The Anderson Life

Before Tempe

2012-01-26T16:17:00.003-07:00

Before Tempe, our deck of cards never toppled due to attention-mongering,

we never went outside much unless we absolutely had to,

Matt took naps alone, on the couch,

we always figured one of us would win in our two-player game of Phase 10,

we didn't think of the back of the couch as a perch,

there was no one to lay at my feet while I cooked dinner,

and we always had enough room in our bed.

But we also never knew how much we would be smitten with this sweet girl. I don't know what we would do without her, she makes us laugh, gives us big sloppy kisses and makes us feel more like a family.

Now that we have her, this is what we get to come home to! And we couldn't love anything more :)

Happy weekend to you!

Erin, Matt and Tempe

Alma Mater

2012-01-05T08:32:00.002-07:00

Matt and I are both graduates of Utah State University, it's a sense of pride for us. We love this school. We met here, fell in love here and still live here. I've lived in Logan almost as long as I lived in West Jordan with my family. I claim Logan as my home. When Matt and I went to New York this summer and people would ask where we're from we would proudly say, 'Logan, Utah,' after a confused pause we would then say, 'it's about 100 miles north of Salt Lake City, almost to Idaho.'

We love the beauty of Cache Valley in every season - my favorite is, by far, autumn. Well, it's winter now in Logan, but you can't tell because we have no snow - and very little on the tips of the mountains. Weird.

So, here's to our Alma Mater, a place we love and always will.

Where does the time go?

2011-12-22T16:32:00.000-07:00

For those of you keeping count, we have three nieces and one nephew. Our adorable nephew Ezra is three today! I can't believe how big he is getting, and so smart! I love talking to this cute boy, I can't imaging having greater conversations. My sister Allie and I were telling him how cute he is one time and he said in return, 'you tell me I'm so cute, but really I'm just a boy.' Kills me every time! I love modern technology that allows us to see him all the time through iChat and Facetime. This has been such a crazy year, I don't really know where the time has gone. It's so wonderful to get a chance to watch our nephew grow up and measure time based on his life, it helps me to simplify my life - if that makes sense. I hope that Ezra knows how much we love him, how much we miss him when we're not together and how much our lives have been enhanced because of him. We are so blessed as we watch our family grow and change. I look at Ezra and I can't wait to have kids and hope they are just like him!

Someday we will tell him stories of what a silly boy he was, we will always treasure the moments we get to be his Aunt Erin & Uncle Matt.

So, a happy third birthday to Ezra. We love you so much and can't wait to see you!

Why we adventure

2011-12-19T09:49:00.002-07:00

Matt and I love to go on adventures. When we say adventure that means that finding a particularly complicated address can be an adventure. None the less, whether the adventure is big or small, we love them! This weekend we went to Boise for the Famous Idaho Potato Bowl where our Aggies played Ohio for the bowl title. We lost 24-23, but the trip was still so worth it.

This little weekend getaway was just what we needed. We went to the game, saw 'Sherlock Holmes' and enjoyed the nice drive to and from Boise.

We took our little digital camera, but forgot to put the battery in the camera - yep, we're awesome. So, we just took a few photos with my camera phone. It's a beauty ;)

Simpler Times

2011-12-05T09:11:00.001-07:00

I was helping mom decorate the Christmas tree this weekend. It's always wonderful to go through all those ornaments that mean so much to us as a family. You could pick any ornament off the tree and one of us could spout off a funny, and sentimental, story about how it ended up on our tree. Mom has kept ornaments we decorated in preschool, shellacked with glitter, sewn together with yarn, painted by numbers, with our smiling school photos stuck in the center. Mom places these trinkets on the tree with love and we giggle about the intricate work our little hands created.

Christmas is a sentimental time for us. I was driving the other day and 'I Believe in Santa Clause' by Kenny Rodgers and Dolly Parton came on the radio, all of a sudden I was back in my grandma Margo's kitchen watching her cook. I teared up and felt the love we all do around this time of year.

With all that has gone on the in the last few months, I know I'm thinking about when life was less complicated. Allie was the one to put it so poignantly while looking at one of her hand-made ornaments, 'that was a simpler time, I would go back there and stay.' Despite hard times, we have grown closer as a family. Yes those were simpler times, but I think these times are much better. We have discovered who we are and what is most important to us. These tough times are certainly what define us in this life.

I love Christmas time with family!

P.S. Ivy is doing great!! She is so strong and cute!

A little of this...

2011-11-30T16:28:00.001-07:00

The past two weeks have been full of ups and downs with our new little niece, but I am happy to report that she is doing so well! I haven't seen her for a week, and I can't wait to see her this weekend! We got our family pictures back from the amazing Sharon Johnson! They are so awesome - but you will have to wait to see them. Blogging has been put on the back burner for the last little while, but hopefully it will make a bit of a comeback in the new year! Happy December tomorrow - let the holiday festivities begin!
Ok, maybe one little sneak peek...

Big Miracles Come in Small Packages

2011-11-20T22:10:00.001-07:00

Our new little niece Ivy was born today. She was 1lb. 4 ounces and [about] 10 inches long. My baby sister was only 25 weeks and 4 days along when they did the C-Section this morning at 8:49 a.m. Al had been in the hospital since Thursday with Preeclampsia, and her blood pressure wasn't going where we needed it to today, so the doctors decided the conditions would be better for Ivy outside the womb.

She is such a fighter - both her and her momma! This just goes to show that our Heavenly Father is watching out for us all the time - we are so blessed to have her in our lives! I got to see her for a few minutes today, she moved when I talked to her - it was amazing.

My sister went through this day like a champ. When the doctors were in talking to her I opened the door and stuck my head in, she immediately looked at me and said, 'EB, stay out.' I know she did this more for my benefit than hers, at that moment little sister became the older than me. I could see in her face that she was surpassing me in knowledge and experience. I am so grateful to have such a wonderful family! I love my sister with all my heart and now we have a new member of the family to spoil!

Thanks to everyone for the well-wishes and prayers, they certainly have not gone unanswered! Our family has grown, not only in size, but in strength!

Veterans We Love

2011-11-11T16:33:00.001-07:00

On this Veteran's Day I would like to thank all of those wonderful people who put their lives on the line for me! So, it is very fitting that I'm having dinner with two of my favorite veterans...

Tien & Tyler Lindsay!
They just got home from a year deployment and I'm so excited to hang out with them! I am so blessed to have wonderful friends!
I am also thankful for my Grandpa Wilson!
Isn't he cute?

He is a true American patriot! I'm so proud of him!
A big, hearty thank you to all those serving in the armed forces - we would not be here without you. We are eternally grateful for your sacrifice.

Book Club

2011-11-09T14:30:00.001-07:00

We love our new ward - well, we've been there since July, but haven't really been here enough to get to know people until now. The Relief Society has a book club, so I thought I would join in. We read 'The Hiding Place' by Corrie ten Boom for our October book.

It was fantastic! I've never been a huge reader, but I still loved it. My brother and sister could always sit down and read for days, but I didn't have the interest - or the attention span. But, lately I have found some free time to get back into some things that I used to love, and reading is one of those forgotten pastimes (along with crafty things and cooking). I'm really loving this 'me time' thing I've got going on.

I was a little hesitant to dive into this book, mostly because it's about WWII - I knew it would be sad. But I also knew that I wanted to participate in a book club for once and read books that weren't assigned to me in school. So, look at me, choosing to read and actually finishing a book. Yay me!

'The Hiding Place' does take place during WWII, and it does have some sad moments, but is still completely uplifting. The conviction and love of the Lord shoots through this book. Corrie looks terror in the face and still finds a way to gain peace through faith and forgiveness.

I highly recommend this read.

Fall Shows We Love!

2011-11-07T19:39:00.000-07:00

Love <3
'2 Broke Girls'

Max & Caroline are two accidental friends living in Brooklyn, working at a run-down diner. They also aspire to own a cupcake shop - Max makes excellent cupcakes and Caroline has a keen business sense (thanks to her formerly-weathly past).

This show is hilarious! I love the dry wit of Kat Denning (Max) and clueless-but-not sass of Beth Behrs (Caroline). They work well together and the supporting cast is fabulous!

*must watch

'Whitney'

When I first saw the previews for this show I thought I would hate it - Whitney seemed particularly annoying. But, I have to say that after the first episode I was hooked. Whitney has great timing and I absolutely love the supporting cast, especially her boyfriend Alex. It's great to see an ensemble cast keep up with the title character.

