Fiona and Twig

Well, Hey There.....

2017-12-31T16:25:00.000-06:00

Been a little while. A good little while, in fact.

I'll be honest and admit that not only do I not blog

anymore, but I don't read or follow any blogs anymore, either.

Nothing big or major or catastrophic happened,

I just, well....sort of outgrew it.

And by "it", I mean I outgrew the need to

see and be seen. To prove to myself that I had the goods

to be a pro photographer. To be published, to be hired to do

fantastic dream shoots for the likes of

the divine and dear Carol Hicks Bolton.

To work with the simply grand ladies of

the Where Women Create family of magazines

a number of times.

It was a blast and a joy, and such a fun ride.

But when the time came to get off the ride,

to exit the merry-go-round, it was abundantly clear to me

what needed to happen.

I simply needed to stop.

Stop chasing opportunities.

Stop over-extending myself.

Stop working for far less than I knew I deserved.

Once the joy left, once I no longer derived any real measure

of satisfaction from doing my pro shoots, I backed away.

Slowly at first, though.

I still held on to a handful of long-time clients

for sentimental reasons and because I love them.

But now, on the cusp of 2018,

I can say with pretty much absolute certainty

that I'm done.

I'll still hold on to the cameras and the ridiculously expensive lenses

and all the other stuff that goes along with it.

Just in case, because I will never say never.

I might return to do what I once loved,

but only if the pull to do so is stronger than

the overwhelming peace I've acquired from letting it go.

In a similar vein, we are also looking

to sell our farmhouse, leave Fredericksburg,

and move a bit closer to my

"real" job as a full-time respiratory therapist at an area hospital.

So...Happy New Year!

I still see a lot of you on Facebook and on Instagram,

so just because this old blog has become a ghost town

doesn't mean we can't still say "hey"

every now and again.

For the New Year,

I wish each of you your own special brand

of peace and joy and fulfillment,

wherever it may take you.

With love,

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Published, Spring 2017 Where Women Create

2017-04-27T16:50:00.001-05:00

Well finally!

It's high time that I shared my contribution to

the Spring 2017 issue

of Where Women Create Magazine...

more specifically, the feature story on oh-so-lovely

and oooooh-so-talented artist, Carol Darilek.

We collaborated on another Where Women Create

feature in 2016, where I had a blast shooting Carol's adorable little studio.

But when Carol completely redid her creative space,

Jo gave us an enthusiastic thumb's-up

to document the magical transformation.

Enjoy!

As always, many thanks to Jo Packham, Brandy Shay,

and the top-notch crew at Where Women Create

for the honor of contributing.

And most of all, a huge debt of gratitude to

Carol Darilek, for allowing me entrance into your

world of wonder and amazement!

Happy Spring, my friends!

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Published in Where Women Create-Llano Earth Art Festival

2016-12-08T15:40:00.000-06:00

Hello Friends!I'm thrilled to share something a little bit different, a little bit magical, and a whole lot of awesome with all of you.
This past April, it was my pleasure to photograph the second annual Llano Earth Art Festival in beautiful Llano, Texas exclusively for Where Women Create Magazine.

So....what is LEAF, you might be asking right about now?
Well, like I said, it's pure magic, but a bit of exposition is in order.

Festival organizer Binky Morgan,

(the beautiful lady above ),

and the entire LEAF team of visionaries

worked tirelessly to make this joyous,

multi-sensory experience happen

on the banks of the Llano River.

It's all about Earth, and Art ( and Earth Art! ),

workshops, land art installations, music, fashion, and so, so much more.

But above all else, it's home to the National Rock Stacking Championship, which is a gravity-defying form of creative expression which astonishes and confounds in equal measure.

You can read all about LEAF

in the Nov/Dec/Jan 2017 issue of

Where Women Create Magazine,

on newsstands now.

And to learn more about LEAF,

be sure to click

HERE.

Thank you to Where Women Create Magazine,

and Binky Morgan for the privilege
of collaborating on this project,

And a great big thank you

to my expert photographer buddies

Cynthia Lively and Lou Quallenberg

for contributing their own stellar photos to this piece.

Happy Holidays,

and the best to each of you!

