Uploads from shutterblog, tagged sb600

on a roll

nobody@flickr.com (shutterblog) — Sun, 11 Jul 2010 12:11:14 -0700

This space is no more - read on: www.flickr.com/photos/shutterblog/5382246814/

--------

BUMPING BACK UP: If you wanted one and missed it on sale the first time, they've been found again!

If this costs you money, blame Heather-L. She sent me the link last week and I bought it about 5 minutes later.

It came from ~~www.ltdcommodities.com~~ and was $39.95. ~~I can't find it on their site any longer so they may have sold out.~~ (See comments for new sale location - Item #480191-6CXA at abcdistributing).

It's not IKEA-made. It's not even cheap IKEA-made. It was touted as being able to roll around, and although that may be true, I don't see it lasting long if that's what you plan to do with it. (I don't. It's staying put where it is.) But to organize all of my extra ribbon and wrapping paper and match my office...it's perfect. So in this case, cheap is good!

(Major thanks to the Mr. for putting together yet another piece of "DIY" office furniture with poorly-translated instructions and craftmanship!)

Florida

nobody@flickr.com (shutterblog) — Tue, 19 Jan 2010 05:21:09 -0800

shutterblog posted a photo:

BUMPING BACK UP because today 01.19.10 is our 13th year Floriversary

we moved to Tampa Bay (from Oklahoma) nine years ago this week

inspired by this shot

sincere imitation-now 3 years later!

nobody@flickr.com (shutterblog) — Thu, 30 Apr 2009 17:42:02 -0700

shutterblog posted a photo:

This photo is © 2006 - all rights reserved - that means you MAY NOT REPRODUCE it or post it elsewhere, capiche? In layman's terms, it means if you steal it I will hunt you down and do unspeakable things to you. (The very least of which is sue your pants off!)

UPDATE 2009: Bumping up again because today is the 3-year anniversary of B&B's start!

UPDATE 2008: Bumping back to the top because today is the 2-year anniversary of my very first "paid" (newborn) session - April 30, 2006 - with this baby. Hard to believe when I started this business - that at the time of booking this session had yet to be named - I had a baby and a 2-year old myself. Time flies!

Also bumped this back up to the top when it reached its 1000th fave on 08.23.007 - that's just unreal to me. Thank you, Flickr!

This is, by far, my most favorited image on Flickr...

I wouldn't be able to take the photos I take without the help and encouragement of -Angela

Although this shot is nowhere near the original, I still couldn't resist the chance to try it.

28 days old - taken 04.30.06

cracked Interestingness Page 1 and made Explore for 05.01.06

hey ladies...get...funky!

nobody@flickr.com (shutterblog) — Sat, 07 Mar 2009 21:37:23 -0800

shutterblog posted a photo:

New "My Funky Camera" wristlet. It just got here, with an awesome l'il surprise tucked inside. Gabi rocks - thank you!

Get your own here!

Pics previously posted with "My Funky Camera" neckstraps:
www.flickr.com/photos/shutterblog/2690439693/
www.flickr.com/photos/shutterblog/2656578208/

it pretty much went like this

nobody@flickr.com (shutterblog) — Mon, 02 Feb 2009 06:25:41 -0800

shutterblog posted a photo:

REPOSTED from 2006 and again in 2007...text updated for 2009...

Tomorrow is my oldest son's FIFTH BIRTHDAY. Fifth. As in one-two-three-four-five.

Right now five years ago, I was in the depths of a Pitocin-drip waiting for him to make his appearance (and trying to avoid the non-stop media coverage of Janet Jackson's nub incident at all costs). We thought his birthday was going to be on Groundhog Day (and I kept joking that if he saw his shadow he was NOT allowed to go back in another 6 weeks), but he had other ideas and hung tight until forcibly yanked by emergency c-section at 5 a.m. the next day. He ended up with a much cooler birthday as a result though -- 02.03.04. A birthdate he shares with Elmo, I might add.

The above photo was taken at the Crystal Palace in the Magic Kingdom at Walt Disney World -- we took him for dinner there with "Pooh and Friends" by his request for his 2nd birthday.

When he turned TWO YEARS OLD! - 02.03.06 (view large)

You can see his newborn portrait and a few videos from his birth-day here...

'Number 13, baby'

nobody@flickr.com (shutterblog) — Sun, 19 Oct 2008 16:24:00 -0700

shutterblog posted a photo:

BUMPING BACK TO THE TOP because I just got an e-card and Todd remembered that he proposed to me THIRTEEN YEARS AGO today (and we met for the first time sixteen years ago today). This image / story explains why we're able to remember that date every year.