I have to say for the first time in years that this show might be my new 'Friends.' Yep, I said it.

*must watch

'Pan Am'

All I can say is beautiful! From the costumes to the make up, sets, cinematography - it's just beautiful! And I love that the situations portrayed on the show are based on real Pan Am happenings. The actors work well together and the story premise is great. It's obviously ABC and gorgeously made.

*watch

'Once Upon a Time'

The double lives of fairytale characters - I love it! The Evil Queen has created a curse that has transported every fairytale character to the real world where time has stopped and no one remembers anything. The only one that can help is the daughter of Snow White and Prince Charming - Emma. I must say that I wasn't sold with the first episode, but the second and third really got me hooked.

*watch

'Up All Night'

You can't go wrong with Maya Rudolph, Christina Applegate and Will Arnett. I'm just sayin'.

*watch

Shows we are still loving after multiple seasons of awesomeness:
'The Office'
'Modern Family'
'Bones'
'Castle'

Shows we wish were still on:
'Accidentally on Purpose'

These are the five shows I've added to my watching roster - I hope they stick around! I think they're worth a watch - let me know what you think!

Tempe

2011-11-05T12:17:00.003-06:00

Have we mentioned how wonderful it has been to have our little puppy? Tempe is an almost-five-month-old black lab. It took Matt about 6 months to pick her out. We were so lucky to snag her from a breeder in Oakley.
She makes us laugh every day! I can't tell you what a help she has been to us during these stressful months - she is just the best girl ever! We took her to get spayed yesterday and I cried a little when we dropped her off, we love her so much. But she came home all ready to play, it seemed that major surgery didn't faze her in the slightest.
She is a big part of our little family. It's amazing how this puppy has work her way into our hearts, we're just a couple of softies for this baby.

Here are a couple film photos I took last month of our girl, Tempe! And, for those of you wondering, she is named after Dr. Temperance Brennen from the TV show, 'Bones' :)

New York on Film: Part 1

2011-11-05T11:09:00.007-06:00

Matt and I went to New York for our anniversary this year - June 18. We had a wonderful adventure, we love adventures! So, I promised you could see the photos we took with our film camera!

Here you go!

And We're Back

2011-10-12T13:33:00.000-06:00

It's been a tough couple of months. Changes, changes and more changes. I really wish there was a button we could push marked, 'Everything is great, keep it just the way it is,' but as always we must push on and learn from it. I don't want to bore you with the details, but since you last saw us on the blog we've moved, had big changes at work, bought a dog, and found out we're going to have another niece! Now, these are all the fun changes I'm talking about, but that's not to say that they don't bring a little stress and strain - minus the new niece part, we're extremely excited about that one! Stress from moving, I never knew how much stuff we had. Stress from changes at work, don't get me started. Stress from buying a dog, we looooove her so much, but it's like living with a newborn and a toddler with really sharp teeth in the house (don't forget that I said we love her, she's our little baby!).

Tempe is our puppy, she's now 4 months old and so full of energy. I just know she looks at me and thinks, 'you are so boring.' But I try to stay as exciting as I can in her eyes, she already thinks that Matt is the greatest thing ever (well, I don't blame her). I find myself talking to her like she's a person, yesterday I asked her what she did all day ;)

This photo is about a month old, she is so much bigger now.
We're also slowly getting our film developed from our trip to New York. Here's me with the Manhattan skyline behind.

Here's to lots more blog posting now that life is getting back to normal.

Long Time No See!

2011-06-23T22:20:00.000-06:00

It has been such a crazy time for us! This summer is flying by! We had such a wonderful time in New York City this last week. I made a little video, and just a warning, these photos and video were taken with our little point and shoot Sony camera. We didn't want to take the big digital camera with us, it would have been one more thing to worry about. We did take the film camera and those shots will be coming soon.

Enjoy!

Untitled from Erin Anderson on Vimeo.

What we Love About Film

2011-05-14T21:22:00.001-06:00

I really didn't know what I was missing when it comes to shooting film. Matt and I were on the fence about taking the film camera to New York, but after Matt saw the film photos I had developed today he said, 'We're definitely taking film to New York!' I really fell in love with these shots. There are more to come, including some of a guy on a motorcycle.

One of my favorite flowers (I think my absolute favs are Peonies)!

Mom and dad's puppy Toby - we love him!

Photos and More Photos

2011-05-02T09:14:00.002-06:00

I've been pretty busy lately with four grad shoots and one bearded man shoot within the last week. I have photos coming out my ears - or at least my hard drive! I've had such a great time incorporating new things I've learned, and I'm pretty sure I'm getting better. Anyway, I hope you all know that all the royal photos I put up last week collectively equal our photos of the week.

Well, less than 50 days till our New York trip! We are so excited we can't stand it! We'll buy our Broadway, Mets and MOMA tickets today, plus a fun NYC travel book we saw at Hastings on Friday. Warm weather is coming on fast - the sky was so beautiful for my photo shoot with my baby sis this weekend! We had a great time! Here's a little preview!

Happy Monday!

The Dress

2011-04-29T08:26:00.003-06:00

The dress did not disappoint!

I'm running on about 4 hours of sleep this morning, but it was well worth it! She stepped out of her car and I thought, 'She did the Grace Kelly!' She looked absolutely stunning! The ceremony was beautiful, what a fairytale! Congratulations to the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge! How fun would it be to be a duchess?

Royal Wedding

2011-04-28T18:45:00.000-06:00

I know that some people are sick of hearing about the royal wedding, but I have to say that I am ecstatic. It's so romantic! Kate Middleton is doing something that most girls only dream of, write about, swoon over, pass out cold over - she's marrying an actual prince. I love the splendor of it all, if we could have gone to England for the occasion, we would have. In a time of such pain and unrest it's nice that we have some joy to celebrate in our world. So, the world will be watching - even I might stay up to see Kate's gotta-be-gorgeous dress.

Here's to love, weddings and eternal bliss - I certainly married my prince and now Kate will marry hers! How fabulous!

For this occasion I will now feature some of my favorite photos of the royal family - enjoy!

I also love that instead of gifts they would like everyone to give to their favorite charities!

Easter and Then Some

2011-04-26T08:56:00.004-06:00

We had quite the busy weekend! I went out to dinner with my loverly friends Allison and Jessica on Friday night - I love them! Matt went off golfing with dad on Saturday morning, so that left Allie and I to have a sister day! We took graduation photos of Al's cute friend, Jalene - I shot film for the first time in three years :) We got lunch from Jimmy Johns (um, I love them) and yummy cookies from Rubysnap, then went to a bridal shower for my friend Cyndi!

Matt and I also got a fabulous Easter gift - a new niece! This is Charlotte!

Yeah - so cute!

We also got a new cousin!

My cousin Jim proposed to his girlfriend, Kasey! Yay for family!

We had a way fun Easter egg hunt and Kasey got the best, ring-filled egg! I love being with my family - they are so wonderful! Life is so amazing!

More photos of the egg hunt and other things coming! I'm so excited to get my film developed from Jalene's grad session, I can hardly stand it!!

Search Story

2011-04-20T13:23:00.000-06:00

   There are so many fun search stories, basically they are a fun way to make consumers advertise for Google (quoting my friend Brandon), and it's genius! So, our cute friend Amber, Brandon's girlfriend, made one about her last year in college, student teaching, etc. and I thought I needed to make one. So, I did.
   How to Apply to Grad School at USU

   and Spending our Anniversary in NYC

   It would be cool if you could make a longer, more in-depth one, but you just get a 35 second version - which is still really fun.
   Hope you're having a fun Wednesday!
   E

Crave Photo!

2011-04-19T09:05:00.002-06:00

Crave Photography is giving away a free, all expense paid, 2-day workshop! How cool is that! Flight and hotel included - what a fun time!! Check out the blog and sign-up for the giveaway!

The Weekend is Calling

2011-04-15T14:04:00.002-06:00

This is the first weekend in a while that has me all excited to be outside. It might be a little rainy, but we're at the point of no return - if it snows, it's doesn't stay around long! Yes! First I have to tell Yulese that your prize is coming, it's just taking a bit longer than I thought and thank you for your patience!

We went to my cousin Morgan's wedding last night - so cute! We had such a blast, we always love hanging out with our rockin' family!

It's been a long week. I have three more hours and of work and then it's 'Chuck' and couch city (in reality I will be washing dishes and maybe get in a little sewing). But for now, it's back to work - my lunch breaks are never long enough and I'm officially out of annual leave time until July (with little sick time left, also). So, here's to my attempts to stay healthy so I don't go in the negative. Anyway.