Best,

Anne

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That Someone

2016-10-26T16:07:00.002-05:00

Inspiration.

It's not always a what,

sometimes it's a who.

The lady above is Jill Thompson Elliott.

Wife and mom, owner/proprietor of

Haberdashery Boutique in Fredericksburg, Texas,

cover girl for Where Women Create Business Magazine,

and a wonderfully intuitive photographer.

If I told her that she does it all well,

and with preternatural grace,

she would just crinkle up that cute nose of hers

and correct me, albeit graciously.

She knows that what looks and seems effortless

is usually anything but.

And I know it, too.

But don't we all sometimes

look dolefully at "that someone" who seemingly

has it all together? The one who has figured out

the secret to having it all and doing it all,...

being that woman that we all aspire to be?

What we see is superficially viewed through

our own experiences, our own failings,

and a huge, heaping pile of misconceptions.

The woman who "has it all", that someone,

is a woman who has laughed and cried, and sacrificed.

She has suffered great joy and crushing losses,

sometimes in equal measure.

She has laid awake crying, silently working out

in her sleepless mind the "how's and why's and when's",

and how to wisely navigate the curve-balls

that life invariably hits us with.

She is Jill Thompson Elliott,

and a thousand other women I know

and admire.

And yeah, right here and right now,

today, she is that someone who I want to

acknowledge as making an impact on my life.

This post will surprise her, no doubt,

but that's kinda the point.

It's nice when we are going about our everyday lives,

just doing what we do without any fanfare,

expecting no notice or recognition,

someone sneaks up on you...

kind of like I did in that photo I snapped of Jill,,,

and says,

"pssssst....hey you...you're pretty okay, ya know?

you made an impact, and you are an inspiration?"

Readers, keep being who you are,

because chances are,

YOU are that someone to someone else.

Best,

Anne

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CPR

2016-10-11T15:51:00.000-05:00

That's what I needed.

A dose of epi, a little B12, hell, maybe even full-blown

resuscitation.

I was freaking burned out,

and didn't give much of a flip

whether I ever picked up the camera again.

I put it down for a spell, and let it rest.

It wasn't the fault of my clients,

far from it. It was due to my type-A,

can't say no, gotta go, go, go, mindset

that has sadly dictated the last 6 years of my photography

business model.

A conundrum of my own creation,

and as usual, my own worst enemy.

Being the all-or-nothing creature that I am,

I did what felt natural to me...

I pretty much said no to any and every job

which came my way, save for a small group

of long-time clients and one group of magazines.

And then my best friend Tom coerced me into

taking a photography workshop this past week.

The Art of Intuitive Photography by Mindy Veissid,

to be exact.

Wow.

Mindy has done what I thought for sure

what was impossible.

She taught me to believe again.

To trust in myself and my intuition again.

To drum it into my head that there are no mistakes

when you follow your heart and your calling.

That CPR thing came by way of a beautifully

gifted lady named Mindy, and she has rocked my world.

Thank you Mindy, Lisa and Jill.

Hope came in the package of two spitfire New Yorkers,

and my own stubborn decison to get off my ass and say,

"oh okay, I'll give this workshop thing a shot...it'll only

be a few hours outta my day regardless."

Sharing an image from the workshop.

Just one for now.

It's open for your own interpretation.

I don't even feel compelled to share what it is,

or where I shot it.

What matters most to me is that I stopped,

took a breath, got out of my own way,

and followed my intuition.

I looked up, and whaddaya know?

There it was.

So yeah... I reckon I'll be back to work

with new eyes and a new purpose.

To follow that voice inside of me that says

"screw the rules, make up your own. tell fear to f off."

Message recieved, Mindy.

Message received.

Best,

Anne

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Summer-Fall 2016: Room No. 5, Carol Hicks Bolton

2016-10-07T15:41:00.000-05:00

Bonjour!

As promised, here are more of the photos

from our recent photo shoot at Carol Hicks Bolton's

glorious shop, Room No. 5.

Delights from their most recent shipment from France

are the order of the day for this visit into Carol's world.

This is only Part One, many more to come

in the days ahead.

Enjoy!

And please pay a visit to Carol's

beautifully revamped website to see

more from our 4 years of collaborations.

