melwren

Tim & Kate - Married!

2011-12-19T19:58:00.000-05:00

Donnie & Travina - Engaged!

2011-06-18T22:17:00.000-04:00

Jason & Joanna - Married!

2011-06-12T00:02:00.003-04:00

Spring Smiles

2011-06-04T00:55:00.002-04:00

I kicked off my Spring/Summer 2011 by getting a cat. Despite my friends opinions and other names for her, I have named her Millie. She is awesome.

I also spent some time in the mountains of Virginia at a camp. There was a lot of porch chillin' going on.

Oh nature, you are the best in the spring months.

I was lucky enough to have Maggie's friendship and company all week at camp :D

Also got to get all gussied up with this handsome man :)
He's got me pretty smitten. (Photo by Maggie Peyronnet)

And then Carramel was reunited in RVA!

We went to play at the river, wearing black tanktops.. you know, to hide the sweat.

I also got to be reunited with my other amazing friends!

Ah! Everyone together at last :)

Got to meet the beautiful Janielle :]

Shelly likes bubble tea... actually, everyone loves it.. except for me.

But, I was able to compromise with a banana slush - hold the boba. [bleck]

I've been babysitting too. :]

This is Sally.

Maggie and I got to play with her a little last night while the boys played some soccer.

And this is an adorable girl that was at the wedding I had the privilege of photographing last weekend.

If Summer wants to continue to be as amazing as Spring has been, that would be great :D

Duncan & Shannon - Engaged!

2011-06-02T11:48:00.000-04:00

Paul & Hilary (FINALLY!)

2011-05-25T23:44:00.001-04:00

Well, it took me ages, but I finally worked through these pictures and am able to post some of them! I had a lot of fun on my first portrait session with Paul & Hilary. They're such a fun married couple and although it's probably more awkward to be in front of a camera, it is also pretty awkward being behind one not knowing how exactly to direct the people in front of it. It was a good experience and we will definitely have to do it again!

Brandon & Ashley

2011-05-15T01:20:00.000-04:00

I had the pleasure of doing an impromptu mini photoshoot with Brandon and Ashley and their little one, still in the belly, today! I was out with them doing some engagement shots for two of our friends (coming soon!), and they had the awesome idea of getting some shots of their growing family. Heh heh, get it? Okay... haha, I'll stop. In all seriousness though, I've always wanted to try a pregnancy photoshoot and these two were the perfect couple to practice with! Beautiful!

Super Fail

2011-04-25T19:43:00.000-04:00

I super failed at posting last week, and you know why? Because I ordered some photo-editing software and it was supposed to be 3-5 day shipping and it has been... FOURTEEN DAYS!!! Grrrr. So.. hang in there..

Uhhh

2011-04-11T21:34:00.001-04:00

I should probably post soon, huh?
I'm incredibly backed up with pictures on my computer.. which I guess is a good thing for me!
Unfortunately school and life have been keeping me from posting on here, my goal is to have SOMETHING up by the end of the week (fingers crossed).

In the mean time, enjoy this lovely couple. :)

Spring Bike Rides

2011-03-22T11:07:00.000-04:00

Finally! Spring! Yes!!

I took Sam and Owen outside the other day to ride bikes. Owen just learned how to ride without training wheels and he has been begging and begging me to take him for a ride. I was kind of dreading it to be honest, because I didn't want to deal with the all of the falls and tears. We lasted a good 20 minutes before Owen flung a fit and ran inside.

Sam is very comfortable with his bike and kept coming up behind Owen really fast and passing him and it would make Owen upset. I felt bad because I was laughing... Sam was having so much fun terrorizing his little brother!

Being Alone

2011-03-16T23:39:00.000-04:00

Inspired by this video on "How To Be Alone" I decided to go out and do something alone tonight. Sure, I do things along all of the time: grocery shopping, going to the bank, drive thru fast food, etc. I never do things that are remotely fun alone, because those things are most enjoyed when I am with another person. I've been wanting to see the movie Tangled since it came out in theaters months ago, and never got around to finding someone to go see it with. I eventually just figured I would wait to rent it. I missed the showings on campus a few weeks ago, and then I randomly looked on the website for The Byrd Theater and saw that Tangled was showing this week! I realized I had Wednesday night completely free and that would be the perfect opportunity to go and watch the movie... alone. I pumped myself up for it and when the time came, I put on some makeup and drove over to the theater. "Just one please." I even bought myself some popcorn and a soda. And there I sat, alone, in a theater full of people, mostly families, and sure it was a little awkward at first, and then I didn't really care. I loved every moment of the movie and then I drove home feeling a new sense of independence, confidence, and peace. I hope this somehow inspires someone else to do something alone, because being alone doesn't always have to be sad.

