I've Got Wings

I seriously can't get over what just having the new car has done for my psyche. It's like someone just told me I have wings. Wings that I don't have to use, but can. Wings that I haven't even had but all of sixteen hours (only eight of which I have been awake for) and have looked for excuses to use.

How is it that in many circumstances, I despise my hair whipping in the wind. But put me in my new car listening to U2's "Beautiful Day" on a 70º spring evening on the way to play outside with my favorite human in the whole world... and how dare you even consider rolling up the windows or closing the sunroof?!

YES. S-U-N-R-O-O-F. You'd think they were a new invention the way I get giddy at the thought of being able to choose whether to see through the top of my car, let alone open it, and heck, even stick my hand out. I didn't even know I really wanted one until I found out it had one. Unexpectedly.

I know this will die down, like most things do. The same way my sadness over losing Chin did. But gosh, this vehicle is a blessing. Especially after exactly forty days of getting in the accident, thirty-three days since they took the Civic from us, and twenty-six since I gave up the rental and have been without a vehicle. And still, all of it, in perfect timing. From foregoing the daily commute to work from home, to rescheduled photo sessions for better weather, to being in Vegas for a week, and now just in time for our adventure to the East Coast to be with my family for a bit.

p.s. I love having a husband who is entirely at ease with the inner-workings of an automobile. Enough to spend a couple of hours outside last night cleaning and detailing underneath our hood. The "Before and After"s are pretty amazing. He's amazing :)

Home Purchases & Other Things

Well, we did it.

We closed on the house this morning and we're the proud owners of a couple of tiny keys, a ranch home, and a nice little mortgage. But gosh, this is so great. I'm just giddy everytime I think about it, really. Our sellers, you know, those people who used to own our house, will be out tomorrow so it's not ours to sleep in just yet (though with the keys, wouldn't it be funny if we did show up tonight?) but I'm working on trying to convince Cliff that we should bring up sleeping bags, order a pizza, and stay there tomorrow night... you know... just for the simple beauty of it all!

Because while we'd love to be there tomorrow, there's some work we'd like to do and since we've got time to do it, we might as well. We'll be putting up new crown molding and painting, namely. Cliff's parents will be coming in to help over the next week or so and we've got just a little bit of work ahead of us, but it's going to be great.

Speaking of painting, we've made our final decisions on colors and here's what we've settled on:



It's a funky pallette with a few "random" choices, but if you could see these colors up close and the layout of the house you'll see how it works. You never can tell what something truly looks like from a computer screen (every heard of monitor calibration). Who wouldn't want to do laundry in a room as bright and cheery as that anyways (and let me tell you this is one heck of a laundry room... it'll double as storage and pantry as well)? And when an extended family member has NINE GALLONS of Benjamin Moore paint in shades of colors you were already looking at, you make it work!

And finally, if you'd like to get one of the "We've Moved!!" postcards I'm designing and have never received a Christmas Card from us (I'm telling you, we send one to everyone in our mailing list), send me your address in an e-mail and I'll try to get one to you!

I woke up this morning and I could almost feel it.

While finishing up our packing this morning, I put on "Recycled Air" by The Postal Service to see if it might come; that wave of nostalgia for everything that a trip to the Northwest brings to me. It's unbelievable to me how a place can leave such gaping hole in your heart that can hardly be filled with music or coffee you try to place in it simply because they remind you of it all.

It's been (almost) five years since the last time I was in Washington. And I knew very little about how much life would change in the month following that trip. I can't say I didn't know it was coming. I sensed something there, some thrill of change lingering in the air that I'd tasted the year before - my first visit there. And now my visit this time includes that change in human form and I can't tell you how excited I am to share this place with Cliff.

Washington brings out great things in me, and I know no other way to explain it except that some part of me feels at home there. Alive. Exhilarated. Awake.

Everyone keeps asking me what I'm most excited about, because goodness knows there's a lot.

And I keep talking about that moment I first walk out of the SEA-TAC airport to feel and breathe the air. Right now, that's what I'm most excited about. And I probably won't get over that for a couple of days because I've been craving that feeling for so long. It's nothing short of a drug. In fact, I'm already dreading the next bout of withdrawal (though at least this time it's only a couple of months since we're headed to Portland at the end of October).

Whew. Just a few more hours and we're off.

Can't wait for the adventures to come.

Guys.

No really, guys.
I'm kind of freaking out here.

I've been waiting for this moment for... months?
Or something like that. At least, it feels like it.

Some of you know have known for some time now. You others, I've been dying to tell you. Evidenced by the fact that this entry and many since have been laced with the the sort of "more on this later" that has driven both me, and many of you, crazy.

And even though it's been legit for some time now, there was just this one last final step that needed to happen for me to feel like it was finally time to share.

And now it's here, and I don't even know how to tell you.

Except to say, I am officially an Associate Photographer for Gray Photography.