Click HERE to see all three of Carol Hicks Bolton's shops!

Thank you for the visit to see what

this very infrequent blogger has been up to!

Again, to see more, please visit Carol at

http://www.carolhicksbolton.com/

Best,

Anne

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Room No. 5, Carol Hicks Bolton, Summer 2016 Sneak Peek

2016-08-29T13:37:00.000-05:00

This lady.

Her shops.

Which is lovelier? Hard to say.

Nope, strike that.

Carol Hicks Bolton, divine though her shops may be,

is far and away the lovelier of the two.

But the very essence of Carol is made manifest

in each lovingly crafted vignette, every carefully curated treasure,

sort of rendering the question moot.

I've been most fortunate to be able to collaborate

with Carol on multiple website, advertising, and magazine

photo shoots over the past 5 or so years.

If you want a master class in all things ethereal,

look no further than Mrs. Bolton.

We collaborated again this Summer

on a big photo shoot / ad campaign for her shop Room No. 5.

The photo above was from that very shoot,

an out-take, actually. I caught Carol unawares as she was

styling this cabinet, and as it turns out,

it's probably our favorite photo from the whole shoot.

Art is funny like that...oftentimes it is created

as a result of happy accidents.

Anyway.

I look back and see that I haven't blogged since April.

I've been active on Facebook and Instagram,

but the blog? Well, if you want the unadulterated truth,

my heart just wasn't in it much anymore.

I thought I wanted to close the door completely,

but maybe I might just leave the door cracked open, ever so slightly.

You know, for stuff like this.

The good stuff, sharing what I want, when I want,

with no apologies or explanations offered

for the infrequency of my posts.

I've had some friends lament that I had shut the blog down completely,

making it impossible to access old posts, many of which featured

photos from their own projects or shoots.

So here it is, unlocked and sorta open for business.

If I'm not manning the store, feel free to wander and browse.

I'll be headed back soon to post the rest of our photos

from Carol's Room No. 5 shoot.

Because her stuff is so beyond perfection, that I want to see

her shop(s) plastered all over Pinterest and the like.

Thanks for the visit.

It's nice to be back.

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Published, Spring Where Women Create Business

2016-04-15T09:58:00.000-05:00

Every once in a rare while,

you meet someone who is a

true force of nature.

A dynamic, innovative, inspired, genuine,

ebullient, indomitable,

bona-fide force of Mother Nature Almighty.

For me, that someone was Bex Hale.

{all photos copyright Anne Lorys Photography}

{ Bex and Facebook sensation, Baby Lulu *grin* }

Last year, my buddy Bex agreed to
go on this crazy adventure with me,
and I photographed the photos which accompany her story
in the Spring issue
of Where Women Create Business.

With a background in industrial technology and engineering,

Bex parlayed these strengths into her true passions...

interior design and decor.

And quite the pedigree she possesses

in the design realm, mmm hmm.

Having collaborated with the likes of Robert Redford,

The Sundance Channel, Lexus, The Fairmont Hotel,

and oh, just a little old thang like being

featured on HGTV's DESIGN STAR (!!!!! ),

Bex was a natural to share her story,

her life, her business acumen,

and her joie de vivre with all the readers of

Where Women Create Business Magazine

In the Spring 2016 issue,

Bex shares her design business

in Wimberley, TX, Relics Home,

her luxury vacation rental Relics Ranch,

and not only the tale of how she and

hubby David met, but also shares

a great big old chunk of her heart with us....

Baby Lulu.

But first, the design studio.

The collaborative process where dreams come to life

and decors become seriously awesome.

The design studio.

Bex herself.

'Tis a shame she's not the least bit photogenic.

{ cough, cough, beauty queen, cough, cough }

Relics Ranch, designed from stem to stern by Bex.

Texas meets art deco meets "why the heck not?"

Nobody but nobody rocks a victory roll like this gal!

And then her heart...

I've heard moms describe their children as

"my heart that walks around outside my body."

That. That right there tells you all you need to know

about the bond between this red-headed dynamo

and her towheaded angel baby.

Yep, that's Lulu.

As in THE Lulu,

the cute little tushie revealed in my

previously shared ( months ago )

photo titled "Cowgirl Up."