Nights like this

2011-03-05T00:13:00.000-05:00

I find my place in nights like these.
Coming together, united, in the love of Jesus.
Finding the meaning of true fellowship.
There is no striving; we are at home with one another.
And I pray that no matter where I go, or what I do, I will be the church with the church.

Intimacy

2011-03-02T01:36:00.000-05:00

I have such great conviction in my heart tonight. I spent a good 5+ hours studying (straight through), and decided to take a break. I turned on some music and a love song to the Lord began to play. My heart tugged, and I wanted to cry. I realized that I am missing the intimacy with the Lord that I used to have. I used to write Him love songs, myself. I am missing that love that left me feeling so secure in who I am and confident in who He is. I pulled out my guitar and began to strum. All that I could focus on was how my callouses are completely gone and playing the guitar is now painful. How symbolic. I have some re-cultivating to do. But, I trust that the Lord will redeem the time that I have let waste away. He will once again draw me in close to Him. I am praying over myself that God would stir up in me a hunger so deep that I would not spend another moment apart from Him.

"Draw near to God, and He will draw near to you." (James 4:8)

Wind [Sample Video]

2011-02-28T00:55:00.000-05:00

The wind blows wherever it pleases. You hear its sound, but you cannot tell where it comes from or where it is going. So it is with everyone born of the Spirit. [John 3:8]

Awake, north wind, and come, south wind! Blow on my garden, that its fragrance may spread everywhere. Let my beloved come into his garden and taste its choice fruits. [Song of Solomon 4:16]

Roaming Around

2011-02-27T20:18:00.001-05:00

Today I went out for a walk and passed by an alley and saw an orange cat. I decided to walk down the alley so that maybe we could be friends. Right when we were almost face to face he snuck behind this trashcan and passed this fence into a yard. Jerk. And then he came out from another spot in the fence and ran away from me! No love!

Once the weather starts becoming that perfect "I'm going to go for a walk" temperature, I want to do this again and find a bunch of Richmond cats :] So be looking forward to that! I am.

Also, I was going to share a sample video on here as well of something I might be doing this Spring.. but Vimeo is taking FOREVER to process it. So, maybe I will just make another blog tomorrow or later tonight with the videos. Be looking forward to that too ;]

Purple Peaches

2011-02-19T15:09:00.000-05:00

Happy sunny Saturday, friends!
Or at least it's a sunny Saturday where I'm at.. and windy!

Anyway, I knew that my friend Shannon would be coming over to bake with me this morning, so last night I was going through recipes trying to figure out what I wanted to bake. Last time I made treats with Shannon she made perfect little Madeleines and I made an inedible jelly-roll. Thank you Martha Stewart for your ridiculously difficult recipe.

I remembered that when I was hanging out with my boyfriend the other day he had briefly mentioned how he really likes peach cobbler. I honestly have never been a big fan of peaches. I think that is because my only exposure to peaches growing up was the kind that came in the can where the peaches sat in a syrupy juice that was never agreeable with me. And then the only other time we would have peaches was when my mom wouldn't feel like cooking and would get us the family dinner from KFC with the mashed potatoes, green beans, biscuits, fried chicken (of course), and then the peach cobbler. Everyone loved the peach cobbler... except for me.

So I decided, why not give peaches another chance?

I found a peach cobbler recipe and went to town. And here's the result:

What a beaut!

I was skeptical and took a bite and thought, "Daaag, this jank be good!"
For real, it was SO good.

Here's the recipe I used! Peach Cobbler Recipe

While the dish was baking in the oven I decided to take my purple tulips that Brendan got me for Valentine's day outside for a little photo session!

