Weddings
Engagements
Portraits
Posted on May 24, 2010
It’s May 24, 2010. We’re a mere 7 days away from June. The rest of the country has spring. They have warm weather, budding leaves, rainbows and flowers. But here, in Wyoming, we have wind, rain, hail, and snow.
I can’t believe I actually chose to live here….
Posted on May 23, 2010
I had the wonderful opportunity to second shoot this wedding with one of my favorite photographers, Sarah Lee Welch. When we walked into the church, Cassie was as cool as can be, finishing some last minute touches. Cassie and Fred’s families are so warm hearted and caring, and Cassie and Fred are no exception. Their love for each other is evident in the way they look at each other. They kid and joke with one another and share the gift of laughter. Congratulations, Fred and Cassie! I wish you all the very best to come!
Posted on May 21, 2010
Whenever I get up early to fly on a plane, I always reward myself with some kind of guilty pleasure, usually an Egg McMuffin from McDonald’s. It’s one of those things that I never eat in real life, but in the comfort of the airport, nothing else exists. No calories, no fat. And nobody else is there to tell me otherwise. After dropping Tristan off at the airport, I knew just what I would do. It didn’t seem fair that I got up before 5 a.m., I drove to the airport, I said the tearful goodbyes, but I wouldn’t get my guilty pleasure at the airport. So, I opted for something better:
Pulling into the parking lot, I had a second thought. Wedged in between a budget motel, a truck stop, and a straggly field, it didn’t quite look like a place where nice girls go. Let alone nice girls by themselves. But I thought of the idea of IHOP, teeming with families out for a Saturday morning breakfast, and I imagined everyone looking at me. What if they put me at a table in between? It’s one thing to sit at a booth and stare at the window the whole time…but it’s a completely different story to be alone, surrounded by strangers. I realized at that moment that it’s been a while since I’ve been alone. Like, really alone.
I moved to Wyoming to be with the man that I love. I moved because I wanted to see if we would work in everyday life. We started our courtship long distance, and while spending summers together or taking vacations to visit one another is nice, it wasn’t a real indication of how we would work in the daily grind. Lucky for us, I have the ring to prove it!
Back to the story: I walked up the ramp and walked through the door, which was being held by a nice older gentleman with a long, straggly beard. I politely thanked him and immediately whisked myself away to the ladies’ room, where I proceeded to wash my hands three times. I wanted to wash away the memory (and any diseases) of that ugly, no good, two timin’, heck of a waste, blue lunch cooler.
I sat in a booth by the window. I ordered the “All-Star Special”, complete with waffle, eggs, sausage, grits and toast. My name is Lauren, and I’m addicted to variety. Even though I know that ordering the “one of everything” special is going to be wayyy too much food and that 100% of the time, I ended up feeling stuffed to my gord, I just can’t help myself. I love it all. And I have to say, my absolute favorite from this delectable meal was…drum roll, please…….the grits! Yum!
I returned on my merry way and was instantly greeted by the thickest fog I have ever seen in my life. I took the road slowly and calmly. and eventually, I found my way home. Good. Ol. Home.
Posted on May 19, 2010
In the early morning, Denver had a thick cover of fog. I want to know when is the last time Denver had an overcast day, let alone a thick blanket of fog. 1745?…..BC? So, I rumbled along, through the thick of the fog, to grandmother’s house I went (actually, my grandmother lives about 1700 miles away….what a long drive that is! Oh my!) I shuffled along, past the factories and the castles. Don’t believe me?
Out in the distance, I saw it coming. A boxy object bouncing along, getting pushed and pulled by the traffic. In slow motion, I watched as it was pounced by the large, heavy tires of a semi truck. It bounce and bounced and bounced and…..oh crap. THUMP! My car shook as it ran over the box. I waited patiently to feel the release and watch in the rear view mirror as the blue lunch cooler rolled into the traffic behind me. That never came. Instead, I was greeted by the subtle scraping sound of something being drug by my car.
Taking the next exit, I pulled into an empty parking lot. Looking under the car, I saw the cooler, smuggled diagonally by the pipes of my car. Man, that sucker was stuck. And by stuck, I mean stuuuuuuuuuuuuck. I pushed, I pulled, I hit, clawed, punched, kicked, and jury rigged the cooler. It didn’t budge. Instead, it sat and stared at me, mocking my gallant, but fruitless efforts.
And then, genius struck. I realized that the cooler was stuck because it had the weight of the car keeping it wedged. I scratched my chin. “Hmm,” I said to myself. “If only I kept a hydraulic lift in my back pocket.” I looked around and found a curb with a wheel chair ramp. Slowly, I drove my right tire up onto the sidewalk. Getting down on my hands and knees I (finally) successfully pulled the cooler free. Not wanting to leave trash in the parking lot that had saved me from a lifetime of scraping noises, I took the cooler with me.
