BALANCING LIFE AND BLESSINGS - A RECAP

As you can see, we kind of fell off the face of the earth.  It seems that October is one of the busiest months every year, and this year was no exception.  Our plan to watch 30 scary movies that month fell to the wayside.  When I took on a third job this year, I knew things would get hectic.  But, it was far more hectic than I anticipated.  Don't get me wrong.  I am grateful for every last photo gig that came my way, and I hope that 2012 brings even more.  But, this year, more than any other year, was a struggle to balance work and life.  Thankfully Austin was on the ball and picked up the domestic duties right where I left off...which is somewhere in the kitchen, I think.

So, October passed just as quickly as it arrived, and before we knew it, it was Thanksgiving.  This year's feast was wonderful, as it was spent with family.  Evan and Liz (Austin's brother and his girlfriend) & Kevin and Sydnie (my cousin and his girlfriend) joined us in our home for a pretty fantastic spread.  

Everyone brought something to the table which helped my sanity and made my belly happy.  There were stuffed jalapenos, stuffing, stuffed mushrooms, sweet potatoes, mashed potatoes, spice cake, and an amazing turkey filled with citrus goodness.

To commemorate the evening, we had to capture the proverbial group photo.  For those of you who love Eddie Izzard, this one's for you: "Look, we can't all do big arms."

After the meal, I couldn't help but grab some photos of our guests as the sun set behind our home.  You see, this is what happens when you dine with a photographer.  Growing up, it was our next door neighbor, Jeff, who always had the camera out before and after dinner.  And seeing as it was tradition, I felt it only fitting to take up the charge.

And to finish out the evening, we all sat around watching the UT vs. A&M game (HOOK 'EM!) while playing Buzzwords (guys vs. girls).  The guys whooped our asses, but we all nevertheless got a good laugh or 7.

Christmas AND Austin's birthday have both come and gone (more posts soon).  And now we're prepping for a visit from our NJ friends, Lucas and Ashley.  We haven't seen them since July, and we can't wait to ring in the new year with them again this year (they flew in as a surprise last year for Austin's 30th and stayed through New Year's).  It's kind of becoming a bit of a tradition we hope to hold onto for years to come. 

Happy Thanksgiving, Merry Christmas, and cheers for the new year!!

HATERS IS GONNA HATE - WARNING: EXPLICIT CONTENT

I find that the Universe has a way of bringing us the messages we need to hear when we need to hear them.  If something is really bothering me, I start to notice things pop up everywhere I look that speak to whatever it is I'm working on at the moment.  It's like someone is planting little reminders of the message that I should hear and understand to help me deal with that present issue.  For the past 2 weeks, that issue has been "Haters and Monsters."

Being in a creative field, I find that little monsters creep up in my head all the time telling me that I'm not good enough.  It's hard to separate myself from my work, take a step back, and look at it objectively.  I'm emotionally invested in what I do, and it is an extension of who I am as a person.  If someone says something bad about my work, I take it personally and attach that statement to my whole being.  It's like really messed up math.  This picture sucks + I don't like it = YOU SUCK

And this mentality is not quarantined to the creative field or just my work.  Its ugliness permeates other areas of my life, and I also discover that it has the same effect on my peers, loved ones, and mentors (even the ones I compare myself to, think are so much more amazing than I am, and think could never have little monsters, too).  Apparently, we all go through this.  PHEW!  What a relief!  We're not alone!!!

I was reminded of this theme last week and this week by two peers/mentors that told me the same thing: GET RID OF THOSE LITTLE MONSTERS!  There will always be people who are going to try to bring you down, no matter what.  We can even be our own worst enemy, which can be even worse than someone else telling us these ugly things.  Those peers also told me the same thing that my mom used to tell me, "They're just jealous."  That may be, but it's hard to convince myself of that.  Jealous?!  Of what?!  I don't know what, but I'll go along with it for the sake of my sanity.

And speaking of sanity, they say that laughter is the best medicine.  Sometimes you just have to laugh it off.  And if there were ever a group of highly insecure, highly creative individuals, it's comedians.  I've got a soft spot for those of you so willing to put yourself out there.  Not an easy thing to do, and I've got nothing but love for ya.  One of our favorites is Katt Williams.  Bright guy, that one, and hilarious to boot.  Here's what he has to say about haters.  Now you know what we mean when you hear the two of us say, "Luxurious."  Enjoy! 