As originally posted: My husband got back home just a few hours before the clock turned Friday - the day we met 15 years ago, and got engaged 12 years ago. And it just keeps getting better!

I need $50 to make you holler

nobody@flickr.com (shutterblog) — Wed, 01 Oct 2008 14:18:28 -0700

shutterblog posted a photo:

UPDATE: The Blogger Boobie-Thon closed for 2008 on October 7th -- having
raised $9,300.00 from 10/1 - 10/7 -- and $50,779.65 total raised since 2002!

The 7th annual Blogger Boobie-Thon kicked off on 10/01/08 --
www.boobiethon.com

Make sure to donate, be it $$ or photos. It runs through 10/07/2008! $50.00
donations or more get access to the special "pay-per-boobie" section of the
site (where you'll eventually find this one).

** You can see the original image posted here in the comments below. **

save the boobies!

nobody@flickr.com (shutterblog) — Tue, 30 Sep 2008 21:27:25 -0700

shutterblog posted a photo:

BUMPING BACK TO THE TOP on 10/01/2008:

The 7th annual Blogger Boobie-Thon has just kicked off --
www.boobiethon.com

Make sure to donate, be it $$ or photos. It runs through 10/07/2008!

From the original posting in 2006:
In case you've been living under a rock, the Blogger Boobie-Thon for breast cancer awareness is almost over - it ends at midnight EST on Saturday, October 7th - and we've raised over $5000 (make that over $6000!) in five days thus far! Go make a donation and submit your photos while you still can!

(thanks to Poopy McSparklepants for the pink Komen duckie!)

let there be light!

nobody@flickr.com (shutterblog) — Wed, 27 Aug 2008 07:08:08 -0700

shutterblog posted a photo:

This photo is © 2008 - all rights reserved - that means you MAY NOT REPRODUCE it or post it elsewhere, capiche? In layman's terms, it means if you steal it I will hunt you down and do unspeakable things to you. (The very least of which is sue your pants off!)

Second maternity session I've shot this year where their bedroom was decorated in "my" colors - I'm definitely going to have to actually paint my walls something other than "builder beige" one of these days.

And if you really want to hate her (and not just because she's beautiful) — did you see Carrie's new closet in the SaTC movie? Yeah, she's got one of those. I asked her if I could just move in and live there. I truly did not know such things existed outside of Hollywood.

33 weeks along - 08.10.08

oh, get a grip why don'tcha?

nobody@flickr.com (shutterblog) — Thu, 10 Jul 2008 12:17:08 -0700

shutterblog posted a photo:

In case you missed the clue over the weekend, I just got a new camera last Saturday. I seem to be on a 2-year plan — G3 in 2002, D70 in 2004, D200 in 2006, and now the D300. With the bulk of my work being primarily portrait / studio, it was really the best choice and "fit" for me. I honestly saw no need in buying the D3 or waiting for the D700. (I like paying for new technology upfront. I rather loathe still making payments as it becomes obsolete. And don't even get me started on the issue of reworking my lens-arsenal for full-frame...)

This time I got the sports-package with all the bells and whistles though. I've worked hard and saved my pennies this year in preparation of the inevitable. I had purchased the SB-800 back in May and was saving up for the D300 when this gave me the cash in hand for the body a few months ahead of schedule. So the rest of my bank went to adding a little turbo-boost (and 2 extra FPS) with the battery grip, EN-EL4a tucked safely inside. Now I just have to figure out how to lift the darn thing without tilting down and to the right.

My D200 has been relegated to the duty of first runner up, in case for any reason the new Miss America cannot fulfill her duties. Todd inherited the D70 with a 50mm f/1.8 attached. God speed.

Sadly, I haven't even had a chance to really test this sucker out. I'm in order-processing hell right now and purposely scheduled most of July clear to catch up from a baby-boom spring. And for once I am actually RTFM because I have to. But I'm waiting on a 7/27 baby (and believe me it can take as long as it needs to make the big arrival)...so soon... 'Til then, I get to play. Someday. I think.

Whee!

...larger...

baby face

nobody@flickr.com (shutterblog) — Sat, 28 Jun 2008 18:53:17 -0700

shutterblog posted a photo:

I keep getting asked about new photos of the puppy — Amélie turns 7 months old in a couple of weeks. Hard to believe! I just haven't had the time or the will to drag my camera out when it's not work related. The "burnout phase" is in full effect.