I finished up McKenzie and Cory's pics this week and I really love them. Here are a couple more.

Now go and have some fun this weekend.
E

And Now My First Movie Review

2011-04-12T16:57:00.000-06:00

Matt took me to see 'Beastly' last night and me being all-too-curious and generally in love with the 'Beauty and the Beast' story, I enjoyed it. My awesome husband surprised me and had already looked up the movie times - he knew what he was doing. This movie skipped from the full-priced theatres pretty fast, which led me to believe it was not well received, and I can understand why. I hate to make movie choices based on what others say, I can usually tell for myself if I'm going to like it - with the exception of a few, 'Because I Said So,' to name one. Too bad, too. It looked so cute - but that's another story.

Vanessa Hudgens was gorgeous as was the male lead, Alex Pettyfer. But gorgeousness, as we have learned, does not a great actor make. I'm not saying that I'm gorgeous or a good actor, something to remember. Both spoke a little too fast, I had to ask Matt every so often, 'What did he say?' But maybe that was me. The story line was hurried through four seasons, we barely saw what they did between Fall and Spring. So, with the loss of six months I had a hard time finding out how they got from one point to another. It follows the Disney version pretty close with the daddy problem and Kyle (the Beast) getting upset when the girl stays in her room for a while. Cogsworth and Mrs. Potts are filled in with a housekeeper and tutor. Ah, the tutor, Neal Patrick Harris, the funniest part of the movie. At times he was holding it all up by himself. Mary-Kate Olsen was pretty good as a witch, her wardrobe pretty much wore her.

Well, without boring you to a crisp, I must say that there are some sweet parts where Hudgens and Pettyfer shine. All in all, I liked it. Wouldn't object to watching it again. But I'm one of those that watch 'High School Musical' when I want a feel-good movie.

So, take it for what you will. It has some really amazing shots of New York.

Lots of love!

Weekly Photo by me!

2011-04-08T09:48:00.001-06:00

Last Saturday I shot a fabulous engagement session - it's so easy to shoot awesome people, I love it! My sister came along to help and we got to spend the day together - love that even more! We had such a fantastic time with McKenzie and Cory - I got to work with McKenzie a couple summers ago and, small world, our moms worked together when we lived in Magna!
So, here is our photo of the week - by me, we haven't seen that in a while!

See what I mean, this one just blew me away! Plus McKenzie has epic skin, so I barely had to touch this photo.

I feel like the only posts I have on this blog are Photos of the Week. Hopefully with the weather getting better (but not really since there's 5 inches of snow outside, blah) and photos coming back into the forefront with the busy wedding season, I'll be blogging about more than my favorite photos taken by other people. Plus we're going to have some major adventures this summer, New York and such, so we will have lots to show you.

I have a photo class tomorrow - so excited! More about that soon!

Have a wonderful Friday - I'm going to cook some yummy dinner tonight!

Loves!

POW 8 + a little reminiscing - and a prize!

2011-04-01T08:36:00.001-06:00

This photo of the week is super adorable! It comes from a new-to-me photog I found through The Sweet Tooth Fairy, it's Rachel Vivienne and I'll tell you why I love it so much. It reminds me of my sister. Now that we're older I keep remembering all the fun times we always had. My baby sister came along when I was eight years old and my brother was 12. So, that means that my sister basically had two mothers, me and my mom. I know I never made things easy for her, but I hope she knows how much I love her. I would do anything for her. This one is for my baby sis - the one who can always make me laugh (she's much quicker than I), always get me out of a rut - the one who doesn't take any of my crap. I love you, sis. Remember that time when we got laughing so hard I peed my pants? I think it happened so often we can't pinpoint just one time - but I love you with all my heart. No matter how much I mother you (I'm working on that, and you know I do it because I love you), I'm here for you. Like nothin' else.

Now, on to our giveaway! I'm going to keep it a surprise - because I love surprises! The winner is Yulese! Thanks for following us, we love having you around! Ok, Yulese, leave me a comment with your address (I give the ok for my comments to be published and will not publish that comment), so I can send you your prize and hopefully you will be surprised.

On a side note, although not really side because it is really important, Matt got the job! We will be moving not too far away from where we are now, but still it's a change of scenery and we love that! If the weather holds up I will be shooting my first set of engagements for this wedding season tomorrow, I'm so excited!

Here's to sisters, brothers (family in general) and fun prizes!

Happy weekend!

E :)

POW 7

2011-03-25T13:54:00.000-06:00

The best part about the end of the week is the feeling of relief that comes with a Friday.
Our photo of the week comes from Chanin Boutwell, owner of Boutwell Studio. She's an amazing photog, she catches the most incredible moments with her camera! This is what photo-beauty looks like.

Have a wonderful weekend!

Post #350

2011-03-23T08:54:00.002-06:00

   Sorry Tuesday's post was so dismal, don't know what I was thinking. We still haven't heard about Matt's new job, but whatever happens is meant to be.
   On to the fun stuff! It's our 350th post and we promised a little prize for one of our lucky followers. To win this surprise you have to be a follower and leave a comment on this post. We will then choose one name out of a hat and let you know, you have until March 31 to comment and follow!
   We pre-ordered 'Tangled' last night and thanks to our Best Buy purchases in the last couple months we only had to pay $2.12 for it. Yay for Best Buy Rewards, huh?! I absolutely loved 'Tangled,' what a great showcase of Disney's creative talent.
   Also, we're going here this summer . . .

We bought our airfare last night!!!

And now a tribute to NY.

Today

2011-03-21T08:31:00.000-06:00

Today is a big day. I'm so nervous I could vomit. This day decides the direction our life will go in the next year or so. Lots of changes will come with the decision made this day. We just have to make it through today. Tomorrow will be less stressful.
Loves on this Monday.

Photo(s) of the Week!

2011-03-18T16:51:00.000-06:00

This week was a creeper, I think I saw a snail whiz by at some point. But, no matter, it's over and now I will spend quality time with my husband and sewing machine. We're still trying to get our stuff together to go on our trip this June - it's so expensive to go anywhere! So sad that our Aggies lost last night, but they should be uber proud of the season they so awesomely completed.

We're approaching our 350th post! Check back for a little giveaway, we want to thank our wonderful followers for their love!

Now, on to photos of the week!

This one comes from the amazingly talented You Look Nice Today Photography group based out of Porland, OR. I love their stuff - all film and gorgeous! You really should take the time to check out their site!

And here is a super cute photo of my nephew taken by my brother's iPhone. I really, really want one!!

I hope you all have a wonderful weekend! They never last long enough.

Much love!

Wanna Dance?

2011-03-17T10:49:00.002-06:00

The Aggies do!

Our #12 Utah State Aggies will take on #5 Kansas State today in Tucson, AZ at 8 p.m.

Also, our Lady Aggies will host their WNIT game tonight at 5 p.m. in the Spectrum!

Good luck to our guys and gals in blue!

I believe that we will win!

What could be cuter?

2011-03-16T16:53:00.001-06:00

My brother and sister-in-law are so creative! This is their latest endeavor...

Jen also makes these...

Get them here. She also donates a portion of her profits to animal-loving organizations!

This week is dragging on - I'm so glad these are up on Jen's Etsy shop to cheer me up!

Have a wonderful Wednesday! I'm going to take photos and then sew tonight ;)

Lots of love,

Maybe Vacation

2011-03-14T08:47:00.001-06:00

So, Matt and I have been throwing around vacation ideas. Our third anniversary is coming up and we decided since we have some extra money from our tax return and such we should get out of town, literally. We thought maybe Chicago, a city neither of us have had the chance to visit - home of the Cubs and White Sox. Then we threw Washington D.C. out there, again neither of us has been, and we really want to spend a week in the Smithsonian. And then there was New York, *sigh. After we had spent a while talking it over Matt asked, 'Out of all of these where would you like to go most?'

I looked at him and said, 'Honey, there is no place like New York. We have to go to New York.'

So, we might be going to New York. There are a few factors that need to be worked out before we make the ultimate decision - like whether Matt wants to take a class this Summer so he can get his teaching certificate. Well, if we go it would be such a blast and if we don't it's no biggie - so we save up and go next year.

Either way, New York is awesome!

Days Like These

2011-03-11T12:16:00.001-07:00

....make us realized how blessed we are to be alive.

Our hearts and prayers go out to those who are suffering this day.