It's funny because he kept telling me about how he wasn't going to get me pink or red roses because he thinks they are "trite". So I was curious as to what he would decide to get. I don't know if I have an absolute favorite flower because I truly do enjoy most flowers, but boy did he do good. I remember growing up and seeing the tulips blossoming in front of our house. I would always tell my mom how much I loved the tulips in the front yard. It made me sad that they wouldn't last very long because of either the weather or little animals that would eat them. But these purple tulips were really perfect :]

Well, I hope you all are having a good weekend/week!
Thanks for the encouraging comments, I truly take them to heart and really appreciate them :)

Time for an Update

2011-02-15T22:50:00.000-05:00

Hey friends.

I feel that it is now time for an update. I have some bad news.

The bad news is that I am pausing (slash, maybe quitting) my Project 52 photography project. It ended up being a little more than I could handle. Which is weird because one of the reasons why I wanted to do it was because it was weekly (not daily!) and I felt that I would be able to handle that.. and well, I can't. Last week I went out into the city to take pictures, and I got pretty depressed because I felt incredibly self-conscious. I was by myself and I didn't want to even get out of my car to take pictures. I don't know how to really explain it, but photography is a lot more fun when you have a friend to either model for you, or to just be there with you. And I thought this was something I could do on my own, and I guess in some ways I'm sure it is, but just not weekly.

However, I will still take pictures when I can, and I will still update this blog, when I can.

Week 5 - No Theme

2011-02-05T22:02:00.000-05:00

Hey friends! I was pretty lame this week and didn't pick a theme for the photos or do anything crazy exciting.. so, here are just some random pictures I took this week.. and by "this week", I mean, these past two days.

And in the spirit of Super Bowl weekend...

Maybe I'll do some actual thought-blogging later, but I don't really feel like it right now!

Week 4 - Meet Josh

2011-01-30T00:41:00.001-05:00

This is Josh. I watched him on this lovely Saturday afternoon along with his older brother Gabe and his older sister Grace.

This is Grace. Isn't she adorable? But sadly, this blog will not be about her (she was actually gone most of the day at a birthday party).

Josh wanted to play all afternoon! We played with trains, lining up the tracks and letting them roll right through. We played ninja turtles, lining them up in a row and knocking them down like dominoes. We also played Hide-and-Go-Seek and dinosaurs!

Josh is obviously a deep thinker.

At one point Josh decided that he wanted to dress up like a dragon.

He crawled on the floor a lot.

And fittingly said, "RAWR!" a lot.

And he kind of laid on the floor a lot (I think he was tired).

Oh, what a joy it is to know Josh :)

VMFA

2011-01-26T17:43:00.000-05:00

A good friend of mine from high school got in touch with me this past week and so we met up and went to the Art Museum and had lunch. To be honest, I didn't know what to expect because I've lost touch with all of my friends from high school and even though I had some really close friendships, I had in some ways accepted the fact that they would probably not continue.. life goes on.. people move on. But, in this case my hope has been renewed. I had an amazing time catching up and hanging out :)

Week 3 - Armory House Show

2011-01-23T20:01:00.001-05:00

This past Friday I drove down to Norfolk, VA for a house show for my Week 3 photo project (and to see my best friend). It was wonderfully refreshing and wonderfully beautiful. This first video is just a compilation of the artists who played: Josh Morgan, Olivia Morgan, Wynter Poe, Taylor Lee, and Lacy Bruner. I didn't really know how to present all of the videos and stuff, so feel free to look at it all, or pick and choose :)

Josh Morgan
"On the streets of gold, we'll never grow old with the lover of our souls."

"If there be anything anxious in me God, rip it out, weed it out so I can be refined, purified and fully alive."

This set absolutely resonated with my soul and where I've been. Such beautiful songs and music from Olivia, Wynter, and Taylor. I wanted to wait to post these videos on facebook until after I had put this blog together, but for one of the songs I just couldn't wait because I just felt like so many people would benefit from hearing it. So, I posted one video early, and I got a message in my inbox from a dear friend saying the song was "so pure" and "almost healing to watch". Now that's what I'm talking about! Yes, Jesus.

I believe this song was written with Jonah 2 in mind? Just a guess ;)

“In my distress I called to the LORD,
   and he answered me.
From deep in the realm of the dead I called for help,
   and you listened to my cry.
You hurled me into the depths,
   into the very heart of the seas,
   and the currents swirled about me;
all your waves and breakers
   swept over me.
I said, ‘I have been banished
   from your sight;
yet I will look again
   toward your holy temple.’
The engulfing waters threatened me,
   the deep surrounded me;
   seaweed was wrapped around my head.
To the roots of the mountains I sank down;
   the earth beneath barred me in forever.
But you, LORD my God,
   brought my life up from the pit."