Now you've got a face to go with the

checkered, bloomered tookus!

And I owe a huge debt of thanks to my friend

and photographer Dixie Sims Dobbins

Check Dixie out HERE!

for sharing these photos of Bex

as she was one of the VIP's

attending the recent Where Women Create

TRIBE event at Zapp Hall in Warrenton.

It was a collective celebration of women creatives,

with a special focus on gals highlighted in all

the current issues of the "Where Women" family of magazines.

{ photo courtesy Dixie Sims Dobbins }

As always, I thank my friends and family

at Where Women Create.

Jo, Brandy, Amber....you make each project

a magical experience from start to finish.

And Bex, to you...

I think you know.

I adore you, I idolize you,

I know that I know that I know

that I am a much better person

having you in my orbit.

Go on, you unstoppable force of nature...

conquer the world now!

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HGTV's Bex Hale Means BUSINESS!

2016-04-05T07:02:00.000-05:00

Where Women Create Business, that is!

I was crazy lucky enough to shoot her feature

in the current issue,

and lots and lots more images are on the way.

HGTV Design Star Bex Hale,
cuteness personified!

This was such a fun issue,
I hope y'all grab a copy soon!

More to follow...and no,I won't stay true to form

and make you guys wait

a month before I post again!

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The Shift

2016-02-28T13:19:00.003-06:00

Defying conventional wisdom.

Not every blog post is required to boast a pretty picture.

Or any picture at all, for that matter.

When I entered blogging in 2009,

I came in as a writer, and somehow ended up a photographer.

I was winging it, as I was still seeking to find my blogging voice.

Seven years later, I'm having a full-circle moment

as once again, I'm in search of my voice.

Not with regards to blogging, but as part of the bigger picture:

Purpose.

Priorities.

Peace.

What mattered and who I was seven years ago

have undergone a dramatic shift.

Such is the case with late bloomers, I suppose.

And the questions need answering and addressing,

as much as I try and avoid them.

My purpose:

What am I supposed to do?

Big question, one I've been avoiding for ages.

Just when I think I've got it figured out,

I have a great big "nope" moment, re-calibrate,

and set my course down another path.

My priorities:

What comes first?

What should be held onto and what must be sacrificed?

Another question I had hoped would answer itself.

The signs have always been there, plain as day,

faith and family. Why then have I chosen to ignore them?

My peace:

Where do I derive this from?

Is what I'm doing fostering a sense of peace?

And if I have to even ask this question,

don't I already know the answer?

And here's where I either cut my own creative throat,

or feel a sense of liberation so exhilarating

that I honestly don't give a flip about the fall-out.

I no longer sense that I'm on the right path.

That my primary expression of the heart,

creatively or otherwise, is meant to be manifested

via my photography.

The shift has occurred.

My priority, my purpose, and my peace

are conveniently located in the same place,

and via the same means....

my faith.

I've neglected to the point of rejection

this basic truth, that only via my faith

and only through Christ will I receive the answers

and the peace that I've been lacking.

In the wake of losing my mom in 2011,

I climbed on the treadmill and haven't

jumped off since. Burying myself in more work

than I could realistically handle.

It was a means of avoidance,

and if I'm being truthful, there was a lot of ego involved.

I always felt that if I could reach a certain level of "success",

if I could see my work in print "X" number of times,

that I'd feel satiated. And to some extent, it worked,

but only for a little while.

With each project, I felt an internal sense

of unrest building inside me.

What once gave me a sense of worth

now gave me the sense of being enslaved.

Keep churning out content,

stay in the public eye,

stay relevant,

stay "out there" lest you be forgotten.

What a load of misguided crap.

I've felt it coming for a really long time now,

the shift.

The moving away from the superficial

and the superfluous, and towards the only source

of true purpose and peace.

To most, it's been an imperceptible shift.

People have noticed that I'm accepting less photography gigs.

I've taken on quite a few rather reluctantly, recognizing that

although I never gave less than 100%,

that I was sacrificing something far more valuable

than another byline or the money.

I'm finding my way largely in the dark most days...

knowing the source of the light,

but traveling a maze-like path to get there.

Oh, I'll get there, don't you worry.

The sign-posts are there, I just have to

break through the haze to find them.

