Hilton Head Island, SC

Last summer I was blessed to have an opportunity to visit Hilton Head Island in South Carolina.  I've always heard from friends who frequent this area how beautiful it is so I was excited to see for myself.  Armed with my camera I captured some of the sights and I wasn't disappointed.  

Stayed at the Westin Hilton Head Island Resort & Spa a beautiful beach front property.  I spent my days lounging around the pool sipping tropical drinks and strolling the beach and every evening exploring some of the areas fine cuisine.  John insisted I have my first taste of what appeared to be a giant sea loogie, otherwise known as the oyster.  Upon planning the trip he'd threatened me with this possibility. I figured that perhaps I could distract him or perhaps charm my way out of this situation but John is nothing if not persistent and let's just say he's well suited for the job he's currently in (sales). He'd been talking these things up during the weeks prior to our trip.  It took a lot of coaxing and a monumental amount of courage (and perhaps a libation or two if I'm not mistaken) to convince me to try one of the seas most unappealing creatures. I thought that since one of my favorite gems, the pearl, comes from these nasty little things, I ought to at least give em a chance. My opinion... eh... just as I suspected... snot & boogers coated with cocktail sauce. Thanks but no thanks.

John took this shot and for Christmas I had it printed on canvas and gallery wrapped for him 

The view from our table at The Old Oyster Factory

Sea Loogies

Joel Gott Cabernet Sauvignon. Our 'go to' wine ever since. Delicious!

One morning I woke with the sunrise and decided to grab my camera and head for the beach.  This is, after all, the east coast, the sun rises over here.  Unless you're a photographer the idea of crawling out of bed in the wee hours whilst on vacation is probably a horrible idea, but all my photog buddies out there TOTALLY get this.  There is nothing quite like that morning light.  So off I went on my solo adventure on what must have been one of the most humid mornings I've ever experienced.  It probably took my lenses a full 30 minutes to adjust the extreme conditions and stop fogging up.  On one of the shots I just worked with the steam. It turned out to be one of my favorite shots.  Nothing like a little fog to make a shot look mysterious and romantic, dontcha think.....?

At work

Me & a good book and I wouldn't be budging from this spot

Megan + Robert

Part of my new years resolutions for 2012 is to blog more.  Facebook has made me lazy. I just throw some images up on my business page and call it a day. My poor little blog and all TWO of my followers are neglected. 

Now... here is the darling and sweet Megan & Robbie who's wedding I shot way back in July. That's not a typo. That's how bad I've been. Anyway they are certainly blog worthy. Thanks to the oh so talented Kristen Weigel for assisting!

I just LOVE the way he's looking at his new bride.

Such a cute comfy option for the ladies!

All this symmetry is so contrary to my usual taste but it just works in this shot

That ladies & gents is a blushing bride

A sweet, (almost) private moment I captured.

Lilly

Here she is... baby number NINE. No, that's not a typo! This sweet thing was born into an amazing family that I love and adore.  I myself came from a family of 9 children so I always feel right at home in a home stuffed to the brim with rowdy, noisy and giggly kids.  Lynna and Steve, ya done good...

Aimee Bridal Session

I love bridal sessions. It takes me back to when I was a young girl and my best friend Katy and I would dress up and curl our hair and take pictures of each other.  It just goes to prove that I've never grown out of playing dress up and I hope I never do.  

Here's the stunning Aimee's version of dress up. And she certainly knows how to do it doesn't she?

The wind was insane!

The beautiful Baber House

I'm a Dreamer

The last year or so of my life has been an adventure.  I've learned many, many lessons.  Lessons about love, about loss, about myself, my strengths, my weaknesses.  I'm a dreamer.  A creative.  My mind can spin beautiful and terrifying scenarios at 100 miles an hour.

Through it all I've fought for myself.  Fought off bitterness, anger, hopelessness.  Despite the pain and disappointment. Despite being mistreated, used and discarded by those who people who were hurting and selfish. I've fought for my dreams. I almost gave up on them several times but rest assured they are firmly in tact at this moment.  I'm Aly and to be me means to hope and dream and love with my whole heart.  It's a risky business to tear through life the way I do. My heart gets involved in everything.  But God sustains it. He's always got His hands on me.  So, for better or for worse I choose to LOVE recklessly, HOPE endlessly and DREAM BIG! Because I made a commitment to be true to myself ....

“One word, Ma'am," he said, coming back from the fire; limping, because of the pain. "One word. All you've been saying is quite right, I shouldn't wonder. I'm a chap who always liked to know the worst and then put the best face I can on it. So I won't deny any of what you said. But there's one more thing to be said, even so. Suppose we have only dreamed, or made up, all those things-trees and grass and sun and moon and stars and Aslan himself. Suppose we have. Then all I can say is that, in that case, the made-up things seem a good deal more important than the real ones. Suppose this black pit of a kingdom of yours is the only world. Well, it strikes me as a pretty poor one. And that's a funny thing, when you come to think of it. We're just babies making up a game, if you're right. But four babies playing a game can make a play-world which licks your real world hollow. That's why I'm going to stand by the play world. I'm on Aslan's side even if there isn't any Aslan to lead it. I'm going to live as like a Narnian as I can even if there isn't any Narnia. So, thanking you kindly for our supper, if these two gentlemen and the young lady are ready, we're leaving your court at once and setting out in the dark to spend our lives looking for Overland. Not that our lives will be very long, I should think; but that's a small loss if the world's as dull a place as you say.” 
― C.S. Lewis, The Silver Chair

You Love Me Anyway

It's been a tough week.  Fear, doubt and Satan chasing me. Whenever that happens I flip on The Fish and this greeted me just when I needed it. Thanks for coming through again Abba...

You Love Me Anyway
                    ~ Sidewalk Prophets

The question was raised
As my conscience fell
A silly, little lie
It didn’t mean much
But it lingers still
In the corners of my mind

Still you call me to walk
On the edge of this world
To spread my dreams and fly
But the future’s so far
My heart is so frail
I think I’d rather stay inside

But You love me anyway
It’s like nothing in life that I’ve ever known
You love me anyway
Oh Lord, how You love me
How You love me

It took more than my strength
To simply be still
To seek but never find
All the reasons we change
The reasons I doubt
And why do loved ones have to die?

But You love me anyway
It’s like nothing in life that I’ve ever known
You love me anyway
Oh Lord, how You love me

I am the thorn in Your crown
But You love me anyway
I am the sweat from Your brow
But You love me anyway
I am the nail in Your wrist
But You love me anyway
I am Judas’ kiss
But You love me anyway

See now, I am the man that called out from the crowd
For Your blood to be spilled on this earth shaking ground
Yes then, I turned away with this smile on my face
With this sin in my heart tried to bury Your grace
And then alone in the night, I still called out for You
So ashamed of my life, my life, my life

But You love me anyway
Oh, God… how you love me

You love me anyway
It’s like nothing in life that I’ve ever known
You love me anyway
Oh Lord, how You love me

You love me, You love me
You love me, You love me
How You love me
How You love me
How You love me

Baby Eden

Well here she is... some of you may remember the maternity shoot of the very beautiful Susan. Welcome sweet Eden.