What's New Wednesday

1. Yes I missed last week... sorry.

2. Two weekends ago, Luke and I met my family at the Powell Gardens. If you've never been, you should really make the trip. It's a beautiful garden! We had a ton of fun and I took so many pictures that I'm just going to make a whole blog post of that later this week. Here are a few shots I got of some of the amazing plants...







This one is my favorite. I think I'll be printing it to put on my wall.


3. I'm very excited because starting this weekend and extending through to August, I'm in my wedding marathon! That means a wedding every weekend and a lot of long hours for me, but that also means a lot of photos for you to see! Yay!

4. Thank you to those of you who took the time to comment on the Wednesday blog post two weeks ago. What easier way is there to win a photo shoot?! And the winner of the free photo shoot with me is....

Miranda!

Email me at linnie_a@hotmail.com to claim your prize!

5. Here's this week's Wee Bit!

{one} what color best describes you + why?Well, I think people would assume I would say pink, and you'd probably be right. Bright pink pretty much describes me. I'm a pretty outgoing, peppy person who's rarely in a bad mood. Even my coworkers after only 2 weeks of knowing me, said I was "perky". I just think it takes too much energy to be miserable all the time! Green would probably be another color, just because I love it so much and it's fresh and lively!

{two} how have you changed in the past year?I became a married woman in the past year. I think that changed me tremendously. I feel more grown up and adult and I have my own little family now. It's just the two of us but it feels great. We also moved away from all of our family and friends that we've been around our entire lives. That forced us to be even more grown up and on our own.

{three} have you ever had any surgeries? Nope.

{four} why did you start your blog?I started my blog because I felt like I needed a way to connect with people who take a look at my photography every one in a while. I want you to be able to get to know me a little bit better before making the big decision of who will photograph the important events in your life. And on my website, I only have enough room to put my very favorite photos, but on here I'm able to show you my top 25 if I want to! And I love being able to do that and telling people's stories.

{five} what are you looking forward to this summer?One would be our first anniversary, we've already started deciding what we want to do. It won't be a big to-do, but we'll do something special that we don't get to do every day. In August we'll be going to the Lake of the Ozarks, which is always the biggest thing in our summers. It's pretty much becoming our home away from home. And THEN to top it all off, we are going to the Kings of Leon concert on August 29th at Sandstone! So excited for that!

{six} do you have any family traditions for the 4th of July?
When I was little we used to have the ice cream social at my church whose backyard sat right next to where the fireworks were set off back in Hiawatha and that was the big tradition. Now I'm not sure that we really have a tradition. Usually we find friends to spend the evening with and watch fireworks somewhere.

{seven} what’s something new that you’ve tried in the past few months?Ummm... I don't know that I've tried much that was new in the past few months. My job is new. Does that count?

{eight} what is the perfect a/c temperature?I guess 70

{nine} what was the last movie you saw in the theater?The Adjustment Bureau. It was great! But what is ever bad if Matt Damon is in it?!

{ten} what song do you think everyone should hear at least once?"Here Comes the Sun" by the Beatles. It's my favorite song ever.

This is why...

... I absolutely love what I do.

"As the morning of our wedding arrived the sky was gray and rain was definitely coming our way. I was immediately concerned that the rain would cause a huge problems for my hopes of beautiful wedding photos. Oh man was I wrong! Linnie worked her magic and somehow made all of us feel comfortable and at ease. She braved the drizzly mess to make sure I got all the pictures I had talked about. Never once did she bat an eyelash as it got colder and colder. Instead she kept this fantastic, upbeat attitude and made all of us smile and laugh. Our group was a rowdy one - from the bridal party to our crazy friends - and Linnie handled everyone with ease. At the end of the process she felt like one of the family. I didn't think it was possible to like Linnie any more than I already did and then we got the pictures back -- WOW!!!! They are FANTASTIC! My emotions ranged from tears of happiness to laughter as I got to relive all the little moments she captured. So many of them - that as the bride - I missed out on seeing. Everyone looks happy, relaxed and most of all - comfortable!! She is so fantastically talented and I feel blessed to not only have gorgeous wedding pictures but also now, a great friend!"
- Heather Hawkins

Hearing that people had that great of an experience with me makes all the hard work and long hours totally worth it. Thanks Heather, your kind words mean more than you could know.