If you have a chance, follow the link to their main page and click on Associates and let me know what you think. I'm honored to be working with and for two our very best friends doing something I could have only ever dreamed of doing. Two incredible people who captured our most beautiful and wonderful memories from our big day, and are now allowing me to do the same for others.

One of the other wonderful parts about this opportunity is that because my wedding work will be exclusively with Gray Photography, I am still able to pursue and develop all of the other facets of photography that I love and have been developing over time as Kristine Neeley Photography. This has been quite the journey so far and it's only just begun.

And the very best part? I've got my very best friend along for the ride. Cliff has been in-training for the last couple of months to be my assistant, lugging around my gear, helping me set up shots, and holding my beloved reflector. I couldn't do this without him.




Oh, and did I mention I've got my first solo wedding as an Associate in exactly ten days?

On my 25th birthday.

And that's pretty exciting.
The understatement of the quarter-century I've been alive (almost).

Come To Me, My Precious

She shall be mine, tomorrow. My first L-series lens.

This is a big step, guys... believe me.

After getting the 5D (which I just now realized I never officially announced, after I so alluringly left you all hanging in suspense... ha), I've been operating off of two really great prime lenses (because my Tamron wide angle was not made for a full-frame camera) and it's about time I get some wide-angle action of my own (without having to borrow Zach & Jody's lenses).

Thanks to the speediness of UPS and Abe's of Maine, this little lady will be in my hands before I go out to shoot with GP on Saturday. I can't believe it. I ordered it on Tuesday night, paid nothing for 7-10 days shipping, and bam, Friday it arrives. And I am very excited about that.

And I'm excited about a lot of things because it's occurred to me that I still haven't made an official announcement about the obvious but not so obvious developments in my photography over the last couple of months. Some of you are privy to information that I am just now realizing others aren't. But it's not time to be official, at least not just yet.

Soon, I promise, soon!

Our New Baby (& More) Arrive Tomorrow!

Okay okay, let's be serious... my baby. BUT. It is our labor of love and will continue to be. Because as much as it has become my dream, it has also become Cliff's as well... supporting me, giving me space in my life to pursue, to dream, and to work and still choosing to do all of that with me.

This little delivery means a whole lot to me, particularly in developing and growing as a photographer. If you don't know what I'm talking about, well, you'll just have to wait and see until tomorrow!

Excited for Christmas

Cliff asked me last night if I was excited about Christmas, and you would have thought he had three heads the way I looked at him. My immediate answer was "Of course not! It's not even Thanksgiving!" He was astonished. He lives for Christmas! And sure, I've been mapping out gifts for our family and occasionally pondering what needs to be done post-turkey to get our little apartment ready for the holiday, but I just hadn't felt it yet.

The leaves are still on the trees (despite last night's rain), there's still pumpkins and pumpkin-flavored creations everywhere, sugary candy corn still sits in candy dishes across this nation, and good grief - it's only the seventh of November!

And then, strangely enough, a comment from mom requesting an e-mail with our holiday plans came and in drafting my response, it hit me: I'm excited for Christmas! (Getting free coffee in a red cup at Starbucks the other day probably helped to subliminally cause such emotions...)

Of course that means nothing in the grand scheme of things; we'll still hold off on decorating, listening to cheery seasonal music, drinking our first peppermint mochas (well, hot chocolate for Cliff) and gift-gathering for a few more weeks. But I can't wait for it all!

SO Excited!

Okay, seriously, my day (and a good portion of my life) has just been made like three (or four, or or five) times over.

1. I spent the afternoon with Molly looking at fabric at Joann's, getting the materials for the bridesmaids' dresses and having a long good talk over Las Palmas in Franklin.
2. My mom called to let me know she got her invitation for my Bridal Shower (AH!) that will be in Maryland at my Dad's (hosted by my awesome step-sister Kim and step-sister in law Jenn) on the 19th and that she and my seester (who is also my Maid of Honor) are definitely driving up from VA Beach to come.
3. I visited Cliff at work!
4. Molly totally booked a flight today to COME WITH ME to my shower in MD! No one's been home with me in forever (since Spring Break '03) and she'll get to meet SO many of my family members (and they, her), she's a GREAT travel companion, and I'll have not just one but two of my bridesmaids with me!

And now I'm off to have dinner with Amy Coles whom I haven't had more than a five minute conversation with in months, then go climbing with Calais and the boys, then come home and finish packing to head out to North Carolina for an unplanned but welcome weekend of festivities with my dad, stepmom, Kim & Frank and the kids, and Rich & Jenn and the kids. My niece's birthday party is Saturday morning, my nephew's First Communion is Saturday evening, we're having a party later for that, AND we're celebrating all of the May/June birthdays (me, Sue, Rich) either Friday night or Sunday morning so we don't have to do it when I'm up there for my shower.

AH! SO excited!