Easter Trip

{belated...i know...}

Sunshine Chasers

This morning Brittany (my brother's fiance), mommy, and I packed up and headed to:

Sun City!
(oh wait...I mean Sin City...)

to catch some rays and celebrate Bride-Hood
(and yes, I just made up that totally rad term)


Maybe we can trick the sun into coming home with us eh?!

photo from The Ranch

p.s.

One More Month People!!!!!

Brandon Breaks Into Claire's Blog YET AGAIN...

Dearest Claire,
In response to your last post:
(Don't get me wrong, I like your girlyfriends.)

I will be your shoulder support
(my shoulders are broader and more accommodating than your girlfriends' shoulders anyway).

I will give you all sorts of sympathy for your hectic life
(I may be a little more monotone and a little less cute about it than your girlfriends would, but I know I'll be sincere).

Unfortunately, I can't give you girl time
(although I wish I somehow could).

You can show me all your shoots from the past week, and I'll be awed by the way you capture people and things with your camera.
You're very talented, my love.

I'll eat cake batter if you want.
And "ants on a leaf" (which is a leap of faith on my part because I have no idea what that is).

I can't stay up late with you and tell you about any boyfriends,
but we can always talk about love.
(Preferably our love, which is the best kind.)

You can show me your wedding dress on if you want...
And as you know, I have a tendency to tell you a lot about how pretty you are.
I just can't keep it inside me.

I love to go to the dollar movies with you.

You can walk barefoot up the street to my house and knock on the door. I'll be there to answer it whenever you like.
Then we can walk barefoot anywhere.
Or we could go for a drive and pick sunflowers together.

I'll sneak out at night and get into trouble with you...
Just not certain kinds of trouble...
until we're hitched. [wink, nudge, grin]

I'll look for clothes and make headbands with you
(you just can't really share them with me).

I'll watch Monty Python with you and we'll laugh our faces off
(and we can watch Mean Girls if you insist).

You and I do have a history of watching The Notebook and balling our eyes out together. And when the movie's over,
we kiss through our silly little sobs and tears
(which is something you sure can't do with your girlfriends).

And then if you want me there for no reason at all but to be there,
I'll be there.

"If you're a bird, I'm a bird."


I'm not saying I'm under appreciated.
I do know how much you love me--
and it's a whole lot more than I could ever deserve or even ask for.

I'm not saying I'll do whatever I can to one-up your friends or push them out of the picture.
I'm just saying I'll do everything I can to fill any holes they've left when they're gone.


I love you, my Claire.
I can't wait to call myself your husband.
I can't wait to come home to you.
I can't wait 'til my home and your home are one and the same.
I can't wait 'til we won't have to go our separate ways when we say goodnight.
I can't wait 'til we won't have to call each other on the phone to say good morning.
I can't wait for my life and your life to be our life.

Oh, my sweet Claire...


You're my best friend.

I love you.



Sincereiously,
~Brandon

you blog, she blogs, we blog

So I've got these fantastic friends.

And I know everyone thinks that about their friends. But seriously, my friends could beat up your friends.

Yeah.

they are that great.

I've been so blessed to have them by my side almost all 20 years of my living! And then something peculiar happened this last year:

we all (semi) grew up.

doing big grown up stuff like:

adventuring, trying new scary/risky things, traveling, learning, getting boyfriends (yes, a very grown-up-ish thing for us) and in my case: engaging.

Oh so guess what's cool!? we all blog.

this one is having tea-time in London.

this one is walking like an egyptian in the middle east.

& this one is in the same city as me. But we never see each other

(crazy how that happens when you grow up. fall in love. plan a wedding...)

i miss them all very very much.

i'm glad we are all growing up and doing big scary things and living our lives and all.

but you want to know what?

I'm a selfish person.

I'm a bride-zilla.

I want them all here with me.

I want their growing up to be cohesive with my growing up.

I don't want growing up to be growing apart....

i need them.

you know, for shoulder support. For sympathy for my hectic life (yeah...i'm that selfish). For girl time. I want to tell them of my scary encounter at work, or show them favorites from my wedding shoots this past week, or eat cake batter and "ants on a leaf". I want to stay up late hearing about their boyfriends and talking about love. I want to show them my wedding dress on! for them to tell me how pretty i'll look, And discuss all those silly wedding details. I want to go to a dollar movie with them. look at "little numbers" together (heheh) and pick our favorites. I want to hear about their adventures in person! I want to walk barefoot down their street to their houses, knock on the door, and have them answer. I want to sneak out at night and get into to trouble with them. Or doorbell ditch houses in our neighborhood dressed up in giant cardboard boxes. I want us to make headbands and share clothes and giggle together. I want to watch mean girls and monty python with them and laugh our heads off. I want us to watch the notebook and ball our eyes out. I want us to argue over who would play who in "little women".

And then I want them here for no reason at all but to be here.

selfish.

and I do feel a little guilty being so selfish since Brandon is the best friend I've ever had (as it should be) and I couldn't possibly ask for more.