The Gordon's | Baldwin Portrait Photographer

Meet my good friend Katie and her husband Branner! If you're a loyal blog follower, you've seen them before as I took their wedding photos. It seems like forever ago when Katie and her mom came up to my sister and I at my very first bridal fair and eventually changed her entire wedding date to have me be her photographer. Ever since then we've become better and better friends, and now that we only live 15 minutes from each other we can shop at our favorite bargain spots and go out for margaritas together any time! Katie and Branner are great friends to Luke and I and I'm very excited to show you my favorites from the photos I took of them recently. Enjoy!













This one is my absolute favorite! I love that Katie completely trusted me when I ran into her house and said okay I need two of your old suitcases and old blanket and your G off the wall, I just had a great idea!












I have a new favorite spot!












We had to get a picture with their babies, Ruby and Knala!


Thanks Katie and Branner! You're the best!

Heather & Jeff Hawkins | Baldwin Wedding Photographer

At the end of May I had the incredible pleasure of photographing the wedding of Jeff and Heather Hawkins. (You might remember their engagement photos from back in April... they're gorgeous people!!) After having the opportunity to meet so many different couples, spending time with them and being around them on the big day, there are definitely some special ones that stood out to me as people who were so much in love and were such great people, that I knew their day was going to be incredibly special. And these two are definitely one of those couples! Heather is just as bubbly and vivacious as she looks, and I've decided I want to be adopted by her family so that I can have their dimples. And Jeff is a genuinely really nice guy, oh yea and he played basketball at KU, just a little plus there. And to top it off their families are amazing people too!

Their day started out really beautiful and they had an outdoor ceremony planned, but the weather didn't really cooperate with us. We had to deal with just gross drizzly rain all day, so at the last minute everything was moved inside, and we even had to do some of their photos on the porch. But through all this, everyone kept their cool and everything went off without a hitch! The ceremony was beautiful and the party was even better! So, I'll stop gabbing, and show you my favorites! There are lots!











This is Jeff with their son Maverick, who is pretty much adorable!












This was the group standing next to me snapping photos... I had to get their photo because I've never had that many guys taking photos along with me.




To say they had a crazy crew is totally an understatement.




Jeff makes the funniest faces I've ever seen...




Heather and her two beautiful sisters!






They had a crazy good time at their reception!


Complete with their very own Michael Jackson impersonation, performed by one of the groomsman. Seriously, best I've seen.

.................................................

baldwin city, ks
ceremony & reception venue | Stony Point Hall
caterer | Oak Creek Catering
cake | Cakes by Helen - Helen Benefield
videographer | Greg Sorenson Videography
dj | Nick Reddell DJ Service
dresses | Timeless Tradition - Ellis, KS
hair and makeup | J Studio and Salon - Jenna Fellhoelter
tuxes | Weavers
florist | CSPost - Hays, KS
.................................................

their songs
first dance | "Lost Without You" - Robin Thicke
father/daughter | "Because You Loved Me" - Celine Dion
mother/son | "Cherish" - KC and the Sunshine Band

Thank you Jeff and Heather for such an amazing night! I hope to have many sessions with the Hawkins' in the future!!

What's New Wednesday

Like the new name?!!? I wanted to change it because my church in Topeka has a program called The Word on Wednesday and I felt like mine was just silly in comparison to their Word.

1. I know, it's been awhile since I had a Wednesday update. I started full time at my day job last week and I just haven't gotten into a routine yet of actually getting things done at home in the evening. I can't say that I've ever had a "real" full-time job, so it's taken some getting used to.

2. Last weekend, Luke and I made a very quick run up to Hiawatha for his family reunion. Quick as in we left Gardner at 4, got to Fairview at 6 and left to come back home at 10:30. Yuck. I hate making that quick of a trip! Especially when I was nice enough to drive both ways so he could sleep and not be completely whiped out for work the next day. But we had a great time visiting with family and I met some new faces in what I'm coming to find out is a VERY large clan! We did take some family photos, but it was a little difficult to get absolutely everyone in the same place at once to do a whole huge group shot.

I had been dancing my tush off, so don't judge the gross sweaty hair. Ew.

3. The weekend before last, we went to Topeka for a barbecue at a good friend and fellow troopers' house. We had a great time, but it was interrupted with, ya know, a tornado. What else?! Here are some shots I snapped of it... and yes it was right above their house. I think I would've been more concerned if I hadn't already had a couple beers.