WARNING: EXPLICIT CONTENT



30 DAYS OF HORROR [MOVIES] - VOL. 2

Movie #2: Frankenstein – James Whale – 1931

Borrowed from: http://100years100movie.blogspot.com/2011/04/frankenstein.html

Background: Author Mary Shelley wrote a story in 1818 that went on to simultaneously become the bane of high school English literature students and establish itself as a worldwide icon of the horror film genre.  As a friendly heads up, watching this film will in no way prepare you for any upcoming pop quizzes on the novel. 

Synopsis: The classic cautionary tale about rough drafts gone wild comes to life on the big screen.  James Whale’s cinematic vision goes to great lengths to recreate a golden era where people fainted upon hearing horrifying news and society regarded slapping a frantic woman in the face as “reasoning with her.”  A manmade monster wreaks some havoc, tosses his creator out of a windmill, and seemingly burns to death.  The film concludes with the patriarchal Baron von Frankenstein raising a celebratory glass in the name of his unborn grandchildren.  Fade, roll credits, the end.  I couldn’t tell if this was a work of fiction or a gritty documentary about the good ol’ days. 

Austin’s Scariest Moment: Suffering a flashback to my “Stranger Danger” preschool days after watching the monster toss little Maria to her untimely death.

Jen’s Scariest Moment:  Mob mentality.  Nothing good can come of large numbers of townies yielding fire while running through the hills screaming what can only deciphered as, "RABBLE!  RABBLE!"

A REMINDER FROM THE UNIVERSE



Borrowed from: http://sueswink.tumblr.com/post/6088153046


I call shenanigans.  My journey is seriously lacking in the cupcake department.

30 DAYS OF HORROR [MOVIES]

October is finally here.  This is one of Team Crunkasaurus's favorite months, because it brings Halloween, which brings Halloween decorations...and scary movies.  There's something about October 1st that just gets us in the mood to spend the entire month watching horror movies, kicking it off with a little house decorating to get us initiated.  We enlisted the help of Netflix this year, only to be slightly disappointed by their selection (Seriously?  We need TWO subscriptions to be able to see Children of the Corn?!).  Granted, we've come across a few flicks that have shown up on multiple "Best of" lists, but dsiproportionately more that have probably shown up on "Best of the Worst" lists. 

Regardless of Netflix's offerings, we're taking the month by storm and making our way through as many cinematic gems as possible, as well as bringing you the play by play.  Thirty days of scary?  BRING IT.

Movie #1: The Thing - John Carpenter - 1982

Borrowed from: http://www.sci-fimovieposters.co.uk/movie-posters-t/thing-john-carpenter-original-british-quad-movie-poster.htm

Background:  A remake of 1951's Academy Award Winner for Best Picture The Thing from Another World, which was based on Caldecott Medal Lifetime Achievement Award Recipient John W. Campbell, Jr.'s Who Goes There?

Synopsis:  This film deposits a bearded Kurt Russell amidst exterior Hoth scenes from The Empire Strikes Back, buttressed  by some early '80s animatronic special effects and an Ennio Morricone musical score.  Just when the cult factor can't get any better, a de-mustachioed Wilford Brimley steps outside of his comfort zone and gets to talk about something other than diabeetus or oatmeal.

Austin's Scariest Moment:  When a mad Norwegian scientist attempts to kill an alien-infected malamute from a helicopter Sarah Palin-style, first with a rifle, then with a cornucopia of grenades. Spoiler alert: the movie lasts for another 90 minutes after this scene.

Jen's Scariest Moment:  Anytime anything biological opened up to reveal an uglier, scarier, more mucousy biological counterpart with more teeth, which is made even more sinister thanks to Mr. Morricone's distinctly '80s horror movie audio.

Seen The Thing or any of its multiple incarnations?  Which was your favorite or your scariest moment?

TEAM CRUNKASAURUS DOES DATE NIGHT

One of the things we've learned about life so far is that it gets hectic...fast.  Before you know it, you're 7 months into your marriage and wedding thank you notes still aren't finished (hang in there, folks.  Your note is on its way!).  They're buried somewhere between work, domestic duties, and an attempt to pluck some 5 minutes out of thin air that can be dedicated to simply sitting with absolutely no agenda.  Ultimately, those 5 minutes end up dedicated to regrouping and contemplating what to do task will be tackled next. 