But here she is tonight, flashing her bling. She is a "Bling Bling Superstar" after all.

Here's a comparison shot from March. My baby's all growed up up from 5 lbs. to 11 lbs.:
www.flickr.com/photos/shutterblog/2303063717/

one is silver, and the other gold

nobody@flickr.com (shutterblog) — Fri, 20 Jun 2008 12:24:40 -0700

shutterblog posted a photo:

I haven't been able to do (much less keep up with) anything like the gratitude project floating around Flickr, but I might as well have the last few days if you've seen my stream...

I've been so fortunate and blessed to have wonderful friends I keep in touch with all the way from junior high and high school to now - in addition to so many amazing new friends in the Orlando area since we moved here last year.

I received these in the mail today (view larger) from an old high school and college friend named Amy. She ended up marrying someone Todd was friends with in college. At one time or another, we all lived in the OU Honors Dorm in the early 90s. Small world. It's days like this I really miss "home", even if none of us actually live back there any longer.

More updates at my Twitter account on what's going on with me...
twitter.com/shutterblog

if I get any more flowers, I think the state's going to make me get a florist's license

nobody@flickr.com (shutterblog) — Thu, 19 Jun 2008 13:40:25 -0700

shutterblog posted a photo:

More beautiful flowers delivered this afternoon - read why here:
www.flickr.com/photos/shutterblog/2591709352/

I am so truly blessed to have such wonderful friends and family!!!!

even more happy-happy joy-joy

nobody@flickr.com (shutterblog) — Thu, 19 Jun 2008 06:16:29 -0700

shutterblog posted a photo:

More beautiful flowers delivered this morning - read why here:
www.flickr.com/photos/shutterblog/2591709352/

"You make my heart super-happy."

nobody@flickr.com (shutterblog) — Wed, 18 Jun 2008 19:54:49 -0700

shutterblog posted a photo:

View flowers / card larger: farm4.static.flickr.com/3047/2591709352_af72f071c0_o.jpg

I've been getting a lot of concerned e-mails, Flickr mails, Twitter mails, Facebook mails...wanting to know what happened and how I am... So just like the updates to Twitter throughout, I"m just putting this in one place I can send everyone to for the time being. I'm trying, but I just can't keep up. I'm pretty much sleeping around the clock and when I'm not, my boys need my attention. But thank you all SO MUCH from the bottom of my (healthy) heart for your concern, thoughts, and prayers!!! -Robyn (and Todd)

This week's Twitter updates in case you missed all the fun:
twitter.com/shutterblog

Saturday night after we got back from our youngest son's birthday celebrations I started noticing chest pains. I tried to ignore them, but they were still there when I got up Sunday. Right as the Tim Russert "Meet the Press" tribute was starting. And it was Father's Day. I didn't want to go to the hospital for nothing and ruin Father's Day. So I tried Advil. Then Tylenol. Then aspirin just in case. Asprin we bought because just over a month ago, our friend Kevin here in Orlando (also 35) almost died of a heart attack.

By Sunday night I was starting to get concerned. I had told Todd I was in pain, but by then I was "telling Todd" so he would listen that I was in pain and it wasn't "normal". I wasn't just complaining any longer.

We started Googling the symptoms of heart attacks in women. Well...I also have Lyme Disease... It went undetected and misdiagnosed for over 12 years, and is now a chronic condition. You go through that "female heart attack symptoms" list and about 80% of the red-flags are something I experience on a daily basis.

About this time Jen started getting on my case about going to the hospital, too. I promised her if it was as bad on Monday, I would.

But I woke up a lot better Monday. I hurt but not like I had been. I decided I had just pulled a muscle lifting one of the boys, or one of the daily drop-kicks I take to the chest changing diapers. When Jen wrote to check on me, I promised I was fine. She was down near the beach about 90 minutes away. She made me promise I'd call if I needed her.

By lunch time, things started going from bad to worse. I was hurting too much to even eat. I talked to my mom who reminded me I had a cousin who had a heart attack at 30, my grandfather and his dad both died of heart attacks in their mid-40s, and my aunt just had a pacemaker/defibrillator installed last fall. I made the call to Jen. Then I called Todd and let him know he'd be leaving early that day. I put the boys down for a nap and rested myself until my relief shift showed up.