A clear mind and a pure heart

are the surest ways I know to lift the fog.

Time to stop talking and start doing.

Published, Spring 2016 Where Women Create

2016-02-15T16:03:00.000-06:00

My favorite magazine,

Where Women Create,

has a wonderfully inspiring column called

"The Art of Organization".

It's where artists share their tips and tricks

for storing and organizing all of those

tantalizing bits and baubles

that fuel their creativity.

It was my privilege to photograph

the studio of my wildly talented friend

Chris Berger in the new Spring issue!

Chris works in so many mediums,

making her a natural for sharing her

uncanny gift of keeping all her pretties

stored and at the ready.

Her collection of vintage hatboxes

house delicate millinery flowers...

And embellished cards of

every shape and size.

A sweet array of vintage bottles

provide not only easy access, but allow Chris

to visualize just the perfect touch for one of

her stunning altered lingerie creations.

Speaking of....

Oh.

My.

Word.

Corsets, bras, undergarments have never

looked so sublime.

Victoria's Secret's got nuthin' on Chris.

Need storage for your art papers?

Not a problem, howzabout a vintage dish rack?

Clever gal, my friend Chris.

And truly one of the most gifted, generous-hearted

people I know.

Only a couple of weeks after shooting this feature,

Chris's sweet husband and our good friend Keith

passed away suddenly.

He was smart as a whip, hilarious,

and missed by all who were fortunate enough

to know and love him.

Keith, this one was for you.

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Sneak Peek...Where Women Create

2016-02-02T19:15:00.003-06:00

That's just a teensy corner of my friend

Chris Berger's studio in the Spring 2016 issue of

Where Women Create Magazine.

I was blessed to be given the opportunity

to shoot her studio for the WWC column,

"The Art of Organization",

and it will be my pleasure to

share more of Chris's studio later this week.

Yeppers, my monthly blog post,

how the time flies, eh? ;-)

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New Year, New Focus

2016-01-08T10:42:00.000-06:00

Everything you see in the above photo?

Smile Bigger.

Love Longer.

Hug Harder.

Laugh Louder.

That's it for me, my goals for 2016.

Nothing terribly specific as far as

New Year's resolutions go,

but a very specific path

has been chosen to achive this.

It's called slowing down and refocusing.

Taking a deep breath and recognizing

that family and faith take a front seat,

and all that other stuff is just that....

stuff.

I'm pretty excited to be taking

the first few months of 2016

off from all my

photography related work.

Emphasis on WORK.

I'm not putting down my camera,

just putting the biz on the back burner for now.

Heck, it might even feel so good

that I won't resume until Summer.

I mean, if something comes along

that absolutely rocks my world

and is life-changing, then I reserve the right

to accept the occasional photo shoot.

I still have a couple of fun shoots completed

last year for the Where Women Create

family of magazines to share soon,

so you will be hearing from me as I

happily share my photos of these

utterly amazing women.

And maybe I'll share some "just for fun, just for me"

photos. The kind of stuff I used to get really

jazzed about doing before I went pro

with my photography.

But for now?

It's all about smiling, loving, hugging and laughing.

See you soon?

Maybe.....

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Vintage Rescue Squad 2016 Dreaming of Junking Calendars are HERE!

2015-12-23T18:22:00.000-06:00

It's that time again,

when Sue of Vintage Rescue Squad

rolls out her yearly, must-have,

DREAMING OF JUNKING

calendars.

Why the name?

Well, not only do you get 12 months worth

of terrific junking photos,

Sue also includes the dates of pretty much

every major US flea market and

vintage-antique-junk show

in the country!

Warrenton-Round Top, Brimfield,

Country Living Fair...

they're all here. And then some!

It's an indispensable resource for all you

hardcore Flea Market-eers.

The 2016 calendar features images from Sue herself,

Chartreuse and Co.,

and three from yours truly.

Here's one of mine....

That's the counter space

at Carol Hicks Bolton's latest

show-stopper of a shop,

Gus Antiques & Wonders.

Hurry and order yours quick though,

as this edition has a limited run of 150.

These babies go FAST!

Order yours HERE!

And Merry Christmas to you and yours!

