some flowers and a little bit of link love

well, you would think that after what just happened to me, i would learn to write shorter posts... i had typed my entire post for the evening, and then somehow deleted it inadvertently.

now i have to try to remember what i wrote and retype it all... but this time, keep it much shorter. {yeah, right!!}

well, i think i said something about how i have not taken a single outdoor flower photo yet this summer... mostly because i've been busy with the little squirt, and also because he is too young to take out into the sun just yet. so there's been little time spent soaking in the vitamin d... just ask my pasty-white skin! {*wink*}

normally, by now, i would have taken photos of flowers at forest preserves or in my sister's yard, or flowers in the garden park down the street, or from my mom's potted planters on her deck. i did get some last spring. but for a flower-lover like me, it's unusual that i have not taken any this summer.

i was, however, able to snap a few shots of the flowers that my mom had on her kitchen table last time i visited. these were her mother-of-the-groom bouquet flowers from my brother's wedding. the vase full of crimson and vibrant yellow blooms looked so lovely in front of the sliding doors with the soft daylight sifting through the sheer white curtains. so i ran up to isaac's room where he was napping to grab my camera and get some macro photographs of the little gems. i'm not sure what they are called, but they are pretty, no?

even though isaac is a boy, i hope that he will love and appreciate flowers as much as i do. emerson was of the male gender, and he obviously loved and appreciated them... so i'm holding out hope that isaac will too {unlike his father}.

speaking of my brother's wedding, i wanted to provide a link to the photos that the professional photographer took... they are on his blog. the photos are quite beautiful and interesting, and i think any photography enthusiast would enjoy, or at the very least, appreciate them. if you would like to see them, go here, here and here.

i wish i had just one pinky finger full of the talent this photographer possesses. and to have his camera equipment wouldn't be so bad, either! he does beautiful work!

as long as i am linking to the blogs of extremely talented photographers... i thought i would also link to the new blog of my blogger friend, tracey. not only do i want to point out that she has a new home in the blogosphere for her beautiful photography and poignant writing, but i also want to highlight my most recent blog/website banner design. she hired me to do her banners, and i was more than happy to. we collaborated, really. she took all the photos and supplied them to me and told me what she basically wanted for a banner. then i picked out which photos to use and did the layout, along with adding the type.

thank you for letting me design those for you, tracey! i've already gotten another word-of-mouth banner design gig out of it, too! {by the way, please spread the word if you know of anyone looking for a banner design, too.}

it's funny how what i'm writing about all comes full circle... right back to my brother's wedding. you see, when tracey sent me a check to pay me for the design, she also sent a gift for isaac with it. it was the most adorable little onsie... a long-sleeved gray onsie with a faux plaid neck-tie sewn to the front. this onsie is what isaac wore to my brother's wedding. he dared not attend the wedding underdressed, so the tie onsie was in order! he ended up being even more dressed-up than my husband, who did not wear a tie. {at some point, i will try to get a photo of the cute little get-up.}

well, turns out, it's still a long post! but just one more thing...

speaking of miss tracey, i met her through another dear blog friend... miss stacey. yes, stacey is yet another very gifted photographer and writer. {"sigh"... these people make me jealous with their uber talent!} and as was the case with tracey, stacey asked me to design her blog banner a while back. but the reason i mention her is to say that i am so excited to have the chance to meet for the first time at the end of september when she comes to chicago!!

happy birthday to me! i LOVE meeting {in person} the friends i have made through blogging. i am really looking forward to meeting stacey... the only thing that could make it more special is if tracey could be there, too!