I just miss my girls.

lovely

I spent the day with two lovely families photographing the wedding of two lovers.

It was lovely.

And I even got to take some lovely flowers home with me!!

{angie...I'm loving these in yellow! Are theses the garden roses you were telling me about?}

hope everyone has a lovely weekend!

{mine involves yet another lovely wedding! I LOVE my job (: }

anyone else feel like "photobooth" is super flattering?! It never picks up my zits. love that.

life is crazy -(STOP)- senior pictures -(STOP)- new job -(STOP)- engagement photos -(STOP)- bridal showers -(STOP)- two weddings this weekend -(STOP)- little sleep -(STOP)- cry a lot lately (this darn pill)-(STOP)- more in love than ever -(STOP)-

Brandon Breaks Into Claire's Blog Again...

Claire, Claire,

Busy as a bee,

Come sit down

And be with me.

-Brandon

what moms are for #1

get ready for a whole bunch of run-of-the-mill-cliches.

but mind you, I mean them with all of my heart.

My mother is my hero. She's been my best friend for years. My shoulder to cry on. My advice specialist. My therapist. My PB&J sandwich maker (everyday for 12 school years), my source of knowledge, my source of know-how, my #1 source. I love her so much. She does so much for me. Sacrifices time, hobbies, sleep, LIFE and always puts me first. She's the most talented person I know. She can do (and does do) just about everything. She could be anything she wanted. But she chose to be a mother. To be my mother. And being my mother requires a lot. She'll be staying up late helping me finish a project I shouldn't have procrastinated on, or helping me clean my filthy apartment so I won't fail my cleaning check and I'll say to her "Mom, I don't think I can be like you when I grow up. I'm too selfish." and she'll respond, "Oh yes you will. It's what mom's are for."

So I bring you a little Ode to Mother series of What Moms are For.

#1 moms are for helping you stamp a never ending pile of wedding announcement envelopes at 1 in the morning.

YARD SALE!!

Ok honestly I'm a bit embarrassed that this announcement is coming before my "ode to mother" post...

But here we go...

DEAR FRIENDS, FAMILY, AND BLOGGING BUDDIES:

I'm hosting a

PRETTY CLASSY YARD SALE

SATURDAY, MAY 15TH

(tomorrow!!)

9:00 am- 1:00 pm

1865 N 690 E

Orem, Utah

84097

(sorry out-of-staters)

Brandon and I are downsizing (big time) in order to fit into our pea-sized-closet-under-the-stairs apartment. Plus my mom and I have been watching way too many episodes of TLC's "hoarding: buried alive" and it's vamped our spring cleaning (and frightened us...).

Basically this means I'm getting rid of every item of clothing I own and will hereafter be sporting my birthday suit (at least if feels like I'm giving up that much). Both our families have donated (LOVE YOU GUYS) to this wonderful cause so there is a MASSIVE selection of clothing.

mens suits dress shirts jeans shirts shoes

women's dresses skirts tops blouses swim sports wear coats jackets SHOES (sizes 8.5-10) purses hats scarfs accessories jewelry

THE WORKS!

+ the totally random typical yard sale finds :)

like my beloved audrey hepburn posters...*sigh* (I don't get why Brandon doesn't want it hanging above our bed?!)

and of course there will be music playing and dancing around and such. So if nothing else...come for the PARTY!

Like I said, It's going to be a pretty classy yard sale! Hope to see you all there! (and maybe meet a few of you blogging peeps too!!)

xoxoxo

Kitty

hello.

Hello cyberspace,

It’s been a while. I’ve missed you. sorta. But I’ve realized something:

you are not a necessity.

So when I get yet another job (is this a symptom of suicide?), fit just about EVERY graduating senior into my schedule for a shoot, prepare engagement photo outfits (which yes, takes A LOT of thought), prep for the TWO weddings I’m shooting next week, finalize invitations, prepare for my massive yard sale this Saturday, write thank you cards to my friends from the shower (that took place over a month ago....I promise they are coming soon!!), edit, edit, edit, re-issue my passport (who knew my 11 year old photo wouldn’t validate me anymore?), search high and low for my birth certificate, re-order a birth certificate, measure dresses, make bridesmaid hair pieces, kiss Brandon’s face off, edit, iron handkerchiefs, drop the ball on everyone, apologize to everyone, miss my two best friends so bad it hurts, paint a miles worth of baseboards, try and learn about grown-up life (help!), prepare for the temple, run-to-and-fro, adjust my attitude and body to “the pill” (I’m seeing some pros…..LOTS of cons.), make list after list and sticky note after sticky note, stamp a never ending pile of envelopes, reschedule way too many shoots because of this darn weather, develop bad habits like staying up in the wee hours of the morning watching whatever is on TV just so I can have a moment of zero brain activity....

When all these things are going on....YOU, cyberspace, are the last thing on my mind.

I think I might be able to catch my breath tomorrow and make a way past due tribute to my mother.

