable are her parents?!!! I love all the slide show reactions.

Throughout the slide show and the toasts, Danielle and Brian were always holding hands. So sweet!

Red velvet for this wedding!!! Again, just a little different... And did you notice that Danielle switched from a traditional veil and pearls to a fun & funky headpiece with a blingy necklace? LOVE it!!!!

I've said it a million times. Dancing is the best part!!! When I look at the next two pictures, I still find it hard to believe that they aren't alone. They're actually surrounded by family and friends.

Once the formal events were over, it was time to really celebrate and they absolutely did!!!!

I know a lot of wedding don't have children attending but kids are so cute!!! And they were a big part of this day. They got the party started!!!

And had just as much fun as the grown-ups.

Sometimes, they just watched.....

And sometimes, they watched me....

Danielle and Brian's wedding was truly a blast!!! They're hanging at home until after the holiday and then they're off on a honeymoon!!! Congrats you guys!!!!

On a side note, one of their guests was a fellow Columbus photographer, Jim Sanders. We're facebook friends but this was the first time we've actually met. I think Jim is an amazing photographer and it was a real pleasure to meet him and his fantastic wife!!!

So... I missed blogging yesterday.... Did I say a post every day? Or did I say 30 posts in 30 days? Yikes... It's ridiculous that I missed one so early in the game but... I'm cutting myself some clack. It's been a very busy couple of days. :) I'll make it up to you. I promise.

Craftiness

noreply@blogger.com (Donna Keidel) — Wed, 21 Dec 2011 01:27:00 +0000

Are you crafty? I don't mean like sneaky or up to no good kind of crafty. I mean... Can you make things? I like to think I am but I also like to think I could win American Idol if I tried. Well, Pinterest, has seriously sparked something in me. I want to make things: food, crafts, ornaments, headboards, tables... You name it. But, I decided to start small with a sewing project.

Of all the possible projects, I'm not sure why I chose a sewing one. Heaven knows, I haven't really sewn anything since the 8th grade. I'm not even sure why I own a sewing machine other than it gives me a workout when I move it from one place to another in my house. But, sewing was what I decided and as if just picking that up wasn't enough, I added pressure on myself by deciding that this would be my Christmas gift to not one but two different friends. Really? What was I thinking?

I guess I had this crazy notion that since I decided I was going to do it, I could actually do it. It meant some serious time budgeting and a couple of nights staying up late. I did an awful lot of cutting. Each apron required 7 strips of fabric 3.5" x 44" and a piece 18"x22".

My cutting left a lot to be desired but... so far so good.

Next up... sewing. I was a little nervous. Once I sewed it, there was no going back. Good thing I bought enough fabric to make about 5 aprons so if I screwed up, I could start again. I sewed seam after seam after seam.

Then, I made ruffles out of those long, skinny pieces and sewed the ruffles to the 18"x22" piece of fabric and before you knew it, Kate and Brooke had their Christmas presents! Woo Hoo!!!

I like that it's a sassy little apron! Have you tried something new recently?

Challenging myself

noreply@blogger.com (Donna Keidel) — Mon, 19 Dec 2011 14:26:00 +0000

Many times in this blog's life, it's been lonely. With no one writing on it, it sits here embarrassed by its lack of new posts, wanting so desperately to be like fancier blogs. It wants to be more than it is. So, I'm going to challenge myself and try to fulfill my little blog's Christmas wish. I'm going to challenge myself to blog more.

A blogger I follow once challenged himself to one year with a blog post every day. I'm more of a baby steps kind of person so we'll start with a smaller goal.

A post everyday for the next 30 days seems like a doable goal. What do you think? I'd love to hear from you.

Tree

noreply@blogger.com (Donna Keidel) — Fri, 16 Dec 2011 22:23:00 +0000

I love my Christmas Tree.

It's a white tree that brightens the room. It sparkles with glass, glitter, disco balls and blue lights. Snowflakes dangle from many of the branches.

But this year, I added a few ornaments and I love them. My Nana had this set of little houses. For years (as in my whole life) my mom has kept them. Maybe it's because they're little but honestly, I've always loved them. There's a little hole in the back of the house so a light can be placed inside. The blue doesn't shine through so well but... something about these little houses makes me so happy.

And... I found this little baby!!!

A blue high heel? With glitter? YES, PLEASE!!! Absolutely perfect for me. Don't you think?

Happy holidays!!! Hope the gift buying, baking & decorating are bringing joy and not stress!!!

P.S. Don't look at the above photos too closely. One of them may end up being my holiday card if I can't get my act together and take a family picture. :)

Holidays

noreply@blogger.com (Donna Keidel) — Fri, 16 Dec 2011 22:13:00 +0000

It's the holiday season. It's busy. It's chaotic. There's SO much to do but... I've learned that if I don't take a little time to have fun, I get stressed and cranky and usually get sick. So.... The 2nd annual Cookiefest was scheduled at my house.

Aunties Kate and Brooke came over. Mr. Tuggers came along to get a little kid lovin'!

The very first thing we made were these Salted Caramel Cups. YUM!!! And... don't tell anyone but they are super easy. I got the recipe from my good friend, the Pillsbury Dough Boy. Ready?

Get Pillsbury pre-made Peanut butter cookie dough.

Place it in the mini-muffin tin. Mold it into a little cup.

Bake cookies at 350 for about 10 minutes.

Melt 24 caramels in the microwave with a tsp. of water.

Spoon melted caramel into the cup.

Garnish with course sea salt.

DONE!!

Thank you, Laura for my Pampered Chef muffin tin.

We also made Buckeyes... There's Brooke, mixing up the peanut butter.

Miss Devin took the tools of the trade and made a reindeer. That girl is so clever!!! I can't remember if it was Kate or Brooke but one of them said "Where'd you learn to do that? There's no one creative in this house." Dev's reply? "UH_HUH!!! My Nana is!!!" I guess I need to work harder to impress my girl with my creativity.

The reindeer cookies were fun and relatively easy as well. Sadly, though... All these poor reindeer have lost their antlers. Aidan ate them!

It was a night with a whole lot of laughter and I'm SO SO grateful to have such amazing friends!!