And, of course, we were all standing outside watching it all unfold. We are Kansans after all!

4. My plants are still alive and doing well! We had a little mishap with my jalapeno seedlings, but I started new ones and they seem to be doing well.

The inside plants are good too...

We have a family of bunnies living underneath our concrete patio, and I'm afraid they'll snack on my plants when we're not looking, so this is my makeshift garden for now...

I named one of the bunnies Stanley... in case you were wondering.

5. Luke and I are thoroughly enjoying the nice weather mainly because we're able to grill!!! I think probably 75% of everything we've eaten in the past month has been cooked on the grill. It's just the best time of year when we're able to sit on the patio with a beer or some other type of cold beverage and enjoy the nice weather while our dinner cooks. We've been having a lot of grilled chicken and vegetable kabobs, and I've been known to throw some fresh pineapple on the grill... AMAZING! What are some of your favorite grilling recipes?? I want to try some new things!

6. Lately I am reading "The Bucolic Plague" by Josh Kilmer-Purcell. If you are a fan of the Fabulous Beekman Boys on the Planet Green channel, then you know who I'm talking about. It's a great show about a gay couple who buy a huge mansion and a farm and grow their own food and do everything organic they can and sell their own goat milk products, and they're just funny and I love them. And that book is his memoir of how they got started at the Beekman. Also I'm re-reading "The Queen of the Big Time" by Adriana Trigiani, one of my favorite authors of all time. Seriously, if you've never heard of her or read anything by her, go get "Big Stone Gap" and "Lucia, Lucia" and get comfy because you won't be able to put them down. I promise!

7. This Sunday we're going to see the dinosaurs! Actually we're going to the Powell Gardens on the east side of Kansas City with my family and this summer the special event they're having are huge dinosaur statues scattered around the gardens. Marcus is SUPER excited and I am too because the gardens look amazingly beautiful! I'll show you pictures next week.

That's all I've got for now, so here's this weeks Wee Bit! See ya next week!



{one} how many times have you been a bridesmaid/maid of honor?Twice. I was the junior bridesmaid in my sister's wedding when I was 10 (and had the biggest bangs you've ever seen in your life!!!) and then this past September I was a bridesmaid in my best friend Tiffany's wedding. Normally I get to take the photos, so I'd never been in weddings before that.

{two} what’s the last thing your do before you fall asleep at night?Read and watch the news. Then I check my alarm about 7 times to make sure it's set for the right time and that it's on.

{three} you just won your dream vacation, all expenses paid. where are you going?Definitely Italy. I studied Italian art and architecture for 4 years, so I want to see it all sooo badly. Especially Florence.

{four} what is your favorite outdoor activity?Probably just going for walks or hiking. And I love to garden now that I'm not a black thumb anymore.

{five} as a child, what did you want to “be when you grew up”? did you end up there?I always wanted to be a doctor. And then as I got a little older (like middle school) that turned from just general doctor into an obstetrician gynecologist. I was very specific. I even watched a C-section for my job shadowing day in high school. And now I'm pretty far away from that. I got an art degree instead. But I do work at a perinatal practice now, so I'm in the general vicinity.

{six} what are 3 things your dream home would have that you don’t currently have?Our own yard! (our yard is taken care of by our landlord) A huge deck! A library.

{seven} what’s for dinner tonight?We were going to have my favorite lemon broccoli chicken, but went out to eat with family instead. It was Olive Garden, so who am I to complain!

{eight} if someone stopped by your house unannounced on a typical Saturday night, what would they find you doing?A Saturday night in the spring-fall, I wouldn't be home. I'd be at someone's wedding reception, working my tush off! If I wasn't working a wedding however, I'd probably be in my sweats either watching a movie or out with friends (if Luke's home) or up in my office working (if Luke's not home).

{nine} what’s your average monthly water bill?I honestly have no idea off the top of my head. And I really don't want to run downstairs just to check.

{ten} what do you do to relax?Cook, especially bake. Read. And sit outside and just enjoy the sunshine. Oh yea and get massages whenever I can!

BONUS: Remember that question I asked earlier in this post? You gotta find it, but answer it in the form of a comment on this post and I'll randomly choose someone to win a FREE photo session! If you can't figure out how to post a comment, just click on the button that says something like "post comment anonymously" and then in your comment itself, include your name, so I know who you are! Thanks and good luck!!