Kai & Renata

If I could have more weddings like this then I would definitely book more! Quaint, quiet, and very sweet. The bride hails from Switzerland and the groom is from Germany. Needless to say, the accents were beautiful (and the couple wasn't bad looking either ;o) )! I had so much fun with the two of them and their lovely friends from Portland. You all must promise to get in touch with me the next time you come to Bend!

Her something blue

Getting ready

Ceremony--Kai read a lovely story of how the two of them met

More coming soon on my website (most likely after the holidays)--so check back often! Kai & Renata, thank you so much for allowing me to capture your special day (and for the yummy champagne!). It was truly my pleasure to work with you both!

Big pics = not so much

Apparently my blog is not a fan of my large pictures as it doesn't seem like it wants to fix itself and instead insists on covering up my work. hmmmm... I'll have to figure this one out. I'll keep the pics up, though, so my clients can see what's new but do forgive the craziness of the layout.

Jeff + Shanda - Parents-to-be

Jeff & Shanda were such a warm, sweet couple and are anxiously awaiting the arrival of their new little bundle of joy. Their home was filled with all sorts of fun and interesting items from all over the world so between those and the views (plus the yummy light) I could've shot all day long.













I'll also have more on my website once we get everything transferred from the old computer to the new computer. So for now, enjoy some of my favorites from this sitting.

Chad + Kirsten

I'm playing catch-up now as these were taken awhile back ago but I definitely wanted to post them! Chad & Kirsten were so laid back and easy going that taking pictures of them was as natural as breathing. We walked all over downtown and Drake Park, hitting some favorite places of mine, and theirs as well. We tried to grab a beer at McMennamin's, but given that Kirsten and I apparently didn't look "of age" and neither of us had our ID's with us, we were turned down. Bummer. But there's always next time, right guys? :o)













The rest can be seen at Chad + Kirsten

Jon + Heidi

I finally had a chance to get Jon and Heidi's gallery page uploaded to my site. Man...what a wedding! I went back and forth between smiling, crying, and laughing the whole time. Plus, at the end of my shift I got to join the party and drink Pressecco! Yeah baby! (Anyone who truly knows me knows that I LOVE Pressecco) I didn't want to leave but couldn't wait to work on their pictures. With such a beautiful bride and gorgeous groom (their families ain't bad looking either) it was easy to create yummy pictures.

These girls could DANCE!!

You can view the rest at: Jon + Heidi

A sad day

One of my most beloved clients' mother passed away at the still young age of 55 from colon cancer. Wendy Huntley, wife to Al, mother to Heidi (& Jon) and Heather, was one of those types of people that I just had no choice but to adore from the moment I even heard about her. Heidi would tell me little snippets about her mom and it felt like I already knew her--like she was already part of my life. I felt the same way about Heidi when I first started talking to her, and then when I met her sister Heather, as well. Maybe it is because Wendy passed that on to her daughters, maybe it's because they are just all genuinely cool people, or (more likely) it's a combination of both. Either way, the day I met Wendy was at Heidi's wedding and it was all I could do to refrain from calling her "Mom" as she definitely had that mother-hen aura about her. While I'm not quite sure, I have a feeling that she ran the house that all the neighborhood kids came to and hung out at. The "cool" mom that teenagers opened up to. The kickass lady that adults adored and parents wanted to emulate. No matter if I'm wrong, she definitely radiated that about herself when I met her. I do know, though, that she raised two incredible daughters and that's saying a lot in this world. Not that her husband, Al, didn't have anything to do with how great their kids are, but you know what I mean. ;o) I loved photographing her when she didn't realize I was watching--her smile lit up the entire place and her eyes sparkled. You couldn't help but feel happy around her.

One of our last conversations between Wendy and I took place before I left Heidi's wedding and will probably stick with me forever...it went like this.

Me: "Mom, I'm heading out."
Wendy: "You leaving?"
Me: "Yeah, gotta get home to the hubby."
(Pause as we collectively take in the scene--people dancing, chatting, laughing, and having a great time)
Wendy: "Do I throw the best damn party or what?"
Me: "Heck yes you do! I want to be invited to the next party you throw because if it's anything like this, it will be awesome!"
Wendy: "That's what I'm saying!"