Dream

2011-03-10T13:02:00.006-07:00

I am so in love with these songs right now.

So, press play and watch the videos, then play them again while looking at this photosite. This photographer is fabulous!

I woke up with a stupid sore throat this morning. I hate that we can build skyscrapers and fly around the world but we can't stop the common cold in its tracks. No matter how many Emergen-Cs I force myself to drink or Cold-Eeze drops I eat (that make my mouth taste really bad), I can never seem to shake the inevitable. Every Spring, like clockwork, along comes my semi-annual cold. Blast!

Anyway, this song makes me feel a little better. It makes me think of warmer days in California - the majority of my daydreaming right now is me and Matt taking a bike ride along the beach. Now if only I could speed up the Netflix process and get all the seasons of 'Chuck' online, I would be as good as I can be while ill.

Happy Thursday!

Happy Birthday, Dad!

2011-03-08T10:01:00.000-07:00

It's my dad's birthday and we got him a pretty sweet present. Wish we could hang out with him today, but unfortunately work and other stuff always get in the way. So, here's to my dad on his 29th ;) birthday! We love you and hope you have a wonderful day!

My dad is better than your dad! Hehe! Did you know that my dad played baseball for the U, saved one of our puppies from death, can take my car apart and put it back together and name every plane in the sky? If he doesn't know something he learns about it, you can ask him anything and he has the answer! I love my dad so much and wish him a very happy birthday!

Photo of the Week #6

2011-03-05T09:59:00.001-07:00

I know I say this a lot but this week has been pretty slow. Sorry I forgot to post the photo of the week yesterday. My mom and sister drove up to shop for prom dresses. It's my baby sister's last prom, I can't believe she's graduating. So, I left work early so I could join in on the fun. It was supposed to be Cupcake Friday with our friends Ammon and Emma, so I was lazy and bought cupcakes instead of making them - they were still good and didn't mess up my kitchen (the kitchen that was clean when I got home, by the way, Matt cleaned the kitchen! I love him!).

I haven't taken photos since January, if you don't count the photo shoot I had with my sewing machine this week, so I've been missing my camera. I've decided that since it's a nice day I might take my camera along with me on an errand run. We're feeding the missionaries tonight, I think I will make breakfast food and we can have a brunch for dinner, a Binner if you will.

Our first photo of the week comes from Jill Devries, another fabulous photographer that I blog-stalk. She works mainly in Grand Rapids, Michigan. I love this photo - everything about it.

The second is from the second engagement shoot I ever had. I really enjoyed this shoot, I was so nervous - I still get really nervous. But I think I've improved and I'm ready to get better. For me, not for anyone else. Remember my New Year's resolution was to photograph for me and figure out why it's for me. Anyway, have a wonderful weekend!

Around the House

2011-03-01T20:30:00.002-07:00

Matt and I both had birthdays this last week, Matt loves that he's older than me by four days - he never lets me forget it. We had a wonderful time with my family. We had an Oscar party on Sunday night - I loved the fashion! I have to say that because I only saw three of the films that were up for Best Picture - although if they only nominated five, like they used to, I'd be well ahead of the curve. I always vow that next year I will see all the movies on the list, but when it comes down to it I just didn't have any interest in seeing 'Winter's Bone' or 'Black Swan,' with all due respect to the fabulous Natalie Portman. So, I saw 'Toy Story 3,' 'The Social Network' and 'True Grit.' I hoped Hailee Steinfeld would win, wished that 'How to Train Your Dragon' would edge out 'Toy Story 3,' and longed to see Hugh Jackman on stage - but not everything turns out the way I want it - maybe next year.

My birthday was awesome, I went to the doctor - mainly because I took the day off of work and he had a spot free. I got to hang out with my husband, mom, sister and aunts - my dad had to go to St. George on business :( We were fortunate enough to be on the tenth row to watch the Celtics best the Jazz. Even a loss couldn't hold down the fun of the evening - we loved it!

Now for the presents!!

My fam gave me a sewing machine!! I have wanted one for so long. I had two old ones that really needed work, but instead my fam went with reality and figured I should just get a new one. They were right! I love it! And, of course, I had to run right to the fabric store to get the fixins for a quilt - I hope it turns out better than my last try at making a blanket *sigh.

Our wonderful friends Ammon and Emma gave me this amazing cookbook - I can't wait to make something!! They also gave me a 'Prince of Persia' 16-month calendar ;)

My so-cute hubby gave me this card - he said it was the result of standing in front of the birthday cards at the store for over 15 minutes. He wrote in it that he loves the little things that make me giggle, Justin Bieber is one of those things :] What? His stuff is catchy!

My favorite dress of the Oscars - the oh-so-adorable Hailee Steinfeld.

   And now, Justin Bieber.
   Don't think, just watch it - you know you want to!

Photo of the Week #5 and my husband's birthday

2011-02-25T08:41:00.001-07:00

My Matt turned 26 yesterday, but was too sick to go out. I planned to take him on a hot date, but instead I picked up Costa Vida and we watched movies (which I think was infinitely better). He got an XBox 360 and multiple games - we totally downloaded 'Plants vs. Zombies' and played it until all hours of the night. Well, I love my husband - he's such a wonderful man! You know, he is so much fun! I am the luckiest, by far!
So, a hearty happy birthday to my man - even though it was yesterday.
Our photos of the day are of him...
on graduation day!

with our good friend Chris on his (Chris') wedding day!

Photo of the week #4

2011-02-18T09:07:00.002-07:00

It has been a crazy, albeit slow, week. I got on Facebook yesterday to find a huge ordeal unfolding right before my eyes. Jonathan Canlas and Ryan Muirhead, both prominent photographers from Utah, had been totally ripped off. A young girl from Bountiful had taken their photos, placed her watermark on them, posted them on her blog and claimed them to be hers. She did the same with photos from, at least, 4 other photographers. It was absolute insanity. I was in shock - totally obsessed.

This just goes to show that nothing on the internet is safe. Also, when choosing a photographer, make sure that you do some digging. Talk to some of their former clients if you can. Get a sense of who they are and pay close attention to their style - if there is a huge difference in style over a short period of time, you might want to check in to that. Just be smart and cautious when it comes to spending your money.

Another thing to remember, copyright infringement is illegal. Stealing is illegal.

So, on that note, my photos of the week will come from personal sources. Even though I always give credit to the photographers I feature on this blog, I will now be a little more scrutinizing about how I deal with such things. Remember to always ask for permission when using another's photos - even if it's just to put them up on your personal blog. As a photographer I now understand to the full extent what that means.

Our photos of the week are as follows:

My mom was on the drill team in high school. She's been having me help her scan pictures in from those days - she loves putting them on Facebook! They are so fun to look at! My mom is the middle.

Next is one of my mom and dad right before they got married!
I love this one!

Have a wonderful weekend!

Love

2011-02-14T11:44:00.001-07:00

It's Valentine's Day! So, happy V-day to a husband who is amazingly kind, a fabulous find and the one that's always on my mind! Matt and I met in the Fall of 2006, we both lived in Merrill Hall on the Utah State campus. I don't know where I would be without him - I'm so glad I have someone to experience the adventure of life with.

One of my single friends on Facebook posted that she's so glad to be single and her passport shows just how much. I know that I haven't been all over the world but one day I will get to experience all of that with my wonderful husband - we're all different, things happen for us on many different time tables. What I love is that people are happy, I love that my Facebook friend is blissful in her travels. How cool is it that we are all able to see the world? It's there for us, and it will be there when Matt and I get around to seeing it.

We make plans and sometimes they get interrupted, but I have to say that it's the interruptions that make the whole journey worth while.

So, here's to love, adventures and always having something that makes us happy. In the end it's how we have lived our lives that will define us. I'm proud to be the wife of a wonderful man, a man who would do anything for me. I'm proud of the life I live. No, I haven't been to the Eiffel Tower, the Wall of China or even Washington D.C., but I have someone to cherish all of those moments with once we get there.

I love you, Matt! I can't wait to drive down the road with you, let alone see the beaches of Cape Verde with you!

Photo of the Week: #3

2011-02-11T08:51:00.001-07:00

This week's photo comes from the ever-amazing Rebekah Westover. Now, we have a personal connection to Rebekah, she shot our wedding - and she is one of my photographer idols! She makes her own style, never follows trends just because everyone else is. She creates for herself - that's the most important thing when you're in this business. You can catch a great Q&A session with Rebekah here.

I had a hard time picking just one of her photos - they are all amazing!
And now, a picture of us taken by Rebekah!