And lovely Lacy Bruner,
I couldn't help but smile the whole time through her whole set :)
"No more nothing-songs for me."

[Note to self] - Something I learned from this was that using the 50mm f/1.2 lens is super hard to keep focused for an event like this and in the future I probably won't use it even though it's small size is so convenient!

50mm Wednesday

2011-01-19T21:45:00.002-05:00

Today was an unusually beautiful January day. The weather was perfect enough for a light jacket and the temperature when walking in the sun was absolutely perfect! And when the sun set the buildings were cast in shadows and the trees were lit up like fire! I love it :)

So, I finally got the 50mm lens that everyone says you HAVE to have.. and now I'm one of those people. Needless to say, I'm having fun!

This is Jack, he is an old skinny cat.

And this is Owen. Isn't he just a cutie? Everyday when I pick him up from school he holds my hand on the way out of school and then when he realizes that he's doing it he will slap my hand and be like, "Ew! Why am I holding your hand?" Haha. Well, today his brother Sam was joking around about how Owen likes to hold my hand and Owen said, "Ya, I hold her hand because I think she's cute!". It was just so precious.. and funny!

And this is Tubby.

And now I need to get ready for bed and classes tomorrow! I hope you all are having a wonderful week :)

Week 2 - Food Times

2011-01-14T17:56:00.000-05:00

Hey friends! Week 2 of my Project52 is about food, if you couldn't tell already. Not too creative, I know, but this past weekend some friends were in town and we went to the same restaurant twice, because it was THAT good, and I was inspired the rest of the week. If you're ever in Richmond you should check out 821 Cafe because it is delicious and inexpensive! And the atmosphere is homey and cozy. :)

This one is from 821 Cafe too. I actually ordered pancakes and didn't even take a picture of my own plate! Oops.

I went to Target this week and stumbled upon this really cute quiche/tart dish and I decided to get it! The next day I hung out with a couple of friends and we attempted to make a spinach and onion quiche but, there was a slight malfunction in my assembling the bottom piece of the pan and when we poured in the egg it drizzled right out under the pan and hardly any of it was cooked into dish. It ended up being more of a spinach pie. Oops again.

See? Spinach pie! It tasted healthy, that's for sure.

Food can be so photogenic :)

Today my friend Shannon came over and we both had our little recipes ready to make some treats. She made Madeleines and I made a jelly roll (haha).

I think for my recipe it was essential to have an electric mixer, which I don't, so the actual roll itself turned out like a big scrambled egg and was sort of yucky, but the inner strawberry jam and whipped cream is delicious! I might have to try this recipe again once I get an electric mixer.

And Shannon's madeleines turned out perfect and they were so delightful! Aren't they just so cute? I love recipes that involve lemon!

Well, that's all I have.
Are you hungry now?

:)

Weekend Friends

2011-01-11T00:06:00.000-05:00

It is so awkward taking pictures in public. I always thought it was, even when I had my Nikon D60 which is significantly smaller than the camera that I have now. But, I really need to just own it and get over myself and not worry about what people think about me, because the end result is completely worth it. I wish I wasn't so chicken this weekend and would've taken more pictures.. I missed out on a lot of great shots.. but, this is a start.

Still trying to figure out what my Week 2 photo project will be. It's supposed to snow tonight/tomorrow.. so maybe that will help inspire me. Or help inspire me to stay in my warm bed all day.

Feel free to suggest any project ideas for me!

Bye for now :)

Week 1 - Be Not Far

2011-01-06T13:03:00.000-05:00

For 2011 I decided to kick my creative-butt back into shape by starting my own rendition of Project 52. Each week I am going to do something with my camera. I recently got a new camera and I barely even use it or even know how to use it. I will do SOMETHING with my camera each week. It might be a video, a photoshoot, themed pictures, self-portraits.. I think you see what I am saying. Are you picking up what I'm putting down?

So, to kick things off I made this stop motion video. Hopefully I will find some time in the near future to blog apart from this project, as there have been things rummaging through my head that might be nice to put down in a blog.

OK, enjoy!