We hugged goodbye, she thanked me for all my hard work, we did the typical "goodbye" things, and I have to admit that seeing her that night, I was hopeful that the doctor's were wrong. She just looked too damned good to not beat this crappy disease. But when I got a call from Heidi's dad last week I was quickly reminded of how cruel life can be sometimes. On Friday, Heidi emailed me and told me that her mom had passed away on Thursday, August 24. I was crushed...still am. I never understand when we lose people we love...or people that have touched us...or are related to people we care about. I believe that there is a reason for everything, even if we don't like it, yet it always hurts. I'd like to think that Wendy is in a better place, throwing THE party of a lifetime and all I can say is, "Wendy, I'll be at your party when the time is right, and it better be as awesome as you promised!"

Much love to Al, Heather, Heidi, Jon and the rest of the family. You're all in my thoughts and I love you guys dearly.

Learning Italian

"Do you know how you say 'Venezuela' in Italian?"
"No, how?"
"Venezuela."
"This stuff is so easy."

We are the Champions

...just not of the world. Or anything of great significance for that matter.

Yes, that's right...we found the cache. Last night DH, our two kids, and I went back to the park (this time the sun was still up and we had no wine) and set about looking in every spot we had already checked like it was invisible the night before and would magically appear now that the sun was up. The kids were excited and delved into bushes, looked on top of walls, stuck their fingers into things that probably didn't need fingers to be stuck in, and had all the fervor that we had had the night before. I can't count how many times they asked us how big the cache was or what it looked like. The first few times we told them we had no idea. The last few we just stared at them...blankly. And blinked. Which never works with our kids as they're programmed to our sense of humor. Eventually they gave up on asking us--or maybe the finally got it--but either way we were still coming up with bupkis. I could tell the kids were losing hope. After all, they're kids and anything that takes more than 5 mins. to find is typically deemed unworthy of finding. Plus the swings and climbing equipment were calling their names. It wasn't looking good--especially since we had no wine for us...or them.

As the kids and I turned our attention to the ground, something out of the corner of my eye caught my attention. It was my very resolute husband wielding a large rock and headed straight for the fence post and it's unyielding finial. He was not to be deterred. With one quick thrust the finial came flying off. EUREKA! But wait...cut to slow motion as we watch the finial fly up into the air, do a full circle, hit a wall almost being lost forever, then ricochets back, and falls into the fenced area. We look at each other and he knows what is coming.

"I told you to hold onto it if you tried that."
"I can still get it."

Two minutes later, covered in dirt, twigs, and other things that no man should ever be covered in, DH pulls his arm out from no man's land holding his prized posession. Inside the finial was a small closed tube with a log. "This time I was more determined" he told me. Then he showed the "treasure" to our uber excited children.

"That's it?!!" the kids exclaim.
"It's just a piece of paper!"
"That was boring."

I signed the log and DH replaced the finial. He marked the cache as "found" on his GPS. As we headed back home both of the kids asked, "Can we go find some more?!" Ah yes...nerds in the making.

Misadventures in Geocaching

In August, my husband and I will be going to Italy for our 10 yr. anniversary. Trying to find ways to blend in and yet not get lost, led to DH buying a new GPS for the trip. We already have one but apparently it wasn't quite as "cool" as this one--or something like that. While he was checking out maps and other things that techy guys like he came across Geocaching. Both of us had heard of Geocaching and once upon a time I had even registered at a Geocaching site after a friend of mine told us about it. For those that don't know, Geocaching is where you search for "treasure" left by a person (or persons) after you put in the coordinates. They can be little items, logs, bugs (for logging info--not the creepy crawly kind, although I guess you might run across those too), and other fun things. Needless to say reading the logs and FAQ's re-ignited our interest. When DH found that a cache was down at the park (a mere half a block from our house), we decided to take a quick trip down and see what we could find.

At 9:30 p.m. After the sun had gone down. With no flashlight.

After writing a note to our kids (in case they woke up and thought we really did join the circus like we told them we would one day do), and with wine and GPS in hand, we trekked to the park determind to find our first cache. After about 5 mins. of searching by the light of the GPS screen (think cell phone bright--cut in half) we decided that a flashlight was in order. Back to the house we went.

9:45 p.m., flashlight, pen (for the log), GPS, wine in hand, and after reading what others had written about the "cleverly hidden" cache, we flip-flopped our asses back to the area we had combed only this time we were armed with extra knowledge. The people who had come before us had said it was tough for the vertically challenged. Naturally we looked up. And up...and around...and up some more...until we finally convinced ourselves that it had to be inside of a fence post surrounding some kind of water tank thingy.

