current little inspirations.

Bryce Dessner does it again....with this new father & son album.  Listening now.  It's so soothing.
Also, recently watched "The Secret Life of Bees".  Really liked the story, soundtrack, and cursive from the movie title :)

a wedding from t & s hughes.

I first met (to talk business!) with Tony & Sharon of t & s hughes photography just after they shot a wedding that they told me I would have loved to be a part of.  They said it was a dream.  They said that there were so many beautiful things to capture that it was almost overwhelming.  Well, when the day came that they put up the photos from this wedding I understood just why they thought I would have loved it.  And I do!!  Oh my.  They really did an incredible job of highlighting the incredible taste of this lovely couple.  I've also heard from friends that this bride is an incredible singer, and there is a photo in here (related to just that) that has given me chills many times.  So, feast your eyes on my favorite photos of Bethany & John's wedding!

       

       

Incredible, right?!  See more here & here!

all photos © t & s hughes photography

t & s hughes photography branding.

I want to share a few more details of the work I did for t & s hughes photography.  It was so fun to work with them, and not to mention, pull out my watercolors!  Tony & Sharon are incredibly talented and kind-hearted people, and I'm excited to see where their business takes them.  I really believe in the work that they do.  Speaking of their work, on Monday, I will be sharing a recent wedding that they photographed and I can't wait for you to see!  It's amazing, really.  Get excited.

blog/website header.

general logo (just picked the green for fun!).

a dark watermark (on my photo as example!).

a light watermark (on my photo as example!).

a client thank you card!

designs © homeseed 2011

Happy Friday!  Hope you have a lovely weekend.  We have quite a few friends visiting this 

weekend so it will be a busy one.  Looking forward to seeing these folks for sure :)

tomatoes.

We hardly ever make it home in time from church on Sundays to get to our farmer's market. BUT...we were able to this last week and boyyy am I thankful!  So.  I have this thing...for... specialty/gourmet ice cream!  Now there is this very scary thing that is/might be happening to the few local folks who are bringing specialty ice cream to Chicago (see this article).  Well, there is a different company doing a similar thing, and I had been wanting to try their ice cream for so long (I'm not going to mention their name...just, in case it could get them in trouble with the state too! UGH.).  Well, I got some.  While I was trying to figure out what flavor to get (they had lemon basil, vietnamese coffee, lavender blueberry cucumber sorbet...& more) Dan disappeared at a farm's stand that had a crazy amount of different varieties of tomatoes.  Well, I picked out "Round Barn's Scotch Ale + Milk Chocolate Ice Cream" (YUM) and Dan got all of these pretty/colorful guys to make salsa:

i think these are both tomatoes...can't remember now!  the one on the left is for SURE.  crazy, right?!

that is one BIG heirloom...

job (pronounced ˈdʒoʊb or "j-oh-b"?!).

I am obsessed with taking pictures of our dog, Job.  Sometimes, I feel like my obsession is inappropriate.  He's such a good subject though!  And, I'll just be honest right here and now...at this stage in my life, I think baby animals/animals are cuter than babies/humans.  I might always think this.  I really like animals.  Always have!  Also, while trying to figure out how to distinguish Job's name in the title so you didn't think this was about a job (profession), I discovered (via wikipedia) the IPA (international phonetic alphabet).  I totally don't get it and it seems incredibly complicated, which is why I included "Job" pronounced by the IPA in the title.  Which, doesn't really help explain his name in my opinion.  Um...yep, that's all I'm going to say about that.

