black tag diaries

Saturday, July 2, 2011

kyle & hillary {louisville photographer}

So in honor of the patriotic holiday weekend, I thought a man in uniform was appropriate:) These photos are from a fun photo session I had a few weeks ago.

Meet Kyle and Hillary. Aren't they beautiful? This cute married couple is in the community group that Lance and I lead at our church. They have quickly become very dear friends of ours. Kyle bought Hillary a photo session for her birthday this year, and I was beyond thrilled to be the one to snap the photos. And you can imagine my excitement when Kyle stepped out of the car in his full Air-force uniform. Aren't they just adorable?

Which one is your favorite? For every 1o comments the couple will receive a complimentary print.

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Thursday, June 30, 2011

thankful thursday {link up} & embrace the camera

{Feel free to join in the Thankful Thursday fun by linking up your own thankful list at the bottom of this post. It's pretty simple... list a few things that you are thankful for this Thursday and link it up below. Grab my button from the side bar and post away! }

This Thursday I am thankful for:

1) My husband. I don't say that enough. Marriage is hard sometimes... and sometimes we argue... gasp, I know. But the way he approaches me after any disagreement is so kind. He is humble and forgiving. I hope to be more like him some days. He is such an incredible man and I am so thankful that the Lord blessed me with him as a husband. (this is also this week's embrace the camera photo)

2) Sweet potato fries. Specifically the ones I ate last night. I went to dinner with a girlfriend at the Village Anchor... (a new restaurant for me). The sweet potato fries were AMAZING. They were served with this incredible marshmallow cream dipping sauce that was to-die-for. Trust me on this people. I don't tell lies.

3) To-do lists. Strange, I know. But there is just something so satisfying about crossing things off that list. A good to-do list is about the only way I function most days. Work to-do's... photography to-do's... packing to-do's. Lists on legal pads... lists on post-it notes... lists on napkins... It really doesn't matter much to me, as long as I get it done.

Wednesday, June 29, 2011

oh, how pinteresting...

If I were really cool, I would be throwing a 4th of July bash this weekend...

...I would be wearing this...

...while baking this...

...you would be greeted by this...

...we would eat these...

...and these...

...the tables would be lit up with these...

...we would drink these...

...while using these...

...we would light up the night with this...

...and cap the night off with these...

Hmmm... maybe I should have a 4th of July party after all...

Linking this up to The Vintage Apple.

Tuesday, June 28, 2011

top 10 :: tips for antique shopping

This past Sunday, I visited a traveling antique fair at the Locust Grove. It.was.fabulous. There were probably 50 or so dealers with booths set up. They had everything from vintage jewelry to gorgeous pieces of antique furniture. Antique shopping is like treasure hunting to me... I love perusing the old items and wondering what this or that was used for... who might have owned the item before... what can I do with the item now? If you are thinking about doing any antique shopping soon, here are a few helpful tips to get you started...

1) Have a list in mind. Know what you're looking for. This past weekend I went looking for wooden letter blocks... and I found them. If you have a few items in mind, your antique shopping isn't nearly as overwhelming.

2) Think outside the box. Look at items in a different light. Typically, items at an antique fair aren't going to be used the exact same way that they were years and years ago. For example, I love how Ali Edwards turned these vintage matchbook holders into a collection on her kitchen wall.

3) Don't pay full price. Most dealers are willing to negotiate a little. The cash drawer I bought this weekend was priced at $35... and the dealer instantly told me he would be willing to go down to $25... but then I asked if he would be willing to take $20... and he accepted.

4) Know your brands. There are several things to look for when antique shopping... but if you do your homework it can earn you a profit down the road. Certain brands and labels can be worth a pretty penny to the right collector.

5) Bring cash. I brought cash with me this weekend for 2 reasons... 1) so I wouldn't be tempted to spend more than I budgeted and 2) because at a fair-type setting many of the vendors will only take cash or check. But more important than both of those reasons... cash can help you better accomplish #3. I was able to go down to $20 on the cash drawer because I only had a twenty dollar bill left in my pocket... sneaky.

6) Know how you're going to use your purchase. Don't buys something just because it's a good deal... know how you're going to use your purchase when you get home. It should have a purpose and a designated spot in your house. For example, my cash drawer will be used to either hold jewelry/pins in my closet, or possibly used as a catch-all near my front door.

7) Ask questions. Learn about the history of items. It always makes a piece more interesting if you know where it came from and it's original purpose. For example, I have 2 stools (above photo) that I bought from a flea market in Clarkesville, GA... they are worn, faded, and have inappropriate graffiti written on the legs... but I love them because they were the actual stools that employees sat on while working at the Old Clarkesville Mill back in the day. A piece is always more special if you know where it's been and what it's been through.

8) Touch and inspect your potential purchase. This one is actually a bit of admonishing for myself. When I purchased the set of wooden letter blocks, there were 2 sets for me to choose from. One set was really old... truly vintage... and $20. This was the set I originally wanted. So, I asked the dealer if I could take the blocks out of the bag to make sure all of the letters were there... I inspected each one... discovered the set was missing an "O" and an "S." But here's where I went wrong... I bought the other set. They were only $8... and I was on a budget. And you see, I didn't inspect the other set... I just bought them. And now that I have them home, I see that I'm missing quite a few letters... oh well... that's what going the cheap route will get you.

9) Look for collections. It's always fun to have a collection in mind when antique shopping. I have a friend that collects elephant figurines, and if I see anything elephant I snatch it up for her. Fun things to collect at antique fairs are vintage fine china, tea towels, old postcards, dice, marbles, vintage broaches... the list could go on and on. Starting a small collection gives you something to always be on the lookout for.

10) Enjoy your new purchase. Once you bring your "new" treasures home, put them to good use and enjoy them! I love seeing how Teresa displays some of her own finds in her home, check out her post here.

That's my Top 10 for this week. Linking this post up to Oh Amanda and It's a Crafty Life.

Monday, June 27, 2011

weekend in review

My weekends aren't always exciting enough to merit a full "weekend in review" post on Monday... but this weekend definitely made the cut. Lance's brother and his wife made a last minute decision to make the drive from Georgia to Kentucky for a weekend visit... so obviously the out-of-towners deserve the best treatment... so we pulled out all of the stops...

...starting by taking my sister-in-law to the one and only Zappos fulfillment center...

...we browsed rows and rows of fabulously discounted shoes...

...we of course took them to our favorite Farmer's Market...

...where we each enjoyed a freshly made crepe (Lance and I had nutella & banana... it was AMAZING and took me right back to the streets of Paris)...

...the hydrangeas were out in every shade of pink and violet...

...then we drove over to the Woodford Reserve distillery to learn all about making bourbon...

...the tour was incredible and I was amazed at all you can learn for just $5 (and you get a free sample)...

...it was so fascinating learning about the entire bourbon making process (fun fact: did you know that 98% of the world's bourbon is made in Kentucky?)...