10:00 p.m., flashlight, pen, GPS, a screwdriver, and more wine in hand, we started lamenting about what big losers we were. After all, all these other people found it and said it was easy. The site listed it as 1 1/2 stars for degree in difficulty. "Maybe we should start with a 1 star." "Do they offer 1/2 stars?" Each time a car drove by I'd yell, "Kill the light" and we'd hold our breath like some high school kids up to no good. In the meantime DH tried to gently pry off the top of the fence post but it wouldn't budge. We stuck our fingers in holes not meant to be stuck in, felt along the tops of walls, inspected the porta-potty way too close...you name it...we tried it.

10:20 p.m. we headed home empty handed. The wine glass now half empty (or half full).

"We better hope no one dies there tomorrow."
"They're going to think we did it."
"The neighbors will tell the cops: 'We saw these people last night fooling around with flashlights, and a screwdriver, and something that looked like a detonator.' We're like Al Qaida"
"We are so screwed."
"And we're losers because we didn't even find the damned cache."
"1 star from here on out."

Countdown

In honor of one of THE coolest couples I have ever known, I present to you a countdown ticker for their wedding day. Heidi & Jon...it will be here before you know it. I will bring Kleenex and try to see well enough to shoot!

Sweet ride

Just this past weekend I had to decorate a wedding for my other company (CWE) and knew that what I would need to take to said wedding would not fit in my car...or my husband's truck...or my father's Jeep. Granted, if I took two cars it would but seeing as I have not yet mastered the art of cloning that possibility was out. So I opted to rent a car from Enterprise (whom I highly recommend). And not just any car...but a mini-van. A mini-van with Sto 'n Go seats. Now keep in mind this is the first time I have ever driven a mini-van yet, let alone my children being in one. Ian said he had been in his friend's mom's mini-van but it was not like this one. All the seats (except for the bench in the back which was already sto'd 'n go'd) were captain's chairs and both kids thought that was "cool." I was surprised by how nicely it drove and I lurved the driver's seat. My body just melted into it and I thought about removing it and putting it in our living room but then thought better of it. After all...I still had to get my stuff out to Black Butte.

As we were driving home my daughter pipes up from the backseat:

"Momma, if people see us driving in this car, they're going to think we're HOT!"
"You think so?"
"Yeah...this is a sweet ride! You should invite all your friends over so they can see the sweet ride and how hot we are."

Friends--you missed it, but we were hot and it was a sweet ride. Not only did it get myself there and back to BBR in one relaxed state of mind 4 times, but it also fit one mammoth Happy Hour Tower, 3 large plants, 12 seating cubes, a garbage bag full of pillows, parasols, a bucket, two end tables, a box of lights, and a partridge in a pear tree. And although my husband hates mini-van's, I caught him enjoying the sweet ride on more than one occasion. Now that right there says it all.

Ted & Bethany

This wedding took place in a small town called St. Paul, Oregon on Bethany's family's tree farm. The grounds and home were so beautiful--the house looking as if it had been in the family for generations. Maybe it hadn't, but I like to think that it has. You could see Mt. Hood not too far off in the distance and the wildflowers that Bethany's father planted were luscious and beautiful. Although it was an extremely hot day we all made it out unscathed and something tells me that Bethany has not stopped smiling since they ran down the aisle together. I had the privilege of taking Ted & Bethany's engagement pictures and had a total blast with them and really enjoyed documenting the two of them becoming "husband and wife." I wish you guys all the best!!

The rest can be seen at: Ted & Bethany

Jake & Kendyl

My first wedding of the year took place at a lovely venue called The Gardens at Flying Diamond. Kendyl and Jake were so sweet and easy going that it was a nice way to start the season. Although it was quite warm, we were happy to see the sun out instead of threatening rain. Here is a teaser--the rest can be seen at: Jake & Kendyl

Got Ink?

I am currently looking for people who are inked that would be willing to model for a project I am doing. This will consist of edgy, fun, pics w/you either clothed (w/ink showing), semi-nude, and/or nude depending upon your comfort level. If you're interested, please contact me at laura@lindenphotography.net.

Hear this, Miami

You are getting a second chance at signing Brees. Do.Not.Blow.This. Find the money and grab him quickly. You can be great once again.