This week went by really slow. Things slowed down at work - and when that happens I tend to die of boredom, and I don't have a Dwight Schrute to revive me. So, I got through the week on listening to my Justin Bieber station on Pandora (don't judge, some of his songs are catchy, and I really don't feel too ashamed, apparently 'Glee' will have Bieber Fever next week).

I've been a bit disappointed by 'Glee' lately, with the exception of their 'Thriller/Heads Will Roll' mash-up. I think the story has taken a bit of a dive and they don't sing as much as they used to - and when they do the songs aren't that exciting.

Matt and I have become addicted to 'Bones.' I started watching it about a month ago - you can watch seasons 1-5 on Netflix. One day Matt came home and I was watching it, he got hooked and now he won't let me watch it without him.

Here's hoping you have a fabulous weekend!

Much love!

Too cute to not share

2011-02-08T08:49:00.002-07:00

My brother, Talin his wife, Jen and son, Ezra are so adventurous and of course they live in the best place to have adventures!! What fun!
I was reading their blog this morning and I had to share this!

They rented a surrey - how cool is that? Oh, and that's Harvey sitting next to Ezra in the surrey.

Tal - we have to do this the next time we come out there!!

Much love on this Tuesday!

Photo of the Week #2

2011-02-07T11:15:00.002-07:00

I totally missed our photo of the week last week. I was sick on Friday, nothing serious - just annoying. I made my way to Salt Lake to see my fam for about 24 hours, I then came home and Matt and I made our way to the temple to support his cute cousin in receiving her endowment. So, it was another busy weekend, filled with much sweetness!

You will be getting two photos of the week this week. I love it!
This one comes from the ah-mazing Lindsey Stewart, owner of Green Apple Photography right here in Utah. She's fabulous - shoots with film and rocks the house!

I totally love the simplicity of this photo - so serene.

   Can't believe it's Monday again - but we'll get through it together! Here's to milk mustaches and pirate adventures!
   A picture of our nephew! We love! An extra photo of the week for you - maybe I will do two each week, one personal and one from some other peeps.
   My brother, sister-in-law and newphew (the one photoed below) went to the beach yesterday - have you ever seen me super jealous? Well, here it is :)

   Much love to you on this Monday - have one of those weeks that make you laugh so hard you pee a little!
Loves,
E

Photo of the Week

2011-01-28T12:38:00.000-07:00

I'm implementing 'Photo of the Week' here on the andersonfam blog! This weeks pic comes from Kay English, a wonderful New York area photographer! Everybody needs a bit of inspiration, and this is mine for the week.

I very much love New York and I very much love this photo. Simple and romantic..
Also, it's Friday - just in case you forgot. Go do something fun! Our friends Ammon and Emma are coming over for Cupcake Friday tonight! We trying High Hats tonight - we made the cake part last night and let's just say that there is nothing wrong with trial and error.
My good friend Cindy is getting married tomorrow, congrats to her!
Love, E

I used to

2011-01-24T09:35:00.000-07:00

I used to be a more exciting, fun, carefree person. I don't know what has happened in the last five years, but I've made a switch - and I don't like it. I find that I'm irritable about everything, I used to drive down the road and not yell at other drivers. I used to not be bothered by the screaming children in church or at the store. I used to love the weather, no matter how gloomy - I used to have a great attitude about the changing seasons.

I don't know if this is all coming about because I'm getting older, but I really don't like it.

I know that life can bog us down, literally, but there is no reason not to celebrate our lives every day. Maybe I'm just feeling like having a bit of a pity party today - nothing is ever as bad as I think it is. I suppose arguing with my husband about not wanting to go to work this morning was a bit juvenile - it made me feel like I was eight years old again, fighting with my mom about not going to school. It's possible that Mondays just bring out the cranky, crazy Erin.

There is no way to say how much I need sunshine and warm weather, but for now I have to deal with our Cache Valley yuck. Pity party, pity party. Pity party.

I did, however, buy jeans for less than $10 at Old Navy this week, and they were a size smaller than I usually wear :)

We all get bored. We all get complacent. The key is to learn how to dig our way out and find our own bliss. Maybe mine is not using up a sick day just because I don't want to get out of bed, but maybe it is.

I will try my best to not put on my cone-shaped hat and pull out my noise maker for my pity parties - I will find a way to not complain, because my life is amazing. So, I guess what I'm trying feebly to get at is that I should never look down on all that I have, all that I love. I'm so lucky, and I should not take life so seriously.

Life's hard, a big, messy challenge, and we are defined by how we get through it.

Now, something funny. I know I needed it.

Have a fantastic week!

We are Blessed

2011-01-23T18:04:00.000-07:00

Today our family experienced a miracle! Our wonderful cousin Dale finally received a much-needed liver. It is a day to reflect on the many, many blessings we are given! We are so thankful. Thank you to all those who offered up prayers in his behalf.

Crazy

2011-01-21T13:12:00.004-07:00

It has been a crazy month. I feel like January has been more difficult, so far, than December - and December was lets-drive-everywhere month. We started paying off our very first large purchase, a car. We are starting to pay off my student loans - the worst decision I ever made. We haven't slept in in I don't remember how long. And it just dawned on me that my baby sister will graduate from high school this year.

My grandpa fell and broke his femur about two weeks ago, so we've been spending a lot of time in the hospital with him. He's doing just fine, although if you ask him he might tell you otherwise - plus the hospital no longer smells clean, it smells like an old-folks home, yuck. Our cousin Dale is still waiting for a liver, he's been on the donor list for a long time - we pray for him every day (he's in a non-stinky hospital)!

Matt and I have had little time to spend together - we try to stay up and hang out on weeknights, but I've been so tired lately I end up getting in bed way too early. We thought that maybe we could swing going on a vacation this year - we were excited to get our taxes taken care of so we could use the money to get lost, but Matt found out he has to take a class this summer - big bummer! The university let him graduate without taking Utah Geography, apparently a crucial class when trying to teach in Utah. Thanks USU! So, it looks like we'll head up Logan canyon for a picnic - that will be our vacation this year because of insane tuition prices for just ONE class.

Photography has taken a back seat since I got a day job, but hopefully will pick up again soon now that the sun is sticking around a bit longer each day. Matt asked me earlier this month, 'Why don't you take pictures anymore?'

To which I replied, 'You know, it would help if the sun wasn't down when I got off work - maybe I could squeeze in a few shots.' But no, it's still winter and I miss the sun. So much!

Even though I complain, I know that we are so lucky! What's another year without a true vacation?

All I have to say is I want to -

eat this

travel around the country in this

vacation here

and here

with him

We have some saving to do. But we'll do it all!
Happy Friday!
E

Something Beautiful

2011-01-11T11:50:00.001-07:00

The awesome Ashlee Raubach took this gorgeous picture.
In the new year I resolve to search out why I love photography and why I do it for me! So often I get mixed up in the stress of everything and forget that I'm doing something I love - which is such an amazing blessing. There are so many people out there who hate what they do and I have the opportunity to explore what I enjoy - that's what it's all about.
In 2011 my resolution is to get back to the basics - get back to who I am.
What's your resolution. There are no dumb resolutions!
Loves :)

Happy & Merry

2010-12-21T14:46:00.003-07:00

I know I've been a terrible blogger, but things have been so busy lately! I promise you more blogging in the new year!
Have a safe and wonderful holiday!

You can order your own card like ours from RSVP Custom Invitation's Etsy store!

A Very Merry Christmas to You!

2010-12-19T23:58:00.000-07:00

I taught in Relief Society today and I told my fellow sisters that I would post a couple videos from the church website. I hope that we can all remember what Christmas is all about.

If you want to watch more videos go to the Christmas page on the LDS Church website.

We absolutely love Christmas time! We decorate our tree with sentimental items (souvenir pins from our honeymoon, a Bees baseball from our first anniversary). This year we get to spend Christmas with Matt's family! We have so many people to visit while we're there - it's so much fun!

We hope everyone has a safe and wonderful holiday! We're so looking forward to a little break!

North of something that resembled blogging.