Throw into this mix my new job with Studio563 shooting weddings on the weekends (which brings a total of 4 jobs between the 2 of us), and we've officially hit relaxation deficit mode.  Our long ago dreams of training and successfully participating in a half marathon are so far out of reach at this point that the word "workout" has become synonymous with "pipedream," and we're basically just giving Golds Gym free money each month.  You're welcome, Golds.

And this is why it has become apparent that we have to slow down.  We both struggle to shut off that nagging voice in our heads saying that there's stuff to do, so we ignore our need for downtime.  So, we made a pact: Friday nights belong to us.  And if I'm shooting on Friday night, then Saturday nights it is!  QUEUE DATE NIGHT!!!!!

This week's episode comes to you from Burnet (dernit!).  Although I'm a southie at heart, Austin has managed to show me that north Austin has its own charm, fun, and weirdness.  Burnet Road is one such area, and I've come to absolutely love it.  At the recommendation of my friend, Natasja, we journeyed over to Phil's Ice House for burgers and beer.

Located just south of 2222 on Burnet and right next door to Amy's Ice Cream, Phil's Ice House is a great local buger joint that pretty much feels like the Amy's Ice Cream of burger stands.  The menu was out of control in that really good, "please-show-me-how-calorically-naughty-you-can-be" kind of way.  BBQ/bacon burgers, chili burgers, burgers with both fancy and not so fancy cheeses, avocado, and ONIONS, ONIONS, ONIONS!!!!!  Gimme, gimme, gimme. 

We both struggled with what to order, because frankly,  it all sounded SO GOOD.  Luckily for us, they offer a mini burger basket that allows you to order 3 different burgers.  This was especially helpful for me considering there were 3 burgers I couldn't decide between: The Rosedale, The Violet Crown, and The Crestview.  Why choose when you can have them ALL?!  AND, they come with a mix of regular AND sweet potato fries.  Wha-what?!  And with Live Oak beer on tap, who could say no?





A little Live Oak on tap, thank you very much.

  And, as is common in this town, we ran into some friends while sitting out on the patio.  Mary (Austin's co-worker from his days at TGLF) and her boyfriend, Arturo, were out for a stroll and stopped to say hi when when they saw us.

After such a tasty meal, we decided to walk of a few of those sweet potato fries and walk to H-E-B for some dessert.  In doing so, we passed by Pappy's, a new joint in the shopping center at 2222 and Burnet.  From outside, it seemed pretty rad.  And Lone Star pitchers for $7 seemed pretty enticing.  Maybe next date night?

Anyone have any suggestions for a good date night?

JEN GETS FOOD POISONING

Ugh, an inevitable part of being human and living in a world where we don't have to prepare our own food.  I was awoken this morning to the undeniable symptoms of what can only be food poisoning.  Yup, all of THOSE symptoms.  And after following up with the only people I shared meals with, it's been determined that the culprit is likely Friday's date night seafood dinner courtesy of Pappadeaux.

After indulging this weekend on shrimp, scallops, fried alligator, crawfish, and other culinary delights, I'm reduced to attempting to stomach the menu of the fine people at Campbell's, Gatorade, and the cracker factory.  The challenge at this point is going to be to keep the provisions from becoming sacrifices to the porcelain god (not to be construed as commentary on the quality of their fine products).

Thanks to Austin, however, my surroundings have been altered so as to make this as comfortable of a situation as possible.  Sick bay has been set up in the living room in front of our only TV, and all $9.00 of our Netflix monthly subscription is getting used to the last penny. 

So far, I've watched "Bill Cunningham New York" (an awesome documentary about a photographer I've never heard of but can't wait to research more), "The Business of Being Born" (an intriguing look into child birth in the US and a film that has me even more interested in researching midwifery when that time comes for Team Crunkasaurus - and simply fueling "eggy-ness," as Austin would put it), and the last 30 minutes or so of "Star Trek" (because sci-fi IS part of the healing process on sick days).

Now figuring out which movie to catch some late afternoon zzzz's to is about the most effort I plan on putting forth the rest of the day.  Any suggestions?  What are your favorite sick day movies?

APPLE MARTINIS....

...are so 2004.  And yet, "In the Meantime" by Spacehog is still a DAMN good song.

OUR NAME IS fun.