Oh how I love thee, Taj Palace

The other night we ordered take-out from our favorite Indian restaurant, Taj Palace. It is oh so tasty and eating leftovers the next day makes me just as happy as the night before. I typically get the Tandoori chicken w/extra Naan. Naan ranks up there as one of my most favorite foods. The kids always get Shrimp Masala, while DH goes for the Chicken Vindaloo. The jasmine rice is always cooked to perfection. Not too chewy, not overcooked, not sticky...just light and fluffy and full of fragrant flavor. I always put some of the tomato-based sauce (the name of it I can never remember) that comes w/the Tandoori Chicken over the rice. There are no words for how good that tastes. Yes...Indian food is a thing of beauty. To me anyways.

I do worry that the downtown location and not so lovely building facade will ward off would-be patrons, so if you ever get down there stop in...it's worth it. It is right next to the old Wall Street Bar & Grill and don't let the looks of the place fool you. The food and service is excellent!

LP buys CWEC

NEWSFLASH: I should've blogged about this last month but I've been so busy that I haven't had time to.

On January 10, 2006 myself and my friend Heidi purchased The Cascade Wedding & Event Company. I was sad to hear that Pat & Jen had plans to sell the business as I truly love both them and their designs, however I was excited to take my creative spirit to the next level. There was a lot of crap that happened (through no fault of Pat, Jen, Heidi, or I) that tested all of us but proved just how serious we all were. In the end everything worked out and we are all happy. Heidi and I got to do our first Bridal Fair and were quite pleased with the way our booth turned out, not to mention all the people we got to meet with. I finished our website and have it up--you can see it at Cascade Weddings & Events. We had to change the name ever so slightly because Uncle Sam doesn't like using the word Company in a name--or so I was told by a guy at the IRS. Not wanting to risk it, we obliged.

So far we have been meeting with all sorts of brides and companies and having a ball. I will continue doing photography, however I will not be booking near the amount I have in the past in an effort to balance both companies fairly and like I want to. I don't want my photography clients to suffer, nor my decorating clients to suffer. It should be fine as I have the help of my husband, my dad, and friends--not to mention Heidi's friends as well.

If you're looking for decorators for your wedding, we invite you to click on the link above and view what we can do.

Oatmeal and gas

The other day while driving home from the Northeast side of town, I came to a red light. While waiting for the light to turn green I noticed the sign at a gas station that caught my eye. It read:

"Oatmeal bar - Mon., Tues. and Thurs."

Oatmeal and gas? Come on...be serious. Who would actually eat oatmeal from a bar, let alone a bar in a gas station? All I could think about was the week old hot dogs rotating on those little metal roller thingies, or the pretzels that have been there for months just circling and circling waiting for someone to pluck them off their hooks. How could they possibly think that an oatmeal bar would sound even remotely appetizing? And how often do they change that vat out? You know oatmeal gets all sticky and hard if it sits out for too long. What would the condiments be like? Honey...brown sugar...raisins...apples...twinkies...beef jerkey? T.A.S.T.Y. Had the light not changed so soon I would've attempted my photographic superpowers w/my oh-so-technological-advanced camera (a.k.a. a phone I am taking college courses for to learn how to operate it) and snapped a pic of the sign promising wholesome, oaty, goodness to those daring enough to just come inside. Of course there was no real camera in my car. I mean, that would make me seem like a true pro and gawd knows we can't have that.

That night I mentioned what I saw that day to my husband.

"I'd eat it."

"No you wouldn't. It's oatmeal...in a vat...w/condiments...in a GAS station."

"Oatmeal is good."

"Normal oatmeal is good. Gas station oatmeal bar oatmeal is not."

"I'd still eat it."

I am currently waiting for this to happen. I keep reminding him that this gas station likes to switch it up and he's going to miss this once in a lifetime opportunity. Just like the Krispy Kremes they had there last year. We spaced it and didn't get to partake of the deep fried goodness (thankfully we bought some off a Cub Scout or Pioneer Boy, or whatever they call them out here, in the parking lot of Target some months later). If he goes to the oatmeal bar I am so taking my camera. It will be worth the strange looks just to document the fact that there is indeed an oatmeal bar inside of a gas station.

Everyone relax...FEMA is here

Right now, Ryan and I are watching Supervolcano. Scratch that. HE is watching Supervolcano, I am surfing the net. As of now the supervolcano has errupted and all hell is breaking loose. They cut to the token "hot old chic" who is talking to the director (??) of FEMA as he is assuring her that they have everything under control. Insert Ryan here...

"Everyone relax, FEMA is on the case. We'll be there in about 3 weeks."

"You're just full of wittiness tonight, aren't you?"

"This must have been made before Katrina."

"Had to have been."