For now, a shout out:

I LOVE YOU MUMMY DEAREST!

and a photo

that is in no way related to this post

or anything for that matter

and that look on my face...

isn't real.

meaning I wasn't really going to bite someone's head off when it was taken.

at least not that I remember...

(frighting isn't it?!)

thank you wind

*from recent Sr. photo shoots

this is what happens

when your client insists you jump in a photo...

*from a recent Sr. Photo shoot

{gah...my bangs are like the parting of the red sea}

rambling

sometimes i look back at the silly things i post about or the way i talk/type and it gives me a good laugh. It's funny how blogging captures such a small aspect of me: mainly only the fluff, and yet i'm so hooked. I wonder if it's just an innate desire to preserve something. To try and make tangible something so ornate and untamed as life. For me, moments are more than fleeting. They almost disappear as quickly as they come, sometimes I they pass by without a thought on my part. I'm afraid that at times i'm so caught up in life that i forget to really live it.

That's why I got myself a Brandon.

He remembers the moments.

he makes them linger longer.

He makes them.

I guess I'd hope that people would know, blogging isn't a part of me. It's just something I do, second, thirdly, lastly to being me. I'm not "Claire, the blogger". I'm just Claire. Like "Sarah Plain and Tall". But you are only getting a bit of me. The bit that dares to be blogged and/or the bit that can actually be somewhat captured in words. The other bits of me are probably as intricate and fleeting as the moments that so easily pass me by. They can't be defined.

just thoughts.

{or rambles...}

Dear Costco

Dear Costco

Thank you for your bulk products, churros (I love them...), samples, and optical center.

Because of you I found the perfect pair of granny-style-80's-ish specs. Not only were they the cheapest frames there, but now I can look uber smart minus the poser intelligent-indie look.

yo provo scene:

These bad boys are for real!!

xoxo,

Kitty

B's and my first kiss involved me wearing a very unattractive pair of glasses. They got in the way. He removed them for better kiss-ability (he's got more-than-perfect vision. He doesn't understand...) Normally I don't sport my specs, which says a little about how unexpected that life changing first kiss was :) He approves of these. Which is good, since he'll see me wearing them every morning and every night till we're old and gray!

speaking of glasses, check out this adorable video

Have your cake and eat it too

I did.

Yesterday.

Marilyn, my wedding cake lady, made me mini cakes to test out our flavors {wonderful idea if I do say so myself...}

for me: red velvet

for him: carrot cake

yum.

as you can see, my mother and I rather enjoyed ourselves! We didn't even leave a crumb for B...{don't worry babe, the carrot cake was delicious!!}

blah blah and 4 walls

I've noticed I've become a "blah" blogger lately.

You know what I'm talking about, they {we} are a dime a dozen. You may have fallen victim to it's dull ways yourself...

You can predict the posts before they pop up.

she's probably going to talk about "shoes" "boyfriend" "fashion" "finals" {fill in the blank}

{which by the way, none of these are bad blogging topics. In fact, they are some of my favs. But after the 3rd, 5th, TENTH post...they start to get old}

Lately, for me it's been the Sr. Photoshoots.

{any type of photo shoot really...}

I've never been busier with photography {a shoot every day this week?! Some days TWO!}

I really truly can't complain since it's what I love doing.

But I have to admit...I'm having a hard time with TIME MANAGEMENT.

Where are the weeks going?!

Doesn't "TIME" know I have:

a wedding to plan?!

seniors to shoot!? {don't freak...with my CAMERA...}

a new job to somehow fit in my hectic life!? {more on this excitement later}

and probably most {2nd} importantly: WALLS TO PAINT.

yes. you heard me. WALLS TO PAINT. but not just any walls.

the 4 walls that will encompass the 500 square foot {and I'm rounding up...} area B and I will call "home".

Our first home.

the place we begin our lives together the place we will fight over what color to paint the clawfoot tub the place we will kiss each other's faces off the place we will begin our traditionsthe place we will fall even more in love the place we will tell each other soul secrets the place we take care of each other the place where we will be so crammed we wont have any choice but to snuggle constantly the place we will laugh and cry the place we will make love {hehe} the place we will stare up at our popcorn ceiling and wonder why anyone ever thought it was a good ideathe place the stove and I will finally become friends (maybs)the place where Brandon will serenade me to sleep the place where I'll demand he tucks me in like a mermaid just like my mom used to do. the place we will have many an adventuresthe place we will be humbled by when we freeze our toes off in the winter the place we will forever refer to as our first home.

Wait till you see the wonderful color Brando invented.

{that's right....too cool for paint swatches!}

I'm trying to do some good "before and after"s cause believe me...it'll be drastic. So I'm saving those pics for later. SUSPENSE! {bwhahahah!}

hopefully these will suffice for now:

oh and p.s. the overload of senior photos isn't likely to stop any time soon. they just keep....graduating! there's nothing i can do to stop it....it's madness.