EEEEEEEEEEEEK!  I love sneak peeks!  And Austin and I have been waiting for one for a long time from this band:



Photo courtesy of http://www.ournameisfun.com/



After running their debut album, "Aim and Ignite," sufficiently into the ground (with good reason, and luckily we still have not tired of its genius-ness), Austin and I have longed to see what their second album will produce.  Needless to say, I was delighted to see a little digital gift pop up in my email today - a link to a streaming version of their new single, "We Are Young," featuring the oh so talented Janelle Monae.  Sometimes it pays to sign up for those newsletters, people. :)  (And on a side note, go check out Monae's album - one of the best we've heard for 2011)

After my first listen, so far so good.  But the big question remains:

Are fun. doomed to hit the dreaded sophomore slump a la MGMT? 

In my opinion, likely not.  If lead singer Nate Reuss's former band, The Format, is any indication, then we're likely to see a continuation of the soulfull, catchy, melodic, ELO-esque tunes Reuss is known for.  These guys definitely know how to write a good tune, and having seen them live, I can also say that their live show sounds just as good, if not better, live.  Do yourself a favor and check them out.  You can download "We Are Young" for free via iTunes here.

Feel free to leave us a comment to let us know what you think about fun., or tell us if there are any album releases you're anxiously anticipating. :)

AUSTIN LETS LOOSE

Like the Foo Fighters said, "Well, you know I did it, it's over, and I feel fine."  It's finally all over.  The test is history, and this gave us cause to celebrate.  Yesterday morning, I was parked in the Wells Fargo parking lot by 11:45am, and I waited for Austin in the car with Reel Big Fish in queue on the iPod as a way to set the tone for the rest of the day.  It was apparent by his calm that he had been adequately prepared and there was no doubt that he'll see a passing score in 4-6 weeks.  (UGH!  The agony of the wait!)  As soon as he was in the car, we headed over to the Black Sheep Lodge (while attempting to dodge any ACL traffic on Lamar) for a download session with a few friends and some of the other WF employees that had also taken the test.  

My friend/fellow Studio 563 photog, Lisa, stopped by to have a quick drink, burger, and catch up before heading down to ACL.  It's funny, because she and I seem to have celebrity sightings when hanging out together.  While shooting a wedding at the Driskill a few weeks ago, we saw Robert Plant in the lobby (good eye, Lisa!).  And yesterday, coincidentally while I was in the middle of talking about my new Kat von D lipstick, Jesse James and some of his shop guys rolled up to the BSL, parked right in front of our tables, and walked right in.  That's two, love.  I'm putting in a request for another Foo Fighters sighting - this time a real one. :)

Erin, Austin's coworker and former TGLF coworker, also stopped by before heading out to ACL.  I just HAD to post this photo.  Evil Jeff, this one's for you. :)

We spent a few hours out on the BSL patio before relocating to the G&S on South First.  It had been a while since I had been there, and I was definitely happy to see that they had a pretty good juke box and lots of games, including but not limited to pool, pinball machines, Galaga, and Pac Man.  Uh....sweet.

John and Alex, former Greening Law Firm employees, also stopped by to hang out, share a few laughs, have a few drinks, and congratulate Austin on a job well done.  John even brought cookies from Tiff's Treats.  Now THAT is a good friend. :)

And after what was probably way too many hours and too high a bar tab, we trucked on down to the South Lamar Pluckers for a late night chicken wing-a-ding-ding date with the Cusicks and their friends.  We seriously should have just cut our losses and gone home.  By the time I finished my meal, I could have seriously just crawled up and fallen asleep in the booth.  Austin and I had been up since about 4:50am, so we were ready to put an end to a 19-20 hour day.  I think the sleep deprivation was setting in and making us a bit crazy and incoherent.

With party mission complete, we're spending today at home recuperating with pajamas and some good ol' Texas football.  (We're up 42-20.  HOOK 'EM!)  ::SIGH:: Life is good.

ACL FESTIVAL 2011 - FOR THE BIRDS?

I know we're probably going to be a bit unpopular for this opinion, and that's okay.  But, honestly?!  We're totally over ACL 2011 (even if it IS the 10th anniversary) and consider the line up a bit "meh" this year.  So, no.  We're not going.  Yes, I know we're music junkies/snobs/devotees, etc.  But, we made what we feel to be a well researched decision, and I don't think either of us will regret it.  Here's why:

As I sit here typing, Austin's about 30 minutes into that aforementioned CTFA exam.  He's been studying his arse off for the last 2 1/2 months, and his brain is fried.  Also, I have a pretty big photo shoot on Sunday (details on this to come later), and I don't want to be exhausted for it.  It's a biggie, so I have to be on my game.