2010-12-06T14:26:00.000-07:00

I realized the other day that we haven't had too much to blog about. I'm certain that when we have kids the blog will explode with awesomeness. But, until that happens you all have to deal with just the two of us - which we love (just being the two of us). We're not ready for children at the moment, but hopefully someday you can all check back to see us with little ones of our own.
So, I've decided to let you all know how things have been going with us.
I got a new job in September! I love it - it's an 8-5er. I'm no longer working nights at The Herald Journal - I don't miss the hours, but I do miss the people I worked with and the events I was able to attend!
Matt and I bought a new car the day after Thanksgiving. We went out saying we weren't going to buy, but we did. We fell in love with the car! I'll try to post pics soon.
We got our Christmas tree up last Thursday! I love our quirky, fun tree.
So, not too much to report, but it's been a big four months for us - and we feel more like grown-ups with our new car! With our old car Matt never wanted to drive, now that we have our new one we always fight over who gets to drive :)

Also, I got this idea from our cute friend Casey, so I'm going to try it out. Here's what's coming up on our blog.

Day 01 - A recent photo of you and 15 interesting facts about yourself
Day 02 - A really good memory.
Day 03 - A picture of you and your craziest friend
Day 04 - A habit that you wish you didn't have
Day 05 - A picture of somewhere you've been to
Day 06 - A picture that shows your true self
Day 07 - A picture of someone/something that has the biggest impact on you
Day 08 - A picture that makes you laugh
Day 09 - A picture of the person who has gotten you through the most
Day 10 - A picture of someone you see yourself marrying/being with in the future
Day 11 - Your celebrity crush
Day 12 - A picture of something you love
Day 13 - A picture of something you hate
Day 14 - Picture of someone you could never imagine your life without
Day 15 - A picture of something you want to do before you die
Day 16 - Someone you would want to switch lives w/ for one day and why
Day 17 - Your favorite song
Day 18 - A picture of the cast of your favourite show.
Day 19 - A picture of someone you miss
Day 20 - A picture of somewhere you'd love to travel
Day 21 - A picture of something that makes you happy
Day 22 - A picture that confuses you
Day 23 - A picture of you and the person you have been closest with the longest
Day 24- A picture of yourself and a family member
Day 25 - Picture of yourself and a family member
Day 26 - A picture of something that means alot to you.
Day 27 - A picture of something your afraid of
Day 28 - A picture of you last year and now, how have you changed since then?
Day 29 - A picture that can always make you smile
Day 30 - Who are you?

Forget You!

2010-11-12T13:44:00.003-07:00

Are you as excited to see Gwenyth on 'Glee' as I am?

PhotoFun

2010-11-04T22:06:00.002-06:00

I was home sick today and realized that I haven't blogged for almost a month. I was listening to an online radio station the other day, I don't remember which one because my Pandora account had expired for the month and it forced me to find another music alternative. Anyway, when songs came on the station showed pictures of the artists. These are some of the best I saw during my work day.

I especially love the Norman Rockwell-esque 'Glee' photo. There are so many creative ways to pose your subjects. The movement of creative photography is, thankfully, taking us into a more modern look. Anything goes. These are the types of photos that inspire my photography.
We've added 'Iron Chef' to our list of things we love to watch together. Matt gets so into it - it's awesome! I'm almost done editing a wedding in October and I'm loving the pics! Let's hope I get much better before we head up to Wyoming tomorrow. My fingers are crossed.
Have a beautiful weekend :)

Allison's Baby Shower!

2010-10-06T22:52:00.004-06:00

We threw a baby shower for our wonderful friend Allison! She is so cute, and is now even cuter with her adorable baby bump! We had so much fun!
This is Allison

This is what her baby shower looked like!!
My awesome sister & I made these (my sister is the awesome one).

We had sack lunches. We had a book themed shower. We had everyone bring their favorite children's book for the baby. Mine is, of course, the amazing, 'Fanny's Dream.' Mom gave her 'Bread & Jam for Francis.'

My fabulous Aunt D'An and cousin Nicci made the DELICIOUS cupcakes!!

Mom took a few people pics - I'll try to get those up soon :)
We love you so much, Allison! We hope you know that!
We are so happy for you and your little family.

Makin' me smile ;)

2010-09-13T21:04:00.000-06:00

I promised I'd put this video up for my Relief Society sisters - so here you go! Sorry I couldn't get the internet connection to show it to you on Sunday.

Here's another favorite right now. Taylor Swift's newest! Enjoy and have a wonderful week!

Love, E

I don't usually

2010-09-08T15:24:00.000-06:00

Rant. I don't usually rant. But, I have a small one. We were on our way home from taking a couple pics of my sister on Monday and we saw this.

Now, this is a normal sight as we drive down the road. But, it made me wonder, how much did this stretch (about 2 miles) cost the city of Sandy, Utah? I understand that it looks nice, but couldn't we have spent the money to pay a deserving teacher a little more each year? I know that the great people in the Canyons school district don't need the money (scoff), but teachers in other districts (like Jordan, the district the Canyons spat on as they drove by in their Escalades last year) need that money.

My husband is an educator and couldn't even find a job teaching this last year because of never-ending budget cuts. Schools in Utah, except Canyons, can't afford it.

So, I see this large cement barrier, with trees and flowers planted in it, as a big waste of money. A huge waste of money - you can make a street look nice without something that, no doubt, will be ripped up in a couple years as the state decides that the road needs to be widened - yet again!

There you have it - my rant for the day. They don't come along very often, but I feel I got my point across. Canyons school district can kiss their pavement and know that one day Kharma will get the best of them. Everyone deserves the right to a fair education and just because you think you're better than those of us that went to a west side school doesn't mean you are.

The state should also think about the things they spend their money on. They should take the shopaholic view to things and ask themselves, "do I need this."

The answer is no.

In Retrospect

2010-09-01T22:26:00.002-06:00

I've owned my photography business for over a year now. I have my seventh wedding tomorrow and I still get nervous. I feel I've come a long way since my first photo shoot. Case in point...

The first photo is my very first engagement session with Craig and Jessica. The second is one of my most recent engagement sessions with Jared and Kaitlyn.

I can see a definite difference in tone, color and quality. I'm still striving to evolve as a photographer. As soon as I started my business I realized that everyone has a photography business, but the thing you must do to stand out in the crowd is exercise your creativity. You can't be afraid to be different - most of all you have to know who you are and how you want to photograph.

Competition is fierce in this business - but I try not to think about that. As long as I'm working and having fun, I have no worries.

I'm constantly learning, getting inspiration and new ideas. The thing is, I have a hard time putting those traits to good use when I'm in the moment. I need to focus and breath when photographing. Most things I've learned have bee forced - like learning to backup EVERYTHING, and never rely on my computer - it's never reliable in my opinion (but I still love it). Other things I must force myself to learn - or Matt will keep reminding me until I read the entire camera (flash, computer, etc.) manual. I'm trying. Promise.

I applied for new job this week and getting it will mean I have to photograph around an 8-5 job. So, we'll see what happens. Hopefully I can still get in my photos and give Matt and I a few more benefits while we live in our little apartment. Maybe we can even save up enough to go on a trip soon.

Have a great weekend - mine is starting tomorrow. Wish me luck on Chelsie and Mike's wedding.

I love 'Glee.' I miss 'Glee.'

2010-08-31T19:19:00.003-06:00

But we got a good taste of it the other night on the Emmys!

Can't wait for Sept. 21!!
Oh, and 'Castle' starts on the 20th!

Moving Right Along

2010-08-25T15:47:00.001-06:00

Foot loose and fancy free! We're starting to get things together in our new apartment. Matt and I put up our engagements and one of my bridals in our bedroom. Next to come are shelves in the front room and more pics on the wall. Hopefully we'll get everything done soon, I love it when we can feel more like the place is ours.

We also had a birthday party for our friend Weston! So, here are some pics for you to enjoy!

This may look a little weird, but I really tried to make a good-looking cake. I think I tried to frost it too fast after cooling, although I'm pretty sure I let it cool for more than an hour. Anyway, it fell apart while I was frosting. I freaked out and then Matt came to the rescue. He said we should cover it with a bowl and then stick it in the freezer. He thought the the cake would mold to the bowl and then we could frost it. It didn't really work that way, so we just put it in the bowl and frosted the top.

Instead of candles we used a chocolate and peppermint stick from Maddox restaurant. Matt loved that!
I think Weston appreciated it anyway - and it was yummy, if I do say so myself.

Weston

Everyone else who came! Thanks everybody for helping us make this day special for Weston!
And a video of the surprise - there weren't many people there. Matt told him to come at 6, which is when we told everyone to come. He should have told him to come at 6:15 so we had time to get everyone in the set! Oh, well! I love my husband anyway!

We said, "Goodbye," to an amazing lady today!