But I couldn’t think. Not with that staring at me. I gave it my best glare, letting it know that it was not a guest in my car. This was strictly business.
So, the trashcan by Pier 1 got a brand new (to them) blue lunch cooler. I turned around to get back in my car….and realized how amazing the light was this early in the morning. Don’t believe me?
I pulled out the parking lot, and on a last second whim, I pulled down a country road. This is what I saw:
To Be Continued…
(In a staunch, NPR voice) The third and final part of our series will be blogged tomorrow. This is Elle Kay Studios; I’m Lauren Kuznick. Good night.
Posted on May 17, 2010
I woke up early in the morning to drive him to the airport. 4:45 a.m. to be exact. Bright eyed and bushy tailed, we drove on the near empty highway. I chit chatted about this and that–nothing important, I’m sure. Tristan sat quietly, patiently listening to me talk. He’s good at that. When I ramble (and boy, do I ramble), he sits and listens to every word that I say. Even if the words are just the states I’m trying to name (I always forget a different one each time).
As we pulled up to the airport, I started to feel sentimental. Who would make me laugh for the next two weeks? Who would give me hugs when I’m sad, frustrated, or stressed out? Tristan is an integral part of my life (duh, that’s why we’re getting married), and I always miss the little things when we’re apart. I miss our inside jokes and our funny faces. I miss cooking dinner together or snuggling while we watch a movie.
I pulled into an open space and got out of the car. Giving Tristan a big hug and tons of smooches, I wished him a good trip. He’s always wanted to go to Japan, so as a good future-wife, I support him and wish him well in anything he wants to do. Even though I knew I would miss like a penguin misses ice, I smiled and waved as he walked away. (On a side note, my one rule in life is to never watch someone leave or to watch someone as I leave. It’s a rule I adopted when I first went to college. I found it was the best way to avoid home sickness.)
I pumped up the volume to some good, toe tappin’, heel kickin’, thumb drummin’ country music. I enjoyed the thrill of the open road on an early Saturday morning. And this is where my adventure begins.
To Be Continued….
(Yup, I just went there! Check back tomorrow for Part 2 of “My Crazy Daisy Amazy Adventure”!)
Posted on May 14, 2010
My hair is getting so long, I don’t know what to do with it. If I leave it down, it flies softly but vigorously through the Wyoming wind. If I put it in a pony tail, it spreads out and mingles like a gallery opening. My hair is far too heavy for a bun. By my 10 o’clock snack time (yes, I have snack time; a full tummy is a happy tummy), my bun — once perky and neatly perched on the top of my head — slides down to the nape of my neck, getting stuck on my shoulder when i turn my head. I’ve tried to pull off a ballerina bun. Plus: it stays in one place all day. Minus: I look like an old school marm (and a mean one at that).
The past few days I’ve been wearing a braid. There are a few things I like about this. #1 It keeps my hair relatively unknotty. With a braid my daily ritual of fighting the knots in my hair has turned from 40+ minutes to 10, tops. #2 I look like a farm girl. And farm girls know how to rock. #3 It’s easy to do. #4 Did I mention that my hair isn’t so knotty? Seriously, with a pony tail, I end up the day with a large rat’s nest. When I brush out my hair, I always wonder what I’ll find. A bird, a lollipop, or a piano?
The things that I absolutely, positively find horribly negative about wearing a braid: #1 I’m incapable of counting into thirds. I always have one strand that is definitely larger than the other two…combined. #2 Strands of hair become loose very easily. And like loose strings on my clothing, I pick…and pick. I subconsciously pick at the loose hairs on the left side of my braid. I’m sure it looks like my braid tried to implode a building but blew up the sidewalk instead. #3 A combination of many factors, it can get messy…real quick.
I’ve had serious thoughts about cutting my hair and going back to its original length (chin length). But every time I’ve decided, “Ok, this is it!” a thought creeps back into my head about how I want to have long hair for my wedding. I grew it out as a final attempt at youth, figuring I’d get it out of my system then have a “mom cut” for the next 50 years. But as soon as we got engaged, my reasons changed. Just like the glasses conundrum, I am hard pressed to find a beautiful bride in the magazines with short, funky hair.
So, the battle continues…next weeks mission: french braid!
Posted on May 12, 2010
Wyoming in May:
Posted on May 3, 2010
It was one of those early spring days, when the warmth of the sun plants kisses on your face. The flowers start to open and the trees reach towards the sky. Everyone and their sister ventures outside to enjoy the glorious gift.