Also, the last thing either of us wants to do is fight crowds, be on our feet all day, stand on tippie toes to see bands we've already seen before (we're hobbits, so "see bands" is not quite a literal description of our concert going activities), and pay $7 per beer.  We didn't plan on going this year due to budgeting, but I was given some last minute tickets last night.  And while we considered going, we ultimately decided to sell.  And it's a good thing we did.  My boss gave me the tickets, and she just found out that her husband has to have dental work done to the tune of about $400.  So, $175 will definitely help her out.  And us?  Free money for making the deal happen.  We gotz billz to pay too, yo!

Nonetheless, for those of you that are going, I figured I'd send make a list of tips we found useful in our past years spent at the fest:

1. As a female, bring Kleenex with you.  The port-o-potties are cleaner than most at the festival, but you never want to be caught without the almighty TP after standing in line for 15-20 minutes.

2.  The hand sanitizer goes quickly at the port-o-potties, so bring your own.

3.  Baby wipes are life savers.  Get the antibacterial ones, as these are great for quick cleanups, as well as wiping your hands off a few times throughout the days.  Your hands will miraculously get gunky by way of just being outside among thousands of people in a park.  Also, a good hand washing is amazingly refreshing in the Texas heat.

4.  Bring water bottles.  Period.

5.  Wear super comfortable shoes, but if the Zilker grass is looking as good as it did 2 years ago before the mud saga, be sure to take them off and walk around barefoot.  It's pretty divine. :)

6.  Ear plugs.  As a music enthusiast, protecting those canals is of utmost importance.

7.  DO NOT GET PARTIED OUT ON FRIDAY!!!  Save all of your major beer drinking for Saturday night or Sunday.  Give yourself time to recoup for Monday, or if you're smart, just take Monday off, too.  At least stroll into work a little late.  You WILL be exhausted from all of the walking and heat.

8.  Get a schedule and keep it with you at all times, being sure to figure out which stage is which.  Oh, and bands typically start right on time, so factor in the 10 minute walk from one end of the park to the other if that's where your schedule takes you.

8.  Ultimately, just have fun and enjoy the bands.  I hear Coldplay puts on a good show, and I can tell you that the Delta Spirit is DEFINITELY worth checking out.

Be careful, and openly scold anyone you see smoking ANYTHING.  The burn ban is serious, folks!  Oh, and send my love to Mike Ness while you're at it.

ACL Fest 2008 - We were watching Beck.  Now, THAT was an ACL lineup!

THE CALM BEFORE THE STORM

So, today's Thursday, which means 2 things - it's the day before Austin's test, and it's reality show night in the Bertrand household. DOUBLE SCORE!  We've got Project Runway (Pro Ru, as we like to call it), Jersey Shore (Planet Smoosh), and the very last ::sniffle:: episode of L.A. Ink (Laink). 

Luckily, Austin's promised not to study tonight, so it looks like he's got a night of freedom to do as he sees fit. Me?  I have to edit a shoot that's due tomorrow. Looks like someone's moving the computer into the living room tonight for some TV action!  (Thank you, Apple, for making the iMac so easy to transport.) 

As an homage to the reality show gods and in the hopes of setting an intention for tomorrow, I'll leave you with this little gem courtesy of the Pinterest gods.

Amen, Tim.  Amen. 

Follow my blog with Bloglovin

AUSTIN TAKES A TEST

Since our return from New Jersey visit with the Websters (we're talking July 5, folks), Austin's been studying for his CTFA exam. What the hell is CTFA you ask?  It stands for Certified Trust and Fiduciary Advisor.  Yeah.  That.  What you need to know is that it's essentially a bar exam for the banking world, and we apparently no longer live in a monogamous relationship courtesy of this exam.  She's become the mistress he spends more time with these days.   Understandably so.  Nevertheless, she's beginning to wear out her welcome.  Come Friday, though, she'll be history and I'll have my husband back...and he'll have his share of the domestic duties again.

So, wish us both luck - luck that he'll pass this test and luck that I'll make it to Friday without ripping out some metaphorical weave. :)