2010-08-09T21:55:00.001-06:00

Faye Rigby was my great-grandfather, Howard's cousin's wife. But to us she was much more than that! She was a woman with an amazing smile, fantastically magnetic personality and a remarkable ability to bring love every where she went. She also always reminded me of my own amazing grandma Margo, who passed away when I was 12. When I was around Faye I always felt my gradma around. She loved everyone!

Matt and I headed out to Wyoming on Friday to watch his brother, Scott, show his last 4H steer at the Sweetwater County Fair (he made $1.85 a pound, which came out to be just over $2100). We then made our way to Idaho for Faye's beautiful funeral. After a total of 588 miles traveled, we are home and ready to sleep for a few days. We love being with family, having adventures and celebrating the lives of our loved ones.

We will miss Faye, but we know that she is keeping her husband, Max and my grandparents company! Oh, how I would love to hear the conversations they're having right now. Probably about us :) We love you, Faye!

Have a great week everyone! Don't forget to tell everyone how much you love them!

E + M

Wadworth Family Reunion: Post #1

2010-07-19T10:32:00.002-06:00

We had such a great time, as always, at our annual Wadsworth Family Reunion! Matt and I arrived Friday - mom and dad usually don't get there until Saturday, mom hates the no-shower-all-weekend thing. Anyway, we love heading up to Idaho to visit our awesome family!

It's been a tough week and looking at these photos makes things better.

Enjoy!

I laughed so hard when I saw this - my aunt Diane took it with my camera! Love it! Dad always has a good time ranglin' up the herd :)

We have a big raffle! Here are a few of the items we raffled! I won the basket on the right (the one with the amazing elephant made by my sis-in-law Jen and the ABC blocks made by my fabulous sis Allie!).

Al and Marion! Marion painted the painting you just saw in the raffle section!

Four generations of Rigby ladies! Faye, Sharlene, Whitney and her brand new baby Brelee.

And now we look at the AWESOME cupcakes my aunt D'An and cousin Nicci made for our country store!

Grandma & Grandpa Hunt's 50th Anniversary

2010-07-07T09:55:00.001-06:00

Back in May we attended Matt's grandparents' 50th wedding anniversary party in Little America, Wyoming - did you know that the Little America hotel is it's own town in Wymong? Anyway, we had a great time celebrating with them and they asked me to take photos - enjoy!

YES!

2010-06-28T11:39:00.000-06:00

I did my first pin-up shoot yesterday! I'm so excited and I'm loving the way they look! I love these new learning experiences! My friend Erin asked me a while back to take some pin-up shots for her to give to her husband - I'm so happy she did! I love these! More to come!

Hair and makeup by my awesome sister, Allie!

I also got the chance to hang out with the Coffmans.

And Chelsie & Mike

Happy Monday!

I'm All At Sea

2010-06-23T18:25:00.001-06:00

Matt and I are moving to a new apartment, still in Logan, and we've been given the go-ahead to move in tomorrow!! Anyway, we also got to paint a wall - any color we wanted! So, today my friends Tien and Tyler (cute, cute couple!) helped me paint the formerly-wood-paneled wall BLUE! I love it!

Took these with my phone. Tyler was awesome with the paint roller and Tien was the edge cleaner - we had such a blast! Thanks to T+T for all their marvelous help, I think I would have been in overwhelmed tears without you!
Tien said the wall reminded her of a Caribbean beach house! How cool is that - and she would know, she's been everywhere!

Someone is asking, 'What is new?'

2010-06-21T10:54:00.001-06:00

Just a little tip of the hat to one of my favorite movies, 'Ratatouille' - I love it!

Anyway, here are a few teaser pics. This is what is new!

Rochelle's graduation pics.

Christa & Matt's wedding.

Zac's missionary portraits.

Stay tuned for more! I also have a busy weekend coming up! So excited!

Train - If It's Love

2010-06-20T16:36:00.003-06:00

I don't know if I've ever mentioned how much I love Train, but I have to say that when I heard this song I fell in love! This one clinches it, they are my favorite band - they got pretty close with "Hey, Soul Sister," but this one takes the cake. I was driving down to Christa and Matt's wedding dinner (photos to come) and I heard this one while on the freeway - man, I wanted to hear it over and over again! And they certainly don't disappoint with videos! So, enjoy and have a great week!

Recharging my Batteries

2010-06-11T14:25:00.000-06:00

So, you know that I love Kaitlyn and Jared! Working on their engagements has totally been a peaceful experience! These two are truly in love, I'm tearing up just looking at them - they're our friends also, so we have a genuine interest in their happiness. We love them and we hope they will always know that!

Kaitlyn's bridals and their wedding are coming up! Check back!

By the way, this post is going to be HUGE! I couldn't really narrow it down, so you're seeing pretty much all of them.

Matt and I will be off for our anniversary next Thursday. I'm heading down to Salt Lake on Monday for a doctor appointment, leg waxing and (the most exciting) to see my nephew and sister in law! Graduation shots on Tuesday plus Christa and Matt's dinner. And on Wednesday it's Christa and Matt's wedding. Busy week for me - I have some shopping to do. See ya!

So, I designed these things . . .

2010-06-10T10:37:00.001-06:00

I'm a work in progress. I like them.

Overwhelmed by Messy Apartement

2010-06-09T11:48:00.000-06:00

Matt and I will be moving in the next couple weeks (hopefully) and we're in a huge transition phase - meaning out apartment looks like a tornado clobbered its way through. So, we've been slowing boxing things up, since we haven't been given a definite move in date and I don't want to pack up things that we might have to open a box to find later. Anyway, it's a little frustrating. On top of that I'm trying desperately to get caught up on photo projects before Christa and Matt's wedding next week - that way I can head down there with nothing on my plate but the want to be there and have fun!

With that said, I wanted to share this photo with you. We shot Kaitlyn's bridals a few weeks ago. Now, I wanted to show you one, without showing you - she doesn't want her intended to see her dress. So, we will dance around that. Enjoy!

Happy Wednesday.

Busy, Busy, Busy

2010-06-01T23:32:00.000-06:00

So, Matt and I got back from a quick trip to see my parents today. Our weekend started off with a 5 a.m. wake-up on Saturday to make it to Matt's brother Scott's graduation from Green River High School. We had to be there by 10 and we ended up making great time - we got there at 9, which is uncharacteristically timely for us (mostly me, I tend to take longer getting ready). Anyway, the best thing about this weekend was getting to spend a ton of time with my hubby. I love that if I have a terrible day, where nothing goes right and everyone is on my back, I can snuggle up next to him and he makes it all melt away. At the end of the day he's the one who tells me I'm good enough, smart enough, brave enough and all together awesome enough to keep going.
I know that I always include a photo in my posts, but this time I'm going to have to ask for your pardon. I'm working feverishly to catch up with my photo-stuffed computer. It takes a lot of time to edit, some don't realize how much - but I sit at that desk every day and I'm surprised at how this work makes me feel, I love what I see through my camera lens. I hope that I can continue to do this thing that I love.
I'm more busy than I thought I ever would be and I feel so blessed because of it.
I have an incredibly supportive family - most of the time I don't deserve it.
I wish everyone a happy June - I look forward to showing you lots more pictures!
Erin

In Our Queue

2010-05-24T19:09:00.000-06:00

Crystal and Craig's wedding!
Much more to come from this awesome couple!

Another

2010-05-20T10:52:00.000-06:00

It has been a stressful couple of weeks. But, I have to say, that taking pics of Jared and Kaitlyn was such a relaxing experience! They are so much fun!

Now I have to get back to work on other projects!

Coming Soon: Update

2010-05-20T01:12:00.002-06:00

Yet another in the works! I had so much fun with Kaitlyn and Jared today! SO excited for you to see the rest! They even brought their own props! I love!

And for your viewing enjoyment - T + Briana! I just wanted to tell you again that Briana designed my logo - I LOVE it. To see the rest of her work go here.

Coming Soon

2010-05-19T00:15:00.000-06:00

My sis in her prom dress! So gorgeous!!

Jake's grad shots and more of T + Briana's love portraits!

And Crystal + Craig's wedding!

This weekend was SO crazy! I had Crystal & Craig's dinner and wedding, Jake's grad shots and I really wanted to take some shots of my beautiful sister in her prom dress. At the last minute on Sunday we decided to drive down the street and take some pics as the sun went down! I think they turned out great!

So, check back for much, much more!

Enjoy your Wednesday!

Me and my camera!

