Word

1. On Saturday I went over to Topeka for a little girly time at a Stella & Dot trunk party hosted by my good friend, Ann, and her daughter, Ashley, and they were nice enough to ask to feature my photography! Yay! We had lots of fun, a few too many mimosas and hermosas, yummy pastries and oh yea we were surrounded by pretty jewelry!



I was eye-balling those little beauties! And the long necklace to the left of them. Cute with a capital Q! (You only get that quote if you've watched Will & Grace too much... like me.)

Here's the super cute flower ring that I've had my eye for years! Luke, if you're reading this, here's the link to buy it for your wife who loves you... click here.
Here are my scones!!!! These are the orange ones. They're pretty much amazing if I do say so myself, and I was told to just go ahead and open up a bakery. I would love to, except for that whole getting up at 4 in the morning crap.
And the cinnamon chip scones. I used Pioneer Woman's recipe for these and they turned out pretty good.
This is Ashley and all of her pretties.

2. Saturday night, we went to a going away party for our best bud, Kody, who is leaving us the beginning of April for military training until the first of August... sad face. It was great to see everyone and we had so much fun even if it was in honor of something I don't like to think about. Here's my buddy Mackenzie, "Mackie", she's my friend Amber's daughter. We colored all night.
And tried to take a picture together. She thought she needed her eyes right in front of the lens.
Here are my two favorite guys.
And me and Amber.
3. My plants are still alive!! The weather has sucked so I've been waiting to put the ones that have grown like crazy into bigger pots. I wish the weather was nicer so I could put them outside!

4. I'm sick. I haven't been sick in forever and it hit me like a ton of bricks on Monday. So not fun. Especially since I was supposed to start a new job yesterday... on to #5.

5. I got a job! I will be the front desk lady for a perinatal office in Overland Park. I'm super excited, mainly for something to do other then sit in my house in my sweats all week. And I wanted to be an obstetrician when I was growing up, so I'm excited to work with babies around! Don't worry, I'm not backing off of my photography, it will just become more of a weekend business. I just had to get something to help pay the bills!

6. I am currently working on designing all of the invitations and decorations for my nephew Marcus' 4th birthday party! Designing invitations and decorations are some of my favorite things to do. I'll show you all of it when I'm done!

7. I planned out Luke and I's meals for all of April the other day. Yes, I'm that kind of person. And yes, I do have that much time on my hands... hence the second job. But it makes life so much easier! I don't have to make little trips to the grocery store every other day and there is never a question of what's for dinner. The calendar and every recipe we need is on the front of the refrigerator and everything we need for them is already bought! I'm in organizational heaven!

8. My momma is coming to visit me tomorrow! We are going to go see the KC Symphony play the music from "The Music Man" on Friday night and then Saturday we're going to do some shopping. I'm excited! I'll try to remember to take some pictures of our adventures to show next week. I have problems remembering my camera for everyday things.

9. My favorite show "The Fabulous Beekman Boys" on Planet Green is back on!!! Yay! It's a great show about a gay couple who bought a historical farm and live off of what they grow. They also make soaps and other products out of goats milk, from their own goats, and sell them in their super cute little town, Sharon Springs. I love it, I want to meet them, and then I want a garden just like theirs.

10. Here is this weeks Wee Bit!
{one} if you won a trip to Disneyland/world, who would you take with you?Well, I don't think Luke would enjoy Disneyland like I would, so I'd probably take my sister and nephews.

{two} when was the last time you listened to a CD?I'm still old school and listen to cd's in my car. I haven't bought the adaptor for my iPod yet.

{three} what spice/seasoning is your favorite?Cilantro! It's the best thing ever. I'm growing lots of it!

{four} if you were in a band, what kind of music would you play?I listen to alternative/indie music all the time. So something along the lines of the Shins, the Strokes, or Sleigh Bells (I really like them lately!).

{five} if you could have personally witnessed one historical event, which one would it be?My favorite period in history is Tudor England with Henry XIII and all of his wives, so I'd probably like to live during that crazy time.

{six} if you could go back to school, what would you study?I would go back to be an OBGYN or else get my interior design degree.

{seven} if you could go to one sporting event, all expenses paid, which one would you see?Probably the NCAA championship. I wouldn't have fun at the Super Bowl because I'm not a huge fan of professional sports.

{eight} do you drive an automatic or a manual?I drive an automatic.
{nine} are you comfortable speaking in front of people?No, not at all. I get super nervous and play with my hands, it's awkward and uncomfortable.

{ten} have you ever experienced an earthquake?Nope… thank God!

Pam & Aaron | Manhattan Wedding Photographer

Hold on to your hats... this is a REAL post with REAL photos!

Pam and Aaron were married in Manhattan at St. Isidore's Catholic Student Center on a really cold February day. We tried to go outside to take some photos but I just couldn't do that to poor Pam in her strapless dress, it was SO cold! After the ceremony we went to the Konza Prairie to take some portraits but it was freezing and foggy! It took about 5 minutes for my blue hands to finally thaw out. They had a really fun reception at the Wareham which included one of the best first dances I've seen... you'll see those photos down a little ways. Here are the favorites!