Other news around here lately is that I have become completely obsessed with the show "Heroes" and am dreading the nearing end of our free trial of netflix because I'm not sure HOW I will finish the show!!  And they are really good at cliffhanging you.  Also, I may have already killed one of my air plants.  I'm really sad/upset/embarrassed about it.  I figured pruning is something you do for ALL plants.  But, I pruned one of my little guys so much that he literally broke into 2 separate pieces.  Not sure what's going to happen from here....no more pruning of my air plants!  EEk :(

Anywho, here's a little bit of the animal photo taking obsession today:

 thought he looked super cute/goofy here, laying on his paw.

this is after he made his bed!  it's so cute. he makes it by pulling 

& moving the blanket with his paws and mouth (every night/day!).

 this is a less common one...on top of both front arms!  he looks like a burrito :)

 yep.  too cute.

shara at millennium park.

This was a night of absolute bliss and wonder, as any live time with My Brightest Diamond is.  I first saw her 5 years ago when she was a part of Sufjan's Illinoisemakers.  I really fell in love with her music in 2007 at the MusicNow Festival.  This particular show was special because it was a dream come true for her, playing her music with an entire orchestra behind/with her.  It was with the CYSO (chicago youth symphony orchestra), and they were incredible as well!  I also still really enjoy being in the Jay Pritzker Pavilion.  It's so beautiful.  After the show I had the pleasure of speaking with Shara's parents (and getting a "hi" in with Shara later!) and they were so delightful to meet.  They are such proud parents and they just beamed with joy at life and at the event they had just beheld.  It was a beautiful, beautiful time.  Despite the rain!!  I took my first personal pictures of the bean afterward because it looked so wonderful and erie with the weather and time of day.  Enjoy some photos and this very blurry video :)

i really enjoy her flare for drama.  her operatic background makes so much sense in these times :)

there was a dance party during the encore!!

happpppy friday!

orchard & antiques!

So on Monday Dan and I headed back to Woodstock, IL for a some apple and antique pickin' fun.  It's a pretty funny little place.  We love Don, the main man at the Homestead Orchard.  We want to go back each month through the fall to get different apples each time.  This time he only had "lodi" apples which he recommended to apple sauce and pies, but not for eating.  He had just gotten stung by one of his bees right before we arrived.  His finger did not look so happy...his honey is SO so good!  And, he also sells a chocolate mint tea that is pretty tasty.  We did some antique hunting, but actually didn't have the best luck this time around.  We only came home with a little copper dish for one of my air plants to sit in :) I am quite happy with that $2 find!  Enjoy photos of the orchard and my favorite finds (which we cannot afford!).  Some day....maybe ;)

milano/cinci.

Thank you so much for the love with the branding work I did for t & s hughes photography!  I SO appreciate your kind words and encouragement :)

We had a truly wonderful time in Cincinnati.  Milano's show was wonderful and I am so thankful to have been able to be a part of the beginning of their tour.  SO many of our sweet and wonderful (and super supportive) friends in Cinci came to check them out and say 'hello'.  It was awesome.  We were in Cinci from Wednesday-Sunday and then yesterday Dan and I headed back to Woodstock, IL for a little day trip to one of our favorite antique malls and our favorite apple orchard!  Then...we saw Shara for free at Millenium Park last night.  She performed with the CYSO (Chicago Youth Symphony Orchestra).  it. was. amazing.  I'll be recapping yesterdays events with photos/videos this week :)  For now, here is some Milano fun: 

alissaaaa :)

some of "Saturnalia"

lovely merch!!

coffee training...hrmm...

Job creeped up on the couch with Justin while he was asleep.  it was a BEAUTIFUL moment :)

so much SASS.

Catch them LIVE from NY today at 2pm EST HERE or if you're lucky, 

in your state in the next couple of days as they finish their tour. 

We were also able to spend some time with these beautiful folks at melt (deliciousness):

I will say though, that even though we had a really lovely time in Cinci/in Woodstock yesterday, I am SO happy to be sitting at my computer this morning, getting back to work.  I think 6 random days off was just a little too much for both of us.  Plus, I have a stupid cold!  Again.  I feel like I can't stop getting them...OH!  GOOOOD NEWS!  Dan got into Trinity!  WOO!  :) :) :)

Happy Tuesday!!