2010-05-17T20:06:00.000-06:00

Crystal and Craig had a photobooth at their reception on Saturday! We had so much fun - can't wait for you to see the pictures!

Sargent Family

2010-05-12T00:43:00.000-06:00

This is my dear friend Tessa!

She just left to serve an LDS mission in the Philippines!
This is her family!

I love Tessa and her fam! These were so fun - although, I will say that with three little girls it was hard getting a shot where everyone was looking at the camera!

Heather + Drew and the Blustery Day

2010-05-11T10:05:00.001-06:00

Heather is the little sister of Meghan - Meghan was my roommate my sophomore year of college! I absolutely loved taking these pictures! I also got to try out some new stuff in Photoshop! It was a really windy day in Logan - later that night our power went off multiple times. We're lucky we got these done before the rain came! Enjoy!

Matt + Christa

2010-05-08T01:22:00.000-06:00

I just wanted to get these up quick! I love them! Matt's graduates tomorrow, technically today 'cause it's 1:21 a.m. - anyway, I'm so proud of him!

Now, it's bedtime!! Have a beautiful weekend!

Christa Bridal Teaser

2010-05-06T22:10:00.000-06:00

I'm still crazy busy editing! I'm almost done with Christa and Matt's engagements, then on to Heather and Drew's engagements, and somewhere in there I must finish up the Sargent family photos. But here is a little teaser for Christa's bridals.

I wish . . .

2010-05-02T10:58:00.001-06:00

Tal, Jen and the Ezra man are on their way here...

We wish we could be there with them! You have no idea!

Joe + Lynzee Wedding Post

2010-04-29T19:27:00.000-06:00

I finished editing Lynzee & Joe's wedding photos today! And now, we look at them...

Lynzee is the cousin of my cousins - and I got this adorable shot of my cousins with their grandpa at Lynzee and Joe's wedding dinner.

Heather + Drew Sneak

2010-04-29T12:00:00.000-06:00

I had a great time with Heather and Drew on this blustery day! It's a good thing we got them done on Tuesday before the storm broke! They are so cute - and totally put up with my crazyness! I love these - hope you do, too!

Happy Thursday! My hubby finishes school today!

Briana Grad Shots

2010-04-26T18:50:00.000-06:00

Here are a few of Briana's grad shots! I have to reiterate that I had so much fun with Briana and her husband T! I just love them!

We used tons of props - they were willing to do anything! I love that!
Hence this next photo - Captain Hook and Smee!

Fun with Christa and Matt

2010-04-25T10:06:00.000-06:00

So, Christa grew up around the corner from me. Her sister, Allison, is one of my bestest friends! I had so much fun with Christa and her fiance, Matt! She's so tiny and he's a tree - so figuring gout how to get them in the same frame was difficult ;) They are so cute, and so obviously happy to be getting married! More to come and stay tuned for their wedding!

I'm on picture overload!

2010-04-24T20:07:00.000-06:00

Wow, I have a busy new week ahead of me - but I'm excited about it!! I have major editing to start and finish, I love it!! Here are a few recents - much, much more to come!!

These are our friends Briana and T! They wanted some couple shots, not engagements since they've been married for a while, and Briana needed graduation photos! Did I mention that Briana designed my amazing logo? Well she did - you can visit her website here. She's awesome - I LOVE my logo!!

Here are a couple of my sister and her boyfriend, Casey. They're not engagements (they are WAY too young for that). We were out taking SBO campaign photos for Allie and I snapped these.

Enjoy!
P.S. Matt got the job! I'm so proud of him!!

Spring at last!

2010-04-22T14:58:00.001-06:00

I'm really feeling Spring in the air. It's probably just my allergies bugging me to no end, but for whatever reason I just love this weather! Rainy days give you a chance to get some relaxation, that's a word that's not synonymous with this time of year, especially for a student (Matt) and photographer (me). It's getting to the end of the semester for Matt and heading right into wedding season for me. I've also been working on portraits and bridals - I have a lot on my plate right now. My husband is so wonderful when I get stressed, he reminds me that being together is the most important thing we can do right now - even when all I want to do is sit in front of the computer and edit photos. He's so amazing, and works so hard for the both of us! I'm looking forward to his graduation and us knowing what our next step is. Matt has a BIG interview tomorrow, so cross your fingers!

Here are a few more of Lynzee and Joe! I love them (the photos and Lynzee and Joe!)!

Here's a little 'Glee' for your day!

Allie's Pièce de Résistance

2010-04-19T10:29:00.000-06:00

Told Ya

2010-04-19T02:00:00.002-06:00

We always have fun! Anyway, we finished up the posters for Allie's elections - voting is on Wednesday so everyone cross your fingers! This is my absolute fav!!

Now, I'm going to bed - have to be up early!

Allie for Spirit Co.

2010-04-14T14:02:00.001-06:00

I talked in an earlier post about taking pics for Allie's posters - well, here they are. We have some more to make this weekend and we have so fun ideas! Vote Allie - she rocks!!

And now - we watch 'Glee'!!!

A Little Gaga?

2010-04-13T14:01:00.000-06:00

We've talked about how beautiful my sister is - she's a born model! Love this one!

Lynzee + Joe Wedding Peek

2010-04-13T11:22:00.002-06:00

Much, much more to come!

Emily at 1.5 years!

2010-04-12T20:34:00.002-06:00

While visiting Matt's fam last week we got a chance to hang out with this cutie!! Emily is hilarious - she was jabbering to us the whole time. What I wouldn't give to know what she thought she was saying! She also LOVES her Uncle Matt! They are so cute together!

Play it cool, boy. Real cool.

2010-04-11T23:53:00.002-06:00

My gorgeous sister is always good for a photo shoot or two. I love the faces she makes! Today we had so much fun getting photos for her upcoming SBO elections! We didn't use these, but I thought they would be cute as a tribute to "West Side Story," Allie didn't think anyone would get it. Oh well. Cute anyway!

The Whole Shebang!

2010-04-07T01:22:00.000-06:00

I had so much fun with these! Lynzee looked absolutely beautiful and every single photo turned out just the way I wanted! I feel like I'm getting better all the time! I love these! Oh, and notice my new logo - so excited!!

Yep.

2010-04-06T20:30:00.002-06:00

Love all of these - it's official!

Lynzee Take 2

2010-04-06T11:24:00.000-06:00

We love Lynzee so much!! We so wanted her to love how she looked in her bridals - so, we went on a little mini session yesterday! We got her all dolled up and went a-shootin'! We had a blast and the best part is that Lynzee felt more confident!
Make-up by my amazing sister Allie!
Enjoy! I'm super excited about these - I felt like I went outside the box a little bit! I heart the wall of chairs!!

Lynzee + Joe Groomals: Complete, and I love!

2010-04-03T19:53:00.000-06:00

I have loved every second with this couple - and I'm so looking forward to their wedding!

Easter Snow :(

2010-04-03T12:37:00.000-06:00

As I Tweeted today, April 3rd should not look or feel like January 3rd. There was an Easter Egg Hunt this morning and I felt so bad for the little kids standing, freezing in the snow. My toes were numb by the time I got home. Anyway, I've finishing up Joe & Lynzee's groomals today and I's really liking the way they're turning out. So, here's to a happy Easter - we hope everyone has a safe holiday!

Learning Something Every Day

2010-04-01T19:11:00.003-06:00

I've been working on Joe & Lynzee's bridal/groomals and today I discovered something new in Photoshop that helps me give the pics a nice glow. I love that every time I work on editing I learn something new! My editing time has gone way down, I know that the majority of the time is me second guessing my color and exposure choices. I also think that my photos should come out of my camera ready to print, that's still a work in progress! Here are a few that I did today.

I've also paired up with Simply Beautiful Floral! Their work is beautiful! They're just getting started, visit their blog and give them some business! Here are a few samples of their work.

Noggin. Dude.

2010-04-01T15:40:00.000-06:00

It has been so much fun to watch Josh grow into a little man. He, along with his mom and dad of course, will be moving away at the beginning of May :( Yesterday I taught him a little trick. If you've ever seen "Finding Nemo" you know about the part with the sea turtles - when Crush and his baby Squirt give each other the noggin and then say, "dude!" This is what Josh learned and it's sooo adorable. He was taking my face in his little hands and pulling it forward to give me a noggin and then he raises one hand to the "dude" position. I love it! Matt saw Josh and his awesome mom, Amanda, last night and when he got home he was so sad because Josh wouldn't show him the noggin trick. So, while I was watching Josh today I shot this little video so Matt could see it!