This was before their "first look". Isn't Pam just amazingly gorgeous!





They're pretty much one of the most adorable couples I've had the opportunity to photograph.




This photo just makes me cold all over again!




I don't usually put up photos of the family but I love these two of Pam and her mom.






And here's their fun first dance. They were really nervous about the flip because they hadn't practiced it in Pam's dress, but they did amazing and it was so much fun!


The bridal party dance was way fun too!




A really fun part of the night for me was that 2 other couples I've photographed were there! You might remember Rosie & Josh (who know have an adorable little boy, Miles!) and Rachel & Brent. It was so fun to catch up with them! Here are the girls.



Thanks Pam and Aaron for such a great day! Congratulations and best of luck to you both!

Word

Hello Friends!

1. Welcome spring! I can't tell you how excited I am that the weather is finally changing and the world is turning green again! In our little development, we don't have many fun plants to take pictures of, so I had to settle for the one tree in our backyard.





2. Here are a couple photos of Mr. Biggs. He's still here, but I think he'll be going back to his previous owners sometime soon. We feel really bad about it, but we just need a little less needy and less aggressive dog.





3. I'm gardening! Well trying. Luke says I have black thumbs because every plant I touch dies. But I am bound and determined to turn that reputation right around! I've planted some herbs (cilantro, basil and parsley) and some jalapeno plants and green pepper plants. I started them all in a little Jiffy box thingy from seeds because I figured if I can get them past the seed stage, then I can handle anything! And I didn't go nuts and plant every single thing I want to. I thought I better start small with things we'll use the most until I decide if I'm the plant black widow or not. I'm really excited that they're sprouting! And look very much alive!





I can't wait to use the cilantro and jalapenos in my homemade pico de gallo!! Yay yay ya!

4. This Saturday, I'll be showing my photography at a jewelry party in Topeka hosted by my friend and Lilly's momma, Ashley. She sells Stella & Dot jewelry which is way cute and her mom, Ann, is hosting an open house and invited me and all my portfolios to come on over. I'm really excited about it! And I'm baking scones to take! I don't know which part I'm more excited about. I'm planning on making orange scones and cinnamon chip scones because they're my favorite and make my mouth water just thinking about them. I'll be sure to take some pictures of the fun on Saturday to show you all next Wednesday.

5. Last week, my buddy Katie and I went to a local antique mall. The words "antique mall" give me visions of gross floral patterns and mothy smelling pieces of furniture, but man was I wrong! We had so much fun and this place was HUGE! We walked around in there for a little over and hour and while I'm proud of myself and I didn't buy anything (that was really hard), I did find a really neat booksellers table that I think I'm going to have to go back and get. Here's what bookseller tables look like if you've never seen one...

I've always loved the style of these tables, so I think my will power will not hold out much longer and it will have to be mine. The one I found has the trough-like shelf on the bottom and a flat shelf on top and it has a chipping white paint job on it that I'd sand off and see what I have to work with underneath. If I get it, I'll show you the progress!

6. I finally got Luke to redo our "niece and nephews wall". We needed to add Alexander's photo to the group but that involved rearranging and rehanging every frame. He wasn't very excited, but he did it!



I wanted them to be a little closer together, but hey I'll take what I can get! And now looking at that, I realize some of those photos are over a year old. Whoa.

7. If you are a lover of all things design and decorating related, you need to check out www.houzz.com. It's a website full of photos of houses that you can look through and get ideas from. The fun part about it is that you can create a look book and put your favorite photos in your book to look back at later! So fun! I could literally spend hours looking through all the photos. I can't wait to have a house of our own to decorate!!

8. I feel like every week (well the ones that I actually post on here) I tell you about the books I'm reading, and sorry if that gets a little old, but this week I HAVE to tell you about the book I'm reading!! Right now I'm almost done with The Help by Kathryn Stockett. If you haven't read it, please go get it right now and dive in. If you have, then you probably understand why I'm writing about it. It's an amazing book about 3 women in Jackson, Mississippi in 1962 during the Civil Rights movement. If you love to read historical fiction or just love a great, well-written story, then definitely try it! You won't regret it! Here's the amazon link.

9. I am going to add a new element to my Word on Wednesday called A Wee Bit of Me Wednesday. Again, my friend Ashley and Lilly's momma and also the brains behind A.C. Style Files, does this on her blog and I think it's cute. Also it would give me something to post every Wednesday even when I have nothing of value to tell or show you. So here goes!



{one} what was your first job?technically, I was like every other teenage girl and babysat, but I really didn't like it. So I count my first job as being at "Just For You" the jewelry and gifts store in my hometown.

{two} have you ever seen a stand up comedian?Yes I have! We went to the KC Improv in Zona Rosa back in November and it was the very first time I saw live comedians. It was SO much fun!

{three} when was the last time you played mini golf?I have no idea. I really like playing mini golf and I always say that I want to go in the summers, but I don't think we made it there last summer.

{four} what was the last picture you took?The pictures I posted above of my plants!