It says it was made in 2005. We're thinking it was released in EARLY 2005. He has been doing this all night. I'm not sure if it's the beer or the fact that he is trying to convince himself that he does not, in fact, have to go back to work after 3 whole days off, but he's got a hair up his butt that is providing me with mucho entertainment. Nothing beats watching badly mad dramatic movies with your sarcastic husband.

2006 already?

It seriously can't be 2006. We JUST celebrated my daughter's 6th birthday so there is no way her 7th birthday is coming up in 3 months. Plus, I just got used to writing 2005. Now I have to pay attention again? My brain can barely process large pieces of information and asking it to process small details is bad. Unless I have a camera in my hand. And 9 times out of 10 I do not have a camera in my hand when I'm writing a check or signing a document.

In all seriousness this has been a pretty good year. I documented the weddings and events of some very fabulous people and my relationships with a few of my clients turned into friendships. Plus, the cherry on top was meeting my future couple-to-shoot, Heidi and Jon. Two of the funniest, most down to Earth people I have encountered. We hit DiLusso's on Christmas Eve and hung out, drank tea, talked about med school, life, and (I think??) wedding stuff. Course the latter was not nearly as important or fun as all the other stuff but it had to be done, right? ;o) Right now Heidi is jumping up and down saying, "Look--we're on Laura's blog!!"--I know this because I "get" Heidi--just like I know I will crack up when she sends me her next installment of funny emails, and just like I know I am soooo gonna cry at her wedding. Why, you ask? Simple. She and Jon will have already turned from "client" to "friend" way before the big event which will make it that much more memorable and sweet for me. Now if she gets me that meat hat and turkey leg necklace she's been promising, it might help hold back the tears...or it might not.

I also got to spend part of New Years Eve with one of my most favorite couples ever, Tony & Patty (plus their nieces who are so stinkin' sweet and cute--sorry girls, it's true!). I had been invited to Patty's parents house for their New Years Eve Bash and desperately wanted to go, but alas I live with the most anti-social being on the planet. So instead we stayed home, played XBox 360 w/the kids, everyone stayed up until midnight, watched the ball drop (tape delayed of course), then went to bed. I know you're jealous...such fun we had. Ah well...back to Tony & Patty: we all met at McMennamin's where we dined on hairy food. Okay, so I didn't eat it and actually sent something back for the first time in my entire life, but at least it gave us a great story to tell. Wanna hear it? No? Then quickly turn this off because I'm about to tell it. Patty and I had to be like each other and both ordered the Mushroom Crostini. Neither one of us was hungry but thought a nice little appetizer would be perfect. All of us were happily chatting away (me still not believing how big the girls had gotten since they were flowergirls in Tony & Patty's wedding) when the waiter brought us our food. I immediately noticed the long, black hair sticking out to one side but didn't say anything right away. Maybe it was shock...or maybe it was me thinking that if I pretended not to have seen it, it would magically disappear. Not so. After the waiter left I showed the nasty intruder to Patty. I picked it out. I laughed. I told them I'd eat it from the other side. But I just couldn't. I kept laughing. It really wasn't that funny but it was better than gagging. They finally convinced me to send it back. So I did. Patty and I decided to split hers as we both knew it was "hair free" (she checked to be sure) so the waiter vanquished my Mushroom Crostini with the side of hair, away. Tony very graciously let me keep the receipt because it said "Hair in food." Oh yes, I'll be scanning that in and posting it for your enjoyment soon. Right after I post the pics of our tree. Belated? Maybe...but I'm doing it. Why? Because there is something really funny that goes along with the tree pics and you can't have one without the other. Well, maybe you can but since this is the first live tree I've had since I was a kid I simply must post pictures of it. I know that has nothing to do with my hairy food story yet work with me--it's late.

In closing I want to thank all of you who invited me to be a part of your lives in 2005 and wish you all much success, love, and happiness for 2006. For those of you whom I have only exchanged emails with, traded voice mails, and/or actually had the privilege of meeting already, I also wish you all the same. I do hope this year does not go by nearly as fast as last year, however I have a feeling it will. Especially with my new adventure........to be shared soon.

In the meantime, enjoy my latest site and company. iMeg design--web/logo design and custom greeting cards. I will not be doing many websites or logos as I know I'll be too busy to take on a bunch, yet it's fun to do a few here and there. I do love designing and the custom greeting cards have me totally excited! More on those coming soon. For now, here you go: www.iMegdesign.com.