We headed off to the ER late that afternoon. On my youngest son's third birthday. Talk about guilt. But at that point, I was more concerned about living to see his fourth.

Still I was expecting to be sent home by his bedtime with a pat on the back and, "Silly woman. It's just indigestion."

Instead after a chest x-ray, heart monitoring, and an EKG my tests were inconclusive enough that they admitted me at 11 p.m. I'm not sure which was worse. That news. Or the news my "roommate" had just been been moved into our room a few minutes before I was being wheeled up. Roomate? Seriously? Ugh.

Once I got in my room, Todd ran home to get the important things (like my Blackberry charger) and the overnight whirlwind of tests, draws, and poking / prodding began. I was put on 3L of Oxygen. They gave me another EKG which was better than the last. I was given morphine for the pain. I got my first of three shots in the stomach (which I'm just now starting to feel) to thin my blood. They tried a nitro paste but I couldn't tolerate it and it was taken off pretty quickly. I was hooked up to a dozen different wires and monitors. And if a nurse wasn't keeping me awake, my roommate (just a couple of years older than I was with the same problems) who was snoring so loudly I thought a 747 was landing in the hallway did...

Todd got back early the next morning just before they did a heart echo. I'd kept it pretty together up until this point. I had made sure all of my affairs were in order via Jen and just focused on getting through the next 5 minutes. But they were having trouble with the machine when the tech was doing the echo and both Todd and I misinterpreted her concern with the image quality she was getting instead as concern over the images she was getting OF ME. It took almost 3 times as long to do this test than normal. About halfway through, I started to have a panic attack. I guess the weight of it just hit me. Todd saw it about to start and grabbed my hand, and told me to look at him. I grabbed on tight and never looked at the monitor again.

More bloodwork... More tests. I had a low-grade fever. A very high white blood count. Very low potassium levels (which could indicate heart problems and they started pumping me full of horse pills immediately). My blood pressure when resting was extremely low. (I have Neurally Mediated Hypotension so that wasn't anything unusual. Until I had my boys and it raised slightly following their pregnancies, I had been on blood pressure medication to keep it raised to normal levels for over 8 years.) At 1 p.m. I was wheeled down for a stress test.

Originally it was supposed to be the super-duper version of the stress test. At that point I finally got some good news that the ultrasound they had done of my heart prior eliminated the need for the for the mega-version. I just needed a regular one. They downgraded the incline and speed because I did have Lyme, but is one of the most difficult things I've ever had done. I just don't have the stamina to hold up to something like that for extended periods of time. Once they got my heart rate to the rate they needed, they didn't even push me. My nurse could see my knees starting to buckle and called the test. She grabbed onto my monitor belt to help keep me up and steady so I didn't go flying off the back cartoon-style until the incline and speed on the machine lowered and slowed.

And then the cardiologist came up to tell me I'd passed. Based on all of my other tests, she was labeling me "cardiac cleared". The only thing they found was a slightly elevated pressure in my right heart chamber but it wasn't enough for concern with all the other testing I had just completed. I'm now 35 with a complete cardiac workup and my weight, where I carry the weight, cholesterol, and triglycerides are all normal. My BP is low to low-normal. And no diet changes or modifications were deemed needed. Based on my family heart-history, obviously this was reason to exhale. Loudly.

I have something pretty major in Tampa tomorrow and I was even cleared by the cardiologist to do it. She said she couldn't clear me based on my health as that wasn't her job -- but she could definitely clear me based on my heart-health.

I was able to be wheeled back to my room with a smile and thumbs-up for Todd when I got in. Poor guy must have been absolutely in a panic because my roommate had arrived back from her stress test about 20 minutes before me and she had failed. As I was being placed back in my bed, they were bringing in 'the video' for her to watch of the procedure I would have had if I'd failed too. Talk about your "come to Jesus" moments. I must have prayed nothing but "thank you" for the 30 minutes that followed. I would be going home. I would get to hug and kiss my boys again. I'd get to sing their goodnight songs every night. Eventually I could look in my husband's face again and not see veiled fear buried by strength, but happiness.