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Christmas in 'da Burg

2015-12-15T12:13:00.000-06:00

Happy Holidays!

I'm sharing a Christmas post from 2014.

Enjoy the festive sights from my sweet hometown!

Christmas in Fredericksburg

is completely magical.

There's just no other word for it.

The sights, the sounds, the good cheer

which permeates every nook of our

sweet little 'burg....it's infectious.

Doing a little editorial shooting

for my friend Sarah Batch,

CEO of Pretty Smart-ish Media,

I hit the streets yesterday and headed for the

heart of our darling city....

Marktplatz.

Here are a handful to share with you.

Fröhliche Weihnachten!

And the reason for the Season....

See all of this and SO much more

by paying us a holiday visit here in Fred.

We would love to have you!

Merry Christmas!

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Christmas Past

2015-12-06T17:25:00.000-06:00

I just wanted to share a handful of

my favorite images from my commercial

and editorial photo shoots these past few years.

From the shops of Binky la Faye,

to Timeless Menagerie,

to Country Garden Antiques,

and one from my first Christmas

with a big girl camera!

To you and yours....

Wishing you every blessing this Christmas!

And from way back when,

2009 to be exact, one of my very first

photos ever taken....

Be blessed, be safe, be happy.

And never forget the miraculous

reason for the season!

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Published in Where Women Create

2015-11-14T10:08:00.000-06:00

The Winter issue of

Where Women Create Magazine

is on newsstands now,and how lucky am I?

I was asked to photograph

the completely charming

studio of Austin based scrapbooking queen,

Carol Darilek.

Carol has converted her cozy laundry room

into the most darling of studios!

Carol's organizational skills

in this small space are off-the-charts impressive.

A beautifully creative space

for a truly lovely woman.

Tools of the trade.

Bits and beautiful pieces of this-n-that

and all the little touches that make

each project uniquely her own.

See that photo above?

THAT is what WWC stands for.

Women celebrating women.

Building one another up, cheering each other on.

That's what it's all about.

And why I am a proud contributor.

You can pick up the issue everywhere,

and if it's not easy to locate in your area,

you can order it HERE.

Thank you Carol Darilek, Jo Packham and Brandy Shay!

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Room No 5

2015-11-06T13:55:00.000-06:00

Once upon a time,

on Main Street Fredericksburg, Texas,

there were a handful of enchanting shops.

Homestead.

Idle Hours.

American Higgledy Piggledy.

And to my mind, the crown jewel...

Room No 5.

All birthed by the Bolton's, Carol and Tim,

all pure magic.

But there was always something

extra special about Room No 5.

Awash in white, it was the stuff of dreams.

But several years back, the Bolton's left Main St

and reinvented themselves on Warehouse Row.

First with Carol Hicks Bolton Antiquites,

then with Gus Antiques & Wonders,

and now....finally....surely an answer to my prayers....

Room No 5 has returned.

Since doing this photo shoot several weeks ago,

Room No 5 is even more of a white wonderland.

You simply must come wonder, come wander,

come seek, come find.

Carol Hicks Bolton Antiquites

and on Facebook

Carol Hicks Bolton on Facebook

301 South Lincoln Street

Fredericksburg, TX 78624

830-997-5551

store@carolhicksbolton.com

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a stroll thru life

Gus 'n Stuff!

2015-10-29T16:28:00.000-05:00

Can we all say a collective

WOW

at the counter space at the new and improved

Gus Antiques & Wonders?

From the magical brain of Carol Hicks Bolton,

Gus has moved just a few feet to the right

into the historic Woerner Feed Store.

Such a perfect fit!

And what's in the former Gus space?

The gloriously lovely return of Room No. 5!

More photos ahead from both the new Gus

and Room No. 5.

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"Cowgirl Up"

2015-10-22T00:32:00.000-05:00

A little sumpin' from an upcoming magazine feature.

This darling cowgirl isn't the subject of the story,

but she sure oughta be.

Magazine out in the Spring.

Happy Week!

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Back At It

2015-10-02T22:47:00.000-05:00

After taking the better part of the Summer off

from doing photo shoots,

I'm back at it again with gusto.

I've completed two commercial shoots

for local clients this past week, and I have two

more shoots lined up for next week,

PLUS another shoot for the

Where Women Create family

of magazines scheduled for early next week.