{five} burnt food: yes or no?no… yuck.
{six} if you have a pocket full of change, what do you do with it?Luke and I are putting all of our loose change in a container to save for a "real" honeymoon. I know it won't amount to very much but it's fun to watch it collect.

{seven} can you touch your tongue to your nose?Yes I can.

{eight} do you scrapbook?I used to all the time and really enjoyed it. Then it got to be a pretty expensive hobby and I kind of just got out of the habit. I looked at my scrapbooks just the other day and the last things I put in there was Marcus' 1st birthday party. He'll be 4 this May... whoops!

{nine} do you buy lottery tickets?I've never bought a lottery ticket. But we were given lottery tickets for Christmas this year by Luke's grandparents and I won a whole dollar. I'm not a very lucky person, so I never really feel like willingly giving up my money.

{ten} do you prefer to be in front of the camera or behind it?behind it… no doubt. I am SO uncomfortable in front of the camera. Having my picture taken at my wedding was a really weird thing for me.

Word on Wednesday

Hey all! Yup, I realize that it's been forever since I posted anything of real substance and I'm really sorry. Here's why...

1. It's all the weathers fault!!! Being a mainly "natural light" photographer, I rely on the weather being cooperative with me to schedule photo sessions. With the gross and never-ending winter we're having, I haven't had a lot of opportunity to take photos outside. As you can see by the larger amount of sessions I've done inside in my little make-shift studio in my dining room, i.e. Ella, Matthias, Alexander. I gotta say, I really do prefer outdoor photos and I'm so anxious for the weather to get nicer!

2. We have a possible addition here in the Rieger household. Meet Biggs!
We have him on a trial run basis to see if he works with us. So far he's doing pretty good. He doesn't really like other dogs though, which is a worry, so we're still debating on whether to keep him permanently or not. But for now, he's a pretty good little body to have around to keep us company.

3. Baby Alexander was baptized last weekend. Luke and I along with my aunt Jane were his sponsors or God parents. It's an honor to be his sponsor and this is actually my third god-son, so I'm going to be responsible for lots of kiddos!

Here's my sister and her little family. Like Marcus' hair? Luke, Chad and I cut it! We thought it was time to do away with the floppy hair, and now he looks so much older!
And here are Alexander and his sponsors. By the way, the baptismal gown he's wearing has been around a long time. My great grandmother (I think) made it. And everyone in my family since has worn it. So it's a really neat tradition to have.

4. On the same day as Alexander's baptism, we had Lily's 4th birthday party. I can't believe our little Lily Bean is 4! It seems like she was just turning 1!

She is a horse lover and was so excited about her new horse!Oh and here's a quick shot of Ben and I. He'll be turning 2 in June! I think I might cry at that one.

5. I've been reading a lot lately. I finished the newest Janet Evanovich books, "Wicked Appetite" and "Sizzling Sixteen", oh and "Plum Spooky". Can you tell I love her books? They're just great mysteries with a lot of humor. Also, I just finished the first book of the Sookie Stackhouse series by Charlaine Harris, "Dead Until Dark", and picked up the second book this morning! I tried "Dead Until Dark" about a year ago and just couldn't get into it, but this time I couldn't put it down and finished it in about 2 days. If you like the Twilight series and maybe want a little more adult version of them, then try the Sookie Stackhouse books!

6. Other things I've been reading are the Gorgeously Green books by Sophie Uliano. Her first book, "Gorgeously Green" really changed the way I looked at recycling and what we consume and I would definitely recommend it to anyone wanting to know more about being eco-conscious. I also bought her book about eating "greener" and although I don't think I can get Luke to cut out red meat (neither can I!), it does have some good tips. Lately I've been reading her newest book "Do It Gorgeously" all about how to make less toxic, less expensive products. It has everything in it! You can look how to make anything from beauty products to baby food to cleaning solutions to learning how to garden. If you're into all this stuff, like me, you should definitely check out "The Naturally Clean Home" by Karyn Siegel-Maier. I made the her Basic Sink Cleanser and it's amazing! You should try it if you're wanting to get rid of the commercial chemicals in your home. It's easy! Just 1/4 cup baking soda, 1/2 cup vinegar and about 3 drops of lavender, rosemary, lemon, lime or orange essential oil. You mix all the ingredients together, slowly with the baking soda and vinegar, and then using a sponge scrub your sink with the solution and then rinse with really hot water. I used sweet orange essential oil and it made my whole house smell amazing! Oh and I buy my essential oils at the Merc in Lawrence. They're little bitty bottles but last a really long time since you only use a couple drops at a time. You should definitely try it out and see how much money you'll save by not buying all those really expensive cleaning products!

7. Last night Luke and I went on a date! We ate dinner at Granite City in Olathe and then went to see "The Fighter" at the movies. It's sooo good! Our main deciding factor to see it was because Mark Wahlberg is in it. He's Luke's favorite actor and I really don't hate having to look at him! Anyway, it's an amazing movie and if you can get past the drug use and swearing oh and fighting, it is a really great story about beating the odds and achieving your dreams. I recommend it to anyone!