About 2 hours later, I was finally discharged and we were sent home. (Of course with the wrong Rx and wrong discharge instructions that took almost 24 hours to clear up.) But I follow-up with my primary care on Friday. Well actually the Nurse Practitioner which Todd had to call back and fight for, because they originally weren't going to see me until Monday! Reflux has been ruled out. My primary will decide if gallbladder testing is warranted. The guess right now is a deep muscle bruise in my chest (so I jokingly asked my MIL if you get a "get out of jail free" card for missing your kid's birthday if he's the one that put you in the hospital to begin with). But I'm going to have a lot of tests in my near-future to get to the bottom of this because I'm still in as much pain today as when I went to the ER. And quite a bit weaker as well since I didn't get to eat from about 8 a.m. on Monday to almost 5 p.m. on Tuesday. And I almost didn't keep that down thanks to the new painkiller they gave me just before I left...I was pretty messed up last night...

I just know I'm not going to die now. At least of a heart attack.

And I hope this will make each and every one of you stop, pause, and think of how you're taking care of your own bodies right now - because trust me, you do NOT want to go through this if you don't have to.

I also know that this is the first day I can say with 100% certainty that I am voting for Obama based on one word: HEALTHCARE. It's another rant for another time, and I'm not willing to get into a political discussion or debate here or anywhere. Which means, no political comments in the comments here or they will be deleted. I just don't have the mental strength or energy and I've been there, done that online already in past elections. We're all entitled to our opinions and have our own life-experience reasons behind them. But between the problems with the care I received — which was EXCELLENT compared to the care my (much lower income) roommate received — something has to change.

P.S. Todd and I can't thank Jen and her daughter enough for being there this week. We never once had to worry about our boys or their care. I don't think she'll ever know how much it truly has meant to us!

as easy as one-two-three!

nobody@flickr.com (shutterblog) — Mon, 16 Jun 2008 05:23:19 -0700

shutterblog posted a photo:

UPDATED: Bumped back up because our youngest son is THREE YEARS OLD today. How is that possible?!?

Here he is two years ago at his first birthday party at Gymboree...a "Blues Clues" theme with the twins who also turned one that June...

yummy

nobody@flickr.com (shutterblog) — Mon, 16 Jun 2008 05:18:56 -0700

shutterblog posted a photo:

UPDATED: Bumping to the top again - today, 06.16.08, is his THIRD birthday! Where has the time gone?!? Neither of my babies are "babies" any longer... *sniff*

and with this latest series, I'm going to have to put the last photo in his 12-month frame

I'm not ready for this - stop the insanity!

pretty please with cupcake sprinkles on top...

one year old - 06.19.06

ey bee sees

nobody@flickr.com (shutterblog) — Fri, 13 Jun 2008 21:48:13 -0700

shutterblog posted a photo:

This photo is © 2008 - all rights reserved - that means you MAY NOT REPRODUCE it or post it elsewhere, capiche? In layman's terms, it means if you steal it I will hunt you down and do unspeakable things to you. (The very least of which is sue your pants off!)

Catching up on my massive backlog and working on an order / book - had to share another one of this l'il cutie (as ordered by mommy). Such a Gerber baby!

It's so much fun watching them grow up...

8 months old - 04.19.07

Made top 3 pages of Interestingness for 06.13.08

the "glow"

nobody@flickr.com (shutterblog) — Thu, 29 May 2008 07:21:15 -0700

shutterblog posted a photo:

This photo is © 2008 - all rights reserved - that means you MAY NOT REPRODUCE it or post it elsewhere, capiche? In layman's terms, it means if you steal it I will hunt you down and do unspeakable things to you. (The very least of which is sue your pants off!)

"I love them. They turned out beautifully. [My husband] and I watched it together this morning. It is funny when I look in the mirror I see what I think is not so fabulous. When I look at the pictures I see beatuiful and amazed to think that it is the same person. Thank you so much for everything."

Sometimes they start the sessions so unsure of themselves. I love how by the end you can get them feeling beautiful because they ARE.

due 07.26.08 - taken 05.16.08

made page 3 of Interestingness for 05.29.08

new with tag

nobody@flickr.com (shutterblog) — Thu, 22 May 2008 13:05:56 -0700

shutterblog posted a photo:

This photo is © 2008 - all rights reserved - that means you MAY NOT REPRODUCE it or post it elsewhere, capiche? In layman's terms, it means if you steal it I will hunt you down and do unspeakable things to you. (The very least of which is sue your pants off!)

He's here - it's another boy! www.flickr.com/photos/shutterblog/archives/date-taken/200...

Born on May 14th at 10:43 p.m. , 7 lbs., 12 oz., and 20-inches long
1 week old - 05.21.08

Very much inspired by the work of "Captured by Carrie"
And a very big thanks to my awesome assistant