Whew.

Glad to know I've been missed!

Here's a peek at the two Fredericksburg, TX

guest houses I shot last week.

Many more photos of these darling properties

very soon.

The first three photos are from

Cotton Tail Guest House,

one of the 7 B&B properties

owned by my friend Melissa Mabery.

I've been lucky enough to shoot all of

these properties, and I must admit that

Cotton Tail is my fave!

Cotton Tail is a two-story guest house,

has a full kitchen, three roomy bedrooms

and bathrooms, and sleeps EIGHT!

Melissa's decorating choices are

always spot-on.

Even though it's new construction,

vintage touches are found throughout.

Old tin ceiling added, antique pocket doors,

and vintage doors as headboards.

Lots of reclaimed wood for the floors and beams.

Sigh....

So what lies beyond the second floor landing

at Finch Feather Guest House ?

Check back next week to see more. :-)

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Published in Where Women Cook

2015-09-09T16:15:00.000-05:00

Not much scares me at this stage in my life.

But food photography?

THAT scared me.

Still.

I put on my big-girl panties

and marched right over

to Boerne, Texas, to photograph

the culinary delights

and wizardry of my friend,

mixed media artist extraordinaire,

Laura Roberts, aka Hasty Pearl.

Fast forward several months,

and I am so happy to share mine and Laura's

contribution to the Autumn issue of

Where Women Cook magazine.

As an artist, Laura sees food as an expression

and extension of her creative muscles....

And her artistry is showcased to perfection

the minute she steps into the kitchen.

For her feature, Laura chose to share her passion

for Mexican food, a South Texas staple.

Down yonder in these parts,

we use crushed red pepper

the way some of y'all Yanks use salt.

I'm just sayin'.

The keys to any South of the border inspired feast?

For starters:

Avocados,

Cilantro,

Tomatoes,

Onions,

and let's see...

I know I'm forgetting something here....

Oh!

Peppers!

How the bejebbers could I forget???

Serrano, Jalapeno, Poblano.

Even the names sound festive.

Any self-respecting Texas cook

knows how to whip up a mean batch of Salsa.

Laura happily shares her recipe with you

in the pages of the Fall issue.

Now tell me....does that photo above resemble

not only a cutting board, but a painter's palette as well?

The beauty of food, indeed.

And the Pico. Never, ever forget the Pico de Gallo.

This stuff goes on EVERYTHING.

Chips, Tortillas, Enchiladas, or as a meal

all by itself.

Just pass me the bowl and prepare

to get it back empty.

Yep, it's that good.

And I don't know about you,

but here in Texas, we love, love, love to add

a Tex-Mex twist to just about everything,

especially any and every type of seafood.

Grilled Shrimp on skewers,

marinated in a savory green verde sauce.

Edible art.

I want to thank my sweet friend Laura Roberts

for going along on this ride with me,

along with everyone at Where Women Cook.

Jo, Brandy, Amber.... always a pleasure!

If you can't locate this magazine

or any of the "Where Women" publications,

click HERE and they'll hook you up.

I hope you'll visit Laura at her blog

Hasty Pearl Blog

and her Etsy shop.

Hasty Pearl Etsy Shop

If you think she's a fab chef,

just wait until you feast your eyes

on what she can whip up in her studio.

To see more of Laura's feature,

visit me at my website,

Anne Lorys Photography

Gracias!

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Rediscovering "Us"

2015-08-22T17:12:00.000-05:00

It was one of those weird things...

I had taken my laptop in to be repaired,

and I just picked it up this afternoon.

I don't know what sort of hoodoo voodoo

the computer tech did, but he located a folder of photos

that I haven't seen in almost 5 years.

They are the story of us.

Me and my husband.

From our very first date,

until our honeymoon, and a few stops in between.

We've been married 8 years this Summer,

and it hasn't been the easiest of paths.

We've butted heads our fair share and then some,

but rediscovering these photos reminds me

of the really, honest-to-goodness, important stuff.

I'm sharing these with you here...

none of them are edited, in fact they all pre-date

my career as a photographer, which didn't

happen until late 2009.

So here we are.The story of Anne and James.

