My Own "Urban Decay" | House Remodeling

I have always loved old buildings. That was why we picked an old, downtown location when we had the store-front for the studio in the "aughts." And I especially love run-down and neglected buildings, as anyone might know from my favorite photo locations. The photo essays of "urban decay" and abandoned buildings, in places like Detroit, are fascinating to me. The history and stories that they cling to holds my imagination.

So, as I strip wallpaper from my living room walls, finding rough, scarred walls that have to be repaired underneath, I can't help but see a little bit of beauty in the chaos around me. And, of course, my own "urban decay" just calls out to be documented.

Flowers to Help You Think "Spring"

I feel a little responsible for this weather. So, I'm sorry.

You know the thinking that if you wash your car, it will rain? Well, the sun had been shining and I tempted fate as I cleaned the kitchen. I put away all of our winter coats, snowpants, boots, hats, and mittens. I was so tired of having them clutter up my kitchen, where the kids come in from the garage.

I wanted to reclaim my space. I wanted to have order. I wanted winter to be done.

When the calendar says it's spring, it feels like a mean joke to see fresh snow on the ground. But I'm not going to let winter win. I'm just going to bury my head in the snow and pretend spring is already here....

Kiss Me- I'm Czech! (And pass the red beer!)

A fine beer may be judged with only one sip,
but it's better to be thoroughly sure.
- Czech Proverb

Now that your green beer is gone, are you ready to drink some red beer?

Having a Catholic Czech-Bohemian grandmother, it seemed natural to celebrate St. Joseph's Day, a prominent and predominately Czech holiday for those that lived in Cedar Rapids' Czech village area, on March 19th. It's now sometimes likened to a milder St. Patrick's Day. So, while we wore green on St. Patty's day, we also wore red two days later.

Our family has always enjoyed a party with food and drink, maybe from our Catholic-Czech heritage (Czech Republic has the highest beer consumption per person in the world). Far from being teetotalers, when my sisters and I were kids, we were allowed to drink Slow Screws (an alcoholic drink made with orange juice and Slow Gin) at family get-togethers with no one getting uppity. We always knew we were getting away with something, but it didn't feel like that big of a deal at grandma's house. That was our family culture.

As a kid, we didn't think too much about our Czech ancestry, even though I don't remember other kids wearing "Kiss Me- I'm Czech!" buttons. I do remember my father making kolaches, fruit-filled pastries, for my grandmother. I also remember my father flipping on the radio to a Sunday morning polka station to tease and annoy my mother. "You're Bohemian, you're suppose to love this," he would tell her as accordion notes filled the car. I was probably the only kid to secretly have a favorite polka song, Mickey Mouse Polka by Marv Herzog. And maybe that's why I now enjoy when a wedding reception dance starts up with "Beer Barrel Polka." I think it adds a festive atmosphere to the dance.

So, whether you plan to eat a kolache, drink red beer, dance a polka or just enjoy the St. Joseph's Day parade, feel free to claim the Czech title for the day. Cheers!

“Wherever beer is brewed, all is well-

wherever beer is drunk, life is good.”

— Czech proverb

Marriott Wedding Tasting Event

We were happy to be invited to Marriott's Wedding Tasting Event. The hotel was able to show off their space and food to their clients, while other wedding professionals, like us, were able to do a little showing off of our own.

When a reception hall has a large dinner menu to offer their bridal couples, it can be hard to decide what you want to serve to your guests at your wedding. The Marriott is no different, having a wide array of dinner options. They offer individual tastings for their brides and grooms, but since they can't serve every dish, the couple may still want to taste more. 

The Marriott offers a bi-annual event to the couples that have booked their receptions at the hotel. At these events, they cook and serve all the options on their catering menu. This is a great opportunity for couples to bring their parents and check out which dishes they might like to serve their wedding guests.

We took the Cheeky Booth photo booth to this tasting. The couples had fun using the props and checking out how the booth worked. The photo strips were a great way to remember their wedding-planning night, too!

It's a Wisconsin CHEESE cake- 1st grade style!

“A party without cake is just a meeting,” are wise words from Julia Child.

Henry, my Wisconsin-born 7-year-old, has always been a connoisseur of cheese. When offered a regular Kraft "sharp" cheddar cheese from the grocery store, he declined it since it wasn't aged at least 18 months. And right now, he says his favorite cheese is a 5-year smoked cheddar, followed by a fudge cheddar, which he says is "yummy."

So I wasn't surprised when he decided his first cake needed to look like cheese.

Henry made his very first cake for a Cub Scouts auction. Henry's Cub Scouts pack uses this cake auction as a fundraiser, with the proceeds to be used within the pack. Each boy makes a cake for the event and then they are able to bid on each others' cakes.

He discussed a few ideas, including using black frosting to make swiss-looking holes or writing around the edges, like a stamped cheese rind. In the end, we decided the cut wedge with some circle impressions looked best. Henry made a sign that read, "100% Wisconsin cheese" to put on top.

The vivid yellow frosting made us think of Green Bay Packers cheese head hats, which was totally a bonus for Henry.

Albums for Portraits: How to have them all and take them with you!

You probably wouldn't be surprised if I told you that I often hear parents gush over their child's images from the session with such phrases as, "I love them all!" And, I completely understand that it's so hard to say no to images you love.

Sometimes there are so many great images from a session that you don't know what to do with them all. You only have so many blank spaces on your walls or desk. And no matter how many portraits you hang up, it's not always the easiest way to show off your favorites from the session, unless you throw a big party to invite everyone you know to your house.

The answer to the "I-Love-Them-All!!!" dilemma  is to get an album. Portrait albums start with 20-30 images, so you are sure to have all the ones you can't live without. Also, the popular 8x8 album is a wonderful size to carry with you everywhere. It's easy to take to work, school, family get-togethers or anywhere you want to show off your beautiful photographs!

Featured above is Morgan, a high school senior session. These sessions are especially great for albums because we often use multiple locations and outfits, so there are many amazing shots to choose from! When you get an album, you don't have to say no to favorites just because you decided on a different image for your living room wall. It feels so much better to say yes to all the ones you love!

Collin | Senior Session

It's nice to have high school seniors that want to personalize their sessions. Collin, like his dad, is a car-enthusist. Including the restored Shelby Mustang in the session made perfect sense. Collin has been running cross country throughout high school. We used Wickiup Hill Natural Area, a location he often goes to run, for some of his session. The fall colors made a perfect backdrop!