For better, for worse,

in sickness and in health,

and you know the rest.

:-)

The first date....St. Patrick's Day 2006.

Dolores del Rio on The Riverwalk.

Still the first date. Cheesy photo from Dave and Buster's.

From my trips to see him in the Rio Grande Valley....

And from his treks to see me

in the Texas Hill Country....

Meeting other members

of his clan, pre-engagement...

Meeting his oldest friends from The Valley.

*****

And at the Texas Renaissance Festival in Plantersville...

THE PROPOSAL!!!

All captured by his younger brother Andrew,

who was in on the stealth plan.

And a post-proposal, celebratory dinner

with my husband's brother Andrew, ( my now brother-in-law ),

and his lovely girlfriend Mary who became

his bride 2 years later.

The bridal shower.

I don't think I've ever been this thin since!

Bridal shower loot and swag!

Hooray, I got the entire

Antique White Mikasa china set!

And then the day arrived.

July 21, 2007.

Mr. and Mrs.

He put a ring on it.

Off to Hawaii for the honeymoon...

The one thing I most wanted to do,

fly over an active volcano!

Bucket list...check!

Swing from inside a Banyan tree,

just because I could.

Go native at a Luau...

{ please note: that armband "tat" was a pre-tat tat. It washed right off }

A view like no other,

Waikiki Beach.

And to just take a minute to realize...

"holy cow, I'm married!!!"

And then below, a photo of us just a couple
of weeks back with me, my bro-in-law,
and the husband at the Houston House of Blues....

^ ^ ^
me + three dirty martinis later = not even recalling this photo. ;-)

The laughs, the fights, the tears, the unspeakable joy

of finding your other half.

Our faces pretty much say it all.

Thank you for sharing in

our memories.

Thank you for rediscovering us.

XOXO

Ad majorem Dei gloriam

Latin for "all for the glory of God."

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New from Carol Hicks Bolton....

2015-08-16T08:13:00.000-05:00

I've been busy shooting the latest

swoony goings-on at Gus Antiques & Wonders.

I mean, how could it not be swoony?

It's Carol Hicks Bolton, fer crying loud!!!

So when I say busy, I mean "happily keeping myself

occupied and out of trouble doing what I love busy."

Which makes for a lousy blogger, but we've already

established that I'm sort of a "blog only when you feel like it" blogger.

Which isn't a bad thing.

:-)

Here's the smallest of sneak peeks

at what you can find at Gus...

And I will certainly be posting more soon!

I did want the Bolton's to have a chance

to get these photos up and running

on their website before I shared them here.

I'll also be sharing two photo shoots I did earlier this Spring and Summer.

All I can say about those two is

"Thank you Where Women Create and Where Women Cook!"

Now....back to editing!

Carol Hicks Bolton Antiquites and Gus Antiques

Ad majorem Dei gloriam

Latin for "all for the glory of God."

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Thank You, Romantic Country Magazine!

2015-07-27T16:35:00.000-05:00

I always love working with Fifi O' Neill

at Romantic Country Magazine.

And I love photographing all my good friends

at Fredericksburg Trade Days.

So it was a perfect marriage of beautiful creativity

when Fifi wanted to publish a photo of Trade Days

in RC's "Best of The Fleas" feature

in the Fall issue!

Above is the photo that made the magazine,

from Lori Allen of Lori Allen Designs.

Her space is a complete oasis of beauty.

A few more photos from Lori's Trade Days space....

Although the top photo from Lori's space was the one

chosen for the issue, I wanted to include

others from the same shoot.

Below is my sweet friend Hollie.

Hollie Fairchild just opened a FAB shop

here in Fredericksburg called Farm Haus.

It's the stuff vintage dreams are made of.

And below are the sweet sisters from ReDid....

All these gals are located in Barn 0 at

Fredericksburg Trade Days,

and no matter the distance, you owe it

to yourself to visit only one of the best

little fleas anywhere!

Next few show dates:

August 14-16

September 18-20

October 16-18

355 Sunday Farms Road

Fredericksburg, TX 78624

And if you're in the area,

give me a shout! I'd love to leet up

with my blogger and Facebook buddies.

Ad majorem Dei gloriam

Latin